Effects of Cymbopogon nardus (L.) W. Watson essential oil on the growth and morphogenesis of Aspergillus niger

2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia G de Billerbeck ◽  
Christine G Roques ◽  
Jean-Marie Bessière ◽  
Jean-Louis Fonvieille ◽  
Robert Dargent

The growth inhibitory effect of Cymbopogon nardus (L.) W. Watson var. nardus essential oil on Aspergillus niger (Van Tieghem) mycelium was determined on agar medium. The mycelium growth was completely inhibited at 800 mg/L. This concentration was found to be lethal under the test conditions. Essential oil at 400 mg/L caused growth inhibition of 80% after 4 days of incubation, and a delay in conidiation of 4 days compared with the control. Microscopic observations were carried out to determine the ultrastructural modifications of A. niger hyphae after treatment with C. nardus essential oil. The main change observed by transmission electron microscopy concerned the hyphal diameter and the hyphal wall, which appeared markedly thinner. These modifications in cytological structure might be caused by the interference of the essential oil with the enzymes responsible for wall synthesis which disturb normal growth. Moreover, the essential oil caused plasma membrane disruption and mitochondrial structure disorganization. The findings thus indicate the possibility of exploiting Cymbopogon nardus essential oil as an effective inhibitor of biodegrading and storage-contaminating fungi.Key words: essential oil, antifungal agent, hyphal ultrastructure, cell wall, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaís Karoline Carniel ◽  
Pâmela Fagundes ◽  
Ana Carolina Vivan ◽  
Luciano Luiz Silva ◽  
Micheli Zanetti ◽  
...  

Abstract Geraniol has been an attractive compound for food preservation due to its antibacterial and antifungal actions. The main objective of this study was to produce and characterize polycaprolactone (PCL) capsules for the protection of the encapsulated geraniol essential oil. The encapsulation was carried out using a miniemulsion polymerization technique with an efficiency of (95.44 ± 0.60%). The capsules were obtained with a mean size of 148 nm and with a polydispersity index of 0.12. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the formation of spherical capsules of PCL coating the geraniol. From the analysis of thermogravimetry, it was possible to prove the thermal protection of geraniol by PCL coating since the release of the encapsulated geraniol occurred with temperatures 100 °C higher than the volatilization temperature of the natural compound. An important observation was that the microcapsules of PCL-geraniol immersed in aqueous suspensions at 4 °C showed good stability over 60 days.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (14) ◽  
pp. 2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Margatto Rottini ◽  
Ana Claudia Fernandes Amaral ◽  
José Luiz Pinto Ferreira ◽  
Edinilze Souza Coelho Oliveira ◽  
Jefferson Rocha de Andrade Silva ◽  
...  

The difficulties encountered and the numerous side effects present in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis have encouraged the research for new compounds that can complement or replace existing treatment. The growing scientific interest in the study of plants, which are already used in folk remedies, has led our group to test Endlicheria bracteolata essential oil against Leishmania amazonensis. Several species of the Lauraceae family, or their compounds, have relevant antiprotozoal activities Therefore, the biological potential on L. amazonensis forms from the essential oil of Endlicheria bracteolata leaves was verified for the first time in that work. The antileishmanial activity was evaluated against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, and cytotoxicity were performed with J774.G8, which were incubated with different concentrations of E. bracteolata essential oil. Transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry were performed with E. bracteolata essential oil IC50. Promastigote forms showed E. bracteolata essential oil IC50 of 7.945 ± 1.285 µg/mL (24 h) and 6.186 ± 1.226 µg/mL (48 h), while for intracellular amastigote forms it was 3.546 ± 1.184 µg/mL (24 h). The CC50 was 15.14 ± 0.090 µg/mL showing that E. bracteolata essential oil is less toxic to macrophages than to parasites. Transmission electron microscopy showed that E. bracteolata essential oil treatment is capable of inducing mitochondrial damage to promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms, while flow cytometry showed ΔѰm disruption in treated parasites. These results could bring about new possibilities to develop products based on E. bracteolata essential oil to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis, especially for people who cannot receive the conventional therapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis M. Spatharas ◽  
Georgia I. Nasi ◽  
Paraskevi L. Tsiolaki ◽  
Marilena K. Theodoropoulou ◽  
Nikos C. Papandreou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Clusterin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein (α- and β-chain), which has been described as an extracellular molecular chaperone. In humans, clusterin is an amyloid associated protein, co-localizing with fibrillar deposits in Alzheimer’s disease. To clarify its implication in the disease, we provide evidence that clusterin has intrinsic amyloidogenic properties, which are intertwined with its inhibitory effect on amyloid-β fibril formation.Methods: Aggregation-prone regions of human clusterin were predicted by AMYLPRED. Synthetic peptide-analogues of each region underwent in vitro aggregation assays, namely, examination with transmission electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction from oriented fibers, ATR FT-IR spectroscopy, and Congo Red birefringence assays. The same peptide-analogues were co-incubated with amyloid-β and their potential as inhibitors was tested with thioflavin T fluorescence emission measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to gain insight into the interaction between amyloid-β and the peptide-analogues.Results: Clusterin peptide-analogues form amyloid-like fibrils, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. They can form fibers that give cross-β X-ray diffraction patterns and ATR FT-IR spectroscopy confirms the dominance of β-strand secondary structure. They also exhibit apple-green birefringence, when stained with Congo Red and examined between crossed polars of a polarizing light microscope. Furthermore, when amyloid-β is co-incubated with clusterin’s peptide analogues, it shows decreased thioflavin T fluorescence emission over time, while the formation of amyloid-β amyloid fibrils is diminished, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The inhibitory effect of clusterin-peptide analogues on amyloid-β fibril formation was ascertained though molecular dynamics simulations. Conclusions: Clusterin has multiple aggregation-prone regions in its α-chain and these regions have a functional role in the inhibition of amyloid-β fibril formation.


BioResources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 3289-3306
Author(s):  
Tarek M. Abdel Ghany ◽  
Marwah M. Bakri ◽  
Aisha M. H. Al-Rajhi ◽  
Mohamed A. Al Abboud ◽  
M. M. Alawlaqi ◽  
...  

The influence of copper and its nanoparticles was studied relative to growth and ultrastructure of Aspergillus niger. Laccase production by A. niger using corn cobs as substrate at different concentrations of CuSO4 and copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) is reported. Fungus growth was induced at 100 ppm of CuNPs and CuSO4, while at 300 ppm, the growth inhibition was 65.6% and 86.9%, respectively. Fungus sporulation was reduced to 30.4% and 47.6% at 300 ppm of CuNPs and CuSO4, respectively, compared to the control (100%). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that CuSO4 and CuNPs treatments encouraged the deformed appearance of the fungus at 200 ppm and 300 ppm, particularly CuNPs. The CuNPs and CuSO4 induced laccase production at 1.67 U/mL and 1.51 U/mL at optimum concentrations 0.15 mM and 0.25 mM, respectively. The optimum concentrations of CuNPs and CuSO4 led to reduced incubation periods of 12 d and 14 d, respectively, required to produce the highest amount of laccase (1.66 U/mL and 1.53 U/mL), while without treatments, the incubation period increased to 16 d required for the highest amount of laccase production (1.36 U/mL). Induction of laccase production at acidic pH and at 30 °C was recorded with the addition of CuSO4 and CuNPs, while its effects were slight at pH above 6.


2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.C. Albuquerque ◽  
T.R. Camara ◽  
A.E.G. Sant'ana ◽  
C. Ulisses ◽  
L. Willadino ◽  
...  

The effects of thymol and carvacrol and the essential oil of Lippia gracilis on caulinary shoots of heliconia were evaluated. After disinfection, the shoots were inoculated into MS medium and subjected to the treatments with 420 µL L-1 of essential oil (EO) of L. gracilis; 420 µL L-1 of thymol; 420 µL L-1 of carvacrol; 210 µL L-1 of thymol and 210 µL L-1 of carvacrol. The control treatment consisted of the MS medium without any phytoregulators. The main components of EO from L. gracilis are carvacrol, ρ-cimene, and thymol. Seven days after the initiation of the experiments, 36.3% of the control treatment shoots were necrotized, but 90% of the caulinary shoots exposed to EO, thymol, or carvacrol appeared necrotized. Transmission electron microscopy of the shoots revealed that the treatment with EO, thymol, or carvacrol caused the destruction of the plasma cell membranes, and the cell organelles and the nucleus were hardly evident. The EO and its main constituent were toxic to caulinary shoots of heliconia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Yao ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xiao-Jun Gou ◽  
Xiao-Qiang Guo ◽  
Jun Yan ◽  
...  

Chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) without drug loading have diverse biological activity. In this study, we prepared CS-NPs, CS-NPs solidified by different amount of glutaraldehyde, and CS-NPs modified with either biotin (B-CS-NPs) or biotin and avidin (A-B-CS-NPs) and examined their cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells. The morphology and size were measured by transmission electron microscopy and photon correction spectroscopy, respectively. The extent of solidification was validated by the approach of sonication. Biotin connect density on the surface of B-CS-NPs and A-B-CS-NPs was determined by biotin assay kit. The results showed that most of the NPs were round and their mean sizes were all below 300 nm. Biotin connect density of B-CS-NPs and A-B-CS-NPs was 2.18 ± 0.36 and 1.26 ± 0.11 mol biotin/mol CS, respectively. At relatively low concentration, CS-NPs with higher extent of solidification exhibited more vigorous inhibitory effect against HepG2 cells than those without solidification. When NPs were incubated with cancer cells for 48 h, compared with CS-NPs, the anticancer activity of B-CS-NPs and A-B-CS-NPs was enhanced significantly(P<0.05). In addition, A-B-CS-NPs showed superior cytotoxicity over B-CS-NPs. This study demonstrates that modification with biotin and avidin may be an efficient way in improving antitumor activity of CS-NPs against hepatic carcinoma.


Author(s):  
G. G. Shaw

The morphology and composition of the fiber-matrix interface can best be studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. For some composites satisfactory samples can be prepared by electropolishing. For others such as aluminum alloy-boron composites ion erosion is necessary.When one wishes to examine a specimen with the electron beam perpendicular to the fiber, preparation is as follows: A 1/8 in. disk is cut from the sample with a cylindrical tool by spark machining. Thin slices, 5 mils thick, containing one row of fibers, are then, spark-machined from the disk. After spark machining, the slice is carefully polished with diamond paste until the row of fibers is exposed on each side, as shown in Figure 1.In the case where examination is desired with the electron beam parallel to the fiber, preparation is as follows: Experimental composites are usually 50 mils or less in thickness so an auxiliary holder is necessary during ion milling and for easy transfer to the electron microscope. This holder is pure aluminum sheet, 3 mils thick.


Author(s):  
R. W. Anderson ◽  
D. L. Senecal

A problem was presented to observe the packing densities of deposits of sub-micron corrosion product particles. The deposits were 5-100 mils thick and had formed on the inside surfaces of 3/8 inch diameter Zircaloy-2 heat exchanger tubes. The particles were iron oxides deposited from flowing water and consequently were only weakly bonded. Particular care was required during handling to preserve the original formations of the deposits. The specimen preparation method described below allowed direct observation of cross sections of the deposit layers by transmission electron microscopy.The specimens were short sections of the tubes (about 3 inches long) that were carefully cut from the systems. The insides of the tube sections were first coated with a thin layer of a fluid epoxy resin by dipping. This coating served to impregnate the deposit layer as well as to protect the layer if subsequent handling were required.


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