Search results for " activity"
showing 10 items of 4540 documents
Determining Cellulolytic Activity of Microorganisms
2020
Abstract Decomposition of cellulose to glucose requires complex cooperation of glycoside hydrolase enzymes. As a result of glycoside β-1,4 bonds hydrolysis, shorter chains of cellulose, oligodextrin, cellobiose and glucose are created. A number of bacteria and fungi demonstrate the capacity to degrade cellulose. Their activity can be assessed with the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods with the use of e.g. Congo red, are used in screening studies, however, they do not provide information about the quantity of the produced enzyme. Spectrophotometric methods are more accurate and they measure the quantities of reducing sugars with the use of appropriate substrate…
Trail-following pheromones in basal termites, with special reference to Mastotermes darwiniensis
2007
0098-0331 (Print) Journal Article; In the framework of an evolutionary study, trail pheromones have been studied in the most basal extant termite, Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae), and two other basal termites, the Termopsidae Porotermes adamsoni (Porotermitinae) and Stolotermes victoriensis (Stolotermitinae). Although workers of M. darwiniensis do not walk in single file while exploring a new environment under experimental conditions and are unable to follow artificial trails in 'open field' experiments, they do secrete a trail-following pheromone from their sternal glands. This unique behavior might reflect a primitive function of communication of the sternal gland. The major co…
Chemical composition, herbicidal and antifungal activity of Satureja cuneifolia essential oils from Spain
2016
The chemical composition of essential oils from Satureja cuneifolia growing in east Spain was analyzed by GC, GC/MS. Forty-five compounds accounting for 99.1% of the total oil were identified. Camphor (47.6%), followed by camphene (13.6%) were the main compounds. Their herbicidal and antifungal activity was tested in vitro against three weeds (Amaranthus hybridus, Portulaca oleracea and Conyza canadensis) and eleven common pathogenic or saprophytic fungi (Phytophthora citrophthora, P. palmivora, Pythium litorale, Verticillium dahlia, Rhizoctonia solani, Penicillium hirsutum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, Phaemoniella chlamydospora, Cylindrocarpon liriodendri a…
Inhibition of Metarhizium anisopliae in the alimentary tract of the eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes
2009
Reticulitermes flavipes workers were individually inoculated with 10,000 conidia of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. After being kept in groups of 20 individuals for 1–6 d, histopathological approach showed that most of the inoculated conidia were groomed from the surface of the cuticle by nestmates within 24 h, and that a large number of conidia was subsequently found in different parts of the gut of the groomers. Our observations showed that, among thousands of conidia found in the termite's gut, conidial germination never occurred in all inspected specimens, even when the conidia had the chance to bind to the surface of the cuticular lining of the gut. In addition, whe…
Preservation of viability and anti-Listeria activity of lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus paracasei, entrapped in gelling ma…
2015
In order to control undesirable microorganisms growth in foods, the performance of alginate and alginate-caseinate (an aqueous two-phase system) matrices entrapping lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus paracasei LAB1 and Lactococcus lactis LAB3) was investigated. Polymeric matrices were initially loaded with Lcells at similar to 10(8-10) or similar to 10(4-6) CFU mL(-1), and were monitored, in liquid and gelled form (beads), for 12 days at 30 degrees C. In the liquid form, maximum cell density (similar to 10(9) CFU mL(-1)) was reached after 24 h whatever the matrix. Then, the Lpopulation decreased but remained higher in alginate-caseinate matrices: 10(7) and 10(6) CFU mL(-1) of LAB3 ce…
Artemisia arborescens essential oil composition, enantiomeric distribution and antimicrobial activity from different wild populations from the Medite…
2016
International audience; Aerial parts of Artemisiaarborescens were collected from different sites of the Mediterranean area (southwestern Algeria and southern Italy) and the chemical composition of their essential oil (EO) extracted by hydrodistillation was studied by both gas chromatography (GC) equipped with an enantioselective capillary column and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The EOs obtained were tested against several Listeriamonocytogenes strains. Using GC and GC/MS, 41 compounds were identified, accounting for 96.0-98.8% of the total EO. All EOs showed a similar terpene profile, which was rich in chamazulene, -thujone, and camphor. However, the concentration of such compounds varied …
Drought and its legacy modulate the post-fire recovery of soil functionality and microbial community structure in a Mediterranean shrubland.
2019
The effects of drought on soil dynamics after fire are poorly known, particularly its long-term (i.e., years) legacy effects once rainfall returns to normal. Understanding this is particularly important for nutrient-poor soils in semi-arid regions affected by fire, in which rainfall is projected to decrease with climate change. Here, we studied the effects of post-fire drought and its legacy on soil microbial community structure and functionality in a Cistus-Erica shrubland (Spain). Rainfall total and patterns were experimentally modified to produce an unburned control (natural rainfall) and four burned treatments: control (natural rainfall), historical control (long-term average rainfall),…
Biochemical characterization of cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775), another red sea jellyfish in the western mediterranean sea
2021
Increasing frequency of native jellyfish proliferations and massive appearance of non-indigenous jellyfish species recently concur to impact Mediterranean coastal ecosystems and human activities at sea. Nonetheless, jellyfish biomass may represent an exploitable novel resource to coastal communities, with reference to its potential use in the pharmaceutical, nutritional, and nutraceutical Blue Growth sectors. The zooxanthellate jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda, Forsskål, 1775 (Cnidaria, Rhizostomeae) entered the Levant Sea through the Suez Canal and spread towards the Western Mediterranean to reach Malta, Tunisia, and recently also the Italian coasts. Here we report on the biochemical characte…
Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolation from Spontaneous Sourdough and Their Characterization Including Antimicrobial and Antifungal Properties Evaluation
2019
This research effort aimed at isolating and phenotypically characterizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from a spontaneous rye sourdough manufactured following traditional protocols, as well as at evaluating their antimicrobial and antifungal properties as key features for future industrial applications. Thirteen LAB strains of potential industrial interest were isolated and identified to species-level via PCR. Most of the sourdough isolates showed versatile carbohydrate metabolisms. The Leuconostoc mesenteroides No. 242 and Lactobacillus brevis No. 173 demonstrated to be gas producers
Carvacrol activated biopolymeric foam: An effective packaging system to control the development of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria on sliced pumpkin…
2021
Abstract A commercial biodegradable starch-based polymer (Mater-Bi) was activated with carvacrol to develop a biodegradable and compostable polymer to be used in food packaging. Based on previous tests, carvacrol was added at 20 % weight of foam. MB foams, with and without carvacrol, were tested for their morphological characteristics, mechanical tests and kinetics of carvacrol release under refrigerated storage conditions. Carvacrol slightly increased the porosity of the foams, induced a reduction of the compressive elastic modulus (Ecom) of foamed MB from 6 to ∼ 3.4 MPa and a decrease of the tensile elastic modulus from ∼70 MPa to ∼16.5 MPa. Carvacrol release from the foam at 4 °C was alm…