Purification and Characterization of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) Seeds

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has been purified from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds and subjected to characterization. The enzyme was purified 123.69 fold with a yield of 21.37% by ammonium sulphate fractionation, PEG-4000 precipitation, CM cellulose column chromatography and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. The catalytically active enzyme is a dimer of 113 KDa with a subunit molecular weight of 55 KDa. Thermal inactivation of enzyme follows first order kinetics at 30&#176C and 40&#176C with half life of 6 and 1.5 min respectively. Km value for glucose-6-phosphate and NADP+ was found to be 2.68 mM and 0.75 mM respectively whereas Vmax value was found to be 0.11 U/mL and 0.13 U/mL respectively. The enzyme shows more affinity towards NADP+ than glucose-6-phosphate. The pKa value was found to be 10.41 indicating that the amino acid residue at active site might be lysine. The enzyme exhibited maximum catalytic activity at pH 8.2. The enzyme was found to be highly thermosensitive with gradual loss of activity above 30&#176C temperature.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)and its mechanisms against plant diseases for sustainable agriculture and better productivity

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)are specialized bacterial communities inhabiting the root rhizosphere and the secretion of root exudates helps to,regulate the microbial dynamics and their interactions with the plants.These bacteria viz.,Agrobacterium,Arthobacter,Azospirillum,Bacillus,Burkholderia,Flavobacterium,Pseudomonas,Rhizobium,etc.,play important role in plant growth promotion.In addition,such symbiotic associations of PGPRs in the rhizospheric region also confer protection against several diseases caused by bacterial,fungal and viral pathogens.The biocontrol mechanism utilized by PGPR includes direct and indirect mechanisms direct PGPR mechanisms include the production of antibiotic,siderophore,and hydrolytic enzymes,competition for space and nutrients,and quorum sensing whereas,indirect mechanisms include rhizomicrobiome regulation via.secretion of root exudates,phytostimulation through the release of phytohormones viz.,auxin,cytokinin,gibberellic acid,1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate and induction of systemic resistance through expression of antioxidant defense enzymes viz.,phenylalanine ammonia lyase(PAL),peroxidase(PO),polyphenyloxidases(PPO),superoxide dismutase(SOD),chitinase andβ-glucanases.For the suppression of plant diseases potent bio inoculants can be developed by modulating the rhizomicrobiome through rhizospheric engineering.In addition,understandings of different strategies to improve PGPR strains,their competence,colonization efficiency,persistence and its future implications should also be taken into consideration.

Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas:implications on ecosystem services,conservation and livelihoods

Introduction:Evidence is mounting that traditional knowledge can play a critical role in shaping the biodiversity conservation strategies and maintaining ecosystem services.This study was conducted with Adi community of Arunachal Pradesh(Ar P)state in the Eastern Indian Himalayas to understand as how local systems of forest classification governs conservation tradition and influences subsistence livelihoods.Twenty Adi villages were sampled from East Siang district of Ar P.A total of 197 men and 204 women(total of 401)Adi respondents were selected for this study.A combination of methodologies including in-depth interview,transect walks,focus group discussion,participant observation and informal interactions were combined for data collection.Results:Local forests are classified into 10 different categories based on indicators such as topography,cultural significance,use typology,ownership rights and plant diversity indicators.Local people assign different values(economic,cultural and ecological)to different forest types.Overall,morang followed by regpi and homegardens are perceived to be more valuable to the local needs than other forests with relative ranking of a particular forest reflecting its sustainability.Adis access several diverse services from these community-managed forests.Compared to men(3–35%),the role of women was assessed to be much higher(65 to 100%)in conserving forest biodiversity.Woman-led practices,instrumental in sustainable forest management,included deliberate manipulations of micro-habitats,sustainable harvesting strategies and species domestication.Men were mostly involved in ownership and decision-making roles and in devising social norms to ensure sustainability.Adi celebrate a number of cultural events to sustain biodiversity.Forest-based livelihoods are intrinsically connected to forest resource conservation and are governed by community approaches.Most of the community members gather plants,hunt wild animals and access other ecosystem services from these forests to sustain their livelihoods.Community-owned forests are collectively managed by an indigenous institution‘Kebang’.Conflicts relating to forest land use and resource management are resolved by the customary chief‘Gaon Burha’and his associates using traditional norms.Conclusions:Adi’s system of forest classification,based on ecological,socio-cultural and livelihood indicators,is a location-specific yet comprehensive in nature.Study suggests that integrating the local indicators applied in classifying and strategies applied in managing the local forests can provide valuable insights to the policy makers for the sustainable conservation of forest resources.

Evidence that cultural food practices of Adi women in Arunachal Pradesh,India,improve social-ecological resilience:insights for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction:Sustainable use of biocultural diversity can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)in many ways.The tribal communities of bio-culturally rich Northeastern India rely heavily on local food resources and knowledge for livelihood security.In this study with Adi women of East Siang district,Arunachal Pradesh,India,we aimed to understand(i)access and use patterns for biocultural plants and animal species from diverse ecosystems and(ii)species diversity and conservation strategies deployed by Adis.We employed a novel participatory approach called“recipe contest”to mobilize Adi women from 15 randomly selected remote and transitional villages.Data collected through interviews,focus group discussions and transect walks from 75 women,were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods.Results:We found that traditional local food was linked intricately with women’s knowledge,access patterns,and socio-cultural institutions.From an end-user perspective,remote Adi villages had more widespread use of plant species(14 as food;34 as food-cum-ethnomedicine and 13 as income-generating species)and animal(17)as food in remote than in transitional villages.Further,there were significant differences(p<0.000;0244 and 0.000,respectively)across the social groups for use of plant-and animal-derived food and ethnomedicine.Among different land use systems(i.e.,Jhum lands,home gardens,and morang forests),the highest diversity for food plant was found in home gardens while that for food-cum-ethnomedicinal plants and animal species was observed in morang forests.Adi women apply traditional agronomic,cultural,and harvest strategies,based on local knowledge and institutions and varying with social systems,to conserve their key local resources.Significant correlations(r=0.63 to 0.92)were seen between conservation and use of food and animal species.Traditional knowledge on these aspects was linked intricately to the socio-cultural milieu and is transmitted inter-generationally through various social institutions.Conclusions:Cultural food practices,crucial to social-ecological resilience and livelihood security of Adi and similar indigenous communities confronting global environmental challenges,need to be mainstreamed with relevant policies for achieving some targets of SDGs.