Botanical Defenders: Evaluating the Antibacterial Potential of Allium cepa, Allium sativum, and Solanum trilobatum against Bacterial Flacherie in Bombyx mori L. |Chapter 3 | Microbiology and Biotechnology Research: An Overview Vol. 3

Bacterial resistance continues to pose a significant global threat, largely driven by the excessive and inappropriate use of conventional antibiotics. This crisis necessitates the development of alternative, eco-friendly antimicrobial agents, particularly those derived from medicinal plants. Botanicals offer several advantages over synthetic drugs, including lower toxicity, reduced side effects, and cost-effectiveness. The present study evaluates the antimicrobial efficacy of three potent medicinal plants—Allium cepa (onion), Allium sativum (garlic), and Solanum trilobatum—against bacterial flacherie in the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), a disease primarily caused by Bacillus thuringiensis and other pathogenic bacteria. Aqueous extracts of these plants were examined both in vitro and in vivo to assess their antibacterial properties. The results demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains associated with silkworm infections. These findings underline the potential of plant-based formulations as effective, sustainable alternatives for managing bacterial diseases in sericulture. Incorporating phytotherapeutic agents into silkworm health management could reduce dependency on chemical antibiotics and promote environmentally responsible practices.

 

Author (s) Details

G. S. Anantha Selvi
Department of Zoology, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil -629002 Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Shenbagamoorthy Sundarraj

Department of Zoology, V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi – 628 008, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mbrao/v3/5338

Botanical Defenders: Evaluating the Antibacterial Potential of Allium cepa, Allium sativum, and Solanum trilobatum against Bacterial Flacherie in Bombyx mori L. |Chapter 3 | Microbiology and Biotechnology Research: An Overview Vol. 3

 

Bacterial resistance continues to pose a significant global threat, largely driven by the excessive and inappropriate use of conventional antibiotics. This crisis necessitates the development of alternative, eco-friendly antimicrobial agents, particularly those derived from medicinal plants. Botanicals offer several advantages over synthetic drugs, including lower toxicity, reduced side effects, and cost-effectiveness. The present study evaluates the antimicrobial efficacy of three potent medicinal plants—Allium cepa (onion), Allium sativum (garlic), and Solanum trilobatum—against bacterial flacherie in the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), a disease primarily caused by Bacillus thuringiensis and other pathogenic bacteria. Aqueous extracts of these plants were examined both in vitro and in vivo to assess their antibacterial properties. The results demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains associated with silkworm infections. These findings underline the potential of plant-based formulations as effective, sustainable alternatives for managing bacterial diseases in sericulture. Incorporating phytotherapeutic agents into silkworm health management could reduce dependency on chemical antibiotics and promote environmentally responsible practices.

 

Author (s) Details

G. S. Anantha Selvi
Department of Zoology, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil -629002 Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Shenbagamoorthy Sundarraj

Department of Zoology, V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi – 628 008, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mbrao/v3/5338

A Decade Plus of Monoculture Wheat Compared to Wheat/Legume Pastures – Long-term Effects of Management Practices on Some Soil Physicochemical and Microbial Properties in the Winter Rainfall Region of South Africa | Chapter 10 |International Research in Environment, Geography and Earth Science Vol. 8

 With the ever-increasing demand for food and fibre by the rising human population, the quest for sustainable agriculture has intensified. Monoculture has been discovered to be unsustainable and to have a negative effect on the soil's ability to grow food and fibre. In 2010, we published the results of a four-year study in the wheat-growing region of the Western Cape, South Africa, in which we compared the effects of monoculture wheat versus wheat in a legume/pasture rotation on soil physicochemical characteristics and culturable microbial populations. The site was revisited in 2019 to assess the long-term impact of the two management systems on these parameters. Biolog EcoplatesTM is used to assess aggregate stability, active carbon levels, microbial activity, and carbon substrate utilisation in the soil. The amounts of organic carbon, boron, sulphur, and phosphorous in the soil, as well as soil moisture on the day of sampling, were all measured. Carbon substrate consumption trends in 2019 were found to be substantially different from those observed in 2006. The various management systems were clearly differentiated when the variables evaluated in 2019 were analysed. Surprisingly, the monoculture system had higher substrate usage. Can the weed infestation that occurred be considered, this may be due to the likely higher plant diversity and related root exudates of these systems. In order to achieve sustainable agriculture and healthy soils, more long-term research is needed.

Author (s) Details

A. Marais
Directorate Plant Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, South Africa.

M. Booyse
Agricultural Research Council - Biometry, Private Bag X5013, Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa.

A. Botha
Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/IREGES-V8/issue/view/37