Extraction of chitin from edible crab shells of Callinectes sapidus and comparison with market purchased chitin

Abstract Chitin and its derived products have immense economic value due to their vital role in various biological activities as well as biomedical and industrial application. Insects, microorganism and crustaceans are the main supply of chitin but the crustaceans shell like shrimp, krill, lobsters and crabs are the main commercial sources. Chitin content of an individual varies depending on the structures possessing the polymer and the species. In this study edible crabs’ shells (Callinectes sapidus) were demineralized and deproteinized resulting in 13.8% (dry weight) chitin recovery from chitin wastes. FTIR and XRD analyses of the experimental crude as well as purified chitins revealed that both were much comparable to the commercially purchased controls. The acid pretreatment ceded 54g of colloidal chitin that resulted in 1080% of the crude chitin. The colloidal chitin was exploited for isolation of eighty five chitinolytic bacterial isolates from different sources. Zone of clearance was displayed by the thirty five isolates (41.17%) succeeding their growth at pH 7 on colloidal chitin agar medium. Maximum chitinolytic activity i.e. 301.55 U/ml was exhibited by isolate JF70 when cultivated in extracted chitin containing both carbon and nitrogen. The study showed wastes of blue crabs can be utilized for extraction of chitin and isolation of chitinolytic bacteria that can be used to degrade chitin waste, resolve environmental pollution as well as industrial purpose.

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Metabolic signalling and the partitioning of resources in plant storage organs

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859699006978 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 133 (3) ◽

pp. 243-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

NIGEL G. HALFORD

Keyword(s):

Dry Weight ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Crop Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Young Plant ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Cultivated Potato ◽

Metabolic Signalling ◽

Storage Organs ◽

Plant Storage

The most important harvested organs of crop plants, such as seeds, tubers and fruits, are often described as assimilate sinks. They play little or no part in the fixation of carbon through the production of sugars through photosynthesis, or in the uptake of nitrogen and sulphur, but import these assimilated resources to support metabolism and to store them in the form of starch, oils and proteins. Wild plants store resources in seeds and tubers to later support an emergent young plant. Cultivated crops are effectively storing resources to provide us with food and many have been bred to accumulate much more than would be required otherwise. For example, approximately 80% of a cultivated potato plant's dry weight is contained in its tubers, ten times the proportion in the tubers of its wild relatives (Inoue & Tanaka 1978). Cultivation and breeding has brought about a shift in the partitioning of carbon and nitrogen assimilate between the organs of the plant.

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Harvest Field Sizing as a Technique to Remove Undersize French Prunes

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.452a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 452a-452

Author(s):

Richard Buchner ◽

Seeley Mudd ◽

Bruce Carroll ◽

Mark Gilles

Keyword(s):

Sugar Content ◽

Economic Value ◽

Market Value ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Field Size ◽

Test Machine ◽

Test Field ◽

Marginal Value ◽

High Sugar Content

Overall profitability is a major goal in successful prune production and a major component in any prune management system. Large prune crops in 1996 and 1997 have stimulated considerable interest in undersize fruit. Undersize prunes currently have marginal value and may represent a net loss because of costs to haul, dry, and to market order payments on low value prunes. One technique to control delivery size is to field size at harvest. Field sizing involves installing size-sorting devices on harvesters, which allow small prunes to fall out while valuable fruit is collected. Field sizing is considered a “risky” strategy because of the potential to remove prunes with economic value. During the 1997 harvest, 21 infield harvest sizing evaluations were made in prune orchards throughout Tehama county. The first evaluation occurred on 12 Aug. 1997, at the start of prune harvest. The final evaluation was done on 5 Sept. 1997, at the tail end of harvest. The objective was to sample throughout the harvest period to test field sizing under various sugar, size, and fruit pressure scenarios. The test machine was 1-inch bar sizer. Of the 21 sample dates, undersize fruit was clearly not marketable in 20 of the 21 samples. Discarded fruit averaged 133 dry count per pound. Only one sample out of 21 may have had market value at 86 dry count per pound. Although small in size, these prunes had very high sugar content contributing to their dry weight. In this evaluation, a 1-inch bar sizer did a good job of separating fruit with and without market value under the 1997 price schedule. As harvest date becomes later and soluble solids increase, the chances of sorting out marketable prunes also increases.

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An Overview on Steroids and Microwave Energy in Multi-Component Reactions towards the Synthesis of Novel Hybrid Molecules

Current Organic Synthesis ◽

10.2174/1570179417666200503050106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 594-609

Author(s):

Preetismita Borah ◽

Vhatkar Dattatraya Shivling ◽

Bimal Krishna Banik ◽

Biswa Mohan Sahoo

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Multicomponent Reactions ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Vital Role ◽

Microwave Energy ◽

Biosynthetic Pathways ◽

Chemical Transformations ◽

Carbon Carbon Bond ◽

Hybrid Molecules ◽

Time Required

In recent years, hybrid systems are gaining considerable attention owing to their various biological applications in drug development. Generally, hybrid molecules are constructed from different molecular entities to generate a new functional molecule with improved biological activities. There already exist a large number of naturally occurring hybrid molecules based on both non-steroid and steroid frameworks synthesized by nature through mixed biosynthetic pathways such as, a) integration of the different biosynthetic pathways or b) Carbon- Carbon bond formation between different components derived through different biosynthetic pathways. Multicomponent reactions are a great way to generate efficient libraries of hybrid compounds with high diversity. Throughout the scientific history, the most common factors developing technologies are less energy consumption and avoiding the use of hazardous reagents. In this case, microwave energy plays a vital role in chemical transformations since it involves two very essential criteria of synthesis, minimizing energy consumption required for heating and time required for the reaction. This review summarizes the use of microwave energy in the synthesis of steroidal and non-steroidal hybrid molecules and the use of multicomponent reactions.

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Beehive Products as Antibacterial Agents: A Review

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10060717 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 717

Author(s):

Rita Abou Nader ◽

Rawan Mackieh ◽

Rim Wehbe ◽

Dany El El Obeid ◽

Jean Marc Sabatier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Antibacterial Agents ◽

Royal Jelly ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Vital Role ◽

Bee Venom ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Wide Range ◽

Life Threatening

Honeybees are one of the most marvelous and economically beneficial insects. As pollinators, they play a vital role in every aspect of the ecosystem. Beehive products have been used for thousands of years in many cultures for the treatment of various diseases. Their healing properties have been documented in many religious texts like the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible. Honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly all demonstrated a richness in their bioactive compounds which make them effective against a variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, many studies showed that honey and bee venom work as powerful antibacterial agents against a wide range of bacteria including life-threatening bacteria. Several reports documented the biological activities of honeybee products but none of them emphasized on the antibacterial activity of all beehive products. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the antibacterial activity of honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly, that are produced by honeybees.

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Chemical Diversity and Biological Activity of Secondary Metabolites from Soft Coral Genus Sinularia since 2013

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md19060335 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 335

Author(s):

Xia Yan ◽

Jing Liu ◽

Xue Leng ◽

Han Ouyang

Keyword(s):

Biological Activity ◽

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Coral Species ◽

Soft Coral ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Vital Role ◽

Chemical Diversity ◽

Pharmacological Activities ◽

Lead Compounds ◽

Coral Genus

Sinularia is one of the conspicuous soft coral species widely distributed in the world’s oceans at a depth of about 12 m. Secondary metabolites from the genus Sinularia show great chemical diversity. More than 700 secondary metabolites have been reported to date, including terpenoids, norterpenoids, steroids/steroidal glycosides, and other types. They showed a broad range of potent biological activities. There were detailed reviews on the terpenoids from Sinularia in 2013, and now, it still plays a vital role in the innovation of lead compounds for drug development. The structures, names, and pharmacological activities of compounds isolated from the genus Sinularia from 2013 to March 2021 are summarized in this review.

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The Value of Recreational Ecosystem Services in India

Environmental Sciences Proceedings ◽

10.3390/iecf2020-08030 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 80

Author(s):

Muniyandi Balasubramanian

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

National Park ◽

Economic Value ◽

Consumer Surplus ◽

Well Being ◽

Vital Role ◽

Human Beings ◽

Forest Ecosystem Services ◽

The Individual ◽

Mental Well Being

Forest ecosystem services have played a vital role in human well-being. Particularly, recreational ecosystem services are creating physical and mental well-being for human beings. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to estimate the economic value of recreational ecosystem services provides by recreational sites such as Nandi Hills and Nagarhole National Park based on the individual travel cost method in Karnataka, India. This study has used a random sampling method for 300 tourist visitors to recreational sites. The present study has also estimated the consumer surplus of the visitors. The results of the study have found that (i) economic value of two creational sites has been estimated at US $323.05 million, (ii) the consumer surplus has been estimated for Nandi Hills at US $7.45 and Nagarhole National Park at US $3.16. The main implication of the study is to design the entry fees for the recreational site and sustainable utilization of recreational ecosystem services for the present and future generations.

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Reducing Substrate Moisture Content during Greenhouse Production of Poinsettia Improves Postproduction Quality and Economic Value

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci13484-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (11) ◽

pp. 1618-1628

Author(s):

Yanjun Guo ◽

Terri Starman ◽

Charles Hall

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Economic Value ◽

Growth Index ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Leaf Number ◽

Stem Length ◽

Total Production ◽

Greenhouse Production ◽

Ethylene Concentration ◽

Substrate Moisture

The objective was to determine the effect of substrate moisture content (SMC) during poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) greenhouse production on plant quality, postproduction longevity, and economic value. Two experiments were conducted, one in 2016 with ‘Freedom Red’ and the other in 2017 with ‘Christmas Eve Red’. Treatments included two SMC levels (20% or 40%) applied in four timing of application combinations. Total production (TP) time was 14 (2016) or 12 (2017) weeks in which vegetative production (VP) occurred from week 33 (2016) or 35 (2017) to week 39 and reproductive production (RP) continued from week 40 to 47. The four timing of application treatments were 40/40 = TP at 40% SMC; 20/40 = VP at 20% + RP at 40%; 40/20 = VP at 40% + RP at 20%; 20/20 = TP at 20% SMC. After simulated shipping in the dark, plants were evaluated in a simulated retail environment with two packaging treatments: no sleeve covering or plastic perforated plant sleeves covering container and plant. At the end of greenhouse production, plants grown in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 and 40/20) had shorter bract internode length, stem length, and smaller growth index (GI), decreased shoot and root dry weight (DW), and bract and leaf surface area compared with those in 40% SMC during RP (40/40 and 20/40). Photosynthetic rate was higher when plants were watered at 40% SMC regardless of production stage compared with those in 20% SMC. Leaf thickness, petiole thickness, total bract and leaf number were unaffected by SMC treatments. Plants in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 or 40/20) had earlier bract coloring despite days to anthesis being the same for all SMC treatments. Compared with 40/40, 40/20, and 20/20 could save 44.2% or 43.6%, respectively, irrigation and fertilizer usage, and 39.1% and 47.8%, respectively, labor time. During postharvest, ethylene concentration was unaffected by packaging method. Sleeved plants, regardless of SMC treatment, received lower light intensity in the middle of the plant canopy, causing plants to have lower total leaf number due to abscission and SPAD reading at the end of postproduction. The 40/40 treatment abscised more bracts during five weeks (in 2016) of postproduction and with no sleeve had higher number of bracts with bract edge burn (BEB). In summary, reducing SMC to 20% during TP or RP reduced water usage during production and produced more compact plants with increased postproduction quality.

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Pharmacological Potential and Chemical Composition of Crocus sativus Leaf Extracts

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules27010010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 10

Author(s):

Olha Mykhailenko ◽

Vilma Petrikaite ◽

Michal Korinek ◽

Fang-Rong Chang ◽

Mohamed El-Shazly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Antioxidant Activities ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Ethanolic Extract ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Crocus Sativus ◽

Leaf Extracts ◽

Hplc Fingerprint ◽

Health Related ◽

Pharmacological Potential

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) has been traditionally used as a food coloring or flavoring agent, but recent research has shown its potent pharmacological activity to tackle several health-related conditions. Crocus sp. leaves, and petals are the by-products of saffron production and are not usually used in the medicine or food industries. The present study was designed to determine the chemical composition of the water and ethanolic extracts of C. sativus leaves and test their cytotoxic activity against melanoma (IGR39) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines by MTT assay. We also determined their anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral activities. HPLC fingerprint analysis showed the presence of 16 compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids, xanthones, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids, which could contribute to the extracts’ biological activities. For the first time, compounds such as tectoridin, iristectorigenin B, nigricin, and irigenin were identified in Crocus leaf extracts. The results showed that mangiferin (up to 2 mg/g dry weight) and isoorientin (8.5 mg/g dry weight) were the major active ingredients in the leaf extracts. The ethanolic extract reduced the viability of IGR39 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with EC50 = 410 ± 100 and 330 ± 40 µg/mL, respectively. It was more active than the aqueous extract. Kaempferol and quercetin were identified as the most active compounds. Our results showed that Crocus leaves contain secondary metabolites with potent cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.

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Review on biological activities in medicinal plants of acanthaceae family

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v12i1.3995 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 315-333

Author(s):

Manjula M ◽

Sankar D S

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Vital Role ◽

Ethnic Communities ◽

Alternative And Complementary Medicine ◽

Strobilanthes Crispus ◽

Comprehensive Survey ◽

Clinacanthus Nutans ◽

Phytochemical Compounds ◽

Anti Oxidant

Acanthaceae is popularly known as acanthus family which belong to mint order – lamiales. They are distributed from tropics to a temperate region such as India, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Brazil, Central America and Africa. Most members of this family are therapeutically important since they are in the up to date usage by ethnic communities. Andrographis paniculata, Clinacanthus nutans, Graptophyllum pictum, Hemigraphis alternata, Justicia gendarussa and Strobilanthes Crispus are some of the medicinal plants of Acanthaceae family. These plants are recognized for their biopharmaceutical potential usage in traditional medicine. These plants have a plethora of phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, terpenoids, benzenoids, quinine, triterpenoids and naphthoquinone present in various parts of the plant that plays a vital role in drug industries. The pharmacological properties of these plants such as anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritis, hepatoprotective, anti-viral and anti-hypertensive are in general practice as an alternative and complementary medicine in both ethnobotanical and pharmacological fields. This article encompasses not only the comprehensive survey based on the electronic resources, scientific journals but also the books that summarize the botanical, phytochemical properties of these plants and also accentuate their significant role in both ethnobotanical and pharmacological fields. It is felt that this article would provide more insight into the health benefits of some plants of the Acanthaceae family.

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Breaking Dormancy and Effects of Shade Level and NPK Fertilizer Rates on Yield of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith (Lempoyang)

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture8120198 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 198 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Suzanne Goh ◽

Thohirah Lee Abdullah ◽

Siti Hassan ◽

Johnson Stanslas

Keyword(s):

Growth Parameters ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

High Yield ◽

Significant Interaction Effect ◽

Zingiber Zerumbet ◽

Npk Fertilizer ◽

Fertilizer Rates

Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, known as Lempoyang in Malaysia, belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. Previous studies on Lempoyang mainly focused on the chemical properties and biological activities of the rhizome extracts of this plant. Despite the tremendous demand for the rhizomes of Z. zerumbet, there is a lack of information on cultivation practices and a scarcity of planting materials. By using the pre-soaked technique, the challenges posed by Z. zerumbet dormancy can be overcome, obtaining good quality and uniform planting material throughout the year. Besides that, it is also crucial to determine the optimum shade level and NPK fertilizer rates to obtain a high yield and good quality rhizomes of Lempoyang. Six concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP, 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg/L) and ethephon (0, 150, 300, 450, 600, and 750 mg/L) were tested to evaluate their effects on breaking rhizome dormancy. Three different shade levels (full sun, 30%, and 50% shade levels) and four combinations of Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (NPK) fertilizer at different rates were evaluated to study their effects on plant growth and yield performance. The results showed that BAP at 100 mg/L and ethephon at 300 mg/L performed better than the other compound concentrations tested in promoting the breaking of bud dormancy. A significant interaction effect was observed between shade levels and NPK fertilizer rates in all the growth parameters examined, except for the number of tillers per plant. Plants grown under 30% shade with NPK 4 produced the highest rhizome fresh weight, dry weight, and yield, but plants grown under 50% shade with NPK 4 showed the highest plant height and number of tillers per plant.

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