Escherichia coli induces DNA double-strand breaks in eukaryotic cells

Transient infection of eukaryotic cells with commensal and extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli of phylogenetic group B2 blocks mitosis and induces megalocytosis. This trait is linked to a widely spread genomic island that encodes giant modular nonribosomal peptide and polyketide synthases. Contact with E. coli expressing this gene cluster causes DNA double-strand breaks and activation of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway, leading to cell cycle arrest and eventually to cell death. Discovery of hybrid peptide-polyketide genotoxins in E. coli will change our view on pathogenesis and commensalism and open new biotechnological applications.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of clove leaf essential oil

The antioxidant activity of a commercial rectified clove leaf essential oil (Eugenia caryophyllus) and its main constituent eugenol was tested. This essential oil comprises in total 23 identified constituents, among them eugenol (76.8%), followed by beta-caryophyllene (17.4%), alpha-humulene (2.1%), and eugenyl acetate (1.2%) as the main components. The essential oil from clove demonstrated scavenging activity against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydracyl (DPPH) radical at concentrations lower than the concentrations of eugenol, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). This essential oil also showed a significant inhibitory effect against hydroxyl radicals and acted as an iron chelator. With respect to the lipid peroxidation, the inhibitory activity of clove oil determined using a linoleic acid emulsion system indicated a higher antioxidant activity than the standard BHT.     

Cellular uptake of carotenoid-loaded oil-in-water emulsions in colon carcinoma cells in vitro

Oil-in-water emulsions allow the preparation of lipophilic compounds such as carotenoids in the liquid form. Here, the effect of a combination of some emulsifiers, such as two whey protein isolates (BiPro and BioZate), sucrose laurate (L-1695), and polyoxyethylene-20-sorbitan-monolaurate (Tween 20), on the stability of lycopene and astaxanthin in emulsions, droplet size, and cellular uptake of these carotenoids has been investigated. The degradation of lycopene was slightly more pronounced than that of astaxanthin in all emulsions. The concentration of lycopene and astaxanthin decreased by about 30% and 20%, respectively, in all emulsions after 3 weeks of storage in the dark at 4 degrees C. The kind of emulsifiers or their combinations have played an important role in the cellular uptake by the colon carcinoma cells line HT-29 and Caco-2.     

Land Application of Wastewater in Brazil - A scientific challenge: Chemical Characterization of Soil at Populina, S?o Paulo State (9 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope   The rapid increase of wastewater worldwide and the consequently urgently needed treatment measures towards disposal purposes has led to an expansion of alternative treatment methods. Besides conventional and cost intensive systems, domestic wastewater treatment by overland flow process represents an effective and low-cost alternative. However, in addition to beneficial elements in wastewaters, there is a release of other elements of the Periodic Table into the environment, which can be considered as potentially toxic. This requires a reliable chemical characterization of the wastewater element composition as well as the soils onto which it will be applied. This paper aims at presenting the chemical fingerprint methodology to characterize concentrations of a large set of elements in a tropical ferralsol in order to provide information concerning chemical modifications after long-term application of wastewater by overland flow process. The results are also used to estimate environmental implications according to guiding values for soils in São Paulo State.Methods   The wastewater treatment in Populina has been operating for 18 years. Composite soil samples were taken in a treated plot and a control plot. Wastewater was chemically characterized by using AAS. Total C and total N of soil samples were determined by Delta Plus Mass Spectrometer. The remaining elements (32) were analyzed using ICP-OES. Grain size analysis was carried out after oxidation by H2O2, and soil dispersion with NaOH and Na4P2O7 treatments. pH was measured in water. Quality control of all measurements was verified by corresponding reference materials. Fingerprint graphs were generated by standardizing the values of the control plot and by graphically displaying positive/negative percentage deviations of the element values at the treated plot from values of the control site. Results and Discussion   Chemical analyses of the wastewater used showed high BOD, COD, TOC and N values, while the majority of metals were below the detection limit that is attributed to the limitations in the instrumental techniques (AAS) utilized. The comparison of the two selected sites revealed substantial changes of the element contents associated with long-term application of domestic wastewater. Fingerprint graphs of the treated field indicated higher values for the vast majority of macro and micro-nutrients (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mo, Zn, Cu), as well as for other elements, e.g. Ba, Sr, Na, Li, or La. Enrichments of ecotoxic elements (e.g. As or Pb) occurred in the surface horizon despite the low contents of those elements in the wastewater. Other elements analyzed, i.e. Ag, Be, Bi, Cd, Sb, Sn, W or Sc, that are partially considered to be toxic, did not show considerable differences. Due to limitations in the analytical techniques applied, these results do not imply that there is no existence or no release of elements from wastewater at trace or ultra-trace levels. It is expected that more sophisticated techniques will be available in the future. Typical soil elements (Ti, Al, Fe, V, Zr) show higher values at the control site suggesting higher contents of mineralogical components. The highly positive deviation of C-contents linked with higher values of many other elements in the treated soil suggest element enrichments associated with organic matter. Concerning environmental implications, the comparison with guiding values for an enhanced monitoring showed partly an excess of acceptable metal concentration levels. Proposed intervention values were not exceeded, except for with Ba. Comparisons with phytotoxic element concentrations in soils indicate critical values for As, Cu and Cr. Conclusion   Using multi-element analysis, the study represents a first approach to access wastewater application by overland flow on the basis of a rather large range of chemical elements in Brazil. The comparison of the two selected areas revealed distinctly higher values for the majority of elements in the treated plot. The study also highlighted the importance of organic matter for element retention. The environmental implications of domestic wastewater application to soil surfaces can be grave. Since also toxic elements are enriched in these treated soils, the areas can partly be classified as polluted, and require long-term monitoring and detailed investigations.Recommendation and Outlook   The analytical data obtained may only allow for some conclusions concerning long-term feasibility and geochemical preconditions of wastewater irrigation. Therefore, not only the total concentrations of metals are of interest, but also element speciation must be analyzed in order to predict, for instance, how long the ion uptake capacity of the soil will last. Aside from the analytical procedures used in speciation, theoretical chemical (thermodynamic) concepts such as the principles of Pourbaix diagrams should also be used to predict solubility, immobilization and bioavailability of different element species.     

Investigation of the Origanum onites L. essential oil using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay

The in vivo test on the chorioallantoic membrane of the fertilized hen's egg (CAM assay) is a current method to determine antiangiogenic, antiinflammatory activity and toxic effects of individual compounds or complex plant extracts. The method is used for testing natural compounds in small amounts for revealing various modes of action and the complex mechanisms related to angiogenesis and inflammation. Furthermore, possible side effects such as membrane irritation, toxic, and anticoagulant properties of the investigated material in question can be detected. For the evaluation, the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Origanum onites L., a common spice and medicinal plant, was tested for its effect in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The essential oil composition was revealed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eighty three components were identified, representing 99.1% of the total oil. Carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, and gamma-terpinene were found as major components and were also individually tested in the CAM assay. Along with the monoterpenes carvacrol and thymol, their methyl ether derivatives were also examined for comparison of their physiological action. Neither the essential oil nor its components showed any pronounced antiinflammatory or antiangiogenic property in the CAM assay, at 10-250 microg/pellet. However, the irritant effect of the essential oil was linked to thymol in a dose-response fashion, up to 10 microg/pellet, where it was still showing irritation.     

Auswirkungen von Bodenverdichtungen auf die Dynamik von Boden- und Düngerstickstoff unter Winterweizen

Effect of soil compaction on the dynamics of soil and fertilizer nitrogen under winter wheat In 1987 and 1988 the effect of severe soil compaction before sowing on the dynamics of soil and fertilizer nitrogen under winter wheat was studied in a field trial at the experimental station of Roggenstein. According to the course of soil nitrate values before winter soil compaction caused a loss of 34 kg N/ha in the first year whereas no such effect could be seen in the second year. During winter vertical nitrate movement was slower on the compacted plots because of the smaller volume of macropores. Without additional N-Fertilizer net N-mineralization during the vegetation period was 22 kg N/ha (32 %) lower in the compacted than in the well structured soil. Total N-yield at harvest was 95 kg N/ha on the control plots and 68 kg N/ha on the compacted plots. The unfavourable soil structure also led to a lower N-fertilizer efficiency, especially in the wet year of 1987, when about 20 % of the fertilizer-N was lost by denitrification whereas in 1988 all fertilizer nitrogen was found in the plant-soil system at harvest. Denitrification on the untreated soil was negligible in both years. The results showed that, besides a weakly developed root system, reduced N-mineralization and increased denitrification losses are responsible for nitrogen deficiency symptoms of plants growing in compacted soils.     

Mikrosondenuntersuchungen an unterschiedlich stark mit Schwermetallen belasteten Böden. 1. Methodische Grundlagen und Elementanalysen an pedogenen Oxiden

Electron microprobe studies on soil samples with varying heavy metal contamination. 1. Methods and analysis of elements in pedogenic oxides EMA point analysis, line scan profiles and microprobe photos were performed on thin sections from 19 soil samples with variing heavy metal content to show the distribution of elements in soil particles on a microscopic level. The investigations showed that the detection limits generally have a range of 110-830 mg/kg in anorganic soil matrix respectively 80-320 mg/kg in organic soil matrix. The element specific heavy metal accumulation capacities on the pedogen oxides compared to the average content of the soil samples can be described for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. The maximum trace element accumulations in concretions related to their element total content in the soil samples were by Co 3.170 times, Ni 6.635 times, Cu 323 times, Zn 112 times, Cd 2.000 times and by Pb 745 times. The accumulation and immobilization of heavy metals by iron oxides suggests that additions of Fe oxides could be used to reduce heavy metal availability and leaching to the subsoil on highly contaminated soils.     

Verhalten von Schwermetallen in Böden. 2. Extraktion mobiler Schwermetalle mittels CaCl2 und NH4NO3

Behaviour of heavy metals in soils. 2. Extraction of mobile heavy metals with CaCl₂ and NH₄NO₃ 156 soil samples from arable fields, grassland and forest stands were analysed for the CaCl₂^? and NH₄NO₃^? extractable contents of Cd, Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb. The average amounts of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb extracted with CaCl₂ are higher compared with NH₄NO₃ whereas the relation for Mn is vice versa. The proportion of the NH₄NO₃^? extractable contents in percent of the CaCl₂^? extractable contents of Cd, Zn and Pb decrease with increasing pH, whereas the contents of Mn and Cu increase. Inspite of a differing extraction behaviour of the two salt solutions the CaCl₂^? and NH₄NO₃^? extractable amounts of Cd, Mn, Zn und Pb are highly correlated and can be converted one into another. The mobile (CaCl₂, NH₄NO₃) proportion of the corresponding total, EDTA and DTPA heavy metal contents is in close relation to the pH of the soils. Using CaCl₂ solution the threshold pH values for an increasing mobility decrease in the order Cd > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb, using NH₄NO₃ as extractant the order is Mn > Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb. In the case of CaCl₂ as extractant soluble chloro-Cd-complexes will be formed so that the Cd mobility in soils will be overestimated in most cases.     

Verhalten von Schwermetallen in Böden 1. Untersuchungen zur Schwermetallmobilität

Behaviour of heavy metals in soils. 1. Heavy metal mobility 158 soil samples with widely varying composition were analysed for their total, EDTA, DTPA and CaCl₂ extractable contents of Cd, Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb. By means of single and multiple regressions the relations between the different heavy metal fractions and the pH, organic carbon and clay content were considered. The correlations between the total, EDTA and DTPA extractable contents are very close, whereas the CaCl₂ extractable contents are not or only weakly correlated with these fractions. According to these statistical results the former fractions are considered to be the total quantity (total content) and the reactive quantity (EDTA and DTPA extractable contents) of the heavy metals, whereas the CaCl₂ extractable fraction represents the mobile fraction of the heavy metals in soils. The multiple regressions show that the mobile content of heavy metals is closely correlated with each of the quantity fractions and with soil pH. In the same way the proportion of the mobile fraction (in %) of the total, EDTA and DTPA extractable heavy metal content of the soil samples is closely related to the soil pH. Hereby the proportion of the mobile content of the various elements increases in the pH range 6,5 - 3 below element-specific threshold pH values (in brackets) in the order Cd (6,5) > Mn (5,7) > Zn (5,3) > Cu (4,5) > Pb (3,5). In the pH range 6,5 - 7,5 mainly Cu and to a lesser degree also Pb show an increasing mobility due to the influence of soluble organic substances.