Valorisation of the Effects of Bioactive Compounds of the Ethanolic Extract of Ramalina Farinacea (Ramalinaceae) on the Development, Eating and Pupation Behavior of Drosophila Melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Plants are rich in bioactive chemical secondary metabolites and have proven insecticidal activity by killing or repelling insects. In this work, we aim to evaluate the direct and delayed effects of ethanolic plant extracts on the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The treatment was performed by ingestion on second instar larvae (L2) to evaluate the impact of the ethanolic extract on development for 15 days and subsequently on the feeding behavior of the larvae. The results of this study indicate a slowing down of pupal growth until the adult stage, at the three concentrations (0.25 µg/ml, 0.5 µg/ml, 1.5 µg/ml, 2 µg/ml) used. The results also showed that after three days of treatment, third instar D. melanogster larvae lost the ability to detect the odors of their nutrient environments. Other numbers of larvae (34 %) do not make a choice in the different tests performed. This study indicates that the ethanolic extract of Ramalina farinacea has a neurotoxic property our results confirmed the presence of toxic secondary metabolites which have bioinsecticidal activities in this extract.

Plastic Biodegradation through Insects and their Symbionts Microbes: A Review

Plastic waste has recently been identified as one of the most serious environmental issues, affecting all life forms, natural habitats, and the economy, and is one of the most serious global environmental problems, second only to climate change. Seeking alternative environmentally sustainable options, such as biodegradation instead of conventional disposal, is critical in the face of this challenge. However, there is currently a lack of information about the mechanisms and efficacy of plastic biodegradation. From this perspective, this study aims to illustrate the negative environmental impacts of the plastic waste. It also addresses the role of insects and gut microbiota in the degradation of plastics, emphasizing the important role they will play in the future.

Salinity Stress Mitigation by Foliar Feeding of Salicylic Acid on Maize (Zea Mays L.) grown under Hydroponic Culture

Salicylic acid (SA) is mainly associated with the regulation of plant growth particularly in salinity stress conditions and this signaling molecule exists in pivotal parts of plant. The objective of this research analysis was to overcome stress condition by distinct foliar treatments of Salicylic acid, for instance, 0 and 100 mM. Foliar applications of SA on maize were rendered on 10 days later than transplanting under a hydroponics experiment. Plants were grown under non-saline (S0= 0 mM NaCl) and saline (S1= 100 mM NaCl) conditions. Evaluation of biochemical, physiological and morphological attributes of maize was rendered after harvesting of plants. The experimental layout of Completely Randomized Design (CRD) under a factorial arrangement with three replications of each treatment was assigned for this study. According to our results it was confirmed that cultivation of maize under saline condition reduced the morphological, physiological and biochemical attributes of plant. However, exogenous application of SA on maize had a positive impact on the above mentioned traits under presence and absence of saline environment. Finally, it was justified that exogenous application of variable concentration of SA significantly improves whole parameters of maize cultivar.

Estimation of Genetic Diversity among Canola Accessions using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Genetic studies through molecular markers proved important to find out the genetic diversity of canola. In this study, 50 lines of canola were used to find the polymorphism using 15 SSR primers and investigated the genetic diversity, PIC values, frequency-based genetic distance, and allelic frequencies. Mean gene diversity, frequency-based genetic distance, and PIC values were 0.8777, 0.233 and 0.8666, respectively for the canola lines. A good range of genetic diversity was found among studied canola lines with value 85.91% polymorphism. Maximum and minimum genetic distances among 50 lines were 1 and 0.26, respectively. Accessions ACC-26068, ACC-24241, ACC-24244, ACC-24233, ACC-24423 and ACC-24224 have maximum genetic distance. Accessions ACC-24879 and ACC-24169 had minimum genetic distance i.e., 0.26. Dendrogram based on genetic distances showed four main clusters that were further dividing into several sub-clusters. The primers utilized in the present study, were valuable to identify different accessions of canola to find the variability present. This variability will be helpful to initiate the breeding program with their molecular genetic basis.

Prevalence and Multidrug Resistance Pattern of E. Coli among Urinary Tract Infection Patients in Tertiary Care Hospital of Multan

Urinary Tract Infection is alarming problem worldwide due to the intensity of antimicrobial resistance. Escherichia coli is the most predominant organism in UTI. This study was planned to evaluate demographic parameters, the prevalence of E. coli, and antimicrobial resistance patterns among E. coli isolates from UTI patients in Nishtar Hospital of Multan from January to June 2018. A total of 350 mid-stream urine samples were collected from different patients having age group from 25 to 60 years and processed by standard laboratory procedures. Out of 350 samples, 100 samples were observed as critical bacteremia. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia were the most persistent (47 % and 19 % individually) among the Gram-negative pathogens followed by S. aureus (14 %), Enterobacter spp. (11 %) and Candida (9 %) respectively. The incidence of UTI was found higher in 25-35 age groups. The prevalence of UTI with E. coli as an infectious agent was 72 % in females, and 28 % in males. The prevalence of E. coli was more in rural areas (70 %) than in urban areas (26 %). The antimicrobial testing against E. coli showed the highest resistance to amoxicillin (65.9 %) and ciprofloxacin (38.2 %), whereas highly sensitive rate observed against Fosfomycin (FOS) (95.7 %), Gentamicin (GEN) (89.3 %), and Nitrofurantoin (NIT) (85 %) respectively. The increased resistance against ampicillin and ciprofloxacin was observed in Multan have a great emerging problem so there is a need for effective prevention strategies for the E. coli drug resistance and successful surveillance required to be improved.

Undesired Effects of Bioinsecticides Molecules in Wistar Rats: Case of Spirotetramat, Citrulus Colocynthis and Cleome Arabica Extracts

The use of pesticides is becoming an indispensable technique in most agricultural practices, regardless of the level of development of the country. Currently, the pesticides used are often less toxic and more specific and are based on insect physiology. Recent studies indicate that pesticide intoxication induces oxidative stress. This work aims to study the neurobehavioral consequences of the administration of two insecticides currently widely used in agriculture: spirotetramat (an inhibitor of lipid synthesis in insects) and the ethanolic extract of Citrullus colocynthis (a plant endemic to the Algerian Sahara) and the ethanolic extract of Cleome arabica (Capparidaceae) The different behavioral tests (elevated cross maze, open fields and forced swimming) show that the have a significant impact on the degree of anxiety of rodents.These products significantly influence the biochemical parameters (blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine), the hormone Adreno CorticoTropic Hormone, acetylcholine esterase,

Preliminary Checklist of Avifauna of Tamanrasset (South of Algeria) With Two New Records in Algeria

Birds constitute a zoological group which is considered to be a good indicator of balance and biological diversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the birds of the region on Tamanresset which is situated in the south of Algeria and has an area of 554.000 km2. Direct observations with camera and a pair of binoculars, supported by ornithological surveys carried out by progressive frequently sampling, in each stations of study area, 44 bird species were observed in this region which fall into 12 orders and 24 families. Among these species, 3 new observations recorded for the 1st time belonging to White-rumped Seedeater (Crithagra leucopygia) and blue-napped mousebird (Urocolius macrourus) along with 2 other species, the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and the African silver bill (Euodice cantans), are listed as an expansion in this region.

Effects of Osmotic Stress Induced by Polyethylene Glycol (Peg) 6000 and Mannitol on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Durum Wheat

Seed germination is generally the critical step in seed establishment and thus the determination of successful crop production. This study was focused at examination of the biochemical and germination parameters effected by low water potential which was generated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and mannitol, related to drought stress and growth of Waha durum wheat genotype. Two tests were carried out in a growth chamber; the first comprises seed germination into Petri dishes in the presence of different concentrations of the two osmoticums (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % of PEG6000 and mannitol). The second test was carried out in nutrient solution BD medium. Our results shows that Both PEG -6000 and mannitol reduced germination. Therefore, a rapid increase was observed in the rate of germination both for the control plants and the plants subjected to a concentration of 5 g/L and 10 g/L and changes in proportion to the time. For the concentration of 15 g/L and 20 g/L, this phase is very short, which explains the reduced germination rate due to the inhibitory effect of the two osmoticums on germination. In this study, PEG-6000 treatments resulted in an increase of some proteins and a decrease of others. Waha displayed 12 bands for control plants, 40 bands for PEG-6000 stressed plants (all treatments) and 35 bands for mannitol treatments.

Enhancing the Fertilizer Value of Cattle Manure Using Organic Resources for Soil Fertility Improvement: A Review

The poor quality of cow dung in Ghana resulting from the opportunistic feeding mode of cattle impedes its adoption due to high quantities needed for application. This calls for nutrient optimization of cattle manure with inexpensive locally available sources of organic inputs that could enhance its quality. Though large volumes of crop residues and other agro-wastes are produced on-farm, they are underutilized and mostly a nuisance. Major food crops take approximately, 44 %, 42 % and 56 % of the total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), respectively and are found in crop residues. There is therefore the need to develop appropriate technologies for utilizing agro-wastes by transforming them into useful “resources” with potentially available plant macro and micronutrients. Common agro-wastes in Ghana include cocoa pod husk (CPH), palm kernel cake (PKC), cattle manure (CM) and poultry manure. Hence, this review sought to explore the use of crop residues and agro-minerals to improve the quality of manure and consequently its fertilizer value for soil fertility improvement and increased crop yield. The review presented an assessment of resource potentials of some crop residues and local agro-mineral as a means of enhancing the quality of CM. Using published data, the review has identified that PKC, rock phosphate (RP) and CPH have high potential for improving the N, P and K contents of CM, respectively. In conclusion, it recommends the need to extensively explore the potential of other commonly available organic resource materials for their efficacy to improve the fertilizer value of cattle manure.

Abundance and Distribution of the Forest Cockroaches in Different Algerian Ecosystems

Forests have many insect species that are unique to biodiversity and play a crucial role in the functioning of ecosystems. Forest cockroaches are the best example of forest litter insects, which also help decompose fallen leaves. The composition of the Blattoptera fauna can vary from one region to another, depending on the habitat and numerous biotic and abiotic factors In order to study the diversity, abundance, and distribution of forest cockroaches in different Algeria ecosystems, we have selected four sites from three Wilayas: Senalba (Djelfa), Ain achir (Annaba), Seraidi (Annaba), and Lehnaya (El-taref). These sites are classified into two distinct forest groups (Pinus halepensis and Quercus canariensis). In all areas, the samples were collected each month manually, starting from April 2019 until March 2020. We have collected 1231 individuals of cockroaches and describe eight species from all locations: Loboptera ovolobata (Bohn, 1991), Loboptera decipiens (Germar, 1817), Ectobius kervillei (Bolivar, 1907), Dziriblatta nigriventris (Chopard, 1936), Dziriblatta stenoptera (Chopard, 1937), Phyllodromica zebra (Rhen, 1903), Dziriblatta sp. (Chopard, 1936) and some Ectobius (Stephens, 1835) specimens have not yet been identified. With 51% L. decipiens was the most abundant species, followed by L. ovolobata with 27%. Despite that, the number of larvae was substantially higher than the number of adults in all forests examined. However, the abundance and biodiversity of cockroaches in the Djelfa forest were greater than those of the other woods. This study made it possible to characterize the diversity and dynamics of cockroach species populations in different Algerian ecosystems according to diverse Mediterranean forests.