Life Sciences Commons^™

The Emma Cole Project: Reevaluating The Flora Of Grand Rapids, William Hofmann, Hayden Janssen, Martin Vanderschoot, Garrett Crow, Dave Warners

Student Papers and Reports

In 1901, botanist and teacher Emma Cole published an account of all the vascular plants in the Grand Rapids area, which is the most comprehensive documentation of the flora in the area today. The vicinity of Grand Rapids has been developed significantly since then, and with it the surrounding natural spaces have also been greatly altered. Over the past 7 years, Calvin University’s Emma Cole Project has been inventorying the flora of greater Grand Rapids and comparing modern plant life with the flora during Cole’s time 120 years ago. This project strives to both verify species’ presence around Grand Rapids …

Plaster Creek Stewards - Urban Habitat Restoration With Green Team, Jia Luchs, Clare Doss, Rachel Warners, Dave Warners, Deanna Geelhoed

Student Papers and Reports

Plaster Creek, though its watershed is home to many potential stewards in Grand Rapids, is the most polluted creek in West Michigan. The Green Team, a branch of Plaster Creek Stewards, is a group of students that work during the summer with a focus on research, education, and working directly to restore the Plaster Creek Watershed. The Green Team works toward this goal through urban green infrastructure, utilizing native plants to manage stormwater. Two Calvin students, Jia Luchs and Clare Doss, and twenty high school students living in the Plaster Creek watershed were hired by Plaster Creek Stewards this summer …

Urban Insect Biodiversity - Effects Of Native Landscaping, Caedmon Morgret, Dave Warners

Student Papers and Reports

Urban development comes with the cost of destroyed natural habitats. Urban infrastructure flattens entire ecosystems, replacing them with impervious, life-inhibiting constructions.

Alleviating the impacts of urbanization is possible. Green infrastructure mitigates habitat loss by restoring native habitats within urbanized areas. One benefit of green infrastructure is the reestablishment of biodiversity, benefitting plants, animals, and insects alike. Biodiversity creates a healthier habitat and location than urban infrastructure –and lack of biodiversity –does.

To investigate this benefit we performed a pilot study, sampling lawns and curb-cut rain gardens (CCRGs). We compared biodiversity between restored and unrestored urban habitats.

The Synthesis And Biological Assessment Of Novel Ursolic Acid Derivatives As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents For Cancer, Julie Rose Mae Mondala

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is considered to be the most biologically aggressive type of brain tumour accounting for approximately 48% of all malignant primary brain tumours. GBM patients diagnosed have poor prognosis with a low five-year survival rate of

The aim of this study was to develop novel UA derivatives to enhance its bioavailability. Nine novel UA derivatives: three different diamine linkers, with Boc-protected and deprotected ends, and with folic acid were designed and synthesized to improve compound activity and/or delivery. The structures of the newly synthesised compounds were confirmed using mass spectrometry, FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The structural activity …

Review Of The Duck Factory: A History Of Waterfowl In North Dakota, By Mike Jacobs And Erik Fritzell, Douglas Johnson

The Prairie Naturalist

It was by geological accident that North Dakota became the heart of duck production in the continental United States. When the Wisconsin glaciation retreated some 11,000 years ago, it left an uneven layer of glacial till over much of North Dakota and nearby states and provinces, an area termed the Prairie Pothole Region. Large blocks of ice in the glacial till eventually melted and formed depressions that became wetlands, or prairie potholes. These were embedded in a matrix of soil that, with millennia of growth by deep-rooted prairie plants, became rich topsoil. The wetlands, surrounded by luxuriant grassland, were ideal …

Molecular And Otolith Shape Analyses Of Scorpaena Spp. In The Turkish Seas, Serdar Yedi̇er, Derya Bostanci

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study aims to investigate the discrimination and the phylogenetic relationship of five Scorpaena species (S. elongata, S. maderensis, S. notata, S. porcus, and S. scrofa), sampled from eight locations in the four seas (Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, Black Sea, and Sea of Marmara) in Turkey, using both molecular and otolith shape analyses. Totally, 1360 samples were examined for otolith shape analyses, and 51 of them were also used in the molecular analysis (COI sequences, 652 bp). Eighteen haplotypes were determined in the 5 species of the genus Scorpaena; 3 haplotypes for S. elongata, S. maderensis and S. scrofa, 4 …

Effects Of Ni (Ii) P-Hydroxybenzoate With Caffeine On Metabolic, Antioxidant, Andbiochemical Parameters Of Model Insect Galleria Mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Serkan Sugeçti̇, Kemal Büyükgüzel

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Many insecticides used against pests cause environmental pollution. Therefore, it is very important to develop new alternative strategies to toxic insecticides. In this study, the physiological and biochemical effects of Ni (II) p-hydroxybenzoate with caffeine on the model insect Galleria mellonella were investigated. In the present study, transferase enzyme activities such as alanine transferase, aspartate transferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, which regulate amino acid metabolism, were altered in hemolymph of G. mellonella larvae exposed to Ni (II) p-hydroxybenzoate with caffeine. In addition, the activities of metabolic enzymes such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and amylase increased in hemolymph of G. mellonella …

Oxygen Consumption Rates And Respiratory Carbon Losses In Three Species Of Copepods(Acartia Clausi, Calanus Helgolandicus And Limnocalanus Macrurus) During Starvation, Leonid Svetlichny, Maiju Lehtiniemi, Outi Setälä, Anne-Mari Lehto, Larysa Samchyshyna, Yulia Gromova, Melek İşi̇ni̇bi̇li̇r Okyar, Ezgi̇ Emi̇ş Türkeri̇, Kami̇l Mert Eryalçin, Gülşah Can Kayadelen, Ahmet Erkan Kideyş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Calanoid copepods with different life cycle strategies demonstrate varied velocity in the utilization of energy resources during starvation. This study analyzes the influence of multiday starvation on the rate of total, basal and active energy metabolism in adult females of two Marmara Sea and one Baltic Sea species of copepods; epiplanktonic Acartia clausi unable to accumulate lipid reserves and mesoplanktonic Calanus helgolandicus with minor lipid reserves in the oil sac (approximately 7% of body volume) and the Baltic Sea copepod Limnocalanus macrurus in quasi-diapausing state with large lipid reserves in the oil sac (approximately 19% of body volume). Initially, total …

Botanical Inventory And Management Consideration For Potential Park At 32 Nd Street Property: City Of Grand Rapids Parks And Recreation, David Warners, William Hofmann, Hayden Janssen, Martin Vanderschoot, Garrett Crow

Faculty and Professional Research

During the spring and summer of 2022, a botanical inventory and floristic quality assessment was carried out by Calvin University students and faculty for the 32 nd Street Property proposed as a 17-acre potential City Park, located at 2163 32 nd Street SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The purpose of this inventory was to inform the staff of the Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department of the botanical significance of this newly sectioned property and also to provide information for the City to share with neighbors of the plants that could be found in this parcel. The research conducted as …

Botanical Assessments Of High-Quality Southern Shrub-Carr And Hardwood Swamp Wetlands In The Undeveloped Lowell Regional Greenspace, Kent County, Michigan, Garrett Crow, Dave Warners, Haley R. Weesies, Jonathon D. Walt, Zachary Hartwig, Carolyn H. Koehn

Faculty and Professional Research

The 2019–2023 Masterplan for Kent County Parks includes the future development of acquired properties that have been designated as the Lowell Regional Greenspace (528 acres), occupying nearly the entirety of Section 22 of Lowell Charter Township in Kent County, Michigan. Four wetlands located in the same drainage basin along Karen Creek in the Lowell Regional Greenspace were inventoried for floristic quality assessments during the summers of 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021. One of the wetlands was forested and determined to be a southern hardwood swamp community type. The other three wetlands are best classified as shrub-carr communities. In the southern …

ผลของสารสกัดสมุนไพรที่มีเห็ดกระถินพิมาน Phellinus Linteus เป็นองค์ประกอบต่อการมีชีวิตของเซลล์ วัฏจักรเซลล์ อะพอพโทซิส และการแสดงออกของยีนในเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่และเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมาก, ประกายทิพย์ สมจิตต์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่เป็นมะเร็งที่มีอัตราการเกิดและเสียชีวิตเป็นอันดับต้น ๆ ในทุกกลุ่มอายุ และมะเร็งต่อมลูกหมากเป็นมะเร็งที่มีอัตราการเกิดและเสียชีวิตเป็นอันดับสองในเพศชาย โดยการศึกษาในปัจจุบันพบว่าเห็ดกระถินพิมาน (Phellinus linteus) และสมุนไพรอื่นๆ บางชนิดมีฤทธิ์ป้องกันการเกิดมะเร็ง การศึกษานี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อตรวจสอบฤทธิ์และกลไกการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของสารสกัดที่มีเห็ดกระถินพิมานเป็นองค์ประกอบร่วมกับสมุนไพรอื่น ๆ (สูตรตำรับ) และสารสกัดเห็ดกระถินพิมานในเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่ HCT116 SW620 และ HT-29 และเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมาก PC-3 ผลทดสอบการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของเซลล์ด้วยเทคนิค MTT assay แสดงให้เห็นว่าสารสกัดสูตรตำรับสามารถยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของเซลล์มะเร็งที่ศึกษาได้ 50% (IC50) ที่ความเข้มข้นน้อยกว่าสารสกัดที่มีเห็ดกระถินพิมานเพียงอย่างเดียวอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ โดยกลไกการยับยั้งการมีชีวิตของเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่และเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมากของสารสกัดสูตรตำรับได้ศึกษาการควบคุมผ่านวัฏจักรเซลล์และกระบวนการอะพอพโทซิสโดยใช้เทคนิค PI assay และเทคนิค Annexin V apoptosis assay ตามลำดับ ผลการศึกษาแสดงให้เห็นว่าสารสกัดสูตรตำรับเพิ่มจำนวนประชากรสะสมในระยะ G0/G1 และชักนำการตายแบบ necrosis ในเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมาก และเพิ่มจำนวนประชากรเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่ชนิด HCT116 และ HT-29 ในระยะ G2 และ SW620 ในระยะ S และชักนำการตายแบบอะพอพโทซิสในเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่ ฉะนั้นฤทธิ์ของสารสกัดสูตรตำรับในการควบคุมวัฏจักรเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมากและเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่ชนิด HT-29 เกี่ยวข้องกับการลดการแสดงออกของยีน KRAS อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ นอกจากนี้การตายแบบอะพอพโทซิสของเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมากและเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่ชนิด HCT116 และ HT-29 เกี่ยวข้องกับการเพิ่มและลดการแสดงออกของยีน IFNGR1 อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ ดังนั้นการศึกษานี้สามารถชี้ให้เห็นถึงความสามารถของเห็ดกระถินพิมานร่วมกับสมุนไพรอื่นๆ ในการควบคุมการตอบสนองในเซลล์มะเร็งลำไส้ใหญ่และเซลล์มะเร็งต่อมลูกหมากผ่านการควบคุมวัฏจักรเซลล์ อะพอพโทซิส และการแสดงออกของยีน

การศึกษาปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อสมบัติของยางแผ่นรมควันเกรดพรีเมียม, สายสุณี จิตกล้า

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ถึงแม้ว่าสมบัติเชิงกลของยางแผ่นรมควันจะเหนือกว่ายางแห้งชนิดอื่นก็ตาม แต่ความไม่สม่ำเสมอในคุณภาพของยางส่งผลให้ปริมาณการใช้งานยางแผ่นรมควันในอุตสาหกรรมล้อยางลดลงอย่างต่อเนื่อง ปัจจุบันการยางแห่งประเทศไทยได้กำหนดมาตรฐานการผลิตยางแผ่นรมควันขึ้นเพื่อควบคุมและให้ได้ยางแผ่นรมควันที่มีสมบัติต่าง ๆ คงที่ ซึ่งยางที่ได้จะเรียกว่า “ยางแผ่นรมควันเกรดพรีเมียม” หรือ “ยางแผ่นรมควันเกรด P” เพื่อให้เข้าใจถึงสาเหตุที่ส่งผลให้สมบัติต่าง ๆ ของยางแผ่นรมควันแปรปรวนดียิ่งขึ้น งานวิจัยนี้ได้ศึกษาถึงอิทธิพลด้านภาวะการผลิต ช่วงฤดูกาลกรีดยาง รวมไปถึงพิ้นที่ปลูกยางต่อสมบัติทั้งทางกายภาพและเชิงกลของยางแผ่นรมควัน ผลการทดลองที่ได้พบว่า เมื่อใช้น้ำยางที่มีปริมาณเนื้อยางแห้งแตกต่างกันและใช้ความเข้มข้นกรดฟอร์มิกในการจับตัวเนื้อยางแตกต่างกัน สมบัติของยางแผ่นรมควันจะแตกต่างกันไป โดยพบว่าเมื่อปริมาณเนื้อยางแห้งและความเข้มข้นกรดฟอร์มิกเพิ่มขึ้นส่งผลให้ค่าสิ่งระเหยในยางแผ่นรมควันเพิ่มขึ้น เนื่องจากก้อนยางที่ได้จากการจับตัวของเนื้อยางด้วยกรดค่อนข้างแข็ง ทำให้เมื่อนำไปรีดเป็นแผ่นบางทำได้ยาก น้ำในเนื้อยางจึงระเหยออกมาได้ไม่ดี เมื่อเพิ่มปริมาณเนื้อยางแห้งจะทำให้ค่า PO, PRI และความหนืดมูนีเพิ่มขึ้น การแปรปริมาณเนื้อยางแห้งในน้ำยางจาก 20% (ภาวะใช้ในการผลิตยางแผ่นรมควันพรีเมียม) เป็น 18, 20 และ 25% โดยน้ำหนัก ส่งผลให้ความทนต่อแรงดึงของยางแตกต่างกันมากที่สุดอยู่ที่ 2.1 MPa การเพิ่มความเข้มข้นกรดฟอร์มิกจะส่งผลทำให้ค่า PO, PRI และความหนืดมูนีลดลง การแปรความเข้มข้นกรดฟอร์มิกจาก 4% (ภาวะที่ใช้ในการผลิตยางแผ่นรมควันเกรดพรีเมียม) เป็น 2, 3, 5, 8 และ 10% โดยปริมาตร ส่งผลให้ความทนต่อแรงดึงของยางแตกต่างกันมากที่สุดอยู่ที่ 3.2 MPa เมื่อพิจารณาฤดูกาลกรีดยางแตกต่างกัน น้ำยางที่ได้จากช่วงการผลัดใบของต้นยางจะมีปริมาณเนื้อยางแห้งในน้ำยางลดลง และปริมาณธาตุต่างๆ ในยางเพิ่มขึ้น ซึ่งจะส่งผลต่อค่าเถ้าและไนโตรเจนในยางแผ่นรมควันแตกต่างกัน ค่าความหนืดมูนีของยางแผ่นรมควันขึ้นอยู่กับช่วงฤดูกาลกรีดยางค่อนข้างชัดเจน โดยยางแผ่นรมควันที่เตรียมจากน้ำยางที่ได้จากการกรีดในช่วงกรีดปกติจะมีความหนืดมูนีที่สูงกว่ายางแผ่นรมควันที่เตรียมจากน้ำยางที่ได้จากการกรีดในช่วงก่อนปิดกรีด ยางแผ่นรมควันที่ได้จากภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือมีปริมาณเถ้ามากกว่าที่ได้จากภาคใต้ ซึ่งปริมาณเถ้าเกิดจากปริมาณสารและแร่ธาตุต่าง ๆ ในดินที่ไม่เหมือนกัน อย่างไรก็ตาม ยางที่ได้จากทั้งสองบริเวณที่มีค่า PO , PRI และ ความหนืดมูนี ไม่ได้แตกต่างกันอย่างเห็นได้ชัด

Enhanced Triacylglycerol Production In Chlorella Vulgaris By Flux Balance Analysis On Metabolic Network, Issalapap Kaothong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Triacylglycerol (TAG) is a type of lipid that can be produced by a microalga called Chlorella vulgaris, which is a promising source of biodiesel. However, there is a lack of research and models explaining how to directly produce this lipid. To address this, we propose using linear minimization of metabolic adjustment (LMOMA), which predicts gene manipulation effects based on Flux Balance Analysis (FBA), to enhance TAG production. We conducted single-gene deletion experiments on the genome-scale metabolic model of C. vulgaris UTEX 395 (iCZ843) under different growth conditions: heterotrophy, photoautotrophy, and mixotrophy conditions. We found that the TAG production increased by …

Comparative Analysis Of Mutational Landscapes Identified From Exome Sequencing Of Tumor Tissues And Circulating Tumor Dna, Julanee Leenanitikul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been used as a noninvasive alternative for cancer diagnosis and characterization of tumor mutational landscape. However, low ctDNA fraction and other factors can limit the ability of ctDNA analysis to capture tumor-specific and actionable variants. In this study, whole-exome sequencings (WES) were performed on paired ctDNA and tumor biopsy in 15 cancer patients to assess the extent of concordance between mutational profiles derived from the two source materials. We found that up to 16.4% ctDNA fraction can still be insufficient for detecting tumor-specific variants and that high concordance with tumor biopsy is …

Catalytic Mechanism And Inhibition Of Plasmodium Sp. Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase By Computational Simulations, Pitchayathida Mee-Udorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Malaria has spread in many countries with a 12% increase in death cases after the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the Greater Mekong subregion, the clinical efficacy of antimalarial drugs has been reduced due to resistance. Target-based approaches on attractive drug targets, such as Plasmodium serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) exhibiting distinct structure and function as well as kinetic mechanisms from the human enzyme homologue, are highly useful methods to be used for bypassing the present resistance in the field. In this study, the catalytic mechanism of Plasmodium SHMT was investigated following the retro-aldol proposed scheme by the combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics …

Computational Approaches For Identifying Bioactive Compounds Inhibiting Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease, Piyatida Pojtanadithee

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus 2019 has devastatingly affected the global economy and society. However, the drug discovery process from concept to approval requires a significant investment of time and resources. To address these challenges, we employed structure-based virtual screening techniques, including drug-likeness screening, pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and fragment molecular orbital calculation. The protein target of this investigation was the main protease or 3-chymotrypsin-like-protease (3CLpro) of the coronavirus, given its pivotal role in the viral replication process. Using our in-house database of natural products and their derivatives, we aimed to identify potent …

Screening Of Clostridium Sp. For Biohydrogen Production From Synthetic Wastewater, Chonticha Srimawong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this work, bacteria that can produce endospores were isolated from natural sources and industrial wastes, including mangrove forests, hot springs, and coconut factories. The bacterial isolates were identified as Clostridium spp. and Panibacillus spp. based on 16S RNA gene. When comparing the H2 produced by batch fermentation, two of the isolates with the best H2 production were selected for further study, namely CUEA01 and CUEA03. After genomics analysis, it was discovered that CUEA01 is a novel species named C. hydrogenum, and CUEA03 is C. felsineum. Both are capable of growing and producing H2 in alkaline conditions. The genomics data …

Screening Of Clostridium Sp. For Butanol Production From Sato (Thai Rice Wine) Factory Wastewater, Julalak Buranaprasopchai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The production of Sato, a Thai traditional beverage, yields Sato wastewater (STW), which contains residual rice constituents with high chemical and biological oxygen demands and so forms an environmental problem. In addition, STW often smells rotten from the formation of hydrogen sulfide. To solve this problem, the composition of STW was analyzed for its physiological and chemical characteristics to evaluate its potential as a substrate for ABE fermentation using Clostridium spp., which has never been reported for use in acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation before. Solvent-producing Clostridium isolates were obtained from environmental sources in Thailand, and that producing the highest butanol level …

Identification And Application In Plant Of Plant Growth-Promoting Endophytic Bacteria, Kanchana Sitlaothaworn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Seventy-eight endophytic bacteria isolated from 15 plant samples in Thailand including 50 isolates from sugarcane root samples obtained from 6 Provinces and 28 isolates from stems and leaves of healthy plants in Kanchanaburi Province, were identified and evaluated for plant growth promoting capability using rice as a plant model. They were identified as Gluconacetobacter (37 isolates), Pantoea (14 isolates), Burkholderia (2 isolates), Pseudomonas (4 isolates), Priestia (4 isolates), Enterobacter (2 isolates), Acinetobacter (2 isolates), Novosphingobium (2 isolates), Curtobacterium (2 isolates), and each of Nguyenibacter, Aureimonas, Bacillus, Peribacillus, Sphingobium, Staphylococcus, Brevibacillus, Aneurinibacillus, and Pseudarthrobacter based on their phenotypic characteristics and 16S …

Antiproliferative Agents From Mushroom Phellinus Sp., Kulrut Pichayaphinyo

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this study, Phellinus powdered (600 g) was extracted with methanol and DI water. The methanolic crude extract of the mushroom was partitioned with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol respectively. All crude extracts were evaluated antiproliferative activity against lung cancer (A549) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell lines by MTT assay. It was found that the dichloromethane extract (CDE) exhibited the strongest antiproliferative activity with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 132.4 and 106.87 µg/mL against human lung cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract (CEE) exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity with IC50 values of 138.64 and >250 …

Effect Of Genipin Cross-Linking On Properties Of Chitosan Based Bio-Composite Film, Patthrare Inthamat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Active packaging from chitosan film incorporated with astaxanthin is limited commercial application in the food industry due to its high moisture permeability and poor tensile strength. To overcome these problems, crosslinking of the film with genipin and heat curing to improve film properties were proposed. Firstly, the effects of genipin concentration on the physical, moisture barrier and mechanical properties of chitosan films incorporated with astaxanthin were investigated. Chitosan film was prepared by mixing chitosan in 2% (w/w) lactic acid. The chitosan was incorporated with astaxanthin at 0 and 1% (w/w of chitosan) (marked as CS and CA or CSA) and …

Bioactivities Of Extracts And Pure Compound From Monofloral Bee Pollen Of Western Honeybee Apis Mellifera, Phanthiwa Khongkarat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Bee pollen is one of interesting bee products which contain many bioactive compounds. However, its constituents depend on habitats and species of food plants. That results in a variety of bioactivities. In Thailand, there are many types of bee pollen, but there are few reports on their biological activities. In this study, bee pollen of A. mellifera was focused. Six types of monofloral bee pollen were harvested and identified as floral pollen of tea (Camellia sinensis L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha), lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), leuuang tipwan (Xyris complanata), and sap raeng sap ka (Ageratum conyzoides) …

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Contents And Glutamate Decarboxylase Activity In Local Thai Rice And Transgenic Rice Overexpressing Oscam1-1 Gene, Potitorn Kanchitanurak

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In rice grain, many considerable nutrients are shown to have potential functional food benefits. GABA is a metabolic product that is primarily produced by the decarboxylation of L-glutamic acid (L-Glu), catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), which is a cytosolic enzyme regulated by Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM) complex. The accumulation of GABA is related to the activity of GAD and substrate concentration of L-Glu. In this study, analysis of GABA contents in local Thai rice (Oryza sativa L.) during 0-72 h of germination revealed that GABA concentrations rapidly increased and the pattern of increment varied among different rice varieties. Genome-wide association mapping using …

Hydrolysis Of Grass Xylan By Xylanases From Aureobasidium Pullulans For Xylooligosaccharide And Xylitol Productions, Sorawit Na Nongkhai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Ten grass samples were screened for potential as a xylan source and five including sugarcane leaf, purple guinea grass, Napier grass, sabi grass and vetiver grass were selected for optimization of xylan extraction. After optimization, sugarcane leaf gave the highest xylan recovery at 99.42% when it was extracted by 14.32% (w/v) NaOH at 13.25:1 liquid: solid ratio with 32.36-min steaming time. From the xylan structural and sugar composition analyses, the major xylan from sugarcane leaf was arabinoxylan whereas those from the other grass samples were (glucurono)arabinoxylan. Xylans from sugarcane leaf, purple guinea grass and Napier grass were selected for further …

Synthesis Of 6,6- And 7,7-Difluoro-1-Acetamidopyrrolizidines And Their Oxidation Catalyzed By The Nonheme Fe Oxygenase Lolo, Nabin Panth

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

One of the remarkable steps in loline alkaloid biosynthesis is the installation of an ether bridge between two unactivated C atoms in 1-exo-acetamidopyrrolizidine (AcAP). LolO, a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent nonheme Fe oxygenase, catalyzes both the hydroxylation of AcAP and the resulting alcohol's cycloetherification to give N-acetylnornoline (NANL). The mechanism of hydroxylation is well understood, but the mechanism of the oxacyclization is not. I synthesized difluorinated analogs of AcAP in an attempt to further understand the mechanism of the unusual cycloetherification step.

I prepared 6,6-F₂-AcAP in eight steps from N,O-protected 4-oxoproline. The key step was a Dieckmann …

The Role Of Charge On Dna Packaging And Integrity Within Reconstituted Peptide-Dna Assemblies, Ehigbai Oikeh

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

In nature, DNA exists primarily in a highly compacted form. The compaction of DNA in vivo is mediated by cationic proteins; histone in somatic nuclei and arginine-rich peptides called protamines in sperm chromatin. The packaging in the sperm nucleus is significantly higher than somatic nuclei resulting in a final volume roughly 1/20^th that of a somatic nucleus. This tight packaging results in a near crystalline packaging of the DNA helices. While the dense packaging of DNA in sperm nuclei is considered essential for both efficient genetic delivery as well as DNA protection against damage by mutagens and oxidative species, …

Development Of Fluorescence Based Approaches To Understand Astrocyte Biology In The Context Of Nicotine And Nicotinic Receptor Activity, Surya P. Aryal

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Smoking and tobacco use (STU) is a major global health problem and worldwide more than six million people die due to tobacco related diseases each year. Although majority of smokers try to quit smoking several times in their life, traditional therapeutic approaches, which focus only on neuronal cells, have a very low success rate. Understanding the effect of nicotine on glial cells, synaptic communication and blood vasculature in the brain can provide further insights on the neurobiology of substance abuse and can potentially help to design better therapeutic approaches. Glial cells are non-excitable cells in the brain which do not …

Application Of Mass Spectrometry For Characterization Of Plant-Based Phenolics And Alkaloids, Masoumeh Dorrani

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Plant-derived compounds have the potential to produce value-added compounds with a variety of applications. For example, the lignin part of the lignocellulosic biomass, produced in large quantities as waste from the paper and pulp industries, is a rich source of phenolics with potential applications in the renewable energy sector, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. On the other hand, plant alkaloids are the primary source for developing plant-derived therapeutics. Unfortunately, the recalcitrant nature of plant cell walls, low extraction yields of small secondary metabolites, and the lack of effective analytical methods for a rapid and accurate identification of plant-based compounds and plant’s …

The Ecology And Dispersal Of The Avian Vampire Fly In Its Native And Invasive Ranges, Carly M. Crow

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Invasive species are considered a leading threat to global biodiversity. There are three major steps in a successful invasion: 1. A species arrives to a non-native location 2. It establishes a breeding population 3. It spreads beyond the location of arrival. The need to understand what variables facilitate a successful invasion across these steps is pressing, especially when considering systems that are vulnerable to biodiversity loss such as islands. The first chapter of this thesis focuses on the arrival step of an invasion. I present research on insects found on a tourist boat traveling between islands in the Galapagos archipelago. …

Grassland Bird Responses To Bison And Prescribed Fire Disturbances At Nachusa Grasslands And Kankakee Sands, Antonio Del Valle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Grazing from native herbivores such as bison (Bison bison), in combination with prescribed fire, are applied to tallgrass prairies by managers to recreate important disturbance patterns in this ecosystem. Bird communities may be indirectly impacted by these disturbances through their direct impact on plants that provides critical breeding habitat for grassland birds. The objectives of this research are to determine the impacts that bison and prescribed fire have on grassland breeding birds in two tallgrass prairie preserves, Kankakee Sands and Nachusa Grasslands. Birds, vegetation structure, and bison activity were surveyed systematically at these two preserves in 2020 and 2021. Prescribed …