NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJBT Vol.07(1) [January 2008]

Micropropagation of Ceropegia hirsute Wt. & Arn.—A starchy tuberous asclepid

Title: Micropropagation of Ceropegia hirsute Wt. & Arn.—A starchy tuberous asclepid

Authors: Nikam, T D; Savant, R S; Pagare, R S

Abstract: A protocol is described for micropropagation of the starchy, tuberous, herbaceous twinner, Ceropegia hirsute Wt. & Arm. by in vitro culture of nodal segments. Of the cytokinins (BAP and Kn) and auxins (IAA, NAA, 2,4-D) evaluated as supplements individually and in combinations to Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, BAP (7.5 µM) was the most effective in inducing axillary multiple shoots (5.7±0.7 shoots/culture). Root were induced to in vitro derived shoots on half-strength MS medium supplemented with IAA (2 µM) and sucrose (5%). in vitro plants were acclimatized and were successfully established in the soil.

Page(s): 129-132

Induction of hairy roots through the mediation of four strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes on five host plants

Title: Induction of hairy roots through the mediation of four strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes on five host plants

Authors: Chandran, R Pratap; Potty, V P

Abstract: Induction of hairy roots by four strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes- ATCC 15834, A4, WC and WR were studied in five plants, Ipomoea batatas, Solenostemon rotundifolius, Vigna vexillata, Pachyrrhizus erosus and Canavalia species. Among the five plants selected for transformation and induction of hairy roots, P. erosus was found resistant to all the four bacterial strains. Similarly, one strain, WR also failed to induce hairy roots in all the plants. However, all the strains exhibited good growth dominated by 15834 grown in YEB medium. Hairy roots were induced from the cotyledons, hypocotyls, stem cuttings and in vitro plants of I. batatas through the transformation of 15834 and A4 strains. S. rotundifolius and V. vexillata were susceptible to the strains of A4, 15834 and WC. Canavalia sp. was resistant to WR and WC strains, but was susceptible to A4 and 15834. It was for the first time that hairy roots were initiated from S. rotundifolius, V. vexillata and Canavalia sp. The variation observed in the time of induction of hairy roots (incubation period) by a single strain (15834) in different plant species, suggests that the plant has also a definite role in determining the incubation period. Among the four strains of A. rhizogenes, 15834 was found to be the most efficient in transformation and initiation of hairy roots, with the shortest minimum incubation period and dominant growth in YEB medium. A. rhizogenes is a well known plant pathogen, which produces “hairy root disease” in susceptible plants. On modified MS medium, cotyledon explants were superior to hypocotyls. The hairy roots transformed by A. rhizogenes strain 15834 on I. batatas, V. vexillata and Canavalia sp. were also morphologically different.

Page(s): 122-128

Antibacterial activity and characterization of bacteriocin of Bacillus mycoides isolated from whey

Title: Antibacterial activity and characterization of bacteriocin of Bacillus mycoides isolated from whey

Authors: Sharma, Nivedita; Gautam, Neha

Abstract: Bacteriocin produced by Bacillus mycoides isolated from whey showed strong inhibition against food borne serious pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Antibacterial substance was partially purified by salt saturation method. Partially purified bacteriocin withstood temperature up to 100°C, found active at wider pH range (4 to 11) and was sensitive to trypsin. This inhibitory substance showed bactericidal effect against bacteriocin-sensitive indicators. Thus, on the basis of above mentioned characters, the antibacterial substance produced by B. mycoides is most probably a potent bacteriocin and can be used for biological preservation of food.

Page(s): 117-121

Optical resolution of (R, S)-ibuprofen in organic solvent by porcine pancreatic lipase catalyzed enantioselective esterification

Title: Optical resolution of (R, S)-ibuprofen in organic solvent by porcine pancreatic lipase catalyzed enantioselective esterification

Authors: Ramachandran, Ganesh; Ananthanarayan, Laxmi

Abstract: Porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL), a comparatively inexpensive enzyme, was used in the optical resolution of (R, S)-ibuprofen in methanol through enantioselective esterification. The different reaction parameters during the esterification of (R, S)-ibuprofen using PPL was studied with respect to temperature, time, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration and water content. The percentage conversion initially was 13%, which increased to 33% after optimization of the different reaction conditions. Surfactant coating of PPL resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in the hydrolytic activity of PPL. Surfactant coated PPL, when used in the esterification reaction slightly increased the percentage conversion from 21 to 22.5%. In all the reactions, PPL showed preference for catalyzing the esterification of S-(+)-ibuprofen.

Page(s): 94-98