Marine-Derived Quorum-Sensing Inhibitory Activities Enhance the Antibacterial Efficacy of Tobramycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacterial epiphytes isolated from marine eukaryotes were screened for the production of quorum sensing inhibitory compounds (QSIs). Marine isolate KS8, identified as a Pseudoalteromonas sp., was found to display strong quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity against acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-based reporter strains Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 and CV026. KS8 supernatant significantly reduced biofilm biomass during biofilm formation (−63%) and in pre-established, mature P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms (−33%). KS8 supernatant also caused a 0.97-log reduction (−89%) and a 2-log reduction (−99%) in PAO1 biofilm viable counts in the biofilm formation assay and the biofilm eradication assay respectively. The crude organic extract of KS8 had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL against PAO1 but no minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was observed over the concentration range tested (MBC > 16 mg/mL). Sub-MIC concentrations (1 mg/mL) of KS8 crude organic extract significantly reduced the quorum sensing (QS)-dependent production of both pyoverdin and pyocyanin in P. aeruginosa PAO1 without affecting growth. A combinatorial approach using tobramycin and the crude organic extract at 1 mg/mL against planktonic P. aeruginosa PAO1 was found to increase the efficacy of tobramycin ten-fold, decreasing the MIC from 0.75 to 0.075 µg/mL. These data support the validity of approaches combining conventional antibiotic therapy with non-antibiotic compounds to improve the efficacy of current treatments.     

光合作用抑制性除草剂的研究

文章阐述了除草剂中的几类光合作用抑制剂及其应用特点,指出了色素合成抑制剂应该是未来除草剂发展的方向。     

樟树种子休眠机制初探

以樟树种子为试验材料,从种壳透水性和内源抑制物两方面探索种子休眠原因.结果表明:樟树种子坚硬的外壳影响种子的吸水透性;种壳、种仁中的萌发抑制物抑制了白菜种子的萌发率、淀粉酶活性以及白菜幼苗的鲜质量增加.种壳浸提液抑制强度顺序均为:种壳甲醇浸提液＞种壳乙醚浸提液＞种壳水浸提液,抑制物主要成分为极性物质,白菜种子萌发率依次...     

Response of broiler chicks to non-steam- or steam-pelleted diets containing raw,full-fat soybean meal

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of steam pelleting of diets containing graded levels of raw, full-fat soybean meal (RSBM) on the chemical properties and feeding values of the diets. Samples of diets with steam- or non-steam-pelleted as well as the mash containing varying levels of RSBM were subjected to detailed chemical analysis. As a result of this study, trypsin inhibitor (TI) concentrations in the diets ranged between 4,153 and 10,484 TIU/g. Amino acid concentrations were higher in the non-steam-pelleted and mash diets than the steam-pelleted diets. A 4 × 2 factorial arrangement (RSBM: zero, 10, 20 or 30%, equivalent to zero, 30, 60, and 90 g/kg of diet, respectively, and non-steam- or steam-pelleted diets) was used while feeding broiler chicks (zero to 14 d of age). Each treatment was replicated 6 times with 8 birds per replicate. As a result of this study, there was no difference (P > 0.05) in mortality of birds among the groups. Feed intake (FI) (P < 0.05) and body weight gain (BWG) (P < 0.001) decreased with increasing levels of RSBM. Birds fed on steam-pelleted diets gained less (P < 0.001) weight than birds on the non-steam-pelleted diets, but the FI was not significantly (P > 0.05) different. The FCR was negatively affected (P < 0.05) by increasing levels of RSBM. There was no interaction effect between RSBM and pelleting method on the FI, BWG, or FCR of birds. The weight of the pancreas (P < 0.001) and duodenum (P < 0.01) increased with a rise in the level of RSBM in diets. Non-steam pelleting increased (P < 0.05) the pancreatic protein content, whereas the activity of chymotrypsin was reduced (P < 0.01) when the RSBM level was increased. Birds fed with RSBM-free diets had thicker muscle, longer villi, wider villus surface area, and higher villus to crypt depth ratios than birds on the other diets, but these differences were not significant. It can be concluded that steam pelleting of diets containing RSBM is inadequate to reduce the adverse impact of TI on chicks.     

Furanoditerpene ester and thiocarbonyldioxy derivatives inhibit photosynthesis

6α,7β-Dihydroxyvouacapan-17β-oic acid (1) and methyl 6α,7β-dihydroxyvouacapan-17β-oate (8) were isolated from Pterodon polygalaeflorus Benth. 1 was modified to obtain 6α-hydroxyvouacapan-7-β,17β lactone (2). Then, 6-oxovouacapan-7β,17β lactone (3) was obtained from 2. The furanoditerpene ester derivatives: propyl 7β-hydroxy-6-oxovouacapan-17β-oate (4), butyl 7β-hydroxy-6-oxovouacapan-17β-oate (5), 2-methoxyethyl 7β-hydroxy-6-oxovouacapan-17β-oate (6) and 3-methylbut-2-enyl 7β-hydroxy-6-oxovouacapan-17β-oate (7) were synthesized from (3) and methyl 6α,7β-thiocarbonyldioxyvouacapan-17β-oate (9) was obtained from (8). In this work, the lactone ester derivatives 4-7 and 9 were tested on photosynthetic activities in an attempt to search for new compounds as potential herbicide agents that affect photosynthesis. All compounds inhibited ATP synthesis and electron flow from water to MV, therefore, they act as Hill reaction inhibitors, being 4- to 9-fold more potent than 2 and 3 as inhibitors of ATP synthesis. Their interaction site was located at PSII in a similar way to diuron. Furthermore, furanoditerpene esters 6 and 7 act as uncouplers, and were corroborated by enhancement of the light-activated Mg²⁺-ATPase, while 5 act as an energy transfer inhibitor. Finally 5-7 behave as herbicides, since they inhibit the biomass production of weeds assay.     

舒巴坦、利血平、乙二胺四乙酸二钠对鸭源大肠杆菌抗菌药物敏感性的影响

本试验旨在研究β-内酰胺酶抑制剂舒巴坦、外排泵抑制剂利血平及膜通透促进剂乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTA)对鸭源大肠杆菌抗菌药物敏感性的影响。采用微量肉汤稀释法测定8株多重耐药鸭源大肠杆菌对头孢噻呋钠、恩诺沙星、阿米卡星、氟苯尼考、多西环素及其与舒巴坦、利血平和EDTA联用的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)。结果表明,舒巴坦能使5株鸭源大肠杆菌对头孢噻呋钠的MIC值下降4倍以上;利血平仅能使3株菌株对头孢噻呋钠的MIC值下降4倍以上;而EDTA能使7、5、3、6、8株菌对以上5种药物的MIC下降4倍以上;舒巴坦+利血平使4株菌株对头孢噻呋钠的MIC下降4倍以上,使5株菌株对氟苯尼考的MIC下降4倍以上;舒巴坦+EDTA使鸭源大肠杆菌对以上5类药物的MIC大幅度下降,分别使8、5、2、8、8株菌MIC下降4倍以上;利血平+EDTA使7株菌株对恩诺沙星MIC下降4倍以上,使所有分离株对其余4种药物的MIC显著下降;舒巴坦+利血平+EDTA和5类药物联用后,所用分离株的MIC下降4倍以上。由此可见,引起鸭源大肠杆菌对以上抗菌药物的耐药原因主要包括细胞膜通透性的下降、药物的主动外排作用和产生β-内酰胺酶的破坏作用,三者相协同提高了鸭源大肠杆菌的耐药水平。