Arshad Javid

The diet of Indian flying-foxes (Pteropus giganteus) in urban habitats of Pakistan

We studied the diet of the Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) in Pakistan from March 2008 to February 2009 and found that the bats fed on 20 species belonging to 11 plant families. Of these, four families (Anacardiaceae, Bignonaceae, Malvaceae, and Sapotaceae) were identified from remnants of flower petals in food boluses while the remaining families (Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Ebenaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae, and Sapindaceae) were identified from the seeds in the boluses and from guano samples. Plants in the family Moraceae (50.7%) comprised most of the bats diet. Fruit of Ficus retusa (27.5%) and F. carica (23.0%) during winter, F. glomerata (30.9%) and F. religiosa (28.1%) during spring, Psidium guajava (19.6%), F. bengalensis (18.7%) and Diospyros peregrina (17.8%) during summer, and D. peregrina (71.9%) during autumn, were the most frequently identified items. The four seasonal diets varied significantly (&khgr;2 = 435, d.f. = 18, P < 0.01). Results confirm that the ecological services rendered by P. giganteus, such as pollination and seed dispersal, outweigh its losses, such as damage to the ripe fruit. Hence, the species should not be regarded as a pest; rather efforts should be made to ensure its conservation.

Exploited application of sulfate-reducing bacteria for concomitant treatment of metallic and non-metallic wastes: a mini review

A variety of multidimensional anthropogenic activities, especially of industrial level, are contaminating our aquatic and terrestrial environments with a variety of metallic and non-metallic pollutants. The metallic and non-metallic pollutants addressed specifically in this review are heavy metals and various compound forms of sulfates, respectively. Direct and indirect deleterious effects of the both types of pollutants to all forms of life are well-known. The treatment of such pollutants is therefore much necessary before their final discharge into the environment. This review summarizes the productive utility of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for economical and concomitant treatment of the above mentioned wastes. Utilization of agro-industrial wastes and some environmental contaminants including hydrocarbons, as economical growth substrates for SRB, is also suggested and proved efficient in this review. Mechanistically, SRB will utilize sulfates as their terminal electron acceptors during respiration while utilizing agro-industrial and/or hydrocarbon wastes as electron donors/carbon sources and generate H2S. The biogenic H2S will then react vigorously with dissolved metals present in the wastewaters thus forming metal sulfide. The metal sulfide being water insoluble and heavier than water will settle down in the water as precipitates. In this way, three types of pollutants i.e., metals, sulfates and agro-industrial and/or hydrocarbon wastes will be treated simultaneously.

Microbial production and industrial applications of keratinases: an overview

Massive production of keratinaceous byproducts in the form of agricultural and industrial wastes throughout the world necessitates its justified utilization. Chemical treatment of keratin waste is proclaimed as an eco-destructive approach by various researchers since it generates secondary pollutants. Microbial degradation of keratin waste is an emerging and eco-friendly approach and offers dual benefits, i.e., treatment of recalcitrant pollutant (keratin) and procurement of a commercially important enzyme (keratinase). This review summarizes the potential utility of some bacterial and fungal species for the production of keratinase using a variety of keratinaceous wastes as growth substrates. The application of microbial keratinases in waste management; animal feed, detergent, and fertilizer manufacturing; and leather, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries is also abridged in this review.

An extralimital record of the Egyptian tomb bat Taphozous perforatus from Pakistan

No abstract available.

Role of phytase supplementation in improving nutrient digestibility and growth performance for Labeo rohita fingerlings fed on canola meal-based diet

ABSTRACT The present feeding trial was conducted to assess the optimal level of phytase supplementation required for maximum nutrient absorption and growth performance of Labeo rohita fingerlings fed canola meal-based diet. A standard diet having 30.21% protein and an energy value of 4.26 kcalg−1 was used as reference diet. The experimental diet having similar protein and caloric density was formulated by using 70% reference diet and 30% of canola meal as test ingredient. This experimental diet was then divided into seven test diets and were supplemented by graded levels (0, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250 and 1500 FTU kg−1) of phytase enzyme. Chromic oxide was used in reference and test diets as an inert marker. Results showed that phytase supplementation at 750 FTU kg−1 level effectively increased apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein (64%), crude fat (76%) and gross energy (68%) as compared to reference and other phytase-supplemented diets. The results of present study showed increased growth and feed performance of fingerlings in response to phytase supplementation. Maximum performance was obtained by the fish fed on test diet having 750 FTU kg−1 level. It was concluded that 750 FTU kg−1 level of phytase supplementation in canola meal-based diet is sufficient for increasing nutrient digestibility and growth performance of L. rohita fingerlings.

Effect of varying stocking density of bottom feeder fish Cirrhinus mrigala and Cyprinus carpio on growth performance and fish yield in polyculture system

The present project was planned to study gradual replacement of Cirrhinus mrigala with Cyprinus carpio and its impact on pond ecosystem. A total of 900 fishes belonging to six species viz. Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypophythylmichthys molitrix and Cyprinus carpio were stocked in four earthen ponds. The dimensions of each pond were 220 × 198 × 7 feet length, breadth and depth. The stocking density in pond 1 (T1) was C. catla 150, L. rohita 200, C. mrigala 200, C. idella 150, H. molitrix 150 and C. carpio 50. The stocking density of C. mrigala and C. carpio in pond 2 (T2) was 150 and 100, in pond 3 (T3), 100 and 150 and in pond 4 (T4) it was 50 and 200, respectively while the stocking density of all the other four fish species remained constant in all the four ponds. All the fish were fed with a diet of 25.16% crude protein at 2% body weight. C. idella and C. mrigala showed maximum growth in T1, C. catla and H. molitrix in T2, L. rohita and C. carpio in T3. Maximum growth was observed in T3 followed by T4, T1 and T2. Among fish species C. idella and C. carpio showed higher growth rates than the rest of fish species. Our results reveal that in polyculture system stocking density of C. mrigala and C. carpio in a ratio of 1: 1.5 gives better results. Key words: Aquaculture, freshwater, phytoplankton, zooplankton, exotic fish.

Biphasic Treatment System for the Removal of Toxic and Hazardous Pollutants from Industrial Wastewaters

Industrial effluents carrying diverse pollutants are discharged freely into the adjacent environments and percolate to the groundwater resources. Currently, the treatment strategies also consider recycling and reuse with the energy recovery. Novel approaches to remove these pollutants include biphasic systems. Different biphasic systems including liquid-liquid two-phase partitioning and solid-liquid partitioning systems have proved successful for the cleaning of effluents containing textile dyes, heavy metals, organic contaminants, pharmaceutical ingredients and many other xenobiotic compounds. The system efficacy is based on the careful selection of the phase-forming substance/polymer as well as control and maintenance of the operational parameters including temperature, pH and hydraulic retention time. Among the biological parameters, selection of the microbes either pure cultures or mixed cultures plays a very important role for the removal of xenobiotics in biphasic systems.

Induced Magnetic Properties of BN Nanotubes by the Adsorption of First-row Adatoms : An ab initio Study

Materials Simulation Research Laboratory (MSRL), Department of Physics, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Pakistan, 60800 Department of Physics, Govt. College University Faisalabad, Pakistan Department of Basic Sciences (Physics), University of Engineering & Technology, Taxila, Pakistan State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Evaluation of Fish Health Status and Histopathology in Gills and Liver Due to Metal Contaminated Sediments Exposure

Health status of freshwater fish, Cirrhina mrigala was studied by qualitative and quantitative histopathological analysis, alterations in frequency/prevalence percentages (%) and histological alteration indices (HAI) in response to metal contaminated sediments of the River Ravi aquatic ecosystem. Histo-structures of gill and liver samples of fish were analyzed and comparison between the degree of damage of the alterations in fish organs was performed after exposure to metal contaminated sediments for 7, 14 and 28 days under semi-static water renewal bioassays. Histopathological studies revealed marked histological alterations in the gills and liver of exposed fish as compared to normal tissue structure observed in control fish. The frequency and prevalence percentages observed in 28-day exposed fish were significantly higher as compared to 7- and 14-day exposed fish. The order of frequency and prevalence percentage for gills and liver of exposed fish was as: 28-day > 14-day > 7-day. The highest prevalence percentages recorded were 83 and 80% as focal area of necrosis in gill and liver, respectively, after 28-day exposure. The lowest prevalence percentage observed in 7-day exposed Cirrhina mrigala was dilation of sinusoids (17%).

Diversity and conservation of freshwater turtles in Pakistan: a review

Abstract Broadly speaking, turtles are represented by five families, 13 genera and 15 species in Pakistan, with freshwater turtles belonging to two families, six genera and eight species. Hardshell species include b lack pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), c rowned river turtle (Hardella thurjii), b rown roofed turtle (Pangshura smithii) and Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tectum), while softshell species include Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica), Ganges softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangeticus), Indian peacock softshell turtle (Nilssonia hurum) and Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata andersonii). Major threats to turtle populations in Pakistan include weak law enforcement, illegal trade, lack of awareness about the ecological role of the taxa, fishing activities and environmental pollution. As a result, three species are particularly vulnerable, namely Geoclemys hamiltonii, Hardella thurjii and Aspideretes gangeticus whereas Chitra indica is endangered and Kachuga smithii is near threatened. For successful conservation of turtles in Pakistan, it is essential that databases on diversity, distribution and the current status of various species in the country are developed and updated. In addition, conservation campaigns must be launched to raise awareness within local communities and school children regarding the important role turtles play within ecosystems. Establishing rescue and information centres at specific sites is also an absolute must for the protection of these environmentally friendly creatures.