Comparative study of the biological activity of tetracycline hydrochloride and morphocycline by using reverse turbidimetry]

The method of back turbidimetry was used for determination of the biological activity of the antibiotics, since high turbidity of the nutrient medium with Staph. aureus as the testculture prevented from direct measurements. Broth containing phosphate buffer, Staph. aureus and definite concentrations of the antibiotic was used as the reference solution. The experiments showed that the differences in the biological activities of tetracycline hydrochloride and morphocycline may be found with the method of back turbidimetry 6-8 hours after the microbe cultivation on media with the antibiotics.     

Determination of the biological activity of heliomycin by a method of diffusion in agar]

A biological method for determination of geliomycin activity using agar diffusion is described. A nutrient medium containing Hottinger broth up to 35 mg per cent of amine nitrogen, 1.5 percent of agar-agar, tap water, pH 7.8 to 8.0 was used. Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 served as the test-culture. Geliomycin was dissolved in 0.1 N sodium hydroxide solution.     

Cultivation of the marine basidiomycete Nia vibrissa (Moore & Meyers)

An isolate of Nia vibrissa was fermented in liquid shake cultures and on agar. Suitable cultivation conditions are a prerequisite for the continuous synthesis of biological active metabolites. The growth response of N. vibrissa to four selected media and several environmental factors, such as salinity, pH and light, was studied. The amount of produced mycelia and the quantity and activity of the organic extracts were parameters for the optimal cultivation method. The ethanolic extracts of the mycelia of N. vibrissa grown in all the investigated nutrient media, showed an influence of the duration of cultivation on the biological activity. A synthetic medium with a pH of 7.5 was the preferred nutrient medium. The addition of wood and incubation under continuous light had no effect on growth but increased the activity of the ethanolic extract. The optimal agar medium salinity for colony growth was in the range between 5 and 25‰. At a salinity of 150‰ growth was not observed.     

Determination of the sensitivity of bacteria to barium ions,a taxonomic marker of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis>

Comparative efficacy of the determination of the sensitivity of bacterial cells to barium ions was evaluated on a synthetic nutrient medium, FMH agar, Mueller-Hinton agar, and AGV agar. The synthetic nutrient medium developed for this study contained L-proline and L-glutamine as the sole nitrogen and carbon source, which promoted growth of all Pseudomonas strains and ensured the minimal level of barium binding. The sensitivity of 80 strains belonging to 11 Pseudomonas species, including the type strains, as well as of 80 strains of 22 other bacterial species, was studied. The sensitivity of bacteria to barium ions was determined by using serial dilutions of barium chloride in the nutrient medium. The highest level of analytical sensitivity of pseudomonads to barium ions was determined on the synthetic nutrient medium: the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of barium chloride ranged from 0.5 to 6 g/L, the MIC₉₀ value was 2 g/L. At the same time, 86.1% of all strains of fluorescent Pseudomonas species produced fluorescein on the control BaCl₂-free synthetic nutrient medium. For representatives of other genera grown on all the studied nutrient media, the MIC values of barium chloride ranged from 20 to 50 g/L. The proposed method for determination of the sensitivity of bacteria to barium ions using the synthetic nutrient medium with 6 g/L of barium chloride as a criterion for the classification of barium-sensitive strains to the genus Pseudomonas is suitable for standardization.     

Optimization of conditions for determining the activity of amphotericin B]

The effect of incubation temperature, pH and medium composition on the size of the growth inhibitions zones, clearance of their borders and slope of the dose-response curve in determin ation of the biological activity of amphotericin B by the agar-diffusion method using Candida scotti, Tul-1 as the test-microbe was studied. The composition of the medium providing optimal conditions for the activity assay according to the sone size and clearness was developed. When the above medium was used for determination of the biological activity of amphotericin B, the standard deviatioos of the assay results, as well as the average results obtained at an interval of 1 month were 1.5 times lower than with the use of the medium proposed at an interval of 1 month were 1.5 times lower than with the use of the medium proposed in Specification 42 No. 3857-70. At the same time the average results of the assay on both media coincided.     

Dry medium for determining the beta-galactosidase activity of enterobacteria

Differential diagnosis of enterobacteria is based on the determination of beta-galactosidase enzyme, hydrolyzing lactose in the nutrient substrates; however, the tests suggested for its determination are time consuming and their use in practice is limited. Dry nutrient medium prepared by the authors containing o-nitrophenyl-betaD-pyranoside was tested on 1625 strains of enterobacteria in comparison with the Le Minor's ONPS test used at present. The results of beta-galactosidase determination by the, mentioned methods proved to coincide (significance level greater than 95%); this permits to recommend the method described--in dry nutrient medium--as a differential-diagnostic test for the identification of enterobacteria.     

The causes of the biological action of electrochemically activated solutions by changes in the growth of Escherichia coli cells

To study the causes of the biological effect of electrochemically activated solutions, nutrient growth media M 9 were prepared using catholyte and anolyte solutions containing separate components of the nutrient medium, such as distilled water, phosphate buffer, phosphate buffer with chlorides (NaCl, NH4Cl), and chlorides. The biological activity of different nutrient media was assessed by a comparison with the stimulation or inhibition of the growth of Escherichia coli cells in the catholyte and anolyte of the complete nutrient medium M 9. It was shown that medium M 9 prepared on the catholytes of different initial solutions acquired the stimulating properties only if the initial solution contained salts containing chlorine. The stimulating effect of the initial solution was 18-24%. Electrochemical treatment of solutions containing no chlorides (distilled water, phosphate buffer) and subsequent addition of the components of nutrient medium to exposed solutions had neither a stimulating nor the inhibiting effect on cell growth. The cultivation of cells in a nutrient medium based on the catholyte of preliminarily treated hydrochloric acid showed that it is the presence of chlorine ions in solution during electrolysis that causes the stimulating effect of the nutrient medium based on the catholyte. The formation of oxidizers and the inhibitory effect of the anolyte described previously was also observed if the solution contained chlorine ions during electrolysis. Possible mechanisms of the biological effect of catholytes containing chlorides during electrolysis were discussed.     

Uptake of tritiated thymidine in the root tip meristem of Vicia faba (L)

The use of tritium-labeled thymidine (3H-TdR) in biological research made it necessary to develop a quick and accurate method for determination of tritium activity in tissue. After 3H-TdR incorporation into the root tip meristem of Vicia faba, total 3H activity as well as 3H-DNA activity was measured by liquid scintillation counting. The incorporation rate of 3H-TdR using various parameters was examined-for example, the amount of incorporated 3H-TdR as a function of duration of treatment or as a function of thymidine concentration in the nutrient solution. The experimental results together with other data allow the calculation of the average number of incorporated thymidine molecules per labeled cell nucleus. This is necessary to interpret quantitatively the biological effects of incorporated radionuclides.     

Development of the biological preparation enatin with broad-range antimicrobial action

Physiological and biochemical traits of epiphytic spore forming bacteria Bacillus pumilis BIM V-263 were examined. The nutrient medium and conditions for submerged cultivation of the strain were selected. The growth dynamics and antagonistic activity during cultivation in a laboratory fermenter ANKUM-2M were studied. The results provide grounds for development of the biological preparation Enatin with broad-range antimicrobial effect. The plant-protective and growth-stimulating effect of Enatin was examined in laboratory and field experiments. The preparation holds promise as means for biological control of crop pathogens.     

Level of hydrogen peroxide in electrochemically activated solutions and study of its effect on growth of Escherichia coli

The formation of hydrogen peroxide in catholytes and anolytes of electrochemically activated solutions: bidistilled water and solutions of sodium chloride and nutrition medium M9 was studied. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide was determined by the method of enhanced chemiluminescence in a system peroxidase-luminol-p-iodophenol. It was shown that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide depends on the ionic content of the solution and varies from a few fractions of a micromole in catholytes of bidistilled water and sodium chloride solutions (10(-5) divided by 10(-2) M) to 20-25 microM in catholytes of medium M9. The concentration of H2O2 in anolytes of various solutions was 15-20 times lower than in the corresponding catholytes and was equal to a few nanomoles in bidistilled water and a few micromoles in medium M9. The biological activity of the catholyte of medium M9 was determined from changes in the growth of E. coli cells. It was found that this catholyte stimulates the cell growth. The stimulating effect was 20-25% and did not change after the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the catholyte by catalase. The addition of H2O2 at the corresponding concentration to the inactivated nutrient medium produced no stimulating effect. These data suggest that hydrogen peroxide formed in the catholyte of nutrient medium M9 does not affect its biological activity.     

Characteristics of determining the microbial contamination of penicillin series antibiotic powders and tablets]

Optimal conditions for determination of microbial contamination of drugs were studied on artificially contaminated powders and tablets of phenoxymethylpenicillin, ampicillin, oxacillin and dicloxacillin. The method of membrane filtration was the best for determination of the microbial contamination of the powders. However, it was not possible to wash out completely the antibiotic from the membrane filter. To prevent this it was necessary to add penicillinase into the nutrient medium onto which the filter was put for providing the microbial growth. For determination of microbial contamination of tablets direct plating of 3 per cent suspension of the tablet mass onto the surface of the nutrient medium with penicillinase was the best.     

Effect of the nutrient medium components on the formation of growth inhibition zones of the test microbe in determining the biological activity of mycoheptin]

The effect of the nutrient medium components on the diffusion properties of mycoheptin and the growth of Candida utilis as the test-microbe was studied. It was found that the content of various amounts of sodium and potassium chlorides, disubstituted sodium phosphate, glucose, yeast extract, peptone, agar-agar and the value of pH in the medium had a significant effect on the size of the inhibition growth zones of the test-culture, clearance of their margin and the angle of the dose-response curve. The nutrient medium composition considered to be optimal for determination of the mychoheptin activity is proposed.     

Determination of the concentration and specific activity of acetone in biological fluids

The concentration of acetone dissolved in liver perfusion medium was determined by injection of the sample into a gas chromatograph equipped with a Carbopack/Carbowax-packed glass column. Interference from labile acetoacetate which readily decomposes to acetone was eliminated by treating the samples with NaBH4 prior to the analysis. Acetone was detected and quantified as 2-propanol. Separation of labeled 2-propanol in the sample by high-performance liquid chromatography allowed the determination of its specific activity. These methods make possible the convenient and rapid determination of acetone concentration and specific activity in biological samples.     

Esterases as a marker for growth of BY-2 tobacco cells and early somatic embryos of the Norway spruce

Growth is one of the basic properties of biological systems. The methods which are commonly used for the determination of growth are usually difficult and not very accurate. In the present work we decided to use esterase activity as a growth marker in tobacco suspension culture (BY-2 line) and in early somatic embryos of Norway spruce (clone 2/32) grown on a semi-solid medium. Esterase activity correlates well with the classical growth characteristics of BY-2 and spruce early somatic embryos. Determination of esterase activity is based on spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric detection of reaction products, which arise from the enzymatic hydrolysis of two substrates (p -nitrophenyl acetate and fluorescein diacetate) by esterase. The spectrophotometric method enabled us to detect approximately 10⁴ BY-2 cells and 25 spruce embryos whereas the more sensitive spectrofluorimetric method allowed us to detect approximately 800 BY-2 cells and 5 early somatic embryos of Norway spruce.     

A method for determining phospholipases in microorganisms

A method is suggested for the determination of bacteria phospholipases in dense nutrient medium. The medium contains the egg-yolk solution, buffer pH 9.2, meat extract, calcium chloride and toluidine blue. The enzyme activity is estimated by the diameter value of the medium clarification zone around the bacterial mass inoculation by injection into an agar plate. It is possible to study 6-8 strains on one Petri dish. This method is a simple one and thus it can be used in the bacteriological practice when determining phospholipases of bacteria, especially in strains of those species where this enzyme is a pathogenicity factor.     

Investigation of the biological activity of solutions activated electrochemically in a membrane electrolyzer

The biological activity of the catholyte and anolyte of double distilled water was studied in experiments on the germination of wheat grains in the period from March to May. The activity of the solutions, which was characterized by a growth index, was high early in this period, then decreased almost to zero in the middle of the period, and then increased to about the initial value by the end of the period. Throughout, the efficiency of the anolyte of double distilled water generally exceeded the efficiency of the catholyte. Early and late in the period, the stimulatory effect of the anolyte exceeded that of the catholyte by a factor of 5–5.5. The changes in the biological activity of the catholyte and anolyte of double distilled water were also compared with the changes in the biological activity of the catholyte of nutrient medium M9. The stimulatory effect of the catholyte of the nutrient medium was evaluated from the change in the growth of E. coli cells. Early in the period at a cultivation temperature of 20°C, the stimulatory effect determined from the increase in the optical density of the cell suspension in the experiment with respect to a reference value was 55–60%. Next, the stimulatory effect decreased almost to zero in the middle of the period and increased to approximately initial value by the end of the period. It was assumed that the physicochemical mechanisms of action of the catholyte and anolyte of double distilled water on the wheat seed germination and of the catholyte of the nutrient medium on E. coli cell growth are of different nature.     

极谱氧电极法测定超氧化物歧化酶活性的改进

对SOD的极谱氧电极测定法做了如下修改:a.室温测定,b.酶活性用标准SOD标定,c.反应在磷酸缓冲液中进行,d.增大邻苯三酚的用量.改进后克服了易在电极薄膜表面产生气泡等问题,测定灵敏度及线性范围增大.     

Determination of brain cytochrome P450 2E1 activity in rat with the probe of chlorzoxazone by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the determination of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity based on the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone generated by 6-hydroxylation of chlorzoxazone under specific catalysis of CYP2E1. In the proposed method, 2-benzoxazolinone was chosen as internal standard and isopropyl ether was used as extraction solvent for sample preparation. The inter-day and intra-day precisions at low, medium and high concentrations of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone were below 20.0%, and the LOD (S/N=3) was 0.05 ng/mL. This method was applied to analyze the CYP2E1 activity of rat in different brain regions including frontal cortex (FC), cerebellum (CB), brain stem (BS), hippocampus (HC), striatum (ST), thalamus (TH), and olfactory bulb (OB). The results confirmed that chlorzoxazone was a suitable probe for the determination of CYP2E1 activity in brain regions and samples with low content of CYP2E1.     

Development of the Biological Preparation Enatin with Broad-Range Antimicrobial Action

Physiological and biochemical traits of the epiphytic spore-forming bacteria Bacillus pumilusBIM B-263 were examined. The nutrient medium and conditions for submerged cultivation of the strain were selected. The growth dynamics and antagonistic activity during cultivation in an ANKUM-2M laboratory fermenter were studied. The results provide grounds for development of the biological preparation Enatin, with broad-range antimicrobial effect. The plant-protective and growth-stimulating effect of Enatin was examined in laboratory and field experiments. The preparation holds promise as means for biological control of crop pathogens.     

The selection of the composition of the medium for optimizing the amine-synthetic activity of aerobic bacilli]

Nutrient medium chosen as a basic one after preliminary test of several media known from literature has been optimized to intensify biosynthesis and amine nitrogen production by three strains of aerobic sporulating bacteria to culture liquid. The method of mathematical planning used in the experiments has permitted obtaining the components ratio for the medium on which production of amine nitrogen to the environment increased 2.3-3.2 times. The best variants of the optimized medium promoted an increase of the aminosynthetic activity of the studied bacteria by more than 320%. The obtained nutrient medium is appropriate for a wide screening of aerobic bacilli for their ability to synthesize amino compounds.