ABSTRACT
Biochar is an organic material and high in carbon content, besides its use for energy purposes, it is also a material that serves the purpose of improving soil fertility, organic matter content of soils and removing heavy metals from water and soil. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial effects of biochar whose beneficial effects on agricultural productivity has been proven by different studies. Scientific literature concerning the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects of the apricot seed and olive seed biochar is limited. Biochar applications may help to alter the microbial diversity by modifying biological environment either in agriculture or in animal husbandry. Moreover, biochar has been used in animal husbandry to improve animal health especially by regulating the intestinal flora and inflammation in the intestines. Hence, in our study, we investigated the effect of biochar on the growth of Aspergillus niger, Cryphonectria parasitica, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Plenodomus tracheiphilus, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and two different bacteriophage strains. Biochar did not have any direct effect on the growth of either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, bacteriophages, and fungi. In order to test their direct effects on the immune cells, mammalian macrophages were used and biochar directly reduced the inflammatory cytokine levels produced by the inâ vitro activated macrophages.
Subject(s)
Agriculture , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology , Charcoal/pharmacology , Inflammation/drug therapy , Animal Feed/microbiology , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Cells, Cultured , Charcoal/chemistry , Cytokines/antagonists & inhibitors , Cytokines/metabolism , Macrophages/drug effects , Macrophages/metabolism , Mice , RAW 264.7 CellsABSTRACT
Bacteriophages present alternatives to antibiotics. In the age of superbugs and antibiotic resistance, the field of medicine is trying to create new antibiotics or derivatives of the old ones to eliminate bacterial infections. Bacteriophages are specific to a certain type of bacterial species and effectively kill the bacteria of target. In order to effectively use the bacteriophages as medicine, their possible side effects should be properly analyzed and one of those includes their activities on the immune system cells. In this study, we isolated two new Escherichia coli bacteriophages and tested their effect on the activation state of the mammalian macrophages. The bacteriophages were host specific and had substantial adsorption rates on E. coli. Moreover, they were able to effectively stimulate the macrophages in the absence of a bacterial stimulant, lipopolysaccharides. This implies that these bacteriophages can be used against E. coli infections in which proper immune system activation is missing. This study is the first one to our knowledge specifically showing the immunostimulatory effect of newly isolated E. coli bacteriophages on the macrophages. It is important to determine the effect of bacteriophages on the immune system cells before their use as antibiotics.
Subject(s)
Coliphages/immunology , Escherichia coli/immunology , Immunization/methods , Inflammation Mediators/immunology , Macrophages/immunology , Animals , Bacteriophages/immunology , Bacteriophages/metabolism , Cell Survival , Coliphages/metabolism , Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Inflammation Mediators/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Macrophages/microbiology , Mice , RAW 264.7 CellsABSTRACT
In this study, the yeast strains were isolated from grapes by serial dilution technique to determine their alcohol-, sugar- and thermotolerance. 34 wild type yeast strains were isolated and alcohol-, sugar- and thermotolerance of these strains were determined. The maximum alcohol tolerance was found to be 9% (v/v) in yeast strain which is named Y2. Thermotolerance behavior of 6 strains were investigated. The strains were treated with UV light with intervals of 20, 30, 40 and 50 seconds. Selected resistant colonies were investigated for alcohol tolerance. It was found that alcohol tolerance increased from 9% (v/v) to 12% (v/v) on Y2 strain.
Subject(s)
Ethanol/pharmacology , Yeasts/physiology , Ethanol/metabolism , Glucose/metabolism , Glucose/pharmacology , Hot Temperature , Mutagenesis , Vitis/microbiology , Water-Electrolyte Balance/physiology , Yeasts/drug effects , Yeasts/genetics , Yeasts/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
In this study, the chromosomal DNAs were extracted from Aspergillus niger Z10 wild type strain and these DNAs were separated using the contour clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis (CHEF) system. This system is laboratory-made and is operated by a computer program. Total DNAs resolved into five distinct chromosomal bands. The size of the chromosomes was estimated as being between 3.3 Mb to 6.4 Mb.
