This study was carried out to investigate present status of various physio-chemical parameters of private fish farms located in village Jalalabad of district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Water sampling was carried out on fortnightly basis for winter and summer season. Main physico-chemical parameters like air and water temperature ranged from 24 °C-38 °C and 22 °C–33 °C. While pH ranged from 6.8-8.5.Total dissolved oxygen was found to be 5.93-11.03mg/l. Light penetration varied from 5²- 21.07². The Carbonates and bicarbonates fluctuated within a limit of 22.2-47.2mg/l and 71.04-158.36mg/L. Free carbon dioxide remained very low throughout the experiment. Total dissolved solids varied from 1333-1533mg/L, while alkalinity was found to be 100.64-193.88mg/. Hardness, Calcium and Chloride ranged between 1391.67-1716.67mg/L, 353.33–560mg/L and 7.36-23.68mg/L respectively. The findings of the current study revealed that physico-chemical parameters of water were within permissible range except TD Sand Hardness. It is concluded that water can be useful for fish culture. Correlation coefficient showed positive and negative relationship.
Green syntheses of nanoparticles using plant materials are of tremendous scope. Here we report advantageous green synthesis for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous-root extract of Jurinea dolomiaea and AgNO 3 . Color change of solution and UV-Vis absorption at 444 nm indicated the formation of AgNPs. XRD confirmed their face centered cubic structure (fcc) with average particle size of 24.58 nm. SEM analysis showed their spherical, cubic and triangular structures. FT-IR indicated the presence of functional groups of reducing and stabilizing phytochemicals. Methanol-root extract of J. dolomiaea revealed high flavonoid (445 mg RE/g) and phenolic contents (92 mg GAE/g). Methanol-extract showed high antioxidant potency (IC 50 = 0.494 μ g/mL), rationally due to its high phenolic and flavonoid contents. These AgNPs showed the highest and equal antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Inhibition zone 11.0 mm) whereas, methanol-roots extract showed equal and intermediate activities (Inhibition zone 8.0 mm) against both pathogens but aqueous extract showed poor activities (Inhibition zone 6.0 mm) against these both pathogens. AgNPs are playing a major role in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine due to their antimicrobial and drug delivery efficacy as well as reasonable tolerance in human biology.
Abstract For many years, the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) had involved exfoliating graphite flakes, and the methods applied were expensive and time‐consuming. Thus, an attempt had been made to create an inventive, less expensive method for the synthesis of GO using unrefined, raw carbon‐containing material. Modified Hummer's method was used to prepare GO from banana peel. In addition, the metallic silver nanocomposite was also synthesized along with laoding of drug Rocephin where they interact with each other through electrostatic hydrogen bond interaction. The degree of crystallinity and the crystallite size were through x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and the crystallite size of AgNPs was found to be 40.40 nm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that the morphology of the GO gradually changes with the addition of AgNPs and Rocephin. A blue shift was seen in the absorbance maxima of the raw carbon upon the conjugation of Rocephin in UV analysis. The Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy were used to determine the chemical composition of the samples. Furthermore, a broad biological screening of the synthesized samples had been carried out following the total reducing power (TRP), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), antibacterial, antifungal, MTT (Cytotoxicity of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles in MDA‐MB‐231 human breast cancer cells) cell viability, brine shrimp lethality, and hemolytic protocols. Significant results were obtained, and the Rocephin‐GO‐AgNPs had depicted promising activity as compared with their counterparts. Research Highlights The GO was prepared from the raw carbon extracted from banana peels and was used as a substrate for the synthesis Graphene oxide silver nanoparticles (GO‐AgNPs) and Rocephin‐loaded graphene oxide silver nanoparticles (Rocephin‐GO‐AgNPs) The structural and compositional analysis of the nanomaterial was carried out, and they were screened for several biomedical applications. The Rocephin‐GO‐AgNPs exhibit the highest activity as compared with their counterparts.
Different species of animals are being utilized in traditional therapies by various cultures for a long time and such uses still exist in folk medicine. The present study aimed to document animal-based traditional therapies used by the local communities of Jhelum and Lahore districts of the Punjab province, Pakistan.Field surveys were conducted in 2015-2016 in six different sites of the study areas. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and face to face conversation with local informants.The ethnomedicinal uses of 57 species of animals including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibian, and invertebrates (30, 25, 25, 7, 3.5, and 3.5%, respectively) were documented. Meat, oil, brain, fats, milk, eggs, and skin were the most utilized body parts. Ovis orientalis punjabiensis, Francolinus francolinus, Sperata sarwari, Channa punctata, Oreochromis niloticus, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, and Carassius auratus were reported for the first time to treat human diseases, i.e., allergy, epilepsy, fever, joint pain, and backache, to act as aphrodisiac, and to enhance memory. Streptopelia decaocto and S. tranquebarica were the most frequently utilized species with highest frequency of citation (32 for each). Columba livia depicted highest fidelity level and used value of 92.86% and 0.89, respectively.Being agro-pastoralists, the inhabitants of Jhelum possess more traditional knowledge compared to Lahore. The present study could be important for conservation and sustainable use of animal biodiversity in this region. Additionally, detailed study on chemical profiling and bioactivities may lead to animal-based novel drug discovery.
Under the scenario of climate change, crop diversification through the incorporation of non-conventional oilseed crops like soybean in the cropping pattern is a need of the time. However, being native to regions having mild temperatures, soybean faces difficulty in adaptation in areas of lower latitude with high temperatures and short day lengths during growing periods. This situation directs the researchers to determine the tolerance of soybean genotypes against high temperatures and to establish a selection criterion for the identification of adaptable traits. For this purpose, a study was conducted at Oilseeds Research Institute, Faisalabad. Forty soybean genotypes including approved varieties were screened for tolerance against high temperatures in the growth chamber and glass house. At the seedling stage, genotypes were categorized into tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible categories based on their STI values in the growth chamber and values of certain morpho-physiological parameters in a glass house. Considering the seed yield an ultimate goal in the adaptation process, its study is crucial in field conditions. Tolerant and moderately tolerant genotypes from previous experiments were sown in the field. Data of yield and contributing traits were recorded at maturity and subjected to analysis. Results showed great variability among genotypes for all the traits. AARI Soybean gave the best yield followed by Faisal Soybean, ORI-SOY-91, and ORI-SOY-102. All of these genotypes/varieties also performed well in terms of electrolyte leakage and leaf-relative water content. To conclude, these varieties would show better adaptation in high-temperature areas. Moreover, both the varieties along with 2 best-performing genotypes may prove to be better parents in future hybridization programs.
Nanotechnology has become a dire need of the current era and the green synthesis of nanoparticles offers several advantages over other methods. Nanobiotechnology is an emerging field that contributes to many domains of human life, such as the formulation of nanoscale drug systems or nanomedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Medicinal plants are the main sources of lead compounds, drug candidates and drugs. This work reports the green synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the aqueous bark extract of Zanthozylum armatum, which was confirmed by a UV absorption at 457 nm. XRD analysis revealed an average size of 18.27 nm and SEM showed the particles' spherical shape, with few irregularly shaped particles due to the aggregation of the AgNPs. FT-IR revealed the critical functional groups of phytochemicals which acted as reducing and stabilizing agents. The bark extract showed rich flavonoids (333 mg RE/g) and phenolic contents (82 mg GAE/g), which were plausibly responsible for its high antioxidant potency (IC50 = 14.61 µg/mL). Extract-loaded AgNPs exhibited the highest but equal inhibition against E. coli and P. aeruginosa (Z.I. 11.0 mm), whereas methanolic bark extract inhibited to a lesser extent, but equally to both pathogens (Z.I. 6.0 mm). The aqueous bark extract inhibited P. aeruginosa (Z.I. 9.0 mm) and (Z.I. 6.0 mm) E. coli. These findings-especially the biosynthesis of spherical AgNPs of 18.27 nm-provide promise for further investigation and for the development of commercializable biomedical products.
Background: The use of animals and animal-derived products in ethnopharmacological applications is an ancient human practice that continues in many regions today. The local people of the Himalayan region harbor rich traditional knowledge used to treat a variety of human ailments. The present study was intended with the aim of examining animal-based traditional medicine utilized by the population of the Himalayan region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Methods: Data were collected from 2017 to 2019 through individual and group interviews. Data on traditional uses of animal products were analyzed, utilizing following indices such as the frequency of citation, use value, relative importance, similarity index, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis to find the highly preferred species in the area. Results: Ethnomedicinal uses of 62 species of vertebrates and invertebrates were documented. Flesh, fat, bone, whole body, milk, skin, egg, head, feathers, bile, blood, and honey were all used in these applications. The uses of 25 animals are reported here for the first time from the study area (mainly insects and birds, including iconic species like the kalij pheasant, Lophura leucomelanos; Himalayan monal, L. impejanus; and western tragopon, Tragopan melanocephalus). The diversity and range of animal-based medicines utilized in these communities are indications of their strong connections with local ecosystems. Conclusion: Our results provide baseline data valuable for the conservation of vertebrate and invertebrate diversity in the region of Himalayan of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It is possible that screening this fauna for medicinally active chemicals could contribute to the development of new animal-based drugs.
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