ISSN 2736-1756
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Antibacterial activity of Asperugo procumbens L. against some human pathogenic bacteria
M. Ahanjan1, 2*, D. C. Mohana1 and K. A. Raveesha1
1Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Studies in Botany and Microbiology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570 006, India.
2Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, I.R of Iran.
Accepted 23 March, 2012
Abstract
Petroleum ether, chloroform (CHCl3), ethanol (EtOH), methanol (MeOH) and aqueous (H2O) extracts of leaves of Asperugo procumbens L. were evaluated for antibacterial activity against five human pathogenic bacterial strains with the agar-well diffusion method. The methanol extract was highly active against all the test bacteria, followed by the ethanol and aqueous extracts. The chloroform and petroleum ether extracts did not show any antibacterial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the methanol extract ranged between 1.56 and 12.5 mg/ml. The results of this study provide support for the use of A. procumbens L. in Iran for traditional medicines.
Key words: Asperugo procumbens, antibacterial activity, methanol extract, traditional medicine.
D. C. Mohana and K. A. Raveesha, M. Ahanjan*
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Comparison of five serological diagnostic assays for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to dengue virus
Shamala Devi Sekaran*, Ew Cheng Lan and Geetha Subramaniam
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Accepted 12 May, 2012
Abstract
Difficulties in the management of dengue infections include the lack of rapid diagnostic methods and symptoms of dengue are often confused with those of other diseases. Five commercial kits were evaluated for the detection of dengue-specific IgM and IgG antibodies using sera obtained from patients with primary and secondary dengue infections, as well as other febrile illnesses. All kits were compared to the in-house IgM ELISA and HI assays. The rapid test kits took either 30 to 45 min (PanBio Dengue Duo Cassette, Accusens Dengue Virus Rapid Strip Test, and Unitest Dengue IgM and IgG Combo Rapid Test) or between 2 to 4 h (PanBio Dengue Duo Capture ELISA, and Antivirus IgM Detecion Kit 96 [Pentax Corporation]). Most kits were able to detect IgM in more than 90% of the secondary convalescent sera, while IgG detection was generally high (80 to 100%). All five kits showed high specificity when tested against sera from other febrile patients, and have been shown to be extremely useful in the diagnosis of dengue infections.
Key words: Dengue virus, IgM and IgG, diagnosis, ELISA, PCR.
Shamala Devi Sekaran*, Ew Cheng Lan and Geetha Subramaniam
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Ethanol production from the water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes by yeast isolated from various hydrospheres
GO. Ogawa Masami, IshidaYukinari Usui and Naoto Urano*
Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan.
Accepted 18 December, 2011
Abstract
Water hyacinth is a promising plant for the production of bioethanol. The water hyacinth was saccharified with diluted sulfuric acid and fermented to ethanol by yeast obtained from different hydrospheres. We found that the best conditions for water hyacinth hydrolysis were 1% (v/v) sulfuric acid at 121oC for 1 h. In the next step, we searched for yeast that could produce ethanol from the water hyacinth hydrolysate. For this, 624 strains were isolated from 28 bodies of water. Strain 484 produced 22.4 ml of ethanol/kg of dried water hyacinth, which suggests that it may be an efficient producer of bioethanol. Through sequence analysis, we identified strain 484 as Candida intermedia.
Key words: biomass, ethanol, fermentation, hydrospheres, water hyacinth, yeast.
GO. Ogawa Masami, IshidaYukinari Usui and Naoto Urano*
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Solubilization of inorganic phosphates and plant growth promotion by strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens isolated from acidic soils of Cameroon
FANKEM Henri1, NGO NKOT Laurette1, DEUBEL Annette2, QUINN John3, MERBACH Wolfgang2, ETOA François-Xavier4 and NWAGADieudonné5*
1Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Douala. P.O. Box: 24157 Douala. Cameroon.
2Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Adam-Kuckhoff-Straße 17 b, D-06108 Halle/Saale, Germany.
3Queen’s University, Belfast, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Medical Biology Centre. 97 Lisburn Road Belfast. BT9 7BL, UK.
4Department of Biochemistry, University of Yaoundé I. P.O. Box: 812 Yaoundé, Cameroon.
5Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Biotechnology Centre, University of Yaoundé I. P.O. Box: 812 Yaoundé. Cameroon.
Accepted 25 March, 2012
Abstract
A trial of a screening and selection strategy for phosphate-solubilizing bacteria based on phosphate solubilization ability, and the subsequent effect of these strains on plant growth promotion under in situ conditions was conducted. Of all the bacteria tested, three Pseudomonas fluorescens strains (CB501, CD511 and CE509) were selected. On agar plates, two strains (CB501 and CE509) showed an ability to solubilize the three phosphate types (Ca3 (PO4)2, AlPO 4·H2O or FePO4·2H2O), while strain CD511 showed a halo zone only on an agar plate supplemented with iron phosphate (Fe-P). However, in liquid media, all the strains were able to mobilize significant amounts of phosphorus (P) depending on the phosphate type. Calcium phosphate (Ca-P) solubilization resulted from the combined effects of pH decrease and carboxylic acids synthesis. At pH 4, it was solubilized by most of the organic acids. However, the synthesis of carboxylic acids was the main mechanism involved in the process of aluminium phosphate (Al-P) and Fe-P solubilization. Both were mobilized at pH 4 by citrate, malate, tartrate, and on a much lower level by gluconate and trans-aconitate. Subsequently, a greenhouse trial was conducted using Zea mays, the results of which obtained using 5 parameters including grain yield and P uptake, revealed that strain CB501 was the best plant growth promotor with a global effect of +37%, followed by strain CE509 (+21.2%) and then by strain CD511 (+16.7%). However, the selection of phosphate-solubilizing Pseudomonas strains as possible inoculation tools for phosphate-deficient soils should focus on the integral interpretation of laboratory assays, greenhouse experiments and field trials.
Key words: Carboxylic acids, Phosphate solubilization, plant growth, Pseudomonas fluorescens.
DEUBEL Annette, NGO NKOT Laurette, FANKEM Henri, MERBACH Wolfgang, QUINN John, ETOA François-Xavier and NWAGADieudonné*
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Statistical optimization of medium components for chromate reduction by halophilic Streptomyces sp. MS-2
Mona E. M. Mabrouk
Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 18 March, 2012
Extensive use of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) in various industrial applications has caused substantial environmental contamination. A marine bacterium, Streptomyces sp. MS-2 showed a high Cr(VI) reduction performance. Streptomyces sp. MS-2 completely reduced 75 mg/l Cr(VI) within 72 h of growth. The effectiveness of the bacterium for reducing Cr(VI) under different conditions was evaluated. Optimum pH and temperature were 7.0 and 37oC, respectively. Statistical screening of medium components for Cr reduction by Streptomyces sp. MS-2 was carried out by Plackett–Burman design. Peptone, yeast extract, inoculum size, and volume of the medium were shown as significant components influencing Cr(VI) reduction. By applying a verification experiment, Streptomyces sp. MS-2 completely reduced 75 mg of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) within 12 h. This optimization strategy led to a 6-fold increase in the reduction rate. This holds great promise for detoxification of Cr(VI) under a wide range of environmental conditions.
Key words: Streptomyces MS-2; hexavalent chromium; Plackett–Burman design.
Mona E. M. Mabrouk
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2012
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2012 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Microbiological quality of water, associated management practices and risks at source, transport and storage points in a rural community of Lungwena, Malawi
Taulo, S.1, 3*, Wetlesen, A.1, Abrahamsen, R.1, Mkakosya, R.2 and Kululanga, G.3
1Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Science, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 As, Norway.
2Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, P/B 360, Blantyre, Malawi.
3Faculty of Engineering, University of Malawi, P/B 303, Blantyre, Malawi.
Accepted 8 May, 2012
Abstract
This study investigated and compared the microbiological quality of source, transported and stored water in Lungwena households. It also examined water management practices at all the investigated points. One hundred and eighty (180) water samples were collected from 6 villages and tested for Escherichia coli, Salmonella, E .coli 0157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni using standard methods. Water contamination practices were observed in two hundred and eighty seven households. E. coli, Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7 and C. jejuni were isolated in 54, 24, 6.7 and 2.2% of the samples, respectively. Sampling points revealed a significant difference (p = 0.001) in E. coli concentration. Salmonella concentration between sampling points was not significant (p > 0.05). E. coli concentration was significantly (p = 0.042) higher than that of Salmonella spp. The microbiological quality of water was found to be poor as a result of both poor water management practices and environmental sanitation. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in water management practices among the villages.
Key words: Pathogens, stored water, transport water, water contamination.
Mkakosya , G , R , A. , Taulo , Wetlesen , S* , Abrahamsen , R and Kululanga
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