Nature-Inspired Effects of Naturally Occurring Trace Element-Doped Hydroxyapatite Combined with Surface Interactions of Mineral-Apatite Single Crystals on Human Fibroblast Behavior.

Innovative engineering design for biologically active hydroxyapatites requires enhancing both mechanical and physical properties, along with biocompatibility, by doping with appropriate chemical elements. Herein, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate and elucidate the model of naturally occurring hydroxyapatite and the effects of doped trace elements on the function of normal human fibroblasts, representing the main cells of connective tissues. The substrates applied (geological apatites with hexagonal prismatic crystal habit originated from Slyudyanka, Lake Baikal, Russia (GAp) and from Imilchil, The Atlas Mountains, Morocco (YAp)) were prepared from mineral natural apatite with a chemical composition consistent with the building blocks of enamel and enriched with a significant F- content. Materials in the form of powders, extracts and single-crystal plates have been investigated. Moreover, the effects on the function of fibroblasts cultured on the analyzed surfaces in the form of changes in metabolic activity, proliferation and cell morphology were evaluated. Apatite plates were also evaluated for cytotoxicity and immune cell activation capacity. The results suggest that a moderate amount of F- has a positive effect on cell proliferation, whereas an inhibitory effect was attributed to the Cl- concentration. It was found that for (100) GAp plate, fibroblast proliferation was significantly increased, whereas for (001) YAp plate, it was significantly reduced, with no cytotoxic effect and no immune response from macrophages exposed to these materials. The study of the interaction of fibroblasts with apatite crystal surfaces provides a characterization relevant to medical applications and may contribute to the design of biomaterials suitable for medical applications and the evaluation of their bioavailability.

The influence of the organic matter of sewage sediments on biological activity of microorganisms which carry out the transformations of carbon and nitrogen compounds.

Soil microorganisms play an important role in the organic matter transformation process. The soil microorganisms also are in symbiotic relationship with plants. At the same time, soil microorganisms are sensitive to both anthropogenic and natural habitat changes. Particular characteristics of organic matter (the C:N relation, pH, the content the content of assimilated nutrients, the xenobiotics etc.) modify the biotic conditions of the soils. This particularly concerns the microorganisms which carry out the changes in the mineral and organic nitrogen compounds and the transformation of the external organic matter. The first aim of this work was to assess the influence of the sewage sediments and the manure on the phytosanitary potential of the soil environment. The second aim of this article was to estimate the number and activity of microorganisms which carry out the transformation of carbon and nitrogen compounds. This work showed the stimulating effect of the external organic matter both on the number and on the activity of most of the physiological groups. The manure mainly stimulated ammonificators, amylolitic microorganisms and Azotobacter sp. The sewage sediments mainly stimulated ammonificators, nitrifiers of I phase and cellulolytic microorganisms. The statistically significant impact of the physio-chemical soil habitat on the biological activity of the analyzed groups of microbes was also noted.

[The assessment of the sensitivity of environmental fungi to urea phosphate]. / Ocena wrazliwosci wybranych grzybów srodowiskowych na fosforan mocznika.

In this paper the authors presented the influence of various urea phosphate doses, 1-12%, on the environmental fungi growth depending on its intensity and the type of created spore e.g. (Penicillium italicum, Aspergillusfumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium resinae, Mucor hiemalis i Rhizopus nigricans). The result of urea phosphate effect on fungi was estimated by static culture method using dry mass increase change [g. dry mass/ldm3]. The control was created by the growth of the above mentioned fungi on the basis of urea phosphate free soil. The obtained results were worked out by a statistic method using Duncan's test. The tested fungi showed different sensitivity to the various urea phosphate doses. In the presence of 1% urea phosphate the fungi sensitivity depended on their growth intensity (Aspergillus niger, Mucor hiemalis i Rhizopus nigricans). Additionally, the stimulation of fungi growth with rapid vegetative structure progress was observed. Independently of their physiological properties, significant inhibition of dry mass increase in the range of 3-12% concentration urea phosphate was observed. The result of the use of 3% urea phosphate was the reduction of dry mass growth of all tested fungi.