Abid A. Ansari

Eutrophication: An Ecological Vision

The present review deals with the studies conducted on the impact of phosphorus on growth of aquatic plants causing eutrophication in well-known water bodies the world over. The review covers the definition and concept of eutrophication and the adverse effects on quality and ecosystem functioning. The eutrophication of several water bodies leads to significant changes in the structure and function of the aquatic ecosystem. Several activities of human interest, including navigation and power generation, are hampered. A large number of lakes in the United States, Europe, and Asia have recently been found to be highly eutrophic. Water, the precious fluid, is not uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the earth. Most of the water bodies world over are surrounded with densely populated human settlement areas and agricultural fields. The size of smaller water bodies in human settlement areas is on the decrease with rise in population. After treatment, a large quantity of sewage from the households is regularly discharged into the water bodies. The runoff brings down fertilizers and other chemicals from agricultural fields. The phosphorus contained in these effluents is known to promote excessive growth of plants. This review is an account of the role, sources, and monitoring of phosphorus, as well as its cycle. The natural phosphorus cycle originating from the weathering of phosphate rock is now a two-way operation, due to significant addition of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources.The detergents that are the major source of phosphorus inputs into water bodies (through sewage and drainage systems) have been thoroughly discussed. The major part of detergents comprises builders containing polyphosphate salts. An environment-friendly and effective synthetic builder is yet to be developed to replace existing phosphorus containing builders of detergents. The utility of the alternative builders available has been reviewed. Nitrogen has also been reported to affect the phytoplankton production in eutrophic waters in temperate regions. Several environmental factors have also been found to add to the problem of eutrophication in addition to nutrients. Several limiting factors—namely, CO2 level, temperature, pH, light, and dissolved oxygen—are known to affect eutrophic water bodies. Eutrophication not only results in algal bloom but also affects wetland plants and activates early onset of natural succession at a relatively faster rate. Some of the plant species reported and studied world over are the best indicators of the level of eutrophication. The studies on the change in structure, function, and diversity of the ecosystem have been used as parameters to assess the level of eutrophication. In several countries adequate control measures have been adopted in to control eutrophication. But these measures were found to be only partially effective in controlling the phosphorus unloading in water bodies. In this review some control measures are suggested, with emphasis on biological control. The review concludes by taking into account the ecological prospective of the water—the precious fluid and a basis of life on the earth.

Eutrophication: causes, consequences and control

1. Eutrophication: Challenges and Solutions.- 2. Eutrophication: Global Scenario and Local Threat to Dynamics of Aquatic Ecosystems.- 3. Effects of Eutrophication.- 4. The Economics of Eutrophication.- 5. Eutrophication of Lakes.- 6. Lake Eutrophication and Plankton Food Webs.- 7. Environmental Impacts of Tourism on Lakes.- 8. Eutrophication in the Great Lakes of the Chinese Pacific Drainage Basin: Changes, Trends and Management.- 9. Photoautotrophic Productivity in Eutrophic Ecosystems.- 10. Seasonal and Spatial Nutrient Dynamics in Saronikos Gulf: The Impact of Sewage Effluents from Athens Sewage Treatment Plant.- 11. Eutrophication Impacts on Salt Marshes Natural Metal Remediation.- 12. Household Detergents Causing Eutrophication in Freshwater Ecosystems.- 13. Estimating Fish Production in the Itaipu Reservoir (Brazil): The Relationship between Fish Trophic Guilds, Limnology and Application of Morphoedaphic Index.- 14. Phytoplankton Assemblages as an Indicator of Water Quality in Seven Temperate Estuarine Lakes in South-East Australia.- 15. Biogeochemical Indicators of Nutrient Enrichments in Wetlands: The Microbial Response as a Sensitive Indicator of Wetland Eutrophication.- 16. Task of Mineral Nutrients in Eutrophication.- 17. Phytoremediation Systems for the Recovery of Nutrients from Eutrophic Waters.- 18. Ultra Violet Radiation and Bromide as Limiting Factors in Eutrophication Processes in Semi-Arid Climate Zones.

Phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) leaves.

The phytochemical, antioxidant and mineral composition of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Cichorium intybus L., was determined. The leaves were found to possess comparatively higher values of total flavonoids, total phenolic acids. The phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, in the leaves of the plant. The leaf extract was found to show comparatively low value of IC50 for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition. The IC50 value of chicory leaves extract was found to be 67.2 ± 2.6 μg/ml. The extracts were found to contain high amount of mineral elements especially Mg and Zn. Due to good phytochemical and antioxidant composition, C. intybus L., leaves would be an important candidate in pharmaceutical formulations and play an important role in improving the human health by participating in the antioxidant defense system against free radical generation.

Role of DNA barcoding in marine biodiversity assessment and conservation: An update.

More than two third area of our planet is covered by oceans and assessment of marine biodiversity is a challenging task. With the increasing global population, there is a tendency to exploit marine resources for food, energy and other requirements. This puts pressure on the fragile marine environment and necessitates sustainable conservation efforts. Marine species identification using traditional taxonomical methods is often burdened with taxonomic controversies. Here we discuss the comparatively new concept of DNA barcoding and its significance in marine perspective. This molecular technique can be useful in the assessment of cryptic species which is widespread in marine environment and linking the different life cycle stages to the adult which is difficult to accomplish in the marine ecosystem. Other advantages of DNA barcoding include authentication and safety assessment of seafood, wildlife forensics, conservation genetics and detection of invasive alien species (IAS). Global DNA barcoding efforts in the marine habitat include MarBOL, CeDAMar, CMarZ, SHARK-BOL, etc. An overview on DNA barcoding of different marine groups ranging from the microbes to mammals is revealed. In conjugation with newer and faster techniques like high-throughput sequencing, DNA barcoding can serve as an effective modern tool in marine biodiversity assessment and conservation.

Eutrophication: Threat to Aquatic Ecosystems

Eutrophication was recognized as a pollution problem in European and North American lakes and reservoirs in the mid-twentieth century. Since then, it has become more widespread. Surveys showed that most of the lakes in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa are found in eutrophic state. Eutrophication leads to significant changes in water quality. It lowers the value of surface waters for the industrial and recreational uses. The overpopulation of algae makes water unfit for swimming. The algae growing in long strands often twine around boat propellers and make boating difficult. Eutrophic waters tend to be scummy, cloudy, or even soupy green. The rapidly growing aquatic plants may wash onto the shores in storms or high winds, where these plants die, decay, and produce a bad smell all around such water bodies. The eutrophication in an aquatic ecosystem also causes significant changes in biodiversity. The eutrophication causes an increase in plant and animal biomass, frequency of algal blooms, growth of rooted plants, and decreases the species diversity. Due to eutrophication, an increase in turbidity and anoxic conditions occurs. Because of the high density of aquatic organisms in a eutrophic system, there is often a lot of competition for resources. This high degree of competition and high chemical or physical stress make the struggle for the survival in eutrophic systems higher. As a result the diversity of organisms is lower in eutrophic than in oligotrophic systems.

Aquatic Plant Diversity in Eutrophic Ecosystems

The chapter contains studies conducted on the impact of eutrophication on aquatic plant diversity. It covers the concept of eutrophication, its causes and effects on plant diversity within an aquatic ecosystem. A decrease in species diversity and disappearance of aquatic plants were noted in most of the water bodies of the world as a result of eutrophication. The plant diversity in eutrophic ecosystems was studied with special reference to phytoplankton and aquatic macrophytes. Studies on wetlands in western Europe showed that the nutrient enrichment or eutrophication leads to changes in species composition, declines in overall plant species diversity, and loss of rare and uncommon species. The nutrients are the major limiting factors for the aquatic plant diversity. Various environmental factors play a significant role in determining the aquatic plant diversity in a eutrophic ecosystem. In Europe about 17 lakes underwent eutrophication and have lost all or most of their submerged species and favoured the fast growing species capable of regrowth after weeding. The eutrophication process causes succession of macrophytes with complete loss of submerged vegetation and dominance of phytoplanktons. A direct relation was found between the succession of algae and trophic level of the water body. Few studies on measurements of plant diversity such as density, frequency, abundance, and diversity indices are included in this chapter.

Assessment of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc from fly ash amended soil in mustard–aphid–beetle food chain

The present study investigates the extent of biotransfer and bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) from fly ash amended soil in mustard (Brassica juncea)-aphid (Lipaphis erysimi)-beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) food chain and its subsequent implications for the beetle. The soil was amended with fly ash at the rates of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40% (w/w). Our results showed that the uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn from soil to mustard root increased with the increase in fly ash application rates, but their root to shoot translocation was relatively restricted. Increase in chlorophyll content and dry mass of mustard plant on treatments ≥20% even at elevated accumulation of Cd (1.67mgkg-1), Pb (18.25mgkg-1) and Zn (74.45mgkg-1 dry weight) in its shoot showed relatively higher tolerance of selected mustard cultivar to heavy metal stress. The transfer coefficient (TC1) of Cd from mustard shoot to aphid was always >1, indicating that Cd biomagnified in aphids at second trophic level. But, there was no biomagnification of Cd in adult beetles at third trophic level. Zinc accumulation was 2.06 to 2.40 times more in aphids than their corresponding host shoots and 1.26-1.35 times more in adult beetles than their prey (aphids) on which they fed. Lead was only metal whose TC was <1 at both second and third trophic levels. The elimination of Cd via honeydew of aphids was most efficient as the ratio of metal in honeydew to aphid (ranging from 0.21 to 0.26) was higher than the Pb (0.16 to 0.20) and Zn (0.07 to 0.09). The statistically consistent (p>0.05) biomass and predation rate of predatory beetles indicated that all levels of soil amendments with fly ash did not have any lethal or sub-lethal effects on beetles.

Recent incidence and descriptive epidemiological survey of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To review and analyze the pattern of breast cancer (BC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A retrospective descriptive epidemiological review of BC of all diagnosed Saudi female cases from January 1990 to December 2014 was conducted at the Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, KSA. This report contains information obtained from the Saudi Cancer Registry and from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. Results: The number of women with BC increased steadily from 1990-2010. On the basis of the number of cases, the percentage distribution of BC appears to be increasing. There were 1152 female BC cases in 2008 in comparison with 1308 in 2009, and 1473 in 2010. Breast cancer ranked first among females accounting for 27.4% of all newly diagnosed female cancers (5378) in the year 2010. The average age at the diagnosis of BC was 48; weighted average was 49.8, and range 43-52. Conclusion: Among Saudi patients, there was a significant increase in the number of cases of BC, which occurs at an earlier age than in Western countries. Continued vigilance, mammographic screening, and patient education are needed to establish early diagnosis and perform optimal treatment.

Household Detergents Causing Eutrophication in Freshwater Ecosystems

In the present study, the impact of some selected household detergents has been studied on the growth behavior and development of two freshwater duckweeds, namely Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrrhiza. The growth responses of these selected free-floating duckweeds to varying concentrations of “Surf Excel” (the most commonly used detergent) have been studied with special reference to varying temperature and pH. There were three predominant types of growth pattern of both the selected duckweeds treated with 36 selected detergents. Some of the detergents increased the growth of the two duckweeds in almost logarithmic progression showing increase in growth with increasing concentration (10–50 ppm). A few detergents increased growth of both the selected duckweeds to a certain level of detergent concentration and then the growth became stationary with further increase in detergent concentration. In the third type of response, the duckweed growth initially increased in response to a certain level of detergent concentration and declined at higher detergent concentration. It was inferred from the observations that detergents play important role in promoting the growth of duckweeds. Out of 36 detergents studied, certain detergents effectively promoted the growth of duckweeds even in low concentration. Certain brands of detergents resulted in consistent increase in the growth with increasing concentration. The temperature effectively modified the duckweed response to the detergent. The cooler water medium had lesser degree of eutrophication than the moderately warm water medium. Not the phosphorus content alone, but the water quality (turbidity, pH, nutrient concentration, and dissolved oxygen) modified by the detergent aggravated the problem of eutrophication. Therefore, the water bodies receiving acids from any source in addition to detergent are more likely to show a greater degree of eutrophication than a body receiving detergent without acids.

Radiolytically degraded sodium alginate enhances plant growth, physiological activities and alkaloids production in Catharanthus roseus L.

Abstract Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. The anticancerous alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus. High demand and low yield of these alkaloids in the plant has led to explore the alternative means for their production. Gamma irradiated sodium alginate (ISA) has proved as a plant growth promoting substance for various medicinal and agricultural crops. A pot culture experiment was carried out to explore the effect of ISA on plant growth, physiological activities and production of anticancer alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) in C. roseus at 120 and 150 days after planting (DAP). Foliar application of ISA (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mgL−1) significantly improved the performance of C. roseus. 80mgL−1 of ISA enhanced the leaf-yield by 25.3 and 30.2% and the herbage-yield by 29.4 and 34.4% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control. The spray treatment of ISA at 80mgL−1 improved the yield of vinblastine by 66.7 and 71.4% and of vincristine by 67.6 and 75.6% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, in comparison to the control. As compared to control, the application of ISA at 80mgL−1 resulted in the maximum swell in the content and yield of vindoline, increasing them by 18.9 and 20.8% and by 81.8 and 87.2% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively.