Title : Isolation and functional properties of biomolecules of plants and its application
Abstract:
The biodiversity of the North-East is very rich with 50% of the country’s flora and fauna and includes wild relatives of 132 identified and economically important species besides a large number of primitive plants and animals. Large number of biologically important molecules could be harvested from plants and used against various types of insect pests, disease and for other useful properties. Some of the ? plant based molecules isolated , ? and their functional properties against various types of diseases in plants and insects were discussed in this presentation. Fusarium wilt of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is among one of the serious diseases. It causes vascular wilts by infecting plants through the roots and growing internally and in severe cases blocks the vascular bundles. The fungus can be soil borne, airborne or carried in plant residue and can be recovered from any part of the plant from the deepest root to the highest flower. Fusarium wilt pathogens were isolated from vascular sections of diseased tomato plants collected from different parts of Assam. Using the universal primers ITS1 and ITS4, amplification was done for the 18SrRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2 and partial 28SrRNA region. RAPD was also carried out to study the diversity of these isolates. A total of 40 random 10 mer primers were screened for RAPD study. Dendrogram was constructed based on the banding patterns of all the isolates under study. Further, we have developed a SCAR marker. This can help in the detection of pathogenic isolates of Fusarium wilt causing pathogens of tomato from the non-pathogenic ones and other soil borne fungi. Crude chloroform extract of Piper betle L. was used for control of Fusarium wilt in tomato. This extract was observed to be efficient in reducing Fusarium population in soil as compared to that of carbendazim. Fusarium wilt control studies were carried out in a greenhouse. A comparative study on the antimicrobial properties of plant extracts obtained by different methods was also performed in order to choose the most efficient -antimicrobial compounds for in vitro control of the bacteria. Chebulic myrobalan ( Terminalia) and Garlic extract was found to be effective in controlling the disease and to enhance the silk production in silkworm. The treatment of T. chebula on ?food plants of muga silkworm has an indirect or direct impact on the growth of silkworm that ultimately affects the quality and quantity of the silk produced. This plant based extract is called “ Muga –Heal” is found to be helpful at the field level for the muga farmers to control the most dreaded disease “ Flacherie “, and to enhance the silk production.The medicinally important plants such as Centella asiatica, Oxalis corniculata, Leucus aspera and Murraya koenigii which are used as indigenous source of vegetables, and the presence of phytochemicals showing the antioxidants properties along with other plant based biomolecules will be presented and discussed.
