Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology

Assessment of PSP Collected from Targha in Morocco Using the Luminescence of Vibrio fischeri

2026-09-21T07:23:14+00:00

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a public health concern caused by paralytic shellfish toxins that can accumulate in shellfish. This study assessed PSP-associated toxicity in Acanthocardia tuberculata collected from Targha on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco using a Vibrio fischeri-based Bioluminescence Inhibition Assay (BIA) and compared the result with the Mouse Bioassay (MBA). Shellfish extracts were evaluated under defined pH and dilution conditions. The influence of pH on bacterial bioluminescence was examined from pH 1 to 14, and saxitoxin (STX) concentrations of 0.16, 0.33, 0.99, and 1.65 µM were used to establish a calibration response. Complete inhibition of bioluminescence occurred at pH 1, 13, and 14, while a progressive reduction was observed at pH 2 and no substantial inhibition occurred between pH 3 and 12. Increasing STX concentrations produced progressively greater inhibition of V. fischeri bioluminescence. The MBA yielded 92.8 ± 0.1 µM STX equivalents, whereas the BIA yielded 0.40 ± 0.40 µM STX equivalents. Serial dilution of the shellfish extract generally reduced bioluminescence inhibition. The marked difference between the MBA and BIA estimates indicates that the two methods are not directly interchangeable under the evaluated conditions. Nevertheless, the BIA showed practical advantages in simplicity, rapidity, relatively low operational requirements, and avoidance of experimental animals, supporting further evaluation as a complementary screening approach for PSP surveillance.

Effect of Different Levels of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Leaf Powder Supplementation on the Productive Performance of Broiler Breeder Hens

2026-10-01T11:41:59+00:00

Phytogenic feed additives are increasingly examined as dietary supplements in poultry, but information on Tulsi supplementation in broiler breeder hens remains limited. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum; synonym Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder supplementation on the productive performance of broiler breeder hens. A total of 120 broiler breeder hens at 40 weeks of age were randomly allotted to four treatment groups: T1 (control: basal feed without supplementation), T2 (basal feed + 0.5% Tulsi powder), T3 (basal feed + 1.0% Tulsi powder), and T4 (basal feed + 1.5% Tulsi powder), with three replicates of 10 hens each. The trial lasted six weeks (40–45 weeks of age), and body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed clean-up time, egg production, and livability were recorded. At 45 weeks, T2 had the highest body weight (4646.66 g; p < 0.05), while T3 had higher hen-day egg production (79.52%) and hen-housed egg production (76.82%), lower FCR (1.09), and shorter feed clean-up time (3.22 h) at the end of the trial (p < 0.01). Cumulative livability was highest in T2 (100.00%; p < 0.05). These findings indicate that different Tulsi inclusion levels were associated with different productive responses in broiler breeder hens, with the 0.5% level associated with later body weight and livability and the 1.0% level associated with egg production, FCR, and feed clean-up time. Further studies under different breeder-management conditions are warranted.

Screening, Optimization and Characterization of Amylase Production from Lactobacillus Species

2026-10-10T07:59:24+00:00

Amylases are important industrial enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of starch and have wide applications in food and other biotechnological industries. Amylolytic Lactobacillus species are of particular interest because of their ability to produce extracellular enzymes and their established relevance in food fermentation. This study evaluated selected characterised Lactobacillus strains for extracellular amylase production, optimised culture conditions for enhanced enzyme yield, and characterised the amylases produced by the most active isolates. Three previously characterised isolates were screened for amylase production using the starch agar plate method. The selected isolates were cultivated in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe broth under submerged shake flask fermentation at 37°C and 150 rpm for 48 h. Crude enzymes were partially purified by 90% ammonium sulphate precipitation and dialysis, while amylase activity was determined using the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid method with soluble starch as substrate. The effects of pH, temperature, and fermentation time on enzyme production were investigated using a one-factor-at-a-time approach. All screened isolates demonstrated amylase activity, with Lactobacillus fermentum ON406509 producing the largest starch hydrolysis zone (22 mm) and the highest initial amylase yield (32.31 U/mL), followed by Lactobacillus plantarum KCB4 (18 mm; 23.72 U/mL) and Lactobacillus plantarum ON406571 (14 mm; 22.68 U/mL). Optimisation increased amylase production, with maximum yields of 35.7 U/mL for L. fermentum ON406509 and 35.4 U/mL for L. plantarum KCB4 at pH 6.0. The optimum temperature for production was 40°C, producing 34.83 U/mL and 34.44 U/mL, respectively, while maximum production was obtained after 48 h of fermentation, with yields of 34.11 U/mL and 33.37 U/mL, respectively. Characterisation of the partially purified enzymes showed that amylase activity increased with temperature from 25°C to 40°C, reaching maximum activities of 24.648 U/mL for L. fermentum ON406509 and 27.407 U/mL for L. plantarum KCB4 at 40°C. For pH activity, L. fermentum ON406509 exhibited maximum activity at pH 7.0 (29.074 U/mL), whereas L. plantarum KCB4 showed maximum activity at pH 8.0 (28.888 U/mL). Both enzymes showed their lowest activities at pH 3.0. Temperature stability studies showed that both enzymes retained maximum activity at 40°C, followed by a gradual decline at higher temperatures. Both enzymes exhibited maximum pH stability at pH 4.0. L. plantarum KCB4 retained approximately 96–100% residual activity between pH 3.0 and 5.0, whereas L. fermentum ON406509 demonstrated broader stability, retaining approximately 89–100% residual activity from pH 3.0 to 8.0. These findings demonstrate that the selected Lactobacillus strains are efficient extracellular amylase producers and that optimisation substantially improves enzyme yield. The broad pH stability of L. fermentum ON406509 and the favourable activity profile of both enzymes at 40°C further indicate their potential for applications in food processing and other biotechnological processes.

Bio-preservation of Pineapple Juice Using Candidate Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria

2026-10-14T07:24:48+00:00

Background & Aims: Pineapple juice (Ananas comosus) is susceptible to microbial spoilage because of its nutrient content and high water activity. This study evaluated the survival and biopreservation potential of three candidate probiotic lactic acid bacteria, Weissella confusa, Levilactobacillus brevis, and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus, during storage of pineapple juice.

Study Design: A controlled storage study compared pasteurised pineapple juice inoculated with three lactic acid bacteria with uninoculated controls, including a potassium sorbate control, under room-temperature and refrigerated conditions for 28 days.

Place and Duration of Study: Food Biotechnology and Microbiology Laboratory, Food Science and Technology Research Department, Nangui Abrogoua University, between March and June 2025.

Methodology: Pineapple juice was prepared from 6 kg of pulp with 3 L of water, filtered, dispensed into 250 mL jars, and pasteurised at 85 °C for 5 min, except for an unpasteurised baseline sample. Pasteurised juice was either left uninoculated, supplemented with potassium sorbate (0.2 g/L), or inoculated with 1 mL of a 10^5 CFU/mL working bacterial suspension per 100 mL of juice. Samples were stored at 25-30 °C or 4 °C for 28 days and analysed on days 0, 7, 14, and 28 for pH, titratable acidity, and selected microbiological indicators.

Results: The inoculated juices maintained high culturable lactic acid bacterial counts during storage, generally reaching approximately 10^7 CFU/mL. The pH of inoculated juices remained acidic and, in several treatments, decreased during storage. Titratable acidity changed substantially with time and treatment. Presumptive staphylococci and coliform counts differed between room-temperature and refrigerated storage, with refrigerated samples generally showing lower recovery of the hygiene-indicator organisms reported in this study. Yeast and mould counts remained within approximately 10^3-10^4 CFU/mL in the reported observations.

Conclusion: The three lactic acid bacteria remained culturable in the pineapple-juice matrix and were associated with changes in acidity and microbiological profiles during storage. Refrigeration provided an important additional preservation hurdle. The findings support further evaluation of these strains as candidate cultures for pineapple-juice biopreservation; confirmation should include strain-level identification and safety assessment, validated challenge studies, sensory testing, and in vivo evidence before probiotic or commercial claims are made.

Candidate Peripheral Blood Transcriptomic Signals Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Re-analysis of Public Dataset GSE111175

2026-10-16T06:50:06+00:00

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition for which diagnosis remains primarily behavioural, while robust blood-based molecular markers remain investigational. This study re-analysed publicly available peripheral blood leukocyte microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus series GSE111175 to characterise transcriptomic differences between male toddlers with ASD and Typically Developing (TD) controls. The two-group analysis comprised 98 samples (28 ASD and 70 TD) measured on the Illumina HumanHT-12 V4.0 platform. Differential expression was evaluated with GEO2R/limma using Benjamini-Hochberg false-discovery-rate correction, with statistical significance defined as an adjusted P value < 0.05 and no additional absolute log2-fold-change threshold. The re-analysis identified 129 significant transcript probes, including 77 with positive and 52 with negative log2 fold changes in ASD relative to TD. Among the prioritised probes, TOMM5 and NDUFA12 showed modest negative log2 fold changes, whereas PHF2, IP6K1, GABARAPL1 and ABCA1 showed modest positive changes. These observations are biologically compatible with mitochondrial, autophagy-related and lipid-homeostasis processes, but the present probe-level associations do not establish pathway dysfunction, causal mechanisms or clinical diagnostic performance. Accordingly, the findings should be regarded as discovery-stage peripheral transcriptomic signals that require replication in independent cohorts, adjustment for leukocyte composition and other covariates, and prospective validation before biomarker utility can be inferred.

Laboratory and Pot Scale Performance Evaluation of Bacterial Consortium and Monoculture-Based Bioformulations for Zea mays Growth under Water Deficit Agro-condition

2026-10-24T09:17:35+00:00

This study evaluated the growth promoting performance of bacterial consortium and monoculture-based bioformulations on Zea mays under water deficit agro-condition. Rhizobacteria with plant growth promoting (PGP) traits [indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production and/or phosphate solubilization (PS)] were isolated, characterized and identified using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. Preliminary PGP activity of the isolates was conducted via seed germination bioassay prior pot examination with the diverse formulations. The formulations were prepared by homogenizing 2 g of sterile oven-dried coir-dust with each standardized PGP-rhizobacteria inoculum, in the ratio 2:20 w/v. Pot study was conducted to evaluate the performance efficacy of the consortium and monoculture-based formulations, using shoot length (SL), root length (RL) and plant height (PH) of cultivated Zea mays seeds as comparative indices. Water deficit condition was simulated by no watering of the seeds throughout the 14 days duration of the pot experiment. Out of the 10 rhizobacteria isolated, isolate with the code RCE possessed the potential to produce IAA and solubilize phosphate, RPP tested positive for IAA production only, while RC tested positive for PS only. Also, 2 other rhizobacteria (RSW and RYE) in spite of testing negative to the screened PGP traits, expressed high growth promoting potential during the seed germination bioassay, and were used for bioformulations. Isolates RCE, RPP, RC, RSW, RYE, were identified as Priestia flexa, Klebsiella variicola, Bacillus altitudinis, Stretomyces herenosi, and Staphylococcus sp., respectively. At the end of the pot study, the bacterial consortium formulations (coir-dust +RSW+RC+RYE; coir-dust +RPP+RSW; and coir-dust +RCE+RSW+RPP) expressed better performance in growing and sustaining the inoculated seeds at days 7 & 14; mean RL (18.8 cm ±2.56 & 7.87 cm ±5.16 respectively), mean SL (4.53 cm ±0.42 & 2.77 cm ±0.35 respectively) & mean PH (47.83 cm ±2.76 & 36.4 cm ±7.93 respectively), relative to their un-inoculated control, in the same order; mean RL (12.6 cm ±0.0 & 3.5 cm ±0.0 respectively), mean SL (5.9 cm ±0.0 & 7.0 cm ±0.0 respectively) & mean PH (42.0 cm ±0.0 & 30.0 cm ±0.0 respectively), with significant difference at (P<0.05), compared to the bacterial monoculture bioformulations in the same order; mean RL (14.53 cm ±8.07 & 7.52 cm ±5.40 respectively), mean SL (4.75 cm ±0.75 & 4.67 cm ±1.75 respectively) & mean PH (48.3 cm ±11.43 & 34.2 cm ±7.0 respectively), relative to their un-inoculated control as stated above, with no significant difference (P>0.05). This study therefore projects bacterial consortium formulations as better and viable strategy for growing and sustaining plants under water deficit agro-condition.

Comparative Effects of Xylopia aethiopica and Piper guineense Extracts on Blood Glucose and Lipid Profiles in Non-Pregnant and Lactating Rats

2026-10-27T08:38:14+00:00

Xylopia aethiopica and Piper guineense are widely consumed West African spices traditionally used during the postpartum period, but their effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis during lactation remain insufficiently characterised. This study evaluated the effects of individual and combined aqueous seed extracts of X. aethiopica and P. guineense on blood glucose and lipid profiles in lactating albino Wistar rats. Fifty albino Wistar rats, comprising 40 pregnant rats on day 14 of gestation and 10 non-pregnant rats, were divided into five groups (n=10). Seeds of X. aethiopica and P. guineense were dried, powdered and separately extracted by macerating 200 g of each powdered seed in 600 mL of distilled water for 48 h, after which the mixtures were filtered and the aqueous extracts concentrated. Group A comprised non-pregnant, non-lactating controls; Group B, untreated lactating controls; Groups C and D received X. aethiopica (0.144 g/180 g body weight) and P. guineense (0.192 g/180 g body weight) seed extracts, respectively; and Group E received the combined extracts. The extracts were administered orally in 1 mL of distilled water twice daily for 21 days. Random blood glucose (RBS), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C and triglycerides (TG) were determined using standard biochemical methods. RBS and TC showed no significant differences among the groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control groups, HDL-C was significantly increased in the extract-treated groups, reaching 2.77 ± 0.04, 3.15 ± 0.06 and 2.98 ± 0.07 mmol/L in Groups C, D and E, respectively, while LDL-C was significantly reduced to 0.53 ± 0.12, 0.24 ± 0.05 and 0.30 ± 0.06 mmol/L, respectively. Group D recorded the lowest VLDL-C (0.37 ± 0.02 mmol/L) and TG (0.70 ± 0.09 mmol/L). Aqueous seed extracts of X. aethiopica and P. guineense, administered individually or in combination, did not significantly alter blood glucose or total cholesterol but produced favourable alterations in selected lipid parameters, particularly increased HDL-C and reduced LDL-C. These findings suggest potential lipid-modulating activity during lactation, although further studies are required to establish the underlying mechanisms and long-term safety.

Wild Edible Mushrooms of the Himalayan Region: A Stratified Appraisal of Diversity, Nutritional Value and Commercial Potential

2026-10-15T06:36:11+00:00

Wild edible mushrooms occupy an unusual position in Himalayan food systems. They are gathered across an elevational span of several thousand metres, they enter household diets and long-distance commodity chains, and they are repeatedly described in the regional literature as an underexploited resource of considerable nutritional and economic value. Whether the published evidence supports that description is a separate question, and it is the question this review addresses. The article synthesises peer-reviewed research on the diversity, traditional use, nutritional composition, bioactivity, commercialisation, safety and conservation of wild edible fungi across the Himalayan arc, from the western ranges of Pakistan and the Indian union territories through Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim and the eastern extension into north-east India and adjacent south-western China. Literature was identified through open scholarly indexes and citation searching, appraised for methodological adequacy, and organised thematically rather than study by study. Four findings recur. First, regional inventories are numerous but methodologically heterogeneous, and the species counts they report are not comparable because sampling effort, elevational coverage and identification standards differ substantially. Second, molecular work conducted over the past decade has begun to show that many European binomials applied to Himalayan collections are misapplied, which undermines a large body of earlier ethnomycological and nutritional reporting keyed to those names. Third, nutritional and antioxidant studies are numerous but dominated by small, single-season, laboratory-based analyses whose translation into demonstrated dietary or clinical benefit remains unestablished. Fourth, the commercial narrative surrounding morels and the caterpillar fungus rests on genuine but unevenly distributed income effects, and projections of how climate change will affect these resources are directly contradictory between studies. The review concludes that the diversity of Himalayan wild edible fungi is substantial and the potential real, but that current evidence supports far weaker claims than the regional literature routinely advances.

Anticancer Potential of Mangifera indica Leaves and Mangiferin: Phytochemistry, Mechanistic Evidence and Therapeutic Translation

2026-11-06T10:33:20+00:00

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves contain a chemically heterogeneous mixture of xanthones, benzophenones, gallotannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Mangiferin, a C-glucosylxanthone occurring in these leaves and other botanical sources, has attracted investigation as an experimental anticancer agent. This critical narrative review distinguishes the activity of chemically characterised leaf preparations from that of isolated mangiferin and examines whether preclinical mechanistic findings can plausibly translate into cancer treatment. Peer-reviewed original investigations and relevant reviews published through 28 August 2026 were selected from accessible scholarly sources, with emphasis on chemical authentication, biological controls, mechanistic specificity, combination effects, systemic exposure and study design. Leaf-extract studies suggest context-dependent antiproliferative activity, but the association between mangiferin abundance and activity is inconsistent and cannot establish constituent-level causality. Purified mangiferin has inhibited growth or invasion in selected breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer models, including several animal experiments. Reported mechanisms encompass apoptotic signalling, cell-cycle arrest, matrix metalloproteinase regulation, inflammatory transcriptional networks and altered mitochondrial metabolism. These pathways are not uniformly implicated, and target engagement often remains inferential. Combination studies reveal both sensitisation and the absence of benefit, depending on the cell model and anticancer drug. Human pharmacokinetic observations provide an important counterweight to laboratory efficacy claims: systemic concentrations after oral administration are far below many experimentally active concentrations, although formulation changes can improve relative exposure. No convincing clinical evidence of anticancer efficacy was established in the reviewed sources. The most defensible therapeutic prospect lies in development of chemically standardised, exposure-validated investigational products supported by mechanistic rescue experiments, comparative pharmacology and tumour-bearing safety studies rather than in immediate clinical use of mango-leaf preparations.