Enhanced production of prodigiosin by Serratia marcescens MO-1 using ram horn peptone

This work addresses the production of prodigiosin from ram horn peptone (RHP) using MO-1, a local isolate in submerged culture. First, a novel gram-negative and rod-shaped bacterial strain, MO-1, was isolated from the body of the grasshopper (Poecilemon tauricola Ramme 1951), which was collected from pesticide-contaminated fields. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA classified the microbe as Serratia marcescens. The substrate utilization potential (BIOLOG) and fatty acid methyl ester profile (FAME) of S. marcescens were also determined. The effect of RHP on the production of prodigiosin by S. marcescens MO-1 was investigated, and the results showed that RHP supplementation promoted the growth of MO-1 and increased the production of prodigiosin. A concentration of 0.4% (w/v) RHP resulted in the greatest yield of prodigiosin (277.74 mg/L) after 48 h when mannitol was used as the sole source of carbon. The pigment yield was also influenced by the types of carbon sources and peptones. As a result, RHP was demonstrated to be a suitable substrate for prodigiosin production. These results revealed that prodigiosin could be produced efficiently by S. marcescens using RHP.

Microbial decolorization and bioremediation of melanoidin containing molasses spent wash.

Molasses spent wash from cane-molasses based distilleries contains a brown coloured recalcitrantpolymer melanoidin, which if disposed untreated poses a great threat to environment. Microbial decolorization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction was found to be dependent on specific carbon and nitrogen source. Under optimal condition of pH, carbon and nitrogen concentration for each treatment, it was found that Bacillus sp isolated from soil was capable of removing COD (85. 35%) and colour (81.10%) from distillery waste to the maximum extent after 9 days atpH 7 in the medium containing 0.5% peptone, 2% glucose and 10% (v/v), followed by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and lowest reduction was obtained by using native microbial consortium.

Estudo sobre eventual influencia do estimulo para producao de macrofagos, por meio da proteose-peptona, na infeccao experimental de camundongos pelo Plasmodium berghei / Study about eventual influence of macrophage stimulation by means of proteose-peptone in experimental infection caused by Plasmodium berghei in mice

A disponibilidade de modelo experimental, baseado na infeccao de camundongos pelo Plasmodium berghei, permitiu a realizacao do presente estudo, no qual procurou-se verificar possivel diminuicao da parasitemia e consequente alteracao quanto a mortalidade como decorrencia de exacerbacao macrofagica inespecifica, apos estimulo por meio de proteose-peptona a 10 por cento. Os resultados nao demonstraram a cogitada acao sobre os protozoarios, mantendo-se o nivel de parasitemia e a mortalidade proximos ao verificado no grupo de animais infectados, sem participacao do indutor da producao de macrofagos. Assim, pelo menos de acordo com a metodologia empregada, nao ocorreu a contencao da protozoose, sugerida por informacoes registradas em publicacoes anteriores.