Anaerobic degradation of ethylbenzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons by new denitrifying bacteria

Anaerobic degradation of alkylbenzenes with side chains longer than that of toluene was studied in freshwater mud samples in the presence of nitrate. Two new denitrifying strains, EbN1 and PbN1, were isolated on ethylbenzene and n-propylbenzene, respectively. For comparison, two further denitrifying strains, ToN1 and mXyN1, were isolated from the same mud with toluene and m-xylene, respectively. Sequencing of 16SrDNA revealed a close relationship of the new isolates to Thauera selenatis. The strains exhibited different specific capacities for degradation of alkylbenzenes. In addition to ethylbenzene, strain EbN1 utilized toluence, but not propylbenzene. In contrast, propylbenzene-degrading strain PbN1 did not grow on toluene, but was able to utilize ethylbenzene. Strain ToN1 used toluene as the only hydrocarbon substrate, whereas strain mXyN1 utilized both toluene and m-xylene. Measurement of the degradation balance demonstrated complete oxidation of ethylbenzene to CO₂ by strain EbN1. Further characteristic substrates of strains EbN1 and PbN1 were 1-phenylethanol and acetophenone. In contrast to the other isolates, strain mXyN1 did not grow on benzyl alcohol. Benzyl alcohol (also m-methylbenzyl alcohol) was even a specific inhibitor of toluene and m-xylene utilization by strain mXyN1. None of the strains was able to grow on any of the alkylbenzenes with oxygen as electron acceptor. However, polar aromatic compounds such as benzoate were utilized under both oxic and anoxic conditions. All four isolates grew anaerobically on crude oil. Gas chromatographic analysis of crude oil after growth of strain ToN1 revealed specific depletion of toluene.     

三尖杉叶精油化学成分的研究

三尖杉叶精油化学成分的研究苏应娟,王艇,张宏达（中国科学院武汉植物研究所武汉４３００７４）（中山大学生命科学学院广州５１０２７５）关键词三尖杉,精油,化学分类ＡＳＴＵＤＹＯＮＣＨＥＭＩＣＡＬＣＯＮＳＴＩＴＵＥＮＴＳＯＦＥＳＳＥＮＴＩＡＬＯＩＬＦＲＯＭ...     

Effect of hypocholesterolemic agents of plant origin on catecholamine biosynthesis in normal and cholesterol fed rabbits

The effect of lipid lowering agents of plant origin garlic oil and guggulipid on the levels of catecholamine and dopamine Β-hydroxylase activity of normal and cholesterol fed rabbit tissues has been studied. The catecholamine levels and enzyme activity were found to be decreased in cholesterol (500 mg/kg body wt) fed animals. The feeding of garlic oil (5 mg/kg body wt) and guggulipid (100 mg/kg body wt) an exudate ofCommiphora mukul, to normal rabbits caused significant increase in the dopamine-Β-hydroxylase activity and catecholamine levels, while the feed helped the hypercholesterolemic rabbits to recover the decrease in catecholamine biosynthesis C.D.R.I. Communication No. 3435.     

Cytotoxicity of Synthetic Fuel Products on Tetrahymena pyriformis. II. Shale Oil Retort Water*†‡

SYNOPSIS. Shale oil retort water is obtained by centrifuging the oil/water emulsion produced by oil shale retorting. The ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis was exposed to retort water; 2, 1, and 0.5% initially increased motility; longer exposures decreased motility. Three, 4, and 5% all decreased motility. Cell lysis was directly related to concentration; after 24 h, population densities were 0, 10, and 25% of controls for 2, 1, and 0.5% retort water, respectively. Oxygen consumption paralleled the motility pattern: at lower concentrations it increased initially but decreased with extended exposures while at higher concentrations it decreased rapidly. The most striking cytologic alteration of cells exposed to the toxicant occurred in the membranes; alterations of mucocysts and glycogen content were also observed, but mitochondrial changes were not. Population growth was affected at much lower concentrations than the other test indices. The growth of test populations reached a plateau at values inversely related to concentration: concentrations <0.4% had no effect on growth rate.     

Isozymes of the glycolytic and pentose-phosphate pathways in storage tissues of different oilseeds

Isozymes of hexose-phosphate isomerase (HPI; EC 5.3.1.9), pyruvate kinase (PK; EC 2.7.1.40) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH; EC 1.1.1.44) have been detected in the developing cotyledons of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), safflower (Carthamnus tinctorius L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). In each seed there are two isozymes each of PK and HPI. The isozyme patterns of 6PGDH are more complex: soybean has two forms of the enzyme, safflower three, and sunflower six. In each tissue, at least 25% of the activity of each of the three enzymes is in the plastids. This supports the proposal that the glycolytic and pentose-phosphate pathways are operating in the plastids and that the plastids are the site of long-chain fatty-acid biosynthesis in developing oilseeds.Abbreviations HPI hexose-phosphate isomerase - 6PGDH 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase - PK pyruvate kinase     

木姜子叶精油的化学成分研究

采用气相色谱-质谱联用仪对产于秦岭太白山的木姜子叶的挥发油成分进行分析鉴定,从分离出的79个峰中鉴定了32种成分,其含量占挥发油总量的90.59％,主要成分为1,3,3-三甲基-乙-氧杂双环[2,2,2]辛烷(59.96％),1,8-桉油醇(8.96％),香茅醛(6.86％),2-甲基-5-(1-甲基乙烯基)环己酮(4.34％)和澄花醇乙酯(3.19％)。     

荧光显微镜观察大蒜油对腹水癌细胞的影响

用吖啶橙染色,荧光显微镜观察大蒜油对—S180,昆明小鼠,U14 C57BL/6J小鼠和L1210DBA小鼠的癌细胞作用的影响,结果表明大蒜油有直接破坏癌细胞的DNA,RNA和分裂中期染色体的作用。给药后2—6小时作用最强,12小时后癌细胞数逐渐恢复,因此给药间隔不应超过12小时。我们研究证实大蒜油有明显的抗癌作用,为临床应用提供有力的依据。     

The horseradish tree,Moringa pterygosperma (Moringaceae)—A boon to Arid Lands?

The horseradish tree (Moringa pterygosperma,) is being introduced into drought-ridden lands to augment the local food and fodder supply. The tree grows up to 5 m per year. The foliage is high in calcium and has half the oxalates of amaranth. Seeds yield edible oil and the seed meal is used as fertilizer and as a coagulant to clarify turbid water. The philanthropic center, ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization), North Fort Myers, Florida, receives many requests for seeds. A missionary in Mali wrote: “The seeds you sent arrived during the worst year of 14 years of dry weather. Only the moringa survived, and they have flourished. ”Another seed shipment resulted, after harvesting a crop, in 25 000 trees being planted by university students and faculty, around laborers’ houses in Maranhao, Brazil. The tree is not limited to tropical lowlands, but thrives at elevations of 800-1200 m in protected mountain areas of southern Mexico. The long-range effects of ingesting various parts of the tree as food or folkmedicine need study. Attention should be given to horticultural improvement, perhaps through hybridization with one or more related species now being compared with M. pterygosperma in India and Africa. ХРеНовое дерево, Moringa pterygosperma F. Gaertn. (Moringaceae), Дар сыхим землям. Хреновое дерево, Moringa pterygosperma, вводится в бездождивые землии чтоб умножить местное снабжение пищи и корма. Дерево растет до 5 метров в год. Листья содержат много кальцию и половину щавелев по сравнени#x044E; с амарантом. Семя дают съедобное масло и семеная мука употребляется как одобрение и как коагулант для очищение мутной воды. Филантропический цэнтэр ECHO (Educational Concern for Hunger Organization, North Fort Myers, Florida) полужает мното просьб чтоб получить семя. Один миссионер из Мали писал “Семя которые вы послали, прибыли в самый сухой год за 14 лет сухой погоды. Только моринга пережила и цвела. Другая отправка семен была совершена после получения урожая и 25000 деревьев были посажены студентами и учителями около домов рабочих в Маранхау, Брразилия. Это дерево не ограаничевается тропическим климатом и преуспевает на уровне 800 до 1200 метров в защищенных горных местах южной Мексики.     

Cell fragility — The key problem of microalgae mass production in closed photobioreactors

The gap between the theoretical biological potential of microalgae and the biomass productivity obtained with algal culture in tubular biophotoreactors is due to a reduced growth rate related to hydrodynamic stress of pumping. High levels of mixing are necessary to reach a turbulent flow of the culture, in order to optimize the light regime. The optimal conditions of pumping to produce this significant liquid mixing may produce some cell damage. Factors affecting this hydrodynamic stress (geometry of the bioreactor involved, type of pump utilized, morphology of algal cells, physiological conditions of microalgae, etc.) are discussed.