Halomonas alkalisoli sp. nov., a novel haloalkalophilic species from saline-alkaline soil,and reclassification of Halomonas daqingensis Wu et al. 2008 as a later heterotypic synonym of Halomonas desiderata Berendes et al. 1996

Two Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, moderately halophilic, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped bacteria, designated M5N1S17^T and M5N1S15, were isolated from saline soil in Baotou, China. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two strains clustered closely with Halomonas montanilacus PYC7W^T and shared 99.1 and 99.3% sequence similarities, respectively. The average nucleotide identity based on BLAST (ANIb) and MUMmer (ANIm) values of the two strains with each other were 95.5% and 96.7%, respectively, while the ANIb and ANIm values between the two strains and 15 closer Halomonas species were 74.8–91.3% and 84.1–92.6%, respectively. The major polar lipids of M5N1S17^T are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and an unidentified phospholipid. The major polar lipids of M5N1S15 are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two unidentified phospholipids, and an unidentified lipid. The predominant ubiquinone in the two strains is Q-9. The major fatty acids of the two strains are C_18:1 ω6c and/or C_18:1 ω7c, C_16:0, and C_16:1 ω7c and/or C_16:1 ω6c. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic, and physiological results, strains M5N1S17^T and M5N1S15 should be identified as a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which Halomonas alkalisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M5N1S17^T (= CGMCC 1.19023^T = KCTC 92130^T). The phylogenetic trees showed that Halomonas daqingensis CGMCC 1.6443^T clustered tightly with Halomonas desiderata FB2^T, and the two strains shared >98.0% of ANI values with each other. Therefore, we propose the reclassification of H. daqingensis Wu et al. 2008 as a later heterotypic synonym of H. desiderata Berendes et al. 1996.     

Description of Aestuariivivens marinum sp. nov., Aestuariivivens sediminis sp. nov. and Aestuariivivens sediminicola sp. nov., three new species isolated from the upper layer of tidal flat sediment

Nine bacterial strains designated MT3-5-12^T, MT3-5-27, MTV1-9, S-DT1-15^T, S-DT1-34, MTV5-3^T, MTV4-17, MTV5-12 and MTV5-13 were isolated from the upper layer (1–5 cm in depth) of tidal flat sediment in Quanzhou Bay, China. The 16S rRNA gene of these strains shared maximum sequence similarities with Aestuariivivens insulae KCTC 42350^T of 94.9–97.1%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and 120 conserved concatenated proteins placed these strains in three novel phylogenetic clades affiliated to the genus Aestuariivivens of the family Flavobacteriaceae. Strains MT3-5-12^T, MT3-5-27 and MTV1-9 were phylogenetically close to A. insulae KCTC 42350^T. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strains MT3-5-12^Tand MTV1-9 and A. insulae KCTC 42350^T were estimated to be 78.5-78.7% and 22.5%, respectively. Strains S-DT1-15^T and S-DT1-34 formed a distinctly separated clade from A. insulae KCTC 42350^T. The ANI and dDDH values between strains S-DT1-15^T and S-DT1-34 and A. insulae KCTC 42350^T were 76.3–76.4% and 20.4–20.5%, respectively. The other four strains MTV5-3^T, MTV4-17, MTV5-12 and MTV5-13, formed a third novel clade, distinctly separated from A. insulae KCTC 42350^T. The ANI and dDDH values between strains MTV5-3^T and MTV4-17 and A. insulae KCTC 42350^T were 74.7% and 19.1–19.2%, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses and whole genomic comparisons, combined with phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strongly supported the nine strains could be classified as three novel species within the genus Aestuariivivens, for which the names Aestuariivivens marinum sp. nov. MT3-5-12^T, Aestuariivivens sediminis sp. nov. S-DT1-15^T, and Aestuariivivens sediminicola sp. nov. MTV5-3^T are proposed.     

Pseudomonas petrae sp. nov. isolated from regolith samples in Antarctica

A polyphasic taxonomic approach was used to characterize the four strains P2653^T, P2652, P2498, and P2647, isolated from Antarctic regolith samples. Initial genotype screening performed by PCR fingerprinting based on repetitive sequences showed that the isolates studied formed a coherent cluster separated from the other Pseudomonas species. Identification results based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the highest sequence similarity with Pseudomonas graminis (99.7%), which was confirmed by multilocus sequence analysis using the rpoB, rpoD, and gyrB genes. Genome sequence comparison of P2653^T with the most related P. graminis type strain DSM 11363^T revealed an average nucleotide identity of 92.1% and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 46.6%. The major fatty acids for all Antarctic strains were C_16:0, Summed Feature 3 (C_16:1 ω7c/C_16:1 ω6c) and Summed Feature 8 (C_18:1 ω7c/C_18:1 ω6c). The predominant respiratory quinone was Q-9, and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylglycerol. The regolith strains could be differentiated from related species by the absence of arginine dihydrolase, ornithine and lysine decarboxylase and by negative tyrosine hydrolysis. The results of this polyphasic study allowed the genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of four analysed strains from the closest related species, which confirmed that the strains represent a novel species within the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas petrae sp. nov. is proposed with P2653^T (CCM 8850^T = DSM 112068^T = LMG 30619^T) as the type strain.     

Characterization of two novel pentose-fermenting and GABA-producing species: Levilactobacillus tujiorum sp. nov. and Secundilactobacillus angelensis sp. nov. Isolated from a solid-state fermented zha-chili

Lactobacilli are dominant in zha-chili. This study provides a taxonomic characterization of five bacterial strains isolated from zha-chili in China. The cells were Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, non-spore-forming, flagella-free, catalase-negative, heterofermentative, pentose-fermenting, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing rods. For HBUAS51241^T, HBUAS51329, and HBUAS51416, C_16:0, C_18:1 ω9c and C_19:0 iso were the predominant cellular fatty acids; diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (DP), glycolipids (GL), and glycolipids (AL) were the major phospholipids. While for HBUAS51383^T and HBUAS58055, C_16:0, C_18:1 ω9c, C_19:0 cyclo ω8c were the predominant cellular fatty acids; DPG, DP, GL, and AL were the major phospholipids. Strains HBUAS51241^T, HBUAS51329, and HBUAS51416 showed 98.1–99.1% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, 80.2–81.4% ANI, 87.7–90.0% AAI, and 23.8–32.8% digital DDH to their closest related type strains Levilactobacillus hammesii DSM 16381^T, Levilactobacillus parabrevis ATCC 53295^T, and Levilactobacillus fuyuanensis 244-4^T. Strains HBUAS51383^T and HBUAS58055 showed 98.7–99.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, 75.4–81.4% ANI, 75.5–89.1% AAI, and 19.7–24.0% digital DDH to their closest related type strains Secundilactobacillus silagincola IWT5^T, Secundilactobacillus silagei JCM 19001^T, Secundilactobacillus pentosiphilus IWT25^T, Secundilactobacillus mixtipabuli IWT30^T, Secundilactobacillus odoratitofui DSM 19909^T, and Secundilactobacillus similis DSM 23365^T. The central carbon metabolism pathways for the five strains were summarizeded. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genomic data, we propose two novel species Levilactobacillus tujiorum sp. nov. whose type strain is HBUAS51241^T (=GDMCC 1.3022^T = JCM 35241^T), and Secundilactobacillus angelensis sp. nov. whose type strain is HBUAS51383^T (=GDMCC 1.3021^T = JCM 35209^T).     

Halonatronomonas betaini gen. nov., sp. nov., a haloalkaliphilic isolate from soda lake capable of betaine degradation and proposal of Halarsenatibacteraceae fam. nov. and Halothermotrichaceae fam. nov. within the order Halanaerobiales

A search for the organisms responsible for anaerobic betaine degradation in soda lakes resulted in isolation of a novel bacterial strain, designated Z-7014^T. The cells were Gram-stain-negative, non-endospore-forming rods. Growth occurred at 8–52 °C (optimum 40–45 °C), pH 7.1–10.1 (optimum pH 8.1–8.8) and 1.0–3.5 M Na⁺ (optimum 1.8 M), i.e. it can be regarded as a haloalkaliphile. The strain utilized a limited range of substrates, mostly peptonaceous but not amino acids, and was able to degrade betaine. Growth on betaine occurred only in the presence of peptonaceous substances which could not be replaced by vitamins. The G + C content of the genomic DNA of strain Z-7014^T was 36.1 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids (>5% of the total) were C_16:0 DMA, C_{18: 0} DMA, C_16:1ω8, C_16:0, C_18:1 DMA, C_16:1 DMA, C_18:1ω9, and C_18:0. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain Z-7014^T formed a distinct evolutionary lineage in the order Halanaerobiales with the highest similarity to Halarsenitibacter silvermanii SLAS-1^T (83.6%), Halothermothrix orenii H168^T (85.6%), and Halocella cellulosilytica DSM 7362^T (85.6%). AAI and POCP values between strain Z-7014^T and type strains of the order Halanaerobiales were 51.7–57.8%, and 33.8–58.3%, respectively. Based on polyphasic results including phylogenomic data, the novel strain could be distinguished from other genera, which suggests that strain Z-7014^T represents a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Halonatronomonas betaini gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Z-7014^T (=KCTC 25237^T = VKM B-3506^T). On the basis of phylogenomic data, it is also proposed to evolve two novel families Halarsenitibacteraceae fam. nov. and Halothermotrichaceae fam. nov. within the current order Halanaerobiales.     

Govania unica gen. nov., sp. nov., a rare biosphere bacterium that represents a novel family in the class Alphaproteobacteria

Strain LMG 31809 ^T was isolated from a top soil sample of a temperate, mixed deciduous forest in Belgium. Comparison of its 16S rRNA gene sequence with that of type strains of bacteria with validly published names positioned it in the class Alphaproteobacteria and highlighted a major evolutionary divergence from its near neighbor species which represented species of the orders Emcibacterales and Sphingomonadales. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the same soil sample revealed a highly diverse community in which Acidobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria predominated, but failed to yield amplicon sequence variants highly similar to that of strain LMG 31809 ^T. There were no metagenome assembled genomes that corresponded to the same species and a comprehensive analysis of public 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data sets demonstrated that strain LMG 31809 ^T represents a rare biosphere bacterium that occurs at very low abundances in multiple soil and water-related ecosystems. The genome analysis suggested that this strain is a strictly aerobic heterotroph that is asaccharolytic and uses organic acids and possibly aromatic compounds as growth substrates. We propose to classify LMG 31809 ^T as a novel species within a novel genus, Govania unica gen. nov., sp. nov, within the novel family Govaniaceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria. Its type strain is LMG 31809 ^T (=CECT 30155 ^T). The whole-genome sequence of strain LMG 31809 ^T has a size of 3.21 Mbp. The G + C content is 58.99 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences of strain LMG 31809 ^T are publicly available under accession numbers OQ161091 and JANWOI000000000, respectively.     

Magnetospirillum sulfuroxidans sp. nov., capable of sulfur-dependent lithoautotrophy and a taxonomic reevaluation of the order Rhodospirillales

A spiral-shaped, highly motile bacterium was isolated from freshwater sulfidic sediment. Strain J10^T is a facultative autotroph utilizing sulfide, thiosulfate, and sulfur as the electron donors in microoxic conditions. Despite high 16S rRNA gene sequence sequence identity to Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 ^T (99.6 %), digital DNA-DNA hybridisation homology and average nucleotide identity between the two strains was of the different species level (25 % and 83 %, respectively). Strain J10^T is not magnetotactic. The DNA G + C content of strain J10^T is 61.9 %. The predominant phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids are C18:1ω7, C16:1ω7, and C16:0. Strain J10^T (=DSM 23205 ^T = VKM B-3486 ^T) is the first strain of the genus Magnetospirillum showing lithoautotrophic growth and is proposed here as a novel species, Magnetospirillum sulfuroxidans sp. nov. In addition, we propose to establish a framework for distinguishing genera and families within the order Rhodospirillales based on phylogenomic analysis using the threshold values for average amino acid identity at ̴ 72 % for genera and ̴ 60 % for families. According to this, we propose to divide the existing genus Magnetospirillum into three genera: Magnetospirillum, Paramagnetospirillum, and Phaeospirillum, constituting a separate family Magnetospirillaceae fam. nov. in the order Rhodospirillales. Furthermore, phylogenomic data suggest that this order should accomodate six more new family level groups including Magnetospiraceae fam. nov., Magnetovibrionaceae fam. nov., Dongiaceae fam. nov., Niveispirillaceae fam. nov., Fodinicurvataceae fam. nov., and Oceanibaculaceae fam. nov.     

Rhodopirellula aestuarii sp. nov., a novel member of the genus Rhodopirellula isolated from brackish sediments collected in the Tagus River estuary,Portugal

Bacteria within the phylum Planctomycetota are biologically relevant due to unique characteristics among prokaryotes. Members of the genus Rhodopirellula can be abundant in marine habitats, however, only six species are currently validly described. In this study, we expand the explored genus diversity by formally describing a novel species. The pink-coloured strain ICT_H3.1^T was isolated from brackish sediments collected in the Tagus estuary (Portugal) and a 16S rRNA gene sequence-based analysis placed this strain into the genus Rhodopirellula (family Pirellulaceae). The closest type strain is Rhodopirellula rubra LF2^T, suggested by a similarity of 98.4% of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Strain ICT_H3.1^T is heterotrophic, aerobic and able to grow under microaerobic conditions. The strain grows between 15 and 37 °C, over a range of pH 6.5 to 11.0 and from 1 to 8% (w/v) NaCl. Several nitrogen and carbon sources were utilized by the novel isolate. Cells have an elongated pear-shape with 2.0 ± 0.3 × 0.9 ± 0.2 µm in size. Cells of strain ICT_H3.1^T cluster in rosettes through a holdfast structure and divide by budding. Younger cells are motile. Ultrathin cell sections show cytoplasmic membrane invaginations and polar fimbriae. The genome size is 9,072,081 base pairs with a DNA G + C content of 56.1 mol%. Genomic, physiological and morphological comparison of strain ICT_H3.1^T with its relatives suggest that it belongs to a novel species within the genus Rhodopirellula. Hence, we propose the name Rhodopirellula aestuarii sp. nov., represented by ICT_H3.1^T (=CECT30431^T = LMG32464^T) as the type strain of this novel species.16S rRNA gene accession number: GenBank = OK001858.Genome accession number: The Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession JAMQBK000000000. The version described in this paper is version JAMQBK010000000.     

Streptomyces poriferorum sp. nov., a novel marine sponge-derived Actinobacteria species expressing anti-MRSA activity

Marine sponges represent a rich source of uncharacterized microbial diversity, and many are host to microorganisms that produce biologically active specialized metabolites. Here, a polyphasic approach was used to characterize two Actinobacteria strains, P01-B04^T and P01-F02, that were isolated from the marine sponges Geodia barretti (Bowerbank, 1858) and Antho dichotoma (Esper, 1794), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strains P01-B04^T and P01-F02 are closely related to Streptomyces beijiangensis DSM 41794^T, Streptomyces laculatispora NRRL B-24909^T, and Streptomyces brevispora NRRL B-24910^T. The two strains showed nearly identical 16S rRNA gene sequences (99.93%), and the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) relatedness values were 99.96% and 99.6%, respectively, suggesting that these strains are affiliated with the same species. Chemotaxonomic and culture characteristics of both strains were also consistent with the genus Streptomyces, while phenotypic properties, genome-based comparisons, and phylogenomic analyses distinguished strains P01-B04^T and P01-F02 from their closest phylogenetic relatives. In silico analysis predicted that the 8.9 Mb genome of P01-B04^T contains at least 41 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding secondary metabolites, indicating that this strain could express diverse bioactive metabolites; in support of this prediction, this strain expressed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria including a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) EAMC30. Based on these results, the marine sponge-associated isolates represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces poriferorum sp. nov. is proposed, with P01-B04^T (=DSM 111306^T = CCM 9048^T) as the type strain.     

Partial substitution of organic nitrogen with synthetic nitrogen enhances rice yield,grain starch metabolism and related genes expression under the dual cropping system

Improving grain filling in the presernt farming systems is crucial where grain filling is a concern due to the extreme use of chemical fertilizers (CF). A field experiment was conducted at the experimental station of Guangxi University, China in 2019 to test the hypothesis that cattle manure (CM) and poultry manure (PM) combined with CF could improve rice grain filling rate, yield, biochemical and qualitative attributes. A total of six treatments, i.e., no fertilizer (T₁), 100% CF (T₂), 60% CM + 40% CF (T₃), 30% CM + 70% CF (T₄), 60% PM + 40% CF (T₅), and 30% PM + 70% CF (T₆) were used in this study. Results showed that the combined treatment T₆increased starch metabolizing enzymes activity (SMEs), such as ADP-glucose phosphorylase (ADGPase) by 8 and 12%, soluble starch synthase (SSS) by 7 and 10%, granule bound starch synthesis (GBSS) by 7 and 9%, and starch branching enzyme (SBE) by 14 and 21% in the early and late seasons, respectively, compared with T₂. Similarly, higher rice grain yield, grain filling rate, starch, and amylose content were also recorded in combined treatments. In terms of seasons, higher activity of SMEs , grain starch, and amylose content was noted in the late-season compared to the early season. The increment in these traits was mainly attributed to a lower temperature in the late season during the grain filling period. Furthermore, our results suggested that an increment in starch accumulation and grain filling rate were mainly associated with the enhanced sink capacity by regulating key enzyme activities involved in Suc-to-starch conversion. In-addition, RT-qPCR analysis showed higher expression levels of AGPS2b, SSS1, GBSS1, and GBSE11b genes, which resultantly increased the activities of SMEs during the grain filling period under combined treatments. Linear regression analysis revealed that the activity of ADGPase, SSS, GBSS, and SBE were highly positively correlated with starch and amylose accumulation. Thus, we concluded that a combination of 30% N from PM or CM with 70% N from CF is a promising option in terms of improving rice grain yield and quality. Our study provides a sustainable fertilizer management strategy to enhance rice grain yield and quality at the lowest environmental cost.     

Optimizing nitrogen supply promotes biomass,physiological characteristics and yield components of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.)

Avoidable or inappropriate nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates harmfully affect the yield production and ecological value. Therefore, the aims of this study were to optimize the rate and timings of N fertilizer to maximize yield components and photosynthetic parameter of soybean. This field experiment consists of five fertilizer N rates: 0, 75, 150, 225 and 300 kg N ha⁻¹ arranged in main plots and four N fertilization timings: V₅ (trifoliate leaf), R₂ (full flowering stage) and R₄ (full poding stage), and R₆ (full seeding stage) growth stages organized as subplots. Results revealed that 225 kg N ha⁻¹ significantly enhanced grain yield components, total chlorophyll (Chl), photosynthetic rate (P_N), and total dry biomass and N accumulation by 20%, 16%, 28%, 7% and 12% at R₄ stage of soybean. However, stomatal conductance (g_s), leaf area index (LAI), intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) and transpiration rate (E) were increased by 12%, 88%, 10%, 18% at R₆ stage under 225 kg N ha⁻¹. Grain yield was significantly associated with photosynthetic characteristics of soybean. In conclusion, the amount of nitrogen 225 kg ha⁻¹ at R₄ and R₆ stages effectively promoted the yield components and photosynthetic characteristics of soybean.     

Pomegranate peels waste hydrolyzate optimization by Response Surface Methodology for Bioethanol production

Unwanted agricultural waste is largely comprised of lignocellulosic substrate which could be transformed into sugars. The production of bioethanol from garbage manifested an agreeable proposal towards waste management as well as energy causation. The goal of this work is to optimize parameters for generation of bioethanol through fermentation by different yeast strains while Saccharomyces cerevisiae used as standard strain. The low cost fermentable sugars from pomegranate peels waste (PPW) were obtained by hydrolysis with HNO₃ (1 to 5%). The optimum levels of hydrolysis time and temperature were elucidated via RSM (CCD) ranging from 30 to 60 min and 50 to 100 °C respectively. The result shows that optimum values (g/L) for reducing sugars was 61.45 ± 0.01 while for total carbohydrates was 236 ± 0.01. These values were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 3% HNO₃, at 75 °C for one hour. The hydrolyzates obtained from the dilute HNO₃ pretreated PPW yielded a maximum of 0.43 ± 0.04, 0.41 ± 0.03 g ethanol per g of reducing sugars by both Metchnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 at day 7 of ethanologenic experiment. The current study exhibited that by fermentation of dilute HNO₃ hydrolyzates of PPW could develop copious amount of ethanol by optimized conditions.     

Relationship between hepatic and mitochondrial ceramides: a novel in vivo method to track ceramide synthesis

Ceramides (CERs) are key intermediate sphingolipids implicated in contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of multiple metabolic conditions. Despite the growing evidence of CER role in disease risk, kinetic methods to measure CER turnover are lacking, particularly using in vivo models. The utility of orally administered ¹³C₃, ¹⁵N l-serine, dissolved in drinking water, was tested to quantify CER 18:1/16:0 synthesis in 10-week-old male and female C57Bl/6 mice. To generate isotopic labeling curves, animals consumed either a control diet or high-fat diet (HFD; n = 24/diet) for 2 weeks and varied in the duration of the consumption of serine-labeled water (0, 1, 2, 4, 7, or 12 days; n = 4 animals/day/diet). Unlabeled and labeled hepatic and mitochondrial CERs were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem MS. Total hepatic CER content did not differ between the two diet groups, whereas total mitochondrial CERs increased with HFD feeding (60%, P < 0.001). Within hepatic and mitochondrial pools, HFD induced greater saturated CER concentrations (P < 0.05) and significantly elevated absolute turnover of 16:0 mitochondrial CER (mitochondria: 59%, P < 0.001 vs. liver: 15%, P = 0.256). The data suggest cellular redistribution of CERs because of the HFD. These data demonstrate that a 2-week HFD alters the turnover and content of mitochondrial CERs. Given the growing data on CERs contributing to hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction and the progression of multiple metabolic diseases, this method may now be used to investigate how CER turnover is altered in these conditions.     

Optimization of growing conditions for pigments production from microalga Navicula incerta using response surface methodology and its antioxidant capacity

Navicula incerta is a marine microalga distributed in Baja California, México, commonly used in aquaculture nutrition, and has been extended to human food, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries due to its high biological activity. Therefore, the study aimed to optimize culture conditions to produce antioxidant pigments. A central composite experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to analyze the best culture conditions. The medium (nitrogen-deficient concentrations), salinity (PSU = Practical Salinity Unity [g/kg]), age of culture (days), and solvent extraction (ethanol, methanol, and acetone) were the factors used for the experiment. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) and total carotenoids (T-Car), determined spectroscopically, were used as the response variables. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH^? and ABTS^?+ radical inhibition, FRAP, and anti-hemolytic activity. According to the overlay plots, the optimum growth conditions for Chl a and T-Car production were the following conditions: medium = 0.44 mol·L^-1 of NaNO₃, salinity = 40 PSU, age of culture: 3.5 days, and solvent = methanol. The pigment extracts obtained in these optimized conditions had high antioxidant activity in ABTS^?+ (86.2–92.1% of inhibition) and anti-hemolytic activity (81.8–96.7% of hemolysis inhibition). Low inhibition (33–35%) was observed in DPPH^?. The highest value of FRAP (766.03 ± 16.62 μmol TE/g) was observed in the acetonic extract. The results demonstrated that RSM could obtain an extract with high antioxidant capacity with potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry, which encourages the use of natural resources for chemoprevention of chronic-degenerative pathologies.     

Punica granatum waste to ethanol valorisation employing optimized levels of saccharification and fermentation

Pomegranate peels (PPW) as municipal waste is inexpensive biomass that could be a renewable source of sugars particularly rich in hemicellulosic contents. The subsequent conversion of available sugars in PPW can provide prospective strategy for cost-effective bioenergy production. In this study, an experimental setup based on CCD was implemented with the aim of bioconversion of biomass into bioethanol. The factors considered were Hydrochloric acid concentration (X₁), the hydrolysis temperature (X₂) and time (X₃) for optimization with dilute Hydrochloric acid (HCl) saccharification. The present study investigates the optimised level of bioethanol synthesis from acid pre-treated PPW explained by RSM. Subsequently, three yeasts viz. Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7, Metschnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 were utilized for fermentation of acid hydrolysed and detoxified feed stocks. Optimum values of reducing sugars 48.02 ± 0.02 (gL^?1) and total carbohydrates 205.88 ± 0.13 (gL^?1) were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 1% HCl concentration at 100?C of temperature for 30 min. Later on, fermentation of PPWH after detoxification with 2.5% activated charcoal. The significant ethanol (g ethanol/g of reducing sugars) yields after fermentation with Metschnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 found to be 0.40 ± 0.03 on day 5 and 0.41 ± 0.02 on last day of experiment correspondingly. Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7 also produce maximum ethanol 0.40 ± 0.00 on last day of incubation utilizing the PPWH. The bioconversion of commonly available PPW into bioethanol as emphasize in this study could be a hopeful expectation and also cost-effective to meet today energy crisis.     

Investigations of antiproliferative and antioxidant activity of β-lactam morpholino-1,3,5-triazine hybrids

This article reports for the first time the synthesis of some novel β-lactam morpholino-1,3,5-triazine hybrids by a [2+2]-cycloaddition reaction of imines 7a–c, 9a–c and 11 with ketenes derived from substituted acetic acids. The reaction was totally diastereoselective, leading exclusively to the formation of cis-β-lactams 8a–l, 10a–f and 12a–c. The synthesized compounds were tested for activity towards SW1116, MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines and non-cancerous HEK-293 cell line by MTT assay. None of the compounds exert an observable effect on HepG2, MCF-7 and HEK-293 cells, but compounds 7b, 8f, 8g, 8l, 10c, and 10e exhibited excellent growth inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ < 5 µM) against SW 1116 cells, comparable to that of doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 6.9 µM). An evaluation of the antioxidant potential of each of the compounds, performed by diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, indicated that 7b, 9a, 9b and 9c have strong free radical scavenging activity. UV absorption titration studies reveal that 7b, 8l, 8g and 8f interact strongly with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) in the order of 8l > 7b > 8f > 8g. Collectively, the in vitro capabilities of some of these morpholino-triazine imines and β-lactams suggest possible applications to development of new antioxidants and DNA binding therapeutics.     

In vitro cytotoxic potential of extracts from Aristolochia foetida Kunth against MCF-7 and bMECs cell lines

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of Aristolochia foetida Kunth. Stems and leaves of A. foetida Kunth (Aristolochiaceae) have never been investigated pharmacologically. Recent studies of species of the Aristolochiaceae family found significant cytotoxic activities. Hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were analyzed by ¹H NMR and GC–MS to know the metabolites in each extract. In GC–MS analysis, the main compounds were methyl hexadecanoate (3); hexadecanoic acid (4); 2-butoxyethyl dodecanoate (9); ethyl hexadecanoate (20); methyl octadeca-9,12,15-trienoate (28) and (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid (40). The results showed a significant reduction in cell viability of the MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell line caused by organic extracts in a dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity activity of the dichloromethane extract from the stems (DSE) showed IC₅₀ values of 45.9 μg/mL and the dichloromethane extract of the leaves (DLE) showed IC₅₀ values of 47.3 μg/mL. DSE and DLE had the highest cytotoxic potential in an in vitro study against the MCF-7 cell line and non-tumor cells obtained from the bovine mammary epithelial (bMECs). DSE and DLE induced a loss in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and can cause cell death by apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway in the MCF-7 cell line. DSE and DLE are cytotoxic in cancer cells and cause late apoptosis. Higher concentrations of DSE and DLE are required to induce a cytotoxic effect in healthy mammary epithelial cells. This is the first report of the dichloromethane extract of A. foetida Kunth that induces late apoptosis in MCF-7 cancer cells and may be a candidate for pharmacological study against breast cancer.     

Bacillus strain selection with plant growth-promoting mechanisms as potential elicitors of systemic resistance to gray mold in pepper plants

Certain soil bacteria produce beneficial effects on the growth and health of plants; hence, their use is steadily increasing. Five strains of Bacillus with plant growth-promoting potential were selected in this study, which produced indole-3-acetic acid levels below 50 µg.mL⁻¹. On the other hand, while only strains M8 and M15 dissolved phosphorus, the latter was the only strain that did not produce siderophores. Only strains M8 and M16 significantly inhibited the in vitro growth of Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium solani phytopathogens, whose inhibition ranges fluctuated between 60% and 63% for strains M8 and M16 against B. cinerea and between 40% and 53% for strains M8 and M16 against F. solani. Based on these results, the need to implement resistance induction against gray mold on pepper plants was determined using strains M8 and M16. In this case, strain M16 inhibited the propagation of the necrotic spot by approximately 70%, whereas strain M8 significantly reduced the superoxide dismutase activity in systemic leaves, which substantially increased in plants inoculated with strain M8 and infected with the pathogen. Accordingly, the use of native rhizobacteria may entail biotechnological progress for the integrated management of crops in agriculture industry.