The ELISA and an immunoblotting technique were used to study F38-type mycoplasmas - an important cause of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia - and a number of related mycoplasma species, subspecies, types or serogroups. Two-way ELISA cross-reactivity was demonstrated between five mycoplasmas, namely strain F38, Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (LC strain), M. equigenitalium, M. primatum and ...

A Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus HP1 strain with high exopolysaccharide activity was selected from among 40 strains of lactic acid bacteria, isolated from kefir grains. By associating the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus HP1 strain with Streptococcus thermophilus T15, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C15, Lactobacillus helveticus MP12, and Sacharomyces cerevisiae A13, a ...

Superoxide dismutase (SOD, superoxide:superoxide reductase, EC 1.15.1.1) activity was studied in 23 strains of Campylobacter spp. using disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Different enzyme patterns were observed with extracts of different species of Campylobacter; three migration bands were found in all strains of C. sputorum subsp. sputorum and C. sputorum subsp. bubulus (relative mobilit...

Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides LC can be combined into one taxon on the basis of several contributions on both DNA sequence and protein analyses reported in the literature. Moreover, for the differentiation and identification of mycoplasmas of the "mycoides cluster", we investigated the rpoB gene, encoding the beta-subunit of the RNA polymerase. A segme...

The presence and extent of genetic variation in saffron crocus are still debated, as testified by several contradictory articles providing contrasting results about the monomorphism or less of the species. Remarkably, phenotypic variations have been frequently observed in the field, such variations are usually unstable and can change from one growing season to another. Considering that gene exp...

Recently a joint project has been carried out between the Paul Scherrer Institut, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and swissnuclear, an industrial partner, in order to determine axial void distribution channel installed reflector of zero power research reactor CROCUS, using neutron noise techniques. The main objective present paper is report on validation results against alternative mea...

To evaluate how weather conditions affect the life cycle of a bulbous plant species, a methodology is proposed here using Crocus cambessedesii, a plant that is endemic to Mallorca and Menorca. Data from an experimental field study conducted from 2007 to 2013 in the south west of Mallorca is taken together with meteorological observations from Palma Airport, located about 10 km away from the sit...

The immunomodulatory activity of an Indian neutraceutical spice, saffron (Crocus sativus) was studied on Th(1) and Th(2) limbs of the immune system. Oral administration of alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus (ACS) at graded dose levels from 1.56-50 mg/kg p.o. potentiated the Th(2) response of humoral immunity causing the significant increases in agglutinating antibody titre in mice at a dose of...

BACKGROUND Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is used in folk medicine, for example as an antiedematogenic agent. We aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of saffron extracts in mice. RESULTS We used aqueous and ethanolic maceration extracts of Crocus sativus L. stigma and petals. Antinociceptive activity was examined using the hot plate and writhing tests. The effect ...