Al-Kufa University Journal for Biology

The various taxonomic characters of the species of the genus Trifolium L. were studied in Iraq for the first time, a numerical taxonomic study of 28 species and varieties, including morphological and anatomical characters, pollen grains, some chemical characters, and chromosome numbers. 12 characters were selected to prepare polygonal graphs and draw them, and 60 characters were selected to determine the similarity ratios and draw the dendrogram. The results showed a clear similarity and difference in the polygonal shapes, and the similarity was clear between the studied varieties, especially the two varieties T. stellatum var. stellatum and T. stellatum var. adpressum. The similarity ratios ranged between 72% to 38%, and the high percentage was between the two varieties T. tomentosum var. tomentosum and T. tomentosum var. glabrescens, and the low percentage was recorded for the species T. subterraneum. The tree diagram showed a clear difference in the similarity ratios between the studied species, which indicates that the species of the genus are very different from each other.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of flowersof Hibiscus sabdariffa onliver and kidneyfunction in male albino rats.Thirty male albino rats were randomly divided into five groups,six rats for each group.The extract was administered orally in doses of 0 ,25, 50,100 and 200mg/kg body weight for 28days.Blood samples were taken for biochemical assaysThe result showed There was no significant difference(P< 0.05) in the liver and kidney to body weight ratio ,levels of ALP, AST, ALT, Directbilirubin, Total bilirubin,Sodium, Potassium,Calcium,Bicarbonate, Albumin, Chloride, Urea, Uric acid, creatinine and total protein of the treated rats when compared with the control.This study suggested that the aqueous extract of H. sabdariifawas nothepatoxicand nephrotoxic effects at the doses administered.

The paper deal with composition and distribution of fish in two sites from Euphrates River-middle . of Iraq between Hindiya barrage and AL-Kifll city.
The study carried out monthly sampling from Oct.2009 to Sept.2010.
A total of (1558) individuals belonging to (19) species and (5) families were collected in study periods from study sites .The results showed high number in AL-kifil site (968 fishes)more than AL-Hindia barrage.(590 fishes).Most abundance species due to the family cyprinodae (15 species) .The species recorded in study area range between rare species (Alburnus caeruleus,Mystus pelusius)and dominate species such as (Barbus luteus;Crassius auratus; Cyprinus carpio and Liza abu).The highest values of diversity corresponding to the samples from station 1. The differences in the species richness , relative abundance ,and mean fish weight were also indicative of distinctive characteristics between these fish assemblages in study area.

Chicken meat and its derivatives are among the foodstuffs considered by environmental health authorities to present the highest risks to the public.
A total of 50 samples were collected from different chicken cleaning machines, and tested for the present of Salmonella.
Environmental was carried out in Kauffman’s tetrathionate broth and isolation on Salmonella – Shigella agar, Brilliant – green agar and (15 ) isolates were classified as Salmonella and this isolation pattern of contamination suggests a problem in transfer of Salmonella from chicken meat to the public.

One hundred of bacterial isolates, were identified as a CoNS represented by 53% S. haemolyticus, 26% S. epidermidis and 21% S. hominis. the results showed that only 93% of isolates were phenotypically biofilm formation in Christensen tube and TS-Congo red agar methods, PCR technique revealed that 93% of CoNS isolates carried aap gene and 98% of isolates were expressed icaA and icaD genes.