Potential applications of plant probiotic microorganisms in agriculture and forestry.

Agriculture producers, pushed by the need for high productivity, have stimulated the intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers. Unfortunately, negative effects on water, soil, and human and animal health have appeared as a consequence of this indiscriminate practice. Plant probiotic microorganisms (PPM), also known as bioprotectants, biocontrollers, biofertilizers, or biostimulants, are beneficial microorganisms that offer a promising alternative and reduce health and environmental problems. These microorganisms are involved in either a symbiotic or free-living association with plants and act in different ways, sometimes with specific functions, to achieve satisfactory plant development. This review deals with PPM presentation and their description and function in different applications. PPM includes the plant growth promoters (PGP) group, which contain bacteria and fungi that stimulate plant growth through different mechanisms. Soil microflora mediate many biogeochemical processes. The use of plant probiotics as an alternative soil fertilization source has been the focus of several studies; their use in agriculture improves nutrient supply and conserves field management and causes no adverse effects. The species related to organic matter and pollutant biodegradation in soil and abiotic stress tolerance are then presented. As an important way to understand not only the ecological role of PPM and their interaction with plants but also the biotechnological application of these cultures to crop management, two main approaches are elucidated: the culture-dependent approach where the microorganisms contained in the plant material are isolated by culturing and are identified by a combination of phenotypic and molecular methods; and the culture-independent approach where microorganisms are detected without cultivating them, based on extraction and analyses of DNA. These methods combine to give a thorough knowledge of the microbiology of the studied environment.

Calidad de vida relacionada con salud e incontinencia urinaria en mujeres con exceso de peso de Bucaramanga, Colombia / Health Related Quality of Life and Urinary incontinence in Women with Overweight and Obesity in Bucaramanga, Colombia / Qualidade de vida relacionada com saúde e incontinência urinaria em mulheres com excesso de peso de Bucaramanga, Colômbia

Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre calidad de vida relacionada con salud (CVRS) e incontinencia urinaria (IU) en una población de mujeres con exceso de peso del área urbana de Bucaramanga, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: Estudio analítico de corte transversal realizado entre marzo y mayo de 2012. La muestra estuvo conformada por 63 mujeres seleccionadas aleatoriamente, mediana de edad 46 años, con un mínimo de 18 y un máximo de 65 años, 76 % con sobrepeso y 24 % con obesidad. Se evalúo la CVRS con el SF-36 y el cuestionario de calidad de vida para mujeres con síntomas del tracto urinario bajo (ICIQ-FLUTSqol), la incontinencia urinaria se evaluó mediante la forma corta del cuestionario modular creado por el grupo Consulta Internacional sobre Incontinencia (ICIQ-IU Short Form). Resultados: La prevalencia de IU global fue de 39,7%, IU esfuerzo 28,6% e IU mixta 11,1%. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las 8 dimensiones del SF-36 entre mujeres con y sin IU. La dimensión con menor puntaje en las mujeres con IU fue vitalidad (63,4). El puntaje de CVRS evaluado con el cuestionario ICIQ-FLUTSqol obtuvo una mediana de 27 con un mínimo de 20 y máximo 52. Conclusión: En mujeres con exceso de peso no se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las 8 dimensiones de la CVRS al comparar las mujeres con y sin IU.

Objective: To determine the association between quality of life health-related (HRQL) and urinary incontinence (UI) in a population of overweight women in the urban area of Bucaramanga, Colombia. Materials and methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted in March and May 2012. The sample consisted of 63 randomly selected women; median age was 46 years with a minimum of 18 and maximum of 65 years, 76% were overweight, and 24% obese.We assessed the HRQL with the SF-36 questionnaire and lower urinary tract symptoms quality of life questionnaire (ICIQ-FLUTSqol). Urinary incontinence was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence questionnaire, short form (ICIQ-IU Short Form). Results: The overall prevalence of UI was 39.7%; 28.6% was Stress UI, mixed UI 11.1%.There were no statistically significant differences in the eight dimensions of SF-36 in women with and without UI. The dimension with lowest score in women with IU was Energy-Fatigue (63.4).The HRQL scores assessed with ICIQ-FLUTSqol questionnaire was 27 with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 55. Conclusion: In women with overweight, we do not found statistically significant differences in the eight dimensions of HR-QOL when comparing women with and without UI.

Objetivo: Determinar a associação entre Qualidade de Vida relacionada com Saúde (CVRS) e incontinência Urinaria (IU) em uma população de mulheres com excesso de peso da área urbana de Bucaramanga, Colômbia. Materiais e métodos: Estudo analítico de corte transversal realizado entre Março e Maio do 2012. A amostra esteve conformada por 63 mulheres selecionadas aleatoriamente, idade média de 46 anos com um mínimo de 18 e um máximo de 65 anos, 76% com sobrepeso e 24% com obesidade. Avaliou-se a CVRS com o SF-36 e o questionário de qualidade de vida para mulheres com sintomas do trato urinário baixo (ICIQ-FLUTSqol), a incontinência urinária avaliou-se mediante a forma curta de questionário modular criado pelo grupo Consulta Internacional sobre Incontinência (ICIQ-IU Short Form). Resultados: a prevalência de IU global foi de 39,7%, IU Esforço 28,6% e IU mixta 11,1%. Não se encontraram diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas 8 dimensões do SF-36 entre mulheres com e sem IU. A dimensão com menor pontuação nas mulheres com IU foi vitalidade (63,4). A pontuação de CVRS avaliado com o questionário ICIQ-FLUTSqol obteve uma média de 27 com um mínimo de 20 e máximo 52. Conclusão: em mulheres com excesso de peso não se observaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas 8 dimensões da CVRS ao comparar as mulheres com e sem IU.

PARÁMETROS FISICOQUÍMICOS PARA LA SÍNTESIS DE ÁCIDO LÁCTICO O ETANOL DE LA BACTERIA (Corynebacterium glutamicum) / Physico-Chemical Parameter for Production of Lactic Acid or Ethanol of (Corynebacterium glutamicum) Bacteria

El interés por obtener productos para la industria de biocombustibles a partir de desechos agrícolas, conduce a la búsqueda de nuevos sistemas biotecnológicos resistentes y costo-efectivos. Corynebacterium glutamicum, es un microorganismo usado para producir amino-ácidos que crece en gran variedad de sustratos y es resistente durante la fermentación, a variaciones de pH, temperatura, presión osmótica y acumulación de alcohol, características que lo hacen candidato a ser mejorado para la síntesis de ácido láctico y etanol. Aún se desconocen aspectos de su fisiología que aumenten su eficiencia en convertir azúcares (C5 y C6) en estos dos metabolitos. Por tanto, este trabajo buscó identificar los parámetros fisicoquímicos que tuvieron un mayor efecto sobre crecimiento bacteriano y síntesis de ácido láctico o etanol en un sistema por lotes. Para lograr este objetivo, ocho variables fueron evaluadas en un modelo estadístico producido en erlenmeyer; con los resultados obtenidos, se hallaron las mejores condiciones que fueron puestas a prueba en un cultivo en biorreactor. La temperatura, concentración de biotina y azúcar fueron las variables de mayor impacto (p< 0,05). Usando las mejores condiciones, 36 °C; 6,1 mg/L de biotina y 50 g/L de glucosa, se obtiene una µmax de 0,394 h-1, 16 g/L de ácido láctico a las 15 h del proceso con un rendimiento del 32%; observándose un mayor consumo de sustrato durante el crecimiento y poca disponibilidad para la fermentación, sugiriendo una alimentación del cultivo al final de la fase exponencial que aumente los rendimientos de producción.

The interest to obtain products for the bio-fuel industry from renewable resources has directed research to find resistant and costs-effective biotechnological systems. Corynebacterium glutamicum, is a microorganism used to produce amino acids, that grows in wide variety of substrates and its resistance during fermentation to pH, temperature, osmotic pressure variations and alcohol aggregate, renders this organism a suitable candidate to improve by genetic modifications lactic acid and ethanol synthesis. However, some aspects of its physiology remain unknown, such us increase lactic acid and ethanol production from C5 and C6 sugars. For this reason, the main aim in our work was to identify the most important variables with impact on culture and the best culture conditions to produce lactic acid or ethanol in batch culture. To achieve this objective, eight variables were tested in culture using a statistical model. The best culture conditions were obtained and tested in a bacth biorreactor system. Temperature, biotin and glucose concentration were the variables with most impact (p< 0.05) in culture. Using optimal conditions, 36 °C; 6.1 mg/L of biotin and 50 g/L of glucose; a µmax of 0.394 h-1, 16 g/L of lactic acid was obtained after 15 h of culture with an efficiency of 32%. High glucose consumption was observed during bacterial growth, which leads to low concentration of substrate for the production process; this suggests a culture feeding at the end of exponential growth phase, which can increase the production yield.