National Journal of Biological Sciences (NJBS)

Authors:   Lubna Khan ^[1], Nida Khan ^[2], Madeeha Begum ^[3], Muhammad Osama ^[4], Muhammad Ishaq ^[5], Rainaz Parvez ^[6], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/1

Abstract

About 80% population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are using surface and ground water as prime source of drinking water. World health Organization (WHO) has been reported transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and polio are linked with contamination of drinking water. Therefore, assessment of the prime source of drinking water in least developed areas gained significant importance. The present investigation aimed to assess the quality of drinking water and evaluate the contamination of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in drinking water sources at Dargai, Malakand and nearby places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, between October 2021 and March 2022. The contamination level of the collected samples from different sources were determined through gram staining and other microbiological techniques. The results revealed the presence of microorganism, which consisted predominantly of cocci (81.81%) and Bacilli (9.09%). Among these, gram-positive accounted for 36.36%, while gram-negative microorganisms comprised 90.90%. Additionally, 72.72% of the microorganisms were identified as Fungi. The results revealed substantial microbial presence, including various bacterial and fungal species, indicating potential health risks. These findings highlight the critical need for enhanced water management planning and risk assessment of community water sources in Dargai Malakand and surrounding areas, and recommend further research by using advanced microbial identification techniques and evaluate the broader public health implications.

Authors:   Sidra Jabeen ^[1], Ayesha Kashif ^[2], Mumtaz Hussain ^[3], Dua Zhaira ^[4], Ismat Zhaira ^[5], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/2

Abstract

Human brucellosis, an important zoonosis is a chronic occupational disease that mostly affects butchers, slaughter-house workers, animal keepers, veterinarians and laboratory workers. The causative agent is transmitted through direct contact with infected tissues or fluids by infected animals, ingesting unpasteurized milk and meat products, and inhalation of infectious aerosols. It can be transmitted vertically or horizontally due to close contacts like sexual intercourse (especially in animals but rare in humans). In humans, the disease generally, begins as an acute febrile illness with non-specific flu-like signs and then leads to intermittent fever with manifestations such as cardiovascular, genitourinary, haematopoietic, nervous, skeletal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, ocular, and cutaneous involvement The objective of the study is to determine the frequency of serologically positive brucellosis among febrile patients at Rawalpindi / Islamabad area. Hospital based, observational, case control study in patients of Brucellosis. The Department of Microbiology at Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan from October 2020 to January 2021. Direct agglutination test and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay, both tests were used for serology of brucellosis. Out of 207 patients, 19 patients were found positive for Brucellosis whereas 188 were negative. It has also been reported that out of 19 positive patients, 11 were males while 8 were females. We found that the majority of patients were found negative for Brucellosis. The frequency of Brucellosis among febrile patients was high. In conclusion we postulated that the frequency of Brucellosis among febrile patients is 9.2%. Out of these positive cases, 58% patients were male while on the other hand 42% were female, showing male predominance

Authors:   Mazzullah ^[1], Fawad Ali ^[2], Javed Khan ^[3], Hassan Ghazi ^[4], Muhammad Shafee ^[5], Haider Ali Khan ^[6], Saman Yaqub ^[7], Hussain Ghazi ^[8], Fawad Ali ^[9], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/3

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the growth and nutrition of Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a pond at the trout fish facility of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) in Sheringal, District Dir Upper from December 2020 to August 2021. Fifty seedlings were obtained from Madyan trout hatchery in Swat and then transferred to the SBBU, Sheringal hatchery for research purposes. The physio-chemical parameters were monitored weekly. The average temperature ranged from 15.5℃ to 27.2℃, conductivity ranged from 0.04 to 0.06 S/m, dissolved oxygen levels varied from 1.24 to 3.2 mg/L, and pH ranged from 7.8 to 7.9. Initially, the Juvenile fish measured between 2.3 and 3.5 inches in size. In December, the fish were fed powdered food. For the rest of experiment, they were fed pellet food, with the pellet size increasing as the fish grew. At the end of each month, the length weight of the fish was measured. The fish did not grow consistently, as indicated by a slope of 2.1572 for the “B” value, which is below 3.0, indicating the negative allometric growth. The length-weight frequencies were determined monthly, showing continuous changes from one month to the next.

Authors:   Khalil Bin Imail ^[1], Hassan Mujtaba ^[2], Nadia Jabeen ^[3], Izhar Hussain ^[4], Arshid Iqbal ^[5], Muhammad Zahid Shah ^[6], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/4

Abstract

Evaluation and identification of superior genotypes for general cultivation is the key objective of plant breedings programs. To investigate genotypic differences among exotic wheat germplasm and association between yield and yield associated attribute in wheat genetics, scientific research was Khalil Bin Ismail NJBS (2024) 5: 2 July – December, 2024 35 done at Agriculture Research Station, Baffa, Mansehra in 2021. Fifty genotypes including 49 exotic wheat genotypes and one check cultivar were sown in Randomised Complete Block (RCB) design with three replications. Data were recorded on plant length (cm), spike length(cm), 1000-grains weight (gm), days to emergence, number of heads and days to maturity, biological yield (kg), tiller m-2 , yield plot-1 (kg). Significants variation were noted among all the genotypes i.e plants height (cm), 1000 grain weight (gm), days to emergence , heading and maturity days, biological yields (kg), tiller m', grains yield (kg) length of spike (cm). Maximum plants height (104 cm), spikes length (11.63 cm), 1000 grain weight (39.3 gm), emergence days(20 days), days to headings (116 days), days to maturity (180.3 days), biological yield (11.9 kg), tiller m-2 ( 574) and grains yield (3.56 kg) were recorded for genotpye G43, G37, G37, G19, G48, G11, G40, G37 and G37, respectively. Grains yield depicted significant correlation with spike lengths, 1000 grains weight and tiller m-2 ; whereas, significant negative correlation with plant height and biological yield showed that these traits needs to be measured in determining selections criteria for grains yield improvement. Heritability evaluations revealed high values for all the parameters viz. plant height (0.83), 1000-grain weight (0.83), emergence days (0.61), days for heading (0.85), date to physiological maturity (0.72), biological yield (0.65), grain yield (0.77), tiller m-2 (0.84) and spike length (0.70). Selection response estimates revealed lo

Authors:   Arooba Murtaza ^[1], Rida Batoo ^[2], Nazia Jamil ^[3], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/5

Abstract

The practice of utilizing medicinal plants has been widespread since ancient times due to the ability of plants to produce chemical compounds. Five medicinal plants i.e., Cymbopogan citratus, Piper longum, Althaea officinalis, Malva and Vasaka were studied for observing their phytochemical potential and many other antibacterial activities. Phytochemical analysis of the methanol and ethyl acetate plant extracts showed the presence of different useful bioactive compounds such as steroids, carbohydrates, reducing sugars in these plants. Antibacterial activity against gram positive (Bacillus KC881030) and gram negative (E. coli GM2163) strains was determined. Among all extracts, lemon grass (Cymbopogan citratus) gave maximum inhibition zone of 17mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration of Cymbopogan citratus methanol extract was 31.25mg/ml. DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl 1-1 picrylhydrazyl) test was performed for checking the antioxidant potential that gave the best activity of 68.3% in case of lemon grass extract. Antimitotic studies revealed that lemon grass extract possesses antimitotic activity (53%). Due to all of these properties of lemon grass, thin layer chromatography (TLC) was performed to identify the bioactive compounds. Out of the 7 spots obtained from selected plant extract in methanol, only 1 spot exhibiting the best zone size (14mm) was analyzed for Gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometry (GCMS) analysis. GCMS revealed the presence of Citral as a bioactive component in selected plant extract. In conclusion, Cymbopogan citratus showed the best antibacterial, antioxidative and antimitotic potential. Further research should analyze phytochemical components for effective use of herbs in pharmaceutical industry.

Authors:   Naaz Abbas ^[1], Ishrat Perveen ^[2], Malik Muhammad Qasim ^[3], Sumbal Nazir ^[4], Muhammad Usman Rehman ^[5], Tayyaba Noor ^[6], Yasar Saleem ^[7], Sania Mazhar ^[8], Shaista Nawaz ^[9], Ramsha Essa ^[10], Ayesha Kiran ^[11], Arooj Abbas ^[12], Tallat Anwar Faridi ^[13], Quratulain Syed ^[14], Syed Hussain Imam Abidi ^[15], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/6

Abstract

Menaquinone, also known as Vitamin K2, is a crucial fat-soluble vitamin for blood clotting and osteoporosis prevention. It is extensively utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries and has attracted a lot of research interest. Menaquinone is found in fish, meat, and vegetables, and can be produced through fermentation by bacteria, which can improve blood coagulation and bone health. Modern genetic and fermentation techniques allow for precise control over the production process, optimizing yields and developing high-quality products. Advances in genetic engineering also offer opportunities to enhance the productivity of Bacillus strains in vitamin K biosynthesis. Liquid fermentation has been developed to improve cell development pace and reduce fermentation duration. Researchers have improved the production of menaquinone through mutagenesis, screening techniques, optimizing culture conditions, and product secretion. Novel oxygen supply systems and innovative bioreactor designs could enhance menaquinone synthesis and address foaming during liquid fermentation. This study will provide an overview of its functions, biosynthesis routes, enzymes, challenges in large-scale microbial production, techniques like strain mutagenesis, genetic alteration, growth modes, fermentation, and separation procedures. Menaquinone is highly promising in the market, with several companies successfully industrializing its manufacturing. The future potential of microbial menaquinone synthesis should be examined considering existing advancements and obstacles.

Authors:   Sobia Ilyas ^[1], Almas Tariq ^[2], Abida Afzal ^[3], Hira Bashir ^[4], DOI: https://doi.org/10.37605/v5i2/7

Abstract

A mushroom is a conspicuous umbrellashaped fruiting body of a macrofungi. Mushrooms provide a considerable nutritional profile, encompassing around 2,000 edible species that have been discovered across various regions of the globe. Mushroom cultivation has become very popular worldwide in recent years due to its nutritional and medicinal importance. More than 16% of the world's mushroom harvest comes from the Pleurotus genus, which includes many popular edible mushroom varieties grown in industrial scale. In this study, wheat straw and sawdust are employed as mushroom-growing mediums. For spawn preparation, fresh mushrooms were placed on a paper overnight to collect its spores. Malt extract and agar were used as the culturing media, then, wheat grains were inoculated with the collected spores and freshly cut pieces of the different parts of the mushroom (preferably gills and stipe). Substrate pre-treatment was done by soaking it overnight and adding gypsum to maintain the pH (5 – 6.5). The substrate was kept in bags after inoculation with spawn for about 28 days at 22 ± 2 ℃. During the incubation period, the inoculated bags were exposed to light for about 8 hours daily and the humidity was maintained between 80 – 90% with the help of a humidifier. After the incubation period of 28 to 30 days, pinheads appeared and the bags were cut open with the help of a sterilized knife. The complete process took about 30 to 35 days to get a good and healthy yield. Ultimately, the biological efficiency was determined by measuring the weight of mushrooms obtained per bag. This study can help to enhance the mushroom growth rate and production yield to fulfil increasing food demands.