Do Dipteryx alata Vogel seedlings recover the quality and the photosynthetic and antioxidant responses in the post-flooding?

Dipteryx alata Vogel is a tree species widely found in Cerrado, settling preferentially in well drained soils. Studies related to ecophysiology of D. alata may contribute to the decision making about using seedlings of this species in projects aimed at the recovery of degraded areas where seasonal flooding happens. This study aimed to assess the effects of flooding on photosynthetic and antioxidant metabolism and quality of D. alata seedlings cultivated or not under flooding during four assessment periods (0, 20, 40, and 60 days), followed by 100 days after the end of each assessment period (0+100, 20+100, 40+100, and 60+100 days), allowing verifying the potential for post-flooding recovery. Flooded plants showed lower photosynthetic efficiency than non-flooded plants, regardless of the periods of exposure. However, this efficiency was recovered in the post-flooding, with values similar to that of the non-flooded seedlings. Moreover, the damage to FV/FM was evidenced by an increase in the period of exposure to flooding, but recovery was also observed at this stage of the photosynthetic metabolism. Seedling quality decreased under flooding, not varying between periods of exposure, but remained lower although the increase observed in the post-flooding period, with no recovery after flooding. The occurrence of hypertrophied lenticels associated with physiological changes and an efficient antioxidant enzyme system might have contributed to the survival and recovery of these seedlings. Thus, this species is sensitive to flooding stress but capable of adjusting and recovering metabolic characteristics at 100 days after the suspension of the water stress, but with no recovery in seedling quality. Thus, we suggested plasticity under the cultivation condition and determined that the time of 100 days is not enough for the complete resumption of growth.

Introduction of special rice genotypes under upland conditions

Although widely consumed as white rice, there are special rice cultivars that contain aromas, colors and nutrients that reach special market niches, and constitute alternatives to vary the Brazilian menu and the farmer’s income. Most genotypes of special rice have nutritional characteristics superior to those of white rice, with call for better health, which is a growing concern of the general population. Based Based on these assumptions, the objective was to evaluate the productivity of special rice genotypes in rainfed cultivation conditions, in two seasons (2016/2017 and 2017/2018), in the city of Lavras/MG The treatments consisted of the following accessions: YIN LU 31, Japanese, CMG 1164, Formoso, Aromatic, IAC 400, IAC 300, IAC 600, IAC 500, BRSMG Relâmpago, BRSMG Caçula, BRSMG Caravera, SCS119 Ruby, SCS120 Onyx. After analysis of variance, the adaptability analysis and stability was performed by the Annichiaric method. The Aromatic and IAC 300 genotypes, by evaluated under rainfed conditions, showed high productivity (greater than 3,000 kg.ha-1), higher than the state average (867 kg ha-1), and low incidence of diseases in the conditions of high lands. These special rice genotypes grown in upland and compared to cultivars of rice indicated for this cultivation condition demonstrated that it is possible to produce rice from quality and develop genotypes more adaptable to rainfed conditions, which can be excellent option of cultivation to conventional rice and thus increase the diversity of the agricultural property.

Microbial dechlorination of polychrolinated biphenyls

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organic xenobiotics contaminating environment for at least 50 years. They could be eventually eliminated by various organisms under different conditions. The degree of chlorine substitution per biphenyl molecule influences biodegradability which decreases with increasing chlorination. Our work is focused on the PCBs biodegradation under anaerobic conditions. The suitable high chlorinated biphenyls are converted via reductive dechlorination to the chlorinated biphenyls with lower extent of chlorine, which could be eventually fully mineralized by aerobic bacteria. Microbial consortium was isolated from sediment of Strážský Creek (located near by plant producing PCBs in the past). This consortium was able to dechlorinate polychlorinated biphenyls under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness of this process was tested under different cultivation condition – different energetic sources (Aroclor 1248 or Aroclor 1260 or Delor 103 or Delor 106), addition of potential electron donors (pyruvate, lactate or acetate with hydrogen) and further if there is necessary to add yeast extract into fresh low sulphur cultivation media. Our microbial consortia so far do not need supplementation by non-contaminated sediment to maintain dechlorination activity. Addition of yeast extract is non essential, but needs to be further proved in serial transfers. In all cases (except acetate without yeast extract) dechlorination proceeds at meta- and flanked paraposition.

Xylanase Production By Thermobacillus Xylanilyticus is Impaired By Population Diversification But Can Be Mitigated Based On the Management of Cheating Behavior

Background: The microbial production of hemicellulasic cocktails is still a challenge for the sector of biorefineries and agro-waste valorization. In this work, the production of hemicellulolytic enzymes by Thermobacillus xylanilyticus has been considered. This microorganism is of interest since it is able to produce an original set of thermostable hemicellulolytic enzymes, and notably a xylanase GH11, Tx-xyn11. However, cell-to-cell heterogeneities impairs the production capability of the whole microbial population.Results: Sequential cultivations of the strain on xylan as a carbon source has been considered in order to highlight and better understand this cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Successive cultivations pointed out a fast decrease of xylanase activity (loss of ~75%) after 23.5 generations. Accordingly, the expression of the Tx-xyn11 gene decreased drastically and followed the same trend as the xylanase activity. Flow cytometry analyses pointed out that two subpopulations, differing at the level of their light scattering properties, were potentially involved in this progressive loss of enzymatic activities. Interestingly, upon successive cultivations on xylan, the subpopulation exhibiting low forward scatter (FSC) signal. Additionally, the evolution of the ratio between the two subpopulations was correlated to the decrease in xylanase activity. Cell sorting and direct observation of the sorted subpopulations revealed that the low-FSC subpopulation was not sporulating, whereas the high-FSC subpopulation contained cells at the onset of the sporulation stage. Serial cultivations on glucose, followed by the addition of a xylan pulse led to a ~1.5-fold to ~15-fold improvement of xylanase, depending on the moment for pulse addition, , suggesting that alternating cultivation conditions could lead to an efficient population management strategy for the production of xylanase. Conclusions: Taken altogether, the data from this study point out that a cheating behaviour is responsible for the progressive reduction in xylanase activity during serial cultivations of T. xylanilyticus. Alternating cultivation condition between glucose and xylan could be used as an efficient strategy for promoting population stability and higher enzymatic productivity from this bacterium.

Chlorella sorokiniana cultivation in cheese whey for β-galactosidase production

Biotechnological processes with microalgae with the aim to achieve high biomass yields must choose the appropriate nutrients and physicochemical parameters, taking into account the specific characteristics of each species to determine the basic needs for its growth. In the present study, the better growth condition of Chlorella sorokiniana IPR 7104 was optimized to reach the maximum beta-galactosidase production. The cheese whey concentration (%), temperature (˚C) and pH were factors investigated and a Box-Behnken Design (BBD) approach was implemented using Statistica 7.0 software. We observed that the cultivation condition to Chlorella sorokiniana IPR 7104 was the heterotrophic, which showed the major enzymatic activity, consequently a lower residual lactose content. Under heterotrophic conditions (without light) the β-galactosidase activity increased linearly until the 8th day. Biomass production grew linearly on the 12th day. The microalgae consumed 89.6% of lactose in 3 days, showing a high capacity to metabolize this disaccharide, through β-galactosidase synthesis. The maximum β-galactosidase production by Chlorella sorokiniana IPR 7104, in heterotrophic conditions and using cheese whey as carbon source, is obtained using the following conditions: 30°C temperature, concentration of ethanol at 20% and time of 4 min.

Biovalorization of raw agro-industrial waste through a bioprocess development platform for boosting alkaline phosphatase production by Lysinibacillus sp. strain APSO

This study highlighted the exploitation of mathematical models for optimizing the growth conditions that give the highest phosphatase productivity from a newfound Lysinibacillus sp. strain APSO isolated from a slime sample. Mathematical models facilitate data interpretation and provide a strategy to solve fermentation problems. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) throughput was enhanced by 16.5-fold compared to basal medium based on a sequential optimization strategy that depended on two-level Plackett–Burman design and central composite design. The additional improvement for volumetric productivity and specific production yield was followed in a 7 L bench-top bioreactor to evaluate microbial growth kinetics under controlled and uncontrolled pH conditions. The pH-controlled batch cultivation condition neither supported cell growth nor enhanced ALP productivity. In contrast, the uncontrolled pH batch cultivation condition provided the highest ALP output (7119.4 U L−1) and specific growth rate (µ = 0.188 h−1) at 15 h from incubation time, which was augmented > 20.75-fold compared to the basal medium. To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the second report that deals with how to reduce the production cost of the ALP production process via utilization of agro-industrial waste, such as molasses and food waste (eggshell), as a nutrimental source for the improvement of the newfound Lysinibacillus sp. strain APSO ALP throughput.

Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles by Cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis (abdf2224): Cultivation Condition Quality Controls

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are well-known bioactive compounds. Various chemical and biological methods have been applied to SeNP synthesis. Spirulina platensis is a widely used blue-green microalgae in various industries. In this study, the biosynthesis of SeNPs using sodium selenite and Spirulina platens has been developed. The SeNP synthesis was performed at different cultivation condition including pH and illumination schedule variation. The SeNPs were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, size, and zeta potential measurements, and the antioxidant activities of selected SeNPs were evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays. FT-IR analysis showed the production of SeNPs. The 12 h dark/12 h light cycles and continuous light exposure at pH 5 led to the production of stable SeNPs with sizes of 145 ± 6 and 171 ± 13 nm, respectively. Antioxidant activity of selected SeNPs was higher than sodium selenite. It seems that green synthesis is a safe method to produce SeNPs as well as a convenient method to scale-up this production.

Biosynthesis of Polyene Antibiotics and Phytohormones by Streptomyces netropsis IMV Ac-5025 under the Action of Exogenous Isopentenyladenosine

Streptomyces are active producers of a wide range of metabolites with multidirectional biological activity. Streptomyces netropsis IMV Ac-5025 synthesizes a polyene antibiotic complex in which two fractions were identified: heptaene candidine and a new tetraene fraction of unknown structure. The influence of secondary metabolites on the polyene antibiotics biosynthesis by soil streptomycetes is insufficiently explored. The aim of this work was to research the effect of exogenous isopentenyladenosine on the biosynthesis of polyene antibiotics and cytokinins by S. netropsis IMV Ac-5025. Methods. The strain was cultured in submerged cultivation condition in organic (soy) and synthetic (starch-ammonia) liquid nutrient media. The studies of biomass accumulation (gravimetric method), glucose consumption (glucose oxidase method), pH changes of culture media (ionometric method), biosynthesis of polyene antibiotics, and phytohormones (quantitative and qualitative thin layer chromatography spectrodensitometric method) were conducted. The results were analyzed in Statisticav.6.0 program. Results. It was found that polyene antibiotics are synthesized after the first day of cultivation, which indicates their role in the metabolism of streptomycetes. The biggest amount of the polyene antibiotics was accumulated in the stationary phase of producer growth (on the 7th day). It was found the decrease of polyene antibiotics and cytokinins accumulation in the producer’s biomass with the increase of exogenous cytokinin concentration from 25 ng/mL to 500 ng/mL. The bioproduction of the tetraene fraction was suppressed to a greater extent – up to 92% in the synthetic and up to 23% – in organic nutrient media. However, the amount of producer biomass increased under the action of the exogenous substance that confirming the positive effect of exogenous cytokinin on cell division of S. netropsis IMV Ac-5025. Exogenous isopentenyladenosine reduced the accumulation of endogenous cytokinins in streptomycetes biomass. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate an indirect metabolic relationship between the biosynthesis of polyene antibiotics and cytokinins in soil streptomycetes and provide a basis for the regulation of the biotechnological process for bioproduct formation with the appropriate quantitative composition of its components.

Optimization of Cultivation Condition of Newly Isolated Strain Chlorella Sorokiniana pa.91 for CO2 Bio-Fixation and Nutrients Removal From Real Municipal Wastewater: Impact of Temperature and Light Intensity

The cultivation conditions of a newly isolated strain Chlorella sorokiniana pa.91 were optimized for the first time by performing sixty batch cultivation experiments at various temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35 °C) and light intensities (1000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 7000 Lux) in three different culture mediums of BG-11, real settled municipal wastewater (RMWW) and synthetic wastewater (SWW). Additionally, to evaluate the capability of C. sorokiniana pa.91 in CO2 bio-fixation and wastewater treatment, the microalgae was cultivated in a flat-plate photobioreactor (CO2 = 16% and 0.6 vvm aeration) under the optimal condition. The optimization results suggested that at the culture conditions of 30 °C, 4000 Lux and RMWW (COD 211 mgL-1) microalgae had the best performance in growth and biomass productivity. Maximum biomass concentration and productivity of 3.21 gL-1 and 0.31 gL-1d-1were achieved, respectively, by cultivation of C. sorokiniana pa.91 in the photobioreactor under the optimized condition. Experimental results showed that C. sorokiniana pa.91 has a high capacity of CO2 bio-fixation (0.59 mgL-1d-1) and CO2 removal rate (35.6 %). Moreover, using C. sorokiniana pa.91 could efficiently remove 74% of NH3, 93% of NO3-, 83% of PO4-3 and 76% of COD from real municipal wastewater after eight days of cultivation in the photobioreactor.