ASSESSMENT OF BACTERIA STREPTOMYCES TERMITUM WICCB66 AND STREPTOMYCES INDIAENSIS WICCB67 FOR LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE DEGRADATION

Given its extended earthly persistence and detrimental effects on ecosystems, plastic waste disposal is one of the most concerning problems in the waste management industry. Plastics, which are strong, durable, and lightweight, have a big impact on society all over the world. Most of the waste is dumped, and only 7% of it is recycled. Plastic poses a serious threat to the ecosystem, thus getting rid of it is crucial. Biodegradation is one of the most efficient methods for plastic decomposition when compared to other degradation processes. This is because of the eco-friendly, cost-effective, and non-polluting method. Bacteria are crucial for biodegradation because they act on plastic by secreting a degrading enzyme, which then converts the polymer's high molecular weight into a monomer. The bacteria strain that breaks down plastic was introduced into low density polyethylene (LDPE). Thus, this study is aimed to evaluate and compared the polyethylene plastic degrading bacteria. The LDPE plastic are compared in terms of biomass and weight after incubated with bacteria for 30 days. The bacteria used are Streptomyces termitum WICC-B66 and Streptomyces indiaensis WICC-B67. From the results, both bacteria strain simultaneously grow and then started to decline with time. Moreover, the results shown both bacteria able to degrade LDPE plastic but Streptomyces indiaensis WICC-B67 poses the higher degradability rate with 0.83%. In conclusion, Streptomyces termitum WICC-B66 and Streptomyces indiaensis WICC-B67 were able to degrade LDPE plastic with Streptomyces indiaensis WICC-B67 gave higher degradability rate

Bioprocess optimization for kefiran production by lactobacillus kefiranofaciens

Kefiran is water soluble heteropolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens. In this work, optimization process was carried out to maximize kefiran production in both pure culture and mixed culture system using yeast strain. For pure culture studies, the cultivation medium composition was first optimized using both one factor at a time (OFAT) and statistical method. The optimal medium for kefiran production using OFAT composed of (in g L-1): lactose, 50; yeast extract, 12; phosphate, 0.25; Triton X-100, 1; and medium osmotic pressure 550 mOsmol kg-1. On the other hand, the optimal medium composition using statistical method composed of (in g L-1): lactose, 58.74; yeast extract, 11.09; phosphate, 0.52; Triton X-100, 0.85, and medium osmotic pressure of 630 mOsmol kg-1. The maximal kefiran production of 1.51 g L-1 was obtained in OFAT optimized medium which was approximately 8.61% higher than those obtained in the statistically optimized medium. After this step, the process was optimized in 16-L stirred tank bioreactor. The maximal kefiran production reached 2.32 g L-1 and 1.87 g L-1 in bioreactor with and without pH control, respectively. Aeration rate of 1.0 v/v/min was the best for kefiran production (2.32 g L-1). Furthermore, a series of fed-batch cultivations were carried out to determine factors that limit cell growth and kefiran production. A combination of constant complete medium feeding coupled with dissolved oxygen control was found to be the best strategy for highest kefiran production (4.73 g L-1). Among different yeasts tested, S. cerevisiae was found to be the most suitable strain for mixed culture system. The mixed culture of L. kefiranofaciens and S. cerevisiae enhanced kefiran production from 0.31 g L-1 in pure culture up to 0.39 g L-1 in the mixed culture. The cultivation medium was then optimized using OFAT method reaching a maximum kefiran production of 2.12 g L-1. The optimal medium for kefiran production by the mixed culture using OFAT method composed of (in g L-1): lactose, 50; yeast extract, 12; phosphate, 0.5; Triton X-100, 1.25 g L-1, and osmotic pressure of 600 mOsmol kg-1. Batch cultivations of mixed culture in 16-L stirred tank bioreactor with and without pH control produced kefiran with concentration of 3.01 g L-1 and 2.40 g L-1, respectively. Aeration rate at 1.0 v/v/min produced maximal kefiran production of 4.42 g L-1. Further improvement in kefiran production was achieved by using constant lactose feeding which was the best strategy to increase the production up to 5.51 g L-1

An analysis of the impact of soft skills on Malaysian technical institutions

Many people recognize the importance of technical skills as knowledge and proficiencies required in the accomplishment of professional jobs. However, the importance and applicability of soft skills are mostly ignored despite the fact that, it is a process how individual carry himself in an organization or professional environment for the progress of that individual and the organization he found himself. The paper explored into some journals from the previous the literatures, some soft skills were identified such as communication, lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, leadership, and teamwork, problem solving and critical among TVET institutions in Malaysia. Document analysis was conducted as a methodology for this study. The impacts of these soft skills on TVET related institutions like polytechnics, training centers and universities in Malaysia. It was indicated that, the result of the impact of soft skills on these institutions was generally moderate. The paper concluded that, technical skills alone could not bring about the organizational development there must be a compliment of soft skills for any organizational sustainability. Supplementary of soft and technical skills conceptual model was formulated. The paper was concluded by saying that, the competitive nature of the present situation, soft skills are essential because they have affected all aspect of human development. Some recommendations were suggested, teachers, lecturers and instructor must teach students soft skills for complete individual proficiencies and organizational sustainability

Rhizobacteria isolated from saline soil induce systemic tolerance in wheat (triticum aestivum l.) against salinity stress

Halotolerant plant growthpromoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have the inherent potential to cope up with salinity. Thus, they can be used as an effective strategy in enhancing the productivity of saline agrosystems. In this study, a total of 50 isolates were screened from the rhizospheric soil of plants growing in the salt range of Pakistan. Out of these, four isolates were selected based on their salinity tolerance and plant growth promotion characters. These isolates (SR1. SR2, SR3, and SR4) were identified as Bacillus sp. (KF719179), Azospirillum brasilense (KJ194586), Azospirillum lipoferum (KJ434039), and Pseudomonas stutzeri (KJ685889) by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. In vitro, these strains, in alone and in a consortium, showed better production of compatible solute and phytohormones, including indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinin (CK), and abscisic acid (ABA), in culture conditions under salt stress. When tested for inoculation, the consortium of all four strains showed the best results in terms of improved plant biomass and relative water content. Consortiuminoculated wheat plants showed tolerance by reduced electrolyte leakage and increased production of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll, and osmolytes, including soluble sugar, proline, amino acids, and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase), upon exposure to salinity stress (150 mM NaCl). In conclusion, plant growthpromoting bacteria, isolated from saltaffected regions, have strong potential to mitigate the deleterious effects of salt stress in wheat crop, when inoculated. Therefore, this consortium can be used as potent inoculants for wheat crop under prevailing stress conditions

Optimization of polysaccharide productio by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens using response surface methdology

Kefiran is an exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens which was isolated from kefir grains. Kefiran has wide applications mainly in food and pharmaceutical industries. Growth and kefiran production of L. kefiranofaciens can be significantly enhanced by using mixed culture technique. Saccharomyces cerevisiae in this study was used to enhance the kefiran production by reducing lactic acid accumulation in the cultivation medium. The statistical analysis was used for optimization study by using response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design. The interaction was studied between three different levels of variables that were lactose, yeast extract and phosphate. A second order polynomial model was used to correlate the factors. The model was found to be significant. The optimum concentration of lactose, yeast extract and phosphate obtained using statistical media optimization is 59.09 g L-1, 8.69 g L-1and 0.5 g L-1 respectively. Kefiran production in optimized medium was 0.97 g L-1 which gave an increase in kefiran production up to 42.65 % compared to the un-optimized medium which was only 0.68 g L-1 of kefiran

Metabolomics approaches for early cancer diagnosis: A review

Cancer remains a major burden on global public health with high mortality rates worldwide. Current diagnosis can detect cancer in late stages when therapy options become limited. Early diagnosis is broadly recognized as the key to a better treatment to save lives. The metabolomics approach provides a better understanding of the different types of cancer. They offer promising and potential interventions in biomarkers discovery which eventually will be better suited for individualized medicine. It elucidates endpoint products for other omic processes while significantly improving the understanding of pathogenesis and mechanisms yet to be discovered. Metabolomics offers a less-invasive, cost-effective for predicting, screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring therapeutic responses of the disease. There are two methods to study the metabolism and metabolites: targeted and untargeted. The workflow of these approaches requires different analytical platforms, such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Mass Spectrometry (MS), and different bioinformatic tools. This review provides a systematic summary of metabolomics methods in identifying metabolic biomarkers of cancers (colorectal, prostate, breast, bladder, pancreas, lung, and buccal cancers). In addition, the current review will try to shed light on DNA lesions as a potential metabolic biomarker for cancer

Antioxidant Compounds of the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

Mushrooms have been used since centuries in many ancient cultures as source of food and medicine. However, until now the therapeutic values of mushrooms position this group of macrofungi as one of the major component in traditional medicine practice especially in South East Asia and China. Of different species of known mushrooms, Pleurotus spp. is widely known as part of food chain based on its high nutritional value. However, of the more than 70 species known, only few species are cultivated in mass production and used such as P. ostreatus, P. florida, and P. ajor-caju. However, P. ostreatus (widely known as oyster mushroom) received more attention in food industries based on its high growth rate and ease of cultivation using different substrates. This mushroom is rich of wide range of bioactive molecules of proven medicinal values with many therapeutic activities as anticancer, immunomodulatory, antiapoptotic, anti hypocholesterolemic, anti hyperglycemic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporetic, and many others. This work focuses on reviewing on the different classes of oyster mushroom bioactive compounds of antioxidant activities such as phenolics, beta carotene, lycopene, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and ergosterols. This review provides also comprehensive information on the recent research to enhance the antioxidant properties through alteration of the cultivation strategy and addition of some compounds during the cultivation of P. ostreatus

Extractive Fermentation as A Novel Strategy for High Cell Mass Production of Hetero-Fermentative Probiotic Strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri

This study reports on a novel technique to enhance the high cell mass and viable cell counts of the heterofermentative probiotic strain, Limosilactobacillus reuteri. This is the first report on the cultivation of L. reuteri, which was incorporated with weak base anion-exchange resins to remove the accumulating lactic acid in the fermentation broth. Two anion-exchange resins—Amberlite IRA 67 and IRA 96—were found to have a high adsorption capacity with lactic acid. Batch fermentation and fed-batch cultivation were further analyzed using IRA 67 resins, as this application resulted in a higher maximum number of viable cells. The in situ application of anion-exchange resins was found to create shear stress, and thus, it does not promote growth of L. reuteri; therefore, an external and integrated resin column system was proposed. The viable cell count from batch fermentation, when incorporated with the integrated resin column, was improved by 71 times (3.89 × 1011 ± 0.07 CFU mL−1) compared with control batch fermentation (5.35 × 109 ± 0.32 CFU mL−1), without the addition of resins. The growth improvement was achieved due to the high adsorption rate of lactic acid, which was recorded by the integrated IRA 67 resin system, and coupled with the stirred tank bioreactor batch fermentation process

Anticancer Molecules from Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is an important medicinal plant found in various parts of the world and the bioactive compound has been extracted and used as anti-cancer agent to treat the cancer over decades. However, the extraction of bioactive compound also results in the generation of large quantities of pollution with wasted solvents. Toxic pollution occurs when synthetic chemicals are discharged or natural chemicals accumulate to toxic levels in the environment, causing reductions in wildlife numbers, degrading ecosystem functions and threatening human health. This review covers the extraction and phytochemical obtained leading to chemical compounds related to anti-cancer property of C. roseus. Additionally, recent advances of using biological cell cultures were also addressed. Thus, this work can be used for further investigation of C. roseus to be undertaken in future for its anti-cancer property further development and efficient production in drug industr

Agro-industrial waste: a potential feedstock for pullulan production

Nowadays, the growing interest of using of biopolymer to replace petroleum based material asare increasing tremendously. Microbial biopolymers are usually water-soluble gum which have innovative and unique physical characteristics.Pullulan is a biodegradable and water soluble exopolysaccharide synthesized by the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. This polymorphic fungus is well known as producer of the polysaccharide, pullulan and other by-products such as oil, organic acids, pigment, and others. Pullulan has extensive applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biomedical, and food industries because of its advantageous chemical and physical properties. Pullulan’s structure is co-existence of á-(1, 4) and á-(1, 6) linkages which is nontoxic, tasteless and non-mutagenic. Some of its excellent properties are low viscosity, non-toxicity, slow digestibility, high plasticity, and excellent film-forming capabilities. Although pullulan shows great potential in several industries, its high production cost is a major drawback. Therefore, cheaper and accessible substrate which can minimize the production cost is needed. This review highlights the potential use of agro-industrial waste as an alternative source feedstock for pullulan production and its biosynthesis, chemical structure, production process and applications