Exploring the potential of Epicoccum nigrum for pigment production under variable conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 555-562
Author(s):  
Sawinder Kaur ◽  
Vivek Mumbarkar ◽  
Paramjit S. Panesar ◽  
Sushma Gurumayum ◽  
Prasad Rasane
Keyword(s):  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
Yellow Pigment ◽  
Pigment Production ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Epicoccum Nigrum ◽  
The Media

Purpose The purpose of this study is to isolate yellow pigment producing fungal strain and to determine the media requirement for growth and secondary metabolite production. Design/methodology/approach Fifteen soil samples were collected and studied for a pigment producing fungal sources. Selection of a fungus was based on pigment produced and further conditions, such as effect of media composition and light wavelength on pigment production and growth parameters were optimised. Findings Out of the isolates analysed, Epicoccum nigrum was selected for further study as this strain has the potential for pigment production. Among all the media evaluated, potato dextrose agar (PDA) was found to be the best media for growth and sporulation, whilst sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) was only 29 per cent as capable as the best medium. The radial growth rate in case of PDA was 3 ± 0.02 mm/day, while in case of SDA, it was only 1.09 mm/day. Whilst starch as a carbon source was found to increase the radial growth to 5.15 ± 0.02 mm/day, sucrose significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the sporulation (224,000 ± 1,550 spores/ml) of Epicoccum nigrum. Amongst the various nitrogen sources analysed, peptone significantly increased (p < 0.05) the radial growth (6.55 ± 0.02 mm/day) as well as sporulation (220,000 ± 2,100 spores/ml). The observations also indicated that E. nigrum is able to sense and differentiate between light in different wavelength ranges and respond differently in growth and sporulation. The light passing through a red colour sheet resulted in better radial growth (8.5 ± 0.02 mm/day) in comparison to unfiltered light (3 ± 0.02 mm/day). Yellow pigment production in terms of hue values was significantly influenced by the presence of dextrose, peptone and darkness. Research limitations/implications The isolated strain could be studied for variable conditions and stress factors for optimal production of the pigment. Recovery and purification studies could be carried out at pilot and industrial scale. Practical implications The isolation of a strain producing valuable microbial pigment will increase the alternatives of natural food colours and enhance the its commercial applications Originality/value This study identifies Epicoccum nigrum as a potential source of microbial pigment and facilitates its growth and production for possible applications in industrial pigment production.

scholarly journals Insight into phenotypic and genotypic differences between vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus BC5 and Lactobacillus gasseri BC12 to unravel nutritional and stress factors influencing their metabolic activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Emidio Costantini ◽  
Andrea Firrincieli ◽  
Stefano Fedi ◽  
Carola Parolin ◽  
Carlo Viti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Phenotype Microarray ◽  
Genetic Traits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Phenotypic Profile ◽  
Link Type

The vaginal microbiota, normally characterized by lactobacilli presence, is crucial for vaginal health. Members belonging to L. crispatus and L. gasseri species exert crucial protective functions against pathogens, although a total comprehension of factors that influence their dominance in healthy women is still lacking. Here we investigated the complete genome sequence and comprehensive phenotypic profile of L. crispatus strain BC5 and L. gasseri strain BC12, two vaginal strains featured by anti-bacterial and anti-viral activities. Phenotype microarray (PM) results revealed an improved capacity of BC5 to utilize different carbon sources as compared to BC12, although some specific carbon sources that can be associated to the human diet were only metabolized by BC12, i.e. uridine, amygdalin, tagatose. Additionally, the two strains were mostly distinct in the capacity to utilize the nitrogen sources under analysis. On the other hand, BC12 showed tolerance/resistance towards twice the number of stressors (i.e. antibiotics, toxic metals etc.) with respect to BC5. The divergent phenotypes observed in PM were supported by the identification in either BC5 or BC12 of specific genetic determinants that were found to be part of the core genome of each species. The PM results in combination with comparative genome data provide insights into the possible environmental factors and genetic traits supporting the predominance of either L. crispatus BC5 or L. gasseri BC12 in the vaginal niche, giving also indications for metabolic predictions at the species level.

scholarly journals Pigment Production of Monascus sp. Isolated from Angkak in Semarang Region, Central Java, Indonesia

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Endang Kusdiyantini ◽  
Soni Nugraha ◽  
Arina Lunggani
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Nitrogen Source ◽  
Ammonium Chloride ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Pigment Production ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Red Yeast Rice ◽  
Red Pigment ◽  
Potato Dextrose Broth

Angkak (red fungi rice, red yeast rice) is a traditional fermentation by fungi Monascus in a lot of Asia Countries, which is useful as a natural food colorant.  The aim of this research was to obtain pure isolate of red fungus from angkak in Semarang. The growth and the red pigment production of the selected isolate in the different initial medium pH and nitrogen sources were observed. The treatment was done by growing the isolate in PDB (Potato Dextrose Broth) medium at initial pH 3, 5, 7 and 9 and as well as optimization of nitrogen sources with 1% ammonium chloride, 1% ammonium nitrate, and 1% peptone. Analysis of the fungi growth was performed by weighing mycelia biomass using dry weight method and the red pigments were analysis using spectrophotometer at a wavelength (λmax) of 500 nm. The results showed that the highest absorbance value of pigment (0.81) was obtained at pH 7, and the highest value of the cell dry weight was also obtained at pH 7 (1.23 g/L). The results showed that 1% ammonium chloride was the best nitrogen source for absorbance of red pigment production (0.82), but the highest of dry weight (2.56 g/L) was obtained by using medium with 1% ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source.

scholarly journals Wheat Bran Hydrolysate Culture Medium Design for Talaromyces Purpureogenus CFRM02 Pigment Production and Colour Characteristics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujit Das ◽  
Saritha Gopal Pandit ◽  
Mohan Dhale
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Bran ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
Pigment Production ◽  
Xylose Metabolism ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Medium Design ◽  
The Media ◽  
Comparative Results ◽  
Cie Lab

Abstract Wheat bran hydrolysate (WBH) in combination with carbon and nitrogen was utilised as substrate for pigment production by Talaromyces purpureogenus CFRM02. Pigment yield was significantly increased (≈ 3 fold: OD units and ≈ 2 fold: a* value) by xylose supplementation with WBH compared to other carbon sources. Whereas 1% xylose supplementation increased pigment production (1.57 ± 0.05 OD Units and 49 ± 1.62 a* value). Pigment yield was low when WBH supplemented with 0.3% nitrogen sources. However significant increase (≈ 2-2.5 fold, OD units and a* value) was observed, when yeast extract (1.2%), nitrate of sodium (1.2%) and potassium (1.6%) were supplemented. Accordingly, 16 WBH media were designed by supplementing carbon and nitrogen. Interestingly the pigment production was significantly increased (1.59 OD units and 32 a* value) in the medium supplemented with 4% carbon and 0.9–1.2% nitrogen. T. purpureogenus CFRM02 was able to co-utilize xylose, fructose and glucose in WBH medium. The CIE Lab values indicated that, pigment characteristics differed significantly among the media. Apparently, T. purpureogenus CFRM02 possess alternative gene(s) or pathway(s) for xylose metabolism and channelled towards pigment biosynthesis. Comparative results revealed that, 1% xylose supplementation to WBH makes the fermentation process economically competitive for pigment production.

The More Control, the Better?

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeeyun Oh ◽  
Mun-Young Chung ◽  
Sangyong Han
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Design ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Story Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High User ◽  
User Control ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Control Versus ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

Despite of the popularity of interactive movie trailers, rigorous research on one of the most apparent features of these interfaces – the level of user control – has been scarce. This study explored the effects of user control on users’ immersion and enjoyment of the movie trailers, moderated by the content type. We conducted a 2 (high user control versus low user control) × 2 (drama film trailer versus documentary film trailer) mixed-design factorial experiment. The results showed that the level of user control over movie trailer interfaces decreased users’ immersion when the trailer had an element of traditional story structure, such as a drama film trailer. Participants in the high user control condition answered that they were less fascinated with, absorbed in, focused on, mentally involved with, and emotionally affected by the movie trailer than participants in the low user control condition only with the drama movie trailer. The negative effects of user control on the level of immersion for the drama trailer translated into users’ enjoyment. The impact of user control over interfaces on immersion and enjoyment varies depending on the nature of the media content, which suggests a possible trade-off between the level of user control and entertainment outcomes.

Growth of Dracaena marginata and Spathiphyllum ‘Petite’ in Sphagnum Peat- and Coconut Coir Dust-based Growing Media

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Stamps ◽  
Michael R. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Cocos Nucifera ◽  
Greenhouse Production ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Sphagnum Peat ◽  
Affected Plant ◽  
Coir Dust ◽  
Media Component ◽  
The Media ◽  
Cocos Nucifera L

Abstract A comparison was made of Canadian sphagnum peat (SP) and Philippine coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) coir dust (CD) as growing media components for greenhouse production of Dracaena marginata Bak. and Spathiphyllum Schott ‘Petite’. Three soilless foliage plant growing mixes (Cornell, Hybrid, University of Florida #2 [UF-2]) were prepared using either SP or CD and pine bark (PB), vermiculite (V), and/or perlite (P) in the following ratios (% by vol): Cornell = 50 CD or SP:25 V:25 P, Hybrid = 40 CD or SP:30 V:30 PB, UF-2 = 50 CD or SP: 50 PB. Dracaena root growth was not affected by treatments but there were significant mix × media component interactions that affected plant top growth parameters. In general, the growth and quality of D. marginata were reduced by using CD in Cornell, had no effect in Hybrid, and increased in UF-2. S. ‘Petite’ grew equally well in all growing mixes regardless of whether CD or SP was used; however, plants grew more in Cornell and Hybrid than in UF-2. S. ‘Petite’ roots, which were infested with Cylindrocladium spathiphylli, had higher grades when grown in CD than when the media contained SP.

Role of social networking services for scientists in promoting scientific output on example of Polish representatives of social communication and media sciences

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 717-736
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Kowalska-Chrzanowska ◽  
Przemysław Krysiński
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Scientific Communication ◽  
Scientific Output ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Social Networking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Media ◽  
Usage Level

Purpose This paper aims to answer the question of how the Polish representatives of social communication and media sciences communicate the most recent scientific findings in the media space, i.e. what types of publications are shared, what activities do they exemplify (sharing information about their own publications, leading discussions, formulating opinions), what is the form of the scientific communication created by them (publication of reference lists' descriptions, full papers, preprints and post prints) and what is the audience reception (number of downloads, displays, comments). Design/methodology/approach The authors present the results of analysis conducted on the presence of the most recent (2017–2019) publications by the Polish representatives of the widely understood social communication and media sciences in three selected social networking services for scientists: ResearchGate, Google Scholar and Academia.edu. The analyses covered 100 selected representatives of the scientific environment (selected in interval sampling), assigned, according to the OECD classification “Field of Science”, in the “Ludzie nauki” (Men of Science) database to the “media and communication” discipline. Findings The conducted analyses prove a low usage level of the potential of three analysed services for scientists by the Polish representatives of social communication and media sciences. Although 60% of them feature profiles in at least one of the services, the rest are not present there at all. From the total of 113 identified scientists' profiles, as little as 65 feature publications from 2017 to 2019. Small number of alternative metrics established in them, implies, in turn, that if these metrics were to play an important role in evaluation of the value and influence of scientific publications, then this evaluation for the researched Polish representatives of social communication and media sciences would be unfavourable. Originality/value The small presence of the Polish representatives of the communication and media sciences in three analysed services shows that these services may be – for the time being – only support the processes of managing own scientific output. Maybe this quite a pessimistic image of scientists' activities in the analysed services is conditioned by a simple lack of the need to be present in electronic channels of scientific communication or the lack of trust to the analysed services, which, in turn, should be linked to their shortcomings and flaws. However, unequivocal confirmation of these hypotheses might be brought by explorations covering a larger group of scientists, and complemented with survey studies. Thus, this research may constitute merely a starting point for further explorations, including elaboration of good practices with respect to usage of social media by scientists.

The carmine dilemma: does the natural colourant preference outweigh nausea?

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 1915-1928
Author(s):  
Judith Müller-Maatsch ◽  
Johannes Jasny ◽  
Katharina Henn ◽  
Claudia Gras ◽  
Reinhold Carle
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Consumer Perception ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
German Population ◽  
Misleading Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Broad Cross Section ◽  
First Time ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the consumers’ perception of natural and artificial food colourants. Furthermore, attitudes towards the application of carmine, being technically important and ubiquitously used to impart red shades, are assessed and analysed. Originating from insects, carmine is considered as natural but may arouse disgust. Design/methodology/approach In total, 625 individuals were surveyed using an online, self-administered questionnaire to represent a broad cross-section of the German population. Findings Independent of their origin, the application of colourants was rejected by 57.0 per cent of the interviewees. In total, 31.8 per cent of the participants stated a neutral attitude, while only 11.2 per cent expressed a positive notion. Most respondents preferred colourants from natural sources to artificial ones. While consumers perceive natural food colourants composed of genuine plant pigments positively, 61.6 per cent of respondents disliked the application of animal-derived colourants, 24.8 per cent of them did neither reject nor like it, and only 13.6 per cent of the interviewees stated a positive attitude towards them. The findings of this paper further indicate consumers’ preference for colourants to be either artificial or plant-derived rather than carmine. Food colourants are being rejected, possibly due to misleading information and confusing labelling. Consequently, information about carmine, including its origin and production, did not increase the aversion to products that are dyed with it, but increased their acceptance. Originality/value This study outlines consumer perception and attitudes towards food colourants. For the first time, the findings of this paper report the effect of revealing information about an additive, which initially aroused disgust, and its influence on consumer perception.

scholarly journals A Distinctive and Host-Restricted Gut Microbiota in Populations of a Cactophilic Drosophila Species

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent G. Martinson ◽  
Javier Carpinteyro-Ponce ◽  
Nancy A. Moran ◽  
Therese A. Markow
Keyword(s):  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Columnar Cacti ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Insect Gut ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Natural Settings ◽  
Bacterial Groups

ABSTRACT Almost all animals possess gut microbial communities, but the nature of these communities varies immensely. For example, in social bees and mammals, the composition is relatively constant within species and is dominated by specialist bacteria that do not live elsewhere; in laboratory studies and field surveys of Drosophila melanogaster, however, gut communities consist of bacteria that are ingested with food and that vary widely among individuals and localities. We addressed whether an ecological specialist in its natural habitat has a microbiota dominated by gut specialists or by environmental bacteria. Drosophila nigrospiracula is a species that is endemic to the Sonoran Desert and is restricted to decaying tissues of two giant columnar cacti, Pachycereus pringlei (cardón cactus) and Carnegiea gigantea (saguaro cactus). We found that the D. nigrospiracula microbiota differs strikingly from that of the cactus tissue on which the flies feed. The most abundant bacteria in the flies are rare or completely absent in the cactus tissue and are consistently abundant in flies from different cacti and localities. Several of these fly-associated bacterial groups, such as the bacterial order Orbales and the genera Serpens and Dysgonomonas, have been identified in prior surveys of insects from the orders Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera, including several Drosophila species. Although the functions of these bacterial groups are mostly unexplored, Orbales species studied in bees are known to break down plant polysaccharides and use the resulting sugars. Thus, these bacterial groups appear to be specialized to the insect gut environment, where they may colonize through direct host-to-host transmission in natural settings. IMPORTANCE Flies in the genus Drosophila have become laboratory models for microbiota research, yet the bacteria commonly used in these experiments are rarely found in wild-caught flies and instead represent bacteria also present in the food. This study shows that an ecologically specialized Drosophila species possesses a distinctive microbiome, composed of bacterial types absent from the flies' natural food but widespread in other wild-caught insects. This study highlights the importance of fieldwork-informed microbiota research.

The ingenious marketing of modern paintings

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-233
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Bayer ◽  
John Page
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Process ◽  
Art Market ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Auction Houses ◽  
Art Dealers ◽  
The Media ◽  
Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the evolution of the marketing of paintings and related visual products from its nascent stages in England around 1700 to the development of the modern art market by 1900, with a brief discussion connecting to the present. Design/methodology/approach – Sources consist of a mixture of primary and secondary sources as well as a series of econometric and statistical analyses of specifically constructed and unique data sets that list nearly more than 50,000 different sales of paintings during this period. One set records sales of paintings at various English auction houses during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the second set consists of all purchases and sales of paintings recorded in the stock books of the late nineteenth-century London art dealer, Arthur Tooth, during the years of 1870/1871. The authors interpret the data under a commoditization model first introduced by Igor Kopytoff in 1986 that posits that markets and their participants evolve toward maximizing the efficiency of their exchange process within the prevailing exchange technology. Findings – We found that artists were largely responsible for a series of innovations in the art market that replaced the prevailing direct relationship between artists and patron with a modern market for which painters produced works on speculation to be sold by enterprising middlemen to an anonymous public. In this process, artists displayed a remarkable creativity and a seemingly instinctive understanding of the principles of competitive marketing that should dispel the erroneous but persistent notion that artistic genius and business savvy are incompatible. Research limitations/implications – A similar marketing analysis could be done of the development of the art markets of other leading countries, such as France, Italy and Holland, as well as the current developments of the art market. Practical implications – The same process of the development of the art market in England is now occurring in Latin America and China. Also, the commoditization process continues in the present, now using the Internet and worldwide art dealers. Originality/value – This is the first article to trace the historical development of the marketing of art in all of its components: artists, dealers, artist organizations, museums, curators, art critics, the media and art historians.

Media reporting on public procurement: an analysis of UK press coverage, 1985–2018

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Flynn ◽  
Irina Harris
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Media ◽  
International Comparative

Purpose The media is an important actor in public procurement, but research on its role is limited. This paper aims to investigate how the media has engaged with public procurement, using UK newspapers as a case example. Design/methodology/approach The method consisted of searching Nexis database for news articles on public procurement; automatic extraction of article attributes such as length, section, authorship; and manually coding each article for its theme and industry context. This produced quantitative indicators about the extent and focus of press coverage on public procurement. Findings Press coverage of public procurement increased between 1985 and 2018. The focus of coverage has been on governance failure and socio-economic policy. Governance failure, which includes corruption, cronyism and supplier malpractice, is associated with construction, outsourcing and professional services sectors. Socio-economic policy, which includes supporting small suppliers and favouring domestic industry, is associated with manufacturing, defence and agriculture. Research limitations/implications The analysis included UK media only. While the trends observed on the extent and focus of public procurement news coverage likely reflect the situation in other countries, international comparative research is still required. Practical implications Government officials should be more proactive in countering the “negativity bias” in news coverage of public procurement by showcasing projects where value-for-money has been achieved, services have been successfully delivered and social value has been realised. Social implications The media accentuates the negatives of public procurement and omits positive developments. The end-result is a selective and, at times, self-serving media narrative that is likely to engender cynicism towards public procurement. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on media coverage of public procurement. It highlights that while there are similarities between media and academic treatment of public procurement, particularly in relation to its socio-economic side, the media emphasises governance failings and negative developments to a greater extent.

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