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Blood and fecal samples of chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), albino pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were analyzed to check parasitic prevalence. To record parasites these five avian species were placed kept in separate cages at Avian Conservation and Research Center, Department of Wildlife an Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. 100 fecal and 100 blood samples for each bird species were inspected to analyze internal parasites. During present study, 17 species of endoparasites 14 from fecal samples and three from blood were examined. Two species of ectoparasites i.e. mite Dermanyssus gallinae 42% and fowl ticks Args persicus 41%were studied. Blood parasites included Plasmodium juxtanucleare 50%, Leucoctoyzoon simond having parasitic prevalence 40%, and Aegyptinella pullorum having parasitic prevalence of 40%. Parasitic species recorded from fecal samples included 6 species of nematodes viz. Allodpa suctoria 2%. Syngamus trachea with parasitic prevalence of 60%, Capillaria annulata 37.5%, Ascardia galli 24%, Capillaria anatis 40% and Heterakis gallinarum 28.3%. Similarly, two species of trematodes viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus having parasitic prevalence of 50% and Prosthogonimus macrorchis 21% were also documented from fecal avian samples . Single cestode species Raillietina echinobothrida having parasitic prevalence of 72% and 3 protozoan species i.e. Eimeria maxima having parasitic prevalence of 21%, Giardia lamblia 41% and Histomonas meleagridis 18% were documented during corpological analysis. In our recommendation, proper sanitation, medication and vaccination of bird’s enclousres are suggested to avoid parasites. RESUMO Amostras de sangue e fezes de perdiz chukar (Alectoris chukar), faisão-albino (Phasianus colchicus), faisão-prateado (Lophura nycthemera), periquito-de-rosa (Psittacula krameri) e perus (Meleagris gallopavo) foram analisadas para verificar a prevalência de parasitas. Para registrar os parasitas, essas cinco espécies de aves foram colocadas em gaiolas separadas no Centro de Conservação e Pesquisa de Aves, Departamento de Vida Selvagem e Ecologia, Universidade de Veterinária e Ciências Animais, Lahore, Paquistão. Cem amostras fecais e 100 amostras de sangue para cada espécie de ave foram inspecionadas para analisar os parasitas internos. Durante o presente estudo, foram examinadas 17 espécies de endoparasitas, 14 de amostras fecais e 3 de sangue. Foram estudadas duas espécies de ectoparasitas, ou seja, o ácaro Dermanyssus gallinae 42% e o carrapato aviário Args persicus 41%. Os parasitas sanguíneos incluíram Plasmodium juxtanucleare 50%, Leucoctoyzoon simond com prevalência parasitária de 40% e Aegyptinella pullorum com prevalência parasitária de 40%. As espécies parasitas registradas em amostras fecais incluíram 6 espécies de nematoides viz. Allodpa suctoria 2%, Syngamus traqueia com prevalência parasitária de 60%, Capillaria annulata 37,5%, Ascardia galli 24%, Capillaria anatis 40% e Heterakis gallinarum 28,3%. Da mesma forma, duas espécies de trematódeos viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus com prevalência parasitária de 50% e Prosthogonimus macrorchis 21% também foram documentados em amostras fecais de aves. Espécies de cestoide único Raillietina echinobothrida com prevalência parasitária de 72% e 3 espécies de protozoários, isto é, Eimeria maxima com prevalência parasitária de 21%, Giardia lamblia 41% e Histomonas meleagridis 18% foram documentadas durante a análise corpológica. Em nossa recomendação, o saneamento adequado, medicação e vacinação de invólucros de pássaros são sugeridos para evitar parasitas.

The objective of this in vivo study is to enhance the T2-weighted MRI contrast using superparamagnetic nanoparticles in liver and spleen of rabbits for biomedicine application. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation method. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles were characterized using SEM, EDX, VSM, magnetic resonance relaxation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). T1 and T2 relaxations were measured as function of concentration of contrast agents in liver and spleen. High relaxivity ratio r2/r1 showed the efficacy of prepared T2- weighted MRI contrast agent. Rabbits were anesthetized using xylazine and ketamine salts for medical procedure. Ketamine and xylazine were injected with the dose rate of ketamine 25-40 mg/kg and xylazine 2.5-5mg/kg intra-muscularly for veterinary anesthesia. MRI of albino rabbits was executed at 0.35 Tesla using magnetic nanoparticles. FDA approved, 0.2 ml/kg dose of contrast agents was injected in rabbits for MRI scanning. MRI axial and coronal, T1-W and T2-W images of liver and spleen were taken using Spin Echo (SE) at TE=92 and TR=551 and STIR at TE=24 and TR=5170. Spin software was used to estimate the intensity of signal in region of interest induced by magnetic contrast agent. In vivo, MRI study of magnetic contrast agents demonstrated the high T2 -weighted contrast on MRI images of liver and spleen of rabbits. This research also concludes that superparamagnetic nanoparticles may be used as MRI contrast agents for biomedicine application to see the pathology of living organs even at low tesla field.

The current study was carried out to estimate the prevalence and diversity of ectoparasites in rock pigeons in different regions of Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 120 birds were captured from March 2017 to February 2019. The ectoparasites were collected by standard procedures and preserved in 70% ethanol containing one drop of glycerin. Data related to age, health status, sex, type of area, sampling location and season were collected using a standardized form. Ectoparasites were identified based on morphological characteristics by using identification keys. Ninety-six (80%) birds were infested with ectoparasites. A total of seven families and thirteen species of different ectoparasites were observed. Mainly, seven species of lice, two species of flies, one species of tick and three species of mites were recovered from infested birds. The female pigeons were more often infested (89.02%) than male pigeons (60.52%). The prevalence was found higher during summer (100%) as compared to other seasons. The infestation rate was higher in Industrial area (97.50%) as compared to other regions. The highest prevalence of ectoparasites (100%) was recorded from Sargodha district. There was significant (P < 0.05) variation among number of ectoparasites on wing, chest, tail and neck within age groups, seasons and ecological zones. The occurrence of parasites in relation to area, age, health status, sex and season were significant. The infestation rate of parasites in rock pigeon is high in different districts of Punjab. It is recommended that these wild birds infested with multiple species of ectoparasites could be the potential source of infestations in domesticated birds if they come in contact with them. The contact of domesticated birds should be prevented from wild birds to minimize the chance of cross species transmission of ectoparasites. Resumo O presente estudo foi realizado para estimar a prevalência e diversidade de ectoparasitas em pombos-das-rochas em diferentes regiões de Punjab, Paquistão. Um total de 120 aves foram capturadas de março de 2017 a fevereiro de 2019. Os ectoparasitas foram coletados por procedimentos padrão e preservados em etanol 70% contendo uma gota de glicerina. Os dados relativos à idade, estado de saúde, sexo, tipo de área, local de amostragem e época do ano foram coletados em formulário padronizado. Os ectoparasitas foram identificados com base nas características morfológicas por meio de chaves de identificação. Noventa e seis (80%) aves estavam infestadas com ectoparasitas. Um total de sete famílias e treze espécies de diferentes ectoparasitas foram observados. Principalmente, sete espécies de piolhos, duas espécies de moscas, uma espécie de carrapato e três espécies de ácaros foram recuperadas de aves infestadas. Os pombos fêmeas foram infestados mais frequentemente (89,02%) do que os pombos machos (60,52%). A prevalência encontrada foi maior no verão (100%) em comparação com as outras estações. A taxa de infestação foi maior na área Industrial (97,50%) em relação às demais regiões. A maior prevalência de ectoparasitas (100%) foi registrada no distrito de Sargodha. Houve variação significativa (P

Rock pigeons are synanthropic birds and live in close association within human settlements. Synanthropic birds are considered potential carriers of diseases and pose a subsequent risk of their transmission to humans. Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are intracellular protozoans infecting a wide range of hosts, as well as birds. Data related to the incidence of these protozoans in rock pigeons in Pakistan are scant. The aims of the study were to detect T. gondii and N. caninum DNA in tissue samples from rock pigeons (Columba livia) and to identify possible risk factors associated with infection. To accomplish this, pectoral muscle and brain samples were carefully collected from rock pigeons (n = 120) belonging to three zones located in ten districts of Punjab during a 4-month sampling span (July 2018 to October 2018). Data related to sex, age, sampling site, districts, seasonality, and ecological zones were recorded. DNA from brain and pectoral muscle samples was screened for both T. gondii and N. caninum by PCR assays. Chi-square analysis was used to check the association between positive samples and risk factors. The level of significance was p ≤ 0.05. T. gondii was detected in 46 (38.3%) brain samples, while 24 pectoral muscle samples (20%) were positive for N. caninum. Agroecological zones were statistically associated with the detection of N. caninum DNA. The outcomes of this study provide an understanding of the epidemiological pattern of N. caninum and T. gondii infection in rock pigeons in different regions of Punjab, Pakistan.

Now-a-days, different bioproducts are being used extensively for the welfare of mankind. However, for proper utility of any bioproduct, the exact biotechnological potential of that product should be explored. Honey is produced in almost every country on the planet. It has long been used as a medicinal agent in addition to its broader use as a popular food throughout the human history. It can be used to treat various diseases without causing any negative side effects. In the present study, the antibacterial potential of honey produced by A. dorsata was investigated at its variable concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100 %) against four pathogenic bacterial species. The highest antimicrobial action was seen against E. coli at 100 % concentration of the honey while showing zone of inhibition of 37.5 ± 3.5 mm. However, the lowest antibacterial action was observed against E. faecalis. The overall order of growth inhibition by the honey at its 100 % concentration for the implicated bacterial species appeared as: E. coli ˃ P. aeruginosa ˃ S. aureus ˃ E. faecalis. The honey couldn’t show antibacterial action at its 25 % concentration. Our findings of the present study will be helpful for utility of the honey as an alternative medicine for curing different complications caused by microbial pathogens.

The lack of morphological differentiation among chiropteran species and cryptic speciation impedes species identification. DNA-based approaches help species identification and contribute to the discovery of additional species. Rhyneptesicus nasutus (Sind Serotine Bat) is a rare and poorly studied species in Pakistan.This study explores the range extension of Sind Bat within the territorial limits of Pakistan from Sind and Baluchistan to Federally Administered Areas of Pakistan. No molecular record exists for the species in Pakistan. In the present study, we for the first time confirm species identification of Rhyneptesicus nasutus from Pakistan using a genetic marker (cytochrome b) along with morphometric analysis. A neighbor-joining tree based on Kimura-2 parameters was created to infer phylogenetic relationships. We sequenced the cytochrome b gene segment and conducted a phylogenetic analysis with previously published data from other countries.Sequences from Pakistan formed a clade with Iranian Rhyneptesicus nasutus specimens suggesting a common ancestry. Various morphometric parameters (mean values) were measured, including Head and Body length (44.3 mm), Tail length (43.4 mm), Hindfoot length (8.3 mm), Forearm length (35.7 mm), and Ear length 36 mm while 5th Metacarpal Length, 4th Metacarpal Length, and 3rd Metacarpal Lengths were 33.2 mm, 34.7 mm, and 35.3 mm. Approaches based on DNA barcoding reveal a high diversity of bat species in the study area.The data will enable researchers to build an improved evolutionary framework of the Serotine Bats from this region and subsequently reconstruct a detailed evolutionary history of the genus. Further research is required to test other molecular markers to support the findings of the current study in Pakistan.

Depleting resources and popping environmental concerns instigate the development of sustainable and clean energy solutions. Amongst others, Hydrogen (H2) is an imperious alternative due to the lowest emissions, higher calorific value, and usability. It has great relevance in Pakistan due to sequester Agricultural biomass potential that can be used as feedstock for H2 production. So, this study estimates the H2 production potential from agricultural biomass (rice, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, and maize) of Punjab, Pakistan. In doing so, simulations are performed using Aspen Plus under various conditions to derive an optimal value of H2 output. The results indicate significant heterogeneity across districts and crop residues types. Therefore, the Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to draw the spatial distribution of optimal H2 production across crops and districts. The simulated results reveal that Punjab province has the potential to produce 2619.90 × 103 Metric tons (MT)/year H2, and the highest potential derives from sugarcane trash (1012.77 × 103 MT/year), followed by maize straw (433.67 × 103 MT/year). The estimated H2 potential (2.62 million MT/year) can be used in industries, transportation, and urea production as a sustainable alternative in Pakistan.

This one-year survey was conducted from February 2017 to January 2018 to assess the herpetofaunal diversity in Cholistan desert, Bahawalnagar district, Punjab, Pakistan. Field surveys were conducted during dawn and dusk for fifteen consecutive days in alternate months and five sub sampling sites were sampled at ten field visits. Specimens were collected through hand capture, using snake sticks, forceps, drag nets, noose traps, pitfall and funnel traps. Overall, two species of toads, two species of frogs, two species of turtles, ten lizards species and ten snake species belonging to 23 genera and 14 families were recorded. Simpson index was calculated as 0.933, evenness 0.733 and Shannon – Wiener index was 2.947 indicating moderate to high level of diversity. Bufo stomaticus (Pi = 0.1253), Uromastyx hardwickii (Pi = 0.0739) were the dominant amphibian and reptilian species, respectively while Uromastyx asmussi was recorded for the first time in the study area. Hand capture and pitfall traps appeared to be the most effective methods to capture the amphibian and reptiles. The distribution ranges of amphibians and reptiles have changed and such surveys are necessary to update baseline information in the country. We recommend further systematic survey work and molecular analysis of the native species be undertaken in the future to supplement our findings.

The Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the deadliest viruses of current era and is identified as the causative agent of novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). This disease stances a severe risk to mankind due to its unexplored pathologies. It was declared as a COVID-19 pandemic by the world health organization. This outbreak has challenged the public health concerns at large, killing the most vulnerable person, causing generalized panic and become a top debate among scientists, clinicians, physicians, pathologists, economists, athletes and politicians. Anti-viral vaccines and target drugs to treat this virus are unavailable due to its diverse genetic instability. Currently, its prevention, control and treatment are questionable as no proven remedies have been effective for its cure so far. From a research assessment, many number of drugs or medicines are being manufactured and tested at fast pace, goals and objectives are being celebrated on daily basis, and also many drugs are be subjected to clinical tests. Scientists are interested about how to provide the better care to everyone before a vaccine can be made available to common community. To stop COVID-19, effective solutions (i.e., personal protection elements, vaccines, drugs, etc.) are needed urgently. Red bells are ringing but there is no way out. Current review focuses on the ongoing regimes and therapeutic interventions for better combat with COVID-19.

Objective: To characterize human liver tissues by demonstrating the ability of machine vision, and to propose a new auto-generated report based on texture analysis that may work with co-occurrence matrix statistics. Method: The retrospective study was conducted at Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur, Pakistan, and comprised clinically verified computed tomography imaging data between October 2018 and September 2020. The image samples and related data were used to segregate classes 1-4. Appropriate image classes belonging to the same disease were trained to confirm the abnormalities in liver tissues using supervised learning methods, principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and non-linear discriminant analysis. Robust and reliable texture features were investigated by generating testing classes. Overall performance of the presented machine vision approach was analyzed using four parameters; precision, recall/sensitivity, F1-score, and accuracy. Statistical analysis was done using B11 software. Results: There were 312 image samples from 71 patients; 51(71.8%) males and 20(28.2%) females. Among the patients, 19(26.7%) had abscess, 15(21.1%) had metastatic disease, 23(32.4%) had tumour necrosis, 6(8.5%) had vascular disorder, and 8(11.3%) were normal. Principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and non-linear discriminant analysis showed high >97.86% values, but the discrimination rate was 100% for class 4. Conclusion: Abnormalities in the human liver could be discriminated and diagnosed by texture analysis techniques using second-order statistics that may assist the radiologist and medical physicists in predicting the severity and proliferation of abnormalities in liver diseases. Key Words: Liver abscess, Computed tomography imaging, Liver diseases, Image processing.

In this modern era due to multidimensional problems associated with petrochemical fuels, the scientific community is showing a burgeoning interest in microalgae due to their potential applications which are indispensable for economic amelioration. Microalgae are a fundamental source of oils and various other biomolecules that can be used in the production of biofuels and various other value-added bioproducts. However, implication of microalgae-based biofuels is not economically viable due to various factors. One of these prime reasons is the cost associated with its harvesting. This review focuses on various harvesting techniques applied to microalgae in the last 2/3 decades, presenting the main benefits and drawbacks of each method to allow the selection of appropriate method(s) for economically harvesting microalgal biomass. According to this review, use of any single technique is not viable for harvesting microalgal biomass. However, keeping in view the morphological characteristics of the microalgae, growth density, utility purpose of the harvested biomass, harvesting scale and physico-chemical characteristics of the production medium, these techniques should be applied in suitable combinations to obtain fruitful results.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease in humans and animals caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Rodents not only act as intermediate hosts for T. gondii but are also a significant source of T. gondii infection for other hosts. There is limited information about the prevalence of this protozoan within rodents in Pakistan. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in commensal rodents as well as associated risk factors. A total of 236 rats including Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus were captured from three districts of the Sahiwal division in Punjab province, Pakistan. Brain samples were collected from each specimen. Data was gathered about rodent species, gender, age, location, districts, seasonality, and habitat type. PCR assays were used to screen for T. gondii from the brain samples. A Chi-square analysis was used to investigate the association between positive samples and risk factors. A total of 236 rodent spleen samples were examined for detection of the B1 and SAG3 genes of T. gondii DNA by conventional PCR, and 14 (5.9%) were positive. T. gondii prevalence was higher in R. norvegicus (8.2%) compared to R. rattus (4.6%). All risk factors were statistically non-significant. This study provides evidence of T. gondii in rodents in the Sahiwal division and indicates that other animals and humans are at risk of infection.

Ethno-veterinary medicinal studies associated with traditional uses of the flora of the Cholistan desert have shown that fruits of Citrullus colocynthis are used for the treatment of helminth infections. The present research was designed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of C. colocynthis against H. contortus. The in vitro anthelmintic effects of aqueous-methanol and ethyl acetate fruit extracts of C. colocynthis against H. contortus were determined through egg hatch and adult motility assays. The effect of four serial dilutions of 25 mg/mL of each extract compared to levamisol (0.55 mg/mL) and oxfendazole (three serial dilutions of 25 µg/mL) were studied. Both ethyl acetate and aqueous-methanol extracts paralyzed all adult worms 4h and 8h post-exposure at a dose of 25 mg/mL each. In the egg hatch assay, about 83.67% and 80.67% of H. contortus eggs failed to hatch with the same dose (i.e. 25 mg/mL) of ethyl acetate and CAME extracts, respectively. The results of the present study strongly support fruit extracts of C. colocynthis as a promising alternative to synthetic drugs against H. contortus. These findings will lead to further in vivo studies to investigate the bio-availability of the active ingredients of the plant and the minimum non-lethal concentration required for treatment of haemonchosis in livestock. The anthelmintic effects of C. colocynthis might be attributed to the presence of phenolic acids.

This article presents a novel synthesis of fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride (F-BN)/Titanium di-oxide (TiO2) hybrid nano-composite by sol-gel method. The prepared nano-composite has shown remarkable photo-catalytic activity under visible light illumination. Our results revealed a strong electrostatic coupling between TiO2 nanoparticles, while the reduced band gap of F-BN makes F-BN/TiO2 highly responsive to visible light. It is also observed that the hybridization of F-BN (with TiO2) not only increases the surface absorption but also enhances the electron–hole separation efficiency. The reduced charge carriers’ recombination rate of TiO2 nanoparticles leads to visible light driven photo-catalytic activity. Furthermore, the proposed nanocomposite display an excellent cycling stability for up to 5 cycles. Our results would motivate the applications of F-BN/metal oxide nanostructures in multidisciplinary fields especially in water splitting and photo-catalysis.

Background Fruit bats play an important role in pollination and seed dispersal, and their conservation is important to maintain the productivity of some crops and natural ecosystems. The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and perception of fruit bats by orchard farmers and agricultural communities in Pakistan. Methods The present survey was conducted in two districts (i.e. Sheikhupura and Malakand districts) within Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces based on the higher number of fruit growing areas and bat roosting sites. A total of 200 (100 per district) close-ended questionnaires with 53 questions were administered to randomly selected respondents within the selected communities associated with fruit orchards, including orchard owners, laborers, and members of the surrounding community. Each questionnaire was divided into seven sections (i.e., demographic information, environmental and public health effects of bats, knowledge about bats, perception and control of bats, non-lethal methods adopted to control bats, and different myths about bats). Results A majority of respondents (59%, n = 118) mis-classified bats as birds instead of mammals despite more than 84% reporting that they have observed bats. Nearly 71.5% of orchard farmers perceived that their fruits are contaminated by bats during consumption, and a majority believe that bats destroy orchards (62.5%) and are responsible for spreading disease. Mythology about bats was ambiguous, as 49% of those surveyed did not perceived bats to bring good luck (49%), and 50% did not perceived them to be bad omens either. Most respondents have never killed a bat (68%) nor would they kill a bat if given the opportunity (95%). Regarding the control of bats, the greatest percentage of respondents strongly disagree with shooting bats (36%) and strongly agree with leaving bats alone (42.5%). Conclusions This study provides a better understanding of the sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge, attitude and perception of bats from fruit orchard owners, labourers and local people. We recommend educational interventions for targeted groups in the community, highlighting the ecosystem services and importance of bat conservation to improve people’s current knowledge regarding the role of bats and reduce direct persecution against bats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Q fever in sheep and goats in Kasur, Okara, and Pakpattan in the Punjab of Pakistan. Q fever is a widely reported zoonotic disease caused by

This manuscript presents a unique SERS substrate consisting of different number of silver nanorods (AgNRs) layers with fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (F-BN) as a spacer. The presentation of fabricated SERS nanostructure was examined and found that the SERS effect has been amplified by increasing the number of AgNRs layers. Sensitivity of SERS substrates was also examined by calculating the enhancement factor (EF) and limit of detection (LOD) down to concentrations 10−12 and 10−11 for the targeted dyes rodamine (R6G) and crystal violet (CV), respectively. Our results demonstrated that SERS performance of proposed nanostructure can be ascribed due to the production of topmost hot spots on AgNRs layers. It is believed that stronger electromagnetic field might be generated at the tapering gap between AgNRs and F-BN layers which brings out a higher EF and superior detection limit. Consequently, it is hoped that the concept of usage of F-BN as spacer with plasmonic materials for the fabrication of SERS can broadly be employed to improve SERS sensitivity and detection capability for variety of targeted analytes.

Several anti-nutritional substances are found in plant derivatives for example phytate, that make the nutrients and minerals unavailable to fish, hence leading to poor growth performance. Presence of the anti-nutrient factor such as phytate is a chelated compound and need enzyme for its breakdown and availability of nutrients to improve fish growth. This research work was performed to check the improvement of overall performance of Cyprinus carpio fingerlings by the help of phytase addition in Moringa oleifera by- products based diet. Combination of Moringa seed meal and Moringa leaf meal was utilized as test ingredient to formulate seven test feeds, containing graded levels of phytase (0, 500, 650, 800, 950, 1100 and 1250 FTU kg−1). In feeding trial of 70 days, fingerlings were given feed two times in a day at the rate of 4% of wet weight of their bodies and faeces were collected. According to current results, it was found that growth performance parameters i.e. weight gain; 25 g, specific growth rate; 1.67 and feed conversion ratio; 1.10 were improved to maximum at 950 FTU kg−1. Digestibility of nutrients (crude protein; 73%, crude fat; 71% and gross energy; 67%) and minerals absorption was also maximum (Ca; 70%, Zn; 66%, K; 74%, Mn; 66% and P; 71%) at 950 FTU kg−1. Lowest growth efficiency, nutrient digestibility and mineral absorption were observed in fingerlings fed at control diet (0 FTU kg−1). Results of the current study, proved that 950 FTU kg−1 is the most optimum level of phytase to formulate economical and ecofriendly feed for improved growth of C. carpio fingerlings as it decreases the discharge of minerals and nutrients in water bodies.

Algal lipids are being used extensively for the production of environment-friendly biofuels nowadays. However, quantity and quality of the extracted lipids are key prerequisites for the production of quality biofuels. The current study was carried out to analyze biomass productivity, lipid content and fatty acid profile of a pre-characterized oleaginous microalgal species (Scenedesmus dimorphus) raised under mixotrophic conditions using apple-pomace hydrolysate as additional source of carbon and energy. The above-mentioned parameters were compared for the microalgal biomass raised under mixotrophic as well as photoautotrophic conditions to justify the need of the study. Mixotrophic cultivation yielded significantly higher biomass productivity (140.37 mg L−1 d−1) than that of photoautotrophic cultivation (96.55 mg L−1 d−1). Lipids’ content (w/w) was also significantly higher for the biomass raised mixotrophically (41%) as compared to that raised photoautotrophically (28%). Lipidome depicted higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (palmitic and oleic acids). The frequent availability of polyunsaturated fatty acids (64 mg g−1 of dried biomass) in the lipid contents of algal biomass raised mixotrophically may ensure the production of high-quality biofuel. Our findings of the present study will be fruitful to top up the biofuel balance by the exploited utility of oleaginous microalgal biomass raised under mixotrophic conditions.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) had shown the positive effects on various parameters of human health. However, this can vary depending on plant category, NPs nature, doses of green synthesized NPs and type of cell or tissue taken for experiment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Allium cepa (A. cepa)-mediated zinc oxide ZnO NPs on male reproductive tissues and aberrations in sperm structure of albino mice. The green-synthesized NPs were synthesized with A. cepa and further characterized through ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential and FTIR analysis. Various doses (75 mg, 150 mg, 225 mg and 300 mg/kg) were given orally to adult albino mice by keeping them in various groups for 28 days. Epididymis and testis were removed for assessment of spermatogenesis and histopathological analysis of testicular tissues was performed. The synthesized NPs showed absorption at 330 nm and size ranging from 50 to 90 nm through SEM. Dose-dependent significant decrease (P

Well-organized substrate materials are of considerable significance in the development of energy-efficient pseudocapacitor electrodes. Herein, functionalized three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanocoils on nickel foam (CNCs/NF) have been used as the substrate to grow faradaic nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) via a solvothermal method. The arrays of NiCo2O4 were assembled by interconnected ultrathin nanosheets with random inter-particle pores. The number of electroactive sites increased specifically because of the porous feature of NiCo2O4 nanosheets and the 3D structure of CNCs/NF. Moreover, the CNCs/NF network aided the electrolyte ions in diffusing deeply within the architecture. The NiCo2O4/CNCs/NF composite exhibited an outstanding specific capacitance of 2821 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1, a remarkable rate capability (82.4%) and long cyclic stability (91.7% after 3000 cycles). Such encouraging electrochemical performance was attributed mainly to the synergistic interactions of NiCo2O4 arrays and CNCs/NF substrate that helped achieve efficient redox reactions, enhanced ion diffusivity and excellent electron conductivity. In summary, this binder-free NiCo2O4/CNCs/NF composite electrode paves a way towards the synthesis of highly efficacious electrodes for supercapacitors.