NOPR Collection:

Preliminary assessment of intra-clonal variability in Indian banana varieties for sucker production

2014-01-28T16:51:14Z

Title: Preliminary assessment of intra-clonal variability in Indian banana varieties for sucker production Authors: Bohra, Pooja; Waman, Ajit Arun; Sathyanarayana, B N; Umesha, K Abstract: Banana, the plant of virtues, is known for its multifaceted uses. Suckers, apart from being used for propagation, are known to have special significance during various religious ceremonies in India. Also, in the absence of commercially viable tissue culture protocols, vegetative propagation through suckers is the only option for conserving and multiplying the native banana varieties. Efforts were thus made to assess the variability amongst two native-export suited varieties and their clones for sucker production. Of the 24 and 37 lines of ‘Nanjanagud Rasabale’ and ‘Elakki Bale’ studied, five and nine lines, respectively were found to be promising in terms of their sucker production capacity. Maximum numbers of suckers were produced in the plants during 8 to 10 months of age; thus, farmers may adjust the planting timing so as to get maximum suckers for selling either as planting material or for other uses. This could be a boon for many farmers even in the condition of accidental crop loss due to various biotic or abiotic factors. Further, it may serve as an impetus for export of these varieties. Page(s): 387-391

Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook.f. & Thoms.- plant tissue culture and comparative chemo-profiling study as a function of different supporting trees

2014-01-26T16:50:25Z

Title: Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook.f. & Thoms.- plant tissue culture and comparative chemo-profiling study as a function of different supporting trees Authors: Bhalerao, Bharat M; Vishwakarma, Kishor S; Maheshwari, Vijay L Abstract: Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. f. & Thoms., family Menispermaceae is an important medicinal plant, grows as a climber on various trees. In callus induction studies from leaf explants, the best results were obtained with 2, 4-D alone or in combination with kinetin. The calli thus obtained grew in size with time in culture medium but failed to differentiate. Shoot induction from nodal explants was best achieved on Murashige and Skoog basal medium with kinetin (8 μM) or kinetin and BAP in combination (12 and 2 μM, respectively). Rhizogenesis on regenerated shoots was induced by transferring them into medium fortified with NAA at 8 µM concentration. As per Ayurveda, the plant growing with physical support of Azadirachta indica A. Juss., (Neem) is medicinally more potent. In comparative chemical fingerprinting analyses of T. cordifolia growing with support of four different trees, viz. A. indica A. Juss., Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze, Acacia leucophloea Willd., Prosopis juliflora DC, from the identical geo-climatic conditions, the ethanolic stem extracts showed identical band pattern/spectra in TLC, HPTLC, IR and UV spectroscopy. However, in IR and HPTLC analyses an additional minor peak/band at wave number 1271.08 and at Rf. 0. 97, respectively was seen in the extract of plant growing with the support of neem tree. Page(s): 380-386

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J. C. Wendl. var. vittata Riviere & C. Riviere leaves attenuate oxidative stress- An in vitro biochemical assay

2014-01-26T16:51:10Z

Title: Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J. C. Wendl. var. vittata Riviere & C. Riviere leaves attenuate oxidative stress- An in vitro biochemical assay Authors: Goyal, Arvind Kumar; Middha, Sushil Kumar; Sen, Arnab Abstract: Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J. C. Wendl. var. vittata Riviere & C. Riviere (BVV) leaves are consumed as food and have antimicrobial activity. Positive health effect of its consumption is attributed to the bioactive substances. In the present study, the influence of BVV antioxidants on oxidative stress that can be used as an alternative option has been studied. The total phenol and flavonoids content in the aqueous and acetone extract were determined by calorimetric assay, as well as their antioxidant activity through various chemical assays like, DPPH radical, Hydrogen peroxide scavenging and reducing power assay. Both the aqueous and acetone extracts displayed their antioxidantactivity in a dose dependent manner by scavenging hydrogen peroxide and DPPH radical. The total phenolic and total flavonoids compounds in both aqueous and acetone extract were 345.910.071 and 325.630.051 mg GAE/g of dry extract and 289.20.05 and 179.20.002 mg quercetin/g of dry extract, respectively. This may be the first report to provide evidence that the crude aqueous and acetone extract of Bambusa vulgaris var. vittata leaf is a potential source of natural antioxidants. Page(s): 436-440

Antibacterial screening of Ficus palmata Forsk. pure latex and its methanolic and ethanolic extracts

2014-01-26T16:50:13Z

Title: Antibacterial screening of Ficus palmata Forsk. pure latex and its methanolic and ethanolic extracts Authors: Kumar, Arun; Gularia, Ruchika; Bhardwaj, Anu Abstract: The antibacterial activity of various extracts of the latex of Ficus palmata Forsk. was studied against two bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) using disc diffusion method. Methanolic extract of latex showed significant antibacterial activity against both the test organisms. The zone of inhibition by latex was found to be significantly higher than the zone of inhibition shown by tetracycline. The magnitude of antibacterial activity of latex and its extracts found to be more against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacterium) as compared to Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacterium). Page(s): 371-374