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The vermicompost produced from flower waste inoculated with biofertilizers was subjected to compost maturity test: (i) physicochemical method (pH, OC, TN, C:N); (ii) solid state spectroscopic analysis (FTIR and (13)C CPMAS NMR); and (iii) plant bioassay (germination index). The pH of vermicompost was decreased toward neutral, C:N ratio < 20; reduced organic carbon with increased nitrogen indicates the compost attains maturity. The final vermicomposts result shows reduction of complex organic materials into simple minerals which indicates the maturity of the experimental vermicompost product than the control. The increased aliphatic portion incorporated with flower residues may be due to the synthesis of alkyl, O-alkyl, and COO groups by the microbes present in the gut of earthworm. Plant bioassays are considered the most conventional assessment of compost maturity analysis, and subsequently, it shows the effect of vermicompost maturity on the germination index of Vigna mungo .

Climate change impact has disturbed the rainfall pattern worsening the problems of water availability in the aquatic ecosystem of India and other parts of the world. Arsenic pollution, mainly through excessive use of groundwater and other anthropogenic activities, is aggravating in many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia. We evaluated the efficacy of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) and riboflavin (RF) to ameliorate the adverse impacts of elevated temperature and arsenic pollution on growth, anti-oxidative status and immuno-modulation in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Se-NPs were synthesized using fish gill employing green synthesis method. Four diets i.e., Se-NPs (0 mg kg−1) + RF (0 mg kg−1); Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg−1) + RF (5 mg kg−1); Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg−1) + RF (10 mg kg−1); and Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg−1) + RF (15 mg kg−1) were given in triplicate in a completely randomized block design. The fish were treated in arsenic (1/10th of LC50, 2.68 mg L−1) and high temperature (34 °C). Supplementation of the Se-NPs and RF in the diets significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced growth performance (weight gain, feed efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and specific growth rate), anti-oxidative status and immunity of the fish. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), total immunoglobulin, myeloperoxidase and globulin enhanced (p < 0.01) with supplementation (Se-NPs + RF) whereas, albumin and albumin globulin (A:G) ratio (p < 0.01) reduced. Stress biomarkers such as lipid peroxidation in the liver, gill and kidney, blood glucose, heat shock protein 70 in gill and liver as well as serum cortisol reduced (p < 0.01) with supplementation of Se-NPs and RF, whereas, acetylcholine esterase and vitamin C level in both brain and muscle significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) in compared to control and stressors group (As + T) fed with control diet. The fish were treated with pathogenic bacteria after 90 days of experimental trial to observe cumulative mortality and relative survival for a week. The arsenic concentration in experimental water and bioaccumulation in fish tissues was also determined, which indicated that supplementation of Se-NPs and RF significantly reduced (p < 0.01) bioaccumulation. The study concluded that a combination of Se-NPs and RF has the potential to mitigate the stresses of high temperature and As pollution in P. hypophthalmus.

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This study aimed to test the efficacy of 17 amethyl testosterone (17 a-MT) alone and in combination with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, for the induction of sex reversal in protogynous greasy grouper, Epinephelus tauvina. Further, the long-lasting effects of these treatments and spawning performance of sex-reversed males were also investigated. Greasy grouper with oocytes in the perinucleolus stage were implanted with 5 mg 17 a-MT kg À1 body weight (T 1 ), 5 mg 17 a-MT and 0.2 mg letrozole kg À1 body weight (T 2 ) and 5 mg 17 a-MT with 0.4 mg letrozole kg À1 body weight (T 3 ) and no androgens/enzyme inhibitor implanted (C). The 17 a-MT alone and in combination of letrozole-induced sex reversal in greasy grouper, whereas untreated control fish (C) showed normal ovarian development. However, T 2 and T 3 group showed 100% sex reversal and completion of spermatogenesis up to functional male phase in 2 and 3 months, respectively, whereas T 1 group resulted in only 66.67% functional male with motile spermatozoa after 4 months. Sex-reversed males successfully fertilized the eggs during induced spawning. There were significant differences on fertilization and hatching rates between T 2 group (79.00 AE 4.36%; 77.67 AE 2.87%, respectively) and T 1 group (57.67 AE 3.17%; 63.87 AE 2.91%, respectively). The result suggested that 17 a-MT (5.0 mg kg À1 BW) in combination with letrozole (0.2 mg kg À1 BW) has the potential to produce 100% sex-reversed male in short period in greasy grouper, which might greatly help in seed production of greasy grouper.

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