Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) has the potential to address a wide range of challenges associated with rapidly growing cities in a changing climate, while also providing multiple environmental, economic and social benefits. However, the location of projects is often determined according to a single potential benefit rather than a set of benefits. Furthermore, while UGI is recognized as a successful strategy to support resilience in many cities around the world, it has not been implemented in Uruguay. This study develops a model to identify priority areas in need of green infrastructure in Montevideo, Uruguay. The GIS-based model, termed the “Green Infrastructure Suitability Model” (GISM) is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis approach and is similar in structure to land suitability analysis. The model considers a range of socioeconomic, biophysical and environmental factors to prioritize the need for UGI across the case-study region. Resulting suitability maps identify are...

Concentration and memory are considered as sisters. Without classroom concentration, students cannot memorize the subject matter. Even a student has a good concentration, without memory it may not be useful. The present study was observed the level of concentration and memory in 8th to 10th studying high school students. A total of 2132, students from 9 High schools were selected for the study. Out of them, 1352 are male and 780 are female. Using simple questions, student's response was taken. The study revealed that high percent of male students expressed concentration and memory problem compared to female students.

The present study was undertaken to study the diversity of Phytoplankton of freshwater bodies in Nizamabad District and after survey Ashok Sagar lake was selected. The present work was carried out during October, 2013 to September, 2014. Ashok Sagar lake is main source of drinking water for Nizamabad and surrounding villages, It also used for agriculture and support fish culture. All the collected water samples were preserved in 4% formalin and were observed under binocular microscope for identification. Mainly four groups of planktonic algae were recorded in Ashok Sagar lake. They were Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Bacillariophyceae. The species diversity pattern was more or less uniform throughout the study period in lake, indicating the oligotrophic nature and it is useful for human consumption.

The present study revealed that a total of 25 medicinal plants, belongs to 21 families are recorded for the treatment of different diseases viz. asthma, arthritis, cough, fever, diabetes, dysentery, gastric and indigestion, jaundice, toothache, skin diseases, etc. Some of the species reported in the present paper are in critical conditions due to deforestation, various activities of human population for their survival and other developmental activities such as agriculture, urbanization etc. as a result of which the rich habitats are gradually depleting day by day. Some important medicinal plants widely used are Andrographis paniculata, Butea monosperma, Calotropis gigantea, Clerodendrum phlomidis, Cymbopogon citrates, Mimosa pudica and etc. Therefore, it is suggested that the high diversity of bio-resources needs to be conserved for livelihood sustenance of the future generation.

Ficus bengalensis (commonly known as a Banyan tree) is an evergreen tree and belongs to the family Moraceae. Ficus benghalensis is an important medicinal plant that has a number of bioactive compounds. The whole plant of Ficus bengalensis (leaves, fruits and bark) are used as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial properties and also used in the treatment of several diseases. The present review aims to update the information on the phytochemical and pharmacological properties, botanical description of Ficus bengalensis.

This In the research paper analyses structural, morphological, compositional properties, optical properties and energy band gap of ZnO nanoparticle synthesized using zinc acetate dehydrate and NaOH using precipitation method reported. The synthesized nanoparticles analyze using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV- Vis Spectroscopy. Synthesized nanoparticles can be utilized as building materials in fabrication of various personal care products and optoelectronic devices including solar cells, LED’s etc.

Because of their good speed control and high torque, DC motors are widely used in many industrial and robotic applications. Robotic application of DC motors often required, in addition to driving loads at constant speed or torque, the ability to vary the speed of the motor. An efficient and economically feasible intelligent DC motor speed controller is designed and constructed based on the rules of closed loop feedback control system. There are two main parts in the hardware development: PIC16F873A microcontroller and its support circuitries and external interface circuitries between motors and microcontrollers. Data processing and control program (firmware program) was run on PIC microcontroller and its on-chip A/D converter, PWM module and external circuitry was used to send and receive the data signal from the motor for control application. The firmware program was written in assembly language and converted to machine language (Hex code) by using Microchip MPASM macro assembler. These machine codes are downloaded into the PIC microcontroller by using EPIC microcontroller programmer. Through prototyping and implementing on a PIC microcontroller, the system was then be tested and used to control the speed of a small DC motor until the required criteria were achieved.

Avicennia marina, commonly known as grey mangrove or white mangrove, is a species of mangrove tree classified in the plant family Avicenniaceae. Medicinal mangrove plant used to antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticandidal properties. Specimens were examined by morphological, anatomical, palynological, HPTLC and DNA fingerprinting. In anatomical studies glandular trichomes occur in both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf; on the adaxial side glandular trichomes are sunken dispersed in crypts and non-glandular trichomes distributed in abaxial side; nectariferous gland present in petiole. Toluene: Ethyl Acetate: Formic acid: Methanol: 7:5:1:0.5 as good solvent system for measuring the establishment of phytochemicals in HPTLC analysis. It showed R f values ranged in between 0.07 to 0.80 in 254 nm and 0.07 to 0.81 in 366 nm. The concatenated rbcL + matK loci were able to adequately discriminate A. marina genera in Avicenniaceae. Our study provides the endorsement of the species resolution among mangroves using plastid genes. The nucleotide sequence was also deposited in NCBI.

DNA barcode is a very short, standardized DNA sequence in a well-known gene. It provides a way to identify the species to which a plant, animal or fungus it belongs. One of the most popular sequences identification is achieved by comparing DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal cistron. DNA barcoding is a new concept of identifying unknown organisms based on species DNA regions. The nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer region is widely used as a DNA bacoding marker to characterize the diversity and composition of plant groups. The ITS region has been heavily used in both molecular methods and ecological studies, due to its high degree of interspecific variability, conserved primer sites and multiple copy nature in the genome. Primers have long been available for the nuclear ITS (Internal transcribed spacer) rDNA region which are now commonly used for plant identification.

The green synthesis of nanoparticles has received increasing attention due to the growing need to develop safe, cost-effective and eco-friendly technologies for nano-material synthesis. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using reduction of aqueous Ag + ion with the culture supernatants of Aspergillus terreus. Bioreduction of AgNPs was characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Zeta potential, Fourier Transmission Infra Red spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized AgNPs were polydispersed spherical particles ranging in size from 50 to 100nm stabilized in the solution. Furthermore the antimicrobial potential of AgNPs was studied. The synthesized AgNPs could efficiently inhibit the human pathogenic bacterial strains.

Wetlands are one of the most productive and fertile ecosystems on earth. Those wetlands which are located in the transitional zone between permanently aquatic and terrestrial (upland) ecosystems have properties common to land and water both. Gujarat has a variety coastal and inland wetland systems. The inland wetlands include floodplains, freshwater ponds and lakes, rivers, irrigation reservoirs, marshes and waterlogged areas while the coastal wetlands include salt marshes and salt-pans, creeks, mudflats, estuaries, mangrove swamps and coral reefs. Many of these wetlands have potential to get designation of international significance due to their high diversity/population and/or other criteria. Pariej is one of the eight wetlands in Gujarat that has been declared by the Central Government as wetland of national importance. The purpose of the present study is to observe the flora of the pariej wetland and to determine the changes by each season. In a wetland ecosystem these biotic factors are mostly dependent on the season and hydrology. Thus wetland being an integrated system is affected by the changes in the physical as well as chemical parameters of hydrosphere at the catchment scale.

Present paper deals with 28 species belonging to 6 genera of family Convolvulaceae collected from this sanctuary. Out of these, one species Ipomoea sagittifolia is reported first time and addition for flora of Rajasthan. Eleven species are reported first time and addition for flora of Aravalli range. Three genera i.e. Argyreia, Merremia and Rivea are first time report and generic addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary and 25 plant species are addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary.

Amylase is abundantly present in nature. The main source of this enzyme is the microbial origin. It is known that about two-third of the industrial enzymes (amylase, protease, cellulose, penicillinase, chitinase, etc,) are produced by the Bacillus spp. The present work comprised in the identification of amylase producing Bacillus spp and exposure of the producers to various parameters for the maximum yield of the enzyme. To isolate and identify the amylase and protease producing strain, soil samples were collected from different vegetation from the altitude at 4367.35 feet above sea level. The isolates were screened and various biochemical tests and morphological observations were done to identify the isolates. The enzymes were produced by the submerged state fermentation (SmF) from the isolates and purified by dialysis. Effects of temperature, pH, and different carbon and nitrogen sources of the medium using SmF were optimized. Among 95 isolates, 36 were identified. Among the identified isolates, Bacillus subtilis produced the maximum yield and thus, it was optimized for the amylase production. The maximum amylase production was found at 42⁰C temperature, in fructose as a carbon sugar, peptone as a nitrogen source and at pH 7. Almost all the enzyme producers inhabited the roots of leguminous plants. In the present study, starch is used with the nutrient agar medium to help in cell immobilization for maximum production of amylase by strains of Bacillus. More sophisticated process of purification such as chromatography and electrophoresis will yield more enzyme as compared to the dialysis.

Medicinal plants based drugs and chemicals used for curing enormous ailments and it help for the invention of modern pharmaceuticals. The target of this present study is to find out the bioactive compounds and to evaluate antiproliferative and larvicidal effect on Gliricidia sepium leaves. Phytochemical determination was oriented to search secondary metabolites and this preliminary study shows Gliricidia sepium it has alkaloid, flavanoids, phytosteroids, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, mucilage, and coumarins. In this Research a significant cytotoxic effect was observed in Gliricidia sepium methanolic extract against Adenocarcinoma gastric cells. The larvicidal activity was observed by using aqueous and methanolic plant extracts on Anopheles mosquitoes and shows a high mortality rate on 48 hours after the plant extracts exposure. The result of this study shows this plant has significant phytochemicals and potential antiproliferative and Larvicidal effects.

The antiulcer activity of the poly herbal formulation (composed of the leaf extracts from Lantana camara, Annona muricata, Kalanchoe pinnata) was evaluated in necrotizing agents induced ulcer model in rats. The extract at dose of 1000mg/kg produced significant inhibition of gastric lesion induced by above mentioned method. The extract reduced ulcerative lesion, gastric volume, free and total acidity and pH of gastric juice in the model. The result obtained suggesting that extract possesses significant anti-ulcer activity.

Now a day's use of pesticides is the matter of great discussion for environmentalist to gain more relevant information on tolerance of organism to the pesticides. Rana tigrina were exposed to sub lethal concentration of Endosulfan (0.073 ml/lit) for 7 days regularly. The globlet cells of intestine was found to be swollen, enlargement of cells, cell shrinkage, damage of cell membrane, vacuoles formation and pancreas exocrine secreatory acini cells was found to be damaged and connective tissue was loosely bounded also observed on exposure to Endosulfan.

This paper describes air pollution tolerance among roadside plants exposed to varying degrees of vehicular pollutants. Evaluation of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of 10 selected wild plant species was carried out to assess their response to ambient levels of air pollutants along the busy roadways of Ahemadnagar Four parameters namely total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, pH of leaf extract and relative water content were determined and computed together to signify air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of plants. The observed significant reduction in total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid and relative water content showed inverse relationship with traffic density. Similarly, pH of leaf extract followed an exponential decrease with increase in traffic density and drifted towards acidic range. Comparison of APTI values from control to polluted sites revealed maximum reduction in Bougainvillea spectabilis while least change was noted in Peltophorum pterocarpum. Among the plants studied maximum net per cent reduction of APTI over control was seen in Bougainvillea spectabilis and Ageratum conyzoides and are considered to be sensitive species. While Peltophorum pterocarpum and Portulaca oleraceae are tolerant species since they have shown least per cent reduction in APTI.

The overarching goals of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) are to enable European citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives while ageing. The EIP on AHA includes 74 Reference Sites. The aim of this study is to transfer innovation from an App developed by the MACVIA-France EIP on AHA reference site (Allergy Diary) to other reference sites. The phenotypic characteristics of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity in adults and the elderly will be compared using validated information and communication technology (ICT) tools (i.e. the Allergy Diary and CARAT: Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test) in 22 Reference Sites or regions across Europe. This will improve understanding, assessment of burden, diagnosis and management of rhinitis in the elderly by comparison with an adult population. Specific objectives will: (i) assess the percentage of adults and elderly who are able to use the Allergy Diary, (ii) study phenotypic charact...

Hybridization of infectious agents is a major emerging public and veterinary health concern at the interface of evolution, epidemiology, and control. Whilst evidence of the extent of hybridization amongst parasites is increasing, their impact on morbidity remains largely unknown. This may be predicted to be particularly pertinent where parasites of animals with contrasting pathogenicity viably hybridize with human parasites. Recent research has revealed that viable zoonotic hybrids between human urogenital Schistosoma haematobium with intestinal Schistosoma species of livestock, notably Schistosoma bovis, can be highly prevalent across Africa and beyond. Examining human populations in Senegal, we found increased hepatic but decreased urogenital morbidity, and reduced improvement following treatment with praziquantel, in those infected with zoonotic hybrids compared to non-hybrids. Our results have implications for effective monitoring and evaluation of control programmes, and demons...

Many countries are engaged in making vaccine against COVID-19 as the world records more than 38 million SARS-CoV-2 infections and more than one million deaths. It has prompted nations to close the borders, halted companies, kept people inside their homes, and numerous other measures to prevent their spread. We systematically searched on Google scholar, PubMed, LitCovid, and MedRxiv using the certain search terms for published articles. The infection raging through communities is expected to have evoked some degree of immunity in many asymptomatic and recovered individuals. However, the level of protective immunity and duration of such immunity have not been studied in depth. At the same time, spanning from the conventional whole virus vaccine to recombinant vaccines using Adenovirus vectors and first-of-its kind mRNA vaccines are in human trials. Before the effectiveness and safety of such vaccines are established billions of doses have been produced and stockpiled to save time in production and distribution. Antigenic diversity and the potential role of passive surveillance in COVID-19 regulation are explored in this report.

Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures. Antioxidants act as radical scavenger, hydrogen donor, electron donor, peroxide decomposer, singlet oxygen quencher, enzyme inhibitor, synergist, and metal-chelating agents. The damage caused by antioxidants has been linked to cancer, atherosclerosis, and vision loss. Need of antioxidant with less side effects emerges nowadays. In this present qualitative evaluation shows this plant contains secondary metabolites like terpenoids, flavanoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloid, steroid, glycosides, proteins and coumarins. Myristica fragrans have been reported for its versatile antioxidant activity.

Ten samples of tube-well water were collected at random from Evwreni town, Delta State and sent to the laboratory. The concentration of Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) in mg/L of tube-well water samples were analyzed, using spectrophotometer method. The result obtained show that nitrate values ranged from 11.8 + 0.1 to 12.8 + 0.2mg/L while that of nitrite ranged from 0.2 + 0.2 to 0.4 + 0.3mg/L and all values were within the WHO maximum acceptable concentration. The tube-well water analyzed and the results obtained are compliance with drinking water standard based on national/international guideline hat provide assurance that such tube-well water is safe for consumption.

Quantitative image quality assessment have been undertaken on eight (A – H) mammography systems in Ghana to review the overall condition of mammography equipment with respect to image quality in order to suggest improvements in the practice. Quantitative image analysis was performed with ImageJ software using the " Rose Model " by simulating three different thicknesses of breast. The results from calculated values of signal – to – noise ratio (SNR) shows that the quality of images from three systems for all three thickness were of good quality. All images from the test on the 20 mm phantom were all of good quality. Three systems recorded good images for the 45 mm phantom. Two systems recorded poor image quality for the 45 mm phantom. Images of the 70 mm phantom from five systems were of poor quality. Results shows that images of thicker simulated breast recorded poorest quality. It is recommended that adequate compression is achieved before patients are exposed.

This In the research paper analyses structural, morphological, compositional properties, optical properties and energy band gap of ZnO nanoparticle synthesized using zinc acetate dehydrate and NaOH using precipitation method reported. The synthesized nanoparticles analyze using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV- Vis Spectroscopy. Synthesized nanoparticles can be utilized as building materials in fabrication of various personal care products and optoelectronic devices including solar cells, LED’s etc.

Plants are very useful source of various bioactive compounds which have direct or indirect use in the treatment of various human ailments from the time immemorial, human civilization have been exploring and using various plants and plant products to cure the deadly diseases. Vayugulika is a medicine is formulated based on Kerala Ayurveda practice. It is used in treating indigestion, anorexia, hicup. Cold, cough, rhinitis, asthma and bronchitis Colic abdominal pain. Sprain, convulsions, epilepsy and nerve disorders. It is used as adjuvant along with other Ayurvedic medicines in wide variety of diseases. The phytomedicines are safe and environmental friendly. Infact many indigenous and local communities are immense reservoirs of traditional knowledge that can benefit biotechnology, agriculture, pharmaceutical development and health care. The present study intends to provide an overview of the phytochemical constituents present in the Ayurvedic medicine Vayugulika with special emphasis on their pharmacological action.

Present paper deals with 16 species belonging to 9 genera of family Lamiaceae collected from this sanctuary. Out of these, two species Ocimum basilicum L. var. pilosum (Willd.) Bentham and Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. are reported first time and addition for flora of Rajasthan. Five species are reported first time and addition for flora of Aravalli range. Seven genera Anisochilus, Anisomeles, Hyptis, Lavandula, Nepeta, Orthosiphon and Salvia are first time report and generic addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary and 14 plant species are addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary.

The Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project identified critical requirements to deliver high priority Antarctic research in the 21st century. The ARC project addressed the challenges of enabling technologies, facilitating access, providing logistics and infrastructure, and capitalizing on international co-operation. Technological requirements include: i) innovative automated in situ observing systems, sensors and interoperable platforms (including power demands), ii) realistic and holistic numerical models, iii) enhanced remote sensing and sensors, iv) expanded sample collection and retrieval technologies, and v) greater cyber-infrastructure to process ‘big data’ collection, transmission and analyses while promoting data accessibility. These technologies must be widely available, performance and reliability must be improved and technologies used elsewhere must be applied to the Antarctic. Considerable Antarctic research is field-based, making access to vital geographical targets ...

Protein ubiquitination is a dynamic and reversible process of adding single ubiquitin molecules or various ubiquitin chains to target proteins. Here, using multidimensional omic data of 9,125 tumor samples across 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we perform comprehensive molecular characterization of 929 ubiquitin-related genes and 95 deubiquitinase genes. Among them, we systematically identify top somatic driver candidates, including mutated FBXW7 with cancer-type-specific patterns and amplified MDM2 showing a mutually exclusive pattern with BRAF mutations. Ubiquitin pathway genes tend to be upregulated in cancer mediated by diverse mechanisms. By integrating pan-cancer multiomic data, we identify a group of tumor samples that exhibit worse prognosis. These samples are consistently associated with the upregulation of cell-cycle and DNA repair pathways, characterized by mutated TP53, MYC/TERT amplification, and APC/PTEN deletion. Our analysis highlights the importance of...

Water is an inorganic solvent and covers about 70% of the earth's surface. Quality and quantity of water are affected by an increase in anthropogenic activities and any pollution either physical or chemical which causes change to the quality of the receiving water body. Water samples were collected at three locations along Ase creek and analyzed for temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) using standard methods. Results obtained ranged as follows: 26-28˚C for temperature; 6.48-6.75 for pH; 6.50 – 8.50 mg/l for DO; 0.50-1.50mg/l for BOD; 1.50-2.50mg/l for COD. The pH values for the water samples were slightly acidic. The BOD/COD ratios for all the sampling points were less than 1 indicating that the water samples have a biodegradable nature. The results obtained were within WHO permissible limit for drinking water except DO. There is thus the need to examine periodically water quality parameters of water bodies prior to use in order to ensure that they are free from organic and other pollutants. This in the long run will help to promote a healthy condition needed for sustainable development.

This work provides information about the use of Sebera Equation in the calculation of permanence index of paper documents based on simulations that include relative humidity and temperature changes, being an useful tool to predict the long-term life of paper documents in libraries, museums and archives.

Abstract Background School age children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are typically more sedentary than typically developing (TD) children. It is unknown whether such differences occur in the first years of school, and what mechanisms drive this difference. Method Sedentary Behavior (SB) in four-to-seven-year-old children with and without ASD was examined using accelerometry to 1) determine if SB is higher in children with ASD compared to TD children 2) identify correlates that may inform interventions to improve health outcomes for children with ASD. Results Children with ASD (n = 31) engaged in similar levels of SB as TD children (n = 23). Age (older), higher levels of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomology, imaginary play (less), and quiet play (less) were all associated with higher levels of SB in children with ASD only. Conclusions Understanding what correlates impact SB in the early years may help prevent the increase in SB that occurs in children with ASD as they age.

Concerns have grown in recent decades that economic growth in many rich countries may, in fact, be uneconomic. Uneconomic growth occurs when expansion in economic activity causes environmental and social costs that are greater than the benefits of that additional activity. Health care has enjoyed a close historical relationship with economic growth, with health care spending consistently growing faster than GDP over the long term. This paper explores the possible relationship between health care and uneconomic growth. It summarises the rapidly growing evidence on the harms caused by poor quality health care and by the overuse of health care, and on the environmental harms caused by health care systems. Further, it develops a conceptual framework for considering the overconsumption of health care and the joint harms to human health and the natural environment that ensue. This framework illustrates how health-damaging overconsumption in the wider economy combines with unnecessary or low-quality health care to create a cycle of "failure demand" and defensive expenditure on health care services. Health care therefore provides important sectoral insights on the phenomenon of uneconomic growth. There are rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research to quantify the joint harms of overconsumption in health and health care, and to estimate the optimal scale of the health sector from novel perspectives that prioritise human and planetary health and well-being over GDP and profit.

Present paper deals with 28 species belonging to 6 genera of family Convolvulaceae collected from this sanctuary. Out of these, one species Ipomoea sagittifolia is reported first time and addition for flora of Rajasthan. Eleven species are reported first time and addition for flora of Aravalli range. Three genera i.e. Argyreia, Merremia and Rivea are first time report and generic addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary and 25 plant species are addition for flora of Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuary.

Wetlands are one of the most productive and fertile ecosystems on earth. They cover about 6.4% of the land area of the earth (Mitsch and Gosselink, 1986). Wetlands are tremendously valuable pools of biodiversity and genetic resources, but unmaintainable development is intimidating the bio-wealth and even initiating species extinction. Floodplains, mangroves, sea grasses, saltmarshes, arctic wetlands, peat lands, freshwater marshes and forests are very diverse habitats, with different stressors and aquatic angiosperms act as primary creators in aquatic ecosystems and they maintain energy flow in whole bionetwork. Wetland systems are vulnerable to fluctuations in quantity and quality of their water supply, and it is expected that climate change will have a pronounced effect on wetlands through alterations in hydrological regimes with great comprehensive variability. Wetland habitat responses to climate change and the implications for restoration will be realized differently on a regional and mega-watershed level, making it important to recognize that specific restoration and management plans will require examination by habitat. The present study reveals a total of 28 species of Aquatic angiosperms were recorded from the Heranj wetland ( Taluka: Matar District: Kheda, Gujarat ) that include 8 species of submerged, 2 species of free floating, 5 species of rooted with floating leaves and 13 species of emergent Aquatic angiosperms. Najas sp., Hydrilla sp., Typha sp., Potamogeton sp. are dominant species in Freshwater wetland and hence, different management and restoration techniques are needed for its sustainability.

According to the World Health Organization, plants are a source of compounds that have the ability to combat disease, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal activities. The most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Halophytes are salt tolerant plants. They contain high amount of secondary metabolites or phytoconstituents. Correlation between the phytoconstituents and the bioactivity of plant is desirable to know for the synthesis of compounds with specific activities to treat various health ailments and chronic diseases as well. The study of the halophytic plant for the preliminary screening of different phytoconstituents is important. Here, I have done preliminary phytochemical screening of Halophytic plant Heliotropium Curassavicum L.

Chitinases are glycosyl hydrolase which catalyse degradation of chitin. Microorganisms produce variety of chitinases that exhibits different substrate specificity and applicability in various fields. In the present study 107 actinomycetes obtained from water and soil samples of various habitats of Maharashtra, were screened for chitin hydrolysis activity on colloidal chitin agar. 30 isolates with prominent chitin hydrolysis ability were subjected for quantitative screening in colloidal chitin broth. 10 isolates with highest chitin hydrolysis used to study effect of fungal, insect, shrimp chitin and crab chitin on chitinase production. The isolate M1 from Mumbai sea water showed a good chitinase activity with all types of substrates. The highest activity was observed in the presence of fungal chitin-3.8 U/ml followed by insect chitin-3.7 U/ml, shrimp chitin-3.5 U/ml and crab chitin-3.4 U/ml. Isolate M1 is further identified microscopically and 16S rRNA sequencing as Streptomyces sp.