About three quarters of the world population relies mainly on plants and plant extracts for health care. The global annual sale of botanicals is over $62 billion. This data clearly depict the importance of medicinal plants in health and economy. The extracts of some potential medicinal plants such as Hygrophila auriculata, Abrus precatorius, Moringa oleifera, Withania somnifera, Croton tiglium, Solarium nigrum and Psoralea corylifolia were investigated against pathogenic fungal strains of Aspergillus tamarii, Rhizopus solani, Mucor mucedo and Aspergillus niger. After extraction the extracts were purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-100) by using Tris HCl as an extraction buffer. Antifungal activity of the extracts was determined by disc diffusion assay. Antifungal activity was found lost in many extracts after treatment with trypsin, which shows that the activity was due to proteins or peptides, but not due to some other compounds.

Screening of some medicinal plants for isolation of antifungal proteins and peptides

The effect of biological extracts on the storage qualities of West African soft cheese was evaluated in a completely randomized design model within a 15-day period. The control and the treated cheeses were stored under ambient temperature and assessed for the pH, titrable acidity, moisture content and crude protein. The pH and titrable acidity rose (P<0.05) with ginger extract preservant. The crude protein and moisture content were increased (P<0.05) by preservation. The ginger extract was found to be the most effective method of reducing microbial load, followed closely by the garlic extract. The ginger extract treatment extended the shelf life of cheese for 15 days. Treatment of West African soft cheese with ginger extract may not markedly alter the nutritional quality but appeared promising as it has a preservative property.

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Effect of biological and chemical preservatives on the shelf life of West African soft cheese

A cytological study of the heteromorphic marine red alga Porphyra torta Krishnamurthy was conducted to determine where meiosis occurs in the life history. Chromosome counts in all developmental stages of the conchocelis phase, including the maturing conchospores up to the time of release, were diploid. In contrast, all chromosome counts in twoand three-celled sporelings were haploid. Unusual chromosome formations, interpreted s bivalents, were seen during prophase of the First division of the germinating conchospores. In addition, chromosomes still composed of two chromatids could be seen during anaphase of the first division. The characteristics of the first division of the conchospore and the change in ploidy at the two-celled stage indicate that meiosis I occurs during the germination division of the conchospores of this alga.

On the position of meiosis in the life history of Porphyra torta (Rhodophyta)

With the aim of identifying the fungus microbiota in air conditioners in intensive care units (ICUs) within public and private hospitals in Teresina, Piaui, solid material was collected from ten different ICUs. Thirty-three species of Moniliaceae and Dematiaceae were isolated, which was the first report of these in Piaui. High frequencies of Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem (60%), Aspergillus fumigatus Fres (50%), Trichoderma koningii Oudem (50%) and Aspergillus flavus Link: Fr. (40%) were recorded. The air conditioner cleanliness validity had expired in all the ICUs, and the quantity of colony-forming units exceeded the levels permitted by Law 176/00 from the Ministry of Health. It is important to provide individual protection equipment for professionals, adopt hospital infection control measures, raise the awareness of the presence of fungus infection, improve air circulation around the environment, periodically clean the air conditioners, and make health professionals alert to the importance of these fungi in the hospital environment.

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Fungus microbiota in air conditioners in intensive care units in Teresina, Piauí

In this study, the mycoflora in indoor and outdoor air in the six different districts of the city of Istanbul were investigated at two monthly intervals from November 15, 2001 to September 15, 2002...

Constantine John Alexopoulos

Papers

Introductory mycology / Constantine J. Alexopoulos, Charles W. Mims ; artwork by Sung-Huang Sun and Raymond W. Scheetz.

Introductory Mycology, Ed. 3.