Rapid detection and identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli as pure and mixed cultures in bottled drinking water using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and multivariate analysis were used to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 inoculated into bottled drinking water. Three inoculation treatments were examined: (i) E. coli ATCC 25922 (N = 3), (ii) P. aeruginosa (N = 3), and (iii) a 1:1 (v:v) mixed culture of both P. aeruginosa and E. coli ATCC 25922 (N = 3). The control treatment was noninoculated drinking water (N = 3). Second derivative transformation and loadings plots over the range of 1800-900 cm(-1) indicate variations in the following bacterial constituents: amide I band ca. 1650 cm(-1), amide II band ca. 1540 cm(-1), phosphodiester backbone of nucleic acids ca. 1242 and 1080 cm(-1), and polysaccharide compounds ca. 1050-950 cm(-1). Cells with the different treatments were clearly segregated from a mean centered principal component analysis. By using soft independent modeling of class analogy analysis, spectra from a given treatment could be correctly classified 83-88% of the time. These results suggest that FT-IR spectroscopy can determine whether a pure culture is present, in addition to confirming that this method can discriminate between closely related bacteria based on differences in biochemical and phenotypic characteristics that can be detected in this spectral region.     

Pharmacokinetics of a slow-release formulation of soybean isoflavones in healthy postmenopausal women

Pharmacokinetic studies of soybean isoflavones have shown that following oral ingestion, the two major isoflavones, daidzin and genistin, are hydrolyzed in the intestine, rapidly absorbed into the peripheral circulation, and eliminated from the body with a terminal half-life of 7-8 h. These characteristics make maintenance of steady-state plasma isoflavone concentrations difficult to attain unless there is repeated daily ingestion of foods or supplements containing isoflavones. In an attempt to sustain more constant plasma isoflavone concentrations, a new slow-release formulation of a soybean isoflavone extract was prepared by microencapsulation with a mixture of hydroxypropylcellulose and ethylcellulose to alter its dissolution characteristics. In vitro experiments confirmed slow aqueous dissolution of isoflavones from this formulation when compared with the conventional isoflavone extract. The pharmacokinetics of this slow-release isoflavone extract was studied in 10 healthy postmenopausal women after oral administration of a single capsule containing the equivalent of 22.3 mg of genistein and 7.47 mg of daidzein expressed as aglycons. A comparison of the key pharmacokinetic parameters obtained in this study with those established in extensive studies performed previously in this laboratory indicated that the mean residence time of genistein and daidzein increased 2-fold with microencapsulation. These findings are indicative of a decreased rate of absorption, consistent with the observed slow in vitro dissolution rate. These findings show that it is feasible to employ polymer matrices that slow the aqueous dissolution for preparing sustained-release formulations of soy isoflavones. Further studies to optimize such formulations are warranted.     

Biological activity of natural phytoecdysteroids from Ajuga iva against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae

BACKGROUND: Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones that control moulting and govern several changes during metamorphoses in arthropods. The discovery of the same molecules (phytoecdysteroids) in several plant species displayed a wide array of rather beneficial agricultural impact. Many representatives of the genus Ajuga plants contain phytoecdysteroids with a 5β‐7‐ene‐6‐one system exhibiting physiological activities in insects. RESULTS: By means of chromatographic (silica gel column, TLC) and LC‐MS, two major ecdysteroids (20‐hydroxyecdysone and cyasterone) have been isolated and identified from Israeli carpet bugle Ajuga iva (L.) Schreber (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) plants. Ajuga iva extract fractionated on the silica gel column yielded two fractions that showed high activity against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisis tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae. A dose of 5 mg AI L^?1 of the purely identified A. iva ecdysterone significantly reduced fecundity, fertility and survival of these pests, while commercial 20‐hydroxyecdysone at the same dose had lesser effects. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate considerable efficacy of natural phytoecdysteroids against major agricultural pests, and suggests that these materials should be considered for potential development of friendly control agents. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Flufenerim, a novel insecticide acting on diverse insect pests: biological mode of action and biochemical aspects

A new chemical compound was tested for its insecticidal activity against several major insect pests. The compound, called "flufenerim", has a core pyrimidine structure and an unknown mode of action and showed potent activity against the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval); however, it did not show any activity against two thrips species: western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and tobacco thrips Thrips tabaci (Lindeman). The compound was relatively potent against the three tested pests and caused mortality rates that reached up to 100% at concentrations under 10 mg of active ingredient (ai) L(-1). The action of the compound was very fast, and mortality was observed within 48 h after exposure of the insects to treated leaves. A unique characteristic of this compound is its very short residual activity, which approximates to 4 days after application under laboratory conditions and to 2 days under outdoor conditions for both B. tabaci and S. littoralis. Although this new compound's mode of action is yet unknown, its rapid and potent action against sap-sucking pests suggests that it acts on a very important target site in the insect body and possibly could be applied very close to harvesting.     

Reversal of resistance to pyriproxyfen in the Q biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Pyriproxyfen, a juvenile hormone (JH) mimic, is a biorational insecticide that disrupts insect development. It is one of the principal insecticides being used to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on cotton, and has many environmentally positive attributes that make it compatible with integrated pest management (IPM) programs. In Israel, a high level of resistance to pyriproxyfen has been observed in several isolated regions. Here, tests were conducted to establish whether temporal refuges from exposure to pyriproxyfen could be useful for restoring the effectiveness of the compound. Resistance was found to decrease by a factor of 8 when exposure to pyriproxyfen was ceased for 13 generations. Reversal of resistance was accompanied with increased biotic fitness of the revertant colony. By incorporating experimental estimates of nymph survival, sex ratio, fecundity, egg hatching rate and developmental time, the seasonal cost per generation for resistant insects was estimated to be 25%. A genetic simulation model, optimized by empirical data from bioassays, predicted fitness cost per generation of 19% for resistant homozygous (RR) females and hemizygous (R) males, and produced rates of reversal similar to the experimental results. The model also predicted that, even after 5 years ( approximately 55 generations) without pyriproxyfen treatments, the frequency of the resistance allele (R) will still remain high (0.02). It is therefore concluded, on the basis of experimental and modeling results, that the effectiveness of temporal refuges for reversing development of resistance to pyriproxyfen in B. tabaci may be limited.