Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation and Treatment of Automobile Service Station Wastewater by Halophilic Consortia Under Saline Conditions

The halophilic consortia were enriched from water samples of Abhor, Red Sea, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the degradation of phenanthrene, fluorene, hexadecane, pyrene, and treatment of automobile service station wastewater under saline conditions (4%). Complete degradation of phenanthrene and fluorene was recorded up to a concentration of 500 mg.L-1 in 12 days, when the concentration was raised to 800 mg.L-1, the percentage of degradation of the two compounds was recorded by 84 and 90% within 14 days, while when the concentration increased to 1000 mg.L-1, a significant decline was recorded. Pyrene degradation was studied under saline conditions, where it recorded a degradation rate of 92 and 81% at a concentration of 50 and 100 mg.L-1 in 10 and 12 days, respectively, while when increasing the concentration, a severe decrease in the percentage of degradation was recorded that reached 57 and 44% at concentration 200 and 300 mg.L-1, respectively .Hexadecane recorded complete degradation at a concentration of 0.5 and 1%, within 4 and 6 days, respectively, while at a concentration of 1.5%, the rate of deterioration was 88% in 10 days. Record 93% removal of COD in CSTR within 40th day, when treatment of automobile service station wastewater with halophilic bacterial consortia. The existing bacterial strains were classified as potentially responsible for petroleum hydrocarbon degradation and treatment of automobile service station wastewater such as Ochrobactrum, Propionispira, Martelella, Bacillus, Marinobacter, and Azospira. The present study recommends that the hydrophilic consortia can be used in the treatment of automobile service station wastewater under saline conditions

Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water of Harike Wetland, India: Source and Health Risk Assessment

Amidst industrialization and urbanization, wetlands face pollution challenges. We investigated the seasonal distribution of five heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn) in the surface water of Harike wetland. The surface water samples were collected from four different stations selected along Harike wetland. Our results indicate As, Cr, and Zn levels were within WHO standards, however, Cd in winter (7.07 µg/L), monsoon (4.45 µg/L), and post-monsoon seasons (3.13 µg/L) exceeded the limits. Pb surpassed the standards in winter (278 µg/L) and monsoon seasons (14.5 µg/L). In winter, Pb and Cd had higher levels, and the pollution level was classified as moderate. Cd, however, was categorized under light pollution status during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The health risk assessment indicated that the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for both ingestion and dermal pathways were within the safety limits (HQ < 1 and HI < 1) for both population groups (adults and children). The multivariate statistical analysis reported the correlation and further indicated different sources of heavy metals from nearby industries, agriculture, and mining. This research highlights the importance of continued monitoring and emphasizes the potential for positive environmental changes, as exemplified by the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings hold global relevance and offer valuable input for the development of precise action plans aimed at elevating water quality standards on an international scale

Diversity, Abundance, and Distribution of Macroalgae in Coastal Ecotourism Areas — A Case Study at Baluran National Park, Situbondo, Indonesia

Indonesia is a mega biodiversity country with abundant macroalgae. The macroalgae are distributed along the coast and function to maintain the balance of the coastal marine ecosystem, including in Bama Beach, Baluran National Park, Situbondo, Indonesia. This study was to determine the abundance, distribution, and diversity of macroalgae in Bama Beach Baluran National Park, East Java, between April 2019 and June 2019. The research was conducted with a purposive sampling method at two stations, each consisting of five substations using transect blocks. Five species of macroalgae from the Phaeophyceae class (Padina australis, Sargassum aquifolium, Polycladia myrica, Eucheuma edule, and Dictyota pinnatifida), a Rhodophyta (Jania pumila), and Chlorophyta (Halimeda macroloba) were found in the study site. Padina australis was a species that had the highest abundance and dominated the observation station. Nonetheless, according to the Shannon-Weaver Index in the study area, overall macroalgae diversity was classified as a low category with a value of 0.35. The high availability of nutrients influences these conditions in ecosystems with the domination of Padina australis, followed by Sargassum aquifolium at Station I and II

Recovery and characterization of a 30.7-kDa protein from Bacillus licheniformis associated with inhibitory activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Listeria monocytogenes

Of 131 bacterial isolates from seaweed, a culture of Bacillus licheniformis produced a novel protein with antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Listeria monocytogenes. The antibacterial activity was maximal in cultures prepared in Columbia broth containing pieces of synthetic polyurethane sponge and shaken at 210 to 230 rpm. Antibacterial activity was not found in cultures grown statically or with different speeds of rotary shaking. Reduced activity was apparent in supernatants prepared from marine 2216E broth and tryptone soya broth with or without 1% (wt/vol) sodium chloride. The antibacterial compound was sensitive to proteinase K, pronase, and trypsin, but was not affected by Tween&minus;20, &minus;40, &minus;60, or &minus;80, or &alpha;&minus; or &beta;-amylase. Activity was not adversely affected by heating up to 40&deg;C or treatment at pH 5 to 14. The bioactive compound was determined to be associated with a protein of 30.7 kDa, which had homology to the YbdN protein of B. licheniformis ATCC 14580

Epigenetics and Probiotics Application toward the Modulation of Fish Reproductive Performance

Fish represent an excellent source of animal protein as well as a biomedical research model as a result of their evolutionary relatedness and similarity with the human genome. Commercial and ornamental fish culture has achieved popularity, but reproductive dysfunctions act as a limiting factor for quality fry production, interfering with the sustainability of the aquaculture industry. Fish reproduction is crucial for any species’ existence, and reproductive performance can potentially be improved through applications of epigenetics and probiotics. Epigenetics is a highly sensitive molecular approach that includes chromatin structure and function alteration, DNA methylation, and modification of non-coding RNA molecules for the transfer of desired information from parents to offspring. DNA methyltransferase improves reproductive cyp11a1, esr2b, and figla gene expression and feminizes zebrafish (Danio rerio). Moreover, epigenetics also contributes to genome stability, environmental plasticity, and embryonic development. However, methylation of specific genes can negatively affect sperm quality, resulting in poor fertilization. Probiotic administration is able to induce responsiveness of incompetent follicles to maturation-inducing hormones and can change oocyte chemical composition during vitellogenic development. The positive role of probiotics on testicular cells is validated by upregulating the transcription levels of leptin, bdnf, and dmrt1 genes facilitating the spermatogenesis. This review not only discusses the effects and mechanism of epigenetics and probiotics for improving fish reproduction, but also presents an overview of the causal factors and current techniques used to eradicate dysfunction. Moreover, key genes and hormones related to fish reproduction along with research gaps and future prospects are also considered. This review provides an overview of necessary information for students, scientists, researchers, and breeders to resolve fish reproduction-related problems to ensure profitable and sustainable aquaculture