Fungal biotreatment of agro-industrial wastes for the production of bioethanol in bioreactor

BIOETHANOL production from lignocellulosic feedstocks is considered a promising strategy to increase global production of biofuels without impacting food supplies. This work aimed to evaluate bioethanol production by baker's yeast using a medium containing the hydrolysate of fungal biotreatment of five different lignocellulosic feedstocks with some amendments. The pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks using 5 % w/v NaOH, 1 % v/v H[2]SO[4] and sodium hypochlorite: H[2]O[2][10:1] prior to fungal biotreatment was studied. For bioethanol production, batch, fed-batch [two strategies] and continuous cultivations of baker's yeast on the fungal biotreated rice straw hydrolysate was evaluated in bioreactor. In batch and pulsed fed-batch cultivations, the highest bioethanol concentration, conversion coefficient, bioethanol yield and productivity were [0.41 % v/v, 36.9 % v/w, 36,9 % v/w and 0.114 ml/l/h, respectively], while in fed-batch cultivation with continuous feeding these parameters were [0.45 % v/v, 40 % v/w,. 40.5 v/w % and 0,015 ml/l/h, respectively]. The highest bioethanol concentration [0.52 % v/v] was obtained in continuous culture at dilution rate of 0.03 h[-1]. while conversion coefficient; yield and productivity were 31.2 % v/w, 31.4 % v/w and 0.022 ml/l/h, respectively

in vitro effect of chloramphenicol and salicylate on erythrocytes of patients with favism

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PD] deficiency is the most common of all clinically significant enzyme defects. A long list of drugs thought to cause haemolysis in patients with this enzyme defect. To determine whether chloramphenicol and salicylate can act as in vitro exogenous oxidizing agents and subsequently cause haemolysis of G6PD deficient erythrocytes and matching the result with the data obtained from the clinical observations which includes the intake of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, salicylate or nalidixic acid by favic patient. Sixty six patients admitted to the hospital [Karbala teaching hospital for Children, Karbala, Iraq] with history of sudden onset of pallor and dark urine after fava beans ingestion were studied. Each patient was fully examined and his parents were asked about the type of fava beans ingested and the past drug history. Of the sixty six patients, ten were evaluated 1-3 months later and blood samples were taken from them along with blood samples from ten healthy volunteers. Blood samples from both groups were incubated in vitro with chloramphenicol and salicylate separately. Mean [SD] of methaemoglobin concentrations at baseline and after incubation with therapeutic and toxic concentrations of chloramphenicol [15 micro g/ml and 25 micro g/ml] and salicylate [150 micro g/ml and 300 micro g/ml] were calculated for both the control and the study groups. Paired t-test showed no significant differences [P> 0.05] in methaemoglobin concentrations at baseline and after incubation with therapeutic and toxic concentrations of these drugs. Mean percentage differences from baseline for G6PD deficient group were not significantly different from control group at both concentrations of these drugs as tested by student t-test. Hemolysis in G[6]PD deficient patients occurs mainly after fresh fava beans ingestion. chloramphenicol and acetylsalicylic acid do not cause significant hemolysis in G[6]PD deficient erythrocytes in vitro

Prophylactic and curative effect of ginseng roots as hypoglycemic agent in albino rats

The present study aimed to investigate the prophylactic and curative effect of ginseng roots on blood glucose level and evaluate the changes in the antioxidant activity in normal and diabetic rats. Forty eight albino rats weighing 130 +/- 10 g were used in two main experiments i.e. prophylactic and curative. Streptozotocin [STZ] was used to induce hyperglycemia. Korean ginseng roots were purchased from the Egyptian market. Some biochemical and antioxidant parameters were assessed. The obtained results indicated that ginseng roots possessed significant antidiabetic effects in both experiments. The levels of blood sugar, total lipids, total cholesterol, triglycerides, rnalondialdehyde [MDA] and catalase were decreased while the levels of HDL-cholesterol and ascorbic acid were increased in the diabetic rats after treatment of ginseng roots. On the other hand, the level of reduced glutathjone [GSH] did not significantly change

Asthma prevalence and severity among primary-school children in Baghdad

To measure asthma prevalence and severity among children in Baghdad, we randomly sampled 3360 primary-school children and had their parents complete st and ardized questionnaires. The response rate was 86%, male to female ratio was 0.75:1 and age range was 6-12 years. Prevalence of wheezing ever was 25.0%. Wheezing during the last 12 months was 19.9% and 2.9% of the children had more than 12 attacks. Parents reported nocturnal wheezing for 16.3% of the children and severe attacks that limited speech for 10.5%. Prevalence of asthma ever was 22.3%. Asthma was detected in 81.9% of those with wheezing in the last 12 months. Males were predominant among children with wheezing ever, whereas females were predominant among children with asthma ever. Prevalence rates of asthma and of severe asthma symptoms decreased with increasing age

Changes in blood lipids after administration of female sex hormones in normotensive and hypertensive female rats

A comparative study between estrogen [E] progesterone [P] and combined EP effects on serum lipids and lipoprotein was accomplished. The results obtained revealed that estrogen behaves as antiatherogenic hormone. Estrogen decreased plasma-total cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol, meanwhile, an increase in HDL-cholesterol was measured in both normotensive and hypertensive rats due to estrogen treatment. On the other hand, progesterone as well as combined estrogen and progesterone treatment led to rise in plasma total cholesterol triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol with concomitant decrease in HDL- cholesterol in both groups. The presented data indicated that hypertension did not produce appreciable alteration to estrogen and progesterone responses. Besides, some of the observed side effects frequently observed in contraceptive pill users could be explained on the light of the obtained results

Assessment of neutrophil function in localized pre-pubertal periodontitis

Polymorphonuclear leucocytes [PMNS] from L-PP patients revealed variousdegrees of functional defects. This study was undertaken to investigatechemotaxis, phagocytosis and intracellular killing Poer of PMSs in L-PP agematched controls and adult controls. Peripheral blood PMNs from a total of 6patients with L-PP, 6 age matched pediatric controls, and 5 adult controlswere analyzed for neutrophil function. The results showed that chemotaxis ofPMNs from both L-PP patients and pediatric controls was nearly at the samelevel, but significantly depressed compared to adult controls. There was nosignificant difference between chemotaxis of PMNs from L-PP patients and thatfrom age matched controls. On the other hand, both phagocytosis andintracellular killing power of PMNs from patient with L-PP were matchedcontrols or adult controls. It seems from the results of this study thatneutrophil function in L-PP patients is defective as regard to phagocytosis,intracellular killing but not for chemotaxis