Evaluation of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus metabolites for anthelmintic activity.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the anthelmintic acivity of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus metabolites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The successive solvent extractions with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. The solvent extracts were tested for anthelmintic activity against Pheretima posthuma at 20 mg/ml concentration. The time of paralysis and time of death of the worms was determined for all the extracts. Albendazole was taken as a standard reference and sterile water as a control. RESULTS: All the sample extracts showed significant anthelmintic activity in paralyzing the worms comparable with that of the standard drug. The time of death exhibited by BP metabolites was close to the time exhibited by standard. CONCLUSION: The study indicates both bacteria Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus have anthelmintic activity indicating potential metabolites in them.

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies of some new quinoline incorporated benzimidazole derivatives.

Two new series of quinoline incorporated benzimidazole derivatives (4a-i and 8a-f) were synthesized from substituted aniline and isatin through multi-step reaction. 6-substituted-4-carboxyquinolines (3a,b and 7) were synthesized by multi component one pot reactions (via Doebner reaction and Pfitzinger reaction respectively) and the targeted benzimidazole derivatives were obtained by the reaction of 6-substituted-4-carboxyquinolines (3a,b and 7) with substituted aromatic diamines in acidic media. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, NMR mass spectral study and also by C, H, N analyses. The final compounds were screened for their in-vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity by well plate method (zone of inhibition). The results revealed that, compounds 4c, 4d, 8c and 8d showed significant antibacterial activity. The compound 8b was found to be potent antifungal agent. 4a, 8a and 8f showed moderate to good antimicrobial activity as compared to the standard drugs against all tested microbial strains.

Bioaccumulation potential of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus for removal of heavy metals from paper mill effluent.

In the present study Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus isolated from paper mill effluent showed tolerance and accumulation of toxic metals Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr and Cu from synthetic medium and paper mill effluent. Physico-chemical and heavy metals characterization of industrially treated paper mill effluent showed insignificant reduction in BOD, hardness, TDS and heavy metals as compared to permissible limits of BIS and WHO. A. niger and A. flavus were treated with synthetic medium containing 100-1000 mg l(-1) of six heavy metals. A. niger was able to tolerate and grow in 1000 mg l(-1) Pb, 500 mg l(-1) Cu, 250 mg l(-1) Zn and 100 mg l(-1) Cr, Ni respectively. No growth of A. niger was observed in 100 mg l-(-1) of Cd. A. flavus was capable to tolerate and grow in 1000 mg l(-1) Pb, Zn and Ni, 100mg l(-1) Cu. A. flavus growth was completely inhibited in 100 mg l(-1) of Cd and Cr. The Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb reduction were found significant (p < 0.05) in the paper effluent inoculated with A. niger and A. flavus biomass compared to industrial treated effluent. A. niger and A. flavus accumulated maximum of Pb (75.82%) followed by Zn (49.40%) > Cu (45.34%) > Ni (25.20%), while only 41% Cr was accumulated by A. nigerfrom 100 mg l(-1) of Cr solution.