Screening, Identifying of Penicillium K-P Strain and Its Cellulase Producing Conditions

Cellulase production by Penicillium species are of greater interest in microbial enzyme technology. Penicillium sp. was cultivated in liquid culture medium at different carbon sources, nitrogen sources in different pH and temperature conditions. The strain of K-P with high cellulase activity was screened. The cellulase activity was 198 U/mL in the presence of fructose on day fifth. Maximum activity was recorded 154 U/mL in with the presence of ammonium nitrate on the fourth day. And maximum cellulase activity was obtained when the pH was 3.0 (129 U/mL) on day fourth. But the highest cellulase activity recorded (274 U/mL) in the presence of fructose, ammonium nitrate, pH 3.0 on the fifth day. The results showed the profiles of cellulase were produced maximum level according to which enzyme is most active in that particular environment

Detection and Analysis of Lysozyme Activity in some Tuberous Plants and Calotropis Procera’s Latex

Tuber extract of all the plant species used in the study exhibited lysozyme activity confirming the ubiquitous presence of lysozyme in plants. Among the different plants screened for protein content the tuber extract of Solanum tuberosum showed highest buffer soluble protein while tuber extract of Raphanus sativus showed the lowest protein content in sodium acetate buffer (50 Mm; pH 5.0). Tuber extract of Raphanus sativus showed highest lysozyme activity among all the plant species tested in this study and the activity was increased when the tuber was extracted with sodium phosphate buffer (50mM; pH 7.0). The lowest lysozyme was observed with tuber extract of Daucus carota in phosphate buffer (50mM; pH 7.0). The latex of the tropical species Calotropis procera is well known for being a rich source of the lysozyme. Lysozyme of Calotropis procera latex is not thermo labile. It did not lose much of its activity when the latex was incubated at different temperatures for 24 hours. A positive pointer for purification of this enzyme in future. Calotropis procera lysozyme can be was specifically isolated and purified from the whole latex with ammonium sulphate precipitation with 95% saturation. Calotropis procera lysozyme retained its activity even after precipitation with ammonium sulphate and dialysis and could hydrolyse the cell wall of Micrococcus lysodeikticus.Key words: Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Tuberous Plants, Latex, Ammonium sulphate precipitation, Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis M. Sakthivel et al. Detection and Analysis of Lysozyme Activity in some Tuberous Plants and Calotropis Procera’s Latex. J Phytol 2/11 (2010) 65-72

Optimization of Culture Conditions for the Production of Extracellular Cellulase from Corynebacterium lipophiloflavum

Cellulolytic enzyme producing bacteria were isolated from decaying vegetables on nutrient agar plates. As many as fourteen different bacterial strains were isolated and they were screened for the production of cellulase enzyme on a medium containing carboxymethyl cellulose (0.5% w/v). A Congo red dye based qualitative assay was performed to identify cellulase producing bacteria isolated from the vegetables. Among the difference strains, after screening on CMC agar, one strain exhibited relatively higher cellulase activity and was identified as Cornybacterium lipophiloflavum by a bacteriologist. Culture conditions were optimized for the above bacterium in the production medium supplemented with different carbon and nitrogen sources, different pH and different concentrations of CMC. Glucose and yeast extract proved to be the suitable carbon and nitrogen sources while pH 7.0 was ideal for cellulase production by the bacterium. Carboxymethyl cellulose at 1% in the medium induced relatively higher cellulase activity. Electrophoretic analysis of the ammonium sulfate precipitated proteins showed three prominent bands and whose molecular masses were estimated as 60, 69 and 75 kDa.  Cellulase produced by Cornybacterium lipophiloflavum could efficiently remove dyes or inks from the pulp incubated either in the form of intact growing cell or with clarified supernatant. The enzyme also removed starch from the fabric incubated with culture supernatant suggesting the potential use of Cornybacterium lipophiloflavum cellulase in industrial applications

Multifunctional finishes on cotton textiles using combination of chitosan and polycarboxylic acids

100% cotton fabric has been treated with suitable combinations of chitosan and polycarboxylic acids (PCAs) to impart multiple functional properties. It is found that irrespective of the type of PCA added, samples treated with all combinations of chitosan and PCAs exhibit very good protection against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains. Zone of bacterial inhibition ranges from 21mm to 25mm and 24mm to 27mm for these strains respectively. Addition of PCAs to chitosan helps to improve other functional properties, like crease recovery behavior, soil release property and flame retardency in addition to the antimicrobial property. Samples treated with the mixture of chitosan and PCAs show good thermal resistance with Class I flammability. Maleic acid with chitosan shows higher values of flame propagation time as compared to that of other PCAs combination with chitosan. Soil release property is also improved from grade 3 for parent sample to grade 5 for all combinations of PCAs + chitosan treated samples. The crease recovery angle of samples treated with chitosan and PCAs combination has increased upto 2610 compared to 2150 for parent sample. Loss of tensile strength and tearing strength is found to be lower in chitosan and PCAs combination samples than in resin treated samples. From the results, it is evident that all the combinations of PCAs and chitosan can impart multiple functional properties on cotton materials

Optimization of Culture Conditions for the Production of Extracellular Cellulase from Enterococcus pseudoavium

Bacteria that inhabit decaying vegetables were isolated and screened for the production of the enzyme, amylase. One species identified as Enterococcus pseudoavium exhibited relatively higher amylase activity of the bacterial species tested. The bacterium produced the highest extracellular amylase at 72 h in a medium containing starch (1% w/v), galactose (0.5% w/v), and peptone (0.5% w/v), at pH 7.0. The extracellular enzyme was partially purified and its starch hydrolyzing potential was evaluated. The organism when grown with paper pulp deinked the pulp completely just after four days of growth. The bacterial cells immobilized in sodium alginate beads when cultured with paper pulp could decolorize it within 4 days. The extracellular amylase produced by Enterococcus pseudoavium effectively deinked and decolorized paper pulp within 4 days after incubation. The enzyme efficiently removed the starch present in fabric and thus it could be very well used as an ingredient in commercial detergent

Association of serum hormone profile and semen quality of infertile males in and around Chennai

Background: The infertility rate in India has also increased gradually along with population growth. Based on the geographic, the prevalence of male infertility varies. It is noticed that around the world 60–80 million couples with infertility problem every year. The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between the serum hormones and semen quality in infertile males.Methods: This research study was conducted in 60 infertile males aged from 20–50 years who reported at the Department of Andrology, Kanmani Fertility Centre (Pvt. Ltd.), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The semen and hormone analysis was done in all study participants and its correlation was studied using SPSS (statistical product and service solutions) software.Results: The results demonstrate that among the study participants, 15.0% of them were normozoospermia, asthenozoospermia (26.6%), asthenoteratozoospermia (21.6%), oligoasthenozoospermia (16.6%) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (20.0) respectively. The results of Pearson correlation revealed that TSH, FSH, LH and PRL show a negative correlation but TST level shows a positive correlation with semen parameters.Conclusions: This study concludes that the serum hormones concentration was observed abnormal in infertile males which show negative correlation with semen parameters of the study participants

Zero Temperature Dynamics of 2D and 3D Ising Ferromagnets

We consider zero-temperature, stochastic Ising models with nearest-neighbor interactions in two and three dimensions. Using both symmetric and asymmetric initial configurations, we study the evolution of the system with time. We examine the issue of convergence of the dynamics and discuss the nature of the final state of the system. By determining a relation between the median number of spin flips per site, the probability p that a spin in the initial spin configuration takes the value +1, and lattice size, we conclude that in two and three dimensions, the system converges to a frozen (but not necessarily uniform) state when p is not equal to 1/2. Results for p=1/2 in three dimensions are consistent with the conjecture that the system does not evolve towards a fully frozen limiting state. Our simulations also uncover `striped' and `blinker' states first discussed by Spirin et al., and their statistical properties are investigated.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure

Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients on Cancer Chemotherapy in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT To assess the incidence of ADRs and their causal relationship to chemotherapeutic agents and to evaluate the severity and preventability of the ADRs. Patients above 18 years of age, on cancer chemotherapy were included. ADRs experienced by patients were identified and categorized using National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria version 3.0 Questionnaire. The causality assessment of suspected ADRs was done using WHO and Naranjo's scales, severity assessment of ADRs using Hartwig and Siegel scale and preventability of ADRs using Schumock and Thornton scale. Results: The study was conducted in 109 patients (46 males, 63 females; mean age 53.75±12.75 years). Majority of the patients had breast cancer. Dry mouth and taste disturbances, were major ADRs found in 82.50% patients, dermatological ADRs alopecia, eczema and acne in 68.80%, hematological ADRs in 52.20%, and the least were the constitutional symptoms and renal ADRs (9.10% each). Causality assessment of ADRs using WHO scale identified 70.50% ADRs as Possible, 25.9% as Probable and only 1 ADR had a "Certain" causal link with the drug. Naranjo scale identified 61.4% ADRs as Probable, 36.6% as Possible and only one ADR had a "Definite" causal link with the drug. Severity assessment showed 65.90% as mild, 34.86% as moderate and none as severe ADRs. Nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fever, decrease in hemoglobin and neutrophil count were definitely preventable, diarrhea and constipation were probably preventable and the rest were not preventable. By implementing the ADR monitoring and reporting system, safe use of medications can be achieved

Biodiesel and green diesel generation: An overview

First, second, third, and fourth-generation biofuels are continuously evolving as a promising substitute to petrodiesel catalyzed by energy depletion, economic and environmental considerations. Bio-diesel can be synthesized from various biomass sources, which are commonly divided into FAME and renewable biodiesel. FAME biodiesel is generally produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils and fats while renewable diesel is produced by hydro-deoxygenation of vegetable and waste oils and fats. The different generation, processing technologies and standards for FAME and renewable biodiesel are reviewed. Finally, the life cycle analysis and production cost of conventional and renewable biodiesel are described