Bioaccumulation of Trace Mercury in Trophic Levels of Benthic, Benthopelagic, Pelagic Fish Species, and Sea Birds from Arvand River, Iran

In this study, concentration of mercury was determined in the trophic levels of benthic, benthopelagic, pelagic fish species, and river birds from Arvand River, located in the Khuzestan province in the lowlands of southwestern Iran at the head of the Persian Gulf. The order of mercury concentrations in tissues of the fish species was as follows: liver>gill>muscle and in tissues of the kingfisher species was as follows: feather>liver>kidney>muscle. Therefore, liver in fish and feather in kingfisher exhibited higher mercury concentration than the other tissues. There was a positive correlation between mercury concentrations in fish and kingfisher species with size of its food items. We expected to see higher mercury levels in tissues of female species because they are larger and can eat larger food items. The results of this study show that the highest mean mercury level were found in the kingfisher (Anas crecca), followed by benthic (Epinephelus diacanthus), benthopelagic (Chanos chanos), and pelagic fish (Strongylura strongylura). Mean value of mercury in fish species, S. strongylura were (0.61 μg g^?1 dry weight), C. chanos (0.45 μg g^?1 dry weight), E. diacanthus (0.87 μg g^?1 dry weight), and in kingfisher species A. crecca was (2.64 μg g^?1 dry weight). Significant correlation between mercury concentration in fish and kingfisher may be related to high variability of mercury in the fish.     

Effect of culture conditions, cytokinins, methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid on the biomass accumulation and production of withanolides in multiple shoot culture of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal using liquid culture

The influence of cytokinins and culture conditions including medium volume, harvest time and elicitation with abiotic elicitors (SA/MeJ) have been studied for the optimal production of biomass and withanolides in the multiple shoot culture of Withania somnifera. Elicitation of shoot inoculum mass (2 g l^?l FW) with SA at 100 μM in the presence of 0.6 mg l^?l BA and 20 mg l^?l spermidine for 4 h exposure time at the 4th week in 20 ml liquid medium recorded higher withanolides production (withanolides A [8.48 mg g^?l DW], withanolides B [15.47 mg g^?l DW], withaferin A [29.55 mg g^?l DW] and withanone [23.44 mg g^?l DW]), which were 1.14 to 1.18-fold higher than elicitation with MeJ at 100 μM after 5 weeks of culture. SA-elicited cultures did not exhibit much variation in biomass accumulation when compared to control. This cytokinin induces and SA-elicited multiple shoot culture protocol provides a potential alternative for the optimal production of biomass and withanolides utilizing liquid culture.     

Kinetics study of pyridine biodegradation by a novel bacterial strain,Rhizobium sp. NJUST18

Biodegradation of pyridine by a novel bacterial strain, Rhizobium sp. NJUST18, was studied in batch experiments over a wide concentration range (from 100 to 1,000 mg l^?1). Pyridine inhibited both growth of Rhizobium sp. NJUST18 and biodegradation of pyridine. The Haldane model could be fitted to the growth kinetics data well with the kinetic constants μ* = 0.1473 h^?1, K _s = 793.97 mg l^?1, K _i = 268.60 mg l^?1 and S _m = 461.80 mg l^?1. The true μ _max, calculated from μ*, was found to be 0.0332 h^?1. Yield coefficient Y _X/S depended on S _i and reached a maximum of 0.51 g g^?1 at S _i of 600 mg l^?1. V _max was calculated by fitting the pyridine consumption data with the Gompertz model. V _max increased with initial pyridine concentration up to 14.809 mg l^?1 h^?1. The q _S values, calculated from $V_{ \hbox{max} }$ , were fitted with the Haldane equation, yielding q _Smax = 0.1212 g g^?1 h^?1 and q* = 0.3874 g g^?1 h^?1 at S _m′ = 507.83 mg l^?1, K _s′ = 558.03 mg l^?1, and K _i′ = 462.15 mg l^?1. Inhibition constants for growth and degradation rate value were in the same range. Compared with other pyridine degraders, μ _max and S _m obtained for Rhizobium sp. NJUST18 were relatively high. High K _i and K _i′ values and extremely high K _s and K _s′ values indicated that NJUST18 was able to grow on pyridine within a wide concentration range, especially at relatively high concentrations.     

Fatty acid composition and biological activities of Isochrysis galbana T-ISO,Tetraselmis sp. and Scenedesmus sp.: possible application in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries

Organic and water extracts of Isochrysis galbana T-ISO (=Tisochrysis lutea), Tetraselmis sp. and Scenedesmus sp. were evaluated for their antioxidant activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines, and fatty acids and total phenolic content (TPC). I. galbana T-ISO had the highest TPC (3.18 mg GAE g^?1) and radical scavenging activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.9 mg mL^?1 on the acetone extract. The extracts exhibited a higher ability to chelate Fe²⁺ than Cu²⁺, and the maximum Fe²⁺ chelating capacity was observed in the hexane extract of Scenedesmus sp. (IC₅₀=0.73 mg mL^?1) and Scenedesmus sp. (IC₅₀?=?0.73 mg mL^?1). The highest ability to inhibit AChE was observed in the water and ether extracts of Scenedesmus sp., with IC₅₀ values of 0.11 and 0.15 mg mL^?1, respectively, and in the water extract of I. galbana (IC₅₀?=?0.16 mg mL^?1). The acetone extract of I. galbana T-ISO significantly reduced the viability of human hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cells (IC₅₀?=?81.3 μg mL^?1) as compared to the non-tumour murine stromal S17 cell line, and displayed a selectivity index of 3.1 at the highest concentration tested (125 μg mL^?1). All species presented a highly unsaturated fatty acids profile. Results suggest that these microalgae, particularly I. galbana T-ISO, could be a source of biomolecules for the pharmaceutical industry and the production of functional food ingredients and can be considered as an advantageous alternative to several currently produced microalgae.     

Optimization and quality assessment of adventitious roots culture in Panax quinquefolium L.

In this study, adventitious roots of Panax quinquefolium L. have been successfully established. The highest induction rate of roots was obtained in MS medium containing 3 mg L^?1 IBA after 4 weeks of culture. The culture conditions of adventitious root were optimized and evaluated with response surface methodology. The best culture conditions for root growth seemed to be 0.75 salt strength MS medium, 4.70 g L^?1 inoculum size and 40 days of culture. The active component contents of adventitious roots were compared with those of native roots. The total saponins content was found to be 16.28 mg g^?1 in native root and 4.64 mg g^?1 in adventitious root. The polysaccharide content of the adventitious root was 1.5 times higher than that in the native P. quinquefolium (30.54 vs. 20.28 mg g^?1).     

Manipulation of culture strategies to enhance capsaicin biosynthesis in suspension and immobilized cell cultures of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili

Manipulation of culture strategies was adopted to study the influence of nutrient stress, pH stress and precursor feeding on the biosynthesis of capsaicin in suspension and immobilized cell cultures of C. chinense. Cells cultured in the absence of one of the four nutrients (ammonium and potassium nitrate for nitrate and potassium stress, potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate for phosphorus stress, and sucrose for sugar stress) influenced the accumulation of capsaicin. Among the stress factors studied, nitrate stress showed maximal capsaicin production on day 20 (505.9 ± 2.8 μg g^?1 f.wt) in immobilized cell, whereas in suspension cultures the maximum accumulation (345.5 ± 2.9 μg g^?1 f.wt) was obtained on day 10. Different pH affected capsaicin accumulation; enhanced accumulation of capsaicin (261.6 ± 3.4 μg g^?1 f.wt) was observed in suspension cultures at pH 6 on day 15, whereas in case of immobilized cultures the highest capsaicin content (433.3 ± 3.3 μg g^?1 f.wt) was obtained at pH 5 on day 10. Addition of capsaicin precursors and intermediates significantly enhanced the biosynthesis of capsaicin, incorporation of vanillin at 100 μM in both suspension and immobilized cell cultures resulted in maximum capsaicin content with 499.1 ± 5.5 μg g^?1 f.wt on day 20 and 1,315.3 ± 10 μg g^?1 f.wt on day 10, respectively. Among the different culture strategies adopted to enhance capsaicin biosynthesis in cell cultures of C. chinense, cells fed with vanillin resulted in the maximum capsaicin accumulation. The rate of capsaicin production was significantly higher in immobilized cells as compared to freely suspended cells.     

Scale-up of adventitious root cultures of Echinacea angustifolia in a pilot-scale bioreactor for the production of biomass and caffeic acid derivatives

In an attempt to scale-up of adventitious root cultures of Echinacea angustifolia for the production of biomass and caffeic acid derivatives, i.e. echinacoside, chlorogenic acid, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, and cynarin, the effects of Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium dilutions, and initial sucrose concentrations were investigated in a 5-L airlift bioreactor. In addition, the kinetics of adventitious root growth and accumulation of secondary metabolites were also studied. The greatest root dry weight (6.50 g L^?l) and accumulation of total phenolics [22.06 mg g^?1 DW (dry weight)], total flavonoids (5.77 mg g^?1 DW) and total caffeic acid derivatives (10.63 mg g^?1 DW) were obtained at quarter-strength MS medium. Of the various gradients of sucrose tested, 5 % sucrose supplementation was regarded as an optimal concentration for enhancing productivity of biomass and bioactive compounds. Neither higher salt strength (3/4–2 MS) nor sucrose concentrations (7 and 9 %) showed promotive effect on root growth and metabolite production. The kinetic studies revealed that 4 weeks of culture period is the optimal time to achieve highest productivity of metabolites. Based on these results, a large-scale (20 L) and a pilot-scale (500 L) adventitious root culture system was established. In the pilot-scale bioreactor, adventitious roots were elicitor-treated with 100 μM methyl jasmonate (MJ) on day 28. After 1 week of elicitation, 1.75 kg dry root biomass was harvested containing 60.41 mg g^?1 DW of total phenolics, 16.45 mg g^?1 DW of total flavonoids, and 33.44 mg g^?1 DW of total caffeic acid derivatives. Among the caffeic acid derivatives, the accumulation of echinacoside (the major bioactive compound) in MJ-treated adventitious roots grown in the 500-L bioreactor was the highest (12.3 mg g^?1 DW), which is approximately threefold more than the non-MJ-treated roots cultured in 5- and 20-L bioreactors.     

Production of salidroside and polysaccharides in Rhodiola sachalinensis using airlift bioreactor systems

Rhodiola sachalinensis is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, and salidroside and polysaccharides are its important bioactive compounds. This study used airlift bioreactor systems to produce mass bioactive compounds through callus culture. Several factors affecting callus biomass and bioactive compound accumulation were investigated. Callus growth was vigorous in a bioreactor system, and the growth ratio was 2.8-fold higher in bioreactor culture than in agitated-flask culture. Callus biomass and polysaccharide content were favorable at 0.1 air volume per culture volume per min (vvm), whereas favorable salidroside content was observed at a high air volume (0.2 vvm). The maximum yields of salidroside (7.90 mg l^?1) and polysaccharide (2.87 g l^?1) were obtained at 0.1 vvm. Inoculum density greatly affected callus biomass and bioactive compound accumulation, and the highest biomass and contents or yields of salidroside and polysaccharide were determined at a high inoculum density of 12.5 g l^?1. The level of hydrogen ion concentration (pH) at 5.8 improved callus biomass accumulation. Acidic medium (pH 4.8) stimulated salidroside synthesis but higher pH level (7.8) promoted polysaccharide accumulation. The highest yields of both bioactive compounds were obtained at pH 5.8. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) participated in synthesis promotion of bioactive compounds, and the contents and yields of salidroside [4.75 mg g^?1 dry weight (DW), 58.43 mg l^?1] and polysaccharides (392.41 mg g^?1 DW, 4.79 g l^?1) were at maximum at 125 and 150 μmol of MeJA. Therefore, bioreactor systems can be used to produce R. sachalinensis bioactive compounds, and callus culture in a bioreactor can be as an alternative method for supplying materials for commercial drug production.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> sucrose concentration influences microtuber production and diosgenin content in white yam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea rotundata</Emphasis> Poir)

Dioscorea spp. is an important food crop in many countries and the source of the phytochemical diosgenin. Efficient microtuber production could provide source materials for farm-planting stock, for food markets, and for the production of high-diosgenin-producing cultivars. The first step in this study was optimizing the plant growth regulators for plantlet production, followed by a study of the effects of sucrose concentration on microtuber induction and diosgenin production. Significantly, more shoots (3.5) were produced at 4.65 μM (1 mg L^?1) kinetin (KIN), longer shoots (4.1 cm) were obtained at 2.46 μM (0.5 mg L^?1) indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and root number (3.9) was significantly higher at 5.38 μM (1 mg L^?1) naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) than in other treatments. Increased sucrose concentrations in the optimized growth medium with 4.65 μM KIN and 5.38 μM NAA had significant effects on microtuber production (p < 0.01) and diosgenin content (p < 0.05). The most microtubers (6.2) were obtained with 100 g L^?1 sucrose, while those on 80 g L^?1 sucrose were the heaviest (0.7 g) and longest (7.4 mm). Microtubers formed in medium with 80 g L^?1 sucrose had significantly higher diosgenin content (3.64% [w/w]) than those in other sucrose treatments (< 2%) and was similar to that of field-grown parent tubers (3.79%). This result indicates an important role for sucrose in both microtuber growth and diosgenin production. Medium containing 4.65 μM KIN and 5.38 μM NAA is recommended for plantlet production, and medium containing 80 g L^?1 sucrose is recommended for microtuber and diosgenin production.     

The effect of chitin metabolic effectors on the population increase of stored product mites

The study tested the effect of the chitin metabolic effectors, teflubenzuron, diflubenzuron, and calcofluor, and a combination of a chitinase and soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) on the population growth of eight species of stored product mites under laboratory conditions. The compounds were incorporated into the diets of the mites in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 50 mg g^?1. The final populations of mites were observed after 21 days of growth in controlled conditions. Diflubenzuron and calcofluor suppressed the growth of all the tested species more effectively than the other compounds. The doses required to suppress the mite populations to 50% (rc₅₀) in comparison to the control ranged from 0.29 to 12.68 mg g^?1 for diflubenzuron and from 1.75 to 37.7 mg g^?1 for calcofluor, depending on the mite species. When tested at the highest concentration (10 mg g^?1), teflubenzuron also suppressed all of the tested mite species in comparison to the control. The addition of chitinase/STI into the diet influenced population growth in several ways. When the highest concentration of chitinase in a cocktail of chitinase and STI (12.5 mg g^?1 of diet) was compared to the control, populations of Acarus siro, Aleuroglyphus ovatus and Aëroglyphus robustus decreased significantly, whereas populations of Tyroborus lini and Sancassania rodionovi increased significantly. The sensitivity of species to the tested compounds differed among species. The most tolerant species was S. rodionovi, the most sensitive was A. ovatus. The results confirmed that calcofluor and diflubenzuron have a toxic effect on stored product mites.     

Effects of iron on fatty acid and astaxanthin accumulation in mixotrophic Chromochloris zofingiensis

The integration of oleaginous microalgae cultivation with high-value products is considered a low-cost approach for manufacturing algae-based biodiesel. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of using Fe(II) to produce fatty acids and astaxanthin in mixotrophic Chromochloris zofingiensis. Fatty acid biosynthesis was less sensitive than astaxanthin formation to the changes in Fe²⁺ concentrations. However, the enhancement and inhibition of fatty acids formation were concomitant with an increase and a decrease in the production of astaxanthin, respectively. The highest contents of astaxanthin and total fatty acids were simultaneously obtained at 0.2 mM Fe²⁺ with the corresponding values of 2.2 mg g^?1 (i.e., 25.8 mg l^?1) and 41.8 % dry weight (i.e., 5 g l^?1).     

Light-induced production of antidepressant compounds in etiolated shoot cultures of Hypericum hookerianum Wight & Arn. (Hypericaceae)

Hypericum hookerianum is a lesser known ethnomedicinal plant having wound healing, antitumor and anti-HSV-1 properties. Isolated nodes of in vitro shoots sub-cultured in the dark for 4 weeks on half strength Murashige and Skoog medium solidified with Gelzan (1.5 g l^?1), and supplemented with 2.325 μM kinetin produced 8.0 ± 0.40 etiolated shoots of 5.0 ± 0.62 cm length at 74 % efficiency versus 9.2 ± 0.6 healthy shoots of 4.4 ± 0.5 cm obtained from nodes in light at 96 % efficiency. Low concentrations of hypericin were found in wild plant [0.35 ± 0.09 mg g^?1 dry weight (DW)] and control green shoot cultures (0.91 ± 0.03 mg g^?1 DW). Etiolated shoots exposed to a 12 h photoperiod (50 μmol m^?2 s^?1) through 1–25 days turned red incrementally due to synthesis and accumulation of 0.1–3.83 mg g^?1 DW hypericin in sub-epidermal cortical cells of the stem and varied shaped cells of the distorted mesophyll. Flavonoid and anthocyanin concentrations of the etiolated shoots subjected to the 12 h photoperiod were 3–5 fold higher than the control shoot cultures while total chlorophylls [1.97 ± 0.05 mg g^?1 fresh weight (FW)] of the light exposed shoots were significantly less compared to the control (2.86 ± 0.18 mg g^?1 FW) and natural plant (6.82 ± 0.29 mg g^?1 FW). HPLC analysis of shoot extracts revealed the presence of 0.14 ± 0.03, 0.16 ± 0.02 and 1.45 ± 0.16 mg g^?1 DW hyperforin in wild plant, control shoot cultures and etiolated shoot cultures illuminated for 25 days, respectively. Despite a reasonable presence in etiolated shoots (0.61 ± 0.15 g^?1 FW), total phenols did not increase significantly during illumination. The results indicate light induced synthesis of anti-depressant phenolic derivatives (hypericin, hyperforin and flavonoids) in etiolated shoot cultures of H. hookerianum.     

Mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins associated with stored maize from different regions of Lesotho

Samples of stored maize from villages located in five different agroecological zones (southern lowlands, northern lowlands, Senqu river valley, foothills and mountains) of Lesotho were collected in 2009/10 and 2010/11 and assessed for contamination with toxigenic fungi. The water activity of all samples collected during the two seasons was <0.70. The total fungal populations of the maize from different regions in the two seasons was not significantly different (p?>?0.05). Fusarium verticillioides, F. proliferatum and F. subglutinans predominated in different regions in both seasons based on molecular analyses. In the 2009/10 season, the isolates of these species all produced FB₁, while in the 2010/11 season, very few produced FB₁. A. flavus isolates (2009/10) were recovered from mountains and Senqu river valley samples while the 2010/11 isolates were predominantly from the foothills and northern lowlands. The mountain isolates of Aspergillus section Flavi produced the highest levels of AFB₁ (20 mg kg^?1). Aspergillus parasiticus was only isolated from the foothills, Senqu river valley and southern lowlands samples, and the AFB₁ levels produced ranged from ‘none detected’ to 3.5 mg kg^?1. The Aspergillus ochraceous isolates were least frequently encountered in both seasons. In the 2009/10 season, the isolates from the northern lowlands produced ochratoxin A (OTA) in culture. No isolates of A. niger from different regions in both seasons produced any OTA. Multi-mycotoxin analyses of the maize samples were done for a range of mycotoxins. At least one sample from each region in both seasons was FB₁-positive. FB₁ levels for 2010/11 samples (7–936 μg kg^?1) were higher than in the 2009/10 season (2–3 μg kg^?1). In both seasons, the mountains registered the highest levels of FB₁. Deoxynivalenol (DON) was recovered from all the samples analysed, with the highest mean contamination of 1,469 μg kg^?1 in samples from the northern lowlands. Moniliformin (MON) was detected from all agroecological zones in the two seasons (5–320 μg kg^?1 in 2009/10; 15–1,205 μg kg^?1 in 2010/11). Emerging toxins such as fusaproliferin (FUS) and beauvericin (BEA) were also detected. OTA was not detected in any of the samples analysed. Only one 2009/10 sample in the Senqu river valley was positive for AFB₁. This is the first report on toxigenic fungi and multi-mycotoxin contamination of maize samples from subsistence farmers’ stores in different agroecological zones of Lesotho.     

High tolerance of aluminum in the grass species Cynodon aethiopicus

Concentrations of aluminum (Al) were determined in leaves of native terrestrial plants, macrophytes and fruit parts (watermelon and tomato) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Al concentrations in water and soil were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Potamogeton thunbergii (macrophyte) and Cynodon aethiopicus (terrestrial grass) had the highest leaf Al concentrations (2 and 1 g kg^?1 dw, respectively). Transfer factors (mg kg^?1 dw plants/mg kg^?1 dw soil) based on total Al concentrations in soil varied from 2 × 10^?3 to 0.05 and from 1.9 to 78 based on mobile Al concentrations determined after sequential extraction. Bioconcentration factors (mg kg^?1 dw plants/mg L^?1 water) varied from 19 to 9.5 × 10³ L kg^?1 dw. Plants can accumulate high concentrations of Al when growing in neutral pH soils and slightly alkaline lakes in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Controlled experiments showed that C. aethiopicus can accumulate high levels of Al both in root and shoot. Compared to Arabidopsis thaliana, C. aethiopicus was more tolerant to Al exposure as ≥400 μM AlCl₃ was needed to inhibit root growth compared to 200 μM in A. thaliana. After exposing C. aethiopicus and A. thaliana in 800 μM AlCl_3, alkaline comet assay indicates significant DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage in A. thaliana while C. aethiopicus was unaffected. No significant induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in terms of leaf H₂O₂ levels, could be observed in C. aethiopicus. C. aethiopicus has mechanisms to suppress both Al-induced ROS and DNA damage, thereby increasing tolerance of the species to high Al concentrations.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic profile in filamentous cyanobacteria: the impact of nitrogen

In the present study, ethanolic extracts of ten cyanobacterial strains cultivated under different nitrogen conditions were assessed for the phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The amount of detected phenolic compounds ranged from 14.86 to 701.69 μg g^?1 dry weight (dw) and HPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol, rutin and apiin. Only catechin, among the detected phenolics, was present in all the tested strains, while quinic acid was the most dominant compound in all the tested Nostoc strains. The results also indicated the possibility of increasing the phenolic content in cyanobacterial biomass by manipulating nitrogen conditions, such as in the case of quinic acid in Nostoc 2S7B from 70.83 to 594.43 μg g^?1 dw. The highest radical scavenging activity in DPPH assay expressed Nostoc LC1B with IC₅₀ value of 0.04?±?0.01 mg mL^?1, while Nostoc 2S3B with IC₅₀ =?9.47?±?3.61 mg mL^?1 was the least potent. Furthermore, the reducing power determined by FRAP assay ranged from 8.36?±?0.08 to 21.01?±?1.66 mg AAE g^?1, and it was significantly different among the tested genera. The Arthrospira strains exhibited the highest activity, which in the case of Arthrospira S1 was approximately twofold higher in comparison to those in nitrogen-fixing strains. In addition to this, statistical analysis has indicated that detected phenolics were not major contributor to antioxidant capacities of tested cyanobacteria. However, this study highlights cyanobacteria of the genera Nostoc, Anabaena, and Arthrospira as producers of antioxidants and phenolics with pharmacological and health-beneficial effects, i.e., quinic acid and catechin in particular.     

Variability of phenolic composition and biological activities of two Tunisian halophyte species from contrasted regions

The present study consists in evaluating the inter- and intraspecific variability of phenolic contents and biological capacities of Limoniastrum monopetalum L. and L. guyonianum Boiss. extracts. Ultimately, they were subjected to HPLC for phenolic identification. Results showed a great variation of phenolic content as function of species and localities. In fact, L. guyonianum extracts (El Akarit) contained the highest polyphenol (57 mg GAE g^?1 DW), flavonoid (9.47 mg CE g^?1 DW) and condensed tannin contents (106.58 mg CE g^?1 DW). These amounts were accompanied by the greatest total antioxidant activity (128.53 mg GAE g^?1 DW), antiradical capacity (IC₅₀ = 4.68 μg/ml) and reducing power (EC₅₀ = 120 μg/ml). In addition, L. monopetalum and L. guyonianum extracts exhibited an important and variable antibacterial activity with a diameter of inhibition zone ranging from 6.00 to 14.83 mm. Furthermore, these extracts displayed considerable antifungal activity. L. monopetalum extracts (Enfidha) showed the strongest activity against Candida glabrata and C. krusei with a diameter exceeding 12 mm. The phytochemical investigation of these extracts confirmed the variability of phenolic composition, since the major phenolic compound varied as a function of species and locality. These findings suggest that these two halophytes may be a new source of natural antioxidants that are increasingly important for human consumption, as well as for agro-food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.     

Bioethanol production from the hydrolysate of Palmaria palmata using sulfuric acid and fermentation with brewer’s yeast

Seaweeds, particularly species of red macroalgae, are promising resources for bioethanol production because of their exceptionally high carbohydrate content. Of 20 seaweeds evaluated, Palmaria palmata (Rhodymenia palmata) contained the highest carbohydrate content (469.8 mg g^?1 seaweed) with a carrageenan content of 354 mg g^?1 seaweed. Such a high carrageenan content makes the high-volume production of bioethanol feasible. Acid hydrolysis of P. palmata in 0.4 M H₂SO₄ at 125 °C for 25 min released 27 mg of glucose, 218.4 mg of reducing sugars, and 127.6 mg of galactose per gram of seaweed. Ethanol fermentation of these hydrolysis products using an inoculum concentration of 1.5 mg mL^?1 at 30 °C and 72 h in a shaking incubator at 130 rpm yielded 17.3 mg of ethanol per gram of seaweed.     

Elicitor mediated enhancement of wedelolactone in cell suspension culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eclipta alba</Emphasis> (L.) Hassk

The present research focused on enhancing the production of wedelolactone through cell suspension culture (CSC) in Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. With an aim of attaining a sustainable CSC, various plant growth regulators, elicitors and agitation speed were examined. Nodal segments of in vitro propagated plantlets induced the maximum percentage (93.47?±?0.61%) of callus inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with picloram (2 mg L^?1). The growth kinetics of CSC exhibited a sigmoid pattern with a lag phase (0–6 days), a log phase (6–18 days), a stationary phase (18–24 days) and then death phase thereafter. The highest biomass accumulation in CSC with 7.09?±?0.06 g 50 mL^?1 fresh weight, 1.52?±?0.02 g 50 mL^?1 dry cell weight, 1.34?±?0.01?×?10⁶ cell mL^?1 total cell count and 57.00?±?0.58% packed cell volume was obtained in the liquid MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg L^?1 picloram plus 0.5 mg L^?1 kinetin at 120 rpm. High performance thin layer chromatography confirmed that yeast extract (biotic elicitor) at 150 mg L^?1 accumulated more CSC biomass with 1.22-fold increase in wedelolactone (288.97?±?1.94 µg g^?1 dry weight) content in comparison to the non-elicited CSC (237.78?±?0.04 µg g^?1 dry weight) after 120 h of incubation. Contrastingly, methyl jasmonate (abiotic elicitor) did not alter the biomass but increased the wedelolactone content (259.32?±?1.06 µg g^?1 dry weight) to an extent of 1.09-fold at 100 µM. Complete plantlet regeneration from CSC was possible on MS medium containing N⁶-benzyladenine (0.75 mg L^?1) and abscisic acid (0.5 mg L^?1). Thus, the establishment of protocol for CSC constitutes the bases for future biotechnological improvement studies in this crop.     

Kinetics of the aerobic co-metabolism of 1,1-dichloroethylene by Achromobacter sp.: a novel benzene-grown culture

Batch experiments were performed for the aerobic co-metabolism of 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE) by Achromobacter sp., identified by gene sequencing of 16S rRNA and grown on benzene. Kinetic models were employed to simulate the co-metabolic degradation of 1,1-DCE, and relevant parameters were obtained by non-linear least squares regression. Benzene at 90 mg L^?1 non-competitively inhibited degradation of 1,1-DCE (from 125 to 1,200 μg L^?1). The maximum specific utilization (k_c) rate and the half-saturation constant (K_c) for 1,1-DCE were 54 ± 0.85 μg h^?1 and 220 ± 6.8 μg L^?1, respectively; the k_b and K_b for benzene were 13 ± 0.18 mg h^?1 and 28 ± 0.42 mg L^?1, respectively. This study provides a theoretical basis to predict the natural attenuation when benzene and 1,1-DCE occur as co-contaminants.     

CITRIC ACID PRODUCTION BY Candida SPECIES GROWN ON A SOY-BASED CRUDE GLYCEROL

Citric acid was produced by five species of the yeast Candida after growth on a medium containing soy biodiesel-based crude glycerol. After growth on a medium containing 10 g L^?1 or 60 g L^?1 crude glycerol for 168 hr at 30°C, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 and C. guilliermondii ATCC 9058 produced the highest citric acid levels. On 10 g L^?1 or 60 g L^?1 crude glycerol for 168 hr at 30°C, the citric acid level produced by C. parapsilosis ATCC 7330 was 1.8 g L^?1 or 11.3 g L^?1, respectively, while C. guilliermondii ATCC 9058 produced citric acid concentrations of 3.0 g L^?1 or 10.4 g L^?1, respectively. Biomass production by C. guilliermondii ATCC 9058 on 10 g L^?1 or 60 g L^?1 crude glycerol for 168 hr at 30°C was highest at 1.2 g L^?1 or 6.9 g L^?1, respectively. The citric acid yields observed for C. guilliermondii ATCC 9058 after growth on 10 g L^?1 or 60 g L^?1 crude glycerol (0.35 g g^?1 or 0.21 g g^?1, respectively) were generally higher than for the other Candida species tested. When similar crude glycerol concentrations were present in the culture medium, citric acid yields observed for some of the Candida species utilized in this study were about the same or higher compared to citric acid yields by Yarrowia lipolytica strains. Based on the findings, it appeared that C. guilliermondii ATCC 9058 was the most effective species utilized, with its citric acid production being similar to what has been observed when citric acid-producing strains of Y. lipolytica were grown on crude glycerol under batch conditions that could be of significance to biobased citric acid production.