Veena Sharma

Phytochemicals are dependable sources for the treatment of different health problems. In this study, antioxidant activities of different sequential extracts (petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous) of root and inflorescences of Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Family: Amaranthaceae) was done by different standard methods of phytochemical screening. Our finding reveals that all the extracts of A. aspera root and inflorescences contain alkaloids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, reducing sugar and saponin in appreciable, moderate and trace amount. Observed result showed that the phytochemical contents are high in different sequential extracts of root than sequential extracts of inflorescences. Due to rich source of phytochemicals, this plant is may be used for herbal medicine.

Alleles A1 and A2 of the Bos taurus CSN2 gene are the most common in a number of dairy cattle breeds. A genetic variant of the bovine β-casein gene includes A1 and B which encodes a histidine residue at codon 67, resulting in potential liberation of a bioactive peptide, β-casomorphin, upon digestion. This is an opium family substance, and has been associated with a large number of clinical implications in humans. Study includes amplification of bovine β-casein gene and further differentiation of variants A1 and A2 beta casein in cows. Conventional PCR was done to amplify β-casein gene in three hundred and one specimens. Further eighty amplicons were sent for sequencing. From the sequenced data, 24 were A2 homozygous (A2A2), 11were A1 homozygous (A1A1) and 37 heterozygous (A1A2). Allele discrimination in cows will be significant for the farmers, breeding programmes as well as for dairy industries as the milk variant determination will predict the outcome of the beta casein variants which are of utmost clinical relevance.