Addition Of Plant Extracts Research Articles

Synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles from leaf of Litchi chinensis and its biological activities

Objective: To synthesize and isolate silver and gold nanoparticles from Litchi chinensis leaf methanolic extract, and to evaluate its comparative biological activities including muscles relaxant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal. Methods: The gold and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by dissolving methanolic extract in gold chloride and silver nitrate solution separately which were confirmed by colour change and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and pellets were collected through centrifugation. Biological activities of the extract were conducted on BALB/c mice through various standard methods and the data were subjected to One-way ANOVA. Results: The colorless gold chloride solution changed to purple soon after the addition of plant extract, demonstrating that the reaction took place and gold ions were reduced to gold nanoparticles, while colorless silver nitrate solution changed to light and dark brown that was indicative of silver nanoparticles. The muscles relaxant activity showed that silver nanoparticles were more effective than gold nanoparticles and methanolic extract in traction test. The analgesic activity showed that silver and gold nanoparticles showed highest percentage decrease in acetic acid induced writhing at the doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg b.w. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was produced by gold nanoparticles followed by silver nanoparticles, while low activity was observed in methanolic leaf extract. Only the crude methanolic extract showed significant antidiarrheal activity as compared to the standard drug atropine sulphate, while antidiarrheal activities of gold and silver nanoparticles were non-significant. Conclusions: The present work concludes that isolated silver and gold nanoparticles from leaf methanolic extract shows strong muscles relaxant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities while crude methanolic extract possesses good antidiarrheal activity.

Effects of Plant Extract Addition on Listeria Monocytogenes Growth in Highly Extended Sliced Cooked in Ham

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a plant extract blend containing rosemary and citrus extract on controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in highly extended sliced cook-in ham during refrigerated storage at 7°C.Materials and MethodsThe experiment comprised 2 treatments, control (no plant extract addition) and 0.4% of rosemary-citrus extract blend (Cleanatis M1, Naturex). This study was conducted using a standard ham formulation yielding an end product weighing 170% of the raw material used, in this case pork leg meat cuts. The different ham muscles obtained from the pork leg were injected with a brine solution containing water, sodium chloride, phosphates, sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, hydrolyzed corn syroup 40DE, monosodium glutamate, carrageenan and aromas. Each lot included one batch of samples tumbled (7 cycles/min) under vacuum, at controlled temperature between 0 and 4°C for 9 h and stuffed in polyamide impermeable casings (60 mm diameter to form cooked ham pieces with approximately 1.2 kg each. The ham pieces were cooked in water tanks (80°C) at a commercial pilot plant to reach 72°C. Cooking time was approximately 1 h and 30 min. After the cooking stage, samples were cooled with ice and refrigerated at 0 to 4°C overnight The ham pieces were transported to CTC/ITAL on ice box and immediately sliced for microbiological analysis at arrival. The ham slices (2 to 3 mm) were inoculated with 0.1 mL of of L. monocytogenes ATCC7644, to yield approximately 4 log CFU/g. Inoculated samples were vacuum packaged in gas-impermeable pouches and stored at abuse temperature (7°C), very common in Brazilian retail market, for up to 16 d. Bacterial populations were determined following ISO 11290–2:2017 method. Triplicate samples of each treatment were assayed at 0 time and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 d of storage for L. monocytogenes populations. In addition, triplicate inoculated samples were assayed for lactic acid bacteria populations following ISO 15214:1998 method. Data Interactions and main effects were considered significant at P < 0.05. The data were submitted to analysis of variance to evaluate the effect of the treatments, storage time and the treatment × time interaction using Statistica 7.0 (StaSoft Inc). The difference between the mean values was evaluated by Tukey´s test at the 95% confidence level.ResultsDuring storage, the difference between L. monocytogenes counts in the treatment containing the plant extracts and control was 0.5 log CFU/g. There was a significant effect (P < 0.05) of the interaction treatment versus time on L. monocytogenes growth, the counts remained 0.5 log lower on samples containing the plant extract blend. Lactic acid bacteria counts were below 1.0 Log CFU/g during shelf life for both treatments.ConclusionThese data suggest that the plant extracts blend can enhance the safety of sliced cook in ham. It is important to evaluate the effect in meat systems without nitrite addition or along with other interventions that inhibit growth, like post packaging pasteurization.

Essential oils in the diet of young bulls: Effect on animal performance, digestibility, temperament, feeding behaviour and carcass characteristics

With the increase of public concern over the routine use of antibiotics in livestock, the addition of plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) became a natural alternative in the diets since it might have similar antimicrobial properties as the ionophores. This study was conducted to evaluate the animal performance, temperament, feeding behaviour and carcass characteristics of 40 young crossbred bulls (½ Brown Swiss – ½ Nellore) at 10±2.2months of age with an average body weight of 219±11.7kg without (control) the addition or with different levels (3.5 or 7.0g/day per animal) of clove or cinnamon EOs in the diet. The finishing period in the feedlot was 187days. Animal performance was higher (P<0.05) in the group with EOs (both levels) than in the control group diet and increased linearly when EOs was added (P≤0.05). The feed intake of dry matter and other nutrients was higher and increase linearly (P<0.05) in young bulls fed with EOs independently of the type or dosage level. Feed efficiency and the digestibility in vitro were unaffected by dietary treatment (P>0.05). The addition of clove or cinnamon EOs did not alter (P>0.05) temperament or feeding behaviour. The cold carcass weight was higher (P<0.05) in bulls from the EOs groups than in the control group. However, the carcass weight was similar (P>0.05) between young bulls with EOs received clove or cinnamon in the diet. The muscle, fat and bone percentages and fat thickness, marbling, Longissimus muscle area and pH did not differ (P>0.05) among diets. The results indicate that the EOs improved the animal performance of young bulls finished in high-concentrate diets did not alter carcass characteristics, temperament or feeding behaviour.

Validation of an in vitro system for studies of pathogenicity mechanisms in Xanthomonas campestris.

Several minimal media capable of inducing pathogenicity genes have been used to study plant-pathogen interactions. An in planta assay to study a closer interaction between the bacteria and the host was also developed and has been employed by our group. In order to determine whether growth medium could be improved to better approximate in planta conditions beyond that offered by the defined minimal medium XVM1, we compared the expression of 20 Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) genes by quantitative reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) under in vivo (bacteria recovered from the plant) and in vitro (rich medium NYG, minimal medium XVM1 and XVM1 + leaf extract) growth systems. The results showed a higher expression level of the genes in the in planta system when compared to growth in culture media. In planta growth is closest to a real interaction condition and captures the complexity of the plant cell environment; however, this system has some limitations. The main finding of our work is that the addition of plant extract to XVM1 medium results in a gene expression profile that better matches the in planta profile, when compared with the XVM1 medium alone, giving support to the use of plant extract to study pathogenicity mechanisms in Xanthomonas.

Efficient synthesis of plant-mediated silver nanoparticles and their screening for antimicrobial activity

Now days, the development of safe, cost effective, reliable and eco-friendly processes for the synthesis of nanoparticles is an important aspect of nanotechnology. Among the various agents, plants show immense potential for the synthesis of nanoparticles. The bio-molecules found in plants induce reduction of Ag+ ions from silver nitrate to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs); therefore, in the present work, the aqueous leaves extract of the plant was used as reducing agent for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. We synthesized extracellular silver nanoparticles using extract of the leaves of four different medicinal plants which act as a reducing agent at room temperature. The characteristic color change was observed on addition of plant extract to the silver nitrate solution due to their specific properties (Surface Plasmon Resonance). UV-Vis spectroscopy was used for the characterization of the silver nanoparticles. Green synthesized nanoparticles are evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as two pathogenic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Curvularia lunata. The silver nanoparticles (SNPs) of selected plant parts have shown more toxicity towards bacterial species than that of the fungal species. Comparing with simple plant extracts, the SNPs exhibited greater antimicrobial efficacy and advantage over conventional antibiotics to which these microorganisms usually impart resistance.

Avaliação de extratos de plantas sobre a resposta imune, o desempenho produtivo e a morfometria intestinal de frangos de corte desafiados com Eimeria sp.

RESUMO O objetivo foi avaliar o efeito do uso de extrato de plantas sobre a resposta imune, o desempenho produtivo e a morfometria intestinal de frangos de corte desafiados com a vacina contra coccidiose. Foram utilizados 720 pintos de corte, machos, distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos e nove repetições de 20 aves cada. A partir dos 14 dias, as aves passaram a receber os tratamentos experimentais compostos por A – Dieta basal + Antibiótico promotor do crescimento (APC) ; B - Dieta basal + APC + desafio vacinal; C - Dieta basal + extrato de plantas, e D - Dieta basal + extrato de plantas + desafio vacinal. As aves dos tratamentos B e D receberam vacina oral contra coccidiose (vinte vezes a dose individual recomendada pelo fabricante). A adição de extrato de plantas à dieta de aves desafiadas com oocistos de Eimeria sp aumentou (p &lt;0,05) a secreção de IgA pela mucosa intestinal. As lesões microscópicas da mucosa intestinal não foram influenciadas (p &gt;0,05) pelo desafio ou pelo uso do extrato de plantas. O desafio com oocistos de Eimeria sp ou associado ao extrato de plantas resultou em menor (p &lt;0,05) ganho de peso e pior conversão alimentar apenas na semana seguinte à inoculação. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a adição de extrato de plantas à dieta de aves submetidas ao desafio vacinal aumentou a secreção de IgA pela mucosa intestinal e que a inclusão do extrato de plantas ou de melhorador de desempenho resultou em desempenho produtivo semelhante.

Novel Approach to the Development of Functional Goat's Milk-Based Beverages Using Medicinal Plant Extracts in Combination with High Intensity Ultrasound Treatment.

Regardless of its highly valuable nutritive composition, goat's milk is less preferred by consumers due to its specific sensory characteristics that are very often regarded as undesirable. On the other hand, traditional medicinal plants from Lamiaceae family, due to their rich bioactive composition, especially polyphenols, and desirable aroma profile, can be used to enhance and improve bioactive and sensory properties of food. In the present study nutritively valuable beverages were produced by enrichment of goat's milk with medicinal plant extracts derived from the Lamiaceae family and stabilized by homogenization with high intensity ultrasound treatment. The impact of plant species (lemon balm, mint, lavender, rosemary and sage) and ultrasound treatment duration (5 or 10 min) on the physicochemical, bioactive and sensory characteristics of enriched beverages was evaluated. The addition of plant extracts to goat's milk significantly increased the concentration of bioactive components (rosmarinic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and luteolin derivatives), in dependence of the added plant extract. The prolongation of the ultrasound homogenization markedly decreased the fat globule size and thus beneficially affected the product stability. Apart from the achieved bioactive enrichment and stability, the developed beverages exhibited significantly improved sensory properties in comparison to plain goat's milk, with the highest overall acceptability determined for samples enriched with mint and rosemary.

Effect of Green Tea and Moringa Leave Extracts Fortification on the Physicochemical, Rheological, Sensory and Antioxidant Properties of Set-Type Yoghurt

The effects of co-production of green tea (Camellia sinensis L) or Moringa oleifera leaves extracts with set-type yogurt on the physicochemical, rheological, and sensory and antioxidant properties of the produced bio-yoghurts were investigated. Plant extracts were subjected to GC-MS analysis in order to identify the major compounds. The analysis revealed the presence of 21 and 27 major compounds in green tea and moringa leaves extracts respectively. Most of these compounds pose different biological roles. From the preliminary sensory study of testing wide range (0.1-1.5%, w/w) of both plants extract in yoghurt trails it was concluded that the best chosen concentrations were 1% and 0.9% of green tea and moringa extracts respectively. The chemical analysis of plain and bio-yoghurts (green tea or moringa) showed no differences in composition in regard to protein, fat, and total solids as it were amounted to 3.75 ± 0.15%, 3.65 ± 0.03% and 14.45 ± 0.15% respectively. The pH decreased during the production leveled to 4.60 ± 0.05 after incubation while it was not significantly changed during storage whereas, titratable acidity showed invers relation increased to be 0.70 ± 0.02% after production and 1.1 ± 0.05% at the end of storage. Fortification of both extracts at tested percentage did not exhibit any suppression effect against starter culture meanwhile; both extracts had stimulated the growth. In general, syneresis values (%) showed to increase in all the treatments up to 15 days of storage. The green tea found to improved syneresis as low values were recorded in green tea yoghurt in compared to plain yoghurts and moringa yoghurts which showed the highest syneresis values. No significant changes in viscosity and firmness between plain and plant fortified yoghurts were observed meanwhile, addition of green tea extracts improved consistency. The color showed a significant difference between different kinds of yoghurts. Addition of plant extracts significantly enhanced total phenolic content in yoghurt by 100% in moringa yoghurts and 244% in green tea yoghurts compared to plain yoghurts thus reflected as antioxidant (DPPH inhibition %) in yoghurt dramatically improved. Further, the effect of green tea and moringa leaves extract on sensory attributes were also discussed.

Modification of chicken feet gelatin with aqueous sweet basil and lemongrass extract

The effects of aqueous extracts of sweet basil leaves and lemongrass stem at different levels (0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 ml/100 g dry gelatin) on the physical and rheological properties of chicken feet gelatin gels were investigated. Chicken feet gelatin gels cross-linked by plant extracts were more turbid than control, had reduced water holding capacity (WHC) and swelling ratio. Nevertheless, the increase in gel strength, thermal stability, and elastic modulus was found with increasing plant extract levels and increased the stability of gelatin within a certain concentration range of plant extracts. Complex viscosity (ƞ*) values of gelatin with and without addition of plant extracts were decreased with increasing temperature. Therefore, plant extract at an appropriate level could act as a natural gel enhancer of chicken feet gelatin.

Evaluation of Allium paradoxum (M.B.) G. Don. and Eryngium caucasicum trauve. Extracts on the shelf‐life and quality of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) fillets during refrigerated storage

AbstractThe present study examined the effects of Allium paradoxum (M.B.) G. Don. and Eryngium caucasicum Trauve. extracts on the lipid oxidation and quality deterioration indices, microbiological as well as sensory characteristics in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) fillets during storage at 4 °C ± 1. Treatments applied in the study including the following: control (without plant extracts), 2% and 4% (w/v) plant extracts. The addition of plant extracts significantly delayed oxidative deterioration in silver carp fillets during refrigerated storage as shown by the PV, TBARS, Acid Value and TVB‐N data (P &lt; 0.05). The results also showed that natural compounds from A. paradoxum and E. caucasicum extracts resulted in lower bacterial growth in fish fillets during the refrigerated storage period. Comparing to the control samples, the psychrophilic bacterial counts (PTC) and total viable count (TVC) values for the E. caucasicum (2.0%) and E. caucasicum (4.0%), A. paradoxum (2.0%), A. paradoxum (4.0%) treatments were above the acceptability limit (7 log10 colony‐forming unit/g) at the end of 6, 9, 12, 9 and 15th day of storage, respectively. It was observed that addition of A. paradoxum at 4% to fish fillets increased its shelf‐life while the addition of E. caucasicum at 4.0% made a positive effect on sensory quality. These results suggested that A. paradoxum and E. caucasicum extracts have the potential to be used as natural preservatives for shelf‐life extension of fish products.Practical ApplicationsThe exploration of naturally occurring antimicrobials in food preservation receives increasing attention because of consumer awareness of natural food products. Biopreservatives are useful in extending the foods shelf‐life, reducing or eliminating pathogenic bacteria and increasing the overall quality of food products. In this work, we evaluated the effects of two natural extracts, from Allium paradoxum and Eryngium caucasicum, on the fish product quality, such as rancidity indices, microbiological and sensory qualities during refrigerated storage. To our knowledge, the application of A. paradoxum and E. caucasicum extracts in shelf‐life extension of fish product has not been studied previously. The present study showed that both E. caucasicum, A. paradoxum extracts, regarding to their antioxidant and antibacterial properties, could efficiently retard microbial growth, delay chemical deterioration, maintain or improve sensory attributes and extend the shelf‐life of the silver carp fillets during refrigerated storage.

Addition of phytochemical-rich plant extracts mitigate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil/wine mixtures against Escherichia coli O157:H7 but not against Salmonella enterica

Marinades for preparing raw meats for cooking are frequently made of wine and herbs. We simulated several formulations of potential antimicrobial marinades with these components and other food compatible/food derived extracts. Red wine formulations containing essential oils from oregano or thyme, or their primary active components carvacrol and thymol, respectively, and a mixture of plant extract powders from phytochemical-rich apple skin, green tea, and olive, were evaluated for inhibitory activity against the foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica. Red wine alone exhibited low activity, as did the plant extract suspended in the wine. Surprisingly, the high activity of oregano or thyme essential oils in red wine was reduced in E. coli, but not in Salmonella, by addition of the plant extract. This study shows that essential oils in red wine can be an effective antimicrobial in food, however the possibility exists that phytochemicals, added to the treatment solution or natively present in the food itself, could adversely impact the antimicrobial activity and should be addressed with future studies.

&lt;b&gt;Roots of ‘BRS Princesa’ banana fertigated with humic substances and saponin-based plant extracts

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fertigation with humic substances, with and without the addition of plant extracts, on the root system of the 'BRS Princesa' banana cultivar. The banana crop was cultivated at a spacing of 2.0 x 2.5 m and fertigated using a drip system in a dystrocohesive Yellow Latosol. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a split-split-plot scheme with five replicates, for the following factors: humic substance doses and presence of a plant extract formulation. The treatments consisted of five doses of humic substances, based on a reference dose of 14.14 L ha -1 cycle -1 , in the presence and absence of plant extract. The variable root length (cm) was subjected to variance analyses to evaluate the effect of the humic substances, either isolated or in interaction with plant extract and soil depth. The use of the plant extract increased the effect of the humic substance on root length but overshadowed its effect for the different doses of humic substance. Root length was not sensitive to increasing humic substance dose with plant extract for doses of up to 42.42 L ha -1 at 0 – 0.40 m depth.

Enhanced Microbial, Functional and Sensory Properties of Herbal Yogurt Fermented with Korean Traditional Plant Extracts.

This study evaluated the effects of two Korean traditional plant extracts (Diospyros kaki THUNB. leaf; DK, and Nelumbo nucifera leaf; NN) on the fermentation, functional and sensory properties of herbal yogurts. Compared to control fermentation, all plant extracts increased acidification rate and reduced the time to complete fermentation (pH 4.5). Supplementation of plant extracts and storage time were found to influence the characteristics of the yogurts, contributing to increased viability of starter culture and phenolic compounds. In particular, the increase in the counts of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was highest (2.95 and 1.14 Log CFU/mL respectively) in DK yogurt. Furthermore, supplementation of the plant extracts significantly influenced to increase the antioxidant activity and water holding capacity and to produce volatile compounds. The higher antioxidant activity and water holding capacity were observed in NN yogurt than DK yogurt. Moreover, all of the sensory characteristics were altered by the addition of plant extracts. Addition of plant extracts increased the scores related to flavor, taste, and texture from plain yogurt without a plant extract, as a result of volatile compounds analysis. Thus, the overall preference was increased by plant extracts. Consequently, supplementation of DK and NN extracts in yogurt enhanced the antioxidant activity and physical property, moreover increased the acceptability of yogurt. These findings demonstrate the possibility of using plant extracts as a functional ingredient in the manufacture of herbal yogurt.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Methanolic Plant Extracts against Nosocomial Microorganisms.

Biofilm is a complex microbial community highly resistant to antimicrobials. The formation of biofilms in biotic and abiotic surfaces is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. New alternatives for controlling infections have been proposed focusing on the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants and their antimicrobial effects. In the present study the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of 8 methanolic plant extracts were evaluated against clinical isolated microorganisms. Preliminary screening by diffusion well assay showed the antimicrobial activity of Prosopis laevigata, Opuntia ficus-indica, and Gutierrezia microcephala. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined ranging from 0.7 to >15 mg/mL. The specific biofilm formation index (SBF) was evaluated before and after the addition of plant extracts (MBC × 0.75). Opuntia ficus-indica caused the major reduction on SBF in dose-dependent manner. Cytotoxic activity of plant extracts was determined using brine shrimp lethality test (Artemia salina L.). Lethal Dose concentration (LD50 values) of the plant extracts was calculated. LD50 values for P. laevigata and G. microcephala were 141.6 and 323.3 µg/mL, respectively, while O. ficus-indica showed a slight lethality with 939.2 µg/mL. Phytochemical analyses reveal the presence of flavonoids, tannins, and coumarines.

STRENGTHENING OF SAND CEMENTED WITH CALCIUM PHOSPHATE COMPOUNDS USING PLANT-DERIVED UREASE

The effect of plant-derived urease enzyme to induce the precipitation of calcium phosphate compounds (CPCs) and hence, to improve the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of sand was examined as a novel, eco-friendly ground improvement method. Initially, Toyoura sand test pieces were cemented only from CPC solution. Furthermore, another sand test pieces were cemented by different concentrations of urea, concentration fixed plant seeds extract (Watermelon) to obtain optimal cementation, and different concentrations of CPC solutions made from calcium and phosphate stock solutions. All test pieces were cured up to 28 days in an airtight container at high humidity at 25 o C. The UCS tests and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of sand test pieces were carried out. The UCS of test pieces cemented with CPC and plant extract were significantly higher than that of test pieces cemented without plant extract and increases with time. The best ratio of Ca: P in CPC solution was 0.75 M: 1.5 M, reaching a maximum UCS of 125.6 kPa after 28 days of curing. In addition, pH concentration was measured after UCS test and it has increased with time. Results indicate that the best pH for optimal cementation is 8.0. A specific crystal structure could not be identified from SEM observations in the segments of the test pieces cemented with CPC in all cases in this study. These results suggest that the addition of plant extract to CPC significantly enhances the mechanical properties of sand.

Biological synthesis of manganese dioxide nanoparticles by Kalopanax pictus plant extract.

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles were synthesised by the reduction of potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) using Kalopanax pictus leaf extract at room temperature. A transparent dark-brown colour appeared after the addition of K. pictus leaf extract to the solution of permanganate. The time course of the reduction of KMnO₄and synthesis of MnO₂ nanoparticles was monitored by means of UV-Vis spectra. The reduction of KMnO₄occurred after addition of plant extract with disappearance of KMnO₄specific peaks and emergence of peak specific for MnO₂nanoparticles. MnO₂nanoparticles showed absorption maxima at 404 nm. The electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses confirmed the presence of Mn and O in the sample. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed characteristic binding energies for MnO₂nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy micrographs revealed presence of uniformly dispersed spherical shaped particles with average size of 19.2 nm. The selected area electron diffraction patterns revealed the crystalline nature of MnO₂nanoparticles. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy spectra of pure MnO₂show the occurrence of O-Mn-O vibrational mode at around 518 cm⁻¹. The phyto-synthesised MnO₂nanoparticles showed degradation ability of dyes (congo red and safranin O) similar to chemically synthesised MnO₂nanoparticles. This study shows simple and eco-friendly synthesis of MnO₂nanoparticles by plant extract and their utilisation for dye degradation for the first time.

Optimization of isolation and cultivation of bacterial endophytes through addition of plant extract to nutrient media.

Many endophytes have beneficial effects on plants and can be exploited in biotechnological applications. Studies hypothesize that only 0.001–1% of all plant-associated bacteria are cultivable. Moreover, even after successful isolations, many endophytic bacteria often show reduced regrowth capacity. This research aimed to optimize isolation processes and culturing these bacteria afterwards. We compared several minimal and complex media in a screening. Beside the media themselves, two gelling agents and adding plant extract to media were investigated to enhance the number and diversity of endophytes as well as the growth capacity when regrown after isolation.In this work, 869 medium delivered the highest numbers of cultivable bacteria, as well as the highest diversity. When comparing gelling agents, no differences were observed in the numbers of bacteria. Adding plant extract to the media lead to a slight increase in diversity. However, when adding plant extract to improve the regrowth capacity, sharp increases of viable bacteria occurred in both rich and minimal media.

Aflatoxin M1 in Milk and Milk Products in Jordan and Methods for its Reduction: A Preliminary Study

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) levels in liquid and powdered milk and other dairy products in Jordan using ELISA technique and antiaflatoxin M1 (AFM1 reduction) effect of fermentation, high heat treatments and the addition of plant extracts during milk fermentation. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan during July 2006 and March 2007. Methodology: A total of 22 samples of milk and dairy products were randomly collected from local markets and were grouped as follows: Raw (n=3), pasteurized (n=4) and powdered milk (n=3), infant formula (n=3), yoghurt (n=3), labaneh (low moisture sour yoghurt) (n=3) and jameed (traditional dry yoghurt) (n=3). Dairy products were analyzed for their AFM1 content. Anti-aflatoxin treatments of fermentation, high heat, garlic (Allium sativum), black cumin (Nigella sativum) and Original Research Article Al-Delaimy and Mahmoud; BJAST, 6(6): 597-605, 2015; Article no.BJAST.2015.114 598 carrot (Ducaus carota sativus) water extracts were studied to determine their influence on AFM1 content. Results: The results show that AFM1 was detected in 81.8% of tested samples with varying levels ranging from 25 ppt to no detection. The highest levels were found in 2 labaneh samples purchased from local brands (25.8 and 22 ppt of AFM1). Levels of AFM1 of 19, 15.5, and 14 ppt were detected in a yoghurt, raw milk, and jameed samples respectively. No AFM1 was detected in imported infant formula samples, pasteurized milk and one labaneh brand. Carrot water extract had the highest impact by decreasing AFM1 by 72% of the total toxin followed by heating (56%) and fermentation (40%). Conclusion: These AFM1 levels found in milk and dairy products in Jordan are considered low and within the European maximum limit of 50 ppt. An important finding for AFM1 reduction was our finding that a natural product such as carrot extract can be effective in lowering AFM1 in milk samples.

The effects of adding agrimony and sage extracts to water on blood biochemistry and meat quality of broiler chickens

The aim of our study was to determine the effects of supplementation of agrimony extract (Agrimonia eupatoria L.) and a combination of agrimony with sage extract (Salvia officinalis L.) to water during the fattening period of broiler chickens on selected biochemical and antioxidant indicators in blood, and on the nutritional composition and oxidative stability of meat. A total of 117 Cobb 500 chicks were randomly divided on the day of hatching into three groups (n = 39 in each) and fattened for 42 days. All groups were fed the same diets. In experimental group A water was supplemented with agrimony extract (0.2%). In experimental group AS water was supplemented with a combination of agrimony (0.1%) and sage (0.1%) extracts. Group C was control without supplementation. The total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins and malondialdehyde in serum were decreased (P &lt; 0.05), dry matter and fat content in meat were increased (P &lt; 0.05) in group A. The activity of superoxide dismutase in blood and the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in thigh meat on days 1 and 8 of storage under chilling conditions were lower (P &lt; 0.05) in both experimental groups compared to control. Our results indicate that supplementation of agrimony and sage extract to water can beneficially influence the antioxidant status as well as oxidative stability of thigh meat and thus improve meat quality. This is a first similar study comparing addition of plant extracts to water in broiler nutrition.

The effect of selected supercritical CO2 plant extract addition on user properties of shower gels

Abstract The formulations of washing cosmetics i.e. shower gels, containing extracts obtained during supercritical CO2 extraction process as active ingredient, were developed. The subject of the study was the analysis of the physicochemical and user properties of the obtained products. In the work supercritical CO2 extracts of black currant seeds, strawberry seeds, hop cones and mint leafs were used. The formulation contains a mixture of surfactants (disodium cocoamphodiacetate, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, cocoamide DEA, cocoamidepropyl betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate). Various thickener agents were applied to the obtained desired rheological properties of the cosmetics. Among others, sorbitol acetal derivatives, methylhydroxypropylcellulose and C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer were used. For stable products, the effect of extracts addition (black currants seeds, strawberries seeds, mint and hops, obtained from supercritical CO2 extraction process) on the cosmetics properties, such as pH, viscosity, detergency and foam ability, were determined. The obtained results showed that the extracts could be used as components of shower gels.