Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Access

Volume 9 Issue 7

July 2014

Issue of Open Life Sciences

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Contents
Journal Overview

Open Access April 30, 2014

The use of heavy metals in mycoremediation of synthetic dyes

Tiberius Balaeş, Cătălin Tănase, Claudiu Butnariu

Page range: 659-667

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Abstract

Synthetic dyes represent a major class of toxic pollutants that are resistant to biological degradation, and heavy metals play a special role in this process. In this study, two isolates of lignicolous macromycetes, Lenzites betulina as well as another species less frequently studied, Trametes gibbosa, were tested in order to assess their remediation potential against three different synthetic dyes under specific conditions. The effect of heavy metal ions in the discoloration of synthetic dyes process, and the optimal concentration of manganese ions necessary were evaluated. The dyes’ discoloration efficiency of the fresh isolates were compared to the isolates maintained by refrigeration, isolates that were repeatedly sub-cultivated and isolates that were previously grown on dye-supplemented media, and then were assessed. The discoloration process was evaluated in liquid nutrient media, 10 replicates were used for each working version. Evaluation of discoloration rate was obtained by using a UV-VIS spectrometer. The results were interpreted statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis test and by use of a new complex method, Multiple Factor Analysis. The fresh isolates showed the highest discoloration capacity while the isolates previously grown on the dye-supplemented media presented a low discoloration rate. Manganese ions gave a positive effect on enzyme induction while copper and cobalt ions inhibited the process.

Open Access April 30, 2014

Chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidative and anticholinesterase activity of Satureja Montana L. ssp montana essential oil

Tatjana Mihajilov-Krstev, Dragan Radnović, Dušanka Kitić, Vesna Jovanović, Violeta Mitić, Zorica Stojanović-Radić, Bojan Zlatković

Page range: 668-677

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Abstract

The present study investigates the chemical compositions of three Satureja montana L. ssp montana essential oils and correlates chemical variability with biological activities. GC/MS analysis showed that with an increase in altitude (100–500–800 m), a higher content of linalool, terpinen-4-ol and cis-sabinene hydrate was found, while the percentage of phenolic compounds, thymol and carvacrol decreased. Antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was tested against 7 fungal and 23 bacterial strains. The essential oil characterized by the highest content of phenols and alcohols exhibited the highest antimicrobial potential. The correlation analysis showed that the major carriers of the obtained antioxidant activity are oxygenated monoterpenes. All essential oils inhibited human serum cholinesterase activity. High antimicrobial potential, together with moderate antioxidant capacity and strong inhibition of human serum cholinesterase, classifies S. montana essential oil as a natural source of compounds that can be used in the treatment of foodborne and neurological diseases, wound and other infections, as well as for general health improvement.

Open Access April 30, 2014

The impact of increased soil risk elements on carotenoid contents

Dagmar Procházková, Daniel Haisel, Daniela Pavlíková, Jiřina Száková, Naďa Wilhelmová

Page range: 678-685

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Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to compare the responses of a non-transgenic tobacco plant (WT) and plants with genetically prolonged life-span (SAG) to risk elements of As, Cd and Zn. Plants were grown in control soil and in soil with higher levels of risk elements. The pigment contents were established by HPLC and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured from slow kinetics after a 15 min dark period with the PAM fluorometer. Top (i.e. young) leaves of both WT and SAG plants were more sensitive to photoinhibition caused by these risk elements but plants showed acclimation to such elements in the bottom leaves. Plants differed in the participation of individual pigments of xanthophyll cycle: increased levels of risk elements seem to stimulate especially first (violaxanthin to antheraxanthin) and second (anhtheraxanthin to zeaxanthin) steps of the cycle in WT plants. In SAG plants, toxic elements caused an increase in the content, particularly of the initial compound of the cycle — violaxanthin.

Open Access April 30, 2014

In vitro organogenesis secondary metabolite production and heavy metal analysis in Swertia chirayita

Vijay Kumar, Shailesh Singh, Rajib Bandopadhyay, Madan Sharma, Sheela Chandra

Page range: 686-698

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Abstract

An efficient protocol of plant regeneration through direct and indirect organogenesis in Swertia chirayita was developed. Explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 2,4-D (0.5 mg L−1) with combination of Kinetin (0.5 mg L−1) showed the highest frequency (84%) of callusing and 1.0mg L−1 6-benzyladenine (BA) in combination with (100 mg L−1) Adenine sulphate (Ads) + (0.1 mg L−1) Indole acetic acid (IAA) was excellent for maximum adventitious shoot (12.69 ± 1.30) formation in four week of culture. A maximum number of (7.14 ± 0.99) shoots were developed per leaf explants through direct organogenesis. The highest frequency of rooting (11.46 ± 1.56) was observed on MS medium augmented with IAA (1.0 mg L−1). Well-rooted shoots transferred to plastic pots containing a soilrite: sand mix and then moved to the greenhouse for further growth and development. Four major secondary metabolites were analyzed and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Amount of secondary metabolites was found significantly higher, in in vitro plantlets compared to in vivo plantlets and callus raised from S. chirayita. Higher heavy metal accumulation in in vitro as compared to in vivo plantlets correlates higher secondary metabolite production supporting that they play regulatory role in influencing the plant secondary metabolism.

Open Access April 30, 2014

Flow cytometry analysis of coxsackievirus B receptors expression in human CaCo-2 cells

Samira Riabi, Rafik Harrath, Imed Gaâloul, Hind Hamzeh-Cognasse, Olivier Délezay, Mahjoub Aouni, Bruno Pozzetto

Page range: 699-707

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Abstract

A subset of coxsackieviruses B (CV-B) is able to initiate intestinal infection via the attachment to two cell surface proteins, decayaccelerating factor (DAF) and coxsackie adenovirus receptor (CAR). The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern of these receptors in the polarized CaCo-2 cell line using flow cytometry. The expression of CAR-specific mRNA and proteins was analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis was used to study the surface expression patterns of CAR and DAF. CAR and DAF were well detected at the surface of CaCo-2 cells by flow cytometry. Despite the fact that CAR was susceptible to the action of trypsin, a few amounts of the latter enzyme and a precise dilution did not impair its correct detection by flow cytometry. This technique was used to demonstrate that the density of cells did not influence the expression of CAR at the cell surface. CaCo-2 cells express high levels of CAR and DAF at their surface. Flow cytometry, if used adequately, represents a helpful tool for the study of the interactions between these cells and various viral targets.

Open Access April 30, 2014

Identification of proteins involved in starch and polygalacturonic acid degradation using LC/MS

Raimonda Petkauskaite, Dangiras Lukosius, Janusz Dębski, Andrius Jasilionis, Michał Dadlez, Ieva Kieraite, Ana Timonina, Nomeda Kuisiene

Page range: 708-716

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Abstract

Plant biomass in the form of cheap wastes, such as straw, corn stalks, wood chips, sawdust, bagasse, pomace, etc., is abundant throughout the world. To convert these wastes into the useful value-added compounds microbial enzymes are the preferred choice. In this paper, we identify enzymes involved in the degradation of starch and polygalacturonic acid using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry based analysis. We analysed total protein from soil and compost samples. Extracellular proteins from enrichment cultures were analysed in parallel and used as controls in the sample preparation and identification of proteins. In general, both protein sequence coverage and the number of identified peptides were higher in the samples obtained from the enrichment cultures than from the total protein from soil and compost. The influence of the nature of gel (zymography vs. SDS/polyacrylamide) was negligible. Thus, starch and polygalacturonic acid degradation associated proteins can be directly excised from the zymograms without the need to align zymograms with the SDS/polyacrylamide gels. A range of starch and polygalacturonic acid degradation associated enzymes were identified in both total protein samples and extracellular proteins from the enrichment cultures. Our results show that proteins involved in starch and polygalacturonic acid degradation can be identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry from the complex protein mixtures both with and without cultivation of microorganism

Open Access April 30, 2014

The action of CGRP and SP on cultured skin fibroblasts

Bernardo Hochman, Vanina Tucci-Viegas, Paola Monteiro, Jerônimo França, Silvana Gaiba, Lydia Ferreira

Page range: 717-726

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About this journal

Topical/Special Issues:

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Open Life Sciences is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, devoted to scholarly research in all areas of life sciences:

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES including cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, neuroscience, cancer biology, bioinformatics and computational biology, case reports of rare diseases
PLANT SCIENCES including plant anatomy and physiology, plant genetics and biotechnology
ANIMAL SCIENCES including zoology, veterinary sciences, animals in agriculture
ECOLOGY and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE including evolutionary biology, populations, ecosystems and landscapes, ecotoxicology, air and soil pollution and control, environmental microbiology, biomass and bioenergy, biodiversity, conservation biology, marine ecology
AGRICULTURE including crop production, livestock and poultry breeding and nutrition
FOOD SCIENCE and NUTRITION including Functional Food, Food Microbiology, Food Metabolomics, Food By-Products, Food Waste Management
BIOENGINEERING and BIOTECHNOLOGY including tissue engineering, biomaterials, nanotechnology, bioreactors

The published content includes research articles, review articles, communications, case reports, commentaries, and letters to the Editor.

Open Life Sciences assures the top quality of published data through critical peer-review and editorial involvement throughout the whole publication process. Thanks to the Open Access model, it also offers unrestricted access to published articles for all users.

The journal aims to facilitate the communication and collaboration of scientists across different countries.

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The journal publishes research from all areas of the life sciences, including the most recent and significant findings
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The publication is designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas between researchers from different countries

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