This article reports the production of high levels of L-asparaginase from a new isolate of Aspergillus niger in solid state fermentation (SSF) using agro-wastes from three leguminous crops (bran of Cajanus cajan, Phaseolus mungo, and Glycine max). When used as the sole source for growth in SSF, bran of G. max showed maximum enzyme production followed by that of P. mungo and C. cajan. A 96-h fer...

In view of the contribution of iron deposition in the oxidative pathologic process of liver disease, the potential of 70% methanolic extract of C. cajan leaf (CLME) towards antioxidative protection against iron-overload-induced liver damage in mice has been investigated. DPPH radical scavenging and protection of Fenton reaction induced DNA damage was conducted in vitro. Post oral administration...

The diversity of bacterial isolates from soil in response to different plants (control, Brachiaria ruziziensis and Cajanus cajan), fertilization (control, simple superphosphate and rock phosphate) and liming (with and without lime) was evaluated. Phenotypic and physiological characteristics of the isolates were recorded and organized in a file to identify the bacteria. Among the isolates, 95% w...

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is a unique food legume because of its partial (20-30%) outcrossing nature, which provides an opportunity to breed commercial hybrids. To achieve this, it is essential to have a stable male-sterility system. This paper reports the selection of a cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterility (CMS) system derived from an interspecific cross between a wild relative of p...

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is a heat and drought resilient legume crop grown mostly in Asia and Africa. Pigeonpea is affected by various biotic (diseases and insect pests) and abiotic stresses (salinity and water logging) which limit the yield potential of this crop. However, resistance to all these constraints is not readily available in the cultivated genotypes and some of the wil...

Highly polymorphic and transferable microsatellites (SSRs) are important for comparative genomics, genome analysis and phylogenetic studies. Development of novel species-specific microsatellite markers remains a costly and labor-intensive project. Therefore, interest has been shifted from genomic to genic markers owing to their high inter-species transferability as they are developed from conse...

Air pollution has assumed a mammoth proportion in recent times because of causation of health hazards and loss of economic productivity of crop plants. The present study was carried out to assess the impact of cement klin dust pollution on some selected legume crops viz. Arachis hypogaea, Vigna mungo, V. radiate, Dolichos lablab and Cajanus cajan which are grown around the cement industry. Effe...

Studies involving the kinetic reaction between vanillin and condensed tannins were developed using a flow injection system with spectrophotometric determination. A solution of the monomeric compound (-)-epicatechin was used as the analytical standard. This compound was chosen due to its structure, which is similar to a polymeric unit of the condensed tannin present in plants. The results indica...

Kohki Akiyama*, Kazuyoshi Kawazu and Akio Kobayashi Department of Agricultural Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700, Japan Z. Naturforsch. 49c, 811-818 (1994); received July 12, 1994 Elicitor, Chitin, Chitosan, Flavonoid, Pisum sativum Pisatin elicitors including fragments of chitosan and partially N-deacetylated chitins (DACs) strongly induced (+)-a,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxydihydrochalcone, (-)...

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has antinflammatory and antinociceptive properties widely exploited in veterinary and human medicine, despite its poor pharmacokinetics. Looking for prodrugs that could progressively release PEA to maintain effective plasma concentrations, we prepared carbonates, esters and carbamates at the hydroxyl group of PEA. Chemical stability (pH 7.4) and stability in rat plas...