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Abstract
Fiber of Japanese food natto (Bacillus subtilis) is known to be superabsorbent poly(
-glutamic acid) (PGA). NaCl particles precipitate in FeCl2-absorbed crosslinked PGA when heated at crystallization temperature of 320 °C for 10 to 60 min. After heat treatment the Mössbauer spectrum of FeCl2-crosslinked PGA consists of a quadrupole doublet due to FeCl2·2H2O. The Mössbauer spectrum of anhydrous FeCl2 reagent heated under the same condition shows an intense sextet due to 
-Fe2O3 . These results prove that the superabsorbent polymer, crosslinked PGA, has higher heat resistance.
Direct bioautography performed with luminescence gene-tagged bacteria enables almost real-time detection of antimicrobial compounds in plant extracts. This method for the detection of chamomile ( Matricaria recutita ) components with antibacterial effect against Bacillus subtilis soil bacteria was more sensitive than commonly used bioautographic visualization by staining with a tetrazolium salt. Some compounds had a strong inhibiting effect only via the bioluminescence measurement. Extraction of antibacterial components of chamomile flowers was most effective with 50% ethanol; slightly lower efficiency was achieved with acetone and methanol, and hexane was least effective. The results were confirmed by using luminescent Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola plant pathogen bacteria.
The main volatile compounds from three medicinal plants belonging to Lamiaceae family were screened for their biological properties. The plants were Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, and Mentha × piperita containing as the main volatile constituents thujone, thymol, and menthol, respectively. The applied chromatographic system was silica gel developed with toluene-ethyl acetate (93:7). Thin-layer chromatography — direct bioautography (TLC-DB) against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis was used for detection of antibacterial activity of the plant extracts and essential oils. The bioautographic fingerprints were compared with the fingerprints obtained after derivatization with anisaldehyde.
Commercially available hop pellets of different origins were extracted by use of ethanol and water, chromatographed on silica layers by use of nonaqueous eluents, chemically derivatized and observed in ultraviolet (UV) light for the localization of component bands. The plates were developed in optimized systems, and direct bioautographic method by use of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli strains was applied for the examination of the antimicrobial activities of hop components. The method enables for the identification of bactericidal/bacteriostatic components in the extracts of different polarities and shows differences in the composition of extracts from various varieties from an antimicrobial point of view.
Nigella sativa L. (black cumin) is well known for its benefits in the field of traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and investigate the antimicrobial activity of cold pressed oil (CO) and essential oil (EO) of Nigella sativa L. on food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. The microdilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Nigella sativa crude oil (CO) and essential oil (EO) against 4 Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) and 3 Gram-negative (Salmonella Hartford, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli) foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria occurring in food products. Total fatty acid composition of CO was analysed by GLC, while the EO was analysed by GC-MS to detect its active compounds. The results showed that the major fatty acid of CO was palmitic acid (C16:0), as saturated fatty acid, however, linoleic acid (C18:2) was the main unsaturated fatty acid. The major compounds of the EO were p-cymene and thymoquinone. The inhibition on all tested bacteria of EO was 10 times higher than of CO, and the lowest concentration value was observed in case of Bacillus subtilis (0.003%). Hence, results reinforce the ambition to apply Nigella sativa oils in food as natural preservative.
The leaf blight disease caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae is an important foliar disease in coconut that results in a yield reduction of 10–24 per cent in Tamil Nadu, India. In the present study, five Trichoderma viride isolates, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis strains were isolated from the coconut rhizosphere and tested against L. theobromae. P. fluorescens Pf1, B. subtilis (Km1) and T. viride (TNAU) isolates were found highly effective against the leaf blight pathogen under in vitro conditions and hence, all the three antagonists were combined together to develop microbial consortia and tested against leaf blight disease under field conditions. Soil application of microbial consortia formulated using talc as a carrier material at 150 g (50 g each) and 300 g (100 g each) doses at different intervals (quarterly, half-yearly and annually) was evaluated for three years from 2011 to 2013. Among the treatments, the fungicide carbendazim was found to be the most effective against coconut leaf blight. Among the treatments with bioagents, soil application of microbial consortia @ 300 g+5 kg of farm yard manure at quarterly interval/palm/year was the best treatment which was followed by the treatment with TNAU Bacillus subtilis (Bs1) mixture in two locations. Confirmatory results were obtained in similar experiments carried out at two different locations during 2013–2014, too.
The chemical analysis and antibacterial activity of propolis collected from some parts of Western Algeria were investigated. The ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) were evaluated for further investigation. The major constituents in EEP were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. All EEP samples were active against Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus), but no activity was found against Gram negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli). The mean diameters of growth inhibition of the EEP ranged between 8.05 and 21.4 mm. The propolis extract obtained from Sidi bel Abbés (SFS-SBA) was more active than other samples as well as showed unique HPLC profile. These results support the idea that propolis can be a promising natural food preservative in food industry and alternative candidate for management of bacterial infections caused by drug-resistant microorganisms.
The antibacterial effect of the components of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L. var. crispa (Bentham) Danert) was investigated by means of high-performance thin-layer chromatography-direct bioautography against the Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis (Bs) and Gram-negative bacteria such as a pepper pathogen Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xe), a luminescence gene-tagged Arabidopsis pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm) and a luminescent marine Aliivibrio fischeri (Af). Sclareol, linalool, and linalyl acetate were identified as active components of clary sage and carvone as the antibacterial substance in spearmint. Sclareol inhibited all tested bacteria, linalool and carvone showed antibacterial effect against all Gram-negative strains tested, while linalyl acetate only against Xe and Af. Some minor components of the clary sage essential oil also gave a zone of inhibition when tested on Gram-negative bacterium strains.
Coffee, due to its common consumption, is one of the main sources of polyphenols in human diet. Coffee species and coffee-related products differ in composition and content of main components, such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine. Chemical and biological fingerprints of various Coffea arabica L. extracts were obtained in order to check and compare their antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The antibacterial activity of green and roasted coffee seeds and pomace was evaluated against Bacillus subtilis using thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-direct bioautography. TLC-2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test was used to determine antioxidant properties of the afore-mentioned extracts. Furthermore, different solvents and several extraction methods such as simple maceration, maceration under stirring, and ultrasonic accelerated extraction were tested. The most efficient method of extraction of caffeine and chlorogenic acid was chosen based on quantitative TLC analysis. Additionally, these two main components of coffee were quantitatively determined in commercial products of green coffee.
Thin-layer chromatography—direct bioautography (TLC—DB) followed by liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LC—MS/MS) was used for screening and tentative identification of the antibacterial constituents of Salvia officinalis L. ethanol extract. Seven bacterial strains were used as test organisms, both pathogenic and nonpathogenic, that is, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, luminescence gene-tagged Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola, and naturally luminescent marine bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. Eight fractions with the widest antimicrobial spectrum were detected using TLC—DB, isolated by semi-preparative TLC, and subjected to LC—MS/MS analyses. Finally, five bioactive components were tentatively identified, based on their fragmentation pattern, such as salvigenin, cirsimaritin, rosmanol, carnosic acid, and 12-O-methyl carnosic acid.
