Oxygen derived free radicals are now increasingly regarded as a primary force of tissue destruction and also have the ability to release histamine from mast cells. Pycnogenol is an extract of the bark of French maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) containing bioflavonoids with a potent ability to scavenge free radicals. Therefore Pycnogenol was investigated for inhibition of histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells. In addition, its effects were compared with sodium cromoglycate, a known inhibitor of histamine release from the mast cell. Rat peritoneal mast cells were isolated and purified by differential centrifugation and cells pooled from 3-4 animals were suspended at approximately 10(6) cells/mL buffered salt solution. Histamine release was induced by compound 48/80 or the calcium ionophore A-23187 and estimated from supernatant following extraction and by fluorimetric methods. Pycnogenol produced a concentration dependent inhibition of histamine release induced by the two secretagogues. Its inhibitory effect on mast cell histamine release was favourably comparable to sodium cromoglycate.

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The present investigation was studied to evaluate the synergistic effect of Rhizobium and rhizobacteria consortium for improving growth, symbiotic efficiency, soil quality and yield in summer mungbean under field conditions during summer season 2015. Mungbean seeds of two varieties (SML668 and SML832) were inoculated with Rhizobium (M1, LSMR1 and LSMR2) singly and in combination with rhizobacteria (LSRB1, LSRB2 and LSRB3). Significantly high dry weight of shoot (4.22 and 5.29 g plant -1 ) dry weight of root (0.411 and 0.604g plant -1 ) total nitrogen (1.59 and 1.52%) and phosphorus content (0.109 and 0.129 %) of shoot were recorded with consortium of native Rhizobium sp. (LSMR1) and rhizobacteria (LSRB3) in SML668 and SML832 varieties, respectively as compared to Rhizobium sp. alone as well as un-inoculated control. On the basis of overall mean, symbiotic and soil quality parameters were significantly high viz. dry weight of nodules (105.3 mg), leghaemoglobin content (2.61 mg/g of nodules), nitrate reductase activity of nodules (13.86 µmNO -2 /hr/g of fresh nodules) and dehydrogenase activity (200 µg TPF/g/soil/hr) with LSMR1+LSRB3 treatment as compared to Rhizobium sp. alone as well as un-inoculated control. On an average, consortium of LSMR1+LSRB3 significantly improved the grain yield by 5.7% over Rhizobium sp. (LSMR1) and 9.2% over uninoculated control. Therefore present studies conclude that consortium of native Rhizobium sp. and rhizobacteria can be developed as a single delivery system biofertilizer for improving summer mungbean productivity.

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