NBU Journal of Plant Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/4384

The NBU Journal of Plant Sciences serves as the official organ of the Department of Botany for the publication of research papers by its members and researchers. The journal is sent free to its members and different academic institutions on demand.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 170
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    ItemOpen Access
    Assessment of Therapeutic Potential and Phytochemical Profiling in Different Solvent Extracts of Centella asiatica
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Saran Kumar Gupta
    Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, commonly known as Indian pennywort, a small perennial herb from the Apiaceae family has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different extraction solvents on the therapeutic and phytochemical profiles of various parts of Centella asiatica. Among the various plant parts assessed, the leaves exhibited the best antioxidant and in vitro antidiabetic activity and the highest amount of phytoconstituents compared to petiole and root. Methanol was identified as the most effective solvent, yielding optimal IC50 values for DPPH (30.65 μg/ml) and ABTS (45.23 μg/ml). Additionally, the methanolic extract of leaves exhibited highest content of phenolics (65.49 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoids (12.56 mg QE/g DW). The methanolic leaf extract also demonstrated a promising inhibition potential against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes and possessed elevated levels of alkaloids, glycosides, tannins and terpenoids. This study demonstrated significant variations in the therapeutic potential of Centella asiatica, attributed to differences in the nature of the extraction solvents.
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    Morphological and Biochemical Characterization of Novel Cellulose and Starch Degrading Bacteria Isolated from the Rhizospheric Soil of Dendrocalamus minor and Musa sp.
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Chettri, Neha; Singh, Rishika; Misra, Megha; Sarkar, Sulagna; Toppo, Prabha; Bhandari, Jnan Bikash; Mathur, Piyush
    The rhizosphere is the most active region of soil where plants and microorganisms live in close association and exhibit complex interactions. In the present study, rhizospheric soil samples were collected from bamboo and banana growing well in University of North Bengal campus. Cellulolytic and amylolytic bacteria were isolated from these samples through serial dilution technique and were identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical characteristics. The study showed presence of four isolates mostly from genera Bacillus sp. from rhizosphere of bamboo capable of degrading cellulose while five isolates (Rummeliibacillus sp., Lysinibacillus, Brevibacillus, and Bacillus) from rhizosphere of banana and degrade starch respectively. The study although preliminary but will prove valuable for the extraction of these enzymes from these rhizospheric isolates and will be highly appreciated for their application in biotechnology sector.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Standardization of In Vitro Pollen Germination Medium of Two Economically Important Plants: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Lens esculenta M.
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Khan, Nasrin Banu; Chatterjee, Soumya; Basak, Ganapati; Sarkar, Purba; Barman, Chandan
    Pollen fertility and viability are essential for fruit and seed set in angiosperms, as well as for the successful development of hybrid plants and storage of germplasms. Our study focused on identifying the optimal culture medium for in vitro pollen grain germination and growth of pollen tube for two commercially important crops Brassica juncea and Lens esculenta. Percentage pollen fertility was analyzed using 1% acetocarmine solution. After ten days, pollen fertility decreased from 100% to 75.14±2.69 % and 72.31±2.52% for B. juncea and L. esculenta, respectively. SGM for pollen germination and tube growth in B. juncea contain boric acid (300 mg/L), calcium nitrate (400 mg/L), magnesium sulphate (300 mg/L), potassium nitrate (400 mg/L) along with 15% sucrose. Addition of 15% PEG in SGM gave the highest value for the percentage of pollen germination (52.90±0.72%) and resulted in the maximum length of pollen tube (45.2±4.93μm). SGM for L. esculenta composed of boric acid (200 mg/L), calcium nitrate (400 mg/L), magnesium sulphate (300 mg/L) and potassium nitrate (200 mg/L) supplemented with 15% sucrose. Among the polyamines, 10-4 M spermine gave the best results for the percentage of pollen germination (42.22±1.36%), while 10-3 M spermine showed highest pollen tube growth (80.92±16.57μm). This study will help to establish protocols for in vitro pollen germination and tube growth of several species of plants closely related to Brassica sp. and Lens sp.
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    Indigenous Traditional Knowledge of Preparation of Marcha Starter Culture of Jaanr and Raksi by Some of the Local Tribal Communities of Kalimpong and Darjeeling Districts of West Bengal, India
    (UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL, 2023) Khawash, Pramesh; Sharma, Ujwal Bhattarai; Roy, Sapana; Gyeltshen, Sonam; Sapkota, Pramodh; Sunar, Nehal; Chhetri, Nawraj; Rai, Anushka; Gupta, Saran Kumar; Ali, Sajeed; Rai, Ritu; Bantawa, Pranay
    Present paper investigates the traditional knowledge of some of the local tribes in Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal on the preparation of starter cultures, locally known as “Marcha”, for the preparation of finger-millet based local alcoholic beverage called Jaanr or Chhyang and also Raksi. The study highlights the ethnobotanical significance, the variety of plants used, and their roles in the fermentation process. Fieldwork and interviews with tribal elders and practitioners were conducted to document this invaluable cultural heritage.
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    Experimental Farming of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne – An Exotic pumpkin at NBU Medicinal Plant Garden
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Mondal, Sujit; Basu, S.K.; Chowdhury, Monoranjan
    Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (Butter Squash) is a high food value exotic vegetable of Cucurbitaceae with its origin in Columbia, South America. It is widely cultivated in South America, Central America and some of the Asian countries and Australia, and consumed as cooked or raw vegetable. This crop is notably promising with high yield and low cost of production. It is close to Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) which is largely grown in India, particularly in Bengal as an important vegetable for preparing curries. There is no report of introduction and cultivation of Butter Squash in Bengal. An experimental cultivation plot was set up in the nursery of NBU medicinal plant garden when some seeds were obtained from England for experimental cultivation.
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    A Pilot Study of Sun Protective Factor of Selected Lichens from Himalayan Region
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Majumder, Snigdha; Sinha, Sankar Narayan
    The Sun’s ultraviolet light can causes early aging of the skin, leathery skin, Wrinkles, actinic keratosis and liver spots on our skin. Every plants contain many active constituents that can protect our skin form sun burn. There are many synthetic sunscreen are offered in market, but formulation of natural sunscreen is an important aspect in cosmetic industry. Thus the aim of the present study is to inspect the presence of UV light absorption ability of the selected lichens.
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    Acaricidal and Ovicidal Effects of Vitex negundo, Against Oligonychus coffeae, A Common Pest Found in Tea Gardens of North Bengal, India
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Ghosh, Sandipan; Sen, Gargi; Ghosh, Chandra; Sen, Arnab
    Tea, a widely consumed and economical beverage across 65 nations, confronts substantial challenges from pests, notably the destructive Red spider mites, which pose significant hurdles for the industry due to their resilient nature and severe impact. Chemical pesticides, while effective against pests in tea production, degrade tea quality, prompting exploration into natural alternatives like floral diversity for pest control. A study in North Bengal, India, aims to the pest-controlling abilities of common weed found in tea gardens in the Terai and Dooars regions.The aqueous extracts of Vitex negundo L. as biocide employed in this study demonstrated substantial acaricidal and oviposition deterrent action against the tea Red Spider Mite Oligonychus coffeae after 48 hours of application. In the future, this aqueous extract could prove to be a fairly priced and efficient acaricide.
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    Unravelling the Roles of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Growth Promotion, Phytoremediation and as Biocontrol Agents to Suppress Plant Diseases
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Swarnakar, Shambhu; Chakraborty, Arka Pratim
    Agriculture in the twenty-first century has several issues, including soil fertility, climate changes, environmental degradation, urbanisation & rising food consumption to feed the world's growing population. Meanwhile, scientists are grappling with major obstacles in expanding food yield from the present land base. Traditional farming has seen increased per-acre crop yields due to the haphazard and injudicious use of agrochemicals, such as pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, but at a significant environmental cost. Crop pests developing pesticide resistance is another big worry in modern agriculture. Therefore, alternative ecologically friendly crop yield-increasing techniques are necessary for the future of sustainable crop production. Scientists are very interested in utility of rhizobacteria, particularly PGPR, as an alternative to pesticides. These rhizobacteria employ a range of tactics to encourage plant growth, thwart plant pests, and foster resilience to abiotic stresses. The mechanisms of rhizobacteria involved in soil bioremediation, pest biocontrol, and plant growth promotion are reviewed in this article. It also looks at how PGPR vaccination affects plant growth and survival in challenging conditions. An in-depth examination is also given of the benefits and drawbacks of rhizobacterial application as well as potential solutions for rhizobacteria's long-term use in agriculture.
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    Underutilized Fruits of Northeast India and its Potential Benefits on Human Health - Review
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Banerjee, Swarnendra; Sen, Arnab
    The Indian Himalayas, a global biodiversity hotspot, is home to 2532 species from temperate regions of Europe, China, Burma, the Sahara, and Africa. India's plant biodiversity includes 21 agroecosystems, including farmed fruit and wild, under-utilized fruit crops. These underutilized fruit crops have potential but are rarely planted, infrequently available on the market, or not farmed commercially. They are disease-resistant and adapted to heat and cold extremes, blessing tropical nations like India. Underutilized fruit crops have medicinal properties and are often used by Native Americans to heal ailments and for the financial well-being of tribal people in rural regions. The use of wild fruits as nutritional supplements or less expensive alternatives to commercial fruits is growing worldwide. Identifying and utilizing underutilized species is crucial for a diverse and nutritious diet, especially for rural poor and socially vulnerable populations in emerging countries. India's North-Eastern Hill region is an agrobiodiversity hub characterized by diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is rich in wild agricultural plant relatives, particularly underutilized fruit crops, and mixed temperate, tropical, and subtropical fruits from various genera. Fruits, vegetables, and other plants naturally produce important polyphenol metabolites that influence their sensory and nutritive qualities, potentially curing various conditions.
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    Role of Polyamines in the Physiological Responses of Plants
    (University of North Bengal, 2023) Sen, Suman
    Polyamines (PAs) are aliphatic nitrogenous bases containing two or more amino groups. These organic compounds have a low molecular weight and play essential role in the growth and development of plants. They contribute to the tolerance of plants against all abiotic and biotic stresses. They occur in the free form as cations, but are often found in the conjugated form to different macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids and to small molecules like phenolic acids. They are produced by plants during metabolism and are ubiquitous in plant cells. They are considered to be a new kind of plant biostimulant because they are intimately associated with a wide range of metabolic process in plants, ranging from cell division and organogenesis to protection against abiotic and biotic stress. Their chemistry, biosynthetic pathway and metabolism are now well characterized. Their titer varies and depends on the environmental conditions, especially stress. With the development of molecular biotechnology, genes for several key biosynthetic enzymes of the PA pathway have been cloned from different plants species, and antibodies to some of the genes are now available. The antisense transgenic approaches and over-expressed PA biosynthetic genes have given further evidence that PAs are required for plant growth, productivity and development of stress tolerance. This paper aims to review the various physiological responses of plants to PA with special emphasis to abiotic stress response and to provide a basis for future research on the role of polyamines in plant physiology.