Characterization of Priestia megaterium S1, a polymer degrading gut microbe isolated from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae fed on Styrofoam.

This study reveals that Tenebrio molitor larvae are fed with two different feeds i.e., barley bran along with Styrofoam, and barley bran without Styrofoam, the survival percentage of mealworms shows 86 and 89%, respectively. Five isolates namely S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 were isolated from the gut of Styrofoam-feeding Tenebrio molitor larvae and tested for Hydrophobicity percentage, clear zone assay and turbidity measurement. S1 isolate showed best (turbidity percentage of 19.65%, 13.54% hydrophobicity percentage, and 37% zone of clearance) when compared to other isolates, respectively. 16S rRNA characterization of S1 isolate revealed that the isolate belongs to Priestia megaterium S1(ON024787). Biodegradation of PE and PS beads by Priestia megaterium S1 makes physical and structural changes over 180 days, after microbial adhesion to the beads. Growth parameters have shown that the Priestia megaterium S1 thrives more effectively in the pH (6.5), temperature (28 °C) and at 1.5% LDPE/HDPE/PS concentration there is maximum utilization of carbon and a high percentage survival rate. Significant colonization of the isolate after 30 days over beads of LDPE (52.47%), HDPE (49.26%), and PS (48.11%), respectively. Experimental data revealed that Priestia megaterium S1 have PE and PS beads degradation capacity, proven by weight loss studies, at 6th-month percentage weight loss of LDPE (36.1%), HDPE (31.9%), and PS (28.6%), the percentage loss of carbon and hydrogen shows higher when compared to control. One month Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) showed that LDPE (7.4 mg/l), HDPE (7.2 mg/l), PS (6.7 mg/l), and simultaneous studies on CO2 evolution over LDPE treatment is 5.05 g/l, HDPE (4.26 g/l), and PS (3.91 g/l), respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) prove the occurrence of biodegradation on the surface of beads. This work highlights that Priestia megaterium S1 plays a vital role in effectively degrading PE and PS beads.

Analgesic and CNS Depressant Activities of Sea Anemone Heteractis aurora Nematocyst Toxin.

Marine organisms are the excellent sources for biologically active compounds. Cnidarian venoms are potentially valuable materials used for biomedical research and drug development. The present work was carried out to analyse haemolytic, analgesic and CNS depressant activity of sea anemone Heteractis aurora. In haemolytic assay, among the five different RBC blood cells, the chicken blood exhibited maximum hemolytic activity of 64 Hemolytic Unit (HU). The maximum Analgesic Ratio (AR) of 5 recorded at 15 and 30 min interval and minimum was recorded after 45, 60 and 120 min time intervals. In jumping response activity, the maximum of 5 AR recorded at 15, 30 & 45 min and minimum was recorded at 90 & 120 min time intervals. The maximum decrease of depressant activity of 45.07% was determined in CNS depressant activity. Anti-inflammatory activity showed significant inhibition by crude extract of Heteractis aurora.

Physiological characteristics of crab Portunus sanguinolentus egg mass extract from southeast coast of India.

BACKGROUND: The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the physiological characteristics of crab egg mass (Portunus sanguinolentus) crude extract. METHODS: Assays were followed by standard methods. RESULTS: A maximum of 256 hemolytic units (HU) and a minimum of 128 HU were found in chicken and goat erythrocytes. In an antimicrobial assay, Salmonella paratyphi and Aspergillus niger showed most susceptibility (8.0 mm and 13.0 mm) against n-butanol extracts. In the tail flick method, 5.33±0.19* AR the maximum analgesic response was recorded 30 min after the administration of crude extract (150 mg kg-1). In the hot plate method, 5.13±0.13* AR maximum paw licking was recorded 15 min after the administration of crude extract (150 mg kg-1). In an anti-inflammatory assay, 0.31±0.23* anti-inflammatory response and inhibition of paw edema 39.22% were observed 1 h after the administration of crude extract (250 mg kg-1). Primary structural groups gained through Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) analysis peaks were observed and assigned as amide groups I (1517.81-1633.12 cm-1), II (1446.58-1517.81 cm-1) and III (1342.47-1406.85 cm-1). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that crab egg masses have remarkable antimicrobial, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities.

In vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of seaweeds from hare island, Tuticorin coast of India.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from methanolic extracts of brown and red seaweeds. METHODS: Padina tetrastromatica, Stocheopremum marginatum and Phorphyra sp. were evaluated by in vitro standard methods. In antimicrobial assay, P. tetrastromatica extract showed highest zone inhibition against E. coli and S. typhi. The S. marginatum extract exhibited the maximum zone inhibition against S. typhi, minimum against K. pneumonia. Phorphyra sp. extract showed higher sensitivity against T. mirabilis. The antioxidant activities of seaweeds were determined at different concentration of 100, 300 and 500 µg/mL. RESULTS: In 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total phenolic content assays, the S. marginatum extract was found the highest reducing power and the lowest showed by Phorphyra sp. and S. marginatum extracts. In the Linoleic acid peroxidation assay, the P. tetrastromatica extract showed the highest reducing power and minimum showed in S. marginatum extract. The Fourier-transform infrared spectra of the three seaweed extracts exhibited a strong broad, medium, weak and broadly-stretched peak at around 3,400 cm-1. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that the seaweeds are potential source for antimicrobial and antioxidant agents and further study will fulfill for the purification and structural characterization of the compounds.

Larvicidal and pupicidal activity of spinosad against the malarial vector Anopheles stephensi.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the larvicidal and pupicidal activity of spinosad against Anopheles stephensi Listen. METHODS: Spinosad from the actinomycete, Saccharopolyspora spinosa was tested against Anopheles stephensi at different concentrations (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 ppm.), and against first to fourth instar larvae and pupae. RESULTS: The larval mortality ranged from 36.1±1.7 in (0.01 ppm) to 79.3±1.8 (0.08 ppm) the first instar larva. The LC(50) and LC(90) values of first, second, third and fourth instar larva were 0.001, 0.031, 0.034, 0.036 and 0.0113, 0.102, 0.111, 0.113, respectively. The pupal mortality ranged from 33.0±2.0 (0.01 ppm) to 80.0±0.9 (0.08 ppm). The LC(50) and LC(90) values were 0.028 and 0.1020, respectively. The reduction percentage of Anopheles larvae was 82.7%, 91.4% and 96.0% after 24, 48, 72 hours, respectively, while more than 80% reduction was observed after 3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study spinosad effectively caused mortality of mosquito larvae in both the laboratory and field trial. It is predicted that spinosad is likely to be an effective larvicide for treatment of mosquito breeding sites.

Antimicrobial and hemolytic activity of fish epidermal mucus Cynoglossus arel and Arius caelatus.

OBJECTIVE: To study the antimicrobial, hemolytic activity and immunomodulatory activity of fish epidermal mucus and their chemical constituents from Cynoglossus arel (C. arel) and Arius caelatus (A. caelatus). Mucus plays an important role in the prevention of colonization by parasites, bacteria and fungi. METHODS: Epidermal mucus was obtained from two marine fishes, lyophilized and the chemical composition of epidermal mucus was analysed by FT-IR analysis. The in vitro antimicrobial activity against human pathogens (fungi, gram positive and gram-negative bacteria) and also the hemolytic activity and immunomodulatory activity were determined. RESULTS: Totally ten human pathogens were tested against the fish mucus. Out of the ten pathogens, five pathogens have proved to be sensitive to the mucus. Maximum zone of inhibition was observed against Vibrio cholera (V. cholera) (9 mm and 2 mm in diameter), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) with a inhibition zone of (6 mm and 3 mm), Streptococcus areus (S. areus) (5 mm and 4 mm), Vibrio parahemolyticus (V. parahemolyticus) (4 mm and 5 mm) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation has revealed that positive progresses in the fish mucus extracts against human pathogens and hemolytic activity. But further efforts are required for the purification and isolation of the active antimicrobial compounds in order to establish their possible applications.

Pharmacological and biomedical properties of sea anemones Paracondactylis indicus, Paracondactylis sinensis, Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla haddoni from East coast of India

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the biomedical and pharmacological activity of Paracondactylis indicus (P. indicus), Paracondactylis sinensis (P. sinensis), Heteractis magnifica (H. magnifica) and Stichodactyla haddoni (S. haddoni).@*METHODS@#The live sea anemones were kept inside the glass bowl along with some amount of distilled water in an ice container for 15 min. During stress condition, nematocysts released from the tentacles were collected and centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 15 min. The supernatant were collected in separate cleaned beakers for lyophilisation.@*RESULTS@#The protein content of crude extracts was 15.2, 28.7, 18.2 and 35.4 μg/mL. In hemolytic assay, the P. indicus was sensitive (16.842 HT/mg) on chicken blood but P. sinensis was less sensitive (1.114 HT/mg) on chicken and goat blood. Whereas H. magnifica and S. haddoni showed hemolysis (0.879, 0.903 HT/mg and 56.263, 0.451 HT/mg) in chicken and goat blood. In antimicrobial assay, the methanol extract of P. indicus showed maximum inhibition zone of 9.7 mm against S. typhii and P. sinensis showed 9.8 mm against K. pneumonia in methanol and ethanol extracts. Whereas the H. magnifica and S. haddoni showed maximum of 10 mm against S. typhii, K. pneumonia in methanol and ethanol extracts.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The high toxic sea anemones may also contain some biologically active agents which has haemolytic, analgesic and anti-infilamatory activity.