Phyto-Ruminal-Bioremediation: Grasses to the Rescue

The US EPA has defined Super Fund sites for 594 toxins in the United States. The EPA definition of toxins is one that causes acute or chronic human health effects, or causing significant environmental harm. One of the categories of toxins is nitroaromatic molecules, which are used primarily as munitions. In the United States alone there are 16,000 Department of Defense (DoD) sites. The most common munitions there are TNT, RDX, HMX, and 2,4 DNT. In the world, these sites range historically from World War II residues to those from recent Middle East conflicts. Human health effects from these toxins include damage to the renal, nervous system, reproductive system, dermal, and hepatocarcinoma. In the animal world, a ruminant has four stomachs, one of which the rumen contains obligate ruminant anaerobes. These anaerobic microbes have the unique ability to break down the cellulose bond and other compounds from plant material. An additional fact is that grasses can extract nitroaromatic compounds from the soil and do it far better than dicotyledon plants. A number of people have looked at the uptake of toxins by grasses and other plant material. This paper will present the ability of cool season grasses to remove toxins from the soil and their subsequent degradation by ruminal microbes from sheep

Size criterion for intercalation of hydrocarbon in DNA

The binding of fifteen hydrocarbons to native DNA has been investigated. The hydrocarbons were chosen to test a size criterion for hydrocarbon - DNA complexes. It has been found that hydrocarbons, which are small enough to intercalate between the base pairs of a distorted Watson - Crick model of DNA, bind to DNA. No binding was found for hydrocarbons which cannot slip between base pairs, with no appreciable contact with the aqueous medium. Those hydrocarbons which bind, do so in a monomolecular fashion, as judged by the absence of excimer emission. The results are consistent with the intercalation model of binding and offer support for it

Intercalation on hydrocarbons in polynucleotides

The binding of eleven polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbons to the acid form of poly A has been investigated. The hydrocarbons were chosen to test a size criterion. Model building showed that some hydrocarbons could intercalate in the helix and be well protected from contact with the aqueous solvent. Experimentally it was found that those hydrocarbons which were small enough to be protected were bound to poly A. Hydrocarbons which were too large to be so protected did not bind. A size criterion for the binding of hydrocarbons to poly A therefore exists. The flow dichroism of four poly A-hydrocarbon complexes was measured. The flow dichroism measurements were consistent with the intercalation model. The dissociation energy of several hydrocarbons is found to occur in an order that is different from that given by the size criterion. There was no correlation between the binding of individual hydrocarbons to poly A and the energy of dissocation of individual hydrocarbons from the crystalline state. The size criterion for poly A, together with a previously examined size criterion for DNA, and the flow dichroism data serve as unequivocal evidence that hydrocarbons intercalate in polynucleotides

Urinary excretion of the mycotoxins lolitrem B and lysergic acid in cattle consuming perennial ryegrass straw over 56 days

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) hay is an important source of forage for a variety of livestock species, and is most common in cool, coastal climates such as the Pacific Northwest. An endophyte fungus called Neotyphodium lolii frequently colonizes this grass to promote insect resistance, drought tolerance, and growth enhancement without the need to incorperate excessive use of fertilizers, irrigation or pesticides. Unfortunately, encouragement of endophyte infection can also result in the production of mycotoxins including lolitrem B and ergot alkaloids. Lolitrem B is a tremorgenic neurotoxin that effects livestock and other herbivores and is responsible for the condition known as “ryegrass staggers,” in which animals develop tremors, ataxia and frequently collapse. The ergot alkaloids are vasoconstrictors and prolactin inhibitors that negatively affect thermoregulation, reproductive efficiency and milk yield. The toxicokinetics of lolitrem B have not yet been fully elucidated; however, that of the ergot alkaloid mycotoxin ergovaline has, and the main urinary metabolic breakdown product was determined to be lysergic acid. A thorough understanding of the metabolism of lolitrem B/ergot alkaloids from perennial ryegrass in cattle must be established before a risk assessment can be extended to humans. Therefore, the goal of this project was to evaluate one toxicokinetic compartment, the urine, of cattle fed varying doses of lolitrem B- and ergovaline-containing perennial ryegrass hay for 60 days for lolitrem B and the ergot alkaloid breakdown product lysergic acid via LC-MS/MS. Our experiment confirmed that lolitrem B is not secreted in bovine urine; lysergic was detected in a dose-dependent manner. The tendency for lysergic acid to be excreted in aqueous matrices raises concerns for human consumption of milk products from exposed animals

Characterization of Sidr (Ziziphus spp.) Honey from Different Geographical Origins

The current investigation was conducted to assess the melissopalynological, physicochemical, and biochemical properties, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities as well as total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of 794 Sidr honey samples collected from the Saudi market that had been imported from 12 different countries. Testing Sidr honey from different countries showed different levels of growth suppression observed against five drug resistant bacterial strains. The pathogenic strains were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity showed growth suppression levels which varied according to the origin of the honey. The comparative study of Sidr honeys revealed a strong correlation between total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and significant radical scavenging activities in particular Egyptian and Saudi Arabian honeys. The melissopalynological and physicochemical properties of different Sidr honeys complied with the recommendations of the WHO Codex Alimentarius, the European Union standards for honey quality, and the Gulf Technical Regulation on honey (GSO 147:2008-Standards Store-GCC Standardization Organization). It was concluded that Sidr honey from different geographical areas has the capacity to suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria and perform significant radical scavenging activities

Acute emphysema of cattle

Published May 1980. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

The Bioactive Value of Tamarix gallica Honey from Different Geographical Origins

This study was conducted to assess the bioactive value of Tamarix gallica honey samples collected from three countries. In total, 150 Tamarix gallica honey samples from Saudi Arabia (50), Libya (50), and Egypt (50) were collected and compared, based on the results of the melissopalynological analysis, their physicochemical attributes, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and biochemical properties, together with their total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. Depending on the geographical origin, we observed different levels of growth suppression for six resistant bacterial strains. The pathogenic microorganisms tested in this study were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a strong correlation between the polyphenol and flavonoid contents, as well as significant (p < 0.05) radical scavenging activities. The melissopalynological analysis and physicochemical properties complied with the recommendation of the Gulf and Egyptian Technical Regulations on honey, as well as the Codex Alimentarius of the World Health Organization and the European Union Normative related to honey quality. It was concluded that Tamarix gallica honey from the three countries has the capacity to suppress pathogenic bacterial growth and has significant radical scavenging activities. Moreover, these findings suggest that Tamarix gallica honey may be considered as an interesting source of antimicrobial compounds and antioxidants for therapeutical and nutraceutical industries or for food manufacturers

Metagenomic Insights into the RDX-Degrading Potential of the Ovine Rumen Microbiome

The manufacturing processes of royal demolition explosive (RDX), or hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine, have resulted in serious water contamination. As a potential carcinogen, RDX can cause a broad range of harmful effects to humans and animals. The ovine rumen is capable of rapid degradation of nitroaromatic compounds, including RDX. While ruminal RDX-degrading bacteria have been identified, the genes and pathways responsible for RDX degradation in the rumen have yet to be characterized. In this study, we characterized the metabolic potential of the ovine rumen using metagenomic approaches. Sequences homologous to at least five RDX-degrading genes cloned from environmental samples (diaA, xenA, xenB, xplA, and xplB) were present in the ovine rumen microbiome. Among them, diaA was the most abundant, likely reflective of the predominance of the genus Clostridium in the ovine rumen. At least ten genera known to harbor RDX-degrading microorganisms were detectable. Metagenomic sequences were also annotated using public databases, such as Pfam, COG, and KEGG. Five of the six Pfam protein families known to be responsible for RDX degradation in environmental samples were identified in the ovine rumen. However, increased substrate availability did not appear to enhance the proliferation of RDX-degrading bacteria and alter the microbial composition of the ovine rumen. This implies that the RDX-degrading capacity of the ovine rumen microbiome is likely regulated at the transcription level. Our results provide metagenomic insights into the RDX-degrading potential of the ovine rumen, and they will facilitate the development of novel and economic bioremediation strategies

No Association between Mycotoxin Exposure and Autism: A Pilot Case-Control Study in School-Aged Children

Evaluation of environmental risk factors in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is needed for a more complete understanding of disease etiology and best approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A pilot experiment in 54 children (n = 25 ASD, n = 29 controls; aged 12.4 ± 3.9 years) screened for 87 urinary mycotoxins via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to assess current exposure. Zearalenone, zearalenone-4-glucoside, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and altenuene were detected in 9/54 (20%) samples, most near the limit of detection. No mycotoxin/group of mycotoxins was associated with ASD-diagnosed children. To identify potential correlates of mycotoxin presence in urine, we further compared the nine subjects where a urinary mycotoxin was confirmed to the remaining 45 participants and found no difference based on the presence or absence of mycotoxin for age (t-test; p = 0.322), gender (Fisher’s exact test; p = 0.456), exposure or not to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Fisher’s exact test; p = 0.367), or to other medications (Fisher’s exact test; p = 1.00). While no positive association was found, more sophisticated sample preparation techniques and instrumentation, coupled with selectivity for a smaller group of mycotoxins, could improve sensitivity and detection. Further, broadening sampling to in utero (mothers) and newborn-toddler years would cover additional exposure windows