The Cholistan rangelands have been on decline due to various stresses and their effects can be visualized on its flora particularly on browse species. Therefore, a baseline study was carried to determine the productivity potential of browses with specific objectives of investigating their floristic composition, vegetation structure, forage productivity, and nutritive evaluation. Total 25 browse species belonging to 12 families and 17 genera were identified whereas Chenopodiaceae, Mimosaceae, and Rhamnaceae were found as dominant families that were mainly contributing to browse cover. In the investigated area two phenological seasons were recorded, first from February to April and second from September to November, whereas December to January and May to August were almost dormant phases. Further, based on economic importance of browses, maximum species were observed to be used as forage/fodder that clearly indicated that this area could serve as potential rangeland. According to phytosociological study, twenty browse communities were documented on the basis of importance value index. Multivariate analysis of twenty stands has delineated three vegetation associations inhabiting the sandunal, interdunal sandy and clayey saline habitats. Soil physio-chemical analysis revealed that texture of sandunal habitat was sandy; interdunal was sandy loam while clayey saline was clayey. Results have exposed that organic matter, and soil nutrients were better at interdunal sandy habitat whereas pH, EC, Na, and soil moisture were high at clayey saline habitat. It was estimated that browse productivity was high (8029.1 kg/ha) in wet season as compare to dry season (5422.9 kg/ha), correspondingly carrying capacity was high during wet season (16 ha/AU/Y) than dry season (24 ha/AU/Y). Moreover, during dry season, mostly stands were observed to be overgrazed while in wet season maximum stands were moderately grazed. High carrying capacity and good grazing status of stands in wet season was due to better forage production. Based on palatability classification, 22 species were found to have palatability to varying degree and 03 species were non-palatable. In palatable species, leaves of 14 species; shoot/stem of 13 species, flower of 04 species, and fruit of 03 species were grazed by livestock, whereas cattle were observed to graze on 07 species; goat and sheep like 10 species each while camel prefer 20 species. Subsequently, nutritive evaluation revealed that browse species were good source of dry matter and protein whereas; concentration of almost all the minerals (micro and macro) was less than required level for ruminants grazing therein. The findings of this study indicate that the browse productivity of Cholistan rangelands was low and fluctuate according to seasons. Therefore, they need proper protection, management, and rehabilitation through ecological approaches. This would be possible with the participation of government and local peoples to make these range resources sustainable. Key words: Cholistan rangelands, Browse species, Floristic composition, Phenology, vegetation structure, Multivariate analysis, Biomass production, Carrying capacity, Palatability, Nutritive evaluation
This study specifically examines the implementation of gerojene in the custom of Kaili tribal marriage in terms of fiqh Munakahat. The problem raised was how to understand and implement gerojene according to the Kaili tribal wedding customary law. This research is based on the views of some cultural experts that tradition can be seen as an act and behavior that prevails in a society, both in the form of habits and rules that are worked on from generation to generation inherited from ancestors since time immemorial. The definition is that if it is associated with the Kaili tribe's marriage customs, namely gerojene, then what is meant is the actions and rules held in a marriage ceremony inherited from ancestors and have been held for a long time until today are still maintained and practiced in traditional wedding ceremonies the Kaili tribe in Central Sulawesi. This research data comes from secondary data in the form of theories quoted from books, research journals, fiqh munakahat, and other writings by quoting directly or indirectly. Primary data or data collected from the field of research. Primary data collection uses two types of methods. First observation. The researcher went to the research location. The location of this study was in two districts and one city. Donggala Regency, Sigi Regency and Palu City. This observation activity is to meet traditional Kaili figures. Both methods are in-depth interviews. This was intended to find out the understanding and implementation of gerojene customs in the Kaili tribe marriage through question and answer. The answers given will clarify the problem under study. Through this research, it is known that there are differences in the understanding and procedure for the implementation of gerojene in the Kaili tribal marriages of the past with the Kaili tribe today. The words gerojene were pronounced by the customary leader as the representative of the bride of the prospective wife. After that the prospective husband answered as his agreement. The end of this pledge of women and men has legitimately become husband and wife. This event must be attended by a mother father or representing men and women and witnessing traditional and family leaders.
The work presented in this dissertation comprises of synthesis, spectroscopic analyses and biological evaluation of silver and gold based pronanomedicines derived from fluoroquinolones. Among others, it includes convenient and time saving production of noble metals (Ag/Au) nanoparticles (NPs) capped with fluoroquinolone antibiotics (moxifloxacin (Mox), ciprofloxacin (Cip), sparfloxacin (Sp) and gemifloxacin (Gm). Different reducing agents such as triethylamine, hydroquinone and sodium borohydride were employed to transform Ag/Au salts into feasible capping agents. Among them, sodium borohydride relatively gave better results. As for we understand and based on FTIR data, the NH moiety of fluoroquinolones were mainly responsible for the capping of Ag/Au nanoparticles. In order to manifest alternate green method, Ag and Au NPs were also produced by using selected medicinal plants; Rhododendron arboreum (RA), Kigelia pinnata (KP) and Eulophia dabia (ED) as reducing and stabilizing agent, while triethylamine was used to synthesize NPs of the extract of Desmodium elegans (DE). The structural framework and size morphology of synthesized NPs were characterized by using advanced analytical techniques such as atomic force microscope (AFM), UV visible, fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). To find alternate to wide spread resistive strains of pathogenic microbes; new antimicrobial agents are needed to treat the patients infected with such resistive pathogenic microbes. The locally synthesized pronanomedicines derived of fluoroquinolones were evaluated for biological properties namely urease inhibition, leishmanicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Interestingly and as for our expectations, these NPs enhanced biological and pharmacological activities. The synthesized pronanomedicines and the capping ligands were independently screened for jack bean urease enzyme inhibition potential. Mostly, the Ag-Mox NPs exhibited higher level of enzyme inhibition activity of 93% at 0.2 mg/mL and IC50 value of 0.66 ± 0.042 μg/mL concentration, while the ligand; Mox revealed weak inhibition with IC50 value of 183.25 ± 2.06 μg/mL. On the other hand, the Au-Mox NPs remained inactive as compared to the parent ligand (Mox) having IC50 = 183.25 ± 2.06 μg/mL. These results reflect that after conjugation of Mox with Ag, the activity of moxifloxacin was significantly increased about 250 times. However, the urease inhibition activity of the Au conjugated counterpart of moxifloxacin decreased significantly. The synthesized metallic nano-conjugates (Ag-Cip and Au-Cip NPs) and the parent ligand, ciprofloxacin were also tested for jack bean urease enzyme inhibition potential. Ag-Cip pronanomedicine exhibited better urease enzyme inhibition indicating 96 % at 0.2 mg/ mL (IC50 = 1.181 ± 0.02 μg/mL) concentration. On the other hand, Au-Cip NPs showed comparatively weaker urease inhibition (90 % at 0.2 mg/mL concentration) with IC50 = 52.55±2.3 μg/mL. As anticipated, the parent ligand ciprofloxacin revealed weaker inhibition to the values of 75 % at 0.2 mg/mL and IC50 = 82.95 ±1.62 μg/mL concentrations. Furthermore, leishmanicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were tested for both synthesized pronanomedicines and all the parent ligands under discussion but they revealed good to moderate activities. The selected plants namely R. arboreum, K. pinnata, E. dabia and D. elegans and their metallic NPs were also screened for jack beans urease enzyme, leishmanicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities which exhibited promising activities, while D. elegans-capped NPs showed moderate activities. Convincingly, the synthesized pronanomedicines were monodispersed and revealed stability to some extent by changing pH, concentration of table salt and temperature. The silver based pronanomedicines were anticipated to be good candidate for urease inhibition and leishmanicidal potentials.