Indian Journal of Biology

Aquaculture has emerged as a significant global industry, with both men and women participating in various roles. Despite of their substantial contribution, women often remain vulnerable to lack of opportunities due to various socio-cultural bars including gender biases, limited financial share, restricted access to resources, and non-involvement in decision-making processes where men hold the dominant part. These challenges hinder their full participation and ability to maximize benefits from the industry. Involving women more actively in aquaculture can enhance sustainable production, economic growth, and food security. Moreover, it can also elevate their social and financial status and attract marginalized women to the workforce, thereby contributing to broader women's empowerment goals. However, achieving this requires not only financial and technical support but also awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives at the community, national, and global levels. In this paper, as a whole the empowerment of women in aquaculture or fishery has been thoroughly discussed.

Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy PGT-A is a genetic test performed on Day 5 or Day 6 embryos obtained through Invitro fertilization (IVF). Embryo Biopsy is a procedure where the part of Trophoectoderm of the embryo is taken and sent for PGT-A analysis. PGT-A is indicated in couple who has been through previous miscarriage, maternal age >35 years and previous child anomalies. Mosaicism is a condition in which the presence of two or more abnormal cell lines or a normal and an abnormal cell line has observed. Embryonic mosaicism might play a significant role in pregnancy loss after IVF, cytogenetic and array based analysis of miscarriages following spontaneously conceived pregnancies commonly reveal chromosomal mosaicism. The degree of Embryonic Mosaicism negatively affects the implantation rate.
 

Phytochemicals derived from various herbs hold a promise in treating the oxidative stress in various diseases. The aim of this study was to measure the antioxidant activity of various extracts prepared from the bark and leaves of Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Mique (Rubiaceae) plant. The Ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP, also Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power) assay was used to assess the oxidative potential of various extracts. The results show that methanol extracts of the bark and the leaves give the higher TAC FRAP values. The results obtained have the potential of bark and leaf extracts of A. cadamba to be exploited pharmacologically in future.
 

Investigations were carried to study the influence of 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 mM of cadmium (Cd++), cobalt (Co++), and copper (Cu++) ions in an aqueous solution (as chloride salts) on germination, root elongation, hypocotyl growth, mobilization efficiency, tolerance index and vigour index of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) variety K-851 seeds and seedlings. The extent of inhibition of germination was found to depend on, metal concentration, metal type and incubation period. In comparison to control, there was a complete inhibition of root and hypocotyl growth in germinating mung bean seeds at Co and Cu concentration ≥ 6.0 mM. The order of these metals on inhibition of germination, root elongation and hypocotyl growth was Cu > Cd > Co. The phytotoxic effects of tested metal ions were also evident in case of mobilization efficiency, tolerance index and vigour index. All the tested metal concentration could be efficiently tolerated by V. radiata seedlings. Variation in these physiological parameters has role in combating the metal chlorides mediated stress, and could be used for measuring the phytotoxicity and degree of tolerance of the test system.