• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1722-1727
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• 2006

The nutritive value of 4 straws, obtained after thrashing of seeds from fodder crops, was assessed as complete feed for ruminants. Sixteen male Murrah buffaloes (liveweight 365.8${\pm}$19.5 kg), were divided into 4 equal groups and offered ad lib. straw of either Trifolium resupinatum, Trifolium alexandrium, Medicago sativa or Lolium perenne, supplemented with minerals and vitamin A, for 40 days in a completely randomized design. Simultaneously, each straw was offered to 3 rumen fistulated male buffaloes in order to assess the biochemical changes in the rumen. Compared to other straws M. sativa straw had higher (p<0.05) organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fiber (ADF) and cellulose content. L .perenne had the highest (p<0.05) hemicellulose and lowest (p<0.05) CP and acid-detergent lignin (ADL) content. T. resupinatum had the lowest concentration of cell wall constituents (CWC). The digestibility of nutrients of T. resupinatum and L. perenne straw was similar, but higher (p<0.05) than that of other straws. M.sativa straw showed highest (p<0.05) digestibility of CP. The highest OM digestibility of T. resupinatum and CP digestibility of M. sativa were responsible for highest (p<0.05) total volatile fatty acids and trichloroacetic acid precipitable nitrogen in the strained rumen liquor. The digestible crude protein (DCP) was highest (p<0.05) in M. sativa followed by that in T. alexandrium. The total purine derivatives excreted in urine varied from 0.22-0.32 mmol/kg $W^{.75}/d$. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis indicated that OM of straws of M. sativa and that of T. alexandrium was used more (p<0.05) efficiently. The microbial protein synthesized was highest in T. resupinatum, but statistically similar to other groups. The values for N-retention and apparent biological value were highest for L. perenne, though comparable with that of M. sativa and T. alexandrium. The available metabolizable energy (ME) was highest (p<0.05) in T. resupinatum followed by that in L. perenne and lowest in M. sativa. It was concluded that all the straws, supplemented with minerals and vitamin A, could be fed exclusively to adult ruminants with no adverse affect, as animals were able to maintain body weight (372${\pm}$20.1 kg).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.569-577
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• 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the growth of Cichorium intybus, Brassica juncea, and Lactuca sativa at varying seed ratios, and to suggest an efficient management plan for sustainable indoor agriculture systems. It was treated with mixed sowing as follows: 30 chicory seeds (chicory alone: CC), 22 chicory seeds + 8 lettuce seeds (C₃L₁), 20 chicory seeds + 10 lettuce seeds (C₂L₁), 15 chicory seeds + 15 lettuce seeds (C₁L₁) as intraspecies, and 30 mustard seeds (mustard alone: MC), 22 mustard seeds + 8 lettuce seeds (M₃L₁), 20 mustard seeds + 10 lettuce seeds (M₂L₁), 15 mustard seeds + 15 lettuce seeds (M₁L₁) as interspecies. The study identified the competitive response in seed germination between Cichorium intybus and Lactuca sativa, and in the C₃L₁ experimental group, Lactuca sativa had the highest leaf length, root length, chlorophyll content, and fresh weight. Therefore, the higher the ratio of Cichorium intybus, the higher the growth and productivity of Lactuca sativa; however, higher the ratio of Lactuca sativa, the lower the growth of Cichorium intybus. Furthermore, the nitrogen and potassium content in the substrate was the highest in the C₃L₁ experimental grorp which had the highest seeding rate of the Cichorium intybus. Comparing the groups Brassica juncea and Lactuca sativa, the higher the seeding ratio of Lactuca sativa, the higher the growth and productivity of Brassica juncea. Therefore, a companion seeding of Brassica juncea and Lactuca sativa is beneficial; this could be effective in having a high seeding ratio of Lactuca sativa.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2011

In order to investigate the potential of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) oil as an active ingredient for whitening cosmetics, we prepared N. sativa oil. We measured its inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase activity, cellular tyrosinase activity, and melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in B16 melanoma cells. N. sativa oil and its components showed inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase and melanin synthesis. In a melanin synthesis inhibition assay using mouse B16-F10 melanoma cell, it reduced melanin production up to 86 % at a concentration of 10 mg/mL without cytotoxicity. In the study on the melanogenic protein expressions by using RT-PCR and Western blot, N. sativa oil and its components inhibited expression of tyrosinase protein, which is a well-known key protein on melanogenesis, and tyrosinase expression was gradually decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, this result suggests that N. sativa oil could be used as an active ingredient for whitening cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 1997

The relationship of nine Medicago species belonging to four subgenera were analyzed by using SDS-PAGE and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RELP) methodologies. Sixty-eight bands of alcohol and salt soluble proteins and 85-133 RFLP markers were used to estimate the genetic distance among the species. These species were clustered together at around 0.1 to 0.4 level of distance for both kind of markers, indicating that Medicago species have a large genetic similarity. A combined cluster diagram, at a dissimilarity level of 0.3, differentiated nine species in four groups: group 1, M. littoralis , M. truncatulam, M.scutellata and M. rigidula; group 2, M. sativa ; group 3, M. lupulina ; group 4, M. orbicularis, M. radiata and M. minima. All of them, but except for M. minima. corrensponded to the existing four subgenera of the genus Medicago classified by Lesins and Lesins(1979).The most similar species were M. littoralis and M. trucatula and the most dissimilar one was M. lupulina. In separate cluster diagrams based on RFLP and protein markers, some differences were observed. In the case of RFLP or DNA markers, M. sativa (alfalfa) was distantly clustered with other Medicago species. But in the case of protein markers, M. sativa was closely clustered with M. scutellata, M. littorulis and M. truncatula.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 1986

The effects of varying concentrations and durations of butachlor [N-(bytoxymethyl)-2-chlor-2', 6';-diethylacetanilide] treatment on oat (Avena sativa L.) root cell division were studied. Oats were treated from 0 to 48h with concentration ranging from 1$\times$10-6M to 1$\times$10-3M of butachlor. The highest concentration (1$\times$10-3M) of butachlor caused significant inhibition of cell division after 6h treatment. After 18h treatment, 49% and 66% inhibition of cell division occurred at 1$\times$10-5M and 1$\times$10-4M, respectively, while 16% inhibition of cell division occurred at 1$\times$10-6M concentration at same exposure period. Oat treated with 1$\times$10-5M and 1$\times$10-6M showed 69% and 38% inhibition of cell division after 36h. Increasing herbicide concentration at a specific time increased inhibition of cell division, and increasing the duration of treatment at a specific concentration also increased inhibition of cell division. In most instances the greatest inhibition of cell division occurred between 0 to 18h during 48h treatment. A range of concentration of 1$\times$10-5M to 1$\times$10-3M reduced cell enlargement significantly during 24h incubation period. The 1$\times$10-5M and 1$\times$10-3M caused 34% and 75% inhibition of cell enlargement. It was concluded that butachlor caused the growth inhibition of oats by inhibiting both cell division and cell enlargement.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5839-5842
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• 2012

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the world and is one of the leading causes of death due to cancer. Health benefits have been linked to additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables. Nigella sativa has been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic activity, inhibiting growth of several cancer cell lines in vitro. However, the molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer properties of Nigella sativa phytochemical extracts have not been completely understood. Our data showed that Nigella sativa extracts significantly inhibited human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation at doses of $2.5-5{\mu}g/mL$ (P<0.05). Apoptotic induction in MDA-MB-231 cells was observed in a dose-dependent manner after exposure to Nigella sativa extracts for 48 h. Real time PCR and flow cytometry analyses suggested that Nigella sativa extracts possess the ability to suppress the proliferation of human breast cancer cells through induction of apoptosis.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2006

The effect(s) of the volatile oil (VO) of Nigella sativa and its two components, ${\alpha}-pinene$ and ${\rho}-cymene$ on body temperature of male and female conscious mice were studied. Further investigations to delineate the mechanism(s) of action of the observed effect(s) by using various blockers involved in the central regulation of body temperature were made. VO and ${\alpha}-pinene$ caused significant reductions in rectal body temperature at is and 30 minute after treatment. ${\rho}-cymene$ had negligible effect on body temperature of mice. Cyproheptadine inhibited VO and ${\alpha}-pinene-induced$ hypothermia significantly. Nalbuphine inhibited ${\alpha}-pinene-induced$ hypothermia significantly but did not affect VO-induced hypothermia. Droperidol potentiated VO and ${\alpha}-pinene-induced$ hypothermia to a non-significant level; whereas atropine potentiated VO-induced hypothermia non-significantly. The study confirms further the role of serotoninergic receptors in the mechanism(s) of the observed pharmacological effects of the VO of Nigella sativa. It also indicated a possible role of opioid receptors in ${\alpha}-pinene-induced$ hypothermia.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.240-245
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• 2005

The effect of aqueous and alcoholic extract of seeds of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) was studied on the spontaneous movements of the whole worm (w.w) preparation and nerve muscle (n.m) complex of Setaria cervi (S. cervi). Both the extracts caused inhibition of spontaneous movements of the w.w and n.m complex characterized by initial stimulation followed by irreversible paralysis, with the exception that aqueous extract produced a partially reversible paralysis of w.w preparation. Lesser concentration of both the extracts was required to inhibit the movements of n.m complex than the w.w. Suggesting a cuticular permeability barrier. The lethal concentration $50\;(LC_{50})$ and lethal concentration $90\;(LC_{90})$ were 30 and 55 ng/ml for aqueous and 45 and 60 ng/ml for alcoholic extracts respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.938-945
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• 2018

Salinity stress is an important environmental problem that adversely affects crop production by reducing plant growth. The impacts of rhizobacterial strains to alleviate salinity stress on the germination of Lactuca sativa and Raphanus sativus seeds were assessed using different concentrations of NaCl. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains were also examined to improve the early germination of Chinese cabbage seeds under normal conditions. Lactobacillus sp. and P. putida inoculation showed higher radicle lengths compared with non-inoculated radish (Raphanus sativus) seeds. LAP mix inoculation increased the radicle length of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seedlings by 2.0 and 0.5 cm at salinity stress of 50 and 100 mM NaCl concentration, respectively. Inoculation by Azotobacter chroococcum significantly increased the plumule and radicle lengths of germinated seeds compared with non-inoculated control. A. chroococcum increased the radicle length relative to the uninoculated seeds by 4.0, 1.0, and 1.5 cm at 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl concentration, respectively. LAP mix inoculation significantly improved the radicle length in germinated radish seeds by 7.5, 1.3, 1.2, and 0.6 cm under salinity stress of 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl concentration, respectively. These results of this study showed that PGPR could be helpful to mitigate the salinity stress of different plants at the time of germination.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2017

Objectives: Aging is an unconscious and gradual process that can lead to changes in biological systems. Induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity are involved in the aging process. Regarding the antioxidant property of black seed oil, the aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-aging effect of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) oil on d-galactose-induced aging in mice. Methods: For induction of aging, D-galactose (500 mg/kg, subcoutaneously SC) was administrated to male mice for 42 days. Animals were treated with D-galactose alone or with b lack seed oil (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 mL/kg, intraperitoneally (ip)). Additionally, vitamin E (200 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. At the end of treatment, the malondialdehyde (MDA) and the glutathione (GSH) contents in brain and liver tissues were measured. Also, enzymes in serum, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT), were determined. The levels of the proteins Bax, Bcl2, caspase-3 (pro and cleaved) in brain and liver tissues were evaluated. Results: Administration of D-galactose (500 mg/kg, SC) for 42 days increased serum levels of ALT and AST, as well as the MDA content, in brain and liver tissues, but decreased the GSH content. Additionally, the levels of apoptotic proteins, including Bax, procaspase-3 and caspase-3 cleaved, were markedly increased. N. sativa oil (0.1 and 0.2 mL/kg) diminished the levels of the biochemical markers ALT and AST. Administration of black seed oil (0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 mL/kg) reduced lipid peroxidation and at doses 0.1 and 0.2 mL/kg significantly recovered the GSH content. The oil decreased Bax/Bcl2 levels and at 0.1 mL/kg down-regulated the expressions of caspase-3 (pro and cleaved) proteins in brain and liver tissues. Conclusion: Through its antioxidant and anti-apoptosis properties, black seed oil exhibited an anti-aging effect in a model of aging induced with D-galactose.