Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full length Research Paper

Optimizing the conditions of - amylase by an Esturian strain of Aspergillus spp

Arun Sasi*, Manthiri Kani¹, A. Panneerselvam², G. Jegadeesh³, K. Muthu³ and M Ravi Kumar³

¹Postgraduate and Research Department of Microbiology,J.J. College of Arts and Science, Pudukkottai, Tamilnadu, India- 622 404.

²Department of Microbiology and Botany, A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous), Poondi, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.

³Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Government Arts College for Men’s, Nandanam, Chennai, India.

Accepted 5 November, 2015

Abstract

Water samples and sediments were collected from waterways in between two back water lakes namely Vambanad and Asthamudi, in Alukadavu, Kollam along the west coast of Kerala, India. 20 fungal species were isolated and identified by lacto phenol cotton blue staining method. From this, Aspergillus flavus was selected for starch hydrolysis Agar Medium for amylase activity under submerged fermentation for amylase production. The effect of different carbon source, nitrogen source, heavy metals, amino acids, dry biomass was studied and enzyme was optimized by using different physico-chemical parameters. The purity of enzyme was analyzed by thin layer chromatography. Minimal medium with starch has produced high amylase enzyme and soluble protein dry biomass with a temperature of 30°C and pH of 6, which includes 256.2 and 108 µg/ml, respectively.

Key words: Amylase enzyme, back water fungi, Aspergillus flavus, submerged fermentation, SDS-PAGE, Ion exchange chromatography.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2015 International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Isolation and characterization of plum-seeds degrading aerobic bacteria from plum-grove soil

Haruka Kurishita¹, Hitomi Yoshida², Namika Yamaji¹, Naoko Okumura², Asuka Kirimura¹, Satoru Matsuda²* and Hiroshi Ueno¹

¹Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Nara Women's University, Nara 630-8506, Japan.

²Department of Environmental Health Science, Nara Women's University, Nara 630-8506, Japan.

Accepted 2 April, 2015

Abstract

The aim of this study was to isolate plum-seeds degrading bacterium from plum-grove soil. Some bacteria utilizing plum-seeds were isolated from the plum-grove soil samples by biodegradation assay. Among them, five bacteria had the activity of cellulase and xylanase. Four of the strains grew in the medium containing xylan instead of glucose. Partial sequencing of 16S rRNA and genome indicated that all the isolates belong to the Psedomonas section but two bacteria are unknown. It is proposed that some Pseudomonas bacteria could be deployed as inoculant to attain the treatment of plum-seeds.

Key words: Biodegradation, plum-seeds, cellulase, xylanase, microorganism.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Uptake of textile dye Reactive Black-5 by Penicillium chrysogenum MT-6 isolated from cement-contaminated soil

Serkan Erdal and Mesut Taskin*

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.

Accepted 9 March, 2016

Abstract

The present study focused on the decolorization of textile dye Reactive Black- 5 by actively growing mycelium of fungus Penicillium chrysogenum MT-6, which was isolated from the cement-contaminated soil. Dye decolorization was probably associated with fungal growth and hyphal uptake mechanism (Biosorption/Bioadsorption) . Dye uptake was strongly depended on mycelial morphology. Small uniform pellets with 2 mm size and nutrient-poor medium were found to be better for dye uptake. Optimal conditions for dye uptake by the fungus were determined as initial pH of 5.0, shaking speed of 150 rpm, temperature of 28°C, spore concentration of 10⁷/ml, 10 g/l sucrose and 1 g/l ammonium chloride. The maximum removal/uptake of dye by fungus was 89% (0.267 g removed-dye) with 3.83 g/l of biomass production at an initial dye concentration of 0.3 g/l in 100 h. The fungus was found to be a good bio -system for the decolorization of the medium containing Reactive Black-5. It was shown for the first time in the present study that the cement-contaminated soil was a good source of microorganisms, being capable of removing snythetic textile dye.

Key words: Penicillium chrysogenum MT-6, dye removal, optimization, reactive black-5.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antimicrobial activity of various extracts of Centaurea cankiriense A. Duran and H. Duman

Arzu Cansaran¹, Nazime Mercan Do an²*, Mehtap Öztekin³ and Gülümser Acar²

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Amasya University, Amasya, Turkey.

²Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.

³Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Central Anatolia Forestry Research Institute, Herbarium ANKO, Post Box: 24, Bahcelievler, 06501, Ankara, Turkey.

Accepted 10 March, 2016

Abstract

The antimicrobial activity was determined using the single disc diffusion method. The hexane, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts were assessed for antimicrobial activity against 13 bacteria and a yeast-like fungus, Candida albicans. While flower extracts of Centaurea cankiriense showed significant antibacterial activity against tested strains, the susceptibility of the test microorganisms was less pronounced in the cases of the stem extracts. Hexane extracts from both flower and stem did not show any antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria at test concentration, whereas ethyl acetate and methanol extract of C. cankiriense demonstrated the growth of both the gram-positive and the gram-negative bacteria. But, methanol extract inhibited the bacteria with the exception of two gram-negative bacteria namely Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was determined on ethyl acetate extracts of flower and stem that showed high activity against the test bacteria. The MIC values for bacterial strains were in the range of 7.8 - 250 mg/ml. The results confirmed that E. coli (MIC = 250 mg/ml) and Morganelle morganii (MIC = 125 mg/ml) was the most resistant organisms to plant extracts. The flower extract of C. cankiriense was found to possess the strongest effect on Bacillus cereus with 7.8 mg/ml concentration.

Key words: Centaurea cankiriense, antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibition concentration, disc diffusion.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Oral colonization and boric acid susceptibility of yeast in boron mineral workers

Zafer Cetinkaya¹*, Semsettin Karaca ², Mustafa Kulac ², Ihsan Hakki Ciftci¹, Gulsah Asık¹, Osman Cenet⁴ and Nuri Kiraz³

¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

²Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

³Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Osmangazi University, Eski ehir, Turkey.

⁴Faculty of Occupation of Higher Education, Balikesir University, Balıkesir, Turkey.

Accepted 26 March, 2015

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of boron on in vivo oral yeast colonization in study groups which are exposed to boron dust in different sections of the boron mine. The study was carried out in the boron mining areas of two districts (Eskisehir and Balikesir) of Turkey. We included 184 people working in open quarry and stone milling unit, 144 people working in the factory and 150 people as control group. Specimens were taken from four oral mucosal regions and cultured onto Sabouraud dextrose agar. After incubation for 3 - 7 days at 30°C, the total number of yeast colonies on the plates was considered the relative intensity of carriage, and the total number of yeast colonies on the plates was considered the relative intensity of oral carriage. The susceptibility of Candida spp. to boric acid was investigated. The frequency of Candida colonization in boron intensive area workers was found significantly higher than automatic factory workers and control groups (p = 0.012), there were no difference between automatic factory workers and control groups in point of Candida colonization (p = 0.749). We observed that oral yeast colonization had increased directly proportional with boron powder exposure in boron mine (p = 0.005) . Mean minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of boric acid for Boron intensive area, 0.87 - 2.0% for automatic factory and 0.83 - 2.0% for control subjects. We observed that intensive exposure to boron mineral powders was strictly related to oral yeast colonization. Exposure to industrial boron mineral powder may cause important health problems by increasing Candida colonization in oral cavity. It may be useful to do periodical health control in boron mineral workers and population under risk.

Key words: Candida, boric acid, boron mineral, oral yeast colonization.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of recombinant human-defensin 5 against clinical antibiotic-resistant strains

A. P. Wang, Y. P. Su, S. Wang, M. Q. Shen, F. Chen, M. Chen, X. Z. Ran, T. M. Chen and J. P. Wang*

State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China.

Accepted 1 March, 2016

Abstract

The increasing clinical bacterial strains resistant to conventional antibiotics have being a great challenge to the public’s health. As a novel kind of antimicrobial agent, defensins are undoubtedly worthy of exploitation for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To evaluate the antibacterial potency of recombinant mature human -defensin 5 (rmHD₅) against clinical pathogenic strains, we examined its antibacterial kinetics and bactericidal efficacy on forty-nine bacterial strains (belonging to eleven species) with different antibiotic-resistant phenotypes, isolated from digestive and urogenital tracts of the inpatient. Meanwhile, the action mechanism of rmHD₅ was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy observation and membrane permeability detection. The peptide of rmHD₅ was found to possess high potency against all the tested isolates at concentrations of 6 - 12 g/ml for gram-negative (G^-) bacteria and 28 - 32 g/ml for gram-positive (G⁺) bacteria. G^- bacteria were more susceptible to the peptide than G⁺ bacteria. Abnormal morphological changes and increased permeabilization of the cytomembrane were observed in both G ^- bacteria and G⁺ bacteria treated with rmHD₅. The antibacterial activity of rmHD₅ may be tightly associated with the biomembrane permeabilization. Recombinant mHD₅ is a promising candidate to be developed into therapeutic agents for bacterial infections

Key words: Antibacterial activity, mechanism, antibiotics resistant strain, human alpha defensin 5.