Heavy metal resistance of microorganisms from petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils located in Mersin, Turkey

European Biotechnology Congress -- MAY 25-27, 2017 -- Dubrovnik, CROATIAWOS: 000413585400193…Ahi Evran Univ. BAP [PYO-Fen.4003/2.14.009 (2015)]This work was supported in part by a grant from Ahi Evran Univ. BAP No: PYO-Fen.4003/2.14.009 (2015)

Molecular characterization of Rhizobium strains isolated from wild chickpeas collected from high altitudes in Erzurum-Turkey

The fixation of N2 by legumes plays key role in agricultural sustainability. Moreover, the further assessment of rhizobial genetic diversity is contributing both to the worldwide knowledge of biodiversity of soil microorganisms and to the usefulness of rhizobial collections, and it is developing long-term strategies to increase contributions of legume-fixed to agricultural productivity. In the last decades, the use of molecular techniques has been contributed greatly to enhance the knowledge of rhizobial diversity. This study was conducted to determine the phenotypic and genotypic differences in Rhizobium leguminosarum subsp. ciceri strains isolated from perennial wild chickpeas (Cicer anatolicum) from high altitudes (2000-2500 m) in mountains of Erzurum, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. In this study, rep-PCR (ERIC-, REP- and BOX-PCR) fingerprinting methods were used for the genotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Rhizobium leguminosarum subsp. ciceri strains isolated from perennial wild chickpeas. The results showed a high intraspecies diversity among the strains in terms of rep-PCR (ERIC-, REP- and BOX-PCR) profiles. Copyright © 2009 Bucharest University

The effect of cold atmospheric plasma (NO) alone and in combination with NPH insulin on the full-thickness excisional wound healing in a diabetic rat model

This study was planned to investigate an alternative treatment modality in diabetic wound healing. In this experimental study, the efficacy of both cold atmospheric plasma/nitric oxide (NO) and NPH insulin ointment, recently known to have beneficial effects on wound healing, was investigated in diabetic wound healing. Twenty-four (24) diabetic rats were divided into four groups DC, DI, DNO and DINO (diabetic control, diabetic insulin, diabetic nitric oxide, diabetic insulin + nitric oxide groups). No treatment was applied to the DC group, NPH insulin was applied to the DI group, CAP/NO was applied to the DNO group, and CAP/NO + NPH insulin was applied to the DINO group once daily for 14 days. The wound area reduction and the wound contraction rate were calculated on the basis of the tissue sections taken, and histopathological and genetic analyses were carried out. Compared to the control group, exogenous NO gas was found to be a potent antibacterial agent in the diabetic wound healing, causing a reduction in the wound area (P = 0.034), an increased contraction rate (P = 0.021), epithelialisation (P = 0.02), collagen organisation (P = 0.006) and a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells (P = 0.002). A significant increase in the expression of IL-8 mRNA was observed (P = 0.026). It was concluded that NPH insulin alone contributes to wound healing, but it is not necessary to use it together with exogenous NO gas

Saving and investment causality : implications for financial integration in transition countries of Eastern Europe

Numerous studies have been devoted to the Feldstein-Horioka puzzle.However, no consensus has been reached in the literature. This paper examines the causal relationship between domestic saving and investment rates in six transition economies (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russian Federation). Theoretically, the presence of any type of causal structure between these two series in a country implies that national capital markets are not open; hence capital flows are impeded. Therefore, the paper employs the bootstrap panel Granger causality approach that accounts for both cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity across countries to determine the causal  structure. The findings show that there is a causality between the series, thereby implying that capital is not perfectly mobile internationally in any of the countries under review, but it is more mobile in Estonia, Russian  Federation, and Latvia than Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine. The underdevelopment of financial markets in these countries as well as the demand for foreign capital to finance domestic investment projects and the lack of adequate economic and financial reforms might have driven  these results

Quantifying of bactericide properties of medicinal plants

Extended research has been carried out to clarify the ecological role of plant secondary metabolites (SMs). Although their primary ecological function is self-defense, bioactive compounds have long been used in alternative medicine or in biological control of pests. Several members of the family Labiatae are known to have strong antimicrobial capacity. For testing and quantifying antibacterial activity, most often standard microbial protocols are used, assessing inhibitory activity on a selected strain. In this study, the applicability of a microbial ecotoxtest was evaluated to quantify the aggregate bactericide capacity of Labiatae species, based on the bioluminescence inhibition of the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Striking differences were found amongst herbs, reaching even 10-fold toxicity. Glechoma hederacea L. proved to be the most toxic, with the EC50 of 0.4073 g dried plant/l. LC50 values generated by the standard bioassay seem to be a good indicator of the bactericide property of herbs. Traditional use of the selected herbs shows a good correlation with bioactivity expressed as bioluminescence inhibition, leading to the conclusion that the Vibrio fischeri bioassay can be a good indicator of the overall antibacterial capacity of herbs, at least on a screening level