AI Article Synopsis
- Moonmilk is a cave deposit with historical medical and cosmetic uses, which is being studied for its antimicrobial properties.
- Researchers analyzed five samples from caves with differing climates in Romania and Brazil, finding that calcite and dolomite were the main minerals present.
- Genetic studies revealed diverse bacterial communities in the moonmilk, with significant unclassified phyla, orders, and genera, suggesting high potential for discovering new microorganisms with useful applications.
Article Abstract
Moonmilk is a cave deposit that was used for medical and cosmetic purposes and has lately raised interest for its antimicrobial potential. We studied five moonmilk samples from four caves with different microclimatic conditions, two temperate in north-western and northern Romania (Ferice, Fața Apei, and Izvorul Tăușoarelor caves) and one tropical in Minas Gerais, Brazil (Nestor Cave). The physicochemical and mineralogical analyses confirmed the presence of calcite and dolomite as the main phase in the moonmilk. A 16S rRNA gene-based metabarcoding approach showed the most abundant bacteria phyla Proteobacteria, GAL15, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota. The investigated caves differed in the dominant orders of bacteria, with the highest distance between the Romanian and Nestor Cave samples. Climate and, implicitly, the soil microbiome can be responsible for some differences we found between all the samples. However, other factors can be involved in shaping the moonmilk microbiome, as differences were found between samples in the same cave (Ferice). In our five moonmilk samples, 1 phylum, 70 orders (~ 36%), and 252 genera (~ 47%) were unclassified, which hints at the great potential of cave microorganisms for future uses.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02286-8 | DOI Listing |
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- Genetic studies revealed diverse bacterial communities in the moonmilk, with significant unclassified phyla, orders, and genera, suggesting high potential for discovering new microorganisms with useful applications.
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