The ability to degrade amyloid A fibrils was studied in the serum of 31 patients with amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis without amyloidosis, and 47 healthy controls. Fibrillar amyloid A protein and the radial diffusion method were used. The mean degrading activity in serum was significantly lower in patients with rheumatoid arthritis complic...

Xylose, the major constituent of xylans, as well as the side chain sugars, such as arabinose, can be metabolized by engineered yeasts into ethanol. Therefore, xylan-degrading enzymes that efficiently hydrolyze xylans will add value to cellulases used in hydrolysis of plant cell wall polysaccharides for conversion to biofuels. Heterogeneous xylan is a complex substrate, and it requires multiple ...

The microbial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production represents a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. However, the discovery of new microbial enzymes with high activity is critical for improving biomass conversion processes. While attempts to identify superior lignocellulose-degrading enzymes have focused predominantly on the animal gut, biomass-degrading communities in...

MIESCHER [1870] observed that after prolonged peptic digestion of egg-yolk an insoluble substance separated out. This substance was foundby Bunge [1885] to contain iron in organic combination and was named by him " haematogen" because of its close resemblance to haemoglobin, at least so far as empirical composition was concerned. The chemical nature of this substance was investigated in more de...

Anthracene is a widespread environmental pollutant with carcinogenic and genotoxic properties. Biodegradation is a simple, cost-effective and safe technique to clean-up contaminated environments. The aims of this study are isolation and characterization of an oligotrophic bacterium with the ability to degrade anthracene and the assessment of in vitro biodegradation process. For this purpose pet...

materials and methods phe degrading bacteria were isolated from surface sediments. isolated strains were then identified by biochemical and molecular (16s rdna gene sequence) analysis. rsm was employed to evaluate the optimum biodegradation of phe by the most effective isolated strain. the investigated parameters included the temperature, inoculum sizes, ph, nh4cl concentration, and salinity. o...

continuous and excessive use of organophosphorus compounds has led to thecontamination of water and soil ecosystems. the degradation of organophosphorusinsecticides, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos- methyl, cyanophos and malathion in mineral saltsmedia were studied. the effect of additional biofertilizers, singly or combined withorganic amendments, on chlorpyrifos and cyanophos degrading activity in...

The pH of the water associated with toxic blooms of cyanobacteria is typically in the alkaline range; however, previously only microcystin-degrading bacteria growing in neutral pH conditions have been isolated. Therefore, we sought to isolate and characterize an alkali-tolerant microcystin-degrading bacterium from a water bloom using microcystin-LR. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence reveal...

Bacteria that are capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were enumerated by incorporating soil and water dilutions together with fine particles of phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, into an agarose overlayer and pouring the mixture over a mineral salts underlayer. The phenanthrene-degrading bacteria embedded in the overlayer were recognized by a halo of clearing in ...

AIM To evaluate some forage feeds of ruminants in terms of their carbohydrate (CHO) and protein fractions using Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS Eleven ruminant feeds (six green fodders - maize, oat, sorghum, bajra, cowpea, berseem and five range herbages - para grass, guinea grass, hedge lucerne, setaria grass and hybrid napier) were selected for thi...