Several toxigenic cyanobacteria produce the cyanotoxin (microcystin). Being a health and environmental hazard, screening of water sources for the presence of microcystin is increasingly becoming a recommended environmental procedure in many countries of the world. This study was conducted to assess the ability of freshwater cyanobacterial species Westiellopsis prolifica to produce microcystins in Iraqi freshwaters via using molecular and immunological tools. The toxigenicity of W. prolifica was compared via laboratory experiments with other dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria isolated from the Tigris River: Microcystis aeruginosa, Chroococcus turigidus, Nostoc carneum, and Lyngbya sp. significant expression of mcyE gene and microcystin production was most evident in W. prolifica. Contrary to the prevailing concept that M. aeruginosa is a main microcystin producer in freshwaters around the world, no significant microcystin production was observed with this species throughout the time points studied in our laboratory methods. As for C. turigidus, N. carneum and Lyngbya sp., neither mcyE expression nor microcystin production was significant. Data from mcyE expression by RT-qPCR were generally in agreement with those obtained from microcystin quantification by ELISA. Interestingly, W. prolifica, which showed clear microcystin-producing ability in this study and which was not reported before in the literature to produce microcystin, can be added as a new microcystin producer to the list of toxigenic cyanobacteria.
Citrus fruit contain variety of flavonoids such as Hesperidin (the principal flavonoid in oranges and grapefruit). Hesperidin is found in high concentration in fruit peel of oranges and in substantially lower concentration in juice of these fruits. Hesperidin was extracted from oranges peel by treating the peels with calcium hydroxide. HPLC technique was used to determine hesperidin. Hesperidin was saperated and purified in a purity of about 90.1-95.7% and yield about 1.5 %w/w from oranges peel dry powder. Both hesperidin and oranges peel extract showed significan antibacterial activity. Sensitivity to hesperidin and oranges peel extracts were not similar for the chosen bacteriaCrude orange peel extract gave a various antimicro
... Show MoreIn this work, a local sunflower husk (SFH) was used as a natural surface for removing Basic Green-4 (BG4) dye, as a watersoluble pollutant. The effect of initial concentration, contact time, the mass of surface of the dye with the SFH as well as the medium temperature was studied. The application of Langmuir, Freundlich isotherms on the collected data of the adsorption process found to harmonize to Freundlich equation more than that of Langmuir. However, the adsorbed mass of BG4 dye showed a direct increase with the increase of SFH mass and equilibrium was achieved within a 60min window. The interaction of BG4 with SFH surface was spontaneous and exothermic. The empirical kinetic outcomes at ambient temperatures were applied to pseudo 1st a
... Show MoreTitanium oxide nanoparticles-modified smectite (SMC-nTiO2) as a low-cost adsorbent was investigated for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents (SMC and SMC-nTiO2) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effects of various parameters like contact time, adsorbent weight, pH, and temperatures were examined. Three kinetic equations (pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and intra-particle diffusion) were used to evaluate the experimental kinetic of the data and the results showed that the adsorption process is in line with the PSO kinetic model. Adsorption equilibrium isotherms were modeled using La
... Show MoreBiological activity substances was investigated in watery extract of lentil which found to contain phenols, tannin, saponins and resins while, flavons, terpens and steroids were not exist in the extract details explained that 5%, 10% of lentil extract largly inhibited the growth of Psedumonas aeruginosa then Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The growth of both Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium were slightly affected by all extract concentration. Extracellular protease were screened in all bacterial species under study. Complete inhibition was achieved for extracellular protease while different percentage of protease inhibition were seen for intracellular proteases.
ABSTRACT
Two compounds were isolated from the fruit part of Rhus coriaria that grow wildly or cultivated in the north of Iraq. The compounds were separated by preparative high-Performance Liquid Chromatography and their structures were established based on detailed spectroscopic techniques like FTIR and LC-MS/MS.
Keywords: Rhus coriaria, Preparative HPLC, LC-MSMS, FTIR
Pathogenic microorganisms from hospitals, communities, and the environment remain great threats to human health. The increasing concern about antibiotic resistance has also necessitated the search for robust alternatives. Therefore, this study aims to isolate, screen and evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a soil sample taken from northern, western and eastern parts of Kelana Jaya Lake against four antibiotics (gentamycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, and penicillin) on a Mueller-Hinton Agar media plate. Pseudomonas identification was done by using API 20 kit. Disc diffusion was employed as well as the oxidase test. From the positive oxidase result, the isolated bacteria were identified as Burkhold
... Show MoreMetal complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) with Schiff base ligand (LH) derived from 2,5-dichloroaniline and 2-hydroxy-5-metheylbenzalaldehyde were synthesized and characterized using a variety of spectrophotometric techniques The findings of the spectroscopic analysis indicated that (LH) behaved as a binary coordinating agent to the metal ion by the N and O atoms, and the geometry shape of the complexes was octahedral, with the exception of the Pd and Pt complexes, which had a square planar geometry. Using the DPPH radical scavenging method, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of the compound against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, as well as the antifungal activity of t
... Show MoreThe mixed ligand complexes of Schiff base ligand (Z)-2-(((4-bromo-2-methylphenyl) imino) methyl)-4-methylphenol (L) with some metals ion (II); Mn(1), Co(2), Ni(3), Cu(4), Zn(5) Cd(6) and Hg(7) and 1,10-Phenanthroline (phen) were Synthesis and characterized by the mass and 1HNMR spectrometry (ligand Schiff base), the FTIR, UV-visible and the flame atomic absorption (A.A) spectrum, the C.H.N analysis and the chlorine content, in addition to measuring the magnetic sensitivity of the complexes. All the complexes had octahedral geometry. The bioactivity activity for compounds against; Rhizopodium, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, the compounds showed different efficacy towards these microorganisms