Lead biosorption by resting cells of Bacillus cereus

A study on the lead biosorption by resting cells of lead resistant bacteria, isolated from industrial effluents, was carried out to ascertain their biosorption capacities. The strain showing highest MIC (min. inhibition concn.) for lead was selected for the study and identified as Bacillus cereus. Lead biosorption studies on Bacillus cereus pretreated with phys. (heat and oven dried) and chem. (sodium azide) methods showed improved lead biosorption with the exception of heat treatment in comparison to live biomass. Among the pretreatment methods, azide treatment showed max. lead biosorption.

Effect of Lead on Growth, Protein and Biosorption Capacity of Bacillus Cereus Isolated from Industrial Effluen

A bacterial strain (Bacillus cereus) with the ability to grow under conditions of high concentrations of lead was isolated from the industrial effluent collected from Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore. The effect of lead on growth, protein content and lead biosorption capacity of Bacillus cereus was investigated. The results revealed that with increase in lead concentration (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg l-1) there was a decrease in growth, protein content (10.6, 8.2, 6.7, 3.8 and 1.9 mg g-1 d. wt.) and lead biosorption ( 90.3, 57.8, 48.94, 31.3 and 22.24 %) Bacillus cereus, signifying toxic effect of lead on the bacterial strain. Plasmid DNA was isolated from Bacillus cereus to study its resistance mechanism. The size of the plasmid was approximately 33kb. Transformation results suggest that lead resistance gene may be present on the chromosomal DNA rather than the plasmid DNA as the transformants did not show lead resistanc

Biosorption of lead by Bacillus cereus isolated from industrial effluents

Aims: To study the biosorption of lead ions from soln. using Bacillus cereus isolated from industrial effluents collected from Peenya industrial area, Bangalore, India and to det. the optimum conditions for biosorption. Study Design: Exptl. study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiol. and Biotechnol., Bangalore University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, between Oct. 2008 and Dec. 2009. Methodol.: Sixty bacterial strains were isolated from industrial effluents collected from Peenya industrial area. Among the sixty isolates only six were selected for further investigation due to their high min. inhibition concn. for lead. Lead biosorption studies were carried out for all the six isolates using at. absorption spectrometry. The optimum conditions (temp., pH and culture age) for biosorption were detd. for the isolate showing highest lead biosorption. Results: The lead biosorption capability of all six isolates was studied at different concns. of lead (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg​/l)​. The isolate 6 showed highest lead biosorption capability and was identified as Bacillus cereus. Studies on the control of environmental factors revealed that an optimum temp. of 30°C and pH 5, facilitates max. biosorption of lead by 24h old culture of Bacillus cereus. Conclusion: Biosorption is an alternative to traditional physicochem. methods for removing toxic metals from wastewaters. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the biosorption capacity of Bacillus cereus that could be exploited in the bioremediation of lead

Protective Effects of Embelin and Curcumin Against Diethylnitrosamine / Phenobarbital Induced Experimental Hepatocarcinogenesis in Rats

The effects of administration of Curcumin and Embelin on the levels of certain trace elements and other elements of clinical significance, during experimental hepatocarcinogenesis induced by Diethylnitrosamine/ Phenobarbital (DENA/PB) was studied in Wistar strain male albino rats. The levels of calcium, potassium and sodium were determined in the serum of control and experimental groups of rats. Additionally, the levels of chromium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum and zinc were also determined in the serum, liver and kidney of these rats. Furthermore, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was also assayed in the serum of these rats. Results revealed both significant and non-significant alterations in the levels of few elements during DENA/PB-induced experimental hepatocarcinogenesis. A statistically significant increase in LDH activity was found in the serum during the cancerous condition. Pre- and co-treatment with Curcumin and Embelin was found to protect the liver against the carcinogenic effects of DENA/PB. This protection was i) due to their ability to prevent changes in the levels of elements studied and ii) by the statistically significant decrease in the activity of LDH that increased in DENA/PBtreated rats and LDH activity in the rats given only Embelin and Curcumin indicating their nontoxic effect. Our present results demonstrate the ability of Embelin and Curcumin to protect against DENA/PB-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats

Antennal ampullary glands of Helicoverpa zea

In adult moths, the cephalic aorta terminates in an apical sack from which extends a pair of optic and antennal vessels that lie on either side of the esophagus, at the dorsoanterior surface of the brain. The base of each antennal vessel is dilated to form an ampulla that contains an oval mass of tissue, the antennal ampullary gland (AAG). An ultrastructural study revealed that the AAG of the corn earworm moth, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is composed of a single type of 40–50 parenchymal cells that produce secretory granules. The secretory material is released into the lymph channel of the ampullary vessel, suggesting that the AAG is an endocrine gland. Unlike the prothoracic gland and the corpus allatum, the AAG does not receive direct neural innervation; however, portions of the aortal muscle, associated with the ampullary wall, contain neurosecretory terminals and some of their products may also affect the AAG. No morphological differences were found between the AAG of males and females, with the exception that the glands in males were slightly larger. The function of the AAG remains unknown at this time. Because the AAG is located within the ampulla of the antennal vessel, one could assume that the product(s) of this gland may influence the response of the antennal sensory neurons to external stimuli

<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Effect of temperature and relative humidity on spinning behaviour of silkworm <i>(Bombyx mori.L)</i> </span>

87-89<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">The rate of spinning of silkworm larva <span style="font-size:14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">(Bombyx mori.L) <span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif""="">was slow at 22°C and fast at 38°C. The time taken for completion of cocoon was longest at 98±2% and least at 40± 2% RH. However, good quality cocoons were spun at 22°C and <span style="font-size: 14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">65±5% RH, hence it would be advantageous to maintain this temperature and relative humidity at the time of cocoon spinning in the case of CB race of silkworm. </span