Inhibitory effects of anethole and eugenol on the growth and toxin production of Aspergillus parasiticus

The antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activity of anethole and eugenol which are active components of commonly used spices was studied against two strains of Aspergillus parasiticus. Anethole, up to concentration of 400 μg/ml where complete inhibition was observed, delayed growth and reduced mycelial weight but it showed a stimulative effect on the toxin production of both strains. At a concentration of 300 μg/ml, eugenol inhibited the growth of both strains; levels of eugenol below 200 μg/ml enhanced production of aflatoxin particularly by A. parasiticus NRRL 299.     

Identification of Aspergillus tubingensis strains responsible for OTA contamination in grapes and wine based on the acyl transferase domain of a polyketide synthase gene

Restriction digestion analysis of the acyl transferase (AT) domain sequences of a polyketide synthase (PKS) gene was tested as a rapid method to identify isolates of Aspergillus tubingensis from grapes. Restriction endonuclease digestion of PKS products using the endonucleases Bcc I, Hae III, Hpa II, Mbo I and Taq I distinguished five types of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Ochratoxigenic isolates were only identified within RFLP-types I and III. The RFLP assay is proposed as a rapid and easy method to identify A. tubingensis isolates from grapes. Amino acid sequences of AT domains from representative A. tubingensis isolates of the RFLP types obtained were aligned and analysed using phylogenetic methods. A comparison was also made with reference strains of Aspergillus section Nigri . Most of the A. tubingensis strains clustered into two distinct groups Gr1 and Gr2 with the exception of two isolates that remained unclustered. These results support the intraspeficific variability within A. tubingensis species reported using other techniques.     

Solid-state fermentation of Lathyrus sativus seeds using Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus oligosporus sp T-3 to eliminate the neurotoxin β-ODAP without loss of nutritional value

The presence of a neurotoxic amino acid, 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (β-ODAP), in the seeds of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) is the cause of an irreversible spastic paraparesis, neurolathyrism, after over-consumption. This is a negative factor in an otherwise very tasty, nutritious, easily cultivated and hardy food crop in Asia and Africa. The reduction of β-ODAP to less than 10% of the original content has been reached by fermenting L sativas Jamalpur seeds with Aspergillus oryzae NRRL 1988 for 48 h, followed by fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus sp T-3 for 48 h. Other nutritional qualities were also improved in the fermented seed meal: increased content of protein, higher amino acid scores for sulphur-containing and aromatic amino acids, better resistance to high temperature and to oxidation, and drastic reduction of the flatulence factors.     

Effect of pH on ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus niger aggregate species

The effect of pH (2-10) on growth and ochratoxin A (OTA) production by 12 Aspergillus niger aggregate strains was studied in two culture media: Czapek yeast autolysate agar (CYA) and yeast extract sucrose agar (YES), over 30 days. The strains were selected to include different sources, different reported abilities to produce OTA and different ITS-5.8S rDNA RFLP patterns. YES was a better culture medium than CYA for OTA production. In this medium, OTA was produced from pH 2 or 3 to 10 depending on the strain. The results show the ability of A. niger aggregate strains not only to grow, but also to produce OTA over a wide pH range. The results will lead to a better understanding of the role of A. niger aggregate strains in the OTA contamination of several food commodities.     

贵州茯茶散茶发花条件优化及微生物多样性分析

贵州是我国茶树品种资源最丰富的省份之一,茶园面积大,但经济产值低,夏秋茶浪费严重,品种结构单一。该研究以贵州省安顺市黑毛茶为供试原材料,人工接种茯砖茶“金花”发酵剂,优化散茯茶发花工艺条件,并开展了理化指标变化及真菌多样性研究。通过单因素试验及正交优化试验分析不同因素对黑毛茶散茶发花的影响。结果表明,其最佳发花条件为：含水量30%、温度24 ℃、发酵时间9 d及接种量1:100（m/m）。在此发花条件下,成品散茯茶冠突曲霉孢子数为3×108 CFU/mL,水分、总灰分、茶多酚、游离氨基酸、水浸出物含量分别为3.0%、6.8%、12.0%、2.4%、42.6%。经过上述优化后,茶汤色明亮,金花茂盛,香气纯正,滋味醇和。通过高通量测序技术分析不同发酵时间下散茯茶的真菌多样性。结果表明,发酵3 d后,曲霉属（Aspergillus）相对丰度达到98.8%。该研究优化了贵州散茶发花的工艺条件,对提高茯砖茶品质具有重要意义,为其他茶叶散茶发花工艺提供参考。     

高糖化力菌种的筛选及诱变育种

固体曲中精化酶能将淀粉水解为葡萄精,进而被微生物发酵生成酒精.以分离筛选出的1株产糖化酶的黑曲霉(酶活265.21U/g干曲)为出发菌,经紫外线及原生质体紫外线复合诱变育种,获得1株糖化酶活力较高、生产性能稳定的菌株,其酶活达到3367.79U/g干曲,比原始菌株提高1169.86%.     

黑曲霉原生质体诱变及其产纤维素酶条件研究

采用紫外、硫酸二乙酯及复合诱变3种方法对黑曲霉原生质体进行诱变育种,以提高其酶活。结果表明,采用复合诱变效果最好,复合诱变所得菌株的酶活比出发菌株大幅度提高;应用单因素实验优化突变菌株的产酶条件,其最佳产酶条件培养基为:5%蔗糖、1.4%蛋白胨、0.2%磷酸二氢钾、0.05%硫酸镁,在250 mL摇瓶中装液60 mL,10%接种量、29℃下200 r/min培养96 h,酶活达到最大。     

Characterization of Aspergillus oryzae glycoside hydrolase family 43 β-xylosidase expressed in Escherichia coli

This is the first report of glycoside hydrolase family 43 β-xylosidase from Aspergillus oryzae. To characterize this enzyme, the recombinant enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli. Unlike known β-xylosidases from fungal origins, the enzyme did not show substrate ambiguity and was stable at alkaline pH.     

Quantification of the Bactericidal,Fungicidal, and Sporicidal Efficacy of the JLA Ltd. Ozone Laundering System

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the bactericidal, fungicidal, and sporicidal efficacy of the in-use concentration of ozone in solution generated continuously by the JLA Limited OTEX validated ozone laundering system against a range of typical microorganisms associated with laundering applications. The study used the JLA HC 100 laundering machine as the containment vessel. Test microbial suspensions were introduced directly into the drum of the laundering machine containing a known level of water in the presence of soluble ozone. Using standard microbiological techniques, the numbers of surviving bacteria, mold spores or bacterial spores were determined, and reductions in viable counts were calculated. The following test organisms were employed: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, E. coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Aspergillus niger (spores), and Clostridium difficile (spores). All tests used multiple contact times of 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 15 minutes at 20 °C±2 °C. Levels of ≤0.25 mg/L of dissolved ozone had minimal effect on the bacteria. Levels of >0.45 mg/L ozone showed good biocidal activity, except against Acinetobacter baumannii, which showed strong resistance to ozone. Against fungal spores, dissolved ozone levels of >1.2 mg/L were required to obtain a 2.8 log reduction. For Clostridium difficile spores, a dissolved ozone level between 0.90 and 1.20 mg/L gave >1.6 log reduction with no discernable spore recovery. In every instance, the control tests (no ozone) recovered levels of microorganisms that proved that the action of the laundering machine has no antimicrobial activity, and that the log reductions obtained are solely due to the effects of dissolved ozone.     

微生物絮凝剂的絮凝特性研究

从活性污泥中分离出1株产高效絮凝剂微生物AspergillusM-25,利用其发酵液进行絮凝特性实验。实验结果表明:(1)该絮凝剂对250μm,4g/L,pH为7的高岭土悬浊液有良好的絮凝效果,絮凝率>97%;(2)菌株M-25产生的活性成分95%存在于上清液中,只有约5%存在于洗涤后的菌细胞中,未接种的培养液中不含絮凝成分;⑶影响生物絮凝剂絮凝效果的因素主要有絮凝剂的投加量,高岭土悬浊液的pH、浊度、粒度以及金属离子的添加;⑷利用该生物絮凝剂处理活性炭粉末溶液和土壤悬浊液,也取得较好的处理效果,显示了絮凝范围的广泛性。