NOPR Collection:

A review on bioactive secondary metabolites of soft corals (Octocorallia) and their distribution in Eritrean coast of Red Sea

2021-01-13T10:23:46Z

Title: A review on bioactive secondary metabolites of soft corals (Octocorallia) and their distribution in Eritrean coast of Red Sea Authors: Kasimala, M; Babu, B Hari; Awet, B A; Henok, G G; Haile, A H; Hisham, O M Abstract: Eritrean coast of Red Sea is an epicenter of diversified marine ecosystem with high endemic biota. Environmental and ecological conditions around wide number of Islands in Eritrean coast of Red Sea are conducive for shelter and nourishment of many marine flora and fauna. Bioactive secondary metabolites have an extensive role in treatment of many diseases both in its natural forms and extensive key components in synthetic biomedicine. Soft corals belong to phylum Cnidaria are soft fleshy marine organisms which are abundantly found in Southern Red Sea. Among the 180 species of soft corals found worldwide, approximately 40 % are indigenous to Red Sea. These soft corals are rich in novel bioactive compounds with potential cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, HIV inhibitory, antibacterial, antitumor and antifungal activity. The most abundant interesting biomedical compounds found in soft corals are steroids, alkaloids, terpenoids, prostaglandins, sterols and steroid glycosides. In the present review different bioactive compounds with novel biomedical applications and abundance of soft corals around Eritrean coast of Red Sea is discussed. Page(s): 1793-1800

Sedimentary organic matter composition of Arctic Kongsfjorden sediments – A study emphasizing the biochemical composition and indices

2021-01-13T10:21:31Z

Title: Sedimentary organic matter composition of Arctic Kongsfjorden sediments – A study emphasizing the biochemical composition and indices Authors: Shaji, A; Mathew, J; Gopinath, A Abstract: Kongsfjorden is a glacial fjord system influenced by the Atlantic and Arctic water masses. The spatial variability in the biochemical composition of the fjord sediments was studied during July 2016 and July 2017. The presence of the sedimentary Proteins, Carbohydrates and Lipid components was analyzed and studied with the support of biochemical indices and elemental ratios. The Kongsfjorden sedimentary system was dominated by the carbohydrate concentration in comparison with proteins and lipids. The labile fraction was maximum towards open ocean influenced by Atlantic water masses and minimum near to the glaciers. The fjord sediments were found to be enriched with an aged or degraded organic matter with a low quality labile organic matter. Page(s): 1801-1809

Heavy metal characterisation in surface sediments off southeast coast of India: Implication on marine pollution

2021-01-18T05:08:19Z

Title: Heavy metal characterisation in surface sediments off southeast coast of India: Implication on marine pollution Authors: Sanjaigandhi, K; Pradhap, D; Nanthakumar, G Abstract: The present study investigated heavy metals (Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) distribution in the surface sediments off Karaikal – Velankanni offshore along the east coast of Bay of Bengal as an indicator of marine pollution during 2004-2005. The sediments were analyzed for sand, silt, clay ratio, CaCO₃, organic matter, and heavy metal (Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contents. The contamination factor (CF) values for the heavy metals are found to be in the order: Mn >Cr >Ni >Zn >Cu >Pb during August 2004; and during January 2005 the CF values were found to be in the order: Zn >Mn >Cu >Ni >Pb >Cr. Zn contamination was found to be low to moderate. 10 samples were found with low and moderate Mn contamination. All the samples displayed moderate contamination with Cu, Ni, and Pb. Among the selected sediments, those which are collected from Karaikal and Velankanni shore were found to be highly contaminated by heavy elements due to the discharge of effluents from petrochemical, oil spills, port activity, and shipping activities. The occurrence of a wide range of elements in coastal sediments is mainly related to the textural variability of sediments during 2004 and 2005. Page(s): 1810-1818

Characteristics of penecontemporaneous diagenesis in sequence and its control over pore distribution — A case study of reef-bank sediments of upper Ordovician in Tazhong area, Tarim basin, China

2021-01-13T10:17:43Z

Title: Characteristics of penecontemporaneous diagenesis in sequence and its control over pore distribution — A case study of reef-bank sediments of upper Ordovician in Tazhong area, Tarim basin, China Authors: Zheng, J; Wang, Z Y; Liu, Z G; Zhang, Y W; Li, B Abstract: Penecontemporaneous diagenesis of different lithologies in sequence has an uncertain correlation with pore distribution inside the reef-bank reservoir. The article divides the Lianglitage Formation into 3 third-order sequences, 5 parasequence sets, and 25 parasequences through the characteristics of ln(Th/U) ratio curve and sedimentary cycles, where the parasequence thickness has an obvious correlation with sedimentary facies. The rock, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics inside the multiple reef-bank sediments show that the penecontemporaneous diagenesis and eogenetic seawater cementation are widely developed in it. Atmospheric diagenetic lens, formed by penecontemporaneous diagenesis, are concentrated on the top of descending cycles of subsequence, and rich selective dissolved pores therein can contribute 3 to 6 % porosity to the reef-bank reservoir and also provide places and channels for the reconstruction of alien fluids and tectonic movement in the late burial. The early dissolved pores formed by the penecontemporaneous diagenesis are the main reservoir spaces and can also provide the prerequisites for the later diagenesis reconstruction, so the penecontemporaneous diagenesis is the basic reason for the development of high quality reef-bank reservoir. The high-porosity sections are concentrated on the top of the atmospheric diagenetic lens, revealing that the formation and distribution of selective dissolved pores are controlled by the descending cycles of parasequences. The comprehensive analysis indicates that the favorable development zones of selective dissolved pore as lens shape or belt shape are discontinuously distributed inside the high energy facies belt of the platform marginal facies, which are formed under the control of steep fault. Page(s): 1819-1830