In vitro propagation of Stevia rebaudina plants using multiple shoot culture.

A multiple shoot culture was induced from nodal segments on MS medium containing half concentration of macroelements, 1% sucrose, and supplemented with NAA (0.01 mg/l). A bioreactor with hormone-free MS medium (300 ml) was inoculated with 1.

In vitro inhibitory effects of thymol and quinones of Nigella sativa seeds on cyclooxygenase-1- and -2-catalyzed prostaglandin E2 biosyntheses.

Dithymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, thymol and thymoquinone, compounds derived from N. sativa seeds, were investigated for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities using cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and -2 (COX-2) assays. Our results show that all substances tested possess significant inhibitory activity against at least one COX form at concentrations comparable to the active one of indomethacin.

Degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by selected helophytes.

Four emergent plants (helophytes, synonyms emersion macrophytes, marsh plants, etc.) Phragmites australis, Juncus glaucus, Carex gracillis and Typha latifolia were successfully used for degradation of TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) under in vitro conditions. The plants took up and transformed more than 90% of TNT from the medium within ten days of cultivation.

Tolerance to, and uptake and degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) are enhanced by the expression of a bacterial nitroreductase gene in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Arabidopsis thaliana was transformed with a gene encoding a nitroreductase (NTR, E.C.1.

Effects of heavy metals and nitroaromatic compounds on horseradish glutathione S-transferase and peroxidase.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and peroxidase (POX) activities have a direct relation to the effect of stress on plant metabolism. Changes in the activities of the enzymes were therefore studied. Horseradish hairy roots were treated by selected bivalent ions of heavy metals (HMs) and nitroaromatic compounds (NACs).

Screening of some Siberian medicinal plants for antimicrobial activity.

The antimicrobial activity of crude ethanolic extracts of 16 Siberian medicinal plants was tested against five species of microorganisms: Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. Of the 16 plants tested, 12 showed antimicrobial activity against one or more species of microorganisms. The most active antimicrobial plants were Bergenia crassifolia, Chelidonium majus, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Sanguisorba officinalis, and Tussilago farfara.

Remediation of BTEX and trichloroethene. Current knowledge with special emphasis on phytoremediation.

The widespread use of industrial chemicals in our highly industrialized society has often caused contamination of large terrestrial and marine areas due to the deliberate and accidental release of organic pollutants into the soil and groundwater. In this review, environmental problems arising from the use of chlorinated solvents and BTEX compounds are described, and an overview about active management strategies for remediation with special emphasis on phytoremediation are presented to achieve a reduction of the total mass of chlorinated solvents and BTEX compounds in contaminated areas. Phytoremediation has been proposed as an efficient, low-cost remediation technique to restore areas contaminated with chlorinated solvents and BTEX compounds.

Biological remediation of explosives and related nitroaromatic compounds.

Nitroaromatics form an important group of recalcitrant xenobiotics. Only few aromatic compounds, bearing one nitro group as a substituent of the aromatic ring, are produced as secondary metabolites by microorganisms. The majority of nitroaromatic compounds in the biosphere are industrial chemicals such as explosives, dyes, polyurethane foams, herbicides, insecticides and solvents.

CD 69 antigen of human lymphocytes is a calcium-dependent carbohydrate-binding protein.

CD69 is a signal transducing molecule of hematopoietic cells. Previous molecular cloning of CD69 has revealed a type II transmembrane orientation and the presence of an extracellular domain related to the Ca(2+)-dependent (C-type) animal lectins. As the predicted amino acid sequence for the lectin-like domain is highly divergent from those of other C-type lectin-like proteins - a feature shared with NKR-P1 of natural killer cells - CD69 and NKR-P1 are among proteins assigned to a separate group, group V.