Different Locations Of Tamil Nadu Research Articles

Comparative nutrient and chemometric analysis of leaf to fruits of Soursop (Annona muricata) and Bullock's heart (Annona reticulata): Implications for nutraceutical development

The study investigates comparative nutrient-chemo profiling of fruit genotypes (AM 02, AM 05, AM 06, AM 07, AM 08, AM 09, AM 10) from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India, to leaves (AM Leaf) of Soursop (Annona muricata) and fruits of Bullock's heart (Annona reticulata-AR 02) using various spectroscopic techniques. The concentration of annonacin is three times higher in AM Leaf than in AM and AR 02 fruits. AM Leaf is significantly rich in carbohydrates (27.1 %), proteins (18.88 %), crude fibers (32.51 %), phenols (1360.85 mg/100 g) and flavonoids (887.25 mg/100 g) along with annonacin (2283.77 mg/100 g). Among the fruits, AM 08 is rich in potassium (726.43 mg/100 g), AM 05 with Vitamin C (20.02 IU), and AR 02 in calcium (134.34 mg/100 g). GC-MS analysis identified 116 bioactives with a strong correlation among AM fruits (>90 %) followed by AR 02 and AM Leaf. PCA shows two distinct clusters of qualitative variation (51.2 %) in metabolites, with AM Leaf recording higher variation in metabolites than fruit genotypes. Seven (AM 02, AM 05), eight (AM 06 and AM Leaf), and nine (AM 07, AM 08, AM 09, AM 10, AR 02) metabolites show anti-cancer properties. These finding may help in developing supplementary nutraceutical products for cancer therapeutics.

Study of sexual behaviour and characterization of female sex pheromone of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is considered a highly destructive pest of maize. It has its origin in the tropical and subtropical regions of America and has recently invaded many agricultural regions of India. One of the struggles in managing the pest is pheromone divergence between strains and pheromone blend variation between geographically different populations. The calling pattern, copulation behaviour and mating compatibility of different populations of S. frugiperda were investigated using behavioural methods. EAG and GC-EAD were used to analyze the chemical composition of the female gland extracts and GC–MS was used to identify the active compounds. In closed arena bioassays, the virgin males' behavioural responses to the GC-EAD compounds were further assessed. Three active compounds, Z9-14:OAc, Z11-16:OAc and Z7-12:OAc, were identified as major constituents of sex pheromone extracted from rice strain FAW which were found to be feeding on maize. All three compounds triggered intense male antennation. This study provides a deeper insight into the sexual behaviour of fall armyworm which will help in the development of more efficient lure-based pest management strategies.

Pesticide Residue Analysis in Hive Products of <i>Apis cerana indica</i> F. from Tamil Nadu, India

Honey and pollen collected from experimental fields in Kutladampatti village and farmer’s field from different locations of Tamil Nadu were analysed for the presence of pesticide residues in modified QuEChERs method which showed the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9939, 0.9919, 0.9869, 0.9803, 0.9981, 0.9918 and 0.9824 for chlorpyrifos, fipronil, lambda cyhalothrin, profenofos, imidacloprid, flubendiamide and thiamethoxam respectively. The method adopted in this experiment resulted in LOQ of 0.0036, 0.0057, 0.0027, 0.0027, 0.0032, 0.0041 and 0.0044 μg/g and LOD of 0.0011, 0.0017, 0.0008, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.0012 and 0.0013 for chlorpyrifos, fipronil, lambda cyhalothrin, profenophos, imidacloprid, flubendiamide and thiamethoxam respectively. Recovery of the method was recorded as 96.33% for chlorpyrifos spiked with 0.1 μg/ g in honey while fipronil 0.1 μg/ g spiked honey samples recorded the maximum recovery of 102.33%. Lambda cyhalothrin recorded a maximum recovery of 98.67% in honey when spiked with 0.1 μg/ g of pesticide whereas Imidacloprid recorded a maximum recovery of 98.42% in honey when spiked with 0.1 μg/g of pesticide. Profenofos recorded with a maximum recovery of 103.33% in pollen sample spiked with 0.1 μg/ g. Flubendiamide recorded a maximum recovery of 99.67% in honey when spiked with 0.5 μg/ g of pesticide and thiamethoxam recorded 101.67% recovery in 0.1 μg/g spiked honey sample. The modified QuEChERS method recorded reduced matrix effect compared to conventional QuEChERS method. No residue of insecticidal chemicals was found in any of the samples collected from the experimental plots and farmer’s holdings as well.

Population levels of grub and adult of D. Ater at different locations of cocoon Market / Grainage in Tamil Nadu

Investigations were carried out to study the dermestid beetles associated with silkworm grainages in different locations of Tamil Nadu during 2015-2016. As a part of the study, initial surveys were carried out in various government grainage centres of western and northern zones of Tamil Nadu and the observations indicated that the higher percentage of Dermestes ater incidence ranged from 5 to 10% in Dharmapuri and Hosur districts respectively. Adult population was found higher in both top layers of Pure Mysore (10.8%) and CSR2 (10.5%) cocoons and the grub population was higher in bottom layers of Pure Mysore (75.4%) and on CSR2 cocoons (60.3%) while stored in gunny bags.

Anticancer Potential of Hydroxychavicol Derived from Piper betle L: An in Silico and Cytotoxicity Study

Piper betle L. is a popular medicinal plant in Asia, and extracts of the plant leaf are used for several therapeutics. It is known for its rich source of phenolic compounds, including hydroxychavicol. Hydroxychavicol is an allylbenzene that has gained much attention due to its anticancer properties. The current study quantified and purified hydroxychavicol from P. betle L. and predicted its anticancer competence through in silico and cytotoxicity studies. Leaf samples of 22 P. betle L. accessions from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India, were analyzed using reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography for quantification of hydroxychavicol. The highest quantity of hydroxychavicol was obtained from the accession BV22 (89.2%). Chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis of hydroxychavicol using SwissADME satisfied the physicochemical property guidelines of Lipinski’s Rule of Five, ensuring its drug-likeness behavior. Molecular docking studies confirmed the interaction of hydroxychavicol with all 16 tested cancer targets. In Vitro MTT assay of hydroxychavicol in bone cancer cell lines (MG63) also demonstrated the anticancer competency, indicating the requirement to formulate the molecule as a drug in treating various types of cancers.

Molecular Identification of Rice Brown Leaf Spot Fungus Using Conserved Region of Glycoside hydrolase Gene

Rice brown leaf spot disease is one of the most devastating fungal diseases that affect rice plants and reduces the yield across the globe. In the present study, twenty isolates from different rice-growing districts in Tamil Nadu by tissue segment approach was isolated from disease-infected leaves and a purified. The isolates were identified at the genus level using ITS primers, which resulted in an amplicon size of a 550 bp. With the use of species-specific primers of BF and BR the isolate was confirmed as B. oryzae. Gene-specific primers were designed using Primer 3 plus software for the Glycoside hydrolase family 13 protein, which is a highly conserved gene in B. oryzae. All isolates were sequenced using gene-specific primers, and phylogenetic tree analysis was used to investigate the isolate's diversity. The results revealed considerable variance among the B. oryzae collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu with other B .oryzae isolates retrieved from the NCBI database. The isolates were phenotypically validated using morphological and cultural features

Decadal Study of Changing Frequency and Intensity of Rainfall for Selected Locations of Tamil Nadu

Understanding the pattern of regional climatic extremes is essential for creating an important adaptation measure to safeguard farmers from monsoon tantrums. This paper focuses on the rainfall variability and intensity for spatially different locations of Tamil Nadu. The daily rainfall data over a period of 30 years (1990-2019) for the study locations were collected from the constituent research centres of TNAU. The results indicated that an increasing trend in SWM rainfall was observed in Coimbatore (209.3 to 300.6mm), Ooty (681.4 to 703.1mm), Aduthurai (227.8 to 320.6mm), Kovilpatti (132.8 to 141.3 mm) while the decreasing trend was observed in rest of the places. A decreasing trend was reported in general for all the places during NEM. The decreasing trend in the number of rainy days was registered in Kovilpatti, Virudhunagar and Killikulam that exhibits an alert in modifying the crop planning programme in those areas. The frequency of rainfall intensity revealed that except Ooty, the number of Heavy Rain (HR) to VHR(VHR) was found to be meagre to absent in most of the study locations.

Monitoring the resistance and baseline susceptibility of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) against spinetoram in Tamil Nadu, India

Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a destructive cosmopolitan pest that affects cruciferous crops, and insecticides are the major tool used for control. This study aimed to evaluate the insecticide resistance status of P. xylostella collected from ten different locations of Tamil Nadu, India against a diverse group of insecticides used by farmers. The results showed that spinetoram and novaluron were highly toxic to P. xylostella with a resistance ratio of 1.89- to 13.85-fold and 5.01- to 16.93-fold, respectively, compared to a susceptible laboratory population. All field populations exhibited a low to moderate level of resistance against spinosad (2.14- to 21.78-fold), emamectin benzoate (3.74- to 41.26-fold), and indoxacarb (3.42- to 29.37-fold), whereas high levels of resistance were observed against chlorantraniliprole (36.67- to 124.72-fold), flubendiamide (12.66- to 93.63-fold), fipronil (31.99- to 156.24-fold), and cypermethrin (26.97- to174.84-fold). A significant correlation was found between the LC50 values of spinetoram and spinosad (P = 0.001). However, no significant correlation (P > 0.05) was observed between spinosyn and other insecticides suggesting a lack of cross-resistance with other groups of insecticides. The synergistic assay showed that the metabolic detoxification mechanisms may not be responsible for P. xylostella resistance against spinetoram. Hence, to prevent the development of resistance in P. xylostella, a combination of insecticides having different mechanisms of action should be used in rotation.

Evaluating lignocellulosic enzyme activity of termite mound soil from different locations of Tamil Nadu

Termite soils provide a very distinct ecological environment which harbors and promotes very specialized cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic microorganisms. This specialized flora enables the termites to feed on hardly degradable polymers such as lignocellulose. The cellulase enzymes synthesized by the microorganisms have a crucial role in recycling C and nutrients and maintaining soil fertility in nature. Hence in the present study, termite mound soils were collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu and their lignocellulosic enzyme activity viz., Cellulase, Saccharase and β- glucosidase were assessed to know fertility status of the particular habitats.

Impact of geography on adaptation of Phyllanthus amarus seeds.

The present study was aimed to evaluate adaptive mechanism in terms of seed characters of Phyllanthus amarus collected from ten different locations of Tamil Nadu, India. The adaptive variations among the collected populations were assessed based on the sink and float percentages of the seeds in water, the percentage of seed germination, total protein, carbohydrates and their seedling's growth ability such as shoot and root lengths. From this, we observed that the population had a significantly higher germination percentage of sinking seeds that were attributed to its relatively higher carbohydrate and protein contents than the floating seeds. A comparison of the seed population by cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis showed that the Chennai population constituted a single clade that was very distinct from the other nine populations, which were further grouped into two sub-clusters. They exhibited a trend consistent with their geographical proximity. Standardised Mantel's t tests had revealed that the adaptive diversity of the P. amarus population was significantly affected by the geographic distance (r = 0.78, t = 2.68, P > 0.001), altitude (r = 0.35, t = 21.53, P > 0.05), minimum temperature (r = 0.43, t = 1.49, P > 0.01) and maximum temperature (r = 0.49, t = 1.67, P > 0.001). Seed's characteristics and geographical conditions were correlated along with 19 bioclimatic variables. In dry season, the seedling's rooting ability showed positive correlation, while its protein content exhibited a negative correlation. It is clearly evident from this study that the geographical variables significantly influence the adaptive ability of the P. amarus.

PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS IN IRULA TRIBAL POPULATION

Objective: The study is to analyze the prevalence of infections caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV), and to analyze of risk factors for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) transmission among the Irula tribes of Tamil Nadu.Methods: Serum samples were collected from 350 participants of Irula tribes from 15 different locations of Tamil Nadu. All serum samples were tested for serological markers of HBV (HBsAg) by 3rd generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and the data were subjected to analyze using SPSS (version 17.0) and Chi-square test to determine the risk factors of HBV among Irula tribes.Results: In the study, HBsAg positivity was observed in a higher percentage in males 10 (8.47%) than females 9 (3.54%) and their all age groups indicate the high prevalence of HBV infection in Irula tribes. Analysis of risk factors showed that jaundice in family (JF), tattooing, series of injection, sexual promiscuity, and surgery with blood transfusion plays a major role in transmission in spread of HBV.Conclusion: Hepatitis B is a major health problem in Irula tribes and needs to design intervention strategies among Irula tribal population.

Assessment of genetic diversity of finger millet blast isolates in Tamil Nadu

Blast disease caused by Magnaporthe grisea is one of the major production constraints in finger millet. Fourteen M. grisea isolates collected from blast infected leaves and panicle from different locations of Tamil Nadu were subjected to randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using 16 different random primers for assessing diversity. A total of 83 DNA fragments in the range of 200 to 2000 bp were amplified of which, 62 bands (74.7%) were polymorphic. Cluster analysis with unweighted pair group method of arithmetic averages (UPGMA) identified two main clusters.

Measurement of gross alpha activity and statistical analysis of beach sediments along southern coastal region of TamilNadu

Radioactivity is a part of our environment. Natural radionuclides in soil generate a significant component of the background radiation exposure to the population. Radiation becomes a concern when these particles and energy come in contact with molecules inside the human body. This paper evaluates the radioactivity concentration of beach sand samples collected from the south east region of Tamilnadu. 20 beach sand samples are collected from the different locations of Tamilnadu. A survey of the gross alpha activity has been done using alpha scintillation counter. The gross alpha activity in the sand samples near the sea are found to be maximum (3679.6 Bq/kg) in Ko1 of sieve size 0.250 mm and minimum (162.3 Bq/kg) in Aa1 and Ma1 of sieve size 0.025mm respectively. Also, the results showed the gross alpha activity in the beach sand samples 150 m away from the sea is maximum (1774.1 Bq/kg) in Pml5 and minimum (107.5 Bq/kg) in Pe5 respectively. Statistical analysis has also been carried out to find the significant differences in the samples.

RAPD analysis of genetic diversity among the isolates of Aspergillus flavus from different hosts and locations

Aflatoxin contamination is a major problem in maize, groundnut, chillies, cotton and tree nuts. These aflatoxins are low molecular weight toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius. In the present study, a total of 11 isolates of A. flavus isolated from groundnut, maize and chilli collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India were tested for their ability to produce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in vitro by indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results show that the isolates vary in their level of toxin production. The amount of AFB1 produced by the toxigenic isolates of A. flavus ranged from 6.6 to 108.1 ng ml−1. Among the various isolates of A. flavus, the isolate VKR produced the highest amount (108.1 ng ml−1) of AFB1. The isolates viz. CBE1, CBE2, BSR1, BSR3 and BSR4 were found to be non-toxigenic. The genetic variability among these isolates was assessed by Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. DNA fragments of between 0.15 and 3.0 kb were obtained using 13 random primers, and each isolate differed in the size and number of PCR products indicating considerable polymorphism. Cluster analysis using Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean clearly separated the isolates into four main clusters confirming the genetic diversity among the isolates of A. flavus. Both toxigenic and non-toxigenic isolates were intermingled in these four groups, indicating that no relationship exists between RAPD profile and the production of aflatoxin by A. flavus.

Seed Quality Deterioration in Groundnut Due to Fungi During Storage

Studies were conducted to evaluate the seed quality changes during storage due to fungal infection, at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The seed materials of groundnut variety VRI 2 collected from three different locations of Tamil Nadu viz., Vridhachalam (L1), Thindivanam (L2) and Villupuram (L3) were subjected to experimentation. During storage, seed quality parameters such as germination and vigour index decreased from 84-79% and 2581-2005, respectively while moisture content increased from 7.1-8%. The investigation revealed that the seeds collected from Tindivanam showed better seed quality with 81% germination, 7.8% moisture content and vigour index of 2216, even after seven months of storage

A novel approach for pathogen reduction in wastewater treatment

Many sewage waste treatment systems are aiming for complete pathogen removal which necessitates search for novel approaches that does not harm the environment. One such novel approach is exploring the possibilities of bacteriophages for pathogen removal. Hospital wastewater was collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu and used for the study. The total heterotroph and total coliform population ranged from 1.6 × 105 to 8.3 × 106 per mL and from 1.2 × 103 to 1.6 × 103/ 100 mL of sample respectively. Higher frequency of antibiotic resistant E. coli, Pseudomonas sp. Streptococcus sp and Bacillus spp were observed in all the places, which clearly indicated the extent of pollution. All the samples had specific phages against E. coli and none of the samples had phages against MTCC culture. E. coli specific phage was isolated and the population of phage required for effective killing of E. coli has been standardized as 3 × 104 pfu / mL of lysate. The inoculation resulted in 100% removal of pathogen from sewage water within 14 hours of incubation.

Characteristics of some clay materials from Tamilnadu, India, and their possible ceramic uses

X-ray fluorescence, themogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, particle size analysis and Atterberg limits were used to study physico-chemical, mineralogical and thermal properties of two types of clays from four different locations of Tamilnadu, India. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of these clays differ considerably. The mineralogy indicated that the alluvial clays (G1 and G2) comprise highly quartz, illite, kaolinite, plagioclase and small amount of chlorite. The red clays (R1 and R2) were also rich in quartz, well-ordered kaolinite and abundant Fe-bearing minerals such as goethite and hematite. With respect to chemical composition, the G1 and G2 clays contained high amount of SiO2, low amount of Al2O3 and low loss on ignition, however, the R1 and R2 clays contain moderate amount of SiO2, Al2O3, and high amount of Fe2O3 and high loss on ignition. The results indicate that clays from alluvial deposit have adequate characteristics for common brick fabrication. However, clays collected from red clay deposit possessing adequate properties for roofing tile manufacturing and can be used for the manufacturing of common brick with some modification.

Genetic diversity in Azima tetracantha (Lam) assessed through RAPD analysis

Azima tetracantha is a shrub known for its various therapeutic properties. Genetic diversity was analysed using RAPD primers among six accessions collected from different locations of Tamilnadu, India. Genetic distances were calculated using Nei's coefficient. Dendrogram was constructed on the basis of the similarity matrix data by unweighted pair group method with average (UPGMA) cluster analysis. The analysis with RAPD markers revealed wide variation within A. tetracantha that reflected a high level of diversity within this species.

Genetic diversity in Azima tetracantha (Lam) assessed through RAPD analysis

Azima tetracantha is a shrub known for its various therapeutic properties. Genetic diversity was analysed using RAPD primers among six accessions collected from different locations of Tamilnadu, India. Genetic distances were calculated using Nei’s coefficient. Dendrogram was constructed on the basis of the similarity matrix data by unweighted pair group method with average (UPGMA) cluster analysis. The analysis with RAPD markers revealed wide variation within A. tetracantha that reflected a high level of diversity within this species. Keywords: Azima tetracantha, genetic diversity, RAPD.

Analysis of variability among the isolates of Peronosclerospora sorghi from sorghum and cornbased on restriction fragment length polymorphismof ITS region of ribosomal DNA

Downy mildew, caused by Peronosclerospora sorghi [Weston and Uppal (Shaw)], is one of the most serious diseases of sorghum and corn worldwide. Pathogenic variability among various isolates of P. sorghi has been reported. However, the molecular relationships between the isolates from sorghum and corn are unknown. In the present study DNA was extracted from P. sorghi isolates from sorghum and corn collected from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India, and their genetic variability was investigated using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the PCR-amplified internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA. PCR amplification of the ITS regions of the P. sorghi isolates from sorghum and corn gave products of approximately 550 base pairs in length with slight variations in a few isolates. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the ITS regions of nuclear rDNA of P. sorghi with HhaI, EcoRI and MspI confirmed the heterogeneity among the P. sorghi isolates from sorghum and corn.