Life sciences and Bio-engineering

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Life Sciences are among the most exciting areas of biological research, comprising all fields of science that involve the study of living organisms: plants, animals, human beings and microorganisms. Biology, plant and animal ecology, agriculture and medicine are the main centerpieces of the life sciences. Modern research employing molecular biology and biotechnology has extended the life sciences to diverse specializations, with real-life applications in health, agriculture, ecology as well as in bio-industries.

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Browsing Life sciences and Bio-engineering by Subject "Acacia nilotica"

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    Quantification of deadwood littered by Acacia spp. in semi-arid ecosystems of central Tanzania: The role of deadwood in biodiversity conservation
    (Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences, 2021-06-30) Hezron, Elkana; Nyahongo, Julius
    Deadwood (DW) is an important carbon component for conservation and management of biodiversity resources. They are ubiquitous in many semi-arid ecosystems although its estimation is still posing lots of challenges. At Chimwaga woodland in Dodoma Region of Central Tanzania, seasonal quantification of DW produced by two Acacia spp. was done to evaluate the influence of each tree species, Dbh and canopy area on DW biomass and to determine their ecological role in conservation of semi-arid ecosystem. Both purposive and random sampling techniques were used in the course of a completely randomized design (CRD). Thirty trees from each species of Acacia tortilis and Acacia nilotica were studied. Results portray that DW biomass was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the dry season than in the rain season whereby A. tortilis produced 669.0 ± 135.90kg DM/ha (dry season) and only 74.3 ± 135.90kg DM/ha (rain season) while A. nilotica produced 426.1 ± 135.90kg DM/ha (dry season) and 36.5 ± 135.90kg DM/ha (rain season). DW biomass did not correlate significantly (P > 0.05) with Dbh and canopy area. Inter-specific interactions were encountered from experimental areas where DW was littered that facilitated ecosystem balance in semi-arid areas. This information is important for estimating amount of dead wood biomass required to be retained in the forest provided that, at the expense of ecology, they are refuge for arthropods, fungi, bryophytes and other important soil microbes representing primary components of Biodiversity in semi-arid ecosystems.
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    Recovery of acetyl cholinesterase inhibition by Methanolic Bark Extract of Acacia nilotica from Organophosphate Pesticides Exposure in mice model
    (International Journal of Biosciences, 2020-01-15) Mwezi, Raphael; Machunda, Revocatus; Malebo, Hamisi
    Organophosphates (OPs) pesticides are reported to cause acute poisoning because of their ability to inhibit acetyl cholinesterase enzyme (AChE). Available antidotes drugs are atropine sulfur, Pralidoxime (2-pyridine aldoxime methyl chloride) and diazepam, which act to recover OP-AChE inhibition. These are controlled drugs not easily accessed and very expensive. In this present study Acacia nilotica was assessed for its antioxidant activity, and in vivo AChE depression and recovery from OP-AChE inhibition. The mice were exposed in three different OPs including chlorpyrifos 480g/l (CPF), Fenitrothion 10g/l (FNT) and Profenophos 720g/l (PFP). The methanolic bark extract of A. nilotica had a substantial increase of absorbance readings from 2.895±0.0032 to 3.716±0.0259 compared to standard (ascorbic acid) from 0.108±0.0033 to 1.468±0.0297 at P<0.05. AChE depression and recovery were assessed by using the AChE test mate kit to analyze blood collected from the mice’s tail. Recovery effect under crude methanolic extract from A. nilotica, ascorbic acid and normal feeding were compared with the untreated group. Results have shown that there is a significant decrease of AChE level from Day zero to 14th day in all treated groups of CPF, PFP and FNT which indicate poisoning. Significance of AChE recovery observed only in male mice in all treatment groups. This is a first study to assess and report the antioxidant activity of stem bark methanolic extracts of A. nilotica in controlling organophosphate pesticide toxicity in mice, hence further studies on isolation of active compounds are recommended.