A. S. Sarpal, I. Costa, C. Teixeira, D. Filócomo, C. Renata, P. R. M. Silva, V. Cunha, R. J. Daroda
{"title":"Investigation of Biodiesel Potential of Biomasses of Microalgaes Chlorella, Spirulina and Tetraselmis by NMR and GC-MS Techniques","authors":"A. S. Sarpal, I. Costa, C. Teixeira, D. Filócomo, C. Renata, P. R. M. Silva, V. Cunha, R. J. Daroda","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000220","url":null,"abstract":"The detailed component analyses of algal oils such as neutral (mono, di and triglycerides; free fatty acids) and polar (glyceroglyco/phospho) lipids, and their fatty acid profile including poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (C18:3, C22:6) have been carried out by NMR (1H, 13C) and GC-MS techniques to explore their biodiesel potential. The algal oils were obtained by ultrasonic solvent extraction of microalgae biomasses cultivated on a lab scale. The results revealed that biomass and neutral lipids productivity as well as quality and composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid were influenced by media (modified RM6, F/2, WC), microalgae species/strains (Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina platensi and Tetraselmis affchuii) and shape of the cultivated system (Erlenmeyer flask, polythene tubular or round container). The replacement of source of N and P with cheaper source of fertilizers (super phosphates + Chillean salt peter) in the cultivation media F/2 and WC has not affected the neutral lipid productivity, rather produced FAMEs with lower amount of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The biomass cultivated in the modified RM6 media by Spirulina platensi is comprised of lower amount of unsaturated fatty esters without DHA (42.9% w/w) (PUFA as E¤-linoleic) compared to other biomasses (61.2-69.8 %w/w), thus quite suitable for production of biodiesel with higher oxidation stability and higher cetane number. The algal oils generated from the biomasses in the cultivation system are promising feed stocks for biodiesel and value added products DHA and α, γ -linolenic acids. The developed fast and cost effective analytical strategy based on 1H NMR techniques will facilitate algae cultivators for screening of species and optimization of cultivation parameters to produce a choice of product, thus contribute partly in the overall reduction in the cost of production of biodiesel.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"1 1","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81028350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ogbunude Poj, Udeogaranya Po, A. Eze, Ikekpeazu Je, Okoli Ua
{"title":"Ribokinase: A Possible Target for Chemotherapy of Protozoans","authors":"Ogbunude Poj, Udeogaranya Po, A. Eze, Ikekpeazu Je, Okoli Ua","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000219","url":null,"abstract":"The development of anti-parasitic agent is quite challenging particularly when exploiting biochemical differences between the parasite and the host. However, with post-genome bioinformatics and experimental research, drug targets can be more easily identified. Ribose metabolism in protozoans is of interest because protozoa in general are auxotrophic for purines and acquire these nutrients from the hosts1. Ribose is utilized in the production of ribose 5-phosphate required for the synthesis of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate that is used with purine bases for the synthesis of nucleic acids. The enzyme responsible for the conversion of ribose to ribose 5-phosphate is ribokinase (an ATP-dependent phosphoribosyl kinase, EC 2.1.7.15). Four possible pathways exist for mobilization of free nucleobases for the synthesis of nucleic acids in protozoans, three of these use ribokinase and one uses transketolase / transaldolase pathway. Inhibition of these pathways, that is, the ribokinase pathway and transketolase / transaldolase pathway will deny the parasites ability to use the nucleobases to make nucleic acids.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"79 1","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83918451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sulfonylureas can Stimulate Insulin Release by Flip-Flop across Phospholipid Membranes","authors":"J. Alruwaili","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000218","url":null,"abstract":"The design of new drugs and drug-delivery systems requires insight about how a drug interacts with the phospholipid bilayer. Sulfonylureas are used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus because they stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Two generations of Sulfonylurea drugs have been marketed to treat type II diabetes mellitus. Tolbutamide was chosen to represent the first generation of these drugs, whereas Glibenclamide was from the second generation. This study investigated how the Sulfonylureas cross the phospholipid membrane and it found that these drugs are transported by non-energy dependent flip-flop mechanism. A u-shaped conformation for both Tolbutamide and Glibenclamide is being proposed to explain the binding of these drugs to the phospholipid membrane.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"301 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86222949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Ojebode, C. Olaiya, A. E. Adegbite, K. Karigidi, T. Ale
{"title":"Efficacy of Some Plant Extracts as Storage Protectants against Callosobruchus maculatus","authors":"M. Ojebode, C. Olaiya, A. E. Adegbite, K. Karigidi, T. Ale","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000217","url":null,"abstract":"A significant quantity of crops is lost as a result of application of non-selective crop protection agents. The agrochemical industry is faced with increasing demand for the development of new crop protection agents that are safe for the environment and consumers. This research aimed at contributing to the collation and organization of baseline data on natural insect repelling and insecticidal agents. It also aimed at discovering crop protection agents that would preferentially get rid of pests. The need to develop pest control measures as alternative to chemicals is a priority for Scientists worldwide. Therefore, it is critical to find a cost effective and non-toxic method to prevent pest attack on field or stored crops. In this study, Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass), Citrus sinensis (orange peel) and Azadirachta indica (neem) were used to investigate and evaluate the potency of the fixed and essential oils of these plants as pest control agent for the main storage insect pest of cowpea- Callosobruchus maculatus. All extracts were toxic to adult C. maculatus and prevented egg hatching. However, Citrus sinensis showed the highest weevil mortality on the first day of exposure, followed by Azadirachta indica and the least toxic was Cymbopogon citratus in the fixed oil category of extracts while in the essential oil category, Cymbopogon citratus showed 100% adult weevil mortality within one hour of exposure and Citrus sinensis was able to achieve 100% weevil mortality at the third hour of exposure. The Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of the essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus and Citrus sinensis was used to identify possible components of the oils comparing with existing data. This led to the development of technique adoptable for small holder farmers and cowpea traders.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"9 1","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87658966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Modern Approaches into Biochemical and Molecular Biomarkers: KeyRoles in Environmental Biotechnology","authors":"J. Paniagua-Michel, J. Olmos-Soto","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000216","url":null,"abstract":"Biomarkers are characterized by a unique order in their molecular structures and are the first sentinel’s tools for sensitive effect measurements in environmental quality or biotechnological processes assessment. Most of the importance of biomarkers resides in their property to be measurable using different biochemical and molecular approaches. The recent application and or studies of biomarkers and its correlation at the omics era, has revalorized new roles of biomarkers in environmental biotechnology. In this work, some of the common biomarkers actually used, viz, pigments, cytochrome P4501A enzyme induction, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, DNA integrity and metallothiones are analyzed concomitantly to recent applications of Omics technologies to optimize metabolic networks in living biomes. New developments under the umbrella of the culture independent molecular tools applied for the analyses of mixed microbial communities have contributed in understanding catabolism from contaminants in extreme and fragile environments. These approaches open the venue for the new biomarkers for an increased biodiversity expectative of ca. 99% higher than conventional classification. Functional genes by metagenomic arrays, will greatly improve our understanding of microbial interaction and metabolism to facilitate the development of suitable bioremediation strategies for environment clean up.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"29 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74752049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and Indole -3- Butyric Acid (IBA) on In Vitro Rooting of Sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) Micro- Shoots","authors":"B. Tolera","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000215","url":null,"abstract":"In Vitro rooting of micropropagated micro-shoots of two commercial sugarcane varieties was carried out with the aim of evaluating the root induction responses of the sugarcane varieties (B41-227 and N14) to alpha naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and Indole -3- butyric acid (IBA). Accordingly, four levels of NAA (0, 1, 2, and 3 mg L-1) and IBA (0, 1, 2 and 3 mg L-1) in a completely randomized design with 4 × 4 × 2 factorial treatment combination arrangements were tested. Data on the number of roots per shoot and average root length (cm) were collected after 30 days of culture on ½ MS root induction medium. Analysis of variance revealed that the interaction effects of NAA, IBA and the sugarcane genotypes on number of roots per shoot and average root length of both sugarcane varieties was very highly significant (P<0.0001). Culture medium containing 2 mg L-1 NAA and 1 mg L-1 IBA for B41-227 and 1 mg L-1 NAA alone for N14 was found to be optimum. On these medium, B41-227 gave 33 ± 0.15 roots per shoot with 2.92 ± 0.18 cm root length and N14 produced 35± 0.20 roots per shoot with 3.2 ± 0.25 cm root length. The rooted plantlets were survived 100% after four weeks of acclimatization in greenhouse on Farmyard manure and soil at 2:8 ratios. The optimized protocol can be used to develop healthy and profuse root system in the sugarcane micro-shoots, an essential stage in sugarcane micropropagation.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"12 1","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82440295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A New Method for the Screening of Ureolytic Bacteria Inducing CalciumCarbonate Precipitation","authors":"A. Shukla, S. Cameotra","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000248","url":null,"abstract":"At present several studies are evaluating biological calcite precipitation as it has laid the concept of bioconcrete as a self-healing material which may be a green and more sustainable component for future architecture. This paper reports a 96 wells plate based rapid and easy method for the screening of urea hydrolyzing/calcite-precipitating bacteria. Arsenazo III was used as a colorimetric indicator in 96 wells plate assay. This method requires small amount of reagents and therefore was easy to manage. In this rapid, economic and reliable method that we have developed, Paenibacillus, a facultative anaerobe and Lysinibacillus, were screened as the most efficient bacteria in calcium carbonate precipitation among isolated urea hydrolyzing microbes or bacterial samples from the soil collected from Uttarakhand, India.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"21 1","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89679443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Method to Produce Curcumin Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsions as Templates for Drug Carriers","authors":"E. Marin, Briceño Mi, Georgescu Cc","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000247","url":null,"abstract":"Curcumin has a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities, which could be better exploited in numerous medical applications if it were not for its poor water-solubility. In this study, we describe a new method to improve curcumin solubility, using a combination of paraffin oil and ethanol. Further, we describe a systematic and efficient procedure to develop a formulation and a scalable mixing method in order to produce curcumin loaded oilin- water nanoemulsions that can be used as nanocapsule templates with potential biomedical applications.","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"3 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74571427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Review on Enzymatic Treatment of Phenols in Wastewater","authors":"Prashant Agarwal, Ritika Gupta, N. Agarwal","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000249","url":null,"abstract":"Tyrosinase is a natural enzyme and mainly catalyses the o-hydroxylation of monophenols into their corresponding o-diphenols. The synthesis of o-diphenols is a potentially valuable catalytic ability and thus tyrosinase has attracted a lot of attention with respect to industrial applications. In environmental technology, it is used for the detoxification of phenol-containing wastewaters and contaminated soils and also used in cosmetic and food industries as important catalytic enzyme. Phenols are present in effluents of a number of industries such as coal conversion, resins, plastic, petroleum refining, textiles, dyes and organic chemicals. Conventional processes for removal of phenols have drawbacks of incomplete removal of phenols. Hence, an alternative based on enzymes has been investigated. This review summarizes the current research based on removal of phenol from waste streams by enzyme polyphenoloxidase (tyrosinase).","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"8 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87033929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Sabbah, M. Esposito, P. Pierro, C. Giosafatto, L. Mariniello, R. Porta
{"title":"Insight into Zeta Potential Measurements in Biopolymer Film Preparation","authors":"M. Sabbah, M. Esposito, P. Pierro, C. Giosafatto, L. Mariniello, R. Porta","doi":"10.4172/2155-952X.1000E126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.1000E126","url":null,"abstract":"Microand nano-particle charge is one of the main factors determining the physical stability of both emulsions and suspensions and can be quantified by measuring their so called “zeta potential”. When all the particles have a large either negative or positive zeta potential value, they will repel each other and, as a consequence, the suspension becomes stable. By contrast, whether the zeta potential is close to 0 mV, the tendency for flocculation increases. Zeta potential is, however, a feature of the particle in its environment and not of the particle itself. In fact, its net charge in solution affects the ion distribution surrounding the particle, thus resulting in an increase in the concentration of counter-ions. The region over which this influence extends is called “electrical double layer” (EDL) and EDL splits into two regions (Figure 1). In the first, called “stern layer”, the ions are of opposite charge with respect to the particles and, being strongly bound to them, move with them. The second layer, conversely, is a “diffuse layer” where the ions are less strongly attached and, inside it, there is a boundary line between the ions moving with the particles and the not moving ones. This region, called “slipping plane”, is known as the surface of hydrodynamic shear and the potential existing in the slipping plane is called zeta potential [1].","PeriodicalId":15156,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biotechnology & biomaterials","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88752693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}