Preliminary studies on the antitubercular activity and the mechanism of action of the water extract of garlic (Allium sativum) and its two partially purified proteins (Garlic defensins?)

Water extract of garlic (Allium sativum) inhibited the growth ofMycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇R_v andM. tuberculosis TRC-C1193 susceptible and resistant to isoniazid respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was slightly above 80 but less than 160 μg/ml and slightly above 100 but less than 200 μg/ml for the susceptible and resistant strains respectively. Gel filtration in Sephadex G-100 columns showed that two protein fractions (43 & 38 kD) possessed antitubercular activity with much lower MICs of 20–40 μg/ml and 30–60 μg/ml for susceptible strain. Water extract, when added to actively growingM. tuberculosis in their mid log phase prevented their further growth. The water extract of garlic inhibited the incorporation of¹⁴C glycine into whole cells by 81% in 6 hrs. indicating that the primary mechanism of action is by inhibition of protein synthesis.     

Purification and mechanism of action of antitubercular principle from garlic (Allium sativum) active against isoniazid susceptible and resistantMycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Allicin was prepared from the ethanol extract of garlic without the use of heat. It inhibited the growth ofMycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇R_v andM. tuberculosis TRC-C 1193 resistant to isoniazid completely when grown as surface cultures as well as shake cultures. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 70 μg/ml for both organisms. Further purification of allicin over silica gel-G columns gave a chloroform elutable fraction called CEF-allicin which inhibited the growth of both the susceptible and the isoniazid resistant strains ofM. tuberculosis. Its MIC is 25 μg/ml and is the lowest reported so far when compared with very high inhibitory concentration of 1 to 3mg/ml reported by other workers. It completely inhibited the synthesis of lipids and DNA from¹⁴C-acetate and³H-thymidine respectively and almost completely that of proteins and glycine derived carbohydrates from¹⁴C-glycine ofM. tuberculosis within 6 hr of exposure to CEF-allicin.     

Effect of some antitubercular drugs on the calmodulin content ofMycobacterium tuberculosis

The effect of the antitubercular drugs isoniazid (10 μg/ml), ethambutol (10 μg/ml), rifampicin (0.5 μg/ml) and streptomycin (1 μg/ml) on the calmodulin like protein (CAMLP) content ofMycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇R_v andM. tuberculosis H₃₇R_a was investigated. The drugs were added to actively growing cells at their mid log phase of growth (14 days) and after 12 more hours of incubation, CAMLP was estimated. In both the mycobacteria, all the four antitubercular drugs CAMLP.     

Isolation, PCR based identification, and sensitivity pattern of environmental mycobacteria from leprosy and tuberculosis patients

We have isolated and identified the biotype of environmental mycobacteria from the expectorate of leprosy patients, their contacts, their drinking water supply and also from the sputa samples of tuberculosis patients. 78% of the isolates from lepromatous leprosy patients and their contacts wereMycobacterium fortuitum- chelonae complex (MFC), 9%Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), 9%Mycobacterium scrofulaceum and 4% wereMycobacterium smegmatis. Among the isolates from tuberculosis patients 63% belonged toM. fortuitum- chelonae complex, 19% toM. avium complex, 12% toMycobacterium Kansasii and 6% toM. smegmatis. All the isolates were multi-drug resistant when tested for sensitivity total of 21 drugs. TheMycobacterium fortuitum-chelonae complex organisms from leprosy contacts were more sensitive to rifampicin than those isolated from lepromatous leprosy and tuberculosis patients. Among 23 isolates from leprosy patients one isolate was resistant to 20 drugs, one isolate to 17 drugs and another isolate was resistant to 13 drugs. Among the 18 isolates from drinking water supply six showed resistance to more than 12 drugs. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and subsequent hybridisation with specific probes confirmed all the isolated strains as nontuberculous mycobacteria (Using genus primers and probe sensitivity 100%) and none asM. tuberculosis, suggesting that PCR could be used to rapidly identify mycobacteria at the genus level and to rule out tuberculosis in leprosy patients at an early stage to decide on appropriate course of therapy.     

Antimicrobial activity ofTerminalia bellerica

The antimicrobial activity of crude and methanol extract ofTerminalia bellerica dry fruit was tested by disc diffusion method, against 9 human microbial pathogens. Crude aqueous extract of dry fruit at 4 mg concentration showed zone of inhibition ranging from 15.5–28.0 mm.S. aureus was found to be highly susceptible forming highest zone of inhibition, suggesting thatT. bellerica was strongly inhibitory towards this organism. These pathogens were highly sensitive to the methanol extract forming 14.0 to 30.0 mm zone of inhibition suggesting that the methanol extract ofT. bellerica was more effective than crude extract against most of the microbes tested exceptE. coli (enteropathogen) andP. aeruginosa. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of crude and methanol extracts were determined by broth dilution technique which ranged from 300 to >2400 μg/ml and 250 μg to >2000 μg/ml respectively, indicating thatT. bellerica was highly effective againstS. aureus with lower MIC values. There were some biochemical alterations induced byT. bellerica. These results indicate thatT. bellerica dry fruit possesses potential broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.     

Synthesis,characterization, and in vitro evaluation of gamma radiation-induced PEGylated isoniazid

BackgroundThe search for innovative anti-tubercular agents has received increasing attention in tuberculosis chemotherapy because Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has steadily increased over the years. This underlines the necessity for new methods of preparation for polymer-drug adducts to treat this important infectious disease. The use of poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) is an alternative producing anti-tubercular derivatives. However, it is not yet known whether PEGylated isonicotinylhydrazide conjugates obtained by direct links with PEG are useful for therapeutic applications.ResultsHere, we synthesized a PEGylated isoniazid (PEG-g-INH or PEG–INH) by gamma radiation-induced polymerization, for the first time. The new prodrugs were characterized using Raman and UV/Vis spectrometry. The mechanism of PEGylated INH synthesis was proposed. The in vitro evaluation of a PEGylated isonicotinylhydrazide macromolecular prodrug was also carried out. The results indicated that PEG–INH inhibited the bacterial growth above 95% as compared with INH, which showed a lower value (80%) at a concentration of 0.25 μM. Similar trends are observed for 0.1, 1, and 5 μM.ConclusionsIn summary, the research suggests that it is possible to covalently attach the PEG onto INH by the proposed method and to obtain a slow-acting isoniazid derivative with little toxicity in vitro and higher anti-mycobacterial potency than the neat drug.How to cite: González-Torres M, Guzmán-Beltrán S, Mata-Gómez M, et al. Synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of gamma radiation-induced PEGylated isoniazid. Electron J Biotechnol 2019; 41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2019.07.005.     

Identification of drug-resistantMycobacterium tuberculosis by single strand conformation polymorphism and cleavase fragment length polymorphism

Twenty isolates ofMycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to rifampicin(RIF), isoniazid(INH) and streptomycin(STR) were analysed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of rpoB, katG and rrs genes to evaluate comparative diagnostic significance of genetic assays. Mutations were identified by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and cleavase fragment length polymorphism (CFLP) and were confirmed by DNA sequencing. SSCP of 4 RIF resistant and 14 INH resistant isolates showed an extra peak at the level of 75-bp and 85-bp respectively, while 2 STR resistant isolates showed 2 peaks with 9 bases difference. CFLP showed a different pattern among RIF, INH and STR sensitive and resistant isolates Thus SSCP and CFLP can be used as alternative diagnostic methods for identification of mutations in RIF, INH and STR resistant strains of M.tuberculosis.     

Enhanced production of glutaminase-free l-asparaginase by marine Bacillus velezensis and cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines

BackgroundThe increasing rate of breast cancer globally requires extraordinary efforts to discover new effective sources of chemotherapy with fewer side effects. Glutaminase-free l-asparaginase is a vital chemotherapeutic agent for various tumor malignancies. Microorganisms from extreme sources, such as marine bacteria, might have high l-asparaginase productivity and efficiency with exceptional antitumor action toward breast cancer cell lines.Resultsl-Asparaginase-producing bacteria, Bacillus velezensis isolated from marine sediments, were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. l-Asparaginase production by immobilized cells was 61.04% higher than that by free cells fermentation. The significant productivity of enzyme occurred at 72 h, pH 6.5, 37°C, 100 rpm. Optimum carbon and nitrogen sources for enzyme production were glucose and NH₄Cl, respectively. l-Asparaginase was free from glutaminase activity, which was crucial medically in terms of their severe side effects. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme is 39.7 KDa by SDS-PAGE analysis and was ideally active at pH 7.5 and 37°C. Notwithstanding, the highest stability of the enzyme was found at pH 8.5 and 70°C for 1 h. The enzyme kinetic parameters displayed V_max at 41.49 μmol/mL/min and a K_m of 3.6 × 10⁻⁵ M, which serve as a proof of the affinity to its substrate. The anticancer activity of the enzyme against breast adenocarcinoma cell lines demonstrated significant activity toward MDA-MB-231 cells when compared with MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 12.6 ± 1.2 μg/mL and 17.3 ± 2.8 μg/mL, respectively.ConclusionThis study provides the first potential of glutaminase-free l-asparaginase production from the marine bacterium Bacillus velezensis as a prospect anticancer pharmaceutical agent for two different breast cancer cell lines.How to cite: Mostafa Y, Alrumman S, Alamri S, et al. Enhanced production of glutaminase-free L-asparaginase by marine Bacillus velezensis and cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines. Electron J Biotechnol 2019;42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2019.10.001.     

Studies on a new antitubercular drug, trifluoperazine: Its effect in combination with conventional antitubercular drugs in tubercular lymphadenitis

After demonstrating that trifluoperazine (TFP) possesses invitro antitubercular activity against drug (single and multidrug) resistantMycobacterium tuberculosis, we initiated preliminary clinical studies in a few patients of tubercular lymphadenitis. Effect of TFP was assessed by testing the antitubercular activity of the serum of patients receiving TFP in addition to regular therapy. Patients were divided into two groups of 30 each. For ethical considerations, patients of both groups were treated initially for one month with antitubercular therapy (ATT) consisting of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide and TFP was tried for 15 days only. Patients of group1 were given a single dose of TFP (5mg/day) daily from days 31 to 45 in addition to ATT, while those in group 2 received ATT only. Assessment of the antitubercular activity of the serum (testedin vitro in Youmans and Karlson’s liquid medium) revealed that the serum of patients (collected on 45th day) of group1 (ATT+TFP treated) possessed much higher antitubercular activity than that of group 2 (ATT only treated) patients. Clinical examination indicated that overall improvement was seen much earlier in group1 (ATT+TFP) patients than in group 2 (ATT alone) patients. At the end of the follow up period of 6 months with ATT from 46th day onwards to both groups, there were no side effects due to TFP. Hematology and liver function tests were normal in both the groups. We suggest that TFP has good potential and therefore deserves further studies either in combination with other drugs of ATT or as one of the drugs of ATT, for the treatment of tuberculosis due to MDR strains to find a suitable effective dose without side effects.     

Polyphenolic extracts of walnut (Juglans regia) green husk containing juglone inhibit the growth of HL-60 cells and induce apoptosis

BackgroundJuglone is a naphthoquinone currently obtained by chemical synthesis with biological activities including antitumor activity. Additionally, juglone is present in the green husk of walnut, which suggests evaluating the effect of GH extracts on carcinogenic cell lines.ResultsWalnut green husk ethanolic extract was obtained as 169.1 mg _juglone/100 g _{Green Husk} and antioxidant activity (ORAC) of 44,920 μmol Trolox Equivalent/100 g DW _{Green Husk}. At 1 μM juglone in HL-60 cell culture, green husk extract showed an antiproliferative effect, but pure juglone did not; under these conditions, normal fibroblast cells were not affected. A dose-dependent effect on mitochondrial membrane potential loss was observed. Apoptosis of HL-60 was detected at 10 μM juglone. Despite high ORAC values, neither purified juglone nor the extract showed protective effects on HL-60 cells under oxidative conditions.ConclusionsGreen husk extract generates an antiproliferative effect in HL-60 cells, which is related to an induction of the early stages of apoptosis and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. The normal cells were not affected when juglone is present at concentrations of 1 μM, while at higher concentrations, there is loss of viability of both cancerous and healthy cells.How to cite: Soto-Maldonado C, Vergara-Castro M, Jara-Quezada J, et al. Polyphenolic extracts of walnut (Juglans regia) green husk containing juglone inhibit the growth of HL-60 cells and induce apoptosis. Electron J Biotechnol 2019;39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2019.02.001.     

Prostaglandin,cortisol and catecholamines in angina pectoris

Plasma prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂)-like activity, cortisol and catecholamines were estimated in twenty stable angina pectoris and thirty control cases. PGE₂ like activity was significantly decreased (0.7 ng/ml ± 0.44) in angina patients compared to control (1.6 ng/ml ± 0.7). The plasma catecholamines were only marginally elevated in angina patients (242.8 ng/100 ml ± 14.2) compared to healthy individuals (236.2 ng/100 ml ± 5.5). The changes in plasma cortisol levels were not significant in angina (18.4 μg%± 6.5) in comparison to control (16.9 μg% ± 3.2).     

Bionomics of Mansonioides mosquitoes in relation to community structure of hydrophytes/breeding habitats in Cherthala,Kerala

Three species of Mansonioides vectors viz.,Ma. annulifera, Ma. uniformis andMa. indiana were found in Cherthala taluk, Kerala which is one of the endemic areas due toB. malayi. The immatures of Mansonioides thrive mainly in association with macrophytic hydrophytes such asP. stratiotes, S. molesta andE. crassipes in perennial habitats (ponds, channels/ canals etc.,) andI. miliaceae in seasonal habitats (fallow lands etc.) Breeding potential was higher (130.19) in clean ponds withP. stratiotes, compared to that of polluted ones (40.69). However, the polluted habitats infested with the same host plants were found to be the most productive forMa. annulifera, with an average daily adult emergence rate of 601/100 sq.m.). The clean habitats played a major role in the contribution ofMa. uniformis, whereS. molesta in the perennial habitats and I. miliaceae in the seasonal fallow lands were the favourable plants contributing a daily output of 12.5/100 sq.m and 221.81/100 sq.m. respectively.E. crassipes infested polluted habitats formed the major source forMa. indiana, the emergence rate being 13.89/100 sq.m. The perennial habitats supported mainly the breeding ofMa. annulifera (70.82%), whereas the seasonal habitats contributed the major chunk ofMa. uniformis (92.54%) andMa. indiana (71.43%). The bionomics of Mansonioides mosquitoes are thus shown to be greatly influenced by the community structure of hydrophytes and also the nature of breeding habitats.     

Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlorella minutissima exhibit antioxidant potentials,inhibit cholinesterases and modulate disaggregation of β-amyloid fibrils

BackgroundMicroalgae are aquatic chlorophyll-containing organisms comprising unicellular microscopic forms, and their biomasses are potential sources of bioactive compounds, biofuels and food-based products. However, the neuroprotective effects of microalgal biomass have not been fully explored. In this study, biomass from two Chlorella species was characterized, and their antioxidant, anticholinesterase and anti-amyloidogenic activities were investigated.ResultsGC–MS analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of some phenols, sterols, steroids, fatty acids and terpenes. Ethanol extract of Chlorella sorokiniana (14.21 mg GAE/g) and dichloromethane extract of Chlorella minutissima (20.65 mg QE/g) had the highest total phenol and flavonoid contents, respectively. All the extracts scavenged 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) and hydroxyl radicals. The highest metal chelating activity of the extracts was observed in the ethanol extracts of C. minutissima (102.60 μg/mL) and C. sorokiniana (107.84 μg/mL). Furthermore, the cholinesterase inhibitory activities of the extracts showed that ethanol extract of C. sorokiniana (13.34 μg/mL) exhibited the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, while dichloromethane extract of C. minutissima (11.78 μg/mL) showed the highest butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Incubation of the β-amyloid protein increased the aggregation of amyloid fibrils after 96 h. However, ethanol extract of C. sorokiniana and C. minutissima inhibited further aggregation of Aβ_1–42 and caused disaggregation of matured protein fibrils compared to the control. This study reveals the modulatory effects of C. sorokiniana and C. minutissima extracts on some mediators of Alzheimer's disease and provides insights into their potential benefits as functional food, nutraceutics or therapeutic agent for the management of this neurodegenerative disease.How to cite: Olasehinde T, Odjadjare EC, Mabinya LV, et al. Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlorella minutissima exhibit antioxidant potentials, inhibit cholinesterases and modulate disaggregation of β-amyloid fibrils. Electron J Biotechnol 2019;40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2019.03.008     

Improvement of ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice under batch and fed-batch fermentations: Effects of sugar levels,nitrogen supplementation,and feeding regimes

BackgroundFermentation process development has been very important for efficient ethanol production. Improvement of ethanol production efficiency from sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) under normal gravity (NG, 160 g/L of sugar), high gravity (HG, 200 and 240 g/L of sugar) and very high gravity (VHG, 280 and 320 g/L of sugar) conditions by nutrient supplementation and alternative feeding regimes (batch and fed-batch systems) was investigated using a highly ethanol-tolerant strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae NP01.ResultsIn the batch fermentations without yeast extract, HG fermentation at 200 g/L of sugar showed the highest ethanol concentration (P_E, 90.0 g/L) and ethanol productivity (Q_E, 1.25 g/L·h). With yeast extract supplementation (9 g/L), the ethanol production efficiency increased at all sugar concentrations. The highest P_E (112.5 g/L) and Q_E (1.56 g/L·h) were observed with the VHG fermentation at 280 g/L of sugar. In the fed-batch fermentations, two feeding regimes, i.e., stepwise and continuous feedings, were studied at sugar concentrations of 280 g/L. Continuous feeding gave better results with the highest P_E and Q_E of 112.9 g/L and 2.35 g/L·h, respectively, at a feeding time of 9 h and feeding rate of 40 g sugar/h.ConclusionsIn the batch fermentation, nitrogen supplementation resulted in 4 to 32 g/L increases in ethanol production, depending on the initial sugar level in the SSJ. Under the VHG condition, with sufficient nitrogen, the fed-batch fermentation with continuous feeding resulted in a similar P_E and increased Q_P by 51% compared to those in the batch fermentation.     

Effect of initial pH of medium with potato wastewater and glycerol on protein,lipid and carotenoid biosynthesis by Rhodotorula glutinis

BackgroundRhodotorula glutinis is capable of synthesizing numerous valuable metabolites with extensive potential industrial usage. This paper reports the effect of initial culture medium pH on growth and protein, lipid, and carotenoid biosynthesis by R. glutinis.ResultsThe highest biomass yield was obtained in media with pH 4.0–7.0, and the value after 72 h was 17.2–19.4 g_d.w./L. An initial pH of the medium in the range of 4.0–7.0 has no significant effect on the protein (38.5–41.3 g/100 g_d.w.), lipid (10.2–12.7 g/100 g_d.w.), or carotenoid (191.7–202.9 μg/g_d.w.) content in the biomass or on the profile of synthesized fatty acids and carotenoids. The whole pool of fatty acids was dominated by oleic (48.1–53.4%), linoleic (21.4–25.1%), and palmitic acids (13.0–15.8%). In these conditions, the yeast mainly synthesized torulene (43.5–47.7%) and β-carotene (34.7–38.6%), whereas the contribution of torularhodin was only 12.1–16.8%. Cultivation in medium with initial pH 3.0 resulted in a reduction in growth (13.0 g_d.w./L) and total carotenoid (115.8 μg/g_d.w.), linoleic acid (11.5%), and torularhodin (4.5%) biosynthesis.ConclusionThe different values of initial pH of the culture medium with glycerol and deproteinized potato wastewater had a significant effect on the growth and protein, lipid, and carotenoid biosynthesis by R. glutinis.     

Potential of mycobacterial excretory secretory protein antigens (sevatb ES-31, ES-43, EST-6 and ES-20) as biomarkers to detect <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis> bacilli

There is a need for a simple and reliable method to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis from nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The utility of mycobacterial ES-31, ES-43, EST-6 or ES-20 antigen as a biomarker for differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli from nontuberculous mycobacteria was explored using Fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated antibodies against these antigens. Detection of these antigens was done from M.tb H₃₇Ra and H₃₇Rv DSS antigen. The presence of antigen in bacilli using FITC labelled antibody was indicated by green fluorescence on the cell surface while, its absence by no fluorescence under microscope. In M.tb H₃₇Ra and H₃₇Rv bacilli, fluorescence was observed on addition of FITC labelled anti ES-31 and anti ES-43 antibody; whereas no fluorescence was observed in case of EST-6 and ES-20 antibody conjugates. However all the antigens were detected in detergent soluble sonicate antigen of tubercle bacilli on addition of FITC conjugates. Fluorescence was not observed for ES-31, ES-43, EST-6 and ES-20 antigen in any of the tested NTM as well as in Escherichia coli. SEVA TB ES-31 and ES-43 may be used as biomarkers to distinguish M.tuberculosis bacilli from NTM.     

Diagnostic role of the antibody response to the 38kDa, 16kDa proteins and lipoarabinomannan of mycobacterium tuberculosis

The antibody response to the 38kDa, 16kDa and Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigens ofMycobacterium tuberculosis was evaluated using three different ELISAs based on these antigens. The study group included tuberculosis patients (n=52), patients with HIV and TB co-infection (n=10), other chest symptomatics (n=5), HIV infected individuals (n=10), leprosy cases (n=7) and healthy controls (n=75). The results indicate that the 38kDa and LAM based ELISA for IgM/IgG has a low specificity (ranging from 69–85%) and sensitivity (ranging from 55–78%). When three ELISAs are carried out on a single patient the probability of detection of tuberculosis was significantly increased to 95.2% indicating that a single ELISA test is of low sensitivity and that a combination of ELISA’s may be needed to be of any value as a diagnostic test for tuberculosis. Additionally, a western blot assay of the serum antibody response to protein fraction ofM. tuberculosis was analysed in 15 tuberculosis patients and five healthy controls. A multiple antibody response to various M.tuberculosis proteins was observed which varied from patient to patient as compared to controls who showed a single 38–39 kDa protein band positivity. These finding suggest that a western blot assay which determines the antibody response to a set of antigenic components ofM. tuberculosis could be a better serological test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in our population.     

Enhancement of ethanol production efficiency in repeated-batch fermentation from sweet sorghum stem juice: Effect of initial sugar,nitrogen and aeration

BackgroundEthanol concentration (P_E), ethanol productivity (Q_P) and sugar consumption (SC) are important values in industrial ethanol production. In this study, initial sugar and nitrogen (urea) concentrations in sweet sorghum stem juice (SSJ) were optimized for high P_E (≥ 10%, v/v), Q_P, (≥ 2.5 g/L·h) and SC (≥ 90%) by Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSJKKU01. Then, repeated-batch fermentations under normal gravity (NG) and high gravity (HG) conditions were studied.ResultsThe initial sugar at 208 g/L and urea at 2.75 g/L were the optimum values to meet the criteria. At the initial yeast cell concentration of ~ 1 × 10⁸ cells/mL, the P_E, Q_P and SC were 97.06 g/L, 3.24 g/L·h and 95.43%, respectively. Repeated-batch fermentations showed that the ethanol production efficiency of eight successive cycles with and without aeration were not significantly different when the initial sugar of cycles 2 to 8 was under NG conditions (~ 140 g/L). Positive effects of aeration were observed when the initial sugar from cycle 2 was under HG conditions (180–200 g/L). The P_E and Q_P under no aeration were consecutively lower from cycle 1 to cycle 6. Additionally, aeration affected ergosterol formation in yeast cell membrane at high ethanol concentrations, whereas trehalose content under all conditions was not different.ConclusionInitial sugar, sufficient nitrogen and appropriated aeration are necessary for promoting yeast growth and ethanol fermentation. The SSJ was successfully used as an ethanol production medium for a high level of ethanol production. Aeration was not essential for repeated-batch fermentation under NG conditions, but it was beneficial under HG conditions.How to cite: Sriputorn B, Laopaiboon P, Phukoetphim N, et al. Enhancement of ethanol production efficiency in repeated-batch fermentation from sweet sorghum stem juice: Effect of initial sugar, nitrogen and aeration. Electron J Biotechnol 2020;46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2020.06.001     

Hyperferritinemia in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

High ferritin levels have been found to be associated with non infectious as well as infectious causes including tuberculosis. This is one case report of 41 year old male who presented with cough with expectoration. The patient had Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The laboratory findings showed Iron 280 μg/dl, Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) 61 μg/dl, and ferritin 92,945 ng/ml which indicates that iron is an essential nutrient for the survival of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.