Characterization of an Exopolygalacturonase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis>

Polygalacturonase (PGI) from Aspergillus niger NRRL3 was purified about 12.0-fold from the cell-free broth using diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-200 columns. The molecular weight of the PGI was 32,000 Da as estimated by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. PGI had an isoelectric point of 7.6 and an optimum pH of 5.0. PGI was active on polygalacturonic acid and esterified pectins, but the activity on pectin decreased with an increase in degree of esterification. PGI had higher affinity (low Km) and turnover number (Vmax/Km and Kcat/Km) toward polygalacturonic acid. PGI was found to have a temperature optimum at 40 degrees C and was approximately stable up to 30 degrees C. All the examined metal cations had partial inhibitory effects on PGI, while Mn+2 at 5 mM caused a complete inhibition for the enzyme. Comparison of viscosity reduction rates with release of reducing sugars indicated that the enzyme from A. niger is exoacting. The storage stability study of PGI showed that the enzyme in powder form retained 56% of its activity after 9 months of storage at 4 degrees C. The above properties of PGI may be suitable for food processing.     

Determination of epoxides by high-performance liquid chromatography following derivatization with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-diethyldithiocarbamate

A reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method that allows quantitation of low levels of epoxides has been described. The method involved derivatization of epoxides using 100- to 1,000-fold excess N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) at 60 °C for 20 min at neutral pH. The unreacted DTC was then decomposed to CS₂ and diethyl amine by acidification of the reaction mixture to pH 2 using orthophosphoric acid. The first two steps could be performed in the same reaction vessel by sequential addition of reagents. In the final step, an aliquot (20 μL) of the derivatized sample was analyzed for the presence of stable esters of DTC by RP-HPLC using a Supelcosil LC-18-S (150 × 4.6-mm) column and a mobile phase consisting of 40% (v/v) acetonitrile in water at a flow of 1 mL min⁻¹. Using UV detection at 278 nm, the epoxides gave linear responses in the concentration range of 0.25 to 50 μM. The method is robust, and as low as 5 pmol of the analyte could be successfully detected and quantified with recoveries of ≥94%. Following a minimal pretreatment such as ultrafiltration (molecular weight cutoff 5,000 Da), the method is suitable for analysis of epoxides in complex physiological fluids (e.g., fetal bovine serum). The method has been rigorously evaluated and adapted in our laboratory for routine analysis and determination of stability of epoxides of 1,3-butadiene and other alkenes added to cell cultures.     

Alkaloids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arundo donax</Emphasis> L.

The structure of a new dimeric indole alkaloid, arundarine, isolated from the roots of the plant Arundo donax L. (Poaceae) was determined. On the basis of spectroscopic data, arundarine was identified as 5-[3-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)indol-1-yl]-6-hydroxy-N ²-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro--carboline.Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1697–1699, August, 2004.For Part 14, see Ref. 1.     

Stress Response Kinetics of Two Nisin Producer Strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactococcus lactis</Emphasis> spp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lactis</Emphasis>

The purpose of this study is to determine the survival and nisin production behaviors of two strains of Lactococcus lactis under different stress conditions that represent the food ecosystem. In this respect, the survival ratios of two nisin producers were determined under different pH, temperature, NaCl, and bile salt concentrations. Then, nisin production levels of the strains were determined at each stress conditions. Both strains had similar growth or inactivation patterns under the same stress conditions. NaCl and bile salt stresses on the survival ratio of the strains could be successfully described by the exponential decay function, whereas Gaussian function produced good fits for temperature and pH stresses. The nisin activity of two nisin producers (in their mid-exponential and/or early stationary phase) decreased dramatically under all stress conditions, except osmotic (NaCl) and low temperature applications. The results of this study showed that two nisin producers had similar adaptive responses under severe stress conditions, which could be described by appropriate mathematical equations. Moreover, the effect of harsh environment on the nisin activity of L. lactis strains depends on the stress factors applied.     

Synthesis of 6-methyl-8<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-dibenzo[<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>]quinolizin-8-imines <Emphasis Type="Italic">via Reissert</Emphasis> compounds

Alkylation of Reissert compounds derived from 3-methylisoquinolines with several 2-cyanobenzylbromides followed by hydrolytic cleavage provided the corresponding 1-benzyl-3-methylisoquinolines. Treatment of the latter with methylmagnesiumiodide caused cyclization to the title compounds rather than formation of 2-acetylbenzylisoquinolines.     

Homogeneous alkalization of cellulose in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide/water solution

Alkali cellulose is an important intermediate in the production of cellulose derivatives. N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO)/H₂O was used as a homogeneous reaction medium for the cellulose alkalization process to intensify the alkalization degree and improve the substitution uniformity. The morphology, specific surface area and crystalline structure of pristine cellulose, the as-synthesized alkali cellulose and dissolved-regenerated cellulose were characterized by SEM, BET, XRD and FT-IR, respectively. The results showed that the homogeneous reaction medium not only offered a low mass transfer resistance, but also facilitated a disruption of the hydrogen bond in cellulose, thus resulting in the transformation of the cellulose structure from complicated stacking chains to simple glucose chains. The interior hydroxyl groups in the cellulose became accessible to the alkaline reagent NaOH to enhance the alkalization process for the increase in bonding alkali content and the improvement in substitution uniformity. The bonding alkali content was calculated by the difference between total added alkali and free alkali and was achieved as 0.61 g/g cellulose at the optimized operation conditions: reaction temperature of 95 °C, reaction time of 90 min, NMMO dosage of 90.00 g, cellulose 1.0 g and NaOH concentration of 1.40 wt%. Meanwhile, in the conventional alkalization process, the bonding alkali content was just 0.41 g/g cellulose. The alkali cellulose prepared in NMMO/H₂O medium has a large specific surface area of 125 m² g^?1 and an extremely low crystallinity degree. The NMMO/H₂O system represents a potential homogeneous solvent for the cellulose alkalization process.     

Lipids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halostachys caspica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halocharis hispida</Emphasis>

The composition of lipids from the aerial parts of two species of halophytes from the family Chenopodiaceae, Halostachys caspica C. A. Mey. and Halocharis hispida Bge. was determined. Neutral lipids (NL, 62.1 and 54.2%, respectively) dominated the total lipids (TL) of these plants. More than a third of the NL were esters of aliphatic alcohols and phytosterols (FAE). Fatty acids 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 dominated the acids of FAE; 16:0, 18:1, and 18:3, the phospholipids. The principal fatty acids of glycolipids were unsaturated acids (68.3 and 75.1%) with linolenic acid dominating (44.9 and 43.5%). Presented at the 7th International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Tashkent, October 16–18, 2007. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 276–278, May–June, 2009.     

Antioxidant flavonoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tamus communis</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">cretica</Emphasis>

A new flavonoid, kaempferol-3,4′-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (1), and three known flavonoids (2–4) were isolated from the aerial parts of T. communis L. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 187.151 ± 0.821 μM, and 92.079±0.513 μM, respectively), whereas compounds 3 and 4 showed moderate activity in DPPH free radical scavenging assays. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 295–297, May–June, 2009.     

Optimization of Surfactin Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Isolate BS5

Bacillus subtilis BS5 is a soil isolate that produces promising yield of surfactin biosurfactant in mineral salts medium (MSM). It was found that cellular growth and surfactin production in MSM were greatly affected by the environmental fermentation conditions and the medium components (carbon and nitrogen sources and minerals). Optimum environmental conditions for high surfactin production on the shake flask level were found to be a slightly acidic initial pH (6.5-6.8), an incubation temperature of 30 degrees C, a 90% volumetric aeration percentage, and an inoculum size of 2% v/v. For media components, it was found that the optimum carbon source was molasses (160 ml/l), whereas the optimum nitrogen source was NaNO(3) (5 g/l) and the optimum trace elements were ZnSO(4).7H(2)O (0.16 g/l), FeCl(3).6H(2)O (0.27 g/l), and MnSO(4).H(2)O (0.017 g/l). A modified MSM (molasses MSM), combining the optimum medium components, was formulated and resulted in threefold increase in surfactin productivity that reached 1.12 g/l. No plasmid could be detected in the tested isolate, revealing that biosurfactant production by B. subtilis isolate BS5 is chromosomally mediated but not plasmid-mediated.     

Rapid molecular typing of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tuber melanosporum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. brumale</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. indicum</Emphasis> from tree seedlings and canned truffles

We have developed new DNA extraction and purification procedures for investigation of mycorrhized seedlings and canned truffles. Use of these procedures on approximately 100 mg initial material enabled good sample representation. For mycorrhized seedlings, Taq polymerase inhibitors were discarded irrespective of tree species. In routine analysis we systematically used consensus primers ITS1/ITS4 to check the absence of Taq polymerase inhibitors and the presence of fungus DNA. Positive response with ITS validates other positive or negative PCR results. Absence of amplification with ITS prevents validation of other results. For canned truffles, DNA harvested from ascocarps sterilized for one and a half hours at 115°C was amplified with specific primers. We have developed consensus primers, named R12/F12, to check for the presence of amplifiable fungus DNA and the absence of Taq polymerase inhibitors. Here also, positive response with consensus R12/F12 validates other positive or negative PCR results. We have developed one primer pair specific for T. brumale and another specific for T. melanosporum. We can then characterize these two taxa, which enables the use of truffle or truffled French designations. We can also characterize T. indicum, the Asiatic black truffle that might fraudulently be sold as T. melanosporum and T. brumale. These three specific primer pairs were used independently of DNA extraction from tree seedlings or canned truffles. Our process is specific, sensitive, convenient, and quick.J.P. Douet and D. Mabru have contributed equally to this work     

New flavonoid-<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>-glycosides from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>

Two new flavonoid-C-glycosides named triticuside A (1a) and triticuside B (1b) were isolated from bran of Triticum aestivum L. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated by spectral techniques including ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR as well as HSQC, HMBC, and COSY. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 135–137, March–April, 2008.     

Effects of Carbon and Nitrogen Sources and Oxygenation on the Production of Inulinase by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kluyveromyces marxianus</Emphasis>

Cultivations of Kluyveromyces marxianus var. bulgaricus ATCC 16045 were performed on both minimal and complex media using different carbon and nitrogen sources either in the presence or absence of aeration. The results collected were worked out and compared so as to provide a useful contribution to the optimization of inulinase production. Kinetics of extracellular inulinase release were similar on glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Inulinase was detected at basal level since the beginning of batch runs on these three carbon sources and overproduced after their depletion. The highest inulinase activity in minimal medium containing 10 g/l sucrose (6.4 IU/ml) was obtained at an initial (NH₄)₂SO₄ concentration of 5 g/l, whereas it was reduced to about one fourth of this value and detected only at the beginning under nitrogen-limited conditions. The best sucrose concentrations for the enzyme production were 30 and 20 g/l in minimal and complex media, yielding 15.4 and 208 IU/ml, respectively. In general, the enzyme activity was much higher in complex than in minimal medium under all conditions. O₂-enriched air neither improved inulinase production nor prevented ethanol formation.     

Optimization of Culture Conditions for Enhanced Decolorization of Cibacron Red FN-2BL by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizophyllum</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">commune</Emphasis> IBL-6

The objective of this study was to exploit the decolorization potential of a newly isolated white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune IBL-6 for the biodegradation of reactive textile dye Cibacron Red FN-2BL. In the initial decolorization study of 10 days, it was observed that S. commune IBL-6 was a better decolorizer of Cibacron Red FN-2BL. Various process parameters like composition of basal nutrient medium, pH, temperature, additional carbon and nitrogen sources, and initial dyestuff concentration were optimized to develop an economic decolorization process. The optimum dye decolorization was achieved in basal nutrient medium II containing 0.1% Cibacron Red FN-2BL and supplemented with 1% glucose after 3 days incubation at pH 4.5 and 30 degrees C. All the additional carbon sources were found to enhance decolorization process, whereas most of the nitrogen supplements caused fungal-growth inhibition. The pattern of enzymes involved in the biodegradation of this dye was studied, and manganese peroxidase was found to be the major peroxidase with minor lignin peroxidase and laccase activities.     

Glucofructans from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum officinale</Emphasis> roots

The structure of glucofructans from Taraxacum officinale roots growing in Buryatia was studied by chemical, chromatographic, and spectral methods. It was found that fructose,glucose, saccharose, 1-kestose, and nystose were present in the free state. The structures of the two dominant polymeric compounds, TGf-1 (5.7 kDa) and TGf-2 (2.6 kDa), which were linear inulin-type macromolecules consisting of fructofuranose units bonded through β-(2→1)-bonds, were studied. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 125–127, March–April, 2009.     

Overproduction of Glucoamylase by a Deregulated Mutant of a Thermophilic Mould <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae</Emphasis>

Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae, a glucoamylase-producing thermophilic mould, was mutagenised using nitrous acid and gamma (⁶⁰Co) irradiation in a sequential manner to isolate deregulated mutants for enhanced production of glucoamylase. The mutants were isolated on Emerson YpSs agar containing a non-metabolisable glucose analogue 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) for selection. The preliminary screening for glucoamylase production using starch–iodine plate assay followed by quantitative confirmation in submerged fermentation permitted the isolation of several variants showing varying levels of derepression and glucoamylase secretion. The mutant strain T. indicae-seudaticae CR19 was able to grow in the presence of 0.5 g l⁻¹ 2-DG and produced 1.8-fold higher glucoamylase. As with the parent strain, glucoamylase production by T. indicae-seudaticae CR19 in 250-ml Erlenmeyer flasks attained a peak in 48 h of fermentation, showing higher glucoamylase productivity (0.67 U ml⁻¹ h⁻¹) than the former (0.375 U ml⁻¹ h⁻¹). A large-scale cultivation in 5-l laboratory bioreactor confirmed similar fermentation profiles, though the glucoamylase production peak was attained within 36 h attributable to the better control of process parameters. Although the mutant grew slightly slow in the presence of 2-DG and exhibited less sporulation, it showed faster growth on normal Emerson medium with a higher specific growth rate (0.138 h⁻¹) compared to the parent strain (0.123 h⁻¹). The glucoamylase produced by both strains was optimally active at 60 °C and pH 7.0 and displayed broad substrate specificity by cleaving α-1,4- and α-1,6-glycosidic linkages in starch, amylopectin, amylose and pullulan. Improved productivity and higher specific growth rate make T. indicae-seudaticae CR19 a useful strain for glucoamylase production.     

Transgenic expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gluconacetobacter xylinus</Emphasis> strain ATCC 53582 cellulose synthase genes in the cyanobacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus leopoliensis</Emphasis> strain UTCC 100

We report the transfer of cellulose synthesis genes (acsABΔC) from the heterotropic alpha proteobacterium, Gluconacetobacter xylinus strain ATCC 53582 to a photosynthetic microbe (Synechococcus leopoliensis strain UTCC 100). These genes were functionally expressed in this cyanobacterium, resulting in the production of non-crystalline cellulose. Although the cellulose lacks the structural integrity of the product synthesized by G. xylinus, the non-crystalline nature of the cyanobacterial cellulose makes it an ideal potential feedstock for biofuel production.     

Bioactive Benzopyrone Derivatives from New Recombinant Fusant of Marine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis>

In our searching program for bioactive secondary metabolites from marine Streptomycetes, three microbial benzopyrone derivatives (1-3), 7-methylcoumarin (1) and two flavonoides, rhamnazin (2) and cirsimaritin (3), were obtained during the working up of the ethyl acetate fraction of a marine Streptomyces fusant obtained from protoplast fusion between Streptomyces strains Merv 1996 and Merv 7409. The structures of the three compounds (1-3) were established by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass, UV spectra, and by comparison with literature data. Marine Streptomyces strains were identified based on their phenotypic and chemotypic characteristics as two different bioactive strains of the genus Streptomyces. We described here the fermentation, isolation, as well as the biological activity of these bioactive compounds. The isolated compounds (1-3) are reported here as microbial products for the first time.     

Arabinogalactomannan from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gleditsia macracantha</Emphasis> seeds

A polysaccharide with MW 25,000 consisting of arabinose, galactose, and mannose units in a 1:2.8:3.2 ratio was isolated from Gleditsia macracantha seeds. Chemical and spectral methods established that the polysaccharide was a branched galactomannan with side branches consisting of arabinose units. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 128-130, March-April, 2009.     

Study of the mechanism of redox transformations of sterically hindered <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-aryl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-iminoquinones

The mechanisms of redox transformations of sterically hindered [¹IBQ]-[³IBQ], 9,10-iminophenanthraquinone [⁴IFQ], and o-aminophenol [⁵AP] have been studied by cyclic voltammetry. It has been shown that the reduction process in tetrahydrofuran consists of two consecutive reversible steps leading to the formation of a radical anion and a dianion. In the case of acetonitrile, only the first redox process is detected, which involves the steps of protonation and electron addition resulting in the formation of a monoanion. Quantum-chemical calculations indicate a lower degree of participation of the six-membered nonaromatic carbon ring in the spin density delocalization in the o-iminosemiquinonate radical anions as compared to o-benzosemiquinonate radical anions. The oxidation of iminoquinones results in the formation of an unstable radical cation, which undergoes further chemical transformations. An increase in the acidity of a medium leads to the formation of protonated forms with the reduction potential being shifted anodically. The introduction of screening groups makes it possible to suppress side reactions of hydrolysis and cyclization of oxidized o-aminophenol [⁵AP] forms. Therefore, the major product of complete electrolysis is o-iminobenzoquinone [²IBQ].     

Production of Nisin Z by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactococcus lactis</Emphasis> Isolated from Dahi

Lactococcus lactis CM1, an isolate from homemade “Dahi,” a traditional fermented milk from India, used maltose as carbon source to produce a high level of bacteriocin. The bacterial cell mass and the bacteriocin production correlated with the initial pH of the medium and were highest when the initial pH was 11.0. The level of bacteriocin reached its peak at the late log phase with concomitant reduction of culture pH to 4.2, regardless of the initial pH of the medium. A combination of maltose and an initial medium pH of 11 resulted in the highest bacteriocin production. The antibacterial spectrum of the bacteriocin was closely similar to that of nisin and it inhibited a number of food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Upon sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the compound migrated close to the position of nisin (3.5 kDa). However, it had higher stability than nisin at a wide range of pH and temperature. PCR amplification using nisin gene-specific primers and sequencing of the amplified DNA revealed the structural gene for the bacteriocin to be identical to that of nisZ.