Transformations of morphine, codeine and their analogues by Bacillus sp

A bacterial strain belonging to the genus Bacillus isolated by enrichment culture technique using morphine as a sole source of carbon transforms morphine and codeine into 14-hydroxymorphinone and 14-hydroxycodeinone as major and 14-hydroxymorphine and 14-hydroxycodeine as minor metabolites, respectively. When the N-methyl group in morphine and codeine are replaced by higher alkyl groups, the organism still retains its ability to carry out 14-hydroxylation as well as oxidation of the C-6-hydroxyl group in these N-variants, although the level of metabolites formed are considerably low. The organism readily transforms dihydromorphine and dihydrocodeine into only dihydromorphinone and dihydrocodeinone, respectively; suggesting that the 7,8-double bond is a necessary structural feature to carry out 14-hydroxylation reaction. The cell free extract (20,000 x g supernatant), prepared from morphine grown cells, transforms morphine into 14-hydroxymorphinone in the presence of NAD(+), but fails to show activity against testosterone. However, the cell free extract prepared from testosterone grown cells contains significant levels of 17 beta- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase but shows no activity against morphine

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Not AvailableThe present investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of various levels (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) of calcium alginate as a cold-set binder on the cold-set gelation of restructured mutton slices (RMS). Addition of 1.5% calcium aiginate showed significantly (P<0.05) higher cooking yield, batter stability, water-holding capacity and pH. However, calcium alginate did not significantly affect both collagen content and collagen solubility of RMS. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in % diameter shrinkage between control and RMS extended with various levels of calcium alginate, RMS formulated with 1.5% calcium alginate had significanly (P<0.05) higher moisture content than the remaining formulations. The control sample had significantly (P<0.05) higher protien content than the other treatments (T1, T2 and T3). Addition of various levels of calcium alginate did not significantly influence the fat and total ash content of RMS. Addition of 1.5% calcium alginate had significantly (P<0.05) increased chewiness, cohensiveness, gumminess and sprnginess values of RMS. The RMS added with 1.5% calcium alginate had significantly higher sensory colour, cohensivess, Juisiness and overall palatability scores than remaning formulations. The results of this study reveals that RMS formulated with of 1.5% calcium alginate as cold-set binder recorded highest physico-chemical, proximate characteristics, better textural stabilty and superior sensory scores than control and relieves the problems of discoloration and lipid oxidation which was very prone in hot-set binding systemNot Availabl

N-Demethylation and N-oxidation of thebaine, an isoquinoline alkaloid by Mucor piriformis

Northebaine was identified as the major metabolite formed during the biotransformation of thebaine by Mucor piriformis. Minor metabolites identified are isomeric thebaine N-oxides. Among isomeric thebaine N-oxides, the one with the equatorial oxygen attached to the nitrogen is relatively unstable. Resting cells, grown in the presence of thebaine for 24 hr, efficiently converted thebaine into northebaine (similar to 77% conversion). Similar experiments carried out with northebaine and isomeric thebaine N-oxides as substrates, revealed that while northebaine and the stable thebaine N-oxide are proved to be resistant to further transformation, the unstable thebaine N-oxide nonenzymatically rearranges to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14-hexadehydro-4, 5-epoxy-3, 6-dimethoxy-17-methylthebinan and 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14-hexadehydro-3, 6-dimethoxythebinan-4-ol. These studies support the idea that N-demethylation of thebaine is not proceeding via the N-oxide intermediate

White-Rot Fungi in Bioremediation

Bioremediation is defined as the application of biological processes to the treatment of pollution. Most research on the field of bioremediation has focused on bacteria, and fungal bioremediation (mycoremediation) has also been attracting the interest just for a couple of decades. The toxicity of many pollutants reduces natural attenuation of bacteria, but white-rot fungi (WRF) can challenge with toxic levels of the most pollutants. Fungi are robust organisms having very high tolerance to toxic environments, and this feature makes them ideal to use for bioremedial purposes. White-rot fungi are basidiomycetes that are capable of degrading a lignocellulose substrate. Extracellular enzymes involved in the degradation of lignin and xenobiotics by white-rot fungi include several kinds of laccases, peroxidases, and oxidases producing H2O2. Nowadays, great progress in this area may derive from modern molecular technologies, which may provide cheaper potential sources of various enzymes by means of genetically modified microorganisms or plants. This chapter explains the bioremediation and its application conditions and degradation mechanisms of the harmful compounds such as textile dyes, PAHs, chlorophenols, TNT, pesticides, and nylon