ABSTRACT
Eleusine coracana is considered one of the most nutritious cereals. It has different names in local languages. It is known as Ragi in Telugu and Kannada/aariyam in Tamil, and Madua in Hindi and in Nigeria, it is known as Okababa in Yoruba, Dawa in Hausa, etc. This study sought to investigate the protective ability of ethanolic extracts of Eleusine coracana in Arsenic trioxide induced hepatotoxicity using rat models. Animals were grouped into four (4). Group A received only distilled water, in group B,C and D hepatotoxicity was induced using 5 mg/dl Arsenic Trioxide solution for 14 days, followed by treatment in group C and D daily with 200 mg and 500 mg per kg body weight respectively for 14 days, and changes in body weight and Liver Function parameters were determined. Eleusine coracana contains Tannins, phlobatannins,Falavonoids and Terpenoids but not Steriods and Saponins, Eleusine treated groups had a significant decrease in the organ-body weight index. The mean weight and Total Protein was significantly reduced in the intoxicated-untreated group (group B). The AST, direct and total Bilirubin level was significantly higher in group B compared to control and other treated groups. Eleusine cocarna as a plant and source of food contains certain phytochemicals which are capable of managing hepatic cell injury, this serve as a point for pharmacological intervention.
ABSTRACT
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.), an important C4 species is known for its stress hardiness and nutritional significance. To identify novel drought responsive mechanisms, we generated transcriptome data from leaf tissue of finger millet, variety GPU-28, exposed to gravimetrically imposed drought stress so as to simulate field stress conditions. De novo assembly basedapproach yielded 80,777 and 90,830 transcripts from well-irrigated (control) and drought-stressed samples, respectively. A total of 1790 transcripts were differentially expressed between the control and drought-stress treatments. Functional annotation and pathway analysis indicated activation of diverse drought-stress signalling cascade genes such as serine threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase31 (CIPK31), farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPS), signal recognition particle receptor α (SRPR α) etc. The basal regulatory genes such as TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factors (TAFs) werefound to be drought responsive, indicating that genes associated with housekeeping or basal regulatory processes are activated underdrought in finger millet. A significant portion of the expressed genes was uncharacterized, belonging to the category of proteins of unknown functions (PUFs). Among the differentially expressed PUFs, we attempted to assign putative function for a few, using anovel annotation tool, Proteins of Unknown Function Annotation Server. Analysis of PUFs led to the discovery of novel drought responsive genes such as pentatricopeptide repeat proteins and tetratricopeptide repeat proteins that serve as interaction modules in multiprotein interactions. The transcriptome data generated can be utilized for comparative analysis, and functional validation of the genes identified would be useful to understand the drought adaptive mechanisms operating under field conditions in finger millet, as has been already attempted for a few candidates such as CIPK31 and TAF6. Such an attempt is needed to enhance the productivity of finger millet under water-limited conditions, and/or to adopt the implicated mechanisms in other related crops.
ABSTRACT
Dado el poco conocimiento sobre los efectos de la práctica de abono anticipado y del potencial de Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. (ANSB Pé-de-galinha 5352) como cultivo de cobertura, y en búsqueda de técnicas que contribuyan para un manejo del ecosistema agrícola de forma más conservacionista, sustentable y funcional, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar los efectos del abono anticipado sobre la producción de materia seca del cultivo de E. coracana en un suelo Oxisol, durante los años agrícolas 2001/2002, 2002/2003 y 2003/2004, en Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil (22º5025S y 48º0165O). Se utilizó como diseño estadístico de bloques completamente al azar con 12 tratamientos (niveles de anticipación del abono) y 3 repeticiones. El abono de base del cultivo de soya fue anticipado parcial y totalmente en la siembra de mijo africano. Próximo a los 70 días después de la siembra se realizó un muestreo de las plantas para evaluar la producción de materia seca de la parte aérea, efectuándose en seguida la desecación del mijo africano. Se concluye que la anticipación de los abonos fosfatado y potásico de la soya para la siembra de E. coracana es capaz de incrementar la productividad de la materia seca, y que E. coracana posee un gran potencial para la producción de paja, pudiendo ser utilizado en la rotación de cultivos o en sistemas de producción sobre siembra directa.
Due to the lack of information about the effects of soybean fertilization anticipation and the use of Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. (ANSB Pé-de-galinha 5352) as cover culture, and the need for new techniques for the management of the agro-ecosystem in a more conservationist, sustainable and functional manner, the goal of this research was to study the effects of anticipated fertilization on the production of dry matter in E. coracana. The experiments were carried out in an Oxisol, during the growing seasons of 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (22º5025S and 48º0165W). The experimental design was of totally randomized blocks and twelve treatments (levels of anticipated fertilization) were used with three repetitions. The base fertilization of soybean culture was partially anticipated, in the sowing for the finger-millet crop. Approximately 70 days after sowing, samples of the finger millet plants were collected in order to evaluate the dry matter production and to desiccate them thereafter. It is concluded that the anticipation of phosphorus and potassium fertilization of soybean increases the dry matter production of E. coracana; in addition, E. coracana holds a great potential for the production of plant residues and it can be used in culture rotation or in no-tillage production systems.
Devido o pouco conhecimento sobre os efeitos da pratica de adubo antecipado e do potencial de Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. (ANSB Pé-de-galinha 5352) como cultivo de cobertura, e em busca de técnicas que contribuam para um manejo do ecossistema agrícola de forma mais conservacionista, sustentável e funcional, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar os efeitos do adubo antecipado sobre a produção de matéria seca do cultivo de E. coracana em um solo Oxisol, durante os anos agrícolas 2001/2002, 002/2003 e 2003/2004, em Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil (22º5025S e 48º0165O). Se utilizou como desenho estatístico de blocos completamente aleatório com 12 tratamentos (níveis de antecipação do adubo) e 3 repetições. A adubação de base do cultivo de soja foi antecipada parcialmente, na plantação de capim-pé-de-galinha foi antecipada totalmente. Próximo aos 70 dias depois da plantação se realizou uma amostragem das plantas para avaliar a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea, efetuando-se em seguida a dissecação do capim-pé-de-galinha. Conclui-se que a antecipação da adubação fosfatada e potássica da soja para a plantação de E. coracana é capaz de incrementar a produtividade da matéria seca, e que E. coracana possui um grande potencial para a produção de palha, podendo ser utilizado na rotação de cultivos ou em sistemas de produção sobre plantação direta.
ABSTRACT
A carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1) was purified from germinated finger millet by ammonium sulphate fractionation, diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 filtration. The homogeneity of the enzyme was established by Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focussing and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 70,000. The amino acid analysis of the purified enzyme revealed that it contained a greater number of neutral and acidic, compared to, basic amino acid residues. The isoelectric pH of the enzyme was found to be 5·1. Studies with different organophosphate and carbamate inhibitors showed that this enzyme was more sensitive to organophosphate inhibitors than carbamates. The rate constants ki and l50 for different inhibitors were calculated. The product inhibition studies with this enzyme showed linear competitive inhibition with acetate and linear noncompetitive inhibition with 1-naphthol.
ABSTRACT
Water stress resulted in a specific response leading to a large and significant increase (80-fold) in free proline content of ragi (Eleusine coracana) leaves and seedlings. L-Proline protected ornithine aminotransferase, an enzyme in the pathway for proline biosynthesis, isolated from normal and stressed ragi leaves against heat inactivation and denaturation by urea and guanidinium chloride. The protection of the stressed enzyme by L-proline was much more complete than that of the enzyme isolated from normal leaves. While L-ornithine, one of the substrates, protected the stressed enzyme against inactivation, it enhanced the rate of inactivation of the normal enzyme. α-Ketoglutarate protected both the normal and stressed enzyme against inactivation and denaturation. These results support the suggestion that ornithine aminotransferase has undergone a structural alteration during water stress. In view of the causal relationship between elevated temperature and water stress of plants under natural conditions, the protection afforded by proline against inactivation and denaturation of the enzyme from stressed leaves assumes significance. These results provide an explanation for a possible functional importance of proline accumulation during water stress.
ABSTRACT
Proteolytic activity was estimated in germinated finger millet seedlings using the endogenous trypsin/amylase inhibitor as substrate and also with haemoglobin and albumin as substrates. The maximal proteolytic activity was observed on the third day of germination. With the inhibitor as substrate, the proteolytic activity was maximal at pH 2.5. The protease that acted on the inhibitor required sulphydryl groups for maximal activity and was suppressed by diazoacetyl norleucine methyl ester and Pepstatin. The protease that acted on haemoglobin with optimum pH of 5.0, was more stable on storage, did not depend on sulphydryl groups for activity and was unaffected by reagents that react with carboxyl groups.
ABSTRACT
Free proline content in Ragi (Eleusine coracana) leaves increased markedly (6 to 85 fold) as the degree of water stress, created by polyethylene gylcol treatment, was prolonged There was also a marginal increase in soluble proteins in the stressed leaves as compared to that in the controls. Water stress stimulated the activities of ornithine aminotransferase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, the enzymes of proline biosynthesis and markedly inhibited the enzymes involved in proline degradation viz., proline oxidase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase. These results suggest that increase in free proline content of Ragi leaves could be due to enhanced activities of the enzymes synthesizing proline but more importantly due to severe inhibition of the enzymes degrading proline. These observations establish for the first time, the pathway of proline metabolism in plants by way of detection of the activities of all the enzymes involved and also highlight the role of these enzymes in proline accumulation during water stress.