Features of basidiomycetous yeasts from grapes and apples associated with crop environment and fermenting juice.

AIMS: The characterization of grape and apple yeasts was carried out to investigate the ecology of basidiomycetes associated with crop environment and fermenting juice. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 15 basidiomycetous strains were analysed for plant-growth promoting properties, sensitivity to fungicides and features related to their survival in fermenting juice (low pH, SO2 and ethanol sensitivity). Only one strain displayed 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity, whereas other strains were able to produce ammonia and indole-3-acetic acid, solubilize calcium phosphate, and display catalase activity and antagonism against Botrytis cinerea. Strains presented great variability in their sensitivity to fungicides. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Yl26 and Sporobolomyces agrorum PYCC 8108T displayed low sensitivity to all fungicides, with high tolerance to SO2 and ethanol, and were able to survive in fermenting grape and apple juice. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the diversity of basidiomycetous yeasts in the important physiological traits that affect their growth, either in the crop environment or in fermenting juice. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Identify the possibility of selective effects of fungicide treatments on basidiomycetous yeasts that could offer benefits for grapevines and apple trees, as well as the survival of strains that are better adapted to fermenting juice and that potentially have a role in the aroma of beverages.

Mesocosm-based simulations to optimize a bioremediation strategy for the effective restoration of wildfire-impacted soils contaminated with high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons.

AIMS: We obtained four microbial isolates from soil exposed to forest fire and evaluated their potential bioremediation activity when combined with a biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain for the decontamination of wildfire-impacted soil polluted with high-molecular-weight (HMW) hydrocarbons. METHODS AND RESULTS: We established mesocosm trials to compare three bioremediation strategies: natural attenuation, bioaugmentation and biostimulation. Chemical analysis, culture-dependent and culture-independent methods were used to evaluate the bioremediation efficiency and speciation of the microbial cenoses based on these approaches. After treatment for 90 days, bioaugmentation removed 75·2-75·9% of the HMW hydrocarbons, biostimulation removed 63·2-69·5% and natural attenuation removed ~22·5%. Hydrocarbon degradation was significantly enhanced in the mesocosm supplemented with the biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain after 20 and 50 days of treatment compared to the other bioremediation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the bioaugmentation approach was more effective than biostimulation and natural attenuation for the removal of HMW hydrocarbons from fire-impacted soil. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our study showed that micro-organisms from wildfire-impacted soil show significant potential for bioremediation, and that biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains can be combined with them as part of an effective bioremediation strategy.

Penetration enhancer-containing vesicles: composition dependence of structural features and skin penetration ability.

In this work, we focused on how composition and preparation method of vesicles might affect their morphological features and delivery performances. Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles, PEVs, vesicles containing a water miscible penetration enhancer (Transcutol® P; 10%, 20%, 30% v/v) and encapsulating diclofenac sodium, were formulated and compared with conventional liposomes. A cheap and unpurified commercial mixture of phospholipids, fatty acids, and triglycerides (Phospholipon® 50) was used, and the effects of this heterogeneous composition (along with the presence or absence of transcutol and the production method) on vesicle morphology, size, surface charge, drug loading, and stability were investigated. The variations in vesicle structure, bilayer thickness, and number of lamellae were assessed by TEM and Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering, which also proved the liquid state of the vesicular bilayer. Further, vesicles were evaluated for ex vivo (trans)dermal delivery, and their mode of action was studied performing a pre-treatment test and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses. Results showed the formation of multi- and unilamellar vesicles that provided improved diclofenac delivery to pig skin, influenced by vesicle lipid composition and structure. Images of the qualitative CLSM analyses support the conclusion that PEVs enhance drug transport by penetrating intact the stratum corneum, thanks to a synergic effect of vesicles and penetration enhancer.