Despite several studies reporting Penicillium as one of the most frequent fungal genera in cork planks, the isolates were rarely identified to species level. We conducted a detailed study to identify Penicillium species from the field to the factory environment prior to and after boiling the cork planks. A total of 84 samples were analyzed. Of the 486 Penicillium isolates phenotypically identif...

The objectives of the study were to determine the species composition of ticks infesting white and black rhinoceroses in southern Africa as well as the conservation status of those tick species that prefer rhinos as hosts. Ticks were collected opportunistically from rhinos that had been immobilised for management purposes, and 447 white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) and 164 black rhinocero...

The microbial community structure of cork with marked musty-earthy aromas was analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplified ribosomal DNA. Cork stoppers and discs were used for DNA extraction and were analyzed by using selective primers for bacteria and fungi. Stoppers clearly differed from discs harboring a different fungal community. Moreover, musty-earthy samples of bot...

Penicillium and Aspergillus have been recognized as important aeroallergens for more than 30 years, and are especially significant in indoor environments. There are over 400 species of Penicillium and Aspergillus combined, but there is little information on which species occur most frequently in the environment, or if each exhibits unique allergenic properties. A preliminary study showed no ove...

The objective of this study was to assess the host status of the three largest southern African wild ruminants, namely giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis, African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, and eland, Taurotragus oryx for ixodid ticks. To this end recently acquired unpublished data are added here to already published findings on the tick burdens of these animals, and the total numbers and specie...

To test the effects of elevated CO2 and soil N deficiency on resorption efficiency (NRE) from senescing leaves in two non-N2-fixing deciduous broadleaved tree species, Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata Blume) Painted maple (Acer mono Maxim. glabrum (Lév. Et Van’t.) Hara), potted seedlings were grown a natural daylight phytotron with either ambient or conditions (36 Pa 72 CO2) l...

BACKGROUND Aging is an inevitable process for all living organisms. During this process reactive oxygen species generation is increased which leads to the activation of hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase, which can further contribute to skin aging. Four southern African medicinal plants; Clerodendrum glabrum, Schotia brachypetala, Psychotria capensis and Peltophorum africanum, were investi...

The spiroketal (E)-conophthorin has recently been reported as a semiochemical of the navel orangeworm moth, a major insect pest of California pistachios and almonds. Conophthorin and the isomeric spiroketal chalcogran are most commonly known as semiochemicals of several scolytid beetles. Conophthorin is both an insect- and plant-produced semiochemical widely recognized as a nonhost plant volati...

Scolytinae, a large group of Coleoptera, are vital community that causes forest damage. Species such as Pityokteines curvidens (Germar), Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston), Tomicus destruens minor (Hartig) and Ips sexdentatus (Boerner) particularly prevalent in the region. In recent years, prevalence bark beetle species causing tree damage Bursa province has increased. The purpose this study was t...