The faeB gene encoding a second feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger has been cloned and characterized. It consists of an open reading frame of 1644 bp containing one intron. The gene encodes a protein of 521 amino acids that has sequence similarity to that of an Aspergillus oryzae tannase. However, the encoded enzyme, feruloyl esterase B (FAEB), does not have tannase activity. Comparison o...

Twelve isolates of Trichoderma (six of T. harzianum, five of T. viride, one of T. virens), which reduced variably the incidence of collar rot disease caused in peanut by Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem, were evaluated for their potential to produce lytic enzymes during in vitro antagonism. T. viride 60 inhibited highest (86.2%) growth of test fungus followed by T. harzianum 2J (80.4%) at 6 days a...

Ants often form mutualistic interactions with aphids, soliciting honeydew in return for protective services. Under certain circumstances, however, ants will prey upon aphids. In addition, in the presence of ants aphids may increase the quantity or quality of honeydew produced, which is costly. Through these mechanisms, ant attendance can reduce aphid colony growth rates. However, it is unknown ...

S t e i n b e r g (1935) and L u n d (1953) found that the growth of Aspergillus niger is influenced by copper. O r 1 o v et al. (1968) have further observed that 10.0% solution of copper sulphate increases markedly the yield of citric acid when molasses is employed as substrate. T o m l i n s o n et al (1950) studied the influence of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu on the production of citric acid and obser...

BACKGROUND This study was one of a set of verbal/social autopsy (VASA) investigations undertaken by the WHO/UNICEF-supported Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group to estimate the causes and determinants of neonatal and child deaths in high priority countries. The study objective was to help explain the lack of decrease in neonatal mortality in Niger from 2007 to 2010, a period during which ...

AIM ; To study the effect of reproductive factors on breast cancer risk in Niger Delta women. SETTING: University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Central Hospital Benin. DESIGN: Case-control study. SUBJECTS: Seventy one women diagnosed with breast cancer and their age-matched controls. FINDINGS: Mean age of cases was 46.7 years, control was 45.7 years. Family history of breast cancer RR2.03 P 0....

The observation that the bitterest peptides from casein hydrolysates contain several proline residues led us to hypothesize that a proline-specific protease would be instrumental in debittering such peptides. To identify the desired proline-specific activity, a microbiological screening was carried out in which the chromogenic peptide benzyloxycarbonyl-glycine-proline-p-nitroanilide (Z-Gly-Pro-...

This study evaluated the synergism between several P-solubilizing fungi isolates and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve clover ( Trifolium pratense) growth in the presence of Araxá apatite. Clover was sown directly in plastic pots with 300g of sterilized washed sand, vermiculite and sepiolite 1:1:1 (v:v:v) as substrate, and grown in a controlled environment chamber. The substrate was ferti...

This study was conducted to evaluate fungus, Aspergillus niger, as probiotics in broiler chickens. The Chickens were divided into 4 treatments with average weight (375± 4 g). First treatment as control fed control diet and other chicks were fed diets supplemented with Aspergillus niger at the levels of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1%. The birds were fed experimental diets until 27 d of age to evaluate the ...

The development biofuels from Lignocellulosic (LC) biomass, which includes a variety of plant feedstocks such as agricultural and forestry residues and dedicated energy crops, is one route to clean and renewable alternatives to petroleum-base fuel. The first step in converting plant biomass to fuels is breaking down cellulose, the most abundant plant cell wall polymer, into fermentable sugars. ...