Journal of Animal and Plant Research

Exploring the Biodiversity of Fishes of Gandiali Dam in District Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Adnan Ayaz — 2026-09-10

Ichthyological diversity reflects the richness of fish species in aquatic environments. Globally, 8,411 freshwater fish species have been documented. In Pakistan, approximately 193 freshwater fish species have been recorded, belonging to class Actinopterygii, subclass Teleostei, comprising three cohorts, six superorders, thirteen orders, thirty families, and eighty-six genera. The present study was conducted to investigate the status of fish biodiversity in Gandiali Dam, Kohat, during February 2024. A total of 25 specimens representing four species were collected and identified using the keys of Ahmed and Sandhu (2007). The identified species belonged to class Actinopterygii, comprising two orders (Cypriniformes and Siluriformes) and two families (Cyprinidae and Siluridae). The Cyprinidae family included Labeo rohita, Cyprinus carpio, and Cirrhinus mrigala, while Ompok bimaculatus represented the Siluridae family. The results indicate that Cyprinidae is the dominant family in Gandiali Dam. Notably, Ompok bimaculatus was recorded for the first time from this site. The study highlights the need for continuous monitoring to conserve and manage the fish biodiversity of Gandiali Dam sustainably.

In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of methanolic leaf extracts of Eucalyptus lanceolatus and Lawsonia inermis, individually and in combination

Jawad Ur Rehman — 2026-08-23

The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance has boosted interest in plant-derived compounds as potential sources of novel antimicrobial drugs. The present study was conducted to investigate the in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of crude methanolic leaf extracts of Eucalyptus lanceolatus and Lawsonia inermis alone and in combination at equal ratio. Dried leaves were powdered and extracted with methanol. The antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was tested by agar-well diffusion method. Individual extracts were tested at 400 and 1000 µg/mL and the combination at a nominal concentration of 1000 µg/mL. Antifungal activity was tested against Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 1000 µg/mL, terbinafine was used as positive control and dimethyl sulfoxide as negative control. L. inermis and E. lanceolatus showed 75% and 50% relative inhibition against K. pneumoniae and 35% and 30% against P. aeruginosa at 1000 µg/mL, respectively. The combination showed 78.2% inhibition against S. aureus as against the individual extracts which showed 65.2% and 39.1%. In these settings, the inhibition of fungi was modest. L. inermis showed 22% against A. flavus, while E. lanceolatus showed 15% against A. fumigatus. These preliminary results require more standardized susceptibility testing, formal interaction assays, phytochemical chara characterization, and cytotoxicity evaluation to prove any therapeutic significance.

Effect of Soil Moisture Levels (Drought vs. Well-Watered) on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth

Xu Qian — 2026-08-20

Seedling establishment and, therefore, crop productivity is influenced by water availability at early growth stages. The effects of three soil moisture treatments, well-watered (80–100% field capacity; FC), moderate drought (50% FC) and severe drought (25% FC), on seed germination and early seedling growth of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in controlled pot-culture conditions were studied. The germination percentage, mean germination time and germination index were measured during a 10-day period after sowing, while growth parameters of seedlings (shoot and root length, dry biomass, relative water content) were measured at 21 DAS. The percentage of germination and the speed of germination were significantly decreased with soil water deficit and became less than half of that in the well-watered controls in severe drought conditions. Shoot elongation and total biomass accumulation were also severely reduced under drought stress, whereas root length had a slight increase during moderate drought, suggesting drought avoidance strategy as an increase in root length in order to access water from deeper layers; this was not consistent during severe drought as the overall growth was down. The RWC decreased gradually as the water deficit increased, indicating dehydration of cells and loss of turgor. The results support the assumption that soil moisture availability is one of the most significant constraints for seed germination and establishment and can have implications for irrigation scheduling, seed-bed management and the variety or cultivar selection in water-limited agricultural systems.