Invited Speakers

Abstract: Cryobiology gives new perspectives in the protection of the Wisent - European bison (Bison bonasus) which is an endangered species. Cryobiology enables the preservation of germplasm, i.e. genetic material in the form of mature and immature oocytes, spermatozoa, embryos, somatic cells, fragments of tissues, organs and blood. We collect sperm from the epididymis of wisent males and then freeze them (sperm bank). We recover ovaries from wisent females, from which we isolate oocytes and ovarian tissue for their cryopreservation (oocyte and somatic cell banks). Some isolated immature oocytes are matured in vitro and then fertilized in vitro with thawed spermatozoa to obtain embryos. The embryos are cultured in vitro to morula and blastocyst stages and then cryopreserved (embryo bank), subsequently thawed embryos are transferred to recipients to obtain offspring. Primary cell lines are derived from tissue fragments, which are frozen (cell bank). Some of these cells are thawed to obtain induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) from which gametes can potentially be obtained. Financed by the Forests Fund (Poland) - OR.271.3.10.2017.

Abstract: The antioxidant properties of the extract of saponin from Sapindus mukorossi (soapberry) was analyzed and optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). In this study, the antioxidant properties were evaluated using different antioxidant tests. There are 1,1-di-phenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, reducing power, and ferrous ion chelating. The best DPPH free radical scavenging ability was obtained in 91.56 % (X1 = 1 hour, X2 = 1:15 (w/v), X3 = 0.55 %). The effects of solid-liquid ratio (X2) and enzyme concentration (X3) on the response of percentage of free radical scavenging (Y1) was significant. The best reducing power was obtained in 0.473 Abs (X1 = 3 hour, X2 = 1:10 (w/v), X3 = 0.1 %). The effects of solid-liquid ratio (X2) on the response of amount of reducing power (Y2) was significant. The best ferrous ion chelating ability was obtained in 49.63 % (X1 = 1 hour, X2 = 1:10 (w/v), X3 = 1 %). The effects of time (X1) and solid-liquid ratio (X2) on the response of percentage of ferrous ion chelating ability (Y3) was significant. The extract of saponin from Sapindus mukorossi shows excellent in antioxidant capacity based on reducing power and scavenging free radicals activity, but it is relatively weak in ferrous ion chelating.

Abstract: In cereals, haploid or diploid embryo structures are suitable organisations in practice for amelioration or storage of genotypes or some other biotechnologies (Savaskan 2017). It is possible to reveal of variation as different genotypes from heterozygote or landraces after making homozygote of recessive alleles by doubling of chromosomes using embryo rescue. In these genotypes, characters can be evaluated as qualitative or quantitatively, for instance; dark purple coleoptile could be observed in some doubled haploid (DH) genotypes. The amount of chlorophyl (a/b) and carotenoid have been evaluated in young leafs in DH-6 and DH-8 and some other durum wheat genotypes, while investigating their tolerances to salinity in laboratory conditions (Duran et al, 2010). Colour of grains (amount of carotenoid in harvested grains) in durum genotypes have also been evaluated with field experiment conditions in three different locations of Anatolia and also correlation (r ) has been identified with other grain characters related with agronomical values (Savaskan et al 2003). Here it is possible to determine the rate into correlation (path) of characters and direct and indirect effects of each other. Naturally, the relationships between amount of chlorophyl in young leafs and carotenoid in harvested grains and also harvest index (HI) of genotypes will be able to be interesting subjects to discuss.

Abstract: The ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a hemibiotrophic pathogen that causes rice blast disease. M. oryzae infects rice leaves, stems and panicles, and induces severe reductions in yield. Effector proteins secreted by M. oryzae in planta are thought to be involved its virulence activity. Here, using RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), we generated transcriptome data for M. oryzae isolate Ina168 during the initial stages of infection. We prepared samples from conidia (the inoculum) and from peeled epidermal cotyledon tissue of susceptible barley Hordeum vulgare ‘Nigrate’ at 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi). We also generated a draft genome sequence of M. oryzae isolate Ina168 and used it as a reference for mapping the RNA-Seq reads. Gene expression profiling across all stages of M. oryzae infection revealed 1728 putative secreted effector protein genes. We selected seven such genes that were strongly up-regulated at 12 hpi and down-regulated at 24 or 36 hpi and performed gene knockout analysis to determine their roles in pathogenicity. Knockout of MoSVP, encoding a small putative secreted protein with a hydrophobic surface binding protein A domain, resulted in a reduction in pathogenicity, suggesting that MoSVP is a novel virulence effector of M. oryzae.

Abstract: The present study was designed to explore the short-term therapeutic effect of camel milk (CM) compared to buffalo milk (BM) in Alloxan® induced diabetes in rabbits. Twenty-five female rabbits were divided into five groups (n=5); Placebo (G1), diabetic groups (Alloxan® injected intravenously) including diabetic control (G2), CM @ 40ml/kg (G3), BM@40ml/kg (G4) and glibenclamide (Glicon®) @10mg/kg (G5) orally for 59 days. Blood and serum samples were taken for hematology and biochemical analysis. Kidney and liver tissues were processed by routine paraffin technique. Histologic sections were evaluated for diabetes-induced degenerative changes and antidiabetic effect of camel and buffalo milk. Diabetes showed significant (P≤0.05) impact on all parameters observed in the present study. Camel milk significantly (P≤0.05) recovered diabetic altered hematological (RBC, MCV, Hb, MCH) and serological parameters (AST, ALT, creatinine, BUN, TPs, and TOS). Camel milk and glibenclamide therapy showed more significant (P<<0.01) reduction in blood glucose level as compared to buffalo milk. Microscopic observations demonstrated that camel milk and glibenclamide improved the altered histology of liver and kidneys towards normal. Hence the present work confirms the hypoglycemic effect of CM as well as marked improvement in kidneys and liver function,which was greater than BM fed group.The results indicate that CM have a potential therapeutic effect in the treatment of hyperglycemia and play a significant role in its management as well as reduces the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Abstract: Plants have become a great importance as the sources of medicines because of their low toxicity & cost-effectiveness. This study was designed to investigate anti-hyperglycemic & anti-hyperlipidemic effect of methanol and acetone extracts of Brassica rapa L. leaves in diabetic and hperlipidemic mice. Single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan was administered for diabetes induction and cholesterol diet was given for 15 days to induce hyperlipidemia. Nine groups comprising five mice each were used. Group A was control for both diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Group B served as diabetic control. Group C, D, and E received sitagliptin (40mg/kg orally), methanol extract (200mg/kg orally) and acetone extract (200mg/kg orally) respectively for 28 days. Group F served as hyperlipidemic control. Group G, H and I received atorvastatin (20mg/kg orally), methanol extract (200mg/kg orally) and acetone extract (200mg/kg orally) respectively for 35 days. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured at 1st, 14th and 28th day by using glucometer. Blood cholesterol levels were measured at 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th day by using cholesterol meter. One-way ANOVA with turkey-kramer multiple comparison test was used. All treated groups in a dose dependent manner exhibited significant decline in blood glucose & cholesterol levels (p<0.05

Abstract: Intensification and diversification of the aquaculture practices made an opening to the emergence of new viral diseases daunting the farmers to achieve a sustained production. Viruses are obligatory parasites abundant in the aquatic environments and are being introduced in the sector directly or indirectly. Infectious Myonecrosis Virus (IMNV) is an emerging shrimp RNA virus causing the disease, infectious myonecrosis (IMN). The disease was reported first from Brazil and currently the geographical locations of infection span in Brazil and Indonesia. Research are centered on the viral pathogenesis, viral entry, disease prevention and epidemiology, diagnostics and molecular pathology. The recent developments in the synthetic and molecular biology techniques have paved way to explore IMNV at its molecular levels, yet further research has to be conducted to fully understand the virus as well as diagnostics of the disease with cause. This review covers all the aspects of the virus, IMNV and the disease IMN, research developments and emphasizes on the current progress and the future prospects of the research in control and prevention strategies.

Abstract: A wide variety of organic or inorganic compounds can cause the pollution of aquatic bodies and microorganisms often play a major role in determining the extent of this pollution. The river Buriganga is found to be Dhaka’s main outlet of sewage waste. The residential and commercial establishments along the river cause discharge of wastewater either directly into the river or into drains and canals which subsequently find their way into the river. So, investigation of water quality of river to mitigate the problems is an utmost need. The present project has been undertaken for determination of seasonal changes in the water quality parameters and application of bioremediation for improvement the quality of water through enhancing the decomposition rate of pollutants using indigenous bacteria.

To get a fair idea about the microbial load as well as physicochemical properties of the river water samples were collected from 2 selected sites at 5 different seasons (summer, rainy, autumn, late autumn and winter). Temperature and pH of water varied 22 to 32ºC and 6.61 to 7.14, respectively, while air temperature varied between 16 and 33.5ºC. Aerobic heterotrophic plate count (HPC) showed a range of 1.0 × 105 to 20 × 105 cfu/ml in water, while, enteric and related bacterial count in 3 different media (SS agar, MacConkey agar and Cetrimide agar) showed 12 × 102 cfu/ml to uncountable, 3 × 102 to 19 × 102 cfu/ml, and 0-14 cfu/ml in water, respectively. Chemical content like NH4+-N, NO3--N, NO2--N, and PO4- values were showed the water is polluted. Furthermore, the load of aerobic HPC and the presence and abundance of Escherichia, Proteus morganii, Plesiomonas sp., Hafnia sp. and Alcaligenes sp. in the water clearly showed significant level of microbial pollution in the river.

To enhance heterotrophic activities after decomposing organic matter in the polluted river water, three promising bacterial strains isolated from the study site were introduced into the experimental system. Addition of strains Chryseobacterium arthroshpaerae strain: FDAARGOS 519, Bacillus subtilis strain: E20, and Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis strain: 168 stimulated net regeneration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) in the sample water collected in June 2019 by approximately 50%. Same exponential trends were also seen with the samples collected in October 2019. These results suggest that the application of such effective bacteria as described here would be promising for the stimulation of heterotrophic activities in the field of polluted environments.

Abstract: Copper (Cu) is a vital micronutrient that acts as a double-edged sword in living beings because it is an essential redox-active cofactor in biological processes but is toxic when in excess. Plants are also sensitive to Cu availability, whose unbalance leads to yield reduction and, in extreme cases, to total crop failure. Since plant nutritional deficiencies or excesses are often transferred to consumers and may ultimately affect human health, we aim to decipher the regulatory mechanisms underlying Cu uptake and distribution in tomato, one of the most important horticultural crops worldwide. Six COPT members (SlCOPT1-6) were found within the Solanum lycopersicum genome (iTAG2.4). In silico analyses indicate that most of the identified proteins have two major transmembrane domains and three beta-sheets in their structure. In addition, all but SlCOPT4 include the Cu-binding domain and the upstream methionine residues necessary for their functionality. Promoter analyses suggest that SlCOPTs might be regulated by Cu and iron availability, biotic and abiotic stresses, tissue specificities and hormonal signals. Expression data reveal that only SlCOPT1, SlCOPT2 and SlCOPT5 are expressed in fruit. While SlCOPT1 and SlCOPT5 are induced early during fruit development and mainly in locular tissue and vasculature, respectively, SlCOPT2 is expressed in later stages of fruit ripening and focused in seed and columella tissues. Protein interaction analyses point a link between SlCOPTs and well-known Cu homeostasis components, the peroxisomal system, other metals transporters and signaling transduction cascades involving protein kinases and phosphatases. Our work provides a first approach to unravel the molecular mechanisms of how Cu availability during preharvest can affect the nutritional value of horticultural products. This knowledge will help to develop biotechnological tools to minimize the use of Cu-based fertilizers and pesticides, to be used for phytoremediation in contaminated environments, and to grow more safety and sustainable food.

Abstract: Forests play an important role in regulating the carbon (C) cycle. The main objective of this study was to quantify the effects of South Korean national reforestation programs on carbon budgets. We estimated the changes in C stocks and annual C sequestration in the years 1961-2014 using Korea-specific models, a forest cover map (FCM), national forest inventory (NFI) data, and climate data. Furthermore, we examined the differences in C budgets between Cool forests (forests at elevations above 700 m) and forests in lower-altitude areas. Simulations including the effects of climate conditions on forest dynamics showed that the C stocks of the total forest area increased from 6.65 Tg C in 1961 to 476.21 Tg C in 2014. The model developed here showed a high degree of spatiotemporal reliability. The mean C stocks of the Cool forests and other forests increased from 4.03 and 0.43 Mg C ha-1, respectively, to 102.43 and 73.76 Mg C ha-1 at a rate of 1.82 and 1.36 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 during the same period. These results imply that, although the total Cool forest area of South Korea occupied only about 12.3% (772,788 ha) of the total forest area, the Cool forests play important roles in C balances and forest ecosystems in South Korea. Annual C sequestration totals are projected to decrease at a low rate in the near future because the overall growth rate of a mature forest decreases as the stand ages. Our results quantified forest C dynamics in South Korean forests before and after national reforestation programs. Furthermore, our results can help in development of regional and national forest management strategies to allow for sustainable development of society and to cope with climate change in South Korea. © 2019 by the author.

Abstract: Human (Homo sapiens L.) population density on the habitable land area of our planet is estimated to be 122.21 ind km-2. Men use resources of habitable lands for their colonisation, agriculture, industrialisation, habitat building, resource extraction and for a number of other purposes. As a result our natural resources are dwindling. Mangrove, a forest resource has been existing on earth since 7000 years and are utilised by men strongly. It is composed of a specialised biodiversity having adaptive features suitable to colonize in estuaries, and shallow zones where rivers meet oceans. World’s mangrove forests occupy 180,000 km2 and are distributed along 16ºC winter isotherms. Of the whole forest area, ~58% belongs to 8 countries. These are Indonesia (23.5%), Brazil (7.3%), Australia (6.3%), Nigeria (5.8%), Cuba (4.3%), India (3.7%), Malaysia (3.2%) and Bangladesh (3.2%). However, worlds single largest unit of mangrove forest (Area,10000 km2) known as Sundarbans is situated in the greater Gangetic delta Bangladesh (6000 km2) and West Bengal, India (4000 km2). The Sundarban forest lies in between 21º31’ and 22º30’ N and 89º and 90º E and it has been declared as UNESCO world heritage site. The dominant plants are Heritiera fomes and Excoecaria agallocha contributing 29.7% of Sundarbans. Endangered Panthera tigris and spotted deer and Crocodylus porosus are common. Nearly 31,762 mt Nypa fruticans, 66,578 pieces of Ceriops decandra, 233 mt honey, 3485 mt fish and many other products are extracted from the Sundarbans annually. About 150037 tourists visit every year. The forest supports the livelihood of ~300,000 - 600,000 peoples for half a year period. Mangrove holds the most C rich biomass (937 mt/ha) of the world with a C sequestration rate 13.5 Gt y-1. Via mangrove forest, ca 174 gC m-2 y-1 are buried underneath soil. In the forest ecosystems, 33.63-81.25% decrease in the C-pool occurs after 10 years of deforestation. Overexploitation, navigation increase, unusual sedimentation, sea level rise, freshwater abstraction from upstream, salinity increase, top dying disease, etc. are the identified reasons for the destruction of world’s mangrove forests. Forest management with adequate afforestation programs are suggested to protect the mangrove forests of the world.