Effect of heat, pH and coating process with stearic acid using a fluidized bed granulator on viability of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri C 10

This study was conducted to investigate the use of a fluidized bed granulator to coat a probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri C 10 with stearic acid with a view to enhance its survival rate during storage. L reuteri C 10 cells of two treatments, namely, freeze-dried cells incorporated with trehalose and sucrose as cryoprotectants prior to freeze-drying, and freeze-dried cells without any incorporation of cryoprotectants were evaluated. Since the pH of stearic acid is 5.5 and the melting point is 57.23°C, and the inlet temperature of the fluidized bed granulator could be as high as 70°C, a preliminary study was initiated to determine the tolerance of L. reuteri C 10 cells to heat exposure from 58 to 70°C and acidic conditions of pH 4 to 6 for 60 min, during which the cell viabilities were determined every 15 min. In the coating process, 2:3 ratio of freeze-dried L. reuteri C 10 cells and stearic acid, fluidization air of 20 to 50 rpm, coating rate of 40 to 80 g/min and inlet and outlet temperatures of between 50 to 70°C were assessed for optimization of the fluidized bed granulator. Results of the  preliminary study showed that freeze-dried L. reuteri C 10 cells incorporated with cryoprotectants exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) less cell loss than cells without cryoprotectants when exposed to 62°C for 15 to 60 min, 64 °C for 15 to 30 min, 66°C for 30 min and 68°C for 15 to 30 min. Freeze-dried L. reuteri C 10 cells with cryoprotectants were also able to survive for 15 min at 70°C, but not freeze-dried L. reuteri C 10 cells without cryoprotectants. Freeze-dried L. reuteri C 10 cells with or without cryoprotectants could tolerate acidic conditions and there was growth and increase in cell viability at pH 4, 5 and 6. However, cells with cryoprotectants had significantly (P < 0.05) more growth when exposed to pH 5 for 30 to 60 min, and pH 6 for 15 to 60 min than cells without cryoprotectants. The application of a fluidized bed granulator to coat L. reuteri C 10 cells with or without cryoprotectants with melted stearic was not successful in this study because the fluidized bed granulator could not maintain the temperature of stearic acid above its melting point which led to clogging of the tube and spray nozzle of the fluidized bed granulator or resulted in the formation of a big lump of stearic acid and L. reuteri C 10 cells instead of uniform coated cell granules. Installation of a temperature jacket on the fluidized bed granulator may be necessary to control the temperature of stearic acid in the tube and spray nozzle above melting point.Key words: Coating, fluidized bed granulator, Lactobacillus reuteri C10, stearic acid

Coronary artery caliber in normal children and patients with Kawasaki disease but without aneurysms: An echocardiographic and angiographic study

A total of 110 children aged 3 months to 16 years underwent two-dimensional echocardiography of the coronary arteries. Forty-two normal subjects and 68 patients with Kawasaki disease were evaluated. All 68 patients with Kawasaki disease underwent selective coronary arteriography. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop a normal profile of the proximal left and right coronary arteries as to caliber and shape in infants, toddlers and children using echocardiography; 2) compare the dimensions and shape of the coronary arteries of patients with Kawasaki disease but no obvious aneurysms with those of the coronary arteries of normal children; and 3) develop criteria that would permit distinguishing a large but normal coronary artery from a true aneurysm in patients with Kawasaki disease.In the normal subjects and patients with Kawasaki disease, the caliber of the coronary arteries showed little variability from the ostium to 10 mm distally, and ranged in size from 2 mm in infants to 5 mm in teenagers. There was no significant difference between male and female subjects. The feature that distinguished the large but normal coronary artery without aneurysm from that with an aneurysm was its uniformity of caliber. Also, the caliber of the opposite coronary artery was generally at the lower limits of normal. It appears that the proximal coronary arteries of infants and children can be accurately assessed using high resolution two-dimensional echocardiography, and that sequential evaluation of subtle changes over time may be performed

Tetra-μ-chlorido-bis­(18-crown-6)platinum(II)dipotassium(I)

In the title compound, [K2PtCl4(C12H24O6)2], the PtII ion is located on an inversion centre and is coordinated by four Cl atoms, forming a square-planar geometry. The KI ion is coordinated by six O atoms of the crown ether and two bridging Cl atoms. The KI ion is displaced by 0.756 (2) Å from the mean plane of the six O atoms of the crown ether. The mol­ecules are connected by weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming an infinite two-dimensional network parallel to the (10) plane. Intra- and inter­molecular C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds are also observed

Cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of endophytic fungi isolated from plants at the National Park, Pahang, Malaysia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Endophytes, microorganisms which reside in plant tissues, have potential in producing novel metabolites for exploitation in medicine. Cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of a total of 300 endophytic fungi were investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Endophytic fungi were isolated from various parts of 43 plants from the National Park Pahang, Malaysia. Extracts from solid state culture were tested for cytotoxicity against a number of cancer cell lines using the MTT assay. Antibacterial activity was determined using the disc diffusion method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 300 endophytes were isolated from various parts of plants from the National Park, Pahang. 3.3% of extracts showed potent (IC₅₀< 0.01 μg/ml) cytotoxic activity against the murine leukemic P388 cell line and 1.7% against a human chronic myeloid leukemic cell line K562. <it>Sporothrix </it>sp. (KK29FL1) isolated from <it>Costus speciosus </it>showed strong cytotoxicity against colorectal carcinoma (HCT116) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cell lines with IC₅₀values of 0.05 μg/ml and 0.02 μg/ml, respectively. Antibacterial activity was demonstrated for 8% of the extracts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results indicate the potential for production of bioactive agents from endophytes of the tropical rainforest flora.</p

Identification of bacterial strains capable of degrading Malaysian petroleum sludge

In an organic sludge biodegradation process, identification of bacterial strains with effective biodegradation capabilities indigenous to the sludge is an important step as isolation and subsequent usage of such strains can enhance the rate of the biodegradation process. In this study, the identification of bacterial strains capable of degrading Malaysian petroleum sludge was carried out using a biolog system kit subsequent to enrichment, isolation and degradation processes. A total of 53 purified strains was obtained from the isolation process. Three strains, namely, Clavibacter michiganesis ss insidiosus, Rhodococcus rhodochrus and Brevibacterium otitidis showed favourable degradation results for nearly all hydrocarbons especially for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) (anthracene, phenathrane and dibenzothiophene),. Brevibacterium otitidis is especially interesting since it is the first time such a strain has been reported to have good PAHs degradation capabilities