Effect of Chlorella vulgaris as a biofertilizer on germination of tomato and cucumber seeds

Although inorganic fertilizers are known to raise environmental and health problems, the current agricultural practices are heavily dependent on the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In this study, we examined the effect of Chlorella vulgaris strain on germination of tomato and cucumber seeds. Seeds were germinated in culture medium containing algal strain and grown for 3, 6, 9 and 12 days to study its effect on growth parameters. As results, C. vulgaris suspension increased the seed growth compared to those of the control (sterilized culture medium) of seed germination. The best treatments were 0.17 and 0.25 g/L of algal suspension for the root and shoot lengths of tomato and cucumber seeds, respectively

Natural preservatives of plant origin - antimicrobial action against food spoilage microorganisms in vitro and in foodstuffs

The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal effect of plant-derived compounds; berry juices, berry extracts and essential oils (EOs); were investigated on selected food-spoilage microorganisms. All compounds showed antimicrobial properties to various extents. In contrast to the insensitivity of yeast against berry juices and extracts, the Gram positive bacteria B. cereus and B. subtilis proved to be more sensitive to these agents than to EOs. The EO from tarragon showed the best antibacterial and antifungal effect, inhibiting the growth each investigated species. The combination of wild thyme and tarragon EO led to antagonism in the case of S. cerevisiae and B. subtilis whereas the combination of black currant and yarrow EO resulted in additive effect. All other combinations of the investigated EOs or the EO – bog bilberry combinations showed indifference. The EO of Chinese red pine had no effect on the growth of S. cerevisiae in apple juice while the EO of Ribes nigrum led to a two-stage growth of the yeast. The investigated plant compounds are potential natural food preservatives

Antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity on human breast cancer cells of essential oil from Pinus sylvestris. var mongolica needle

Pinus sylvestris. var mongolica is a major source of timber in Mongolia. The logging process makes many kinds of valuable biomass including bark, cones, and needles, which can be used for obtaining essential oil. The essential oil from the needles of wild growing Pinus sylvestris. var mongolica growing in Mongolia was chemically analyzed and its antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities were evaluated. The chemical analyses identified 101 compounds in the essential oil with the major compounds of α-pinene (29.87 %), limonene + β-phellandrene (16.15 %), camphene (4.95 %), bornylacetate (4.34 %), and β-pinene (3.88 %). This oil possessed the inhibitory activity against B. subtilis, S. cerevisiae, S. aureus and E. coli, successively with minimum inhibition concentration of 0.125, 0.1, 3.0, and 10.0 µg/mL. Importantly, the oil at 50 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells by 45.3 % and 99.7 %. The half of inhibition concentration of DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging was 14.36 ± 0.28 mg/mL. The results, therefore, suggested that the essential oil of a Mongolian Scotch pine could potentially be used as a preservative material in cosmetic and food products, as a bioactive agent in anti-inflammatory and wound healing products in view of its antibacterial activity. Given our findings that this essential oil has such profound activity against MCF-7 cancer cells, a further investigation concerning the full extent of this essential oil’s anticancer activities seems warranted. Furthermore, given the promising antimicrobial effects of this essential oil against various bacterial species, an investigation concerning its effect against drug-resistant bacteria would be of immense interest

Antidermatophytic effect of Bacillus mojavensis SZMC 22228 and its secreted chymotrypsin-like protease

The aim of the present study was to investigate the antifungal effect of Bacillus mojavensis SZMC 22228 against different dermatophytes and to isolate the antidermatophytic compound from the bacterial ferment broth. B. mojavensis SZMC 22228 and its cell-free ferment broth effectively inhibited the growth of clinical reference strain of Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton tonsurans in agar diffusion test in vitro. An antidermatophytic, ~25 kDa protein (B. mojavensis SZMC 22228 antidermatophyitc protein, BMAP) was purified from the antifungally active, cell-free ferment broth using size exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. BMAP showed antifungal effect against all of the investigated dermatophytes both in agar diffusion and broth microdilution susceptibility tests. M. gypseum proved to be the most susceptible dermatophyte to BMAP (MIC=40 μg/ml), all the other investigated fungi were less susceptible (MIC=80 μg/ml). The enzymatic activity of this protein was investigated in microtiter plate assay using hydrolase specific chromogenic substrates. BMAP showed high proteolytic activity towards N-Succ-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA, and proved to be a chymotrypsin-like protease. These results suggest that the antidermatohytic activity of B. mojavensis SZMC 22228 correlates with its chymotrypsin-like protease production. After further investigations, the purified BMAP could be a promising base of a novel antidermatophytic strategy

Changes in choroidal structure following intravitreal aflibercept therapy for retinal vein occlusion

Aims To examine the choroidal change accompanying retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in detail, we measured changes in choroidal structure after intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections for RVO using binarisation of enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomographic (EDI-OCT) images and assessed associations with clinical outcome. Methods Retrospective, observational case series. Forty treatment-naïve patients (10 central, 18 major branch and 12 macular branch RVO) were examined by EDI-OCT before and 1, 3 and 6 months after IVA injections. EDI-OCT images were binarised using ImageJ. Subfoveal cross-sectional areas of the luminal, stromal and total choroid over a 1500 µm span were measured and the stromal area to total choroidal area (S/C) ratio was calculated. Results Compared to normal contralateral eyes, afflicted eyes at baseline exhibited significantly greater stromal area (p<0.001), total choroidal area (p=0.001) and S/C ratio (p<0.001), but no difference in luminal area (p=0.083). The stromal area, S/C ratio and total choroidal area were significantly reduced in afflicted eyes at 1, 3 and 6 months after IVA (all p<0.006). Baseline S/C ratio was significantly correlated with baseline visual acuity (VA), baseline central retinal thickness (CRT) and VA and CRT improvement at 1, 3 and 6 months post-treatment even after adjusting for the axial length, age and sex (all p<0.012). Conclusion RVO induces substantial oedema of the choroidal stromal area that is detectable by binarisation of EDI-OCT images. This stromal oedema likely stems from high intraocular vascular endothelial growth factor levels. Changes in choroidal structure may be used to assess severity and prognosis of RVO

Keeping predators out: testing fences to reduce livestock depredation at night-time corrals

Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a global conservation challenge, and mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses are crucial for the coexistence of large carnivores and people. Various measures are employed to reduce livestock depredation but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of tall fences to reduce livestock losses to snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus at night-time corrals at the winter camps of livestock herders in the Tost Mountains in southern Mongolia. Self-reported livestock losses at the fenced corrals were reduced from a mean loss of 3.9 goats and sheep per family and winter prior to the study to zero losses in the two winters of the study. In contrast, self-reported livestock losses in winter pastures, and during the rest of the year, when herders used different camps, remained high, which indicates that livestock losses were reduced because of the fences, not because of temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards were positive and remained positive during the study, whereas attitudes towards wolves, which attacked livestock also in summer when herders moved out on the steppes, were negative and worsened during the study. This study showed that tall fences can be very effective at reducing night-time losses at corrals and we conclude that fences can be an important tool for snow leopard conservation and for facilitating the coexistence of snow leopards and people

Applying a gender lens to biodiversity conservation in High Asia

Community-based conservation efforts represent an important approach to facilitate the coexistence of people and wildlife. A concern, however, is that these efforts build on existing community structures and social norms, which are commonly dominated by men. Some biodiversity conservation approaches may consequently neglect women’s voices and deepen existing inequalities and inequities. This paper presents two community case studies that draw upon the knowledge and experience gained in our snow leopard conservation practice in pastoral and agro-pastoral settings in Mongolia and India to better understand women’s roles and responsibilities. In these settings, roles and responsibilities in livestock management and agriculture are strongly differentiated along gender lines, and significant gaps remain in women’s decision-making power about natural resources at the community level. We argue that context-specific and gender-responsive approaches are needed to build community support for conservation actions and leverage women’s potential contributions to conservation outcomes.Peer Reviewe

Health and zoonotic infections of snow leopards Panthera unica in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia

Background: Snow leopards, Panthera uncia, are a threatened apex predator, scattered across the mountains of Central and South Asia. Disease threats to wild snow leopards have not been investigated.Methods and Results: Between 2008 and 2015, twenty snow leopards in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia were captured and immobilised for health screening and radio-collaring. Blood samples and external parasites were collected for pathogen analyses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. The animals showed no clinical signs of disease, however, serum antibodies to significant zoonotic pathogens were detected. These pathogens included, Coxiella burnetii, (25% prevalence), Leptospira spp., (20%), and Toxoplasma gondii (20%). Ticks collected from snow leopards contained potentially zoonotic bacteria from the genera Bacillus, Bacteroides, Campylobacter, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.Conclusions: The zoonotic pathogens identified in this study, in the short-term did not appear to cause illness in the snow leopards, but have caused illness in other wild felids. Therefore, surveillance for pathogens should be implemented to monitor for potential longer- term disease impacts on this snow leopard population

Detection of antibacterial activity of essential oil components by TLC-bioautography using luminescent bacteria

The aim of the present study was the chemical characterization of some medically relevant essential oils (tea tree, clove, cinnamon bark, thyme and eucalyptus) and the investigation of antibacterial effect of the components of these oils by use of a direct bioautographic method. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was combined with biological detection in this process. The chemical composition of the oils was determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eucalyptol (84.2%) was the main component of the essential oil of eucalyptus, eugenol (83.7%) of clove oil, and trans-cinnamic aldehyde (73.2%), thymol (49.9%) and terpinen-4-ol (45.8%) of cinnamon bark, thyme and tea tree oils, respectively. Antibacterial activity of the separated components of these oils, as well as their pure main components (eucalyptol, eugenol, trans-cinnamic aldehyde and thymol) was observed against the Gram-negative luminescence tagged plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psmlux) and the Gram-negative, naturally luminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. On the whole, the antibacterial activity of the essential oils could be related to their main components, but the minor constituents may be involved in this process. Trans-cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol were the most active compounds in TLC-bioautography. The sensitivity of TLC-bioautographic method can be improved with using luminescent test bacteria. This method is more cost-effective and provides more reliable results in comparison with conventional microbiological methods, e.g. disc-diffusion technique

Emerging Infectious Diseases in Mongolia

Since 1990, Mongolia’s health system has been in transition. Impressive gains have been accomplished through a national immunization program, which was instituted in 1991. Nevertheless, the country continues to confront four major chronic infections: hepatitis B and C, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). As of 2001, only two cases of HIV infections had been detected in Mongolia, but concern grows that the rate will increase along with the rising rates of STDs and increase in tourism. Other infectious diseases of importance in Mongolia include echinococcus, plague, tularemia, anthrax, foot-and-mouth, and rabies