Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder that disturbs the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Medicinal plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of Zaleya decandra roots on alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Oral administration of ethanolic extract of the root (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 15 days restored the levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, total proteins, urea, creatinine, lipid peroxidation level, and antioxidant enzymes significantly in diabetic rats. Histopathological studies showed significant changes like necrosis and degeneration in the liver and pancreas of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Also these histopathological abnormalities were found to be normalized after treatment with Z. decandra extract. The efficacy of the root extract was found to be equivalent when compared to the standard hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide (1.25 mg/kg body weight/day, orally) in diabetic rats.

Here an efficient protocol for micropropagation of black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] cv. VBN 3 is reported. The deembryonated cotyledonary explants were cultured on MS medium containing different concentrations of plant growth regulators. The maximum frequency (72%) of direct shoot regeneration (devoid of callus phase), multiple shoot induction and shoot elongation was achieved from culturing the explants on MS medium containing 3.0 mg/l of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Up to 65% of the regenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 0.25 mg/l of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) within 3 weeks after subculturing. The in vitro-raised plantlets were successfully hardened first under culture room conditions with 62% survival rate and then in greenhouse. The identified regeneration system could be efficiently used in various in vitro manipulation studies in black gram as well.

To investigate the effect of different organic nutrient sources on growth, chlorophyll content and dry matter production of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb.) Link) in sandy loam soil, a pot experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Annamalai University during February-May, 2019. The weather at Annamalainagar was moderately warm with hot summer. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design (CRD) with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments of the study were T1– Control, T2 –100% RDF, T3 – Coir pith compost @ 10 t ha-1, T4 – Bone meal powder @ 1 t ha-1, T5 – Panchagavya @ 3 % (Foliar spray), T6 –T3 + T4, T7 – T4 + T5, T8 – T3 + T5 and T9 – T3 + T4 + T5. The results revealed that application of 100% RDF (N: P2O5: K2O @ 40:30:50 kg ha-1) (T2) recorded the highest plant height of 159.74 cm, number of leaves plant-1 (8.51), leaf area index (3.12), chlorophyll content (49.14) and dry matter production (472.30 g pot-1) at harvest stage. These were on par with T9 – CPC + BMP + PG.

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