Temesgen Assefa - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Temesgen Assefa

Agriculture

Plants have an inherent mechanism for perceiving drought stress and respond through a series of p... more Plants have an inherent mechanism for perceiving drought stress and respond through a series of physiological, cellular and molecular changes for maintaining physiological water balance. It has been shown that nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) can help to improve plant tolerance to water limitation by increasing the activities of the photosynthetic machinery and antioxidant enzymes. Maize is highly sensitive to drought stress, especially at the seedling stage. In this study, we used four maize genotypes (HKI-161, HKI-193-1, HQPM-1 and HQPM-7) and studied the effect of N and P application on response to drought stress and recovery at germination and seedling stage. We show that application of N and P had no effect on rate of germination but increased the seedling growth, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde levels, proline, anthocyanin content, gas exchange parameters and antioxidant enzymes (APX, CAT and GR) during drought stress. The variation in the effect was visible across genotype...

Eurasian Journal of Medical Investigation, 2020

Current Advances in the Development of Drug and Vaccine for Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment... more Current Advances in the Development of Drug and Vaccine for Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment T uberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the acid-fast bacteria bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). It affects lungs (pulmonary TB) and other sites (extra pulmonary TB). The chance of developing TB upon infection with MTB is higher among people infected with other co-epidemic disease like HIV. [1] The acute stage of MTBinfection is characterized by its rapid growth and the development of an immune response targeted to bacterial antigens secreted in the first growth phase. The vaccines developed against these acute-phase antigens can minimize the severity of the disease but it can't prevent the initiation of infection. [2] Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a mechanism for adaptation the hypoxic and hostile environment of host macrophages via undergoing a dramatic change in gene transcription and this change in gene expression make the pathogen to persist in the face of sturdy memory immune responses. [3] The regulatory proteins in the MTB genome are important for the pathogen's being able to adapt different environments during infection. In addition to adaptation, the flexibility of regulatory gene may help its ability to shift between acute progressive disease and long-lived latent infection. The burden of disease caused by MTB can be detected in terms of incidence, prevalence and mortality rate. [4]

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 2018

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites secreted by many fungal species and found in many feeds and ... more Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites secreted by many fungal species and found in many feeds and foodstuffs of especially in plants during their pre-and post-harvest, transportation, processing and storage and are detected in cereal crops. They are capable of causing disease and death in both humans and livestock and thereby induce great economic crisis. This review aims to examine the occurrence, prevention and control strategies of mycotoxins in Ethiopia; they are beneficial to the public and research institutes. Favorable environmental conditions such as temperature and prompting humidity facilitate fungal growth and mycotoxin development. Members of the fungal genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium cause frequent and problematic contamination of foods and feeds. Mycotoxin level of sample can be analyzed by sampling, preparation, extraction followed by a cleanup and detection performed by many instrumental and non-instrumental techniques; the molecular analysis is the best and promising approach. In Ethiopia, ochratoxins, fumonisins and aflatoxins frequently occur retarding crop production and livestock productivity; these in turn affect human health and income. To keep this effect dimmed, mycotoxin control and prevention mechanisms have a key role; prevention strategy weighs the overall effect. Moreover, biocontrol activities shall be strongly encouraged and focus has to be given to the aspect of mycotoxin.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular cha... more Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of plants. The response to drought in different plants may vary from avoidance, tolerance, and escape to recovery from stress. This response is genetically programmed
and regulated in a very complex yet synchronized manner. The crucial genetic regulations mediated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as game-changers in modulating the plant responses to
drought and other abiotic stresses. The ncRNAs interact with their targets to form potentially subtle regulatory networks that control multiple genes to determine the overall response of plants. Many long and small drought-responsive ncRNAs have been identified and characterized in different plant varieties. The miRNA-based research is better documented, while lncRNA and transposon-derived RNAs are relatively new, and their cellular role is beginning to be understood. In this review, we have compiled the information on the categorization of non-coding RNAs based on their biogenesis and function. We also discuss the available literature on the role of long and small non-coding RNAs in mitigating drought stress in plants.

BMC Chemistry

Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart fai... more Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart failure, diarrhea, gonorrhea, skin infections, intestinal problems and cancer. In the present work, the isolation of two novel compounds along with their antibacterial and antioxidant activities is reported for the first time. Methods Silica gel column chromatography was applied to separate constituents of the roots of C. prophetarum. The structures of isolated compounds were established using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT-135, COSY, HSQC and HMBC. Agar well diffusion, DPPH assay and ferric thiocyante methods were used for antibacterial, radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities, respectively. AutoDock Vina open source program was used for molecular docking analysis. Results Evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the constituents against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and S. thyphimurium revealed that the hexane extract were active against E. coli with IZ of 15.0 ± 1....

Dryopteris schimperiana (Dryopteridaceae) is traditionally used in folk medicine of Ethiopia agai... more Dryopteris schimperiana (Dryopteridaceae) is traditionally used in folk medicine of Ethiopia against bacteria and internal parasites. In view of its traditional use and absence of scientific reports, an attempt was made to explore the chemical constituents, antibacterial and radical scavenging activities of the solvent extracts of the root of Dryopteris schimperiana. In this regard, the root was successively extracted with n-hexane, CHCl3 and methanol to afford 5 g (2%), 2 g (0.8%) and 26.6 g (10.6%), respectively. The n-hexane and CHCl3 extracts showing similar TLC profile were mixed and fractionated over silica gel column chromatography which led to the isolation of two compounds identified as heptacosanol (1) and isorhmentin (2). The structures of the isolated compounds were accomplished using spectroscopic methods including UV-Vis, IR and NMR. To the best of our knowledge, these compounds have not been reported from the genus Dryopteries. The extracts and isolated compounds were...

Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

This study aimed to document information on the use, conservation and threats to medicinal plants... more This study aimed to document information on the use, conservation and threats to medicinal plants in Cheha district, Guraghe Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Thirty informants were randomly selected from four kebeles. Of which, 10 key informants were selected purposively by criteria of age, gender and indigenous knowledge. Ethnobotanical data was collected through semi-structured interview, guided field observation and group discussion. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed with frequency distribution, percentage and flow charts. A total of 58 medicinal plant species (17 wild, 38 home garden and 3 species from both) were recorded and a total of 37, 3 and 18 species were reported as being used to treat human, livestock and both ailments, respectively. The major habit of the medicinal plants were herbs (58.62%) followed by trees (24.13%), shrubs (10.34%), and climbers (6.89%). The most frequently harvested plant parts were leaves (36.20%) followed by seed (13.79%), fruit (12.06%) and others. Most of the remedies are prepared from single plant with various preparation methods and administered via oral, dermal, topical and nasal method. The major threats to medicinal plants in the study area are agricultural expansion, deforestation, firewood and charcoal production and over utilization, respectively. The data analysis result reveals that the community is better experiencing ex-situ conservation indigenously, but to ensure sustainability of medicinal plants; more emphasis should be given to the traditional medicine and indigenous knowledge and skill of herbalists must be encouraged, documented and supported with scientific approaches.

Journal of Nanomaterials

Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the syn... more Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the synergistic influence of phytoconstituents in green copper nanoparticles (g-Cu NPs) towards the enhancement of antimicrobial properties of NPs. We report the green synthesis of Cu NPs using Hagenia abyssinica (Brace) JF. Gmel. leaf extract. The synthesized g-Cu NPs were characterized by UV-visible, UV-DRS, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDXA, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED techniques. The maximum absorbance, λmax, was found to be 403 nm for g-Cu NPs due to surface plasmon resonance. The energy gap, Eg of NPs, was found to be 2.19 eV. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, and glycosides in the leaf extract of Hagenia abyssinica. The spectral band at 740 cm-1 is a characteristic of interaction between Cu and biomolecules of the extract. The XRD analysis revealed that the g-Cu NPs appears to be more crystalline in nature. SEM and TEM micrographs showed a mix of spherical, hexagonal, triangular,...

Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart fai... more Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart failure, diarrhea, gonorrhea, skin infections, intestinal problems and cancer. In the present work, the isolation of two novel compounds along with their antibacterial and antioxidant activities is reported for the first time. Methods Silica gel column chromatography was applied to separate constituents of the roots of C. prophetarum. The structures of isolated compounds were established using 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, DEPT-135, COSY, HSQC and HMBC. Agar well diffusion, DPPH assay and ferric thiocyante methods were used for antibacterial, radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities, respectively. AutoDock Vina open source program was used for molecular docking analysis. Results Evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the constituents against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and S. thyphimurium revealed that the hexane extract were active against E. coli with IZ of 15.0 ± ...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular char... more Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics of plants. The response to drought in different plants may vary from avoidance, tolerance and escape to recovery from stress. This response is genetically programmed and regulated in a very complex yet synchronized manner. The crucial genetic regulations mediated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as game-changers in modulating the plant responses to drought and other abiotic stresses. The ncRNAs interact with their targets to form potentially subtle regulatory networks that control multiple genes to determine the overall response of plants. Many long and small drought-responsive ncRNAs have been identified and characterized in different plant varieties. The miRNA-based research is better documented, while lncRNA and transposon-derived RNAs are relatively new, and their cellular role is beginning to be understood. In this review, we have compiled the information on the ...

International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, Mar 6, 2020

Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus flavus and... more Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin is a global food safety concern with rural subsistence farming communities in developing countries being the populations most at risk of exposure. Aflatoxin contamination is the main food safety problem for field crops produced in tropical and subtropical climate regions where high temperature and humidity promote growth and proliferation of Aspergillus spp. Foods and feeds, especially cereal grains, are susceptible to invasion by molds during pre-harvest, processing, transportation, or storage. Aflatoxins impose effects in both economic and health sectors where the crisis leads to death of human beings and animals. The most well established health effect of chronic aflatoxin exposure are hepatocellular carcinoma impaired child growth and immune suppression. To minimize the risk of aflatoxicosis, there are several physical, chemical and biological methods available, but the biological strategies are safest and well effective. Therefore, this review was aimed to show the health impact of aflatoxins and the promising strategies against aflatoxin contamination.

International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, Dec 6, 2019

Fungal spoilage in maize resulted in grain deterioration and mycotoxin contamination. In Ethiopia... more Fungal spoilage in maize resulted in grain deterioration and mycotoxin contamination. In Ethiopia, maize production is prone to losses due to mold contamination. The purpose of this study was to isolate fungi and determine the contributing factors to fungal spoilage in Maize. 72 maize samples were collected based on incremental sampling method. Fungal isolation was done on Potato Dextrose Agar amended with 0.01% chloramphenicol. Fungal colonies were purified by sub-cultured on PDA. Morphological and microscopic characterization of the isolates was done based on fungal identification manual. From 1080 maize grains, 613 fungal isolates were recorded with 54.1% mean value where the majorities were belongs to the genus Fusarium. Grains collected from warehouse were more infected (58.88%) followed by store, open market and household. Overall, the prevalence of fungal infection in the study sites was high. Awareness creation, cumulative integrated management, monitoring, and precautionary measures are recommended.

C oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a wide range of illness from the common c... more C oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a wide range of illness from the common cold to more severe diseases (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-MERS and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-SARS). Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. [1]

Asian Plant Research Journal

In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of ... more In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of health care. Though majority of the people in the study area depend on ethnomedicine to manage different ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely is not documented. As a result, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted with the objective of assessing the role of medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Data was collected by using semi-structured interview and group discussion. Twenty informants were purposefully selected based on indigenous knowledge and gender. Ethnobotanical data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed in tables and flow charts. A total of 25 medicinal plants (22 families) recorded to treat human and livestock ailments. Medicinal plant habit analysis indicates that shrubs occupy the highest proportion (36%), followed by trees and herbs (28% for each) and climbers (8%). The most commonly used plant parts in the study area were leaves and roots. Although ...

Journal of Nanomaterials

Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the syn... more Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the synergistic influence of phytoconstituents in green copper nanoparticles (g-Cu NPs) towards the enhancement of antimicrobial properties of NPs. We report the green synthesis of Cu NPs using Hagenia abyssinica (Brace) JF. Gmel. leaf extract. The synthesized g-Cu NPs were characterized by UV-visible, UV-DRS, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDXA, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED techniques. The maximum absorbance, λmax, was found to be 403 nm for g-Cu NPs due to surface plasmon resonance. The energy gap, Eg of NPs, was found to be 2.19 eV. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, and glycosides in the leaf extract of Hagenia abyssinica. The spectral band at 740 cm-1 is a characteristic of interaction between Cu and biomolecules of the extract. The XRD analysis revealed that the g-Cu NPs appears to be more crystalline in nature. SEM and TEM micrographs showed a mix of spherical, hexagonal, triangular,...

Asian Plant Research Journal

In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of ... more In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of health care. Though majority of the people in the study area depend on ethnomedicine to manage different ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely is not documented. As a result, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted with the objective of assessing the role of medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Data was collected by using semi-structured interview and group discussion. Twenty informants were purposefully selected based on indigenous knowledge and gender. Ethnobotanical data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed in tables and flow charts. A total of 25 medicinal plants (22 families) recorded to treat human and livestock ailments. Medicinal plant habit analysis indicates that shrubs occupy the highest proportion (36%), followed by trees and herbs (28% for each) and climbers (8%). The most commonly used plant parts in the study area were leaves and roots. Although ...

Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The study and entire laboratory works were conducted from December 2014 to April 2015 in National... more The study and entire laboratory works were conducted from December 2014 to April 2015 in National Veterinary Institute, Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Formaldehyde inactivated Montanide ISA70 based Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) trial vaccine strain was confirmed the identity with known primer using PCR from locally isolates of National Veterinary Institute of Ethiopia. This study was aimed to develop formaldehyde inactivated Montanide ISA70 based MG vaccine in Ethiopia. It can help to device strategies in controlling the disease mainly through developing more effective vaccine which will replace the currently being imported vaccines by some farms. After culturing procedure, oil based inactivated MG trial vaccine was produced in suitable clean and secure accommodation. In this study, among different isolates, local isolate of Samuel farm in NVI was prepared and evaluated in chickens. The amount of immune antigen per 0.5 ml of the dose was 10 7 Colony forming units (CFU) of the bacteria. The trail vaccine was prepared and evaluated at the age of 16 weeks of chickens; the chickens were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C), each having twenty birds (10 male and 10 female). Each of group B was vaccinated group of imported-live vaccine with 30 µl intraocularly for comparing with inactivated trial vaccine, each bird of group C was inoculated with 0.5 ml indigenous or trial vaccine subcutaneously at mid neck region and group A was used as a control then challenge tests were performed. After challenge test, among non-vaccinated chickens (control or group A) 2 chickens were died (10%), thicken and cloudy appearance of the air sac showed 18 (90%), 2 chickens were not showed thickened and cloudy air sack (10%). Although among vaccinated group (inactivated vaccine or group C), all chickens did not show clinical signs or post mortem changes (100%). From attenuated imported live vaccine (group B), no clinical signs or post mortem changes were observed (100%). It was concluded that oil based MG vaccine induces protective level of anti MG antibodies in chickens.

Agriculture

Plants have an inherent mechanism for perceiving drought stress and respond through a series of p... more Plants have an inherent mechanism for perceiving drought stress and respond through a series of physiological, cellular and molecular changes for maintaining physiological water balance. It has been shown that nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) can help to improve plant tolerance to water limitation by increasing the activities of the photosynthetic machinery and antioxidant enzymes. Maize is highly sensitive to drought stress, especially at the seedling stage. In this study, we used four maize genotypes (HKI-161, HKI-193-1, HQPM-1 and HQPM-7) and studied the effect of N and P application on response to drought stress and recovery at germination and seedling stage. We show that application of N and P had no effect on rate of germination but increased the seedling growth, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde levels, proline, anthocyanin content, gas exchange parameters and antioxidant enzymes (APX, CAT and GR) during drought stress. The variation in the effect was visible across genotype...

Eurasian Journal of Medical Investigation, 2020

Current Advances in the Development of Drug and Vaccine for Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment... more Current Advances in the Development of Drug and Vaccine for Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment T uberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the acid-fast bacteria bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). It affects lungs (pulmonary TB) and other sites (extra pulmonary TB). The chance of developing TB upon infection with MTB is higher among people infected with other co-epidemic disease like HIV. [1] The acute stage of MTBinfection is characterized by its rapid growth and the development of an immune response targeted to bacterial antigens secreted in the first growth phase. The vaccines developed against these acute-phase antigens can minimize the severity of the disease but it can't prevent the initiation of infection. [2] Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a mechanism for adaptation the hypoxic and hostile environment of host macrophages via undergoing a dramatic change in gene transcription and this change in gene expression make the pathogen to persist in the face of sturdy memory immune responses. [3] The regulatory proteins in the MTB genome are important for the pathogen's being able to adapt different environments during infection. In addition to adaptation, the flexibility of regulatory gene may help its ability to shift between acute progressive disease and long-lived latent infection. The burden of disease caused by MTB can be detected in terms of incidence, prevalence and mortality rate. [4]

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 2018

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites secreted by many fungal species and found in many feeds and ... more Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites secreted by many fungal species and found in many feeds and foodstuffs of especially in plants during their pre-and post-harvest, transportation, processing and storage and are detected in cereal crops. They are capable of causing disease and death in both humans and livestock and thereby induce great economic crisis. This review aims to examine the occurrence, prevention and control strategies of mycotoxins in Ethiopia; they are beneficial to the public and research institutes. Favorable environmental conditions such as temperature and prompting humidity facilitate fungal growth and mycotoxin development. Members of the fungal genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium cause frequent and problematic contamination of foods and feeds. Mycotoxin level of sample can be analyzed by sampling, preparation, extraction followed by a cleanup and detection performed by many instrumental and non-instrumental techniques; the molecular analysis is the best and promising approach. In Ethiopia, ochratoxins, fumonisins and aflatoxins frequently occur retarding crop production and livestock productivity; these in turn affect human health and income. To keep this effect dimmed, mycotoxin control and prevention mechanisms have a key role; prevention strategy weighs the overall effect. Moreover, biocontrol activities shall be strongly encouraged and focus has to be given to the aspect of mycotoxin.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular cha... more Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of plants. The response to drought in different plants may vary from avoidance, tolerance, and escape to recovery from stress. This response is genetically programmed
and regulated in a very complex yet synchronized manner. The crucial genetic regulations mediated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as game-changers in modulating the plant responses to
drought and other abiotic stresses. The ncRNAs interact with their targets to form potentially subtle regulatory networks that control multiple genes to determine the overall response of plants. Many long and small drought-responsive ncRNAs have been identified and characterized in different plant varieties. The miRNA-based research is better documented, while lncRNA and transposon-derived RNAs are relatively new, and their cellular role is beginning to be understood. In this review, we have compiled the information on the categorization of non-coding RNAs based on their biogenesis and function. We also discuss the available literature on the role of long and small non-coding RNAs in mitigating drought stress in plants.

BMC Chemistry

Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart fai... more Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart failure, diarrhea, gonorrhea, skin infections, intestinal problems and cancer. In the present work, the isolation of two novel compounds along with their antibacterial and antioxidant activities is reported for the first time. Methods Silica gel column chromatography was applied to separate constituents of the roots of C. prophetarum. The structures of isolated compounds were established using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT-135, COSY, HSQC and HMBC. Agar well diffusion, DPPH assay and ferric thiocyante methods were used for antibacterial, radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities, respectively. AutoDock Vina open source program was used for molecular docking analysis. Results Evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the constituents against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and S. thyphimurium revealed that the hexane extract were active against E. coli with IZ of 15.0 ± 1....

Dryopteris schimperiana (Dryopteridaceae) is traditionally used in folk medicine of Ethiopia agai... more Dryopteris schimperiana (Dryopteridaceae) is traditionally used in folk medicine of Ethiopia against bacteria and internal parasites. In view of its traditional use and absence of scientific reports, an attempt was made to explore the chemical constituents, antibacterial and radical scavenging activities of the solvent extracts of the root of Dryopteris schimperiana. In this regard, the root was successively extracted with n-hexane, CHCl3 and methanol to afford 5 g (2%), 2 g (0.8%) and 26.6 g (10.6%), respectively. The n-hexane and CHCl3 extracts showing similar TLC profile were mixed and fractionated over silica gel column chromatography which led to the isolation of two compounds identified as heptacosanol (1) and isorhmentin (2). The structures of the isolated compounds were accomplished using spectroscopic methods including UV-Vis, IR and NMR. To the best of our knowledge, these compounds have not been reported from the genus Dryopteries. The extracts and isolated compounds were...

Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

This study aimed to document information on the use, conservation and threats to medicinal plants... more This study aimed to document information on the use, conservation and threats to medicinal plants in Cheha district, Guraghe Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Thirty informants were randomly selected from four kebeles. Of which, 10 key informants were selected purposively by criteria of age, gender and indigenous knowledge. Ethnobotanical data was collected through semi-structured interview, guided field observation and group discussion. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed with frequency distribution, percentage and flow charts. A total of 58 medicinal plant species (17 wild, 38 home garden and 3 species from both) were recorded and a total of 37, 3 and 18 species were reported as being used to treat human, livestock and both ailments, respectively. The major habit of the medicinal plants were herbs (58.62%) followed by trees (24.13%), shrubs (10.34%), and climbers (6.89%). The most frequently harvested plant parts were leaves (36.20%) followed by seed (13.79%), fruit (12.06%) and others. Most of the remedies are prepared from single plant with various preparation methods and administered via oral, dermal, topical and nasal method. The major threats to medicinal plants in the study area are agricultural expansion, deforestation, firewood and charcoal production and over utilization, respectively. The data analysis result reveals that the community is better experiencing ex-situ conservation indigenously, but to ensure sustainability of medicinal plants; more emphasis should be given to the traditional medicine and indigenous knowledge and skill of herbalists must be encouraged, documented and supported with scientific approaches.

Journal of Nanomaterials

Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the syn... more Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the synergistic influence of phytoconstituents in green copper nanoparticles (g-Cu NPs) towards the enhancement of antimicrobial properties of NPs. We report the green synthesis of Cu NPs using Hagenia abyssinica (Brace) JF. Gmel. leaf extract. The synthesized g-Cu NPs were characterized by UV-visible, UV-DRS, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDXA, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED techniques. The maximum absorbance, λmax, was found to be 403 nm for g-Cu NPs due to surface plasmon resonance. The energy gap, Eg of NPs, was found to be 2.19 eV. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, and glycosides in the leaf extract of Hagenia abyssinica. The spectral band at 740 cm-1 is a characteristic of interaction between Cu and biomolecules of the extract. The XRD analysis revealed that the g-Cu NPs appears to be more crystalline in nature. SEM and TEM micrographs showed a mix of spherical, hexagonal, triangular,...

Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart fai... more Background Cucumis prophetarum is traditionally used to treat liver and lung disorders, heart failure, diarrhea, gonorrhea, skin infections, intestinal problems and cancer. In the present work, the isolation of two novel compounds along with their antibacterial and antioxidant activities is reported for the first time. Methods Silica gel column chromatography was applied to separate constituents of the roots of C. prophetarum. The structures of isolated compounds were established using 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, DEPT-135, COSY, HSQC and HMBC. Agar well diffusion, DPPH assay and ferric thiocyante methods were used for antibacterial, radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities, respectively. AutoDock Vina open source program was used for molecular docking analysis. Results Evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the constituents against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and S. thyphimurium revealed that the hexane extract were active against E. coli with IZ of 15.0 ± ...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular char... more Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics of plants. The response to drought in different plants may vary from avoidance, tolerance and escape to recovery from stress. This response is genetically programmed and regulated in a very complex yet synchronized manner. The crucial genetic regulations mediated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as game-changers in modulating the plant responses to drought and other abiotic stresses. The ncRNAs interact with their targets to form potentially subtle regulatory networks that control multiple genes to determine the overall response of plants. Many long and small drought-responsive ncRNAs have been identified and characterized in different plant varieties. The miRNA-based research is better documented, while lncRNA and transposon-derived RNAs are relatively new, and their cellular role is beginning to be understood. In this review, we have compiled the information on the ...

International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, Mar 6, 2020

Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus flavus and... more Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin is a global food safety concern with rural subsistence farming communities in developing countries being the populations most at risk of exposure. Aflatoxin contamination is the main food safety problem for field crops produced in tropical and subtropical climate regions where high temperature and humidity promote growth and proliferation of Aspergillus spp. Foods and feeds, especially cereal grains, are susceptible to invasion by molds during pre-harvest, processing, transportation, or storage. Aflatoxins impose effects in both economic and health sectors where the crisis leads to death of human beings and animals. The most well established health effect of chronic aflatoxin exposure are hepatocellular carcinoma impaired child growth and immune suppression. To minimize the risk of aflatoxicosis, there are several physical, chemical and biological methods available, but the biological strategies are safest and well effective. Therefore, this review was aimed to show the health impact of aflatoxins and the promising strategies against aflatoxin contamination.

International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, Dec 6, 2019

Fungal spoilage in maize resulted in grain deterioration and mycotoxin contamination. In Ethiopia... more Fungal spoilage in maize resulted in grain deterioration and mycotoxin contamination. In Ethiopia, maize production is prone to losses due to mold contamination. The purpose of this study was to isolate fungi and determine the contributing factors to fungal spoilage in Maize. 72 maize samples were collected based on incremental sampling method. Fungal isolation was done on Potato Dextrose Agar amended with 0.01% chloramphenicol. Fungal colonies were purified by sub-cultured on PDA. Morphological and microscopic characterization of the isolates was done based on fungal identification manual. From 1080 maize grains, 613 fungal isolates were recorded with 54.1% mean value where the majorities were belongs to the genus Fusarium. Grains collected from warehouse were more infected (58.88%) followed by store, open market and household. Overall, the prevalence of fungal infection in the study sites was high. Awareness creation, cumulative integrated management, monitoring, and precautionary measures are recommended.

C oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a wide range of illness from the common c... more C oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a wide range of illness from the common cold to more severe diseases (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-MERS and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-SARS). Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. [1]

Asian Plant Research Journal

In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of ... more In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of health care. Though majority of the people in the study area depend on ethnomedicine to manage different ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely is not documented. As a result, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted with the objective of assessing the role of medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Data was collected by using semi-structured interview and group discussion. Twenty informants were purposefully selected based on indigenous knowledge and gender. Ethnobotanical data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed in tables and flow charts. A total of 25 medicinal plants (22 families) recorded to treat human and livestock ailments. Medicinal plant habit analysis indicates that shrubs occupy the highest proportion (36%), followed by trees and herbs (28% for each) and climbers (8%). The most commonly used plant parts in the study area were leaves and roots. Although ...

Journal of Nanomaterials

Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the syn... more Indigenous medicinal plant of Ethiopia has been applied for the first time to investigate the synergistic influence of phytoconstituents in green copper nanoparticles (g-Cu NPs) towards the enhancement of antimicrobial properties of NPs. We report the green synthesis of Cu NPs using Hagenia abyssinica (Brace) JF. Gmel. leaf extract. The synthesized g-Cu NPs were characterized by UV-visible, UV-DRS, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDXA, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED techniques. The maximum absorbance, λmax, was found to be 403 nm for g-Cu NPs due to surface plasmon resonance. The energy gap, Eg of NPs, was found to be 2.19 eV. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, and glycosides in the leaf extract of Hagenia abyssinica. The spectral band at 740 cm-1 is a characteristic of interaction between Cu and biomolecules of the extract. The XRD analysis revealed that the g-Cu NPs appears to be more crystalline in nature. SEM and TEM micrographs showed a mix of spherical, hexagonal, triangular,...

Asian Plant Research Journal

In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of ... more In Ethiopia, medicinal plants had been used since ancient time and became an important source of health care. Though majority of the people in the study area depend on ethnomedicine to manage different ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely is not documented. As a result, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted with the objective of assessing the role of medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Data was collected by using semi-structured interview and group discussion. Twenty informants were purposefully selected based on indigenous knowledge and gender. Ethnobotanical data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and expressed in tables and flow charts. A total of 25 medicinal plants (22 families) recorded to treat human and livestock ailments. Medicinal plant habit analysis indicates that shrubs occupy the highest proportion (36%), followed by trees and herbs (28% for each) and climbers (8%). The most commonly used plant parts in the study area were leaves and roots. Although ...

Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The study and entire laboratory works were conducted from December 2014 to April 2015 in National... more The study and entire laboratory works were conducted from December 2014 to April 2015 in National Veterinary Institute, Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Formaldehyde inactivated Montanide ISA70 based Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) trial vaccine strain was confirmed the identity with known primer using PCR from locally isolates of National Veterinary Institute of Ethiopia. This study was aimed to develop formaldehyde inactivated Montanide ISA70 based MG vaccine in Ethiopia. It can help to device strategies in controlling the disease mainly through developing more effective vaccine which will replace the currently being imported vaccines by some farms. After culturing procedure, oil based inactivated MG trial vaccine was produced in suitable clean and secure accommodation. In this study, among different isolates, local isolate of Samuel farm in NVI was prepared and evaluated in chickens. The amount of immune antigen per 0.5 ml of the dose was 10 7 Colony forming units (CFU) of the bacteria. The trail vaccine was prepared and evaluated at the age of 16 weeks of chickens; the chickens were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C), each having twenty birds (10 male and 10 female). Each of group B was vaccinated group of imported-live vaccine with 30 µl intraocularly for comparing with inactivated trial vaccine, each bird of group C was inoculated with 0.5 ml indigenous or trial vaccine subcutaneously at mid neck region and group A was used as a control then challenge tests were performed. After challenge test, among non-vaccinated chickens (control or group A) 2 chickens were died (10%), thicken and cloudy appearance of the air sac showed 18 (90%), 2 chickens were not showed thickened and cloudy air sack (10%). Although among vaccinated group (inactivated vaccine or group C), all chickens did not show clinical signs or post mortem changes (100%). From attenuated imported live vaccine (group B), no clinical signs or post mortem changes were observed (100%). It was concluded that oil based MG vaccine induces protective level of anti MG antibodies in chickens.