Scott Killpack and Daryl Buchholz, Extension Agronomy arbon, oxygen and hydrogen are among the mo... more Scott Killpack and Daryl Buchholz, Extension Agronomy arbon, oxygen and hydrogen are among the most basic elements necessary.for plant growth. Plants obtain these elements from water and carbon dioxide in the air and soil. Plants also require additional"mineral elementsII that they obtain from the soil for proper growth and development. These mineral elements, together with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, are referred to as essential plant elements or nutrients. They are essential because they are important to plant functions. Plants would not be able to grow, develop a~d reproduce without them. Although all are not necessarily essential to all plants, all are essential to some.
The present study provides a DNA barcode library for the world Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera). This stu... more The present study provides a DNA barcode library for the world Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera). This study reports 1031 sequence data of the COI gene DNA barcodes for more than 240 species in four of the five subfamilies of the family Zygaenidae. This is about 20% of the world Zygaenidae species. Our results demonstrate the specificity of the COI gene sequences at the species level in most of the studied Zygaenidae and agree with already established taxonomic opinions. The study confirms the effectiveness of DNA barcoding as a tool for determination of most Zygaenidae species. However, some of the results are contradictory. Some cases of shared barcodes have been found, as well as cases of deep intraspecific sequence divergence in species that are well separated by morphological and biological characters. These cases are discussed in detail. Overall, when combined with morphological and biochemical data, as well as biological and ecological observations, DNA barcoding results can be a useful support for taxonomic decisions.
Rock skippers (Istiblennius dussumieri) are important for their biological and ecological studies... more Rock skippers (Istiblennius dussumieri) are important for their biological and ecological studies and used as potential indicator to investigate the ecological conditions of coastal waters. They are considered as an important tool for the environmental monitoring and assessments of coastal aquatic ecosystems. In this study we measured relative density of rock skipper at 3 sampling stations namely Haql, Sharmaa and Duba in varying environmental conditions of Tabuk during the year 2014. The results of this study showed a direct relation between relative densities of rock skipper in response to monthly variations in climatic conditions of Tabuk. Rock skippers are very sensitive to aquatic environmental conditions and their potential would help the researchers working on this species.
Assessment of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc from fly ash amended soil... more Assessment of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc from fly ash amended soil in mustard-aphid-beetle food chain.
Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress toler... more Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress tolerance, a mycorrhiza like endophytic Agaricomycetes fungus Piriformospora indica has received a great attention over the last few decades. P. indica is an axenically cultiviable fungus which exhibits its versatility for colonizing/hosting a broad range of plant species through directly manipulating plant hormone-signaling pathway during the course of mutualism. P. indica-root colonization leads to a better plant performance in all respect, including enhanced root proliferation by indole-3-acetic acid production which in turn results into better nutrient-acquisition and subsequently to improved crop growth and productivity. Additionally, P. indica can induce both local and systemic resistance to fungal and viral plant diseases through signal transduction. P. indica-mediated stimulation in antioxidant defense system components and expressing stress-related genes can confer crop/plant stress ...
Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 2015
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole al... more Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. The anticancerous alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus. High demand and low yield of these alkaloids in the plant has led to explore the alternative means for their production. Gamma irradiated sodium alginate (ISA) has proved as a plant growth promoting substance for various medicinal and agricultural crops. A pot culture experiment was carried out to explore the effect of ISA on plant growth, physiological activities and production of anticancer alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) in C. roseus at 120 and 150 days after planting (DAP). Foliar application of ISA (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg L À1) significantly improved the performance of C. roseus. 80 mg L À1 of ISA enhanced the leaf-yield by 25.3 and 30.2% and the herbage-yield by 29.4 and 34.4% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control. The spray treatment of ISA at 80 mg L À1 improved the yield of vinblastine by 66.7
This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the i... more This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil and water contaminated with high levels of metals, pesticides, solvents, radionuclides, explosives, nutrients, crude oil, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Each chapter highlights and compares the beneficial and economical alternatives of phytoremediation to currently practiced soil and water removal and burial practices. This book covers state of the art approaches in phytoremediation written by leading and eminent scientists from around the globe. Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants, Volume 1 supplies its readers with a multidisciplinary understanding in the principal and practical approaches of phytoremediation from laboratory research to field application.
The present review deals with the studies conducted on the impact of phosphorus on growth of aqua... more The present review deals with the studies conducted on the impact of phosphorus on growth of aquatic plants causing eutrophication in well-known water bodies the world over. The review covers the definition and concept of eutrophication and the adverse effects on quality and ecosystem functioning. The eutrophication of several water bodies leads to significant changes in the structure and function of the aquatic ecosystem. Several activities of human interest, including navigation and power generation, are hampered. A large number of lakes in the United States, Europe, and Asia have recently been found to be highly eutrophic. Water, the precious fluid, is not uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the earth. Most of the water bodies world over are surrounded with densely populated human settlement areas and agricultural fields. The size of smaller water bodies in human settlement areas is on the decrease with rise in population. After treatment, a large quantity of sewage from the households is regularly discharged into the water bodies. The runoff brings down fertilizers and other chemicals from agricultural fields. The phosphorus contained in these effluents is known to promote excessive growth of plants. This review is an account of the role, sources, and monitoring of phosphorus, as well as its cycle. The natural phosphorus cycle originating from the weathering of phosphate rock is now a two-way operation, due to significant addition of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources. The detergents that are the major source of phosphorus inputs into water bodies (through sewage and drainage systems) have been thoroughly discussed. The major part of detergents comprises builders containing polyphosphate salts. An environment-friendly and effective synthetic builder is yet to be developed to replace existing phosphorus containing builders of detergents. The utility of the alternative builders available has been reviewed. Nitrogen has also been reported to affect the phytoplankton production in eutrophic waters in temperate regions. Several environmental factors have also been found to add to the problem of eutrophication in addition to nutrients. Several limiting factors-namely, CO 2 level, temperature, pH, light, and dissolved oxygen-are known to affect eutrophic water bodies. Eutrophication not only results in algal bloom but also affects wetland plants and activates early onset of natural succession at a relatively faster rate. Some of the plant species reported and studied world over are the best indicators of the level of eutrophication. The studies on the change in structure, function, and diversity of the ecosystem have been used as parameters to assess the level of eutrophication. In several countries adequate control measures have been adopted in to control eutrophication. But these measures were found to be only partially effective in controlling the phosphorus unloading in water bodies. In this review some control measures are suggested, with emphasis on biological control. The review concludes by taking into account the ecological prospective of the water-the precious fluid and a basis of life on the earth.
The range of pH from 6.5 to 6 and temperature of 25 to 30 o C were the most suitable environmenta... more The range of pH from 6.5 to 6 and temperature of 25 to 30 o C were the most suitable environmental condition for remediation of eutrophic water using giant duckweed. When harvested regularly duckweed plants may be of use in counteracting eutrophication in affected water bodies.
Journal of chemical and pharmaceutical research, 2015
Tabuk Red Sea coastal region ; lies in the northern west part of Saudi Arabia with 500 Km length ... more Tabuk Red Sea coastal region ; lies in the northern west part of Saudi Arabia with 500 Km length were regularly visit ed during 2015 for plants collection . Life forms and vegetation types were also recorded . This paper provides the first quantitative analysis of plant species diversity of Tabuk Red Sea coastal region. A total of 82 plant species belong to 66 genera and 30 families were recorded. The family Asteraceae is represented by the highest number of sp ecies (9 species) followed by Fabaceae (8 species); Brassicaceae & Zygophyllaceae (7 species); Chenopodiaceae & Poacea (6 species); Resedaceae (5 species); Boraginaceae (4 species) and Asclepediaceae & Caryophyllaceae (3 species). Four families are represe nted by two species while 16 families are represented only by one species each. The chamaephytes and therophytes are the dominating life form of the vegetation spectra , indicating typical desert spectrum vegetation. C hamaephytes represent by 32.9 2 % while therophytes rep...
Artemisia judaica L. (Compositae) are shrubby herbs growing wildly in Tabuk region and distribute... more Artemisia judaica L. (Compositae) are shrubby herbs growing wildly in Tabuk region and distributed in the desert regions. This region is characterized by extremely variable environmental conditions where the temperature varies from extreme low to extreme high. These temperature regimes have a profound effect on morphology, growth physiology and biochemistry of the plants. The plant samples were collected from Tabuk-Jordan road (760 m above sea level) in the month of January, April, July and October 2013 to evaluate the effect of temperature dynamics on A. judaica L. in four different seasons. Physiological, biochemical alterations and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were studied during these seasons in order to evaluate the environmental adaptation and stress tolerance in response to temperature variations. Plant growth parameters showed a significant increase in height, fresh and dry matter accumulation, total chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, artemisinin and leaf relative water contents investigated in the month of April and October. Growth of plant was suppressed and an active role of carbonic anhydrase (CA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was observed to cope with the extreme low temperature in January and extreme high temperature in July 2013. However, the plants collected in October and April did not show a statistical difference. Inductions in the expression of HSP90 were recorded in all the plants collected during April and October 2013 with no statistically significant difference. Therefore, based on the results it is recommended that during April and October the environmental conditions are best suitable for growth, development and medicinal use of Artemisia.
Objectives: To review and analyze the pattern of breast cancer (BC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi... more Objectives: To review and analyze the pattern of breast cancer (BC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Pyrethroids are synthetic organic compounds synthesized from chrysanthemum flowers that are used ... more Pyrethroids are synthetic organic compounds synthesized from chrysanthemum flowers that are used extensively as household and commercial insecticides. The keto-alocoholic esters of chrysanthemic and pyrethroic acid being lipophilic are responsible for its insecticidal properties. Pyrethroids are broadly classified into first and second generation pyrethroids. The first generation (Type 1) pyrethroids are less toxic to mammals than the second generation (Type II) pyrethroids. Mainly Type II pyrethroids cause paresthesia, which is characterized by transient burning/tingling/itching sensation of the exposed skin. Also, it has been suggested that some pyrethroids cause developmental neurotoxicity, but available evidence has been judged to be insufficient. While some pyrethroids have been shown to cause tumors in rodent models, the tumor induction does not appear to reflect a common carcinogenic endpoint for this particular subset of compounds. Deltamethrin is an alpha-cyano pyrethroid insecticide used extensively in pest control. Although initially thought to be least toxic, a number of recent reports showed its toxicity in mammalian and non-mammalian laboratory and wildlife animal species. The article sheds light on deltamethrin induced various toxicities during acute and chronic exposure in different species.
Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia is characterized by highly variable environmental conditions where t... more Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia is characterized by highly variable environmental conditions where temperature goes extremely low to extremely high and affects the morphology, growth, physiology and biochemistry of the plants. In this research, we investigated the growth and stress tolerance in a medicinally important plant, namely Lavandula pubescens (family Lamiaceae) in response to temperature dynamics. The plant samples were collected from Tabuk-Jorden road on the 15th day of January, April, July and October 2013. Plant height, fresh and dry matter, total chlorophyll nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), leaf relative water contents were determined in terms of growth of the plant. Physiological and biochemical parameters of plants like activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and leaf protein contents were also determined. Plant growth parameters showed a significant increase in height, fresh and dry matter accumulation, total chlorophyll, NPK and leaf relative water contents investigated in the month of April and October 2013. Plant growth was suppressed and an active role of CAT, POD and SOD was observed to cope with the extremely low temperature in January and extremely high temperature in July 2013. Therefore, based on the results it is recommended that during April and October the environmental conditions are best suitable for growth, development and medicinal use of Lavandula. However, the plants are also found capable to adapt and tolerate the temperature regimes in different seasons of Tabuk.
The phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Cic... more The phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Cichorium intybus L., was determined. The leaves were found to possess comparatively higher values of total flavonoids, total phenolic acids. The phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, in the leaves of the plant. The leaf extract was found to show comparatively low value of IC 50 for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition. The IC 50 value of chicory leaves extract was found to be 67.2 ± 2.6 lg/ml. The extracts were found to contain high amount of mineral elements especially Mg and Zn. Due to good phytochemical and antioxidant composition, C. intybus L., leaves would be an important candidate in pharmaceutical formulations and play an important role in improving the human health by participating in the antioxidant defense system against free radical generation.
The mangrove dominated Sundarbans is a biodiversity rich complex ecosystem inhabited by a large v... more The mangrove dominated Sundarbans is a biodiversity rich complex ecosystem inhabited by a large variety of marine and estuarine species including the oysters. Aquaculture of the edible oysters is regarded as an alternative livelihood of the human population inhabiting this region. The edible oysters necessitate the genetic variation studies among the different species of same genus. Identification of juveniles and immature stages of marine oysters is very difficult using traditional taxonomic approach. DNA barcoding of two oysters belonging to the genus Crassostrea collected from the Sundarbans was done. The nucleotide sequences were very similar to each other with only one nucleotide substitution. 44 barcode sequences belonging to 9 species of the genus Crassostrea revealed that different species formed distinctive clusters. The mean sequence divergence of the novel sequences of Crassostrea gryphoides and Crassostrea cuttackensis were greater than one where as the mean sequence divergence of the other seven species of Crassostrea was very low. The limited number of barcode sequences would be overcome through the worldwide barcoding initiative, which would refine the results and overcome the shortcomings of using smaller sample sizes.
More than two third area of our planet is covered by oceans and assessment of marine biodiversity... more More than two third area of our planet is covered by oceans and assessment of marine biodiversity is a challenging task. With the increasing global population, there is a tendency to exploit marine resources for food, energy and other requirements. This puts pressure on the fragile marine environment and necessitates sustainable conservation efforts. Marine species identification using traditional taxonomical methods is often burdened with taxonomic controversies. Here we discuss the comparatively new concept of DNA barcoding and its significance in marine perspective. This molecular technique can be useful in the assessment of cryptic species which is widespread in marine environment and linking the different life cycle stages to the adult which is difficult to accomplish in the marine ecosystem. Other advantages of DNA barcoding include authentication and safety assessment of seafood, wildlife forensics, conservation genetics and detection of invasive alien species (IAS). Global DNA barcoding efforts in the marine habitat include MarBOL, CeDA-Mar, CMarZ, SHARK-BOL, etc. An overview on DNA barcoding of different marine groups ranging from the microbes to mammals is revealed. In conjugation with newer and faster techniques like high-throughput sequencing, DNA barcoding can serve as an effective modern tool in marine biodiversity assessment and conservation.
DNA barcoding is a worldwide initiative. Although there is a campaign to barcode all fishes, ther... more DNA barcoding is a worldwide initiative. Although there is a campaign to barcode all fishes, there is no information on the DNA barcoding of Red Sea fishes. With the aim of strengthening the BOLD/barcode database with the sequences of Red sea fishes this preliminary study was conducted with six different fish species collected from coastal waters of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Among the six fish samples collected from the same sampling site, two sequences were novel. So, it is necessary to carry out large scale sampling covering a bigger area of Red Sea because there is high possibility to detect new/cryptic species from the unexplored biodiversity rich Red Sea.
Scott Killpack and Daryl Buchholz, Extension Agronomy arbon, oxygen and hydrogen are among the mo... more Scott Killpack and Daryl Buchholz, Extension Agronomy arbon, oxygen and hydrogen are among the most basic elements necessary.for plant growth. Plants obtain these elements from water and carbon dioxide in the air and soil. Plants also require additional"mineral elementsII that they obtain from the soil for proper growth and development. These mineral elements, together with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, are referred to as essential plant elements or nutrients. They are essential because they are important to plant functions. Plants would not be able to grow, develop a~d reproduce without them. Although all are not necessarily essential to all plants, all are essential to some.
The present study provides a DNA barcode library for the world Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera). This stu... more The present study provides a DNA barcode library for the world Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera). This study reports 1031 sequence data of the COI gene DNA barcodes for more than 240 species in four of the five subfamilies of the family Zygaenidae. This is about 20% of the world Zygaenidae species. Our results demonstrate the specificity of the COI gene sequences at the species level in most of the studied Zygaenidae and agree with already established taxonomic opinions. The study confirms the effectiveness of DNA barcoding as a tool for determination of most Zygaenidae species. However, some of the results are contradictory. Some cases of shared barcodes have been found, as well as cases of deep intraspecific sequence divergence in species that are well separated by morphological and biological characters. These cases are discussed in detail. Overall, when combined with morphological and biochemical data, as well as biological and ecological observations, DNA barcoding results can be a useful support for taxonomic decisions.
Rock skippers (Istiblennius dussumieri) are important for their biological and ecological studies... more Rock skippers (Istiblennius dussumieri) are important for their biological and ecological studies and used as potential indicator to investigate the ecological conditions of coastal waters. They are considered as an important tool for the environmental monitoring and assessments of coastal aquatic ecosystems. In this study we measured relative density of rock skipper at 3 sampling stations namely Haql, Sharmaa and Duba in varying environmental conditions of Tabuk during the year 2014. The results of this study showed a direct relation between relative densities of rock skipper in response to monthly variations in climatic conditions of Tabuk. Rock skippers are very sensitive to aquatic environmental conditions and their potential would help the researchers working on this species.
Assessment of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc from fly ash amended soil... more Assessment of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc from fly ash amended soil in mustard-aphid-beetle food chain.
Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress toler... more Owing to its exceptional ability to efficiently promote plant growth, protection and stress tolerance, a mycorrhiza like endophytic Agaricomycetes fungus Piriformospora indica has received a great attention over the last few decades. P. indica is an axenically cultiviable fungus which exhibits its versatility for colonizing/hosting a broad range of plant species through directly manipulating plant hormone-signaling pathway during the course of mutualism. P. indica-root colonization leads to a better plant performance in all respect, including enhanced root proliferation by indole-3-acetic acid production which in turn results into better nutrient-acquisition and subsequently to improved crop growth and productivity. Additionally, P. indica can induce both local and systemic resistance to fungal and viral plant diseases through signal transduction. P. indica-mediated stimulation in antioxidant defense system components and expressing stress-related genes can confer crop/plant stress ...
Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 2015
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole al... more Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. The anticancerous alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus. High demand and low yield of these alkaloids in the plant has led to explore the alternative means for their production. Gamma irradiated sodium alginate (ISA) has proved as a plant growth promoting substance for various medicinal and agricultural crops. A pot culture experiment was carried out to explore the effect of ISA on plant growth, physiological activities and production of anticancer alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) in C. roseus at 120 and 150 days after planting (DAP). Foliar application of ISA (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg L À1) significantly improved the performance of C. roseus. 80 mg L À1 of ISA enhanced the leaf-yield by 25.3 and 30.2% and the herbage-yield by 29.4 and 34.4% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control. The spray treatment of ISA at 80 mg L À1 improved the yield of vinblastine by 66.7
This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the i... more This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil and water contaminated with high levels of metals, pesticides, solvents, radionuclides, explosives, nutrients, crude oil, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Each chapter highlights and compares the beneficial and economical alternatives of phytoremediation to currently practiced soil and water removal and burial practices. This book covers state of the art approaches in phytoremediation written by leading and eminent scientists from around the globe. Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants, Volume 1 supplies its readers with a multidisciplinary understanding in the principal and practical approaches of phytoremediation from laboratory research to field application.
The present review deals with the studies conducted on the impact of phosphorus on growth of aqua... more The present review deals with the studies conducted on the impact of phosphorus on growth of aquatic plants causing eutrophication in well-known water bodies the world over. The review covers the definition and concept of eutrophication and the adverse effects on quality and ecosystem functioning. The eutrophication of several water bodies leads to significant changes in the structure and function of the aquatic ecosystem. Several activities of human interest, including navigation and power generation, are hampered. A large number of lakes in the United States, Europe, and Asia have recently been found to be highly eutrophic. Water, the precious fluid, is not uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the earth. Most of the water bodies world over are surrounded with densely populated human settlement areas and agricultural fields. The size of smaller water bodies in human settlement areas is on the decrease with rise in population. After treatment, a large quantity of sewage from the households is regularly discharged into the water bodies. The runoff brings down fertilizers and other chemicals from agricultural fields. The phosphorus contained in these effluents is known to promote excessive growth of plants. This review is an account of the role, sources, and monitoring of phosphorus, as well as its cycle. The natural phosphorus cycle originating from the weathering of phosphate rock is now a two-way operation, due to significant addition of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources. The detergents that are the major source of phosphorus inputs into water bodies (through sewage and drainage systems) have been thoroughly discussed. The major part of detergents comprises builders containing polyphosphate salts. An environment-friendly and effective synthetic builder is yet to be developed to replace existing phosphorus containing builders of detergents. The utility of the alternative builders available has been reviewed. Nitrogen has also been reported to affect the phytoplankton production in eutrophic waters in temperate regions. Several environmental factors have also been found to add to the problem of eutrophication in addition to nutrients. Several limiting factors-namely, CO 2 level, temperature, pH, light, and dissolved oxygen-are known to affect eutrophic water bodies. Eutrophication not only results in algal bloom but also affects wetland plants and activates early onset of natural succession at a relatively faster rate. Some of the plant species reported and studied world over are the best indicators of the level of eutrophication. The studies on the change in structure, function, and diversity of the ecosystem have been used as parameters to assess the level of eutrophication. In several countries adequate control measures have been adopted in to control eutrophication. But these measures were found to be only partially effective in controlling the phosphorus unloading in water bodies. In this review some control measures are suggested, with emphasis on biological control. The review concludes by taking into account the ecological prospective of the water-the precious fluid and a basis of life on the earth.
The range of pH from 6.5 to 6 and temperature of 25 to 30 o C were the most suitable environmenta... more The range of pH from 6.5 to 6 and temperature of 25 to 30 o C were the most suitable environmental condition for remediation of eutrophic water using giant duckweed. When harvested regularly duckweed plants may be of use in counteracting eutrophication in affected water bodies.
Journal of chemical and pharmaceutical research, 2015
Tabuk Red Sea coastal region ; lies in the northern west part of Saudi Arabia with 500 Km length ... more Tabuk Red Sea coastal region ; lies in the northern west part of Saudi Arabia with 500 Km length were regularly visit ed during 2015 for plants collection . Life forms and vegetation types were also recorded . This paper provides the first quantitative analysis of plant species diversity of Tabuk Red Sea coastal region. A total of 82 plant species belong to 66 genera and 30 families were recorded. The family Asteraceae is represented by the highest number of sp ecies (9 species) followed by Fabaceae (8 species); Brassicaceae & Zygophyllaceae (7 species); Chenopodiaceae & Poacea (6 species); Resedaceae (5 species); Boraginaceae (4 species) and Asclepediaceae & Caryophyllaceae (3 species). Four families are represe nted by two species while 16 families are represented only by one species each. The chamaephytes and therophytes are the dominating life form of the vegetation spectra , indicating typical desert spectrum vegetation. C hamaephytes represent by 32.9 2 % while therophytes rep...
Artemisia judaica L. (Compositae) are shrubby herbs growing wildly in Tabuk region and distribute... more Artemisia judaica L. (Compositae) are shrubby herbs growing wildly in Tabuk region and distributed in the desert regions. This region is characterized by extremely variable environmental conditions where the temperature varies from extreme low to extreme high. These temperature regimes have a profound effect on morphology, growth physiology and biochemistry of the plants. The plant samples were collected from Tabuk-Jordan road (760 m above sea level) in the month of January, April, July and October 2013 to evaluate the effect of temperature dynamics on A. judaica L. in four different seasons. Physiological, biochemical alterations and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were studied during these seasons in order to evaluate the environmental adaptation and stress tolerance in response to temperature variations. Plant growth parameters showed a significant increase in height, fresh and dry matter accumulation, total chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, artemisinin and leaf relative water contents investigated in the month of April and October. Growth of plant was suppressed and an active role of carbonic anhydrase (CA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was observed to cope with the extreme low temperature in January and extreme high temperature in July 2013. However, the plants collected in October and April did not show a statistical difference. Inductions in the expression of HSP90 were recorded in all the plants collected during April and October 2013 with no statistically significant difference. Therefore, based on the results it is recommended that during April and October the environmental conditions are best suitable for growth, development and medicinal use of Artemisia.
Objectives: To review and analyze the pattern of breast cancer (BC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi... more Objectives: To review and analyze the pattern of breast cancer (BC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Pyrethroids are synthetic organic compounds synthesized from chrysanthemum flowers that are used ... more Pyrethroids are synthetic organic compounds synthesized from chrysanthemum flowers that are used extensively as household and commercial insecticides. The keto-alocoholic esters of chrysanthemic and pyrethroic acid being lipophilic are responsible for its insecticidal properties. Pyrethroids are broadly classified into first and second generation pyrethroids. The first generation (Type 1) pyrethroids are less toxic to mammals than the second generation (Type II) pyrethroids. Mainly Type II pyrethroids cause paresthesia, which is characterized by transient burning/tingling/itching sensation of the exposed skin. Also, it has been suggested that some pyrethroids cause developmental neurotoxicity, but available evidence has been judged to be insufficient. While some pyrethroids have been shown to cause tumors in rodent models, the tumor induction does not appear to reflect a common carcinogenic endpoint for this particular subset of compounds. Deltamethrin is an alpha-cyano pyrethroid insecticide used extensively in pest control. Although initially thought to be least toxic, a number of recent reports showed its toxicity in mammalian and non-mammalian laboratory and wildlife animal species. The article sheds light on deltamethrin induced various toxicities during acute and chronic exposure in different species.
Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia is characterized by highly variable environmental conditions where t... more Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia is characterized by highly variable environmental conditions where temperature goes extremely low to extremely high and affects the morphology, growth, physiology and biochemistry of the plants. In this research, we investigated the growth and stress tolerance in a medicinally important plant, namely Lavandula pubescens (family Lamiaceae) in response to temperature dynamics. The plant samples were collected from Tabuk-Jorden road on the 15th day of January, April, July and October 2013. Plant height, fresh and dry matter, total chlorophyll nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), leaf relative water contents were determined in terms of growth of the plant. Physiological and biochemical parameters of plants like activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and leaf protein contents were also determined. Plant growth parameters showed a significant increase in height, fresh and dry matter accumulation, total chlorophyll, NPK and leaf relative water contents investigated in the month of April and October 2013. Plant growth was suppressed and an active role of CAT, POD and SOD was observed to cope with the extremely low temperature in January and extremely high temperature in July 2013. Therefore, based on the results it is recommended that during April and October the environmental conditions are best suitable for growth, development and medicinal use of Lavandula. However, the plants are also found capable to adapt and tolerate the temperature regimes in different seasons of Tabuk.
The phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Cic... more The phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Cichorium intybus L., was determined. The leaves were found to possess comparatively higher values of total flavonoids, total phenolic acids. The phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, in the leaves of the plant. The leaf extract was found to show comparatively low value of IC 50 for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition. The IC 50 value of chicory leaves extract was found to be 67.2 ± 2.6 lg/ml. The extracts were found to contain high amount of mineral elements especially Mg and Zn. Due to good phytochemical and antioxidant composition, C. intybus L., leaves would be an important candidate in pharmaceutical formulations and play an important role in improving the human health by participating in the antioxidant defense system against free radical generation.
The mangrove dominated Sundarbans is a biodiversity rich complex ecosystem inhabited by a large v... more The mangrove dominated Sundarbans is a biodiversity rich complex ecosystem inhabited by a large variety of marine and estuarine species including the oysters. Aquaculture of the edible oysters is regarded as an alternative livelihood of the human population inhabiting this region. The edible oysters necessitate the genetic variation studies among the different species of same genus. Identification of juveniles and immature stages of marine oysters is very difficult using traditional taxonomic approach. DNA barcoding of two oysters belonging to the genus Crassostrea collected from the Sundarbans was done. The nucleotide sequences were very similar to each other with only one nucleotide substitution. 44 barcode sequences belonging to 9 species of the genus Crassostrea revealed that different species formed distinctive clusters. The mean sequence divergence of the novel sequences of Crassostrea gryphoides and Crassostrea cuttackensis were greater than one where as the mean sequence divergence of the other seven species of Crassostrea was very low. The limited number of barcode sequences would be overcome through the worldwide barcoding initiative, which would refine the results and overcome the shortcomings of using smaller sample sizes.
More than two third area of our planet is covered by oceans and assessment of marine biodiversity... more More than two third area of our planet is covered by oceans and assessment of marine biodiversity is a challenging task. With the increasing global population, there is a tendency to exploit marine resources for food, energy and other requirements. This puts pressure on the fragile marine environment and necessitates sustainable conservation efforts. Marine species identification using traditional taxonomical methods is often burdened with taxonomic controversies. Here we discuss the comparatively new concept of DNA barcoding and its significance in marine perspective. This molecular technique can be useful in the assessment of cryptic species which is widespread in marine environment and linking the different life cycle stages to the adult which is difficult to accomplish in the marine ecosystem. Other advantages of DNA barcoding include authentication and safety assessment of seafood, wildlife forensics, conservation genetics and detection of invasive alien species (IAS). Global DNA barcoding efforts in the marine habitat include MarBOL, CeDA-Mar, CMarZ, SHARK-BOL, etc. An overview on DNA barcoding of different marine groups ranging from the microbes to mammals is revealed. In conjugation with newer and faster techniques like high-throughput sequencing, DNA barcoding can serve as an effective modern tool in marine biodiversity assessment and conservation.
DNA barcoding is a worldwide initiative. Although there is a campaign to barcode all fishes, ther... more DNA barcoding is a worldwide initiative. Although there is a campaign to barcode all fishes, there is no information on the DNA barcoding of Red Sea fishes. With the aim of strengthening the BOLD/barcode database with the sequences of Red sea fishes this preliminary study was conducted with six different fish species collected from coastal waters of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Among the six fish samples collected from the same sampling site, two sequences were novel. So, it is necessary to carry out large scale sampling covering a bigger area of Red Sea because there is high possibility to detect new/cryptic species from the unexplored biodiversity rich Red Sea.
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