Annual Report 1999-2000

Autonomous Institutions

Agharkar Research Institute, Pune

The Institute is engaged in basic and applied research in biological sciences, with special emphasis on (a) microbial technology for industrial effluents, (b) fermentation of compounds of interest to industry, (c) plant biodiversity, conservation and medicobotany, (d) fungal taxonomy, (e) crop improvement, (g) human nutrition and development, (h) animal developmental biology, (i) organic synthesis of chemicals for insect control and (j) palaeo-environmental studies using fossil plants and animals. These activities form the research programme in the three areas, viz. Microbial, Plant and Animal Sciences.

In the Microbial Sciences, new applications of metal biosorption technology were identified in removing contaminated heavy metals like lead and cadmium from herbal medicine extracts and fruit juices, as well as in the removal and recovery of metal cyanide complexes from industrial wastes. Several microbial cultures were isolated from sediments of lakes, dams and creaks that can reduce metals like selenium, tellurium and manganese. A culture of Pseudomonas mendocina from MACS culture collection was found to degrade basic dyes like Basic Fuchsin and Brilliant Green, which can be used for treating waste water containing these dyes. Three bacterial cultures were identified which can detoxify ethylenethiourea, a breakdown product of fungicide Mancozeb. The role of enzyme phosphatase in microbial degradation of organophosphorus pesticides like monocrotophos and dimethoate is being investigated. Optimal cultural conditions for an anaerobic lipolytic bacterium Selenomonas lipolytica sp. nov. which degrades the saturated and nonsaturated vegetable oils were determined. Three anaerobic bacteria capable of degrading C14 to C19 alkanes were identified from Arabian sea. A novel species of Methanobrevibacter was isolated from distillery waste anaerobic digester. The fibrinolytic enzyme Actinokinase from thermophilic bacterium, Streptomyces megasporus could be used as a cheaper substitute to urokinase, if clinical studies are successful. The enzyme protease from the alkaliphilic strain Arthrobacter ramosus was characterized and has application in detergent industry. A strain of Candida pulcherrima capable of mineralizing 1,3-dinitrobenzene has been deposited in American Type Culture Collection.

In Plant Sciences, programme on biodiversity analysis and conservation of plants was continued on the underexploited plant Carissa, Medicobotanical plants like Bruhat-panchmula, Aloe and Asparagus, and the versatile socio-economic species Azadirachta (Neem). Comparative pharmacognosy of two components of Bruhut-panchmula was carried out. Seed oil content, Azadirachtin content and seed protein profiles of 80 samples of neem indicated diversity with respect to phenology, fruiting period and chemical constituents. Distribution maps of 10 less known trees are being plotted. Pharmacological evaluation of Jatropha curcus root extract revealed antidiarrhoeal activity in mice model. Seasonal variation in crude bark drugs of Alstonia scholaris, Saraca asoca and Terminalia arjuna were investigated using macroscopic and microscopic observations, physical constants and phytochemical analysis. In the studies on lichens of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, nine species of Coccocaprina from main land India and six of Pannaria from Andaman and Nicobar Islands were found to be new taxa. The lichen Bulbothrix setschwanensis has been brought into culture using in vitro methods. Rare and interesting species were identified from collections of forest fungi. Thirty-six fungal isolates of Xylariaceae were brought into culture and some of these are being studied for physiological parameters affecting biomass production and enzyme elaboration. The mushroom Hohenbuehelia atrocaerula was found to exhibit anti-nematicidal activity. The crop improvement programmes were continued on wheat, soybean and grapes. Nearly 600 quintals breeder seed of soybean and wheat varieties was supplied on the Government of India demand. Soybean varieties developed at this Institute and the wheat variety MACS 2496 continue to be in great demand among the farmers, as evidenced by the indent for seed. Two durum wheat varieties MACS 3075 and MACS 3125 have been considered for final year's testing in All India coordinated trials, before they are considered for release for cultivation. Grape hybrids have been evaluated for disease resistance and fruit quality and the promising hybrids were supplied for multi-location testing. Rootstocks like Digraset and Berlanderi riparia were confirmed for their drought resistance. In plant molecular biology, efforts are underway to identify molecular markers for wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr30, using microsatellite markers. Markers are also being identified for durum wheat grain quality characters like grain weight and b -carotene content. The grape germplasm is being screened by RAPD and microsatellites in an effort to identify polymorphic markers, which could be used for finger printing of Indian grape germplasm.

In Animal Sciences, activity related to studies on the human adolescent growth, maternal nutrition and birth outcome revealed interesting results, which have a bearing on public health programmes. Longitudinal growth data on rural adolescents showed that though under nutrition delayed the onset of adolescent spurt, the sequence of attainment of peak velocities in linear components of growth was unaltered in both males and females. The under nutrition at 5+ year had a profound effect on height at take off, height at onset of spurt and final adult size. Unlike in Western countries, it is observed that in Indian children, as the social class improves, it is the leg height and not sitting height that shows improvement. In studies on 814 rural pregnant women, milk consumption in early pregnancy and Green Leafy Vegetables (GLV) consumption in late pregnancy significantly improved the anthropometry of newborn child. A comparison of rural and urban pregnant women, clearly demonstrated the effect of nutritional status on weight gain. Protein intake throughout gestation was associated with birth weight while fat intake in early pregnancy was associated with birth lengths. Studies on the effect of under nutrition during pregnancy on development of vital organs in mice showed that while low protein diet 8 weeks before conception or during pregnancy did not affect vital organs, at 90th day the heart, liver and kidney were affected. The blood glucose and cholesterol levels were also higher in pups borne to low protein fed mothers. Statistical modeling was done to compare the dietary assessment methods and estimate relative biases and experimental error. A statistical method was developed with interval hypothesis to compare two treatments with control.

In developmental biology, studies using chick embryo are in progress, to understand neurogenesis of constituent cell types in embryonic retina. To prepare a DIG-labeled satellite DNA probe, genomic DNA of mice was used as a template for amplification with a primer in PCR and visualized by FISH technique using mouse bone marrow metaphases. It was found that the amplified DNA segment is specific to the centromeric satellite DNA region of mouse chromosomes. Post nodal (PN) pieces of chick were grafted to study the effect of activin on inducing neural tissue. The studies indicated that PN is not a good carrier of activin. Interestingly, grafting of PN induced duplication of host heart, and depended on presence of activin. In pheromone research, the activity of thioethers as repellent of honey bees was established. The alcohol extract of leaves of plant Sterculia foetida exhibited CNS depressant activity and significant dose dependent anti-inflammatory activity in mice. The chemical extracted from the crude extract was also shown to have anti-inflammatory activity. A similar study with dried rhizomes of Curcuma amada also showed anti-inflammatory activity. Studies of palaeobotanical and foraminiferal nature showed that there has been a shift of palaeoshorelines due to neotectonic activity along the Maharashtra coast. Biodiversity of living and fossil plants from the Deccan Intertrappean beds from Central India was studied. Megafloristic evidences from Anjar intertrappeans in Kutch district of Gujarat indicated near coastal, marshy habitat with humid environment during late Maastrichtian period during the K/T transition zone.

Three patents related to production of Actinokinase, Bioremediation of triphenylmethane dyes and repellent formulation for Indian honeybees were filed with provisional specifications.