International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-006, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of moisture content and maturity on hardseededness and germination in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

El Balla M. M. A.¹, Saidahmed A. I.¹ and Makkawi M.²*

¹Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Shambat 13314, Sudan.

²Seed Technology Unit, Dhaid Research Station, Ministry of Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates.

Accepted 22 October, 2020

Abstract

Hardheadedness is induced in the wild and the majority of seeds of the cultivated okra. Seed moisture content was highly significantly affected by cultivar and seed maturity. Seed moisture content within each cultivar significantly decreased with the increase in seed maturity. Averaged over seed maturity, Higairat had the highest moisture content percentage. On the other hand, Afreeta had the lowest moisture content percentage. Effect of interaction between cultivar and seed maturity on seed moisture content was not significant. Germination percentage and hard seed percentage were significantly affected by cultivar and seed maturity in both seasons. Averaged over cultivars, percentage germination increased significantly as harvest time was delayed. There was a significant interaction between seed maturity and cultivar on germination percentage. Cultivar and seed maturity had a highly significant effect on hard seed percentage of okra. Percentage of hard seed increased significantly as harvest time was delayed. The results also showed a significant interaction between cultivar and seed maturity on hard seed percentage. The correlation between seed moisture content, seed germination and hard seed percentage was highly significant. Moisture content was correlated positively to germination percentage (0.98) and negatively to hard seed percentage (-0.97), while germination percentage was negatively correlated to hard seed percentage (- 0.99). To analyze further, the relationship between seed moisture, germination percentage and hard seed percentage linear regression parameter and coefficient of determination were calculated. Linearity test showed that the relationship between moisture content and germination percentage and hard seed percentage was linear.

Key words: Okra cultivars, seed moisture content, maturity, hardseededness, germination.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Investigations on the nutritional and medicinal potentials of Ceiba pentandra leaf: A common vegetable in Nigeria

Emmanuel Titus Friday*, Omale James, Olupinyo Olusegun and Adah Gabriel

Department of Biochemistry, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.

Accepted 19 October, 2020

Abstract

Ceiba pentandra is huge, wide, normally found in wild forest of West Africa. The present study investigated the nutritional and bioactive components of the leaf of the popularly consumed vegetable in some part of Nigeria and other West Africa countries. The proximate analysis and bioactive constituents were determined by standard methods of AOAC, while vitamins A, E, micro/macro elements and fatty acids were determined using AAS and HPLC respectively. The results showed that the leaf contained 4.891 ± 0.35% moisture, 12.97 ± 1.60% protein, 52.06 ± 2.10% carbohydrate, 4.35 ± 0.60% fat, 7.54 ± 0.46% ash, 18.15 ± 0.05% crude fiber, 0.73 ± 0.07 µg/g vitamin A, 4.91 ± 0.16 mg/g vitamin C and 0.18 ± 0.02 mg/g vitamin E while micro/macro elements and fatty acids showed that the leaf contained 0.33 ± 0.05, 7.66 ± 1.40, 2.46 ± 0.46, 11.40 ± 2.10, 5.53 ± 0.95, 0.02 ± 0.04, 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.04 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of Fe, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu and Zn respectively. 15.92 ± 0.17% palmitic acid and 0.72 ± 0.02% linolelic acid. The bioactive compound found were 173.94 ± 3.09 mg/g phenolics, 4.54 ± 0.02 mg/g alkaloids, 26.06 ± 0.16 mg/g flavonoids, 0.48 ± 0.03 mg/g tannins, 1.55 ± 0.04 mg/g saponnins, 0.15 ± 0.02 mg/g phytate, 14.54 ± 0.50 TUI units/mg trypsin inhitors, 9.65 ± 1.28 HUI unit/mg hemagglutinin inhibitors. All these results indicate that the leaves of this C. pentandra contained nutrients and mineral elements that may be useful in nutrition, while the bioactive compounds explained the medicinal action of the plant leaves encountered in its therapeutic uses and or which provide scientific basis for its use in folk medicine.

Key words: Ceiba pentandra, nutritional, medicinal potentials and proximate.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-008, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Purification and some properties of b-amylase from the nodes of sugar cane, Saccharium offinacium

Oyefuga O. H.¹, Adeyanju M. M.¹, Adebawo. O. O.¹ and Agboola F. K.²*

¹Department of Biochemistry, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Remo Campus, Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria.

²Department of Biochemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Accepted 19 October, 2020

Abstract

b-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2, a-1,4–D-glucan maltohydrolase) was isolated and purified from the nodes of sugar cane by using ammonium sulphate precipitation, acid-treatment, gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Cellulose. Purity was ascertained by the presence of a single band of protein on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions. The specific activity was 4.68 unit.mg^-1 of protein and recovery of 15.67%. The K_m value of the enzyme for starch as substrate was 3.20% while its V_max was 1.11units.min^-1.ml^-1. The apparent molecular weight was estimated by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-200 column to be 156,000 Da. The subunit molecular weight was found to be 154,000 Da by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This suggests that the enzyme exists in a monomeric form. The optimum pH for the activity of the enzyme was pH 5.5, while its optimum temperature was 60°C. The hydrolysate of the action of the enzyme showed maltose as the main product of hydrolysis on thin layer chromatography.

Key words: Sugar cane (Saccharium offinacium), b-amylase, nodes.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-009, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative study of the major components of the indigo dye obtained from Strobilanthes flaccidifolius Nees. and Indigofera tinctoria Linn.

Warjeet S. Laitonjam* and Sujata D. Wangkheirakpam

Department of Chemistry, Manipur University, Canchipur – 795 003, Manipur, India.

Accepted 15 October, 2020

Abstract

Investigation on the chemical constituents including the chemical structure of major components in the water extracts from Strobilanthes flaccidifolius Nees. and Indigofera tinctoria Linn. was done. It was found that the indigo from fresh leaves of S. flaccidifolius Nees. fermented for three days gave the highest amount of indigo. The thin layer chromatography of the crude extract revealed four pigments; the major pigments were of red and blue having R_f values of 0.88 and 0.76, respectively. The R_f value, the maximum absorption from UV-Visible spectroscopy and infra red spectrum of blue pigment were the same as those of the standard indigo. Both blue and red pigments are highly soluble in chloroform whereas only red pigment is soluble in methanol.

Key words: Comparative study, Strobilanthes flaccidifolius Nees., Indgofera tinctoria Linn., indigo.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-008, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Palm oil and rice bran oil: Current status and future prospects

Kusum R., Bommayya H., Fayaz Pasha P. and Ramachandran H. D.*

Department of Biochemistry, Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi Bangalore University, Bangalore - 560001, India.

Accepted 17 October, 2020

Abstract

The continued demand for edible oils by the ever increasing population makes it pertinent to explore new sources. In this direction, two new edible oils namely palm oil and rice bran oil have been subjected to nutritional and toxicological evaluations of their chemicals constituents. An attempt has been made in this article to assess the acceptability of the two oils based on the various investigations that have been carried out so far.

Key words: Palm oil, rice bran oil, anti-oxidants, cholesterol fatty acids, phospholipids, tocopherols, oryzanol, cardiovascular diseases.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals