IOSR-JESTFT   Volume-6 ~ Issue-5 ~ Sep–Oct 2013

Abstract: Afzelia africana seed were processed into flour in the laboratory and evaluated for its proximate , mineral composition and functional properties . The results of the evaluation showed that roasting increases the crude protein content from 18.75 – 21.90, crude fat from 16.90 – 22.70 and crude fibre from 0.13-2.00 %. The moisture content reduces greatly on roasting from 7.45 -3.00%. Roasting significantly reduces the mineral composition (P<0.05) of the seed flour. The functional properties has significant effect (P<0.05) on the water absorption capacity , Oil absorption capacity and emulsion capacity with values of 140.00 -125.00g/g , 88.00 -60.00g/g , 50.00 -30.00ml/g respectively. The various parameters investigated reveal the potential of Afzelia africana as a seed that could serve as a source of health benefit when used as food supplement in food formulation.

Key words: underutilized seeds, functional properties, proximate composition.

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Abstract: Microbial surfactants are surface metabolites that produced by bacteria, yeast, and fungi having varied chemical structure and properties. These molecules reduce surface tension between aqueous solutions and hydrocarbon mixtures. Recently biosurfactants are potential alternatives for chemically synthesized surfactants having varied industrial applications. In this study, we collected fermented dairy whey waste samples from a small dairy farm house located in Salem and Coimbatore and a total of fifty yeast strains were isolated, screened for biosurfactant activity, and cultured by enriching carbon and nitrogen sources. These were conducted using oil displacement technique, drop collapse method, microplate assay method, and emulsification activity determination (EA). Among fifty isolates, SS2 yeast strains exhibited positive for biosurfactant activity. . The yeast strain SS2 exhibited an oil clearance diameter of 12 mm with an interpolated surfactant concentration of 2.77 micrograms and measured an emulsification index is 61.42 with a height of emulsion 17.2 mm after 120 hours. Biochemical analysis and molecular characterization with 18S rRNA gene sequence indicates that yeast strain SS2 belongs to Pichia species and closely related to Pichia fermentans. Studies of biosurfactant production on various carbon and nitrogen sources were performed. The communication looks at the future perspective of biosurfactant production and its application in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.

Keywords: Microbial surfactants, 18S rRNA-ITS gene sequencing, Pichia fermentans

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Abstract: Imatinib (Imb) mesylate is fully approved for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in chronic phase after failure of interferon- therapy in blast crisis and in accelerated phase. Cardiotoxicity is an important consideration in the evaluation of cancer chemotherapy, because chemotherapy-induced myocardial damage might be irreversible and lethal. The aim of this work is to evaluate the cardiotoxicity of Imatinib mesylate following repeated administration of different doses and periods in adult male rabbits. fifty four adult male rabbits were utilized and divided equally into 3 groups: control group (group I), low dose Imb group (group II); received orally Imatinib mesylate (50 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks and high dose Imb group (group III); received orally Imatinib mesylate (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Cardiotoxicity was evaluated by electrocardiograph (ECG), biochemical and histopathological examination. Specimens and samples were taken 2 and 4 weeks from the start of the experiment and 2 weeks after drug withdrawal. ECG revealed left ventricular contractile dysfunction and mild diastolic dysfunction. Imb treated groups resulted in significant increases (≤ 0.001) in serum creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), cardiac troponin T (cTnc T), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity levels. Cardiac tissue of rats treated with imatinib showed significantly increased cardiac MDA production level and significant decreased (≤ 0.001) glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity level and Total nitrate/nitrite (Nox) content. Those changes were proportional increase with increase dose and time of Imb and irreversible after stoppage of drugs. Imatinib mesylate have significant cardiotoxicity that alarming oncologists to avoid medication errors with Imb either large dose or for long periods administration that may have resulted in fatalities.

Key Words: Imatinib, cardiotoxicity, electrocardiography, cardiac troponi

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Abstract: Total dry matter production per hectare by whole stands of Gmelina arborea plantation age series, ranging from 20 to 30 years and planted at an espacement of 2.4 x 2.4m on acid soils of Ukpon River Forest Reserve in Cross River State Nigeria was estimated, using the mean tree method, to be 144830.870kg, 150383.438kg, 238446.836kg, 239630.868kg, 251934.720kg and 252355.180kg at age 20, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 30 years respectively. The values indicate that biomass accumulation varies considerably with age as found out by other experimenters. The oldest stand of 30 years accumulated the highest biomass while the youngest of 20 years stand has the lowest. Biomass accumulation in the stemwood, stembark, branches and leaves consistently increased, though at different rates, within the period while the foliage mass tends to decreased with increasing age. The distribution of the above ground biomass along the various tree components also changed with age and tree development. At all the stages, the stemwood consistently formed the highest proportion of the biomass in all the ages, followed by branches, stembark and leaves in descending order.

Key words: Above Ground Biomass, Age series, Accumulation and Distribution

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