Anti-diabetic Potential Properties of Two Edible Omani Wild Plants (Pteropyrum scoparium and Oxalis corniculata)

Background:The use of plant for medicinal purposes has a long history worldwide. There is a lack of research that identifies the antidiabetic effect of edible Omani wild plants. Oxidative stress mediates the pathogenesis of diabetes and it has been suggested that natural antioxidants might be considered as an effective intervention for combating diabetes. Objective: This study aimed to assess the anti-diabetic and antioxidant potential properties of two edible Omani wild plants (Pteropyrum scoparium and Oxalis corniculata) or their mixture in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty-seven male Sprague Dawley rats, weighting 250–300 grams, were allocated into 5 groups: non-diabetic (9 rats/group), diabetic group (7 rats/group), and three diabetic groups that received oral feeding of either Pteropyrum scoparium, Oxalis corniculata, or their mixture (7 rats/group). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection dose of STZ drug, 50 mg/kg body weight. At the end of the experimental trial, after 8 weeks, all rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed; blood glucose was measured, meanwhile pancreatic tissues were dissected and homogenized for the biochemical assessment of oxidative stress markers (glutathione, GSH, and total antioxidant capacity, TAC). Results: STZ resulted in hyperglycemia and oxidative stress (GSH depletion and TAC impairment) in diabetic group as compared to non-diabetic group. Meanwhile the concomitant treatment of diabetic groups with the two wild the edible Omani plants or their mixture have shown a protective effect against the STZ-induced hyperglycemia, but with no effect on oxidative stress. It was noted that for the final boy weight, the improvement was not significant as well. Histopathological examination of the pancreatic tissues showed that the STZ injection lead to pathological changes associated with diabetes in the pancreatic tissues of all diabetic groups. Conclusion: Pteropyrum scoparium and Oxalis corniculata combated the STZ-induced hyperglycemia with no effect on oxidative stress. Also, there was no synergistic effect of Pteropyrum scoparium and Oxalis corniculata on hyperglycemia or oxidative stress.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma evansi infections among dromedary camels (Camelus dromedaries) in North Al-Sharqiya governorate, Sultanate of Oman

Trypanosoma evansi is a well-known hemoprotozoa that infects diverse domestic and wild animals worldwide and caused devastating disease called surra. This research aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Trypanosoma evansi and its associated risk factors in dromedary camels in North Al-Sharqiya governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. A total of 4364 serum samples was collected from three willayat in north governorates of Sultanate of Oman; Ibra (926, 21.2%), Qabil (1119, 25.6%) and Bidiyah (2319, 53.1%). Samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against T. evansi using card agglutination test (CATT/T. evansi). Binary logistic regression was used to study the association of T. evansi seroprevalence and risk factors such as location, gender, purpose and age of camels. The overall seroprevalence of T. evansi detected by CATT/T. evansi test was 38% (1659/4364, CI: 36.6-39.5%). There was a significant difference (p=0.001) between location and T. evansi seroprevalence, whereas highest seroprevalence was found in Ibra (49.9%, CI: 46.7-53.1%) followed by Bidiyah (35%, CI: 33-36.9%) and Qabil (34.5%, CI: 31.8-37%). Camels from Ibra were almost two times more likely to have circulating antibodies of T. evansi than camels from Bidiyah (OR=1.89, CI: 1.591-2.168). Also, the results showed a significant difference between seroprevalence and sex (p=0.023), whereas the age of camels was not (p>0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first research that indicated that T. evansi antibodies were circulating among camels in Oman, and further research needs to be tackled to study the molecular characterization of T. evansi and its prevalence in other animal species. Furthermore, cross-sectional studies of T. evansi from different regions in Oman warrant further investigation.

A Review on Solar Drying of Fish

Oman is one of the larger fish producers in the region. Due to high perishable rate of fish products, many preservation techniques were used such as smoking, drying, chilling, brining and freezing. Solar drying is the most popular technique due to its simplicity and low cost compared to other techniques. Objective. This study aims to review the different types of solar drying techniques and highlight the quality measures of solar dried fish. Review findings. Solar drying techniques can be divided into three types; open-sun drying, direct and indirect solar drying. The open-sun drying is the most adoptable method because it is the cheapest preservation technique. However, this technique has several drawbacks such as the uncertainty of weather, large implementation area, time-consuming, poor drying rate, high labour costs, attacking by insects, microorganism and birds, and mixing with dust and foreign materials. Solar dryers, on the other hand, overcome most of the drawbacks associated with open-sun drying. They have shorter drying time and higher drying rate, and at the same time they enhance the physical properties of dried fish. For better understanding of the drying processes many regression models were used and the exponential model was found to be the best fitted model describing the drying behaviour. The fish have very good nutritional value due to higher amount of proteins, lipids and ash contents with comparison to fresh fish. For higher shelf life fish has to meet certain characteristics with respect to pH, water activity, microbial load, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N) and enzymatic autolysis. For a very good quality, the pH must be ranging from 6.0-6.9 and the water activity must be lower than 0.7. The TVB-N and TMA-N are indicators of spoilage and their upper acceptable limits are 10-15 mg/100g and 35-40 mg/100g, respectively. Total plate count (TPC) and total fungal count (TFC) are two attributes used to assess the microbiological quality of fish products. The autolysis changes in the fish lead to spoilage as a result of the production of biogenic amines and microbial growth. Conclusions. Studying the health aspect of dried fish is very important for the human body to obtain a greater proportion of proteins and important substances away from the harmful chemicals that may appear in traditional draying technique.

A review on the novel discoveries of Begomoviruses in Oman

Begomoviruses (family; Geminiviradae) consist of single-stranded (ss) and circular genome particles. They are transmitted by whiteflies, and represent a major constraint to agricultural crops in different parts of the world. In Oman, they have been causing huge losses to crop (tomato, cucumber, watermelon and beans). Research on begomoviruses in Oman over the last years focused on molecular characterization, phylogenetic relationship, recombination analysis, pathogenicity test on model and host plants and the development of transgenic plants with resistance. Some studies focused on the association of DNA satellites (alphasatellite and betasatellite) molecules with begomoviruses. This review highlights the latest developments in begomovirus and associated DNA satellites discoveries in Oman over the last three decades. This period encountered changes in agricultural practices and developments in virus detection technologies from morphological to the application of genome diagnostics to the emergence of high throughput DNA sequencing, capable to sequence multiple and diverse DNA molecules in parallel, enabling of millions of DNA molecules to be sequenced at a time. In addition, several tomato cultivars bearing different Ty genes having resistance to TYLCD complex were developed.

Growth Model and Forecasting Prices of Some Agricultural Products in Bangladesh

The aim of this paper was to explore the appropriate deterministic time series model using the latest selection criteria considering the price pattern of onion, garlic and potato products in Bangladesh (January 2000 to December 2016). It appeared from our analysis that the time series data for the prices of potato was first order homogenous stationary but onion and garlic were found to be the second order stationary. Four different forecasting models namely, linear trend model, quadratic trend model, exponential growth model, and S-curve trend model were used to find the best fitted model for the prices of above mentioned products in the Bangladesh. Three accuracy measures such as mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean absolute deviation (MAD) and mean squared deviation (MSD) were used for the selection of the best fitted model based on lowest value of forecasting error. Lowest values of these errors indicated a best fitted model. After choosing the best growth model by the latest model selection criteria, prices of selected agricultural commodities were forecasted using the following time-series analysis methods: Simple Exponential Method, Double Exponential Method using the time period from January 2017 to December 2021. The findings of this study would be useful for policy makers, researchers, businessmen as well as producers in order to forecast future prices of these commodities.

GIS and remote sensing techniques in Controlled Environment Agriculture: A review

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are useful tools in environmental monitoring, evaluation and analysis for various sectors including agriculture. This paper reviews the applications of GIS, RS and the integration of both techniques in the agricultural field, in general, and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), in particular. More emphasis is given to their applications in arid areas and Oman is taken as a case study. GIS techniques have been used in the mapping of soil and water quality, spatial assessment for water quantity stress, land suitability, pest and disease distribution of crops as well as delineating and generating database management systems (DBMS) for protected cultivations. In Oman, GIS was only employed to analyse the spatio-temporal dynamics of land use changes as affected by external factors and greenhouses as an example in northern part. RS was also utilised to map the changes in land cover and their uses, detect and map soil salinity, and monitor agricultural droughts. In CEA, RS was utilised for mapping, detection and classification of greenhouses through aerial images and satellites. In Oman, negligible study was documented on the use of RS techniques in the CEA field. The integration of both techniques has proven its capability in mapping, evaluating and managing natural resources and greenhouse distribution and generating database management system in agriculture and CEA fields. Sophisticated geostatistical analysis models based on Multi-criteria analysis using Fuzzy-logic and Analytic Hierarchy Process could be a good platform for trade-off analysis for land suitability analysis and optimal location of CEA in challenging agriculture like Oman.

Characterization of Genetic Diversity in Dhofari Wild Gazelles

Wild gazelles are scattered in most of the arid and semi-arid areas of the Sultanate of Oman particularly in valleys, mountains and sandy zones of Rub' al Khali desert. Recently, gazelles’ populations have been facing reduction in the numbers. Consequently, gradual loss of genetic diversity is inevitable. This loss is considered one of the main threats that attribute to a loss of habitat and may lead to gazelle extinction. Till now, little is known about the status of the genetic diversity of the wild Dhofari gazelle. This project aimed to determine the extent of inbreeding, population structure and genetic diversity in the Dhofari gazelles’ populations. DNA was extracted from gazelles’ fecal samples using the human stool DNA extraction protocol. Following extraction, four microsatellite nuclear markers were used to calculate the level of inbreeding, population differentiation and genetic diversity. PCR inhibitors were significantly removed by the addition of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The mean inbreeding for the population was 0.228 for all loci with a standard error of 0.09. It is therefore postulated that Dhofari gazelles are generally undergoing gradual inbreeding which could lead to lack of fitness in future generations. The genetic differentiation (Fst) ranged between 0.071 (between Gara and Stom) and 0.231 (between Gara and Ayon). On the other hand, the Fst estimate between Solot (most distant) versus other Dhofari gazelles populations (pooled together) was 3.7%. Principle Components Analysis clustered Ayon and Gara populations apart from one another and closer to Stom while placing Solot further than all other populations which is in agreement with the Fst results and the geographical distribution. In conclusion, the results of this preliminary study will provide insight towards the conservation of wild gazelles in Dhofar. This is the first study to report the genetic diversity and status of wild Gazelles and provides a reference point for future studies assessing their genetic diversity and variability.

Physical and Chemical Fruit Quality Attributes of Two Pomegranate Cultivars Grown at Varying Altitudes of Al-Hajar Mountains in Oman

The present study investigated the differences in fruit physical and chemical quality characteristics of two popular local pomegranate cultivars, namely Helow and Malasi, as influenced by the altitudinal microclimates. Three sites of varying altitudes were selected for this study at Al-Hajar Mountains in northern Oman that included, high (2019 m, Saiq), mid (1876 m, Sograh) and low altitudes (1540 m, Wakan). The results showed that at lower altitudes of Wakan, the Malasi cultivar had better color attributes than Helow cultivar. Malasi also had more lightness (L), yellowness (b) and color intensity (chroma) but less greenness (a), while in mid-altitude, Helow had better color compared with Malasi cultivar. Furthermore, Helow colors was developed as evidenced in terms of brightness, skin and arils redness at higher altitude compared to the two lower altitude sites. Physical fruit qualities were also investigated and the results indicated that in most measured parameters, the Malasi fruit quality was better in both locations (Sograh and Wakan) than Helow cultivar, while Helow cultivar had superior fruit quality at higher elevation in Saiq. Additionally, Malasi had higher juice volume (JV), total soluble solid (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) than Helow in Wakan. Helow fruits in Saiq showed better performance and higher results for juice volume (JV), total soluble solid (TSS) and maturity index (MI) as followed by those in Sograh and Wakan. Our study showed that the fruit physical and chemical quality attributes of local pomegranate cultivars are strongly influenced by growing location and altitude.

Dynamics of Physical Capital in Artisanal Fisheries and Policy Implications

The dynamics of physical capital stock and net investment in artisanal fisheries of Al-Seeb - a coastal fishing town of Muscat Governorate are examined covering the period 2004-2013 . Data were gathered from two sources namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and field survey. A hedonic regression model is used to examine the influence of boat characteristics on the boat acquisition prices and then to derive the growth rate of physical capital stock. Boat characteristics comprising of ‘age’, ‘horsepower (hp)’ and ‘length (vl)’ are found to be statistically significant at the 5% level and carry sign consistent with the economic theory of depreciation and cost respectively. While inter-annual fluctuation of net investment is observed, a positive trend in cumulative investment with an average growth rate of 7.63% is experienced in the fishery during 2004-2013. A crude assessment of the operating costs and the gross revenue of surveyed boat-owners in 2015 showed that on average monthly economic profit of 570.97±169.36SD OMR was received by individual boat-owner which complements the positive trend in cumulative investment.These findings have important management and policy implications in relation to the effective management of harvesting capacity as well as attract investment in the fishery. Finally, some limitations of the study are discussed along with the indication of potential future research.

EFFECT OF STORAGE TIME ON THE QUALITY OF SMOKED HETEROCLARIAS

Effect of storage time on the quality of smoked heteroclarias was studied. 108 samples of heteroclarias (average weight 210 + 15g) was used. Analysis carried out include: proximate, mineral composition (Ca, Na, Fe and Mg), biochemical, amino acid and sensory evaluation. Data obtained was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) while the sensory data was subjected to nonparametric test (Kruskal Wallis test). Smoked heteroclarias have good nutritional quality in terms of proximate, mineral and amino acids all of which decrease with increase in duration of storage at ambient temperatures. Glutamic acid was the most predominant amino acid and the highest non-essential amino acid (NEEA), lysine was the most predominant EAA. There was higher concentration of non-essential amino acids than essential amino acids, EAA/NEAA ratio (0.86 – 0.93) recorded indicates that the fish have excellent protein quality; its the predicted protein efficiency ratio (P-PER) ranged between 3.44-3.61 and its biological value ranged between 79.84 -75.04. Its chemical score and TEAA decrease with increase in storage time. Its texture quality reduced significantly (χ2 = 12.207, p<0.01) with increased storage period. It is therefore recommended that smoked heteroclarias be consumed as soon as it is smoked and regularly for good healthy conditions especially among children, aged and other vulnerable groups.