Changes in iso- and n-alkane distribution during biodegradation of crude oil under nitrate and sulphate reducing conditions.

Crude oil consists of a large number of hydrocarbons with different susceptibility to microbial degradation. The influence of hydrocarbon structure and molecular weight on hydrocarbon biodegradation under anaerobic conditions is not fully explored. In this study oxygen, nitrate and sulphate served as terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) for the microbial degradation of a paraffin-rich crude oil in a freshly contaminated soil.

In vitro antagonistic activities of animal intestinal strains against swine-associated pathogens.

A wide range of enteropathogens cause costly diarrhoeal diseases in fattening piglets and account for food-related infections in humans. The objective of this study was to screen beneficial bacterial strains from the gastrointestinal tract of various animal sources for antagonistic activity against diverse pathogens associated with hazardous pig production times. Using agar spot assays, 15 well-characterized strains belonging to Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium and Bacillus were studied for inhibition of Clostridium perfringens type A, various serovars of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, as well as Brachyspira pilosicoli.

Effects and uptake of polycyclic aromatic compounds in snails (Helix aspersa).

The International Standardization Organization recently launched a soil toxicity test with snails (Helix aspersa). We assessed the sensitivity of this test for seven polycyclic aromatic compounds. Control animals had 100% survival and low variability for growth measurements.

Microbiologicals for deactivating mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi affecting human and animal health. Five classes of mycotoxins are of major concern in animal husbandry, namely aflatoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, ochratoxins, and fumonisins. Due to their diverse structure these fungal toxins are able to cause a great variety of acute symptoms in animals.

Development of a competitive exclusion product for poultry meeting the regulatory requirements for registration in the European Union.

Competitive exclusion treatment is able to increase the pathogen colonization resistance of day-old chicks by applying probiotic bacteria stabilizing the indigenous microflora. In order to develop a safe microbial feed additive, various bacterial strains were isolated out of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy chickens. One hundred twenty-one representatives were selected based on differences in whole-cell protein patterns and screened for antagonistic properties.