Chitinases: expanding the boundaries of knowledge beyond routinized chitin degradation.

Chitinases, enzymes that degrade chitin, have long been studied for their role in various biological processes. They play crucial roles in the moulting process of invertebrates, the digestion of chitinous food, and defense against chitin-bearing pathogens. Additionally, chitinases are involved in physiological functions in crustaceans, such as chitinous food digestion, moulting, and stress response.

Drug delivery applications and future prospects of microbial exopolysaccharides.

Over the years, exopolysaccharides (EPSs) have been utilized in various areas of research, including health, industry, environment, and agriculture, due to their flexible physical, chemical and structural properties that can be readily modified to suit desired purposes. Current research trends have shown that EPS production is dependent on numerous factors which can be combined to varying extent to optimize production yields. Although the majority of research is directed towards their industrial and medicinal uses, these chemical substances possess peculiar characteristics which are also exploited for biomedical research, where they are being used as drug delivery systems, some of which include their abundance in nature, biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and ability to efficiently encapsulate sensitive bioactive agents.

Production of xylanase by GIO and through solid-state fermentation.

Xylanase breaks xylan down to xylose, which is used in industries such as pulp and paper, food and feed, among others. The utilization of wastes for xylanase production is economical, hence this work aimed at producing xylanase through solid-state fermentation and characterizing the enzyme. Xylanase-producing strains of and GIO were inoculated separately in a 5 and 10 day solid fermentation study on maize straw, rice straw, sawdust, corn cob, sugarcane bagasse, conifer litters, alkaline-pretreated maize straw (APM) and combined alkaline and biological-pretreated maize straw, respectively.

Evaluation of extracellular electron transfer in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by co-expression of intermediate genes in NAD synthetase production pathway.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an electrogenic bacterium, in which extracellular electron transfer (EET) is mediated by microbially-produced phenazines, especially pyocyanin. Increasing EET rate in electrogenic bacteria is key for the development of biosensors and bioelectrofermentation processes. In this work, the production of pyocyanin, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) and NAD synthetase by the electrogenic strain PA-A4 is determined using a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC).

Characterization and statistical optimization of γ-PGA produced by Bacillus megaterium UP47 isolated from Pentaclethra macrophylla.

Background: Gamma-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a microbially produced non-toxic peptide biopolymer which is gaining grounds in many biotechnological fields and has a wide range of applications.

Objectives: In this study, the characteristics of γ-PGA produced by Bacillus megaterium isolated from an oil seed were determined, while the nutritional requirements of the bacterium were optimized using a predictive 15 factor-16 run Plackett-Burman experimental design.

Material And Methods: The main effect of each factor, the interaction and quadratic effects of the factors on optimized production were determined from Box-Benkhen model using Dell Statistica v.

Design and evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of ackee seed extract silver nanoparticle film formulations.

Background: Plant-extract-reduced metal nanoparticles provide means of overcoming microbial resistance. Incorporating them into appropriate pharmaceutical formulations will enhance their portability and ease of administration.

Objectives: To synthesize silver nanoparticles using methanol extracts of the seeds of Blighia sapida as capping agents and formulating the products in antimicrobial films.

Antibiotic resistance profile of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from Lafenwa abattoir effluent and its receiving water (Ogun River) in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria.

Untreated abattoir effluent constitutes potential reservoir for transmission of pathogenic strains of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria by pollution of surface and ground water sources. This study was carried out to determine the antibiotic resistance and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production profiles of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from effluent collected from Lafenwa municipal abattoir and its receiving surface water, Ogun River, in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria. Twelve effluent and 18 water samples were collected for this study.

Effects of media components and agricultural by-products on γ-polyglutamic acid production by Bacillus toyonensis As8.

Background: Poly-γ‑glutamic acid (γ‑PGA) provides an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic materials which have widely polluted the environment.

Objectives: The microbial production of γ‑PGA, an amino acid biopolymer with glutamic acid subunits, was investigated using renewable agricultural residues in an attempt to find cheaper substitutes for conventional synthetic media components.

Material And Methods: Bacteria which produce γ‑PGA were isolated through depolymerizing Coix lacryma-jobi, a cellulosic grass, and the effects of various carbon and nitrogen sources, temperature, inoculant load, incubation period, and pH on γ‑PGA yield were determined after submerged fermentation.

Production and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid from Bacillus thuringiensis using different carbon substrates.

Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids (PHA) are biodegradable microbially synthesised polymers which can act as alternatives to conventional petrochemical based plastics. Bacterial isolates from soil and sewage samples were screened for the ability to accumulate PHA using Sudan Black B dye, and growth conditions of the best PHA accumulating bacterium was optimized. The PHA produced was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy.

Characteristics of a β-1,4-D endoglucanase from Trichoderma virens wholly applied in a palm-fruit husk-based diet for poultry layers.

The characteristics of an endoglucanase produced by a Trichoderma virens strain T9 newly isolated from a palm-fruit husk dump site, its physiological characteristics and enzyme production were studied. Whole cells of the depolymerizing-enzyme producing T. virens were applied to palm-fruit husk and bird performance characteristics when employed as poultry diet additive were considered.