Production and characterization of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated in the Amazon region, and potential antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial activity.

Biosurfactants encompass structurally and chemically diverse molecules with surface active properties, and a broad industrial deployment, including pharmaceuticals. The interest is growing mainly for the low toxicity, biodegradability, and production from renewable sources. In this work, the optimized biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa BM02, isolated from the soil of a mining area in the Brazilian Amazon region was assessed, in addition to its antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities. The optimal conditions for biosurfactant production were determined using a factorial design, which showed the best yield (2.28 mg/mL) at 25 °C, pH 5, and 1% glycerol. The biosurfactant obtained was characterized as a mixture of rhamnolipids with virucidal properties against Herpes Simplex Virus, Coronavirus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, in addition to antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium), at 50 µg/mL. The antitumor activity of BS (12.5 µg/mL) was also demonstrated, with potential selectivity in reducing the proliferation of breast tumor cells, after 1 min of exposure. These results demonstrate the importance of studying the interconnection between cultivation conditions and properties of industrially important compounds, such as rhamnolipid-type biosurfactant from P. aeruginosa BM02, a promising and sustainable alternative in the development of new antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial prototypes.

Analysis of petroleum biodegradation by a bacterial consortium isolated from worms of the polychaeta class (Annelida): Implications for NPK fertilizer supplementation.

Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons using bacterial consortia may be a means of optimizing bioremediation techniques. In this study, bacterial strains were isolated from the digestive tract of polychaete worms and evaluated concerning the potential of the bacteria to degrade petroleum compounds (Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Pantoea sp. and Enterobacter sp.). The strains were separately screened regarding their potential to degrade oil after 24 h. The main experiment was carried out for 30 days with the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) after 15 days (Bact-NPK15) and 28 days (Bact-NPK28) and without NPK (Bact). The Bact treatment biomass remained stable until the 20th day of the experiment. C13-C40 n-alkanes were degraded with all treatments in the following order: Bact>Bact-NPK28>Bact-NPK15. Significant differences were observed between the controls and all treatments (p = 0.00031). Measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicates a lower contribution of these compounds in the Bact-NPK28 treatment, although no significant difference between groups was observed. Bact-NPK28 was able to remove 40% of naphthalene, while Bact-NPK15 removed 20%; this effect was not observed in Bact. Higher hopane degradation levels were observed in Bact and, to a lesser extent, in Bact-NPK28. NPK application for 28 days mainly favored PAH degradation. The evaluated consortium thus exhibits potential in the bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated areas.

Advances in patent applications related to allergen immunotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Allergies are among the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. Allergen-specific immunotherapy is used as an alternative treatment to pharmacotherapy. These immunotherapies are performed with crude extracts, which have disadvantages when compared to the new approaches, among them are recombinant proteins and hypoallergens. This review aims to assess immunotherapy for allergies through patent application analysis spanning recent decades. AREAS COVERED: Patents referring to allergen immunotherapies used in allergy treatment. Data were obtained from the Espacenet® website, using the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system. Two-hundred-and-one patent applications were analyzed, taking into consideration their classification by the type of technology and applicant. EXPERT OPINION: Allergen-specific immunotherapy represents the only potentially curative therapeutic intervention for the treatment of allergic diseases. The extract-based immunotherapy is being replaced by the use of recombinant allergens, highlighting the hypoallergenic forms, which have low IgE-binding while retaining T-cell reactivity. It is expected that the development of hypoallergens will expand the scope of allergen-specific immunotherapy, especially if associated with alternative systems for expression and delivery systems with future potential. Furthermore, these new developments will likely address the problem of long-term protocols in allergen-specific immunotherapy, thus allowing better patient adherence and compliance.

Statistical designs and response surface techniques for the optimization of chromatographic systems.

This paper describes fundamentals and applications of multivariate statistical techniques for the optimization of chromatographic systems. The surface response methodologies: central composite design, Doehlert matrix and Box-Behnken design are discussed and applications of these techniques for optimization of sample preparation steps (extractions) and determination of experimental conditions for chromatographic separations are presented. The use of mixture design for optimization of mobile phases is also related. An optimization example involving a real separation process is exhaustively described. A discussion about model validation is presented. Some applications of other multivariate techniques for optimization of chromatographic methods are also summarized.