Organosulfur compounds and possible mechanism of garlic in cancer

Garlic [Allium sativum], a member of the family Liliaceae, contains an abundance of chemical compounds that have been shown to possess beneficial effects to protect against several diseases, including cancer. Evidence supports the protective effects of garlic in stomach, colorectal, breast cancer in humans. The protective effects appear to be related to the presence of Organosulfur compounds, predominantly allyl derivatives, which also have been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis in forestomach, esophagus, colon, mammary gland and lung of experimental animals. The exact mechanisms of the cancer-preventive effects are not clear, although several hypotheses have been proposed. Organosulfur compounds modulate the activity of several metabolizing enzymes that activate [cytochrome P450s] or detoxify [glutathione S-transferases] carcinogens and inhibit the formation of DNA adducts in several target tissues. Antiproliferative activity has been described in several tumor cell lines, which is possibly mediated by induction of apoptosis and alterations of the cell cycle. Organosulfur compounds in garlic are thus possible cancer-preventive agents. Clinical trials will be required to define the effective dose that has no toxicity in humans

Effect of calcium alginate concentration on the production of citric acid and polyols by three strains of aspergillus niger

The effect of different calcium alginate concentrations [2% -and [6%] on the productivity of citric acid, oxalic acid and polyols of three strains of Asperaillas niger was investigated. The results obtained showed that the production of the acids and the consumption of sucrase, were strain-dependent. The alginate concentration affected increased oxalic acid production. The influence of long storage [one year] of a strain on productivity was also reported

Production of alpha-amylase from bacillus lentus

A number of nutritional factors affecting growth and alpha-amylase by amylase by Bacillus lentus were investigated. The production of enzyme increased with increase of temperature reaching its maximum between 40°C - 45°C after 60h incubation when cultivated in a medium with 30 g/1 starch as carbon source. Supplementation of the medium with different carbon sources did not enhance either enzyme activity or growth. Of the nitrogen sources examined a mixture of peptone, yeast and beef extracts stimulated growth and yielded the highest enzyme production

On the production of alpha-amylase by free and immobilized cultures of bacillus lentus

The effect of natural additive, amino acids, vitamins, surfactants on the production of alpha-amylase by Bacillus lentus was studied. Also the production of alpha-amylase was followed with cells of B. lentus immobillized by entrapment in Ca-alginate [2%] in static, shaked and insemi-continuous cultures, and by adsorption on granular clay