A novel melt stable and high tensile strength biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from Bacillus megaterium (MTCC10086) and its characterization.

In the present investigation, we have defined a novel biopolymer from Bacillus megaterium strain with novel melt stability, high tensile strength, and elongation to break properties higher to polypropylene and similar to polyethylene the polymers available commercially. The polymer was characterized with FTIR and XRD. The percent crystalinity was found to 44.09% with tensile strength 42 (Mpa) and elongation to break (%) 142 higher than polypropylene. The polymeric properties were confirmed by differential scanning calorimeter and universal testing.

Optimization of extracellular thermophilic highly alkaline lipase from thermophilic bacillus sp isolated from hotspring of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Studies on lipase production were carried out with a bacterial strain (Bacillus sp LBN 2) isolated from soil sample of hotspring of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The cells were cultivated in a mineral medium with maximum production at 1% groundnut oil. The optimum temperature and initial medium pH for lipase production by the organism were 50(0)C and 9.0 respectively. The molecular mass was found to be 33KDa by SDS PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature for activity were 10 and 60(0)C respectively. The enzyme was found to be stable in the pH range of 8-11 with 90% retention of activity at pH 11. The enzyme retained 90% activity at 60(0)C and 70% of activity at 70(0)C for 1h. The lipase was found to be stable in acetone followed by ethanol. The present findings suggested the enzyme to be thermophilic alkaline lipase.

Anticandidal activity of medicinal plants and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains of clinical specimens.

This study was designed to investigate the in vitro anticandidal activity of some medicinal plants and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains against Candida species. The antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of five medicinal plants, namely, Cinnamomum porrectum, Lippia nudiflora, Cestrum nocturnum, Trachyspermum ammi, and Sida carpinifolia were studied. The medicinal characteristics of these plants were compared with commercially used antibiotics. The antimicrobial assay was done by agar well diffusion and the broth dilution method. Among the plants used, T. ammi and C. nocturnum were found to be more potent than the others. Twenty P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from various clinical specimens. The total inhibitions obtained were found to be 47%, 38%, and 36% in blood agar, whereas in Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) the inhibitions were 57%, 48%, and 37%, respectively.

Optimization of extracellular thermophilic highly alkaline lipase from thermophilic Bacillus sp isolated from Hotspring of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Studies on lipase production were carried out with a bacterial strain (Bacillus sp LBN 2) isolated from soil sample of hotspring of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The cells were cultivated in a mineral medium with maximum production at 1% groundnut oil. The optimum temperature and initial medium pH for lipase production by the organism were 50ºC and 9.0 respectively. The molecular mass was found to be 33KDa by SDS PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature for activity were 10 and 60ºC respectively. The enzyme was found to be stable in the pH range of 8-11 with 90% retention of activity at pH 11. The enzyme retained 90% activity at 60ºC and 70% of activity at 70ºC for 1h. The lipase was found to be stable in acetone followed by ethanol. The present findings suggested the enzyme to be thermophilic alkaline lipase.