Currency notes and coins serve as an agency of transmission of microorganisms since they are passed freely from hand to hand as a medium of exchange. A research, with an objective to explore the microbial load on Nepalese paper/ polymer currency notes and coins, was carried out at the Environment Laboratory of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Khumaltar from November 2006 to May 2007. All together 63 samples of paper/polymer notes and coins from different professionals of different places at Kathmandu were collected and analyzed for the presence of microorganisms. Among the total tested paper/ polymer and coin samples, 98.4% were found to have heterotrophic aerobic bacteria, 87.3% were contaminated with coliform bacteria and 79.4% showed presence of Staphylococci. Contamination level was found in increasing order of coins> polymer notes>paper notes. The presence of high microbial load on currency notes and coins indicate the potentials of such currencies for possible disease spread in the human communities.

The study was undertaken to assess the existing status of drinking water quality of Madhyapur-Thimi. A total of 105 water samples comprising 50 (47.61%) wells, 45 (42.82%) tap water and 10 (9.52%) stone spouts were randomly collected. The physicochemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed following standard technique. The pH (1.9%), conductivity (34.28%) and turbidity (16.19%) of water samples had crossed the permissible guideline values as prescribed by WHO and national standard. All samples contained nitrate values within the WHO permissible value as well as national standard but hardness (2%), chloride (2.85%), iron (26.66%), ammonia (11.42%), and arsenic content (1.90%) crossed the WHO guideline value but none of the water samples crossed the national standard for arsenic. Arsenic having 0.025mg/l (25ppb) was detected from two well water samples, Makanani well and Ajimanani well. Total coliform count showed 64.76% of samples crossed the WHO guideline values. Eleven different kinds of enteric bacteria were isolated from different sources, Enterobacter spp. being the predominant. Isolates were subjected for antibiotic susceptibility pattern using ten antibiotics. Among total isolates, resistance was directed to 79.5% Erythromycin, 62.67% Penicillin G, 61.9% Amoxycillin, 34.5% Ampicillin, 21.1% Tetracycline, 15.4% Ceftriaxone, 14.7% Amikacin, 14.7% Cephotaxine, 5.6% Chlorophenical and 5.6% Ofloxacin respectively.

The activities of rhizospheric organisms have been well recognized in non-leguminous plants such as tropical grasses, rice and maize. Such activities include nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization and mineralization that are beneficial for the overall growth and development of the plant. An experiment was carried out to study the growth promotion of rice (Oryza sativa L.) due to dual inoculation of Azotobacter chroococcum and Piriformospora indica along with vermicompost. The effects on shoot length, root length, fresh shoot and root weight, dry shoot and root weight, and panicle number on 45 th day and 90 th day were investigated. In both the stages these parameters of all the treated plants were significantly (P<0.05) greater than the uninoculated control. Dual inoculated plants in presence of vermicompost gave better positive effects on both 45 th day and 90 th day, in comparison to single inoculation of A. chroococcum, P. indica and vermicompost. However, A. chroococcum treated plants showed significant decrease in dry root weight as compared to control plants on 90 th day observation. This suggested that dual inoculation of A. chroococcum and P. indica had beneficiary response on growth of rice plant.

Abstract:The antimicrobial effect of crude extract of lime (Citrus aurantifolia) was assayed against different bacterial species by agar well diffusion method. The highest inhibition zone of 28 mm was observed in Vibrio cholerae followed by Enterobacter species (9mm), Citrobacter species (8mm) and Escherichia coli (8mm). Shigella, Salmonella and Klebsiella species were found resistant. So the study was mainly focused on V. cholerae. Different concentrations of the crude extract such as 75%, 50%, 25% and 5% were tested to calculate the minimum amount that inhibits the bacteria which showed the zone of inhibition (ZOI) as 31mm, 24mm, 17mm and 9mm respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged from 6.25 mg/l to 50 mg/l. This result suggests that citrus fruit like limes are effective in preventing infection with Vibrio species.

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