Inventum Biologicum: An International Journal of Biological Research

Biomolecular Interactions of Aromatic Amino Acids in Phosphate Buffer-Urea Systems

2026-02-06T16:12:43+00:00

The relative and specific viscosities of three aromatic amino acids—DL-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan, and L-tyrosine—were measured in phosphate buffer solutions (pH 6, 7, and 8) containing 0.1 M aqueous urea at temperatures ranging from 303.15 to 328.15 K. The concentration of amino acids varied from 0.01 to 0.09 mol/kg. Absolute viscosities (η), solvent flow times (t₀), and Jones-Dole B-coefficients were determined to elucidate solute-solvent interactions. The results show that viscosity increases with amino acid concentration and decreases with temperature. L-tryptophan exhibits the highest viscosity values among the three amino acids studied, followed by L-tyrosine and DL-phenylalanine. The pH of the buffer solution significantly affects the viscometric behavior, with pH 8 generally showing higher viscosity values compared to pH 6 and 7. Temperature-dependent activation energies were calculated using Arrhenius analysis, revealing distinct energetic barriers for viscous flow in different amino acid systems. These findings provide valuable insights into biomolecular interactions, protein folding mechanisms, and the solution behavior of aromatic amino acids in biological buffer systems.

Aquatic Insect Diversity of Rice Crop Stages in Gopalganj District of Bihar

2026-02-06T16:08:04+00:00

Rice is a major food crop of India. The rice cultivation has maintained its priority status in the agricultural sector of the country. The intensive management practices adopted by the practitioners have resulted in genetic erosion, thus affecting the species composition of the rice field ecosystems. There is obvious difference in species composition and community structure in upland and lowland rice fields and lowland fields has minimum pests affecting production of yield per hectare. This paper presents a work carried out on the biological diversity of lowland rice field ecosystems of India, and proposes the need for conservation strategies to ensure the sustainability of these rice growing ecosystems in the long run.

Reproductive Biology of the Predatory Water Bug, Diplonychus annulatum (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) on Anopheles Mosquito as Prey Under Laboratory conditions

2026-02-06T16:01:27+00:00

The biology of the predatory water bug, Diplonychus annulatum (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), was studied under laboratory conditions using Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) wrigglers as prey. D. annulatum exhibits paurometabolous type of development passing through egg, nymph, and adult stages. An adult female lay about 6-14 egg batches with an average of 55.95±2.36 eggs per batch. Incubation period ranges from 8-11 days with a mean of 9.28±0.06 days and 79.63 % hatchability. The nymph passed through five instars before reaching the adult stage. The mean durations of the different instars were: 4.62±0.16, 4.22±0.15, 5.24±0.24, 8.06±0.58, and 15.86±0.61 days, respectively. The developmental period was 28-54 days (x̅=38.14±0.85 days). Longevity of females ranged from 110-283 days (x̅=196.76±12.53 days) while that of males was from 115-282 days (x̅=212.38±14.04 days). D. rusticus was found to be a voracious predator of Anopheles in the laboratory. The mean consumption rates for the respective instars were 10.0±0.35, 17.22±0.31, 36.48±0.73, 98.18±2.89, and 171.88±4.23 individual wrigglers per day.

Urrak as a Traditional Fermented Cashew Beverage

2026-01-28T18:05:46+00:00

A distinctive bio-cultural product of Goa, urrak is a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage made from cashew apple juice (Anacardium occidentale L.). Its manufacturing connects biological transformation with ancient knowledge systems through natural fermentation processes mediated by native microorganisms. Beyond its cultural significance, Urrak supports rural lives and has promise for heritage-based, sustainable tourism.

This study looks at the knowledge, attitudes, and consumption patterns of tourists on Urrak, a traditional Goan alcoholic beverage made from fermented cashew apple juice that was initially distilled. Despite Goa's international fame for its beaches and nightlife, local beverages like Urrak are still not often mentioned by visitors. Using a mixed-method approach that included surveys of 120 tourists and interviews with eight local stakeholders, the study found that tourists' inclination to taste Urrak is significantly influenced by authenticity, flavour, and cultural narrative. Regulatory restrictions, lack of standardization, sanitary concerns, and limited availability are some of the primary obstacles that have been identified. According to the report, Urrak might gain greater recognition via planned advertising, seasonal branding, heritage-based tourism initiatives, and Geographical Indication (GI) protection. Including Urrak in sustainable tourism might contribute to the preservation of traditional knowledge, the livelihood of rural residents, and the expansion of Goa's culinary tourism offerings.

Bio-Based and Eco-Friendly Solvent Systems for Sustainable Industrial and Biological Applications

2026-01-28T17:57:21+00:00

Traditional organic solvents provide considerable environmental and health risks, although their widespread use in chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, and materials processing sectors. This study examines the rational design, systematic assessment, and industrial validation of environmentally benign solvent alternatives, such as deep eutectic solvents, bio-based solvents, and supercritical fluids, aimed at substituting hazardous conventional solvents in extraction, synthesis, and formulation processes. Four case studies investigated the crystallisation of pharmaceutical active ingredients, extraction of natural products, processing of polymers, and treatment of metal surfaces, contrasting green solvents with traditional options in terms of performance, environmental impact, health, safety, and economic factors. Deep eutectic solvents formulated from choline chloride and glycerol attained a 94% yield in pharmaceutical crystallisation, compared to 89% with dichloromethane, while mitigating toxicity and decreasing waste production by 76%. Bio-based ethyl lactate extracted 87-92% of bioactive chemicals from plant materials, in contrast to 91-95% for ethyl acetate, while providing total biodegradability and renewable source. Supercritical carbon dioxide processing of polymers attained comparable product quality to traditional organic solvents, resulting in 65% energy savings and zero emissions of volatile organic compounds. Magnetic deep eutectic solvents achieved metal degreasing with 96% efficiency and total solvent recovery, in contrast to 78% efficiency and 45% losses associated with trichloroethylene. Environmental assessments using solvent selection recommendations indicated a 60-85% enhancement in health and environmental hazard ratings for eco-friendly alternatives. Life cycle study indicated reductions of 35-68% in global warming potential and 42-79% in human toxicity consequences, albeit 15-35% increased material prices in the majority of applications. Industrial pilot experiments validated scalability and process compatibility, demonstrating economic payback times of 1.2 to 3.8 years when factoring in waste treatment savings and regulatory compliance expenses. This study shows that scientifically formulated eco-friendly solvents may equal or surpass the efficacy of traditional solvents while significantly diminishing environmental impact and health hazards, offering viable alternatives for sustainable industrial solvent substitution.

Impact of Industrial Effluents on the Morphology of Some Agricultural Plants Growing in Kharagpur Sub-Division of West Bengal, India

2026-01-17T12:52:47+00:00

Kharagpur Subdivision is one of the important industrial belts in west Bengal. Many industries in this area discharge their effluents directly or indirectly into many water bodies as well as soil and agricultural land. In the present study, the impact of industrial effluents, leaching from Carbo and TATA Metalics factory of Kharagapur on morphological characters of some agricultural plants has been analysed. For the study, some important agricultural plants species - Solanum tuberosum, Saccharum officinarum and Lycopersicon esculenta were selected. The aim of this study highlighted the strong emphasis on examining how harmful industrial effluents are severely affecting the morphological characters of these selected plants. The objectives have helped in exploring the study’s goal to examine the key drivers responsible for the increase in industrial effluents in Kharagpur’s subdivision. Similarly, morphological characters of these plants were analyzed and were found comparatively leaf number and size as well as length of root shoot and petiole were lower in irrigated field with effluent contaminated water than that of irrigated field with uncontaminated water. In the present work the effect of distillery effluent on leaf size and number as well as length of root, stem and petiole of three different crops (Solanum tuberosum, Saccharum officinarum and Lycopersicon esculenta) were assessed. It was found that industrial effluents had inhibitory effects. It was also observed that root growth was highly affected than shoot and leaf growth. Thus, roots of the tested crops were highly sensitive to effluent treatment than shoots. Quantitative analysis of some major morphological parameters of these selected agricultural plants growing on land irrigated with effluent contaminated water revealed that there were drastic changes of morphological features observed in respect to the plants growing on land irrigated with uncontaminated water. Thus, in future the analysis of morphological features of these plant species will play an important role in the study of green development as well as crop productivity in urban area.