Assessment of antimicrobial activity and GC-MS using culture filtrate of local marine Bacillus strains.

Secondary metabolites produced by Bacillus species from marine sources encompass a variety of compounds such as lipopeptides, isocoumarins, polyketides, macrolactones, polypeptides and fatty acids. These bioactive substances exhibit various biological activities, including antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor properties. This study aimed to isolate and identify a particular species of Bacillus from marine water and organisms that can produce bioactive secondary metabolites. Among the 73 Bacillus isolates collected, only 5 exhibited antagonistic activity against various viral and bacterial pathogens. The active isolates were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing to determine their taxonomical affiliation. Among them, Bacillus tequilensis CCASU-2024-66 strain no. 42, with the accession number ON 054302 in GenBank, exhibited the highest inhibitory potential. It displayed an inhibition zone of 21 mm against Bacillus cereus while showing a minimum zone of inhibition of 9 mm against Escherichia coli and gave different inhibition against pathogenic fungi, the highest inhibition zone 15 mm against Candida albicans but the lowest inhibition zone 10 mm was against Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum. Furthermore, it demonstrated the highest percentage of virucidal effect against the Newcastle virus and influenza virus, with rates of 98.6% and 98.1%, respectively. Furthermore, GC-MS analysis was employed to examine the bioactive substance components, specifically focusing on volatile and polysaccharide compounds. Based on these results, Bacillus tequilensis strain 42 may have the potential to be employed as an antiviral agent in poultry cultures to combat Newcastle and influenza, two extremely destructive viruses, thus reducing economic losses in the poultry production sector. Bacteria can be harnessed for the purpose of preserving food and controlling pathogenic fungi in both human and plant environments. Molecular docking for the three highly active derivatives 2,3-Butanediol, 2TMS, D-Xylopyranose, 4TMS, and Glucofuranoside, methyl 2,3,5,6-tetrakis-O-(trimethylsilyl) was carried out against the active sites of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Candida albicans, Newcastle virus and influenza virus. The data obtained from molecular docking is highly correlated with that obtained from biology. Moreover, these highly active compounds exhibited excellent proposed ADMET profile.

Synthesis and utilization of titanium dioxide nano particle (TiO2NPs) for photocatalytic degradation of organics.

A green technique that emerged as a promise in the degradation of numerous organic contaminants is photocatalysis. The aim of this study concerns photocatalytic degradation of organic using titanium dioxide nano particles (TiO2 NPs) which syntheses from ilmenite by different leaching methods using different ingredients such as HCl, HNO3 and Aqua Regia. The affecting factors such as rate of addition, reaction time, ilmenite grain size, acid to ilmenite ratio and reaction temperature were conducted. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization of Ilmenite and TiO2 NPs were conducted using different analytical techniques such as XRD, XRF, SEM, TEM and FTIR. Photocatalytic degradation of organics is confirmed by studies of affecting factors on the effectiveness of TiO2 NPs such as dose, agitation forces, light intensity, initial concentration, pH, time, and temperature. The removal percentages of TSS, COD, BOD and TN of organics were explored. From the results the maximum removal percentage of TSS were 97.3 and 96.9% before and after secondary treatment conducted using ferric chloride (FC). The maximum removal percentage of TKN, BOD, and COD before secondary treatment were conducted using mixture of TiO2 NPs, FC, and chitosan, which reached 44.2, 44 and 46.3%, respectively. The maximum removal percentage of TKN, BOD, and COD after secondary treatment were conducted using mixture of TiO2 NPs, FC, and chitosan, which reached 94.9, 99.7 and 99.6%, respectively. Overall, the results derived from this investigation suggest that the TiO2 NPs/UV holds significant advanced treatment of sewage water, making it a viable choice for water reuse applications.

Evaluation of irrigation, drinking, and risk indices for water quality parameters of alpine lakes.

Alpine lakes are aquatic ecosystems that maintain and regulate water supply for the downstream streams, rivers, and other reservoirs. This study examined the water characteristics of various alpine lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan. For this purpose, water was sampled and investigated for basic parameters, anions, and cations using the multi-parameter analyzers and atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Physicochemical parameters of alpine lakes were noted under the World Health Organization water guidelines, except for fluoride (F-) and turbidity in 4.3% and 36% of samples, respectively. Water quality index (WQI) classified samples (93%) as excellent and good quality (7%). Results showed maximum chronic daily intake values (0.14 ± 0.01 mg/kg-day) for nitrate (NO3-) and hazard quotient (0.80 ± 0.24) for F- in children via water intake from Upper Kachura and Shausar Lakes, respectively. Statistical analyses of Piper and Gibbs's plots revealed that the water quality is mainly characterized by bedrock geology.

Biofabrication strategy of silver-nanodrug conjugated polyhydroxybutyrate degrading probiotic and its application as a novel wound dressing.

Wound infections with rising incidences of multi-drug resistant bacteria are among the public health problems worldwide. The current study describes wound dressing materials made from biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) combined with AgNPs and gelatin (AgNPs/Gelatin/PHB). Microbial PHB was mixed with gelatin (1:2) to form a polymer matrix which was loaded with different concentrations of AgNPs (8.3-133 µg/mL). The statistical results of AgNPs synthesizing based on Box-Behnken design revealed that 1.247 mM silver nitrate and 24.054 % of Corchorus olitorius leaf extract concentration at pH (8.07) were the optimum values for the biosynthesis. UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR study and XRD reflects that nanoparticles are formed. The UV-Vis spectroscopy of Gelatin/PHB/AgNPs exhibited two specific bands at 298 nm and 371 nm, which confirm the formation of the conjugate. AgNPs had MICs and MBCs of (24.9, 24.9, and 12.45 µg/mL) and (33.25, 33.25, and 16.6 µg/mL) against (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus). The MIC and MBC of AgNPs/Gelatin/PHB against the same tested bacteria were 31.1 µg and 41.5 µg, respectively. AgNPs/Gelatin/PHB exhibit excellent antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria. Sterilized gauze loaded with 31.1 µg of AgNPs/Gelatin/PHB acted as an effective wound dressing. Thus, the study highlights the importance of wound dressings developed from degradable AgNPs/Gelatin/PHB in enhancing antimicrobial efficiency and facilitating a better wound healing process.

Rosemary and neem methanolic extract: antioxidant, cytotoxic, and larvicidal activities supported by chemical composition and molecular docking simulations.

This study aimed to employ GC-MS to assess the chemical composition of MeOH leaf extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica and evaluate their insecticidal, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. Twelve components, representing 98.61% and 100% of the total volatile compounds, were deduced from the extracted R. officinalis and A. indica, respectively, using this method. In R. officinalis extract, limonene is typically positioned as the main component (23.03%), while the main chemicals identified in A. indica extract were methyl (E)-octadec-13-enoate (23.20%) and (2R)-1,3,8-trimethyl-4-propyl-5-ethyl-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-7-methoxycardonylethyl-6-methylenecarbonyl-porphyrin (23.03%). Both extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica exhibited different toxicity against the stored grain pest T. castaneum, with LC50 values of 1.470 and 2.588 mg/ml, respectively. Additionally, after 4 and 5 h of treatment at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, the A. indica extract showed the highest levels of repellent action (81.4% and 93.4%), and the R. officinalis extract showed a good repellent rate (64.9% and 80.7%) against T. castenum larvae. With an IC50 value of 35.83 and 28.68 mg/L and a radical scavenging activity percentage of 67.76% and 72.35%, the leaf extract was found to be the most potent plant extract when tested for DPPH antioxidant activity. Overall results showed that MeOH extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica were more effective against S. aureus than E. coli. To determine how the investigated chemicals attach to the active sites of E. coli DNA gyrase A and S. aureus undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase, docking studies were carried out. The consensus score analysis showed that limonene exhibits the best binding energy with both enzymes in docking analysis and more stability in molecular dynamics simulations. The RMSD was obtained at 20.6 and 4.199 (Kcal/mole). The two compounds were successfully used in molecular dynamics simulation research to generate stable complexes with DNA gyrase A.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital wastewater treatment plant effluent and the possible consequences of its reuse in agricultural irrigation.

Wastewater from hospitals should be monitored precisely and treated properly before discharge and reuse to avoid epidemic and pandemic complications, as it contains hazardous pollutants for the ecosystem. Antibiotic residues in treated hospital wastewater effluents constitute a major environmental concern since they resist various wastewater treatment processes. The emergence and spread of multi-drug-resistant bacteria, that cause public health problems, are therefore always a major concern. The aims and objectives of this study were mainly to characterize the chemical and microbial properties of the hospital effluent of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) before discharge to the environment. Special attention was paid to the presence of multiple resistant bacteria and the effects of hospital effluent reuse in irrigation on zucchini as an economically important plant. The risk of cell-free DNA carrying antibiotic resistance genes contained in the hospital effluent as a long-lasting hazard had been discussed. In this study, 21 bacterial strains were isolated from the effluent of a hospital WWTP. Isolated bacteria were evaluated for multi-drug resistance ability against 5 antibiotics (Tetracycline, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Chloramphenicol, and Erythromycin) at a concentration of 25 ppm. Out of them, three isolates (AH-03, AH-07, and AH-13) were selected because they recorded the highest growth in presence of tested antibiotics. Selected isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence homology as Staphylococcus haemolyticus (AH-03), Enterococcus faecalis (AH-07), and Escherichia coli (AH-13). Their susceptibility to ascending concentrations of tested antibiotics indicated that they were all susceptible at a concentration above 50 ppm. Results of the greenhouse experiment regarding the effect of hospital WWTP effluent reuse on zucchini plant fresh weights compared to that irrigated with fresh water indicated that the former recorded a limited increase in total fresh weights (6.2 g and 5.3 g/plant, respectively). Our results demonstrated the low impact of the reuse of Hospital WWTP effluent in agriculture irrigation compared to its greater risk in transferring multiple antibiotic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to soil bacteria through natural transformation.

Tetrahydrocannabinols: potential cannabimimetic agents for cancer therapy.

Tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) antagonize the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, whose signaling to the endocannabinoid system is essential for controlling cell survival and proliferation as well as psychoactive effects. Most tumor cells express a much higher level of CB1 and CB2; THCs have been investigated as potential cancer therapeutic due to their cannabimimetic properties. To date, THCs have been prescribed as palliative medicine to cancer patients but not as an anticancer modality. Growing evidence of preclinical research demonstrates that THCs reduce tumor progression by stimulating apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting two significant hallmarks of cancer pathogenesis: metastasis and angiogenesis. However, the degree of their anticancer effects depends on the origin of the tumor site, the expression of cannabinoid receptors on tumor cells, and the dosages and types of THC. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the molecular processes that THCs target for their anticancer effects. It also emphasizes the substantial knowledge gaps that should be of concern in future studies. We also discuss the therapeutic effects of THCs and the problems that will need to be addressed in the future. Clarifying unanswered queries is a prerequisite to translating the THCs into an effective anticancer regime.

Synthesis and characterization of Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles for potent antifungal activity against dry rot of ginger (Fusarium oxysporum).

Current study signifies the use of nanoparticles as alternative in plant disease management to avoid harmful effect of pesticide and fungicide residue. Synthesis of nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) by hydrothermal method and studied their X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman spectra, and UV spectra and further successfully evaluated for antifungal activity against a soil and seed borne pathogenic fungus (Fusarium oxysporum).Among various pests, fungal pathogens are the main cause of crop destruction and we developed nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) which is successfully evaluated for antimycotic activity against dry rot (F. oxysporum) of ginger which causes 50-70% losses in the ginger plant. In vitro and in vivo analysis designated that the nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) has shown an excellent antifungal activity against F. oxysporum at 0.5 mg/ml concentration. Similarly, no disease incidence was recorded when Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles used at 0.5 mg/ml concentration under in vivo conditions. In plants various environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic) leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing progressive oxidative damage and ultimately leads to cell death. The role of ROS in nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) represents by reduction in the growth inhibition of F. oxysporum. We speculated in light of these results that the cytotoxic effect of Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles on F. oxysporum may be mediated through ROS. We can suggest the role of nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) gives a promising result as a fungicidal activity and could be a novel family of future new generation fungicide.

Production of cold-active pectinases by three novel Cladosporium species isolated from Egypt and application of the most active enzyme.

Cladosporium parasphaerospermum, Cladosporium chlamydosporigenum, and Cladosporium compactisporum have all been discovered and characterized as new Cladosporium species. The three new species seemed to generate cold-active pectinases with high activity at pH 6.0 and 10 °C, pH 6.0 and 15 °C, and pH 5.0 and 15 °C, respectively, with the most active being C. parasphaerospermum pectinase. In submerged fermentation (SmF), C. parasphaerospermum produced the most cold-active pectinase with the highest activity and specific activity (28.84 U/mL and 3797 U/mg) after 8 days. C. parasphaerospermum cold-active pectinase was isolated using DEAE-Cellulose anion exchange resin and a Sephadex G 100 gel filtration column. The enzyme was purified 214.4-fold and 406.4-fold greater than the fermentation medium using DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G 100, respectively. At pH 7.0 and 10 °C, pure pectinase had the highest activity (6684 U/mg), with Km and Vmax determined to be 26.625 mg/mL and 312.5 U/min, respectively. At 5 mM/mL, EDTA, MgCl2, and SDS inhibited the activity of pure pectinase by 99.21, 96.03, and 94.45%, respectively. The addition of 10 U/mL pure pectinase enhanced the yield of apple, orange, apricot, and peach juice by 17, 20, 13, and 24%, respectively, and improved the clarity and colour of orange juice by 194 and 339%, respectively. We can now add cold-active pectinase production to the long list of Cladosporium species that have been identified. We also report three new species that can be used in biotechnological solutions as active microbial pectinase producers. Although further research is needed, these distinct species might be used to decompose difficult and resistant pertinacious wastes as well as clear fruit juices.

Production and optimization of bioplastic (Polyhydroxybutyrate) from Bacillus cereus strain SH-02 using response surface methodology.

BACKGROUND: Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biopolymer formed by some microbes in response to excess carbon sources or essential nutrient depletion. PHBs are entirely biodegradable into CO2 and H2O under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It has several applications in various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, and food packaging due to its biocompatibility and nontoxicity nature. RESULT: In the present study, PHB-producing bacterium was isolated from the Dirout channel at Assiut Governorate. This isolate was characterized phenotypically and genetically as Bacillus cereus SH-02 (OM992297). According to one-way ANOVA test, the maximum PHB content was observed after 72 h of incubation at 35 °C using glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen source. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the interactive effects of glucose concentration, peptone concentration, and pH on PHB production. This result proved that all variables have a significant effect on PHB production either independently or in the interaction with each other. The optimized medium conditions with the constraint to maximize PHB content and concentration were 22.315 g/L glucose, and 15.625 g/L peptone at pH 7.048. The maximum PHB content and concentration were 3100.799 mg/L and 28.799% which was close to the actual value (3051 mg/l and 28.7%). The polymer was identified as PHB using FTIR, NMR, and mass spectrometry. FT-IR analysis showed a strong band at 1724 cm- 1 which attributed to the ester group's carbonyl while NMR analysis has different peaks at 169.15, 67.6, 40.77, and 19.75 ppm that were corresponding to carbonyl, methine, methylene, and methyl resonance. Mass spectroscopy exhibited molecular weight for methyl 3- hydroxybutyric acid. CONCLUSION: PHB-producing strain was identified as Bacillus cereus SH-02 (OM992297). Under optimum conditions from RSM analysis, the maximum PHB content and concentration of this strain can reach (3100.799 mg/L and 28.799%); respectively. FTIR, NMR, and Mass spectrometry were used to confirm the polymer as PHB. Our results demonstrated that optimization using RSM is one of the strategies used for reducing the production cost. RSM can determine the optimal factors to produce the polymer in a better way and in a larger quantity without consuming time.

Optimization of Monascus purpureus for Natural Food Pigments Production on Potato Wastes and Their Application in Ice Lolly.

During potato chips manufacturing, large amounts of wastewater and potato powder wastes are produced. The wastewater obtained at washing after cutting the peeled potatoes into slices was analyzed, and a large quantity of organic compounds and minerals such as starch (1.69%), protein (1.5%), total carbohydrate (4.94%), reducing sugar (0.01%), ash (0.14%), crude fat (0.11%), Ca (28 mg/L), Mg (245 mg/L), Fe (45.5 mg/L), and Zn (6.5 mg/L) were recorded; these wastes could be considered as valuable by-products if used as a fermentation medium to increase the value of the subsequent products and to exceed the cost of reprocessing. In this study, we used wastewater and potato powder wastes as a growth medium for pigment and biomass production by Monascus purpureus (Went NRRL 1992). The response surface methodology was used to optimize total pigment and fungal biomass production. The influence of potato powder waste concentration, fermentation period, and peptone concentration on total pigment and biomass production was investigated using the Box-Behnken design method with 3-factors and 3-levels. The optimal production parameters were potato powder waste concentration of 7.81%, fermentation period of 12.82 days, and peptone concentration of 2.87%, which produced a maximum total pigment of 29.86 AU/ml that include, respectively, a maximum biomass weight of 0.126 g/ml and the yield of pigment of 236.98 AU/g biomass. The pigments produced were used as coloring agents for ice lolly. This study has revealed that the ice lolly preparations supplemented with these pigments received high acceptability. Finally, we recommend using wastewater and potato powder wastes for pigment and biomass production, which could reduce the cost of the pigment production process on an industrial scale in the future.

Sequence-Based Prediction with Feature Representation Learning and Biological Function Analysis of Channel Proteins.

BACKGROUND: Channel proteins are proteins that can transport molecules past the plasma membrane through free diffusion movement. Due to the cost of labor and experimental methods, developing a tool to identify channel proteins is necessary for biological research on channel proteins. METHODS: 17 feature coding methods and four machine learning classifiers to generate 68-dimensional data probability features. Then, the two-step feature selection strategy was used to optimize the features, and the final prediction Model M16-LGBM (light gradient boosting machine) was obtained on the 16-dimensional optimal feature vector. RESULTS: A new predictor, CAPs-LGBM, was proposed to identify the channel proteins effectively. CONCLUSIONS: CAPs-LGBM is the first channel protein machine learning predictor was used to construct the final prediction model based on protein primary sequences. The classifier performed well in the training and test sets.

Machine Learning and Its Applications for Protozoal Pathogens and Protozoal Infectious Diseases.

In recent years, massive attention has been attracted to the development and application of machine learning (ML) in the field of infectious diseases, not only serving as a catalyst for academic studies but also as a key means of detecting pathogenic microorganisms, implementing public health surveillance, exploring host-pathogen interactions, discovering drug and vaccine candidates, and so forth. These applications also include the management of infectious diseases caused by protozoal pathogens, such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia, a class of fatal or life-threatening causative agents capable of infecting humans and a wide range of animals. With the reduction of computational cost, availability of effective ML algorithms, popularization of ML tools, and accumulation of high-throughput data, it is possible to implement the integration of ML applications into increasing scientific research related to protozoal infection. Here, we will present a brief overview of important concepts in ML serving as background knowledge, with a focus on basic workflows, popular algorithms (e.g., support vector machine, random forest, and neural networks), feature extraction and selection, and model evaluation metrics. We will then review current ML applications and major advances concerning protozoal pathogens and protozoal infectious diseases through combination with correlative biology expertise and provide forward-looking insights for perspectives and opportunities in future advances in ML techniques in this field.

AMPpred-EL: An effective antimicrobial peptide prediction model based on ensemble learning.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important for the human immune system and are currently applied in clinical trials. AMPs have been received much attention for accurate recognition. Recently, several computational methods for identifying AMPs have been proposed. However, existing methods have difficulty in accurately predicting AMPs. In this paper, we propose a novel AMP prediction method called AMPpred-EL based on an ensemble learning strategy. AMPred-EL is constructed based on ensemble learning combined with LightGBM and logistic regression. Experimental results demonstrate that AMPpred-EL outperforms several state-of-the-art methods on the benchmark datasets and then improves the efficiency performance.

Mosquitocidal efficacy of embelin and its derivatives against Aedes aegypti L. and Culex quinquefasciatus Say. (Diptera: Culicidae) and computational analysis of acetylcholinesterase 1 (AChE1) inhibition.

Embelin was isolated from the chloroform extract of Embelia ribes (Burm.f.) fruits; its derivative compounds 6-bromoembelin and vilangin were prepared, and they were evaluated for mosquitocidal activities against the third instar larvae and pupae of Aedes aegypti L. and Culex quinquefasciatus Say. (Diptera: Culicidae). The concentrations used were 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 ppm. Embelin recorded LC50 values of 5.79 and 5.54 ppm against the larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. Similarly, the LC50 values of embelin were 10.23 and 6.93 ppm against the pupae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. Of the two derivatives tested, vilangin showed the highest larvicidal activity with LC50 values of 1.38 and 1.28 ppm against the larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. Similarly, the LC50 values of vilangin were 1.60 and 1.43 ppm against the pupae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The LC50 values of 6-bromoembelin were 3.30 and 2.83 ppm against the larvae and 4.40 and 4.30 ppm against the pupae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The histopathological results displayed significant damage on cuboidal cells of the midgut (CU) in vilangin treated larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus at a concentration of 2.0 ppm. Similarly, peritrophic membrane (PM) was completely impaired in vilangin-treated larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus and midgut content (MC) was very low in vilangin-treated larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies demonstrated the efficacy of vilangin on the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE1) in Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The present results suggest that vilangin could be used to develop a natural active product against mosquito larvae.

Microbial polysaccharides: An emerging family of natural biomaterials for cancer therapy and diagnostics.

Microbial polysaccharides (MPs) offer immense diversity in structural and functional properties. They are extensively used in advance biomedical science owing to their superior biodegradability, hemocompatibility, and capability to imitate the natural extracellular matrix microenvironment. Ease in tailoring, inherent bio-activity, distinct mucoadhesiveness, ability to absorb hydrophobic drugs, and plentiful availability of MPs make them prolific green biomaterials to overcome the significant constraints of cancer chemotherapeutics. Many studies have demonstrated their application to obstruct tumor development and extend survival through immune activation, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle arrest by MPs. Synoptic investigations of MPs are compulsory to decode applied basics in recent inclinations towards cancer regimens. The current review focuses on the anticancer properties of commercially available and newly explored MPs, and outlines their direct and indirect mode of action. The review also highlights cutting-edge MPs-based drug delivery systems to augment the specificity and efficiency of available chemotherapeutics, as well as their emerging role in theranostics.

Bioplastic Production by Bacillus wiedmannii AS-02 OK576278 Using Different Agricultural Wastes.

Polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are macromolecules synthesized by bacteria. Because of their fast degradability under natural environmental conditions, PHBs were selected as alternatives for the production of biodegradable plastics. Sixteen PHB-accumulating strains were selected and compared for their ability to accumulate PHB granules inside their cells. Isolate AS-02 was isolated from cattle manure and identified as Bacillus wiedmannii AS-02 OK576278 by means of 16S rRNA analysis. It was found to be the best producer. The optimum pH, temperature, and incubation period for the best PHB production by the isolate were 7, 35 °C, and 72 h respectively. PHB production was the best with peptone and glucose as nitrogen and carbon sources at a C/N ratio of (2:1). The strain was able to accumulate 423, 390, 249, 158, and 144 mg/L PHB when pretreated orange, mango, banana, onion peels, and rice straw were used as carbon sources, respectively. The extracted polymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and GC-MS spectroscopy, which confirmed the structure of the polymer as PHB. The isolate B. wiedmannii AS-02 OK576278 can be considered an excellent candidate for industrial production of PHB from agricultural wastes.

Cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides from plants: The future of antimicrobial therapy.

There has been a spurt in the spread of microbial resistance to antibiotics due to indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry. It has been realized that conventional antibiotic therapy would be less effective in the coming decades and more emphasis should be given for the development of novel antiinfective therapies. Cysteine rich peptides (CRPs) are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that modulate the innate immune system of different life forms such as bacteria, protozoans, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. These are also expressed in several plant tissues in response to invasion by pathogens, and play a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth and development. The present work explores the importance of CRPs as potent antimicrobial agents, which can supplement and/or replace the conventional antibiotics. Different plant parts of diverse plant species showed the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which had significant structural and functional diversity. The plant-derived AMPs exhibited potent activity toward a range of plant and animal pathogens, protozoans, insects, and even against cancer cells. The cysteine-rich AMPs have opened new avenues for the use of plants as biofactories for the production of antimicrobials and can be considered as promising antimicrobial drugs in biotherapeutics.

Role of Bacterial-Fungal Consortium for Enhancement in the Degradation of Industrial Dyes.

BACKGROUND: The presence of anthraquinone (Disperse blue 64) and azodyes (Acid yellow 17) in a waterbody are considered among the most dangerous pollutants. METHODS: In this study, two different isolated microbes, bacterium and fungus, were individually and as a co-culture applied for the degradation of Disperse Blue 64 (DB 64) and Acid Yellow 17 (AY 17) dyes. The isolates were genetically identified based upon 16S (for bacteria) and ITS/5.8S (for fungus) rRNA genes sequences as Pseudomoans aeruginosa and Aspergillus flavus, respectively. RESULTS: The fungal/bacterial consortium exhibited a higher percentage of dyes degradation than the individual strains, even at a high concentration of 300 mg/L. Azoreductase could be identified as the main catabolic enzyme and the consortium could induce azoreductase enzyme in the presence of both dyes. However, the specific substrate which achieved the highest azoreductase specific activity was Methyl red (MR) (3.5 U/mg protein). The tentatively proposed metabolites that were detected by HPLC/MS suggested that the reduction process catalyzed the degradation of dyes. The metabolites produced by the action consortium on two dyes were safe on Vicia faba and Triticum vulgaris germination and health of seedlings. Toxicity of the dyes and their degradation products on the plant was different according to the type and chemistry of these compounds as well as the type of irrigated seeds. CONCLUSION: We submit that the effective microbial degradation of DB64 and AY17 dyes will lead to safer metabolic products.