Phoma Saccardo: distribution, secondary metabolite production and biotechnological applications.

Phoma Sacc. is an ubiquitous fungus, which has been reported from plants, soil, human beings, animals, and air. Some species of Phoma like P. sorghina, P. herbarum, P. exigua var. exigua, P. macrostoma, P. glomerata, Phoma macdonaldii, Phoma tracheiphila, Phoma proboscis, P. multirostrata, and Phoma foveata secrete phytotoxin and anthraquinone pigments as secondary metabolites, which have great potential for the biological control of weeds, and can be exploited for the production of mycopesticides, agrophytochemicals, and dyes. Some other species produce pharmaceutically active metabolites, viz., Sirodesmins, Phomenoic acid, Phomenolactone, Phomadecalins, Phomactin A, Phomasetin, Squalestatin-1 (S1), and Squalestatin-2 (S2). The secondary metabolites secreted by some species of Phoma are antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-HIV. Equisetin and Phomasetin obtained from species of Phoma are useful against AIDS. The main goal of the present review is to discuss secondary metabolite production by species of Phoma and their utilization as antibiotics and as biocontrol agents.

Nuclear organization and distribution in the brain regions of the snake headed fish, Channa marulius.

BACKGROUND: Morphological variations have arisen due to diverse environmental conditions. Application of cytoarchitectonic criteria permits the delineation of distinct nuclear complexes from the brain region. PURPOSE: Very less information is available on the cytoarchitectonic pattern of the brain, of the giant snake headed murrel, Channa marulius. The murrel is much neglected in neuroanatomical terms and their study is a necessary step in tracing the evolutionary trends. Hence, in the present investigation, the brain of the snake headed fish, Channa marulius has been investigated to reveal the organization of different nuclear complexes. METHODS: Different nuclear complexes were identified and studied using Cresyl violet and Haematoxyline-Eosin staining techniques from the brain region of Channa marulius. RESULTS: Five distinct nuclear complexes namely pars medialis, pars centralis, pars lateralis dorsalis and pars lateralis ventralis respectively were observed in the area dorsalis telencephali and five nuclear groups pars ventralis, pars lateralis, pars dorsalis, pars supracommissuralis and nucleus entopeduncularis were identified in the area ventralis telencephali. CONCLUSIONS: Three nuclear groups namely pars posterioris, pars dorsalis, pars ventralis were identified in preoptic area. The inferior lobes are massive and consist of five circumscrible nuclear complexes. Midbrain consists of optic tectum, torus longitudinalis and tegmentum where different nuclear groups were identified.