The coastal areas of Bangladesh are enriched with migratory avian species but the actual status of birds was unknown, particularly in the south-central coastal region of the country. A yearlong (June 2023 to May 2024) direct field observation-based study was conducted to unfold the present status of the migratory avifauna in three protected areas (Kuakata National Park, Tangragiri Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sonarchar Wildlife Sanctuary). In this study, a total of 85 migratory bird species were recorded under 10 orders and 22 families. Individuals of wetland dependent migratory birds were higher than other bird species. Sonarchar Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) had the highest number of bird species and individuals (70 species; n = 3618 individuals) with the highest diversity index values (H’ = 3.135, Ds = 0.9257) compared to two other sites. Significant variations among migratory avian communities were found among the three study sites as indicated by the Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) test (R = 0.168, P < 0.001) in the non-metric multidimensional plot (NMDs). Among the migratory bird species, Charadrius dubius (14.75%), Anas crecca (14.33%), Threskiornis melanocephalus (11.69%), Actitis hypoleucos 8.47%), Vanellus cinereus (6.75%) were the most abundant. Population abundance was higher for the occurrence of the wetland dependent migratory bird species in the study area. Avian community composition of migratory species showed uneven distribution in the rank abundance curve. Across the three study sites, the majority of the migratory bird species exhibited clumped distribution patterns, followed by regular and random distribution patterns. A total of 37 (45.12%) species of migratory birds were found to use the coastline as their microhabitat. Unplanned fishing, tourism, expansion of agricultural land, hunting, and pollution were identified as major threats to the migratory bird species in the study area. This study suggests community-based conservation measures are essential for the proper conservation of the migratory birds. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 155-173, 2025 (January)

Scaphium scaphigerum (Wall. ex G. Don) G. Planch. is a threatened medicinal tree of Bangladesh, belonging to the family Malvaceae. This study unveiled the first chloroplast genome of the species, spanning 160,927 bp with a GC content of 36.89%. The plastome exhibited the typical orbicular quadripartite structure of angiosperms, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat regions (25502 bp), isolated by a large-single copy region (90012 bp) and a small single-copy region (19911 bp). The plastome harbored 128 genes in total, including 85 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs. Comparative analyses with several other species revealed high synteny and lack of major rearrangements, along with similar gene order and GC content. The plastome contained 115 SSRs, predominantly comprising mononucleotides (78). Among the longer repeats, palindromic sequences were the most frequent (22). Nucleotide diversity analysis identified two hypervariable sites (ycf1 and ndhI) in the small single-copy region, which will facilitate DNA barcoding endeavors. Phylogenetic analysis showed close alliance of S. scaphigerum within Sterculioideae, with strong bootstrap support. Molecular dating suggested that the species originated during the Lutetian age (48.23 MYA) of the Cenozoic era. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 119-143, 2025 (January)

This study explored the relationship between internet addiction and depression among young adults in Dhaka. A conveniently selected sample of 200 participants aged 18-35 completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), along with several demographic questions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise participant demographics, while a series of logistic regressions examined the association between internet addiction and depression. Results indicated a high prevalence of both internet addiction (minimal user: 20.0%; moderate to excessive user: 80.0%) and depression (minimal or no depression: 16.0%; mild to severe depression: 84.0%) among the study sample. The study found a significant association between internet addiction and depression, with moderate to excessive internet users being 3.7 times more likely to experience depression compared to minimal users. These findings emphasise the need for increased awareness about internet use among young adults to mitigate the risk of associated depression. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 85-95, 2025 (January)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally. The rising expenses, significant side effects, and increasing resistance to traditional CRC treatments suggest the critical need for new and more effective therapeutic options. This study explored the anticancer potential of Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. phytocompounds targeting the promising apoptosis signal-regulatory kinase 1 (ASK1) protein using computational biology approaches including molecular docking, ADMET analysis, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and MM/GBSA calculations. Virtual screening of the 17 phytoconstituents identified two lead compounds: ellagic acid and physcion, with binding affinities of -9.6 kcal/mol and -9.3 kcal/mol, respectively. ADMET analysis revealed favorable pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicity profiles for the lead compounds. MD simulations supported the stability and compactness of the two leads in comparison to the control drug erbitux for 200 ns. The lead compounds displayed fewer rotatable bonds compared to Erbitux, resulting in lower torsional flexibility and greater stability during the simulations. PCA-based essential dynamics analysis demonstrated highly similar global motions in phase space for both lead compounds and erbitux, indicating comparable dynamic properties. Free binding energy calculations identified ellagic acid (-69.20 kcal/mol) as the superior lead compound over physcion (-65.68 kcal/mol). These results may open new avenues for the development of novel drug candidates targeting colorectal cancer. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 1-23, 2025 (January)

Oxidative stress has profound effect on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and could cause mitochondrial dysfunction if remains unrepaired. Here, we showed that 20 μM H2O2 stress over 96 hours could induce mtDNA deletion in Danio rerio model. Although the fishes did well upon such a challenge with an LC50 value of 257.494 ± 19.434 μM, deletion in their egg mtDNA was observed but degradation was observed for the brain mtDNA. The water quality was not altered with the addition of 20 μM H2O2. We have successfully identified a deleted region of the Danio rerio mtDNA. The estimated size of the deletion was 7124 bp and was observed in both egg and brain mtDNA. We deduced that such deletion could have occurred from a recombination between an inverted repeat pair of Danio rerio mtDNA, and a fusion protein composed of cytochrome c oxidase II and cytochrome b could be generated upon such deletion. Such fusion protein could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction further. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 41-50, 2025 (January)

Biochemical activity and its stability of Oxalis corniculata L. leaf extracts in methanol, cyclohexane and water were investigated in this study. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents for the methanolic extract were estimated as 18.63 ± 0.55 mg gallic acid equivalent and 6.46 ± 0.85 mg quercetin equivalents per gram of fresh leaf respectively. Maximum flavonoid content was observed in cyclohexane extract and the phenolics of aqueous extract were relatively stable as compared to the other extracts. The estimated total antioxidant capacity and the total reducing power of methanolic extract were the highest among the extracts, and were 12.33 ± 0.54 mg and 3.79 ± 0.37 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per gram of fresh leaf respectively. The IC50 values of DPPH free radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of the methanolic extract of fresh leaf were 10.14 ± 0.04 mg and 11.1 ± 0.01 mg, respectively. Such activities were absent or negligible in other extracts. Thin layer chromatographic studies detected the presence of at least two compounds with potent antioxidant activity. However, the phenolic and flavonoid contents, and all biochemical activities of the extracts were reduced after six months of preservation at -20oC. These data indicated that freshly prepared methanolic extract of O. corniculata could be the most potent, and such fresh preparation should be used to attain the desirable biochemical activities. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 75-83, 2025 (January)

In today’s digitalized modern society people are getting affected by the practice of fast fashion buying and become the victims of post purchase indecisions and social media addictions. Understanding how young adults’ cognitive dissonance and sense of self-worth are related to fast fashion was one of the main goals of the current study. The present study also investigated whether any other factors, such as gender, social media addiction in terms of online shopping, educational background, and income, might have an impact on the study’s results. Women who purchase fast fashion are more likely than males to experience cognitive dissonance when making a purchase, according to the present study results. Fast fashion and cognitive dissonance following purchase are discovered to have a positive relationship. Regression analysis determined that fast fashion and social media can predict cognitive dissonance after making a purchase as well as three sources of self-worth: appearance, God’s love, and virtue. The results of the current study show a relationship between social media use and how it affects customer behaviour in the fast-fashion clothing sector, which may cause cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, there is evidence that social media use and rapid fashion have a negative impact on academic achievement, psychological health, and self-worth. Interestingly, the study shows that under this situation, women are more likely than males to experience cognitive dissonance. In conclusion, fast fashion plays a much greater role in our lives than we realize in terms of affecting our self-worth and cognitive dissonance and using of social media to for purchase purposes. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 145-153, 2025 (January)

This study evaluated the effects of micronutrients (B, Fe and Zn) on the vegetative growth and shoot nutrients (K, Ca, Fe and Zn) status of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown under different moisture regimes (50%, Well-Watered; 25%, Mild-Stressed and 12.5%, Severe-Stressed) in greenhouse condition. Micronutrients were supplied alone and in combination as foliar spray to plants with severe-stressed condition. Results showed a significant decline in shoot height (p < 0.0001), fresh weight (p < 0.0001), dry weight (p < 0.0001) and relative water content (p = 0.0001) from well-watered to severe-stressed condition, although no remarkable change was observed after the application of micronutrients. Significant reduction in root fresh weight (p= <0.0001) and dry weight (p = 0.0071) was also seen in severe-stressed condition compared to that in the well-watered condition. Micronutrients were found to stimulate growth of root dry weight and root length under severe-drought condition. Significant increase of leaf area (p = <0.0001) and decrease of leaf chlorophyll content (p = <0.0001) were noted under severe-drought condition compared to that of well-watered condition. Concentrations of K, Ca, Zn and Fe increased in plant shoot tissue after the application of micronutrients although depending on the combination of treatments. Results thus indicated a promising role of micronutrient use in the amelioration of drought stress for the cultivation of chickpea. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 97-107, 2025 (January)

Global demand for vegetable crops has surged in this era of globalization and increased health awareness. Due to its rich nutritional and chemical composition, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has become one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetables worldwide. In response, a field experiment was conducted in net house at the Department of Soil, Water, and Environment, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizers, both alone and in combination with mulching, on the nutrient content and biomass allocation of tomato plants. The results indicated that the application of organic fertilizers such as mustard oil cake (MOC), poultry manure (PM), and vermicompost (V) at higher rates (8 t ha⁻¹) significantly increased the nutrient contents (N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg) in the leaves, stems, and roots of tomato plants in absence of mulching. However, applying these fertilizers at lower rates (4 t ha⁻¹) in combination with mulching also effectively enhanced nutrient content. Regarding biomass allocation, particularly the root-to-shoot ratio, a slight anomaly was observed. The highest root-to-shoot ratio was recorded in the control plot, suggesting that factors other than nutrient supply, such as root penetration depth, distribution in the soil, response to transient drought, initial root growth and also environmental or physiological conditions, might have influenced root weight. Therefore, variations in root-to-shoot ratios could be misleading from a physiological perspective. To meet the growing demand for high-yielding, fertilizer-responsive crops, there has been significant reliance on synthetic inputs, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. Thus, environmentally friendly farming methods are urgently needed to ensure sustainable food production. The combination of mulching and organic fertilizers presents an effective strategy for improving crop growth conditions, increasing yield, and enhancing product quality by mitigating unfavorable environmental conditions. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 25-40, 2025 (January)

A total of twenty BRRI rice varieties i.e., BRRI dhan 56 to BRRI dhan 75 were collected from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) to detect the seed borne fungi associated with seeds of selected rice varieties. Four antagonistic potentials of soil fungi comprising three species of Aspergillus viz., A. flavus Link, A. fumigatus Fresenius, A. niger van Tieghem and species of Trichoderma viride Pers. were used against six important rice pathogenic fungi (i.e. Bipolaris oryzae (Breda de Haan) Shoemaker, Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boedijn, Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Saccardo. Fusarium fujikuroi Nirenberg, Microdochium fisheri Hern.-Restr. and Crous. and Nigrospora oryzae (Berk. & Br.) for the purpose of biological control. In dual culture colony interaction out of four antagonistic fungi, T. viride showed the highest growth inhibition (87.15%) against Fusarium fujikuroi. The maximum inhibition (82.63%) of radial growth of the test pathogens were observed in case of T. viride owing to the volatile metabolites. On the other hand, the highest amount for the effect of non-volatile metabolites of T. viride on N. oryzae and F. fujikuroi at 20% concentration. The present investigation suggests that the isolates of Trichoderma is a biocontrol agent that can help control seed borne fungi in rice. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 34(1): 109-117, 2025 (January)