The Pakistan Journal of Biotechnology (PJBT), a broad-based journal, is introduced to publish the most exciting research in all areas of basic and applied biotechnology and related fields. The Journal welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of significance and scientific excellence. Papers will be published quarterly after acceptance. All articles published in AJB are peer-reviewed.
FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES FOODS
The famous phrase "Let food be the medicine" (attributed to Hippocrates) basis for both food science and nutraceuticals. Numerous bioactive substances can be found in food components, such as nutritional elements like proteins, carbs, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phenolics, and flavonoids, as well as primary and secondary metabolites. Functional foods have a greater importance for their health benefits above and beyond basic nutritional requirements. Demand for functional foods is rising as individuals become more conscious of how their diet affects their health. Prebiotics are short-chain carbohydrates that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria, are converted into fatty acids in the colon, and help the body absorb calcium and magnesium. Intestinal cancer risk is also reduced by them. However, animal products also include useful components such bioactive peptides, conjugated linolenic acid, long-chain omega-3, -6, and -9 polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, and prebiotics. The review seeks to provide readers with a comprehensive perception of the potential applications of the functional food components present in food extracts. Furthermore, Research is necessary to develop novel functional foods, with exact health benefits from understanding these foods and functional elements in food play a vital role in preserving good health in the future.
Copyright (c) 2024 Shaista Soomro, Shahzor Gul Khaskheli, Aijaz Hussain Soomro, Aasia Akbar Panhwar, Ashfaque Ahmed Khaskheli, Sana Nawaz, Abdul Ghani Dars https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
INDUCED TOXIC EFFECTS OF CHLORPYRIFOS ON HEMATOLOGICAL INDICES IN PIGEONS (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA)
Agrochemicals are used extensively in agriculture sector across the world; however, they may be eco-toxicological hazards and disrupt the non-target living beings, including birds. Hence, the present study was carried out to evaluate the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) insecticide on hematological parameters in pigeons. A total of 120 adult pigeons (Columba livia domestica) were used in the study and kept in wooden cages, and all pigeons received the same quantity of (22%) crude protein and water during trials. Pigeons were acclimatized for 15 days and divided into four equal (A, B, C and D) groups, each consisting of 30 birds. Test groups (B-D) were exposed to CPF with oral doses of “1.3 mg, 1.6 mg, and 2.1 mg/kg body weight/day” respectively for twelve successive weeks, whereas (group A) was assigned as a controlled group. At the end of the trials, blood samples from exposed and controlled group birds were obtained from brachial and collected with anticoagulant “K3-EDTA” vacutainer tubes for hematological assessments. Following the 84-day exposure period, notable statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduced levels of hemoglobin (Hb) (13.85 g/dl), (12.2 g/dl) and (10.50 g/dl) respectively, in birds of groups B, C and D and significant (p < 0.05) reduced level of total erythrocytes count (TEC) and packed cell volume (PCV%) was noted when compared with the control. There was a substantial significant (p < 0.05) increase in total leucocyte count (TLC) and total platelet count observed in comparison to the birds of the control group. The results of the present study revealed that alterations in hematological indices exhibited by chlorpyrifos insecticide. This research demonstrated how the indiscriminate use of pesticides damages health and developmental problems in bird ecosystems, and eventually, humans may be in danger for their health problems
Copyright (c) 2024 Shakeel Ahmed Memon, Nasreen Memon, Nadir Ali Birmani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF NEEM OIL DERIVATIVES WITH IMIDACLOPRID AGAINST OKRA JASSID, AMRASCA BIGUTTULA BIGUTTULA (ISHIDA)
The present research study was conducted at the experimental field condition of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Southern Zone Agricultural Research Centre, University of Karachi, to compare the field performance of different neem oil derivatives doses with Imidacloprid, sprayed on okra crop against the jassid population. The experiments were carried out RCBD with the application of four treatments, including three different concentrations of neem oils at (2%, 1.5%, and 1%) with the comparison of Imidacloprid pesticide and control. Neem oil was selected as a natural pesticide against jassid population reduction on okra crop. All the treatments were sprayed twice and data were recorded before 24h of pre-treatment and post-treatment at 24h, 48h, 72h, and 144h, respectively. The overall maximum reduction % after the application of Imidacloprid against the jassid population was calculated (61.51%) in 1st spray and (58.25%) 2nd spray, followed by (43.01%), (39.75%) at 2%, consequent to (32.50%), (29.75%), at 1.5% and (25.55%), (24.52%) at 1%, respectively. The maximum efficacy in neem oil concentration was recorded at 2% followed by 1.5%, and 1% but all neem oil concentrations including Imidacloprid observed effective from the 1st day up to the 6th post-spray days. All neem oil concentrations after 24h, 48h, 72h, and 144h of post-spray found significantly different at (P< 0.05). The application of neem oil, 2% caused the phytotoxicity reduction in okra plants. Thus, it is recommended that the bio-pesticide should be applied at 1.5% neem oil concentration against the jassid pest population
Copyright (c) 2024 Bhugro Mal; Wali Muhammad Mangrio, Hakim Ali Sahito; Aqeel Ahmed Siddiqui, Shah Nawaz Khuhro; Fahmeeda Imdad Sahito https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
COMPARATIVE APPRAISAL OF THE ACACIA (ACACIA NILOTICA L.) AND MESQUITE (PROSOPIS JULIFLORA) ON THE BASIS OF MINERAL CONTENTS AND CONTAMINANTS FOR THE CAMEL FEEDS
This study evaluates the nutritional value and quality of feed and forage for camel husbandry and productivity. It focuses on two forage plant species, Acacia and Mesquite, based on mineral nutrients and contaminants for grazing and camel health benefits. The study was conducted in Jam Mahar and Tharo Mari locations of Hyderabad, contaminated lands of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited. Leaf tissue samples were collected from three trees of each plant species, oven-dried at 70°C for 48 hours, and analyzed for crude protein, fats, fiber, and ash. The plant material was digested using diacetic acid and filtered properly. The filtrate of digested samples was analyzed on Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (Nova 400) Analytik Jena, Germany. The findings of the study revealed that Acacia leaf, including pod samples, illustrated more crude protein (20.1%), fats (16%) and crude fiber (16.4) in comparison to mesquite (Devi). Findings from macro and the micronutrients of the study revealed that mesquite leaf tissues contained 36.7% and 3% more K. and Ca as compared to acacia leaf samples. Inversely to K and Ca, the Mg and Fe contents of Acacia leaf tissues were 77% and 59% higher than mesquite leaf tissue. The study found that acacia leaves have potential to meet the nutritional needs of camels and address feed shortage issues during the monsoon dry season. The findings suggest further research on the benefits of acacia leaves as fodder and their potential use in combination with other grasses to enhance various nutrients, including protein, lipids, fiber, macronutrients, and micronutrients
Copyright (c) 2024 Shahela Hakro, Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf, Ghulam Sarwar Gachal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EVALUATION OF FLAXSEED OIL AND TRICHODERMA SPECIES AGAINST GREY MOLD DISEASE OF GRAPES
Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are included in vital crops in the world with respect to its nutritious and economic value. Botrytis grey mold, also called noble rot, harms grapes and wine quality caused by Botrytis cinerea. Other than chemicals Trichoderma species considered as important bio control agents for management of post-harvest diseases. The current study was designed to evaluate Trichoderma species for their Micoparasitic ability using a modification of a pre-colonized plate method. In-vitro efficacy of flaxseed oil against the Botrytis cinerea of grapes were determined using disc diffusion technique with different oil concentrations 0.2%, 0.6%, and 0.8%. In-vivo efficacy of most effective formulated and non-formulated Trichoderma concentrations was determined by applying on grape bunches against Botrytis cinerea. Trichoderma Harzianum is more effective and showed 67.5% growth inhibition than Trichoderma Viridae having 64% growth inhibition while flaxseed oil with 0.2%, o.6% and 0.8% concentrations showed 30.19%, 33.32% and 34.89% growth inhibition against botrytis cinerea respectively. In water-based Trichoderma concentrations (1×10⁸) showed maximum growth inhibition after 6 days that was 76.46%. However, it was observed that the percent disease severity index of the grape fruits in oil-based formulation showed 16 %, 20 %, and 18% after the 9 days of incubation whereas the water-based Trichoderma formulations showed 20%, 22%, 24% respectively as compared with control. Trichoderma species can be considered as bio-control agent while emulsion oil can be used for better shelf life.
Copyright (c) 2024 Khalid Hamza, Gulshan Irshad, Abdullah Shafiq, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Ahsan Naseem, Muhammad Riaz Khan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
IMPROVING MCCP VACCINE IN SHEEP: NOVEL STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT, EFFICACY AND CROSS-PROTECTION
Vaccination serves as a straightforward and efficient method for preventing numerous infectious diseases in animals. One such disease is contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a severe lung ailment affecting small ruminants. This research aimed to create a vaccine utilizing Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) isolated from KPK, Pakistan. The local Mccp strain was rendered inactive alongside saponin, a substance, to produce the vaccine. The viable count of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) was determined to be 1x108 CFU/mL from the stock culture, with an estimated protein content of 0.2g/ml. The developed vaccine underwent testing and comparison with a standard CCPP vaccine in sheep to assess safety and efficacy. Twelve experimental sheep were divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Group A received the new vaccine, group B received the standard vaccine, and group C acted as the control. Groups A and B were further split into two subsets: one remained healthy while the other fell ill. The sheep were closely monitored for any changes over a 75-day post-vaccination period. Blood samples were analyzed for antibodies, showing average antibody GMT titers of 24.3, 84.4, and 128 on days 21, 28, and 35 post-immunization. By day 35, sheep vaccinated with the new vaccine displayed the highest antibody levels. The quadratic relationship (R2) indicated that both saponized and lyophilized vaccines were influenced by the number of days by 57.4% and 55%, respectively. The new vaccine demonstrated superior efficacy in sheep compared to the standard vaccine, with saponin playing a role in its effectiveness. The study successfully deactivated Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capripneumoniae cells with autoclaved saponin, ensuring a sterile vaccine. In vivo testing in rabbits confirmed the vaccine's safety, while serum analysis in sheep revealed protective antibody responses, with the saponized vaccine eliciting higher titers than the lyophilized version. These findings suggest the potential efficacy of the saponized vaccine against Mccp infection
Copyright (c) 2024 Haider Ali Yousafzai, Shahid Hussain Abro, Abdul Sajid, Hanif ur Rahman, Rani Abro, Baitullah, Farhan Anwar Khan, Dildar Hussain Kalhoro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AT HYDERABAD, SINDH
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) is a condition in which micro-organisms multiply within the tract to establish infection. The aim of this study was to assess bacteriological profiling of UTI in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Isolation and identification of bacterial uropathogens were carried out using standard microbiological methods such as microscopic analysis, cultural characteristics, and biochemical testing. A total of 320 urine samples were investigated for bacteriological analysis. Among them, 116 (36.26%) urine samples yielded bacterial growth, which included 74 (23.12%) female and 42 (13.13%) male patients. Bacterial distribution revealed that the most frequent isolate was Escherichia. coli which accounted 60.34% (n=70) of the isolates followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 13.79% (n=16), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7.76% (n=9), Enterococcus spp. 7.76% (n=9), Streptococcus spp. 4.31% (n=5), Staphylococcus aureus 3.4% (n=4), Proteus mirabilis 2.59% (n=3). It is concluded that the, bacteriological profiling of urine samples revealed seven different uropathogens circulating in Hyderabad with high prevalence of E. coli.
Copyright (c) 2024 Samreen Shah, Ghulam Asghar Mako, Sarfraz Ahmed Tunio, Shaista Bano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AMYLASE PRODUCED FROM PROBIOTIC LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM CS FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Previous studies have demonstrated that probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum CS was able to generate an appreciable amount of extracellular amylase, hence the need to purify and characterize it. The aim of the study was to purify and characterize crude amylase from probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum CS for its industrial applications Three purification steps including ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl sephadex and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 were utilized. The homogeneity of the purified enzyme was confirmed using sodium deodocyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified amylase was characterized on different parameters including substrates hydrolyses, pH and temperature activity and stability profiles. The general purification elution profile revealed two different peaks of amylase activities with outstanding one having a molecular weight of 59.7kDa. Its purification fold was 4.0 with specific activity of 16.44U/mg protein and enzyme yield of 3%. Temperature optimal activity and stability was at 400C and 7.5 for pH activity and stability. Mangenese (Mn2+) (135.17%), tween 80 (128.30%) and some food condiments garlic, thyme, ginger, and tumeric) significantly (p> 0.05) enhanced amylase activity (≥262.40%). However, selenium (Se4+) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were observed to have greatest inhibiting effect (≥30.9%) on the enzyme. Substrate hydrolysis profiles showed that the amylase hydrolyzed all the test starchy substrates with the highest hydrolytic potential on indigenous sweet potato starch (Km value/ Vmax of 1.33mg/ml/ 7.89ml). The rate of hydrolysis of other test substrates had yam> rice>cassava>corn with km values ≤ 4.0mg/ml and Vmax ≤ 25ml. The obtained results gave an insight that amylase produced from Lactobacillus plantarum CS met with the possessed properties suitable for any industrial application especially in food
Copyright (c) 2024 Ujunwa Felicia Nwachukwu, Uzoamaka Ogechi George-Okafor, Kelechi Nkechinyere Mba-Omeje , Amara Chioma Ezeme-Nwafor, Ifeoma Agatha Onah, Ifeanyi Jude Victor Egbuji https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
POPULATION DENSITY OF LESSER DATE MOTH ON MOST PROMINENT DATE PALM CULTIVARS AT KHAIRPUR MIRS
Pakistan is a more peculiar and hearty zone for almost all types of date palm cultivars but only District Khairpur Mirs of Sindh is regarded as “Khajeen jo dees”. The field survey-based research study was conducted at Taluka Kingri, District Khairpur during, 2017-18. The present study was sought on viz., Aseel, Nar-aseel, Fasly, Karbalian, Otakin, Daki-wari, Asul-kurh, Kashoo-wari, Asul-khurmo, Dedhi-wari, Lessoro, Begun-wari, Gajar-wari, Noori-wari and Nakul-kurh date palm varieties. All the novel already cultivated varieties were observed through random selection against the population density of Batrachedra amydraula. The pest data was taken every week from April, May and June months in both years of the study period. The pest data was gathered from 15 acres of cultivated Phoenix dactylifera orchards and prohibited to any insecticides. The maximum suspected pest infestation was found on Fasli cultivar whereas; the minimum infestation was recorded on Aseel. This commercial high-priced variety is found with high tolerance capability against salinity, drought, and upper range temperature conditions and hence recommended for cultivation. In the present study, it was frequently observed the appearance of the Batrachedra amydraula on all novel cultivars. The “Khajoor” is the cash crop and the main economic source of livelihood of this region but for a few decades, LDM has leads productivity reduction in terms of quantity and quality. The food security and socio-economic status of date palms are poorly documented in Pakistan. In this context for date palm crop security, more work should be carried on against population reduction of LDM.
Copyright (c) 2024 Faheem Ahmed Jatoi; Hakim Ali Sahito, Abdul Manan Shaikh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
FERMENTATION, PURIFICATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTITUMOR AND ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUNDS FROM A HIMALAYAN ACTINOBACTERIA STRAIN STREPTOMYCES SP. PU-AK14
This study reports the laboratory scale fermentation, compounds purification and bioactivity screening of the strain Streptomyces sp. PU-AK14 isolated from Himalayan mountains range, Pakistan, for its potential to produce antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor compounds. For this purpose, laboratory fermentation (20 L working volume) was performed followed by extraction of the compounds by XAD adsorbent gel using the solvents methanol and ethyl acetate. Further purification of the compounds was done by silica gel column chromatography, sephadex column and preparative TLC. A total of 18 partially purified compounds were retrieved from crude extract and were screened for biological activity. The crude extract was more active against gram negative bacteria with MIC of 0.1 mg/ml against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Eight of the partially purified compounds exhibited activity against MRSA whereas five fractions were active against gram negative bacteria. Seven partially purified fractions exhibited promising antioxidant activity with radical scavenging activity ranging from 78.2 to 42.34 percent. Cytotoxicity of partially purified compounds ranged from 75% to 100% larval mortality at 100mg/ml against Artemia salina and 50% to 52% cell mortality against HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell line at 100mg/ml. The best anti-tumor activity was exhibited by the fraction AK141111L. The study suggested that Streptomyces sp. PU-AK14 is a potential source of chemotherapeutically useful compounds.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nimra Naseer, Adeela Fatima, Mohsin Tassawar Cheema, Muhammad Abbas, Shahida Hasnain, Imran Sajid https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CORRELATION AND REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOR YIELD & RELATED ATTRIBUTES IN F2 POPULATION OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) GENOTYPES
This research was carried out to study correlation & regression analysis in bread wheat at Southern Wheat and Barley Research Institute, Tandojam in RCBD with three replications. The results showed that most of the traits were significantly different at (P≤0.01) among the genotypes. Correlation analysis showed that spikelets per spike had a positive and highly significant association with biological yield per plan (r = 0.82**). Among the F2 crosses, days to 75% heading was significantly and positively associated with the grain yield (r = 0.80**). The trait tillers per plant had a positive association of significance with grain yield per plant (r = 0.86**) and biological yield per plant (g) (r = 0.84**). Regression analysis showed that the contribution rate of plant height to the change of grain yield was 0.47%; although the contribution to the variation of grain yield per plant was 08.21%. Spike length and spikelets per spike contributed 51.99% and 57.02% to the variation of grain yield per spike. The same character, grain yield was also contributed by grains per spike and seed index with the change of 58.99% and 78.36%. Above mentioned studies have shown that seed index, tillers per plant and spike length can be used to increase the grain yield of wheat genotypes to develop wheat varieties.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jay Kumar, Payar Ali Shar, Sohail Ahmed Otho, Ayaz Ali Soomro, Adil Ali Gadahi, Ghulam Fareed, Wazir Ahmed Shar, Muhammad Bux Shar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PREVALENCE OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY AMONGST TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS ATTENDING TERTIARY HOSPITAL OF HYDERABAD, SINDH, PAKISTAN
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common health problem; increasing with high proportion that results in significant reduction in life spawn of diabetic patients. This study was made in order to determine the prevalence of DN in patients having type 2 diabetes in major tertiary hospitals of Hyderabad and Adjoining areas. The progression of DN in Type 2 diabetic mellitus was gathered through pre-tested questionnaire from patients. During study period, 150 of DN patients were interviewed on the basis of their medical history including period of disease, blood sugar test, renal impairment, hypertension, cardiovascular and family background reports. While the measurement of albumin to creatinine ratio and uric acids in a random urine sample were evaluated with biochemical blood/urine test and immunological assays. It was found that out of 150 diabetes patients, 123 have DN and among them male and female ratio was 81: 42 respectively. According to the parameters, the diabetic mellitus were in both DN and non diabetic nephropathy (NDN) patients, as far as the circulating level of sugar level in both DN and NDN is concern it was noted that range of fasting blood sugar was high 232.86± 15.85 mg /dl as compared to the normal value 80-120. The level of blood glucose in the NDN it was 136,25 ± 10.85 around 100 mg/dl lesser than the values in DN patients. It was further observed that the smocking and hypertension played main role in the prevalence of the disorder.
Copyright (c) 2024 Noshaba Zaheer Khan, Tahira Jabeen Ursani, Jawaid Ahmed Khokhar, Samina Malik, Muhammad Junaid Khilji, Shadab Kaka, Khalid Hussain Dhiloo, Sabina Shaikh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EFFECTS OF GROWTH REGULATOR ON INVITRO PROPAGATION OF LILIUM USING BULB SCALE
Lilium spp. is the most significant decorative plant and has high demand in the floriculture market. We studied the impact of different growth regulators on culture initiation, shoot proliferation, and root formation of Lilium for disease-free plants from in vitro propagation. The explant basal scale was used for culture initiation, and varying concentrations of BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) alone and in combination with IAA (Indole-3-acetic acid) showed different responses. It was observed that MS media supplemented with BAP at 1.5 mg/l and IAA at 1.0 mg/l exhibited the maximum number of shoots, i.e., 4.3 shoots and 7 cm length of shoots, which were attained in four weeks. Several concentrations of BAP and Kinetin (KIN) supplemented with MS medium alone or in combination with BAP with IAA, IBA, and NAA were used for shoot proliferation. The results revealed that all treatments resulted in 100% shoot development, with significant variability in the number of shoots and shoot length. MS supplemented with 1.5 mg BAP and 1.0 mg KIN showed the maximum 7.4 number of shoots, with an average shoot length of 7.7 cm. The maximum 11 roots observed in MS supplemented with 1.5mg IBA and the longest roots 4.4cm found in MS with 2mg IAA, and the rooted plantlets were hardened in peat moss media, had the highest ex-vitro survival rate. These results highlight the significance of optimized combinations of growth regulators for improving micropropagation efficiency in the horticulture industry.
Copyright (c) 2024 Haider Ali, Iqbal Hussain, Kazim Ali, Saima Noor, Amber Imtiaz, Muhammad Zeeshan, Mumtaz Hussain, Sadia Sarwar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PHYTOGENOTOXICITY ASSESMENT OF MOSQUITO REPELLENT COILS USED IN PAKISTAN VIA PLANT CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATION ASSAY
The rising prevalence of mosquitos borne deadly illnesses has made mosquitoes repellent usage common in Pakistan, with coils the popular choice. In order to estimate safe limits for humans three most commonly used type of mosquito repellent coils in Pakistan were compared for phyto-genotoxicity (DNA damage) using chromosomal aberration assay in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) root tip cells. Chickpea seeds per treatment were incubated in coil smoke of five brands (PPJ, KRD, KCEP, GNA, TL) for 20, 40 and 60 minutes in approximately 24 by 24 inch Paper carton. Germination percentage was recorded by sowing seeds in sand pots. Genotoxic effects were assessed using a plant chromosomal aberration assay, measuring the Mitotic index, abnormality index and types of chromosomal aberrations were recorded to categorize different repellents. All the incubations of coils inhibit germination of chickpea seed as compared to positive control. The inhibitory effects on germination were more pronounced as the incubation increases except PPJ. For Mitotic index highly significant variation (p≥0.01) were found among all coils and their doses (20, 40, 60 minutes). KRD exhibited non-significant variations for only 60 minutes incubation. Decreasing trends for mitotic index with increasing doses was observed for most of treatments. For abnormality index highly significant variation (p≥0.01) were found among all the doses for KRD, where as PPJ and TL exhibited non-significant variations between 40 and 60 minutes incubation. Based on the Mitotic Index and abnormality index results, KCEP and KRD coils demonstrated highest genotoxicity. Therefore, these brands of coils should not be used and other brands may also be avoided
Copyright (c) 2024 Sadaf Tabasum Qureshi, Asma Parveen Channar , Anila Naz Soomro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
BIOMETRICAL ANALYSES OF ELITE WHEAT VARIETIES USING HALF DIALLEL METHOD IN HEXAPLOID WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)
Wheat is a major food grain crop grown around the world. Its importance lies in its grain quality and yield production towards various genotypes. The present research was conducted to assess genotypes at two locations viz. Barley and Wheat Research institute Tando Jam and Wheat Research institute Sakrand. This experiment was conducted under 6 x 6 half-diallel fashion design using six wheat parents as TD-1, TJ-83, Imdad-2005, Moomal-2002, SKD-1, and Mehran-89. The results showed that TJ-83 revealed early 75% heading and maturity. However, the genotype TD-1 provoked markable performance for different characters in both locations, including tillers plant-1, spikelet’s spike-1, grains spike-1, grain yield plant-1, 1000 grain weight, and harvest index. Among F1 hybrids, including TJ-83 × Moomal-2002 and TD-1 × TJ-83, displayed favorable characteristics, with the hybrid Imdad-2005 × Mehran-89 contributing more tillers plant-1 and TD-1 × Mehran-89 having longer spikes. For GCA effects, TD-1 demonstrated negative effects for heading and maturity revealing positive effects for other key traits, making it a promising parental material for improved wheat cultivar development. The cross TD-1 × TJ-83 proved positive SCA effects for distinctive characteristics. Correlation analysis depicted positive associations between spike length, spikelet’s spike-1, grains spike-1, and grain yield plant-1 underscoring their importance in high-yielding wheat cultivar development. Traits exhibited high heritability estimates, suggesting strong genetic control and early-generation improvement possibilities. Gene action analysis revealed an overall type of dominant gene action, confirming an over-dominant type for most traits. The concise findings indicate that the research provides valuable insights for enhancing wheat breeding programs, identifying superior genotypes, and understanding their desirable responses under diverse environmental conditions
Copyright (c) 2024 Dalel Khan Mandan, Shah Nawaz Marri, Zahoor Ahmed Soomro, Qamar-ud-Din Chachar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ENHANCING GROWTH, YIELD, AND QUALITY POTENTIAL OF PROMISING COTTON VARIETIES THROUGH SOWING DATE VARIATIONS
In a field trial, the impact of varying sowing dates on growth, yield, and quality of chosen cotton varieties was investigated, employing three-replicated Randomized Complete Block Design. Study evaluated Shahbaz-95, Sindh-1, and Malmal cotton varieties across six distinct sowing dates (1-April, 15-April, 1-May, 15-May, 1-June and 15-June). There was substantial influence of both varieties and sowing dates on growth and yield attributes. This effect was apparent across all traits except monopodial branches. Notably, 15-April sown cotton displayed the most vigorous performance, with a plant height of 127.93 cm, 1.56 monopodia, 21.44 sympodia, 47 bolls, 130.67 g seed cotton weight plant-1, 36.02% G.O.T., 27.4 mm staple length, and a seed cotton yield of 3586.1 kg ha-1. The 1-April sowing ranked 2nd, resulting plant height of 126.67 cm, 1.56 monopodia, 21.33 sympodia, 46.44 bolls, 128.89 g seed cotton weight plant-1, 35.66% G.O.T., 27.28 mm staple length, and a seed cotton yield of 3561.8 kg ha-1. Cotton sown on 1-May, 15-May, 1-June and 15-June displayed reduced overall performance. Among varieties, Shahbaz-95 exhibited improved performance with plant height of 127.39 cm, 1.61 monopodia, 21.22 sympodia, 46.78 bolls, 129.72 g seed cotton weight plant-1, 35.71% G.O.T., 26.30 mm staple length, and a seed cotton yield of 3539.40 kg ha-1. In conclusion, the study underscores that sowing cotton up to 15-April optimally enhances growth, yield, and quality traits, with each subsequent fortnight delay resulting in simultaneous decline across all evaluated attributes. Shahbaz-95 is recommended for superior crop yields, while Malmal is preferred for promising staple length.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rizwan Wahid, Muhzzam Anwar, Niaz Ahmed Wahocho, Jahanzaib, Zahid Hussain, Syed Taimoor Shah, Khuda Dost, Kaleem Ullah, Ikhlaq Ahmed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DIAPAUSE DYNAMICS IN PINK BOLLWORM (PECTINOPHORA GOSSYPIELLA) TRIGGERED BY EPISODES OF PHOTOPERIOD AND TEMPERATURE REGIMES
Pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella is considered as the most injurious insect-pest of cotton causing significant yield losses in the world including Pakistan. The ability of pink bollworms to enter in diapauses before the onset of harsh condition increases the survival rate to greater extent and determine to attain the status of major insect-pest. The present investigations were conducted under laboratory conditions set as 26+2 oC, 65+5% and 15:9 (L/D) temperature, relative humidity, photoperiod respectively. Change in temperature to varied extent and episodes of photoperiod for specific intervals were the key variables to study their influence on diapausing ability in pink bollworms. The results elaborated that the temperature of 14 oC found to be optimum for diapause induction as maximum (68.21±1.83%) larvae of pink bollworms at 4th instar were in diapause state. While the temperature of 26 oC found to be lethal regarding diapause induction of 0.00, 3.11±1.03 and 21.96±0.13% when 4th instar larvae were held for one, four and seven days respectively. Influence of photoperiod revealed that the highest diapause (28.01±0.20%) was induced when episode of 07:17 (L/D) photo phase was maintained for a period of seven days. Peak adult emergence (92.13±3.74%) was recorded at 26 oC, 15:9 L/D of temperature and photoperiod respectively. However, maximum adult mortality (31.66±4.59%) was found at 14 oC when the pupae were held for 14 days. These findings lead to the conclusion that the temperature and photoperiod are the key determinants among the abiotic variable, which govern diapausing phenomena in pink bollworm.
Copyright (c) 2024 Shamim Akhtar, Talal Ihsan, Iqra Shehzadi, Shumaila Afzal, Ghulam Zainab, Kamra Mahmood, Saira Khan, Muhammad Bilal, Imran Ali, Ferkhanda Farooq https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE TRENDS IN BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF SUSPECTED BACTERIAL MENINGITIS PATIENTS AT HYDERABAD, SINDH.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It is a devastating infectious disease with a high morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. The present study aimed to study the bacteriological profiling of CSF samples and the evaluation of antibiotic susceptibility patterns of common bacterial isolates of CSF. A total of 681 CSF samples were collected from patients suspected of bacterial meningitis through Lumbar puncture and processed for bacteriological analysis. Bacterial isolation and identification were carried out by using conventional microbiological methods including cultural, microscopic, biochemical, and immunological tests. Gender-wise distribution revealed that 59.32% (n=404) of samples were from male and 40.68% (n=277) belonged to female patients. The culture positivity of CSF samples showed that out of 681 samples 5.73% (n=39) yielded bacterial growth, while 94.27% (n=642) were sterile. It was observed that microbial infection of CSF was more common in patients aged below one year accounting for 44.93%. Gram-negative bacteria were more common with 87.18% while the Gram-positive bacteria were less prevalent in CSF samples with 12.82% prevalence. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the dominant with 30.77% of total isolated bacteria, followed by Pseudomonas spp. and E. coli. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing data revealed that Colistin, Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Meropenem were highly effective against K. pneumoniae, E. coli and Pseudomonas spp., respectively. In summary, the proper diagnosis and empirical treatment of bacterial meningitis can be achieved by AST and culturing CSF specimens
Copyright (c) 2024 Sarfraz Ahmed Tunio, Santosh Kumar Bathija, Shaista Bano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
MITIGATION OF SALT STRESS IN WHEAT THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF INDOLE ACETIC ACID
Wheat a staple food of almost one third population of world is threatened by many biotic and abiotic stresses. Saline soils reduce the production significantly. Different strategies are being used to overcome salinity. In present study a pot culture experiment was conducted with loamy soil to investigate the effect of indole acetic acid (IAA), on growth, yield and some biochemical alteration in wheat grown under saline condition. The experiment was arranged completely randomized design (CRD) with two wheat varieties and two salinity levels (0, 10 dS m-1) each treatment had three replications. Plant growth hormone was applied @ 100 mg L-1 IAA, along with control (without PGRs), at vegetative stage of wheat. Results showed that salinity significantly reduced the shoot length, root length, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, Number of tillers plant-1, grain yield per plant, spike length, number of spikelets/spike, thousands grain weight, while the foliar application of IAA significantly improved all the above parameters under normal as well as saline condition in both the wheat verities. Wheat variety “Akbar-19” performed better than that of “FSD-2008” for all above parameters. Therefore, it had higher growth and yield and yield components under saline as well as normal conditions
Copyright (c) 2024 Jabreen Tariq, Muhammad Yasin Ashraf, Ali Ilyas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
QUANTITATIVE, HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L) UNDER WATER STRESS CONDITIONS
Wheat genotypes were evaluated -under water stress conditions to find out drought resistant line in split plot design where stress treatments were main plots and genotypes were subplots. Five genotypes were used to develop ten F1 hybrids using half diallele mating design. Mean squares of genetic parameters viz. General Combining Ability (GCA), Specific Combining Ability (SCA) and their effects, heterosis and heterobeltiosis showed highly significant differnces (>0.01%) for most of the traits. NIA-sarang, TD-1 and Sarsbz showed highly significant GCA under non-stress and water stress for grain yield main spike-1, seed index plant-1 and grain yield plant-1. Highly significant SCA for NIA-sarang x Kiran-95, TD-1 x NIA-sarang, Sarsabz x Kiran-95 and Sarsabz x NIA-sarang for grain yield main spike-1 under non-stress. Under both water stress, hybrid TJ-83 x Kiran-95, TD-1 x Kiran-95, Sarsabz x NIA-sarang and NIA-sarang x Kiran-95, TJ-83 x TD-1, TJ-83 x Sarsabz and NIA-sarang x Kiran-95 showed highly significant SCA for grain yield main spike-1. Great seed index plant-1 gave TJ-83 x TD-1 and TJ-83 x Kiran-95 under non-stress. Hybrid TJ-83 x Sarsabz, NIA-sarang x Kiran-95, TD-1 x Kiran-95 and TJ-83 x Sarsabz showed highly significant SCAs for seed index plant-1 under water stress. For grain yield plant-1, hybrid TJ-83 x TD-1, NIA-sarang x Kiran-95, Sarsabz x Kiran-95showed great SCAs under non-stress and under water stress. Heterobeltiosis under non-stress noted in NIA-sarang x Kiran-95, TD-1 x NIA-sarang, Sarsabz x Kiran-95, Sarsabz x NIA-sarang and Sarsabz x TD-1, under water stress, TJ-83 x Kiran-95, TD-1 x Kiran-95, Sarsabz x NIA-sarang, Hybrid TJ-83 x Sarsabz, TJ-83 x TD-1, Sarsabz x NIA-sarang, Sarsabz x TD-1 and NIA-sarang x Kiran-95 showed heterobeltiosis for grain yield main spike-1 and recommended to include future breeding schemes.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nazir Ali Panhwar, Zahoor Ahmed Soomro , Wajid Ali Jatoi , Mahboob Ali Sial https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF TOTAL VIABLE COUNT USING SPECIFIED TECHNIQUES AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF ISO/IEC 17025:2017 IN MICROBIOLOGICAL SAMPLES
Biofertilizers are microbial based products, and their quality control is very much tricky job due to their biological nature and susceptibility to environmental factors. There are certain parameters that needs to be satisfied for the fitness of product. The principal parameter that showed the presence of microbes in the desired number is Total Viable Count besides other parameters etc. The series of lab studies were carried out at Biofertilizer Testing Laboratory (BTL-FSD), Soil Bacteriology Section, Faisalabad to evaluate the method development and validation characters mentioned in ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 standard for testing laboratories. The method developed keeping in view of (PSQCA standard) PS: 5330/2014 and amended according to the lab conditions and validated. Different techniques mentioned in clauses 7.2.2 and 7.2.2.3 were carried out in the lab environment. The bias expressed as LOG 10 were within the range of -0.024 to 0.034 and relative standard deviation (RSD) was <2%. The RSD of repeatability was 0.607% and reproducibility was 0.656 and 0.744%. The significance determined as t-stat was 0.280 well below the t-critical one and two tail i.e., 1.86 and 2.31, respectively and accuracy of method using robust mean was 99.8%. The measurement of uncertainty (MoU) was ±0.05 at 95% confidence interval and expanded uncertainty of the method was 0.1145. The LOD and LOQ of the method was evaluated as 0.090897 and 0.275445 expressed as LOG 10. On the basis of techniques and characters under assessment, it was concluded that method of total viable count satisfied the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard and validated
Copyright (c) 2024 M. Amjad Qureshi, Abid Niaz, Muhammad Asif Ali, Sajid ur Rahman, Shabana Ehsan, Shahid Nazir, Munazza Rafique, Hina Javed, Fraza Ijaz, Allah Nawaz, Muhammad Shahid, Ifra Saleem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PHOSPHORUS NUTRITION OF MUNGBEAN (Vigna Radiata L.) IN RELATION TO MYCORHIZOBACTERIAL INOCULATION
Microbial phosphate solubilization substantially supplements chemical phosphatic fertilization. Pakistani soils are generally P-deficient and require adequate P fertilization. However, due to very low P-use-efficiency, it becomes indispensable to device workable strategies to address these issues. We conducted a field experiment to compare the response of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) to ACC-deaminase, phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria (PSRB), Pseudomonas fluorescens and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi under varying levels of inorganic P (P1 = No P fertilizer, i.e. control, P2 = 30.0 kg P ha-1, and P3 = 60.0 kg P ha-1). We noted that mungbean showed significant enhancements in various plant attributes when supplied with P nutrition ranging from 8.2 to 45.9% at 50% recommended P fertilizer dose, i.e. 30 kg P ha-1 and 17.8 to 76.1% at 100% recommended P fertilizer dose, i.e. 60 kg P ha-1. In comparison to 30 kg P ha-1, 60 kg P ha-1 significantly increased (1.6 to 3.9 times) plant traits of mungbean. Microbial inoculants showed positive effects, with P. fluorescens increasing plant attributes from 5.2 to 31.2%, and AM fungi Glomus mossaea from 13.5 to 40.0%. The mycorrhizal inoculation was significantly better than rhizobacterial inoculation, with enhancements of 1.2 to 2.7 times in various growth attributes of mungbean. We conclude that microbial inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was found to be more efficient than rhizobacterial inoculation
Copyright (c) 2024 Zia-ul-hassan, Nizamuddin Depar, Sana Saleem Rajput, Javaria Afzal Arain, Inzamam Jamali, Naheed Akhter Talpur, Hajra Khan, Inayatullah Rajpar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SCREENING AND MODULATION OF THE BACTERICIDAL POTENTIAL OF PICKLE-BASED LACTIC ACID BACTERIA AGAINST COMMON NOSOCOMIAL PATHOGENS
Fermentation of vegetables is an important process to preserve food. Fermentation is carried out mostly by LAB which are much resistant to salt. Pickles usually contain a variety of LAB which not only improve digestion of fruits and vegetables but also contribute to unique taste by providing components like exopolysaccharides and bacteriocins. The production of bacteriocins by LAB is useful for human body and are beneficial to reduce growth of foodborne pathogens like S. aureus and E. coli etc. LAB have been used in fermented food industry because they improve the taste of product. From different samples of pickles eighteen Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) have been isolated in the current work. The isolates were screened on De Mann Rogosa Sharpe agar (MRS). After preliminary morphological and biochemical examination, twelve out of eighteen strains were identified as Lactobacillus species, while four were Streptococcus species. Antibacterial activity of eight bacteriocin-producing Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains were tested against three pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli (E.coli), Bacillus cereus (B.cerus) and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) by using disk diffusion method. Maximum antibacterial activity was observed against B. cereus and least against E. coli. Bradford method was used in order to estimate the protein bacteriocin. The protein content was measured by comparing it with the bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a standard. LAB are beneficial bacteria for human health as these can be used as natural antibacterial tools against common pathogenic bacterial strains involved in different types of deleterious infections
Copyright (c) 2024 Maham Chaudhry, Bushra Mazhar, Sara Hayee, Samreen Riaz, Faryal Sajjad, Nazish Mazhar Ali, Muhammad Ahsan Raza https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF IRON ANDZINC NANOPARTICLES ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.) BUDNODE
The applications of nano-particles (NPs) in agriculture, such as nano-fertilizers, nano-insecticides, and nano-herbicides, are significantly impacted by their specific structure. In an experiment conducted at the College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, the presence of Fe and Zn nano-particles at different concentrations was investigated to promote the appearance and growth of sugarcane buds. The experiment was conducted using a Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) method, with three replications of plant height at different concentrations of Fe NPs and Zn NPs. The results showed that high Zn concentrations, such as 75 and 100 mg L-1, significantly influenced germination-related characteristics, including minimum plant height. Sugarcane buds treated with Fe NPs at 50 mg L-1 and Zn NPs at 100 mg L-1 had the largest leaf area, while buds treated with Zn NPs at 50 mg L-1 had the minimum leaf-to-plant ratio. The topical application of Fe NPs and Zn NPs to sugarcane increased chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate by 1.3 cm. The plant also showed the highest amount of zinc. At 100 mg L-1, the shoot Fe 6.9 concentration in Zn NPs was the highest. In conclusion, adding Zn and Fe nano-particles in amounts ranging from 100 mg L-1 to 50 mg L-1 significantly improved the growth and development of sugarcane bud nodes.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mena Hameed, Iram Shahzadi, Asif Kaleri, Danish Manzoor, Akhtar Jamali, Muahmmad Tufail Jogi, Aadab Akhtar, Rida Pervaiz, Sabir Ali, Muhammad Ashraf https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SUGARCANE CLONES AT PRELIMINARY YIELD TRIAL
In the current study, fifteen (15) sugarcane clones developed from Sri Lanka and Barbados fuzz were evaluated for quantitative and qualitative traits in local set of climatic conditions. After testing and advancement from early stages of sugarcane cultivar development program, these clones were planted in 4th stage i.e. preliminary yield trial to evaluate the performance of clones in comparison to two local check varieties viz. CPF 253 and HSF 240. The testing sugarcane clones along with check varieties were planted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) deploying three replications during the crop season 2022-23. Biometric parameters like germination (%), plant population, plant height, 10-cane weight, cane weight and cane yield alongwith sugar recovery were studied. The biometric traits were compared using two-sided Dunnett's multiple to check the level of significance. The results showed high level of significance for all the biometric traits. The clone BDF-20-174 showed superior performance for plant population, cane yield and sugar recovery as compared to local check varieties. Similarly some other clones surpass the check varieties in some traits but their overall performance remained at par or lower than check varieties. However, further testing and experimentation will be applied to pick more adapted and suitable clones for local agro-ecological conditions
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Shahzad Afzal, Muhammad Zafar, Hafiz Bashir Ahmad, Mahmood Ul Hassan, Mubashra Yasin, Babar Hussain, Rashida Naheed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
REVEALING THE FERTILITY STATUS OF KHANEWAL DISTRICT’S LANDS THROUGH GIS-BASED STUDY
A rapid increase in industrialization and urbanization and population growth requires expansion of agricultural area for food security and raise the importance of soil health assessment to ensure protection and sustainable use of agricultural lands according to their potential. For this purpose, use of digital soil mapping for the analysis of key physicochemical characteristics has been widely used. The GIS enabled the mapping of extensive areas. The purpose of this study is the spatial analysis of soil fertility indicators i.e., soil reaction (pH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), micro-macro {Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B)} nutrients in Khanewal districts using GIS-approaches. The result of study shows that soil pH and EC are normal for crop production while almost 95% of samples show low OM, 100% have low available phosphorous content, 33.3% have low K content, 71% have low Fe and 83% have low B content. Therefore, it was recommended that, to continuously incorporate farmyard manure, green manure, and crop residues into the soil over an extended period to address the organic matter deficiency. P, K, Fe and B deficient area should be fertilized with variable rate of respective fertilizer and soil should be periodically tested. It was recommended that the central parts of Khanewal district lands are cultivable as compared to boarder areas.
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Mubashir, Muhammad Mubashir, Muhammad Imran, Fatima Bibi, Saeed ur Rehman, Ghulam Murtaza, Muhammad Rashid Farooq, Muhammad Khalid, Muhammad Zahid khan Nazar, Syed Ali Zulqadar, Qurrat-ul- Ain, Nazia Parveen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PROFILES OF BACTERIA FROM SPOILED FRUITS IN RAWALAKOT DISTRICT POONCH, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Fruits play a vital role in human diet by providing essential growth factors such as vitamins and minerals in daily diet which help to live healthy life. Bacteria are important factor for spoilage of fruits. Bacterial degradation first causes softening of tissues as pectin are degraded and the whole fruit may eventually degenerate into a slimy mass. Spoilage refers to any change in fruit condition in which fruit become unacceptable or undesirable for human use. Therefore present study was conducted at Rawalakot, District Pooch AJK, to identify the bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) from spoiled fruit samples as well as to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of these isolated bacteria using antibiotic disc diffusion method. For this purpose a total of 100 spoiled fruit samples (50 samples of spoiled apple and 50 samples of spoiled banana) were randomly collected from different locations of Rawalakot including Kharick, Kasaigali, D. Chowk, Nala Bazar and Supply Bazar by random sampling technique. Results of the study showed that out of 50 samples of Banana 25(50%) samples were positive for Staphylococcus aureus and 25(50%) were positive for E. coli. While among 50 samples of Apple 25(50%) were positive for E. coli and 25(50%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus respectively. For antimicrobial susceptibility test disc diffusion method was followed. S. aureus from apple samples the highest resistance was observed for Sulphamethox 25(100%) and Cefoxtin 25(100%) while for banana the highest %age was recorded for Amoxicillin 25(100%) and Sulphamethox 25(100%) respectively. E. coli from apple samples strains were highly resistant to Erythromycin 22(88%), while for banana the highest percentage was recorded for Amoxicillin 23(92%) and Erythromycin 20(80%).
Copyright (c) 2024 Nayab Qayyum, Fauzia Aziz, Raees Ahmed, Muhammad Tahir Younas, Urooj Zafar, Laiba Mahmood, Uzma Barkat, Hassam Qayyum, Muhammad Najeeb, Nasrullah ., Sabahat Javied https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
APPLICATION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR IMPROVING GROWTH AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) UNDER CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF PAKISTAN
The research was conducted under rain fed conditions of Rawalakot to check the effect of different organic and chemical fertilizers on yield and yield components in maize. Eight different treatments were evaluated by using regular arrangement of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Sheep manure (SM), farm yard manure (FYM), and poultry manure (PM) were used as organic sources of nutrients while NPK was used inorganic sources. The test variety of maize was Pioneer-30Y87. The data was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze the difference amongst different means using least significance difference (LSD). Results revealed significant effect of different nutrient treatments on the yield and morphological growth of maize. Maximum number of plants (11.00), plant height (212.80 cm), number of grain rows per cob (15.60), 1000 grains weight (188.90 g), grain yield (6836.7g) were recorded for Treatment T7 (Half recommended NPK fertilizer + farm yard manure. tons ha-1). This study showed that mixed use of inorganic and organic sources of nutrients could be a better soil nutrient amendment when applied at a ratio of 50% dose of farm yard manure (FYM) + 50% dose of NPK in the cultivation of maize under rain fed conditions of Rawalakot.
Copyright (c) 2024 Aqeel Ahmed, Nabil Ahmed, Uzma Arif, Sadaf Khalid, Lubna Zafar, Raees Ahmed, Jahanzaib Shahzad, Raza Mustafa, Qamar Ali Khan, Hassan Farid https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EVALUATION OF SPRING WHEAT GENOTYPES UNDER WATER STRESSED CONDITION
Pakistan faces severe challenges in wheat production annually due to the devastating effects of drought stress. Therefore, present research was carried out to evaluate 15 exotic bread wheat genotypes along with the local check variety, Khirman for their performance under drought stress. Analysis of variance revealed that all the traits were significantly different (P<0.01) among the cultivars. Based on mean performance, genotype V-18 showed better performance for all the studied characters, while genotype V-14 showed desirable performance for different traits such as early growth vigor, number of grains spikelet-1, number of grains spike-1, number of spikelets spike-1, spike length, peduncle length, and grain yield plant-1. The local check Khirman also produced desirable values for four different traits, namely early growth vigor, number of grains spike-1, peduncle length, and grain yield plant-1. The cluster analysis divided all the genotypes into three distinct clades. The first cluster comprises V-14, V-18, and the local check Khirman, which performed very well under drought conditions compared to the other genotypes. The presence of these genotypes with the local check Khirman is regarded as indicative of drought-tolerant genotypes. The second cluster comprises nine genotypes, namely V-10, V-11, V-12, V-13, V-16, V-19, V-20, and V-23, which performed moderately compared to the genotypes found in the drought-tolerant cluster. The last cluster comprises four genotypes, namely V-09, V-15, V-17, and V-22, which performed very poorly under drought conditions. Overall, the two exotic lines, V-14 and V-18, which were in the cluster with the drought-tolerant variety Khirman, performed very well and can be considered as drought-tolerant genotypes
Copyright (c) 2024 Naveed Yaseen Sial, Mahboob Ali Sial, Ghulam Fareed, Amir Ali Mastoi, Ayaz Ali Keerio, Muhammad Adeel Butt, Muhammad Aslam Mengal, Sana Ullah Baloch, Sajid Ali Shah, Bismillah Khan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
MORPHOLOGICAL AND YIELD-RELATED POMOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INTRODUCED OLIVE (OLEA EUROPEA) CULTIVARS IN RAINFED AREA OF POTHOWAR PUNJAB
This study aims at pomological characterizing of 09 olive cultivars planted in the field area of Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal to estimate genetic variability in Ottobratica, Hamdi, FS-17, Gerboi, Arbequina, Persia, Nabali, Koroneiki and Earlik. Following pomological traits: fruit and stone weight (g), fruit and stone size (cm), fruit and stone shape index (length/width) and flesh to stone ratio were studied. Data for studied traits were collected in 2019 according to the International olive council descriptor. A significant genetic difference was noticed in the morphological characteristics of both fruit and stone. Different pomological characters were expressed by each cultivar. A wide range of variation was noticed in fruit weight (1.33-5.57g), stone weight (0.20-0.63g) and flesh/stone ratio (0.90-4.96). Based on their fruit shape, studied cultivars were classified into two groups i.e., ovoid and elongate. However, no significant difference was recorded for the stone shape, as all the studied cultivars had the same elongated stone shape. Concerning the fruit size, high fruit size (4-6g) was observed in FS-17, Hamdi, Earlik and Persia whereas Koroneiki, Nabali and Gerboi had the smallest ones (>2g). Based on our results, Earlik, Hamdi and FS-17 are suggested to be more appropriate for table olive production. Thus, an evaluation of genetic diversity through this study can help in the varietal development of olive for table and oil purposes.
Copyright (c) 2024 Uzma Javed, Ayesha Manzoor, Ruqeah Mustafa, Tanveer Hussain, Irfan Ali, Muhammad Tahir Akram, Mehwish Liaquat, Laiba Satti, Asfa Quddus, Ijaz Ahmad https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
UNLOCKING COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: CPF 249, A MEDIUM-MATURING SUGARCANE VARIETY FOR PUNJAB
The substantial growth of sugar industry and the need to ensure national food security entail the extension of crushing season for sugar mills in Punjab by introducing medium and late maturing sugarcane varieties. The variety CPF 249 is a cross of CP 87-1628 × CP 84-1198, was developed from fuzz imported in 2002 from the Sugarcane Station in Canal Point, USA, and subsequently grown at the Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad. Following successful initial selection, CPF 249 underwent four years of testing in preliminary, semi-final, and final varietal trials from 2008 to 2012. This medium-maturing variety demonstrates high tonnage and superior sugar recovery compared to other medium-maturing varieties such as CPF 247, SPF 245, and HSF 240. Furthermore, CPF 249 exhibits resistance diseases and insect pests, positioning it as an excellent alternative to SPF 245, SPF 234, and HSF 240 throughout Punjab. Economically, it offers a significant advantage, yielding an additional profit of Rs. 223,000 over SPF 245, Rs. 138,000 over HSF 240, and Rs. 54,000 per hectare compared to other local checks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mahmood Ul Hassan, Muhammad Akhlaq Muddasar, Naeem Fiaz, Muhammad Shahzad Afzal, Zaheer Sikandar, Muhammad Shafique, Syed Saqlain Hussain, Fida Hussain, Muhammad Farooq Ahmad, Mubashra Yasin, Salma Niaz, Muhammad Zafar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
NUTRITIVE VALUATION OF WINTER FORAGE CEREALS HAY UNDER VARIABILITY OF AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND NITROGEN REGIMES AT BOOTING STAGE
The fundamental relation between forage growers of rain fed areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan is intense fodder shortage in winter season. The study focused to investigate the inconsistency of winter forage cereals WFCs (barley, oat, rye and triticale) to compute precise dose of nitrogen (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg.ha-1) for the assessment of nutritive evaluation of WFCs, hay at booting stage BS under temperate conditions of (Rawalakot) and subtropical conditions of (Rawalpindi). The two years (2016-2017, 2017-2018) field experiments were, examined at research farm (Chottagalla) of University of Poonch Rawalakot and research farm of (Koont) Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi. In both locations at BS, the hay samples were properly harvested, tagged and arranged. During corresponding years, Rye (12.9%, 13.1%) at Rawalakot while oat (11.2%, 11.5%) at Rawalpindi produced more crude protein contents in response with N @ 225 kg ha-1. The extreme amount of crude fiber contents, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents were documented, for rye at Rawalakot, whereas for oat at Rawalpindi conditions in response to N @ o kg ha-1. Throughout both years, the highest ash contents were recorded, for rye (13.27%, 13.48%) at Rawalakot, whereas triticale (11.42% 12.11%) and oat (11.2%, 11.89) were statistically same under Rawalpindi conditions with application of N @ 225 kg ha-1. It is concluded; from experimental results, there is dire need for nitrogen application to optimize the yield and nutritional value of WFCs under both climatic conditions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Jamil, Sadaf Khalid, Aqeel Ahmad, Muhammad Mazhar Qayoom, Qamar Ali Khan, Muhmmad Yousaf, Raza Mustafa, Muhammad Zahid, Muhammad Tariq-Khan, Lubna Zafar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OF P2O5 DETERMINATION METHOD IN PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS AND ITS VALIDATION
The validation of chemical measurement for Phosphorus determination in fertilizers followed a chain of experimental procedures to ascertain the performance characteristic (PC), connecting Precision, accuracy, reproducibility, recovery, linearity, limit of detection and of quantification. Performance characteristics are accomplished to ensure that analytical method fits the purpose of particular testing. This method was conducted in three stages those were preparation, testing and data processing. The standard test method for determination of P2O5 content in fertilizers used for regulatory purpose is somewhat lengthy and time taking. A modification was done to the standard method to create a more efficient approach that meets validation criteria and is suitable for analyzing advisory fertilizer samples. During the year 2023-24, comprehensive research and development activity were carried out at Soil and Water Testing Laboratory (SWTL) for Research, Faisalabad and analytical data was generated. The obtained results were processed statistically and compared with the acceptance requirements. The coefficient of determination (R2), precision and accuracy/recovery percentage respectively were 0.9996, 0.3-1.10% and 98.01-102.34%, while LOD and LOQ were 0.84 and 2.25%. Based on the results the study concluded that the modified test method applied to determine P2O5was appropriate for its intended use based on the acceptance criteria of performance characteristics set forth in the validation protocol and can be applied as routine method at laboratory.
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Aleem Sarwar, Sumreen Siddiq, Muhammad Faraz Anwar, Quais Muhammad Affan, Khadim Hussain, Waqas Ashraf, Hafiz Naveed Ramzan, Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Shafqat, Memoona Shehzadi, Muhammad Saeed Ashraf https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
HEAVY AND TRACE METALS CONTAMINATION IN THE SOIL AND TAP WATER OF QASIMABAD, HYDERABAD, SINDH PAKISTAN
This research intends to analyse the impacts of automobile exhaust pollutants on roadside soil anditscontamination in thewater supply network through faulty rusted pipes ofQasimabad town of Hyderabad City. Qasimabadis recently established in 1988 along the flood plains of River Indus. The results unveilthe causes of contamination and to propose the possible mitigations, the majority ofthe people consume drinking water through theunderground pipe network and tap water was found highly contaminated in the area due to the presence of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, iron and lead.
Copyright (c) 2024 Ghulam Mustfa Thebo, Kashif Ahmed Memon, Mohammad Hassan Agheem, Muhammed Ali Solangi, Javed Ali Kalhoro, Shahid Ali Shaikh, Zainab Ursani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY OF BACTERIOPHAGES AGAINST VIBRIO CHOLERAE
This study investigates the use of bacteriophages as an alternative antibacterial approach to combat antibiotic-resistant Vibrio cholerae, a major public health concern. Vibrio cholerae strains were identified through culture on TCBS agar, microscopy, and biochemical tests (catalase, oxidase, indole, and citrate). Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method across five antibiotics: tetracycline, norfloxacin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin. Results showed resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin, while strains remained susceptible to norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin Five bacteriophages against Vibrio cholerae were isolated from 50 wastewater samples, and only two (F1 and F2) showed lytic activity, forming clear plaques. These two lytic phages were further purified and characterized for stability across different temperatures, pH levels, and host range. The isolated phages were tested for host range against six Vibrio cholerae strains, with F1 lysing five strains and F2 lysing three, and demonstrated stability across temperatures (20°C to 55°C) and pH levels (4 to 9). They remained active across a wider temperature and pH range demonstrating their potential for therapeutic use. The study shows that these phages are highly specific, targeting only Vibrio cholerae strains from various sources without affecting other bacterial species. This specificity makes them safer for therapeutic use, as they are less likely to disrupt the body’s natural bacterial flora. Further genomic studies are recommended to characterize the genetic makeup of these phages, optimizing their application in cholera treatment. This study provides critical insights into the potential of bacteriophages as an alternative treatment for antibiotic-resistant Vibrio cholerae.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Fayaz Khan, Hifza Rehman, Samia Gul, Daniyal Akram, Afshan Saleem, Sidra Fareed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS TO CONTROL BROWNING IN GUAVA SOFT WOOD CUTTINGS
Guava is the Apple of tropics and becoming the popular fruit of Pakistan. Guava is a nutraceutical fruit enriched with important minerals and vitamins like ascorbic acid. To overcome upon the issue of brown spots on fruit rind of guava soft wood cuttings, a research trial is executed. /the experiment was planned to overcome the problem of brown spots on fruit rind in soft wood cuttings of guava. For this purpose antioxidants i.e Vitamin C and L-ascorbate were used as blend mixture with IBA (rooting hormone) used for the initiation of roots in cuttings. A research trial was performed by employing randomized complete block design having three replications including frour treatments. Data subjected to result interpretation revealed that there is success (92.28%) and survival percentage (42.06%) was found maximum in T3 wherease, IBA 0.4% was used in combination with 1.5% citric acid and 1.5% ascorbic acid. In case of vegetative parameters maximum plant height (24.06 cm), number of leaves (25.50), leaf area (51.43mm), number of branches (3.68) and branch length (12.69 cm) were observed in T3 as compared to other treatments. The highest values for root parameters like primary roots (21.17), secondary roots (45.94), root volume (2.26 cm3) and root length (9.65 cm) were found in treatment 3 while lowest values for all treatments were observed in control.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mohsin Abbas, Komal Aslam , Nida Mahreen, Maaz Aziz, Naseem Sharif, Qamar Shehzad Anjum, Muhammad Talha Bin Zahid https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of BMI on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Unveiling the Cardiovascular Connection.docx
This research explores the connections between Body Mass Index (BMI) and cardiovascular health across different age and gender groups. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on 180 non-athlete participants, ranging from 18 to 70 years old. The findings indicate a significant correlation between BMI and heart rate, as well as blood pressure. The study aims to provide insights into these relationships by examining data from diverse age and gender cohorts. The results show that individuals with a healthy BMI (22.9 ± 2.7) tend to have favorable cardiovascular measures, highlighting the importance of BMI. In contrast, overweight (26.9 ± 2.66) and obese (32.3 ± 3.24) individuals exhibit distinct variations, with higher heart rates and blood pressures. Visual representations illustrate the trends across BMI categories. Statistical analysis reveals a moderate positive correlation between BMI and cardiovascular parameters, including heart rate (0.576), systolic blood pressure (0.563), and diastolic blood pressure (0.602). Multiple regression analysis indicates a strong fit (R = 0.663), with BMI explaining 44% of the variability in cardiovascular parameters. The model is statistically significant (F = 45.52) and does not exhibit significant autocorrelation (Durbin-Watson = 0.864), emphasizing BMI's significant role in predicting cardiovascular health.
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Daniyal Maqsood Alvi1, Khair Ul Wara, Faizan Raza Shah Zaidi, Komal Tariq, Shahzad Nasim, Saifullah Bullo, Sidra Abid Syed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Morpho-Biochemical Characterization of Mentha spp. Using Cluster Analysis in Garala, District Sudhnuti Azad Jammu and Kashmir
The objective of current study was to explore phenotypic variation and the phytochemical comparative antioxidant potential of Mentha species. The collection sites were different areas of Garala district Sudhnoti. Phenotypic variation was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative traits. While for phytochemical screening, the samples were extracted via two solvent systems viz, Ethanol and Water. Comparative phytochemical analysis was done for estimating total phenolic, total flavonoid content and antioxidant potential. Current results showed that continuous exposure of ethanol as in Mentha longifolia (leaves) has a prominent impact on the phytochemical properties. Whereas the qualitative traits showed that Mentha species were highly diverse. The Mean values for number of leaves was 78.250, leaf area (9.75), leaf thickness (0.039), stem thickness (3.722), petiole length (0.515), root length (26.925) and for plant height was 54.265. The magnitude of variance ranging from .0001 to 1042.25 and 1042.25 in number of leaves, 14.265 in leaf area and it was 0.117 in stem thickness, 125.789 in petiole length, 831.029 in root length, 1.699 in plant height respectively. The coefficient of variance for stem thickness was 33.6%, leaf thickness (31.8%), number of leaves was 39.0%, leaf area (40.0%), root length (45.3%), plant height (50.2%) and petiole length was (82.7%). Highest antioxidant activity was observed in Mentha longifolia leaves (96.67%) and highest phenolic contents were found in Mentha royleana leaves (0.164GAE//mg). While considerable flavonoid contents were observed in Mentha arvensis roots (0.240GAE/mg). It is concluded that Mentha species are phenotypically highly diverse with good potential of antioxidant scavenging reducing power. So the extracts could be utilized for pharmaceutical purpose.
Copyright (c) 2024 Tahsin Razzaq, Mamoona Saghir, Eifa Khalil, Aqsa Ajaz, Muhammad Faraz Khan, Amna Mustafa, Dania Habib, Saiqa Nazir, Ahmed Ali, Basharat Mehmood https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF VARIOUS DOSAGES OF KURTUMA (CITRULLUS COLOCYNTHIS) AND AKK (CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA) AS BIO-PESTICIDES FOR PINK BOLLWORM (PECTINOPHORA GOSSYPIELLA) CONTROL IN COTTON CROPS UNDER ARID CONDITIONS
In 2022, experiments were carried out at the Adaptive Research Farm in Karor District Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan, as well as on a farmer's field in Tehsil Karor District Layyah. The focus was on assessing the effectiveness of different doses of Elatorium and Akk, both bio-pesticides, against the pink bollworm affecting cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) crops in arid conditions. The study employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments: T1. Elatorium @ 10% solution, T2. Elatorium @ 20% solution, T3. Akk @ 10% solution, and T4. Akk @ 20% solution, each replicated three times. The highest yield recorded was 1639.4 kgha-1 in T2 (Elatorium @ 20% solution), which was significantly superior to all other treatments. hese findings suggest that integrating bio-pesticides like Elatorium and Akk into pest management strategies can effectively combat the pink bollworm, reduce dependency on synthetic chemicals, and promote sustainable agricultural practices in arid regions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Summar Abbas, Fazlullah, Ali Asghar, Muhammad Sabir https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CORRELATION AND PATH ANALYSIS FOR YIELD AND YIELD LINKED TRAITS IN WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)
This study was fixed to estimate the correlation and path analysis for plant height (cm), spike length (cm), 1000-grain weight (g), days to emergence, days to maturity, tillers per square meter, biological yield (g), lodging (%), and grain yield (g) among 22 advanced wheat lines with two checks i.e: Waddan and PS-2005. The replication method known as RCB design with 3 was employed for this experiment. The analysis of variance showed that all 22 wheat advanced lines exhibited significant variation in all studied traits. Mean values for plant height, spike length, 1000-grain weight, days to emergence, days to maturity, tillers per square meter, biological yield, lodging, and grain yield were observed to be 83.84 cm, 11.33cm, 40.74 g, 18, 178, 496, 17.5 kg, 46 and 3928 g respectively. Estimation for yield and yield related attributes specified that correlation of grain yield was extremely remarkable and positive with the traits like spike length, 1000-grain weight, biological yield, tillers/meter2 and days to emergence whereas, the correlation for plant height, and lodging, exhibited negative association with grain yield along with days to maturity which showed the negative but non-significant effect on grain yield. Path analysis through direct and indirect effect revealed that tillers/meter2 and days to emergence paramount significant and direct positive effect on yield which summed up that these two traits directly influence grain yield whereas, 1000-grain weight, biological yield, and days to maturity have also showed direct positive but non-significant effect on yield. Based on the results, it can be determined that selecting wheat genotypes to enhance grain yield should focus on yield-contributing traits that show a significant positive relationship and exhibit a significant positive direct effect on grain yield. These traits should emphasized in further selection and can have a dynamic role in breeding systems.
Copyright (c) 2024 Haris Khan Muhammad, Hassan Mujtaba, Muhammad Sohail Khan, Muhammad Faisal Khan, Nadia Jabeen, Noshin Shafqat, Muhammad Adil Younis, Arshid Iqbal, Umar Sidduqe, Wasiq Saeed, Syed Ihsan Ullah Shah, Khalil Ur Rehman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0