Cyanobacteria of the Nostoc genus secrete a number of biologically active compounds, including polysaccharides, which may exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the study was to investigate the biological properties of Nostoc polysaccharides (NPs) (antioxidative and antimicrobial) and the possibility of using NPs addition in the production of biofoils. Our results allow to indicate that NPs were compatible with the used biopolymer matrix (furcellaran and chitosan) and showed antioxidant properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEssential oils exhibit strong antimicrobial effects that can serve as a substitute for synthetic pesticides. However, many reports mention the use of essential oils in protecting above-ground plant organs and storing raw materials and seeds, but only a few address the effects of treatments on soil microbiota. Regarding this, it is necessary to find a solution that will prevent the rapid degradation of oils in soil and extend the period of their action on the soil microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMountain regions in Poland are among the most frequently visited tourist destinations, causing a significant anthropogenic pressure put on the local rivers. In this study, based on numbers of 9 microorganisms, content of 17 antibiotics and 17 physicochemical parameters, we determined a pollution gradient in six sites along Białka, a typical mountain river in southern Poland. The E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMountain areas in Poland are among the most frequented tourist destinations and such intensive tourism negatively affects the natural environment. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown restricted travel for a few months in 2020, providing a unique opportunity to observe the studied mountain environment without the impact of typical tourist traffic. This study is based on the determination of antibiotic content, hydrochemical parameters, enumeration of culturable bacterial water quality indicators, antimicrobial susceptibility tests together with extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) gene detection in waterborne E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to gain insight into the presence of antibiotics, occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in Escherichia coli in surface water, based on the example of the Białka river, located in one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Poland. Water samples were collected in three sites: in the Tatra National Park (TNP), by the sewage discharge from the local treatment plant (STP) and c.a.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA field study was performed to assess whether fungal aerosol of a municipal dump may impact on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of epiphytic mycoflora of crop plants cultivated in vicinity of the dump. Sampling sites were located at every side of the dump. Plant samples were collected from field bean, spring wheat and potato.
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