Carotenoids from marine bacteria: A natural antioxidant and UV protectant

For the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors, marine resources are a promising supply of organic substances. Marine organisms have evolved particular metabolites to combat threats to their survival, reproduction, and the easier storage, movement, and turnover of essential biological materials in habitats with extreme conditions like high salinity, low temperature, or intense pressure.Several newly conducted research studies on pigments, such as violacein, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, rubrolone, and carotenoid derivatives of bacteria from marine sources, confirm their effective radical scavenging activity. Carotenoids are tetraterpene, lipophilic bioactive pigments synthesized by archaea, algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and plants. Carotenoids are divided into two categories, oxygenated carotenoids (xanthophylls) having oxygen as a functional group, and hydrocarbon carotenoids (carotene) made of carbon and hydrogen atoms Carotenoids are important because of their functional properties, which include their usage in the food industry as color additives and natural antioxidants, as well as chemotaxonomic markers and pharmaceuticals. The present review aims to describe 1) carotenoids from marine bacteria 2) the antioxidant properties of carotenoids 3) the Exposure consequences of ultraviolet radiation 4) the protective role of carotenoids. Photoaging, sunburn, and skin cancer are all possible side effects of excessive UV exposure. Carotenoids have potential use in the pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industry as anti-aging, photoprotective, skin-whitening, anticancer, and immunity boosters because of their antioxidant and UV protection properties

Marine Bacillus as a potent biocontrol agent against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris

The most severe chickpea diseases in the world is Fusarium wilt, which is brought on by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum ciceris (FOC). FOC can reduce a chickpea crop's output by up to 100 %. Various management strategies have been employed out of which biological method is most suitable and effective. In the current study, the effectiveness of marine Bacillus licheniformis as a biocontrol agent against Fusarium infection in chickpea crops is investigated. Marine organisms are known to produce many antibiotics and controlling human pathogens. The current study aims at evaluating the effect of marine B. licheniformis against the chickpea pathogen (FOC). In vitro evaluations of glucanase and chitinase production as well as antifungal activity were done. B. licheniformis prevented development of fungal mycelia. Marine B. licheniformis was able to reduce disease index to 0 in chickpea. Three different conditions were used for the pot trial: control (T1), FOC treated (T2), and both Bacillus and FOC treated (T3). In pot experiment, T3 demonstrated 6.29 % increase in plant weight and 13.25 % increase in plant height. Despite the presence of FOC in T3, B. licheniformis was able to boost the growth of the plant while preventing FOC infection. The results showed that B. licheniformis has bio-control capabilities defending chickpea against disease and also improves its growth indicating that marine microbes are potent biocontrol agents. This study can open new avenues of using marine microbes in controlling plant disease

Describing Paenibacillus mucilaginosus strain N3 as an efficient plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)

Bacterium Paenibacillus mucilaginosus strain N3 was isolated from agricultural farm soil (located at Boriavi village, Gujarat, India). Isolate showed an evidence of non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation, when grown in nitrogen-free bromothymol blue growth medium. It was tested positive for direct plant-growth-promoting traits like Indole-3-acetic acid production, solubilization of Tri-calcium-phosphate, and ammonia production. Further, N3 isolate was tested positive for siderophore production of catecholate type and catalase production as an indirect plant-growth-promoting trait. Biochemical tests along with 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed the strain N3 to be P. mucilaginosus. To determine its efficacy as a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), its talc-based biofertilizer was prepared and tested on the growth of green gram (Vigna radiata). Seeds treated with this biofertilizer showed an increase in overall dry biomass by 17% and sapling length by 28% (as compared to non-treated controls) after 10 days of sowing in pots. Thus, multiple plant-growth-promoting traits of P. mucilaginosus N3 determined in vitro along with its ability to promote growth in green gram in vivo we characterize this strain as an efficient PGPR