Pigments play an essential role in imparting colors to the various organs of invertebrates particularly,insects.Genetic evolution and adaptive pigmentation of invertebrates have been studied which depicted that ...Pigments play an essential role in imparting colors to the various organs of invertebrates particularly,insects.Genetic evolution and adaptive pigmentation of invertebrates have been studied which depicted that insect colors respond to the climatic changes.The physical,chemical and structural properties of insect pigments are being studied by researchers for years to elucidate their evolutionary aspects of physiology,metabolism,and economic importance for human welfare.Color development in insects varies within the species of different genera.In this state-of-the-art literature review,we discuss the variety of pigments other than visual ones found in different species of insects.The review also highlights the potential benefits or functions of pigments to insects.展开更多
The ubiquitous incorporation of plastics into daily life,coupled with inefficient recycling practices,has resulted in the accumulation of millions of metric tons of plastic waste,that poses a serious threat to the Ear...The ubiquitous incorporation of plastics into daily life,coupled with inefficient recycling practices,has resulted in the accumulation of millions of metric tons of plastic waste,that poses a serious threat to the Earth's sustainability.Plastic pollution,a global problem,disrupts the ecological balance and endangers various life forms.Efforts to combat plastic pollution are underway,with a promising avenue being biological degradation facilitated by certain insects and their symbiotic gut microorganisms,particularly bacteria.This review consolidates existing knowledge on plastic degradation by insects and their influence on gut microbiota.Additionally,it delves into the potential mechanisms employed by insects in symbiosis with gut bacteria,exploring the bioconversion of waste plastics into value-added biodegradable polymers through mineralization.These insights hold significant promise for the bio-upcycling of plastic waste,opening new horizons for future biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals from plastic-derived compounds.Finally,we weigh the pros and cons of future research endeavors related to the bioprospection of plastic-degrading bacteria from underexplored insect species.We also underscore the importance of bioengineering depolymerases with novel characteristics,aiming for their application in the remediation and valorization of waste plastics.展开更多
The wood-feeding termite Coptotermes formosanus represents a unique and impressive system for lignocellulose degradation.The highly efficient digestion of lignocellulose is achieved through symbiosis with gut symbiont...The wood-feeding termite Coptotermes formosanus represents a unique and impressive system for lignocellulose degradation.The highly efficient digestion of lignocellulose is achieved through symbiosis with gut symbionts like bacteria.Despite extensive research during the last three decades,diversity of bacterial symbionts residing in individual gut regions of the termite and their associated functions is still lacking.To this end,cellulose,xylan,and dye-decolorization bacteria residing in foregut,midgut,and hindgut regions of C.formosanus were enlisted by using enrichment and culture-dependent molecular methods.A total of 87 bacterial strains were successfully isolated from different gut regions of C.formosanus which belonged to 27 different species of 10 genera,majorly affiliated with Proteobacteria(80%)and Firmicutes(18.3%).Among the gut regions,37.9%of the total bacterial isolates were observed in the hindgut that demonstrated predominance of cellulolytic bacteria(47.6%).The majority of the xylanolytic and dye-decolorization bacteria(50%)were obtained from the foregut and midgut,respectively.Actinobacteria represented by Dietza sp.was observed in the hindgut only.Based on species richness,the highest diversity was observed in midgut and hindgut regions each of which harbored seven unique bacterial species.The members of Enterobacter,Klebsiella,and Pseudomonas were common among the gut regions.The lignocellulolytic activities of the selected potential bacteria signpost their assistance to the host for lignocellulose digestion.The overall results indicate that C.formosanus harbors diverse communities of lignocellulolytic bacteria in different regions of the gut system.These observations will significantly advance our understanding of the termite–bacteria symbiosis and their microbial ecology uniquely existed in different gut regions of C.formosanus,which may further shed a light on its potential values at termite-modeled biotechnology.展开更多
Owing to platinum's nobility,catalytic potential and vast range of possible biomedical applications,synthesis of platinum nanoparticles is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide.Though the plant mediated...Owing to platinum's nobility,catalytic potential and vast range of possible biomedical applications,synthesis of platinum nanoparticles is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide.Though the plant mediated methods are simple and easy,they require fine tuning of reaction parameters so as to synthesize nanoparticles of desired properties.The present study aimed to optimize the food waste almond skin extract mediated synthesis of biocompatible platinum nanoparticles with catalytic,enzyme-mimicking,and antioxidant activities.The optimization of reaction parameters indicated that 10 mM of precursor in 2:1 ratio with extract,pH 9,and incubation at 90℃ for 14 min were the optimum parameters.The characterization using various spectroscopic and imaging techniques indicated that platinum nanoparticles were 6–8 nm in size,face centered cubic,irregularly shaped,and negatively charged.When tested for catalytic activity,platinum nanoparticles catalyzed highest of 90.39%reduction of 4-nitrophenol in 16 min.The reaction containing 30 ppm of 4-nitrophenol,catalyst dosage of 0.6 mg/mL,and pH 10 followed pseudo-first order kinetics.Furthermore,platinum nanoparticles were found to possess amylase-mimicking activity of 3.83μg/mL/min.In addition,platinum nanoparticles showed strong antioxidant activities in a dose-dependent manner signifying them as potentially good antioxidant agents.When tested for cytotoxicity,peripheral blood mononuclear cells were found unaffected when treated with relatively high concentrations(100μg/mL)of PtNP demonstrating good biocompatibility.Thus,the present study successfully demonstrated the use of almond skin extract as food waste for the biogenic synthesis of biocompatible platinum nanoparticles with biological activities.展开更多
The ever increasing energy demands of modern civilization and rapidly dwindling fossil fuels point towards a renewable substitute like biofuels.However,higher costs associated with biofuel productions is the major bot...The ever increasing energy demands of modern civilization and rapidly dwindling fossil fuels point towards a renewable substitute like biofuels.However,higher costs associated with biofuel productions is the major bottleneck for its commer-cialization.The present study demonstrates the use of a statistical approach called response surface methodology(RSM)to investigate the optimum parameters for maximum production of cellulase by Bacillus tequilensis G9.The Plackett-Bur-man design(PB)of the RSM analysis indicated grass straw(GS)concentration,pH,FeSO4,inoculum,MgSO4,incubation period and NH4Cl as significant variables that influence the cellulase production.Further,to propose the best medium for the maximum production of cellulase by B.tequilensis G9,the most influential parameters,namely concentrations of GS as substrate,FeSO4,pH,inoculum size,etc.were fine-tuned by central composite design(CCD)involving four factors and five levels.The CCD analysis demonstrated 8%substrate concentration,1.5%of inoculum along with 10 ppm FeSO4 and a pH of 5.5 in media as optimum conditions for highest enzyme production.The field emission scanning electron microscopic analysis of the treated GS showed structural alterations depicting significant deconstruction caused by B.tequilensis G9.The yield of the partially purified cellulase proteins were found to be 21%revealing molecular mass between 30 and 97 kDa.The enhanced cellulase production by B.tequilensis G9 demonstrated in our study brands its applications in many industrial processes like biorefinery,biofuels,etc.展开更多
文摘Pigments play an essential role in imparting colors to the various organs of invertebrates particularly,insects.Genetic evolution and adaptive pigmentation of invertebrates have been studied which depicted that insect colors respond to the climatic changes.The physical,chemical and structural properties of insect pigments are being studied by researchers for years to elucidate their evolutionary aspects of physiology,metabolism,and economic importance for human welfare.Color development in insects varies within the species of different genera.In this state-of-the-art literature review,we discuss the variety of pigments other than visual ones found in different species of insects.The review also highlights the potential benefits or functions of pigments to insects.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32250410285)the National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFC3403600)Foreign Expert Program,Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST)of China(WGXZ2023020L).
文摘The ubiquitous incorporation of plastics into daily life,coupled with inefficient recycling practices,has resulted in the accumulation of millions of metric tons of plastic waste,that poses a serious threat to the Earth's sustainability.Plastic pollution,a global problem,disrupts the ecological balance and endangers various life forms.Efforts to combat plastic pollution are underway,with a promising avenue being biological degradation facilitated by certain insects and their symbiotic gut microorganisms,particularly bacteria.This review consolidates existing knowledge on plastic degradation by insects and their influence on gut microbiota.Additionally,it delves into the potential mechanisms employed by insects in symbiosis with gut bacteria,exploring the bioconversion of waste plastics into value-added biodegradable polymers through mineralization.These insights hold significant promise for the bio-upcycling of plastic waste,opening new horizons for future biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals from plastic-derived compounds.Finally,we weigh the pros and cons of future research endeavors related to the bioprospection of plastic-degrading bacteria from underexplored insect species.We also underscore the importance of bioengineering depolymerases with novel characteristics,aiming for their application in the remediation and valorization of waste plastics.
基金supported by the National Nat-ural Science Foundation of China(31900367,31772529)the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFE0107100)+1 种基金Priority of Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(PAPD 4013000011)supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid Startup Foundation(10JDG127)of Jiangsu University,China.
文摘The wood-feeding termite Coptotermes formosanus represents a unique and impressive system for lignocellulose degradation.The highly efficient digestion of lignocellulose is achieved through symbiosis with gut symbionts like bacteria.Despite extensive research during the last three decades,diversity of bacterial symbionts residing in individual gut regions of the termite and their associated functions is still lacking.To this end,cellulose,xylan,and dye-decolorization bacteria residing in foregut,midgut,and hindgut regions of C.formosanus were enlisted by using enrichment and culture-dependent molecular methods.A total of 87 bacterial strains were successfully isolated from different gut regions of C.formosanus which belonged to 27 different species of 10 genera,majorly affiliated with Proteobacteria(80%)and Firmicutes(18.3%).Among the gut regions,37.9%of the total bacterial isolates were observed in the hindgut that demonstrated predominance of cellulolytic bacteria(47.6%).The majority of the xylanolytic and dye-decolorization bacteria(50%)were obtained from the foregut and midgut,respectively.Actinobacteria represented by Dietza sp.was observed in the hindgut only.Based on species richness,the highest diversity was observed in midgut and hindgut regions each of which harbored seven unique bacterial species.The members of Enterobacter,Klebsiella,and Pseudomonas were common among the gut regions.The lignocellulolytic activities of the selected potential bacteria signpost their assistance to the host for lignocellulose digestion.The overall results indicate that C.formosanus harbors diverse communities of lignocellulolytic bacteria in different regions of the gut system.These observations will significantly advance our understanding of the termite–bacteria symbiosis and their microbial ecology uniquely existed in different gut regions of C.formosanus,which may further shed a light on its potential values at termite-modeled biotechnology.
基金This research study was carried out as a part of DBT BULDER-SUK programme(PR No.BT/INF/22/SP43063/2022)sanctioned to Shivaji University,Kolhapur,MS,India.Also,the authors gratefully acknowledge STIC,Cochin for providing HR-TEM facility.
文摘Owing to platinum's nobility,catalytic potential and vast range of possible biomedical applications,synthesis of platinum nanoparticles is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide.Though the plant mediated methods are simple and easy,they require fine tuning of reaction parameters so as to synthesize nanoparticles of desired properties.The present study aimed to optimize the food waste almond skin extract mediated synthesis of biocompatible platinum nanoparticles with catalytic,enzyme-mimicking,and antioxidant activities.The optimization of reaction parameters indicated that 10 mM of precursor in 2:1 ratio with extract,pH 9,and incubation at 90℃ for 14 min were the optimum parameters.The characterization using various spectroscopic and imaging techniques indicated that platinum nanoparticles were 6–8 nm in size,face centered cubic,irregularly shaped,and negatively charged.When tested for catalytic activity,platinum nanoparticles catalyzed highest of 90.39%reduction of 4-nitrophenol in 16 min.The reaction containing 30 ppm of 4-nitrophenol,catalyst dosage of 0.6 mg/mL,and pH 10 followed pseudo-first order kinetics.Furthermore,platinum nanoparticles were found to possess amylase-mimicking activity of 3.83μg/mL/min.In addition,platinum nanoparticles showed strong antioxidant activities in a dose-dependent manner signifying them as potentially good antioxidant agents.When tested for cytotoxicity,peripheral blood mononuclear cells were found unaffected when treated with relatively high concentrations(100μg/mL)of PtNP demonstrating good biocompatibility.Thus,the present study successfully demonstrated the use of almond skin extract as food waste for the biogenic synthesis of biocompatible platinum nanoparticles with biological activities.
基金Partial funding for this work was received from University Grants Commission,New Delhi,India under Start-Up scheme(F.30-121/2015BSR)RSP acknowledges theUPE-II(nanobiotechnology),UoP-BCUD grant(15-SCI-001422)。
文摘The ever increasing energy demands of modern civilization and rapidly dwindling fossil fuels point towards a renewable substitute like biofuels.However,higher costs associated with biofuel productions is the major bottleneck for its commer-cialization.The present study demonstrates the use of a statistical approach called response surface methodology(RSM)to investigate the optimum parameters for maximum production of cellulase by Bacillus tequilensis G9.The Plackett-Bur-man design(PB)of the RSM analysis indicated grass straw(GS)concentration,pH,FeSO4,inoculum,MgSO4,incubation period and NH4Cl as significant variables that influence the cellulase production.Further,to propose the best medium for the maximum production of cellulase by B.tequilensis G9,the most influential parameters,namely concentrations of GS as substrate,FeSO4,pH,inoculum size,etc.were fine-tuned by central composite design(CCD)involving four factors and five levels.The CCD analysis demonstrated 8%substrate concentration,1.5%of inoculum along with 10 ppm FeSO4 and a pH of 5.5 in media as optimum conditions for highest enzyme production.The field emission scanning electron microscopic analysis of the treated GS showed structural alterations depicting significant deconstruction caused by B.tequilensis G9.The yield of the partially purified cellulase proteins were found to be 21%revealing molecular mass between 30 and 97 kDa.The enhanced cellulase production by B.tequilensis G9 demonstrated in our study brands its applications in many industrial processes like biorefinery,biofuels,etc.
