Growth, osmoregulation and ion accumulation in the coastal halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum under field conditions

Life cycle and population biology of a perennial halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum Willd, was studied from February 1992 to January 1993. During the 12 months, the population was exposed to great variations in soil salinity from 35 to 58 ms/cm2 and soil moisture ranging from flood to drought levels. Seasonal changes in dry weight are directly related to soil salinity stress. When salinity levels become low, the dry matter production increases. A little increase in dry weight from April to July indicates that more negative soil water potentials were limiting plant growth. Proline content increased considerably during the dry season with a corresponding increase in salinity. Water soluble oxalate did not vary much with changes in salinity.

Marine bacteria as indicators of upwelling in the Sea

The “oxidase reaction” (using p-amino-dimethyl-aniline oxalate as the reagent) has been used to distinguish oxidase-negative from oxidase-positive bacteria from the sea, when grown on membrane filters. By this means, it has been shown (a) that under conditions of stable stratification of the sea as in the tropics, a relationship exists between the percentage incidence of oxidase negative bacteria in the flora and the depth of the water; (b) that the maximum value for this percentage incidence (100) is reached at or immediately below the upper limit of the oxygen minimum layer; (c) that this percentage value (expressed as Oxⁿvalues) may be used to demonstrate the movements of water masses during upwelling. Such upwelling as indicated by theoretical findings and by temperature determinations along two transects off the west coast of Ceylon during the north east monsoon, has been confirmed by the distribution of Oxⁿvalues at these transects.

Denaturation of Labeo rohita (rohu) actomyosin on frozen storage: preventive effect of dicarboxylic acids

The preventive effect of fumarate, maleate, tartrate and oxalate on the denaturation of frozen rohu actomyosin at -20°C in 0.7 M KCl for 7 weeks was examined using an in vitro test model. The rate of denaturation was followed by estimating percentage salt extractability, Ca²+ ATP-ase activity and the clearing response test. Fumarate, maleate and tartrate showed cryoprotective effect for higher concentration of pre-rigor rohu actomyosin of 10 mg/ml and 20 mg/ml. At actomyosin concentration of 6 mg/ml, maleate and tartrate showed some preventive effect whereas fumarate enhanced denaturation. Oxalate showed poor cryoprotective action. Post-rigor rohu actomyosin was preserved frozen without denaturation to a greater extent than pre-rigor actomyosin.