Degradation of micropollutant cephalexin by ultraviolet (UV) and assessment of residual antimicrobial activity of transformation products.

Cephalexin (CEX) is an antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. However, it is also a micropollutant. Thus, this study evaluated the degradation of CEX using ultraviolet irradiation (UV-C) and analyzed the by-products as well as their residual antimicrobial activity.

Assessment of selenium bioaccumulation in lactic acid bacteria.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient for living beings, as it helps to maintain the normal physiological functions of the organism. The numerous discoveries involving the importance of this element to the health of human beings have fostered interest in research to develop enriched and functional foods. The present study evaluated the potential for bacterial strains of Enterococcus faecalis (CH121 and CH124), Lactobacillus parabuchneri (ML4), Lactobacillus paracasei (ML13, ML33, CH135, and CH139), and Lactobacillus plantarum (CH131) to bioaccumulate Se in their biomass by adding different concentrations of sodium selenite (30 to 200 mg/L) to the culture medium.