Usage of ectoine as a cryoprotectant for cryopreservation of lactic acid bacteria.

Streptococcus thermophilus, the only Streptococcus species considered "Generally Recognized Safe", has been used widely in the food industry. This bacterium is one of the most valuable industrial lactic acid bacterial species. Due to the importance of this bacterium in industrial applications, it should be stored for a long time without losing its metabolic properties. The present study aimed to investigate the cryoprotectant effect of three compatible solutes (ectoine, trehalose, and sucrose) on bacterial cells stored at different temperatures (frozen at -80 °C or freeze-dried and subsequently stored at +4, -20, and -80 °C) for three months. The bacterial cells were tested for cell viability, bile salt tolerance, and lactic acid production before and after processing. The highest cell viability, bile salt tolerance, and lactic acid production were obtained with ectoine and under frozen (storage at -80 °C) conditions. In freeze-dried and subsequently stored at various temperatures, the best preservation was obtained at -80 °C, followed by -20 °C and +4 °C. Moreover, when ectoine's preservation potential was compared to other cryoprotectants, ectoine showed the highest preservation, followed by trehalose and sucrose. Although ectoine has a variety of qualities that have been proven, in the current work, we have shown for the first time that ectoine has cryoprotectant potential in yogurt starter cultures (S. thermophilus).

In vitro Genotoxicity and In silico Docking Analyses of the Essential Oils of Thuja orientalis.

Two main objectives were pursued to assess the reliability of Thuja orientalis essential oils (TOEO). The first objective was to extract TOEO, analyze them by GC-MS, and determine their in vitro genotoxicity against selected plants using the RAPD-PCR method. The second objective was to evaluate the in-silico toxicity of TOEO. The binding sites and energies of each content was calculated against B-DNA. In-silico analyses were performed using a simulation program, AutoDock Vina, and Toxicity Estimation Software Tools. 3-carene, cedrol, and 2-pinene were identified as the predominant components. In vitro studies showed that the TOEO had a more significant impact on reducing genomic stability in wheat compared to the amaranth. The lowest stability was determined as 39.78 % in wheat and 53.58 % in amaranth. Cedrol (-5,7 kcal/mol) and selinene (-5,6 kcal/mol) exhibited the highest binding affinity. The toxicity test indicated that components other than cyclohexene may have toxic effects, none of them were predicted to be mutagenic, and LD50 (mol/kg) values could vary between 1.33 and 1.55.

Assessment of Biological Activities and Genomic Changes on Microorganisms, Wheat, and Wilding Arise from Poly(pyrazole).

The rapidly growing human population has led to duplicate food production and also reduced product loss. Although the negative effects of synthetic chemicals were recorded, they are still used as agrochemical. The production of non-toxic synthetics makes their use particularly safe. The goal of our research is to evaluate antimicrobial activity of previously synthesized Poly(p-phenylene-1-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3,4-dicarboxy amide) (poly(PDPPD)) against selected Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and fungus. In addition, the possible genotoxic effects of the poly(PDPPD) were searched on Triticum vulgare and Amaranthus retroflexus seedlings using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker. The binding affinity and binding energies of the synthesized chemical to B-DNA were simulated with AutoDock Vina. It was observed that the poly(PDPPD) affected most of the organisms in a dose-dependent manner. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most affected species in tested bacteria at 500 ppm with 21.5 mm diameters. Similarly, a prominent activity was observed for tested fungi. The poly(PDPPD) decreased root and stem length of the Triticum vulgare and Amaranthus retroflexus seedlings and also reduced the genomic template stability (GTS) value of Triticum vulgare more than Amaranthus retroflexus. The binding energy of poly(PDPPD) was found in range of -9.1 and -8.3 kcal/mol for nine residues of B-DNA.

Measuring of the Genotoxic and Potential Antioxidant Effects of Essential Oil Obtained from Satureja Hortensis Against to Phaseolus Vulgaris

ABSTRACT It is known that, there are many ways for increasing the yield at the crops specially cereal products. Genetic manipulations and physiological interventions are the primary studies that aim to obtain products at high quality and amounts. It is known that, the usage of synthetic chemicals for physiological inverventions negatively affects organism. But using natural plant products instead of these chemicals is a subject that draws attention of today scientific environment. In this study, this situation was taken into consideration and the essential oil obtained from Satureja hortensis (SEO) plant were applied to bean seeds. The genotoxic and physiological effects of SEO at four different dosages were detected against to Phaseolus vulgaris seedlings. According to obtained data, essential oil that were applied at different doses decreased the genomic stability of the bean seeds up to 30.77% in accordance with the increased dosage. The essential oil applied in the same way lead to stress on enzyme activities of seedlings. Among the antioxidant enzymes, while, significant changeswere observed at Superoxide dismutase and Peroxidase enzymes according to the control, no significant change was seen at Ascorbate peroxidase level.

Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Two Species of Lamiaceae against Phytopathogenic Bacteria.

In this study, we aimed to determine chemical composition and antibacterial activities of Satureja hortensis and Calamintha nepeta against to 20 phytopathogenic bacteria causing serious crop loss. The essential oils of S. hortensis and C. nepeta were isolated by the hydrodistillation method and the chemical composition of the essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS. The antibacterial properties of the essential oils were evaluated against 20 phytopathogenic bacteria through Disc diffusion assay and micro dilution assay. The results revealed that the essential oils of S. hortensis and C. nepeta have significant antibacterial activity. Furthermore, the findings of the study are valuable for future investigations focusing on the alternative natural compounds to control plant diseases.

Phytotoxical effect of Lepidium draba L. extracts on the germination and growth of monocot (Zea mays L.) and dicot (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) seeds.

Laboratory experiments were performed to determine phytotoxic potentials of white top (Lepidium draba) methanol extracts (root, stem and leaf) on germination and early growth of corn (Zea mays) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus). Furthermore, the effects of different methanol extracts of L. draba on the phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatin) levels of corn and redroot pigweed were investigated. It was observed that all concentrations of methanol extracts of root, stem and leaf of L. draba inhibited germination, radicle and plumule elongation when compared with the respective controls. Besides this, the degree of inhibition was increased in concert with increasing concentrations of extracts used. On the other hand, phytohormone levels changed with the application of different extract concentrations. Comparing with the control, the GA levels significantly decreased while the ABA levels increased in all the application groups. Zeatin and IAA levels showed changes depending upon the applied extracts and concentrations.

Detection of putative virulence genes in Aeromonas isolates from humans and animals.

INTRODUCTION: Aeromonas are food- and water-borne bacteria that are considered to be zoonotic human pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the presence of genes associated with virulence in human and animal Aeromonas isolates and the potential role of animal isolates with regards to human Aeromonas infections. METHODOLOGY: The presence of aerA, hlyA, alt, ast, laf, ascF-G, stx1 and stx2 putative virulence genes in 40 human and animal Aeromonas isolates (16 human and 24 animal isolates) were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA fragments of expected sizes were purified and sequenced. BLAST in the NCBI was used to verify any amplified products. RESULTS: PCR screening showed that hlyA, alt, and laf genes were determined at ratios of 6.25%, 50%, and 6.25%, respectively, in human isolates. The ratios of hlyA, alt, ascF-G, laf, stx2, and stx1 genes in animal isolates were 58.3%, 20.83%, 33.3%, 20.83%, 8.33%, and 4.17%, respectively. Neither aerA nor ast genes were detected in any isolates. Any one of eight putative virulence genes was not detected in seven human and eight animal isolates in the study. CONCLUSIONS: The current study is the first to investigate the presence of the virulence gene in gull Aeromonas isolates. The manifestation of the presence of the virulence gene and gene combinations was considerable, especially in fish and gull isolates when compared with clinical human isolates. The current study demonstrates the potential importance of fish and gulls in terms of human Aeromonas infections.

The association between development and progression of multinodular goiter and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor gene D727E and P52T polymorphisms.

AIM: This study has been performed on a Turkish population with multinodular goiter (MNG) to investigate the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene D727E and P52T polymorphisms. METHODS: DNA samples were isolated from 300 patients with MNG and 142 controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and agarose gel electrophoresis were used. RESULTS: The D727E polymorphism G-allele frequency and the CG and GG genotypes were significantly higher in patients with MNG. However, there was no significant difference in the P52T polymorphism between patients and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: As a conclusion, the D727E polymorphism G allele may be related to MNG development in the studied population.

Determination of chemical composition and genotoxic effects of essential oil obtained from Nepeta nuda on Zea mays seedlings.

We aimed to determine the genotoxic potential of essential oil (EO) obtained from Nepeta nuda. The chemical content of EO was measured via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The most abundant contents were 4aα,7ß,7aα-nepetalactone (18.10%), germacrene (15.68%) and elemol (14.38%). For genotoxic effects of EO, Zea mays' seeds were exposed to four different concentrations of this oil. Inhibition of root and stem growth were observed with an increase in EO concentrations. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was used to determine the genotoxic effects of EO. Some changes occurred in RAPD profiles of germinated EO-treated seeds. Even though total soluble protein quantity vary, the data observed from the protein profiles of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that there was a little differentiation between band profiles of treated samples and control group. We concluded that the basis of interactions between plants, like allelopathy, may be related with genotoxic effects of EO.

Determination of protective role of selenium against aflatoxin B1-induced DNA damage.

Selenium is an essential mineral for a healthy life. Appropriate doses of it may undertake a protective role in the organism. In this study, the protective role of selenium (Se(4+)) against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced DNA damage was determined using random amplified polymorphic DNA on two plants including Vicia faba and Zea mays. It was observed that the concentrations of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 ppm of AFB1 have increased polymorphism value, total chlorophyll inhibition rate (IRc, %) and total protein IR (IRp, %). Unlike protein, chlorophyll contents and genomic template stability were decreased. With the addition of different concentrations (0.8 and 80 ppm) of Se(4+) to the treated samples with AFB1, the values return to normal. An 800-ppm concentration of Se(4+), on the contrary, could not inhibit the toxicity of AFB1 but caused an increase in toxicity level of AFB1/enhanced the toxicity level of AFB1. Results suggested that Se(4+) has an antagonistic effect against AFB1 toxicity and that the degree of antagonistic effect of Se(4+) against AFB1 was related to its concentration.

Application of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to detect genotoxic effect of trifluralin on maize (Zea mays).

Trifluralin is a widely used dinitroaniline herbicide throughout the world. However, limited efforts have been made to study its genotoxic effects on different plants. The present study aimed to evaluate the herbicide's genotoxic potential on maize (Zea mays) by using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. For this purpose, maize seedlings were treated with aqueous solutions of trifluralin at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3 ppm for 7 days. In the RAPD analyses, 15 primers were used and 91 bands were obtained, with an average of 6.06 bands per primer in the control seedlings. After trifluralin treatment, significant changes were observed in RAPD profiles. These changes included loss of normal bands and appearance of new bands, in comparison to the control group, and they were dose dependent. In addition, root growth and total soluble protein level in trifluralin-treated seedlings were analyzed and compared for genomic template stability (GTS), which was performed for the qualitative measurement of changes in randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles. The results showed that GTS, root growth, and total soluble protein content of the seedlings gradually decreased with an increase in trifluralin concentration. These findings suggest that the RAPD technique is a useful biomarker assay to evaluate the genotoxic effects of herbicides on plants.

Protective effects of methanol extracts from Cladonia rangiformis and Umbilicaria vellea against known mutagens sodium azide and 9-aminoacridine.

Lichens and their various extracts have been occasionally used in the treatment of many diseases. Cladonia rangiformis and Umbilicaria vellea are two important species of these lichens and they have several biological activities. In the present study, methanol extracts of these lichens, which are grown in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, were isolated, and their mutagenic and antimutagenic properties were investigated by using AMES-Salmonella and Zea mays Root Tip Mitotic Index mutagenicity and antimutagenicity assay systems. Known mutagens sodium azide (NaN(3)) and 9-Aminoacridine (9-AA) were used to determine antimutagenic properties of methanol extracts. The results showed that all methanol extracts, investigated in the present study, can be considered genotoxically safe because they do not have mutagenic activity at the tested concentrations. Besides, all of them have antimutagenic activity against 9-AA known as a model intercalator agent in the AMES-Salmonella test system. The inhibition rates obtained from the antimutagenicity assays ranged from 37.07% (C. rangiformis-5 µg/plate) to 54.39% (C. rangiformis-5 µg/plate). Furthermore, all the methanol extracts have significant antimutagenic activity against NaN(3) mutagenicity in Z. mays Root Tip Mitotic Index assay system. These activities are valuable towards an extension of the employ of these drugs as new phytotherapeutic or preservative ingredients.

The protective role of zinc and calcium in Vicia faba seedlings subjected to cadmium stress.

The aim of the present study was to evidence the possible antagonistic effect of Zinc (Zn(2+)) and Calcium (Ca(2+)) against cadmium (Cd(2+))-induced DNA damage by using random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and metabolic activities in Vicia faba. The results showed that all doses of Cd(2+) (10( -3) M, 10(-5) M) caused an increase in polymorphism value and a decrease in genomic template stability (GTS %). In addition, when 10( -4)-10(-6) M Ca(2+), 10(-6) M Zn(2+) were added together with 10(-3) M, 10(-4) M, 10(-5) M of Cd(2+), polymorphism value decreased besides GTS, total protein and chlorophyll content increased. Results suggested that Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) have an antagonistic effect against Cd(2+). The order of the antagonisms of Ca(2+), Zn(2+) against Cd(2+) toxicity was Ca(2+) > Zn(2+). Especially, the degree of antagonistic effect of Zn(2+) against Cd(2+) is probably related to its concentration ratio.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of some Centaurea species growing in the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and fatty acid (FAME) profiles were used to examine phenotypic and genetic relationships among 16 Centaurea species growing wild in the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Thirteen decamer primers were used to examine polymorphism. According to the RAPD results, 99 amplicons in the size range of 50-1000 bp were produced from 13 primers in 16 Centaurea species. Genetically four distinct groups were determined among the species of Centaurea, which represents high genetic variation. In the 16 species, 14 fatty acids were determined according to FAME results. Both FAME and RAPD results showed that C. virgata is genetically different from other species. The differences in the composition of fatty acids among Centaurea species suggest that fatty acid profiles could be used to differentiate among some of these species. Results of this study show that RAPD and FAME analyses are consistent.