Search results for "Cereus"
showing 10 items of 40 documents
Homozygote Depression in Gamete-Derived Dragon-Fruit (Hylocereus) Lines
2018
Putative gamete-derived progenies from two Hylocereus species, the diploid H. monacanthus and the tetraploid H. megalanthus, were studied with the dual aims to confirm their gamete origin and to evaluate their potential use as genetic resources. An additional goal was to determine the origin (allotetraploid vs. autotetraploid) of H. megalanthus by exploring morphological variations in the di-haploid (2x) H. megalanthus progeny. Gamete origin was proved in all five H. monacanthus lines obtained and in 49 of the 70 H. megalanthus lines by using flow cytometry and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The five double-haploid (2x) H. monacanthus lines showed low vigor and abnormal flower develo…
The alien vascular flora of Linosa (Pelagie Islands, Strait of Sicily): update and management proposals
2017
This paper provides an up-to-date overview of the naturalized alien plants of Linosa (Pelagie Archipelago, Sicily), which includes 83 taxa and accounts for 29 % of the total island's flora. Among these plants, 6 are invasive, 49 are naturalized and 28 are casual. With respect to previous available data, our field investigations resulted in the addition of 31 new xenophytes (21 casual and 10 fully naturalized). One of these species is new to the whole European territory (Kleinia anteuphorbia), 6 of them are new to Sicily and 11 are recorded for the first time on circum-Sicilian islets. For each alien plant, we indicate the habitat where the naturalization has been observed by using the codes…
Efficiency of Ohmic assisted hydrodistillation for the extraction of essential oil from oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. viride) spices
2017
Abstract The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of Ohmic heating-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD), applied at different voltages (100, 150, and 200) V, on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of extracted essential oil from oregano herb ( Origanum vulgare subsp. viride ), compared to a conventional hydrodistillation (HD) procedure. The compositions of the extracted essential oils (using OAHD and HD) were assessed using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) method was applied in order to evaluate antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity as well as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values …
Surface Micro Discharge–Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Processing of Common House Cricket Acheta domesticus Powder: Antimicrobial Potential and Lip…
2021
The growing world population and the need to reduce the environmental impact of food production drive the exploration of novel protein sources. Insects are being cultivated, harvested, and processed to be applied in animal and human nutrition. The inherent microbial contamination of insect matrices requires risk management and decontamination strategies. Thermal sterilization results in unfavorable cooking effects and oxidation of fatty acids. The present study demonstrates the risk management in Acheta domesticus (home cricket) powder with a low-energy (8.7–22.0 mW/cm2, 5 min) semi-direct surface micro discharge (SMD)–cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP). At a plasma power density lower…
Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and paracasei LUHS244 as functional starter cultures for the food fermentation industry: Characterisation, mycotoxin-…
2018
Abstract Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and Lactobacillus paracasei LUHS244 from fermented cereals were isolated and their properties (carbohydrate metabolism, gas production, ability to survive at a low pH values, growth performance at different temperatures, antimicrobial properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Corynebacter spp, Klebsiella pneomoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Proteus mirabilis, Clostridium spp., Streptococcus spp., resistance to antibiotics, and reducing properties for aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, zearalenone) were evaluated. Also, the possibilities to use dairy by-produ…
Optimization of Bacillus cereus Fermentation Process for Selenium Enrichment as Organic Selenium Source
2020
Selenium is an essential trace element and micronutrient for human health. Application of organic selenium in plants and microorganisms as trace element supplement is attracting more and more attention. In this study, Bacillus cereus, an important probiotic, was used for selenium enrichment with sodium selenite as selenium source. The growth curve of B. cereus was investigated, and 150 μg/ml was selected as the concentration of selenium for B. cereus fermentation. With application of response surface methodology, the optimal fermentation conditions were obtained as follows: inoculation quantity of 7%, culture temperature of 33°C, and shaking speed of 170 rpm, leading to the maximal selenium…
The antimicrobial activity of honey and propolis extracts from the central region of Romania
2021
Abstract Honey and propolis from Apis mellifera (bees) are products that have been used due to their multiple biological properties. The antimicrobial activity of 10 honey samples of known origin and 4 propolis extracts gathered from the same beekeepers located in Transylvania, Romania, were used against certain microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The study also investigated the positive interaction of propolis aqueous extracts when used with poly-floral honey against the same microorganisms. The most sensitive to the activity of honey samples was the S. aureus strain (the largest inhibition area 18 mm) for p…
Synthesis, Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of 5-Trifluoromethyl-2-formylphenylboronic Acid
2020
2-Formylphenylboronic acids display many interesting features, not only from synthetic but also from an application as well as structural points of view. 5-Trifluoromethyl-2-formyl phenylboronic acid has been synthesized and characterized in terms of its structure and properties. The presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent results in a considerable rise in the acidity in comparison with its analogues. In some solutions, the title compound isomerizes with formation of the corresponding 3-hydroxybenzoxaborole. Taking into account the probable mechanism of antifungal action of benzoxaboroles, which blocks the cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) of the microorganism, docking stud…
Biological activity of Bacillus spp. evaluated on eggs and larvae of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
2014
This study was conducted to characterize the Bacillus populations associated with dead Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, to develop a biological control for the red palm weevil. Dead adult beetles, collected throughout Sicily, were used for isolating internal and external spore forming bacteria (SFB) microbiota. The isolates, preliminarily allotted to the Bacillaceae family, were tested at 4 concentrations (103 to 106 CFU/mL) for their ability to inhibit hatching of eggs of R. ferrugineus and were used at 106 CFU/mL to monitor their insecticidal activity against 10 day-old larvae. Total amounts of SFB measured outside the skeleton and in the inners part of the beetles were 5.59-6.94 and 5.17-7.05 …
Synthesis, structure, properties and antimicrobial activity of para trifluoromethyl phenylboronic derivatives
2021
The [2-formyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]boronic acid as well as its benzoxaborole and bis(benzoxaborole) derivatives were obtained and their properties studied. The 2-formyl compound displays an unusual structure in the crystalline state, with a significant twist of the boronic group, whereas in DMSO solution it tautomerizes with formation of a cyclic isomer. All the studied compounds exhibit relatively high acidity as well as a reasonable antimicrobial activity. Docking studies showed interactions of all the investigated compounds with the binding pocket of Candida albicans LeuRS. High activity against Bacillus cereus was determined for the 2-formyl compound as well as for the novel bis(be…