Journal of Biotechnology Research Center

Nodal explants of difficult-to-root Gordal olive were cultured on half-strength OM medium after surface sterilization with 15% NaOCl for 20 minutes. The in vitro-proliferated shoots were then submitted for 25 days to rooting trials including various concentrations of NAA and IBA and different half-strength rooting media as well.
Among the media tested during rooting stage, highest rooting percentage 62% found in both OM and MS half-strength media when both the growth substances were used, and 87.5 and 90% gained when IBA and NAA were added to the rooting media at 2 Mg/L each, respectively.
Highest number of roots 1.85 and highest root length 3.09 mm obtained with half-strength MS and OM media respectively, when IBA was used with these media. And IBA at 2 Mg/L in the rooting media gave the highest number of roots 2.5 with 4.13 mm length.
However, 2 Mg/L NAAin the rooting media gave 1.94 number of roots with length of 3.88 mm, while number of roots 1.38 with 2.79 length obtained with half- strength OM media when NAA was used in the rooting media .It is therefore concluded that best medium for in vitro rooting of Gordal microcuttings is half- strength OM supplemented with 2 mg/L of IBA.

Abstract:
Tips of sprouts (0.3–0.5 mm) of Desiree potato sterilized and cultured on proliferation media. The cultures were incubated for 35 days at 16 hours photoperiod at 25 ± 2 º C under 1000 loux light intensity. In vitro – proliferated shoot were cut at 1-2 cm into three types of microcuttings (i.e. apical, subapical and basal) and cultured onto MS media supplimented with 10% sucrose for microtuberization. Activated Charcoal treatments 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 gm /l were added to the microtuberization media .The weight, size and eyes number cultured of microtubers were significantly increased when basal microcuttings cultured on microtuberization media supplimented with 3gm /l charcoal while 2gm/l charcoal with the subapical cuttings resulted in high proliferation rate.

Abstract
The aim of this study was to detect the efficacy of some plant extracts in protection of liver cells from toxic effects of anti-cancer drug Methotrexate by using metabolizing enzymes glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruric transinase (GPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as parameters. Aquatic and alcohclic extracts were prepared from the Seeds of Nigella sativa, (Citrus aurntifolia) and cardamom (Elptteria cardamam ), for each extract, four gradually increased doses were evaluated for their toxicity. Dose with no effect was selected for further investigation. Drug-plant extract interaction was conducted using white mice musculus Balb/c strain. The animals were divided into three groups: negative controls (buffer), positive control (drug) and interaction group (drug & plant extract). The results showed that the dose 200 mg/kg, bw of N. sativa seeds extract and citrus fruit extract, as well as 50 mg/kg of cardamom extract induced non significant reduction in activity of GOT, GPT and ALP. However, MTX at dose of 3.25 mg/kg caused a significant (P< 0.01) reduction in those enzymes. Interaction between the selected doses of drug and plant extract, before and after drug treatments, was conducted. Significant reduction of drug effects on GPT, GOT and ALP was noticed when N. sativa and cardamom extracts were given for 7 days before drug treatments. Citrus fruit and aquatic extract of cardamom were negative in such experiment. Patient on treatment with MTX should be checked for liver function test and these plants might protect him.

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the potency of aquatic & alcoholic extracts of the leaves of Urtica pilulifera plant against mutagenecity of Mitomycine C (MMC) drug in mice.
The genotoxic effects of three different concentrations 0.01, 0.1 & 0.5 mg/kg from aqueous or ethanolic extract were tested in mice. 0.01 mg/kg bw from either types of extracts were selected as non-genotoxic in comparison to control. Drug-plant extract interaction was tested using mitotic index & Chromosomal aberrations as bioindicators for detection of the potency of the plant extract in reduction of MMC-induction of cytogenetic effects. Two types of treatments were followed, either plant extracts were given before (2, 4, 6) days, or after (2, 4, 6) days, of treatment with MMC. The results revealed that 0.2 mg/kg of MMC significantly inhibited bone marrow cell division and increased the spontaneous levels of chromosomal aberration up to 20 times. Treatment of mice with aqueous or alcoholoic leaf-extract reduced significantly (p < 0.01) the genotoxic effects of MMC. This reduction was more pronounced in animals which were given the extract after treatment with MMC comparing to its treatment before the MMC exposure. These results indicated that Utrtica pilulifera leaves extract behave as bio-anti mutagen first degree and acting indirectly in the 2nd degree.

Abstract
Seeds of four tomato hybrids Ginan, Nirtia, Speedy and Rola were cultured on aseptic germination medium after surface sterilization with NaOCl. Shoot tips 1cm length were dissected and grown on MS medium supplemented with Benzyl adenine (BA) and Indole acetic acid (IAA) for multiplication. Callus was induced on hypocotyls cultured on MS medium supplemented with BA under light intensity of 1000 lux and 25 0C. Results showed that NaOCl at 4% completely disinfected seeds and resulted in pathogen free seedlings.
Results also showed that a concentration of 4 mg/l of BA was superior in increasing callus fresh and dry weights. Shoot multiplication was achieved on the same medium supplemented with 2 and 0.8 mg/l of BA and IAA respectively.

Absrtract
Forty five fungal isolates belong to different species were tested for their ability to produce lipase, one of these isolates was selected as the best lipase producer. It was identified as a strain of Aspergillus oryzae (T4).
The optimum conditions for the production of lipase by solid–state fermentation included culturing of the fungus on cotton seed meal hydrated with 1% ammonium sulfate and1% olive oil, pH 7.0 with 1:2 (w/v) hydration ratio incubated at 30˚C for 7 days .The best extraction solution for the enzyme was 0.2 M phosphate buffer pH 7.0, the productivity reached 2U/g dry weight under these conditions.

Abstract
Ethyl acetate extracts of fermentation cultures of five local Streptomyces isolates SRY-3, SRY-25, 5b, 10, NS-38 were identified as inhibitors of plasmacytoma cell line. Concentration at 0.016 µg/ml of ethyl acetate extract of (SRY-3,SRY-25,5b,10,NS-38) inhibited (46%,40%,21%,34%,34%) of mouse plasmacytoma cells respectively, where as 0.5 µg/ml inhibited (58%, 55%, 35%, 33%, 36%) of plasmacytoma cells .
Quantities analysis of crude extracts by using HPLC on the basis of their retention times showed that the values were (4.3,4.4,4.86,4.83&4.84) min. for SRY-3, SRY-25, 5b, 10,NS-38 respectively, while the retention time of standard antitumor compounds was (4.26) min. This suggests that unknown compound of SRY-3 extract contain bleomycin-like compound. Addition of standard bleomycin to crude extract of SRY-3 increased milliabsorbans unit (M.A.U.) from 0.49 to 1.4. The concentration of bleomycin-like antitumor in fermentation broth of SRY-3 isolate was 3.441 µg/ml.
The five Streptomyces isolates have moderate activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, while standard BLM have no activity.

Abstract.
This study emphasized on the detection and identification of silymarin (Silybinin) Flavonoid in a newly studied, wild Iraqi plant, named Echinopus tenuisectus of Compositae family. The medicinal importance of silymarin on the one hand, and the absence of any phytochemical investigation on tenuisectus specie of Echinopus genus on the other hand, acquired this study its importance. Silymarin was identified in the plant extract of both, the aerial part’s and the seed’s extracts, by two chromatographic methods, first Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) using TLC ready made Gf254 plates, UV detector at 254 nm, and three different solvent systems in which the Rf value of the standard silymarin matched with the Rf value of the plant extract silymarin. HPLC was the other chromatographic method that proved the presence of silymarin in the plant extract by identical retention times. The result indicated that the silymarin content in the seed extract was higher than that in the plant extract of the aerial parts.

Abstract
The aqueous extract (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) of nut grass (Cyperus rotundus L.) rhizomes was evaluated orally in albino male mice using some haematological (total leucocyte count) and cytogenetic (mitotic index, micronucleus formation and chromosomal aberrations of bone marrow cells) parameters. The extract interaction with the mutagen mitomycin C (MMC) was also evaluated through two types of treatments (pre- and post-treatments). The results revealed that the dose 15 mg/kg of the extract significantly increased the total count of leucocytes (7634.4 vs. 6783.3 cells/cu.mm. blood), while the mitotic index showed no significant differences, as compared to negative controls. However, the spontaneous formation of micronuclei in the bone marrow cells was significantly decreased in the three investigated doses of the extract (0.30, 0.32 and 0.29, respectively vs. 0.62%), while the chromosomal assay showed similar frequencies in the negative control and nut grass-treated animals. With respect to the interaction with MMC, the pre-treatment (15 mg/kg) enhanced the leucocyte count (10358.6 vs. 3800.2 cells/cu.mm.blood) and mitotic index (11.9 vs. 6.5%), and a similar picture was drawn when the pos-treatment was considered (8884.2 vs. 4292.7 cells/cu.mm.blood; 14.6 vs. 7.6%). However, the doses 5 and 10 mg/kg of the plant extract were much more effective in reducing the MMC-induced micronucleus formation in both types of treatments especially the dose 5 mg/kg (pre-treatment: 4.24 vs. 16.29%; post-treatment: 3.79 vs. 14.34%). With respect to chromosomal aberration assay, the dose 15 mg/kg of the extract was the most effective dose in reducing the MMC-induced aberrations, but the post-treatment was better than pre-treatment in this respect (0.29 vs. 0.79 aberration/cell).

Abstract
In this study, 11 local Streptomyces isolates were studied for 55 criteria that they possessed which included morphological, and biochemical one. Using clustering algorithm we found that these isolates are lying in 3 major clusters and they construct 10 minor clusters according to their genetic distance. We were able to conclude that these isolates were driven from two common ancestors that possessed the longest genetic distance between them. Using proposal published by Williams et al, 1981, we were able to classify these isolates into 4 major species groups which are S. rochei, S. diataticus, S. chromofucud, and S. atroolivaceus. Only two of the 11 isolates were not classified to a major species group since they did not match the criteria given by Williams et al., 1981 that required further investigation.

Abstract
In this study, 11 local Streptomyces isolates were studied for 55 criteria that they possessed which included morphological, and biochemical one. Using clustering algorithm we found that these isolates are lying in 3 major clusters and they construct 10 minor clusters according to their genetic distance. We were able to conclude that these isolates were driven from two common ancestors that possessed the longest genetic distance between them. Using proposal published by Williams et al, 1981, we were able to classify these isolates into 4 major species groups which are S. rochei, S. diataticus, S. chromofucud, and S. atroolivaceus. Only two of the 11 isolates were not classified to a major species group since they did not match the criteria given by Williams et al., 1981 that required further investigation.

Abstract
In this study, 11 local Streptomyces isolates were studied for 55 criteria that they possessed which included morphological, and biochemical one. Using clustering algorithm we found that these isolates are lying in 3 major clusters and they construct 10 minor clusters according to their genetic distance. We were able to conclude that these isolates were driven from two common ancestors that possessed the longest genetic distance between them. Using proposal published by Williams et al, 1981, we were able to classify these isolates into 4 major species groups which are S. rochei, S. diataticus, S. chromofucud, and S. atroolivaceus. Only two of the 11 isolates were not classified to a major species group since they did not match the criteria given by Williams et al., 1981 that required further investigation.

Abstract
In this study, 11 local Streptomyces isolates were studied for 55 criteria that they possessed which included morphological, and biochemical one. Using clustering algorithm we found that these isolates are lying in 3 major clusters and they construct 10 minor clusters according to their genetic distance. We were able to conclude that these isolates were driven from two common ancestors that possessed the longest genetic distance between them. Using proposal published by Williams et al, 1981, we were able to classify these isolates into 4 major species groups which are S. rochei, S. diataticus, S. chromofucud, and S. atroolivaceus. Only two of the 11 isolates were not classified to a major species group since they did not match the criteria given by Williams et al., 1981 that required further investigation.