Surianarayanan Mahadevan

Biological treatment of tannery wastewater by using salt-tolerant bacterial strains

BackgroundHigh salinity (1–10% w/v) of tannery wastewater makes it difficult to be treated by conventional biological treatment. Salt tolerant microbes can adapt to these saline conditions and degrade the organics in saline wastewater.ResultsFour salt tolerant bacterial strains isolated from marine and tannery saline wastewater samples were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus flexus, Exiguobacterium homiense and Staphylococcus aureus. Growth factors of the identified strains were optimized. Tannery saline wastewater obtained from a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) near Chennai (southern India) was treated with pure and mixed consortia of four salt tolerant bacterial strains. Experiments with optimized conditions and varying salt content (between 2 and 10% (w/v) were conducted. Salt inhibition effects on COD removal rate were noted. Comparative analysis was made by treating the tannery saline wastewater with activated sludge obtained from CETP and with natural habitat microbes present in raw tannery saline wastewater.ConclusionSalt tolerant bacterial mixed consortia showed appreciable biodegradation at all saline concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% w/v) with 80% COD reduction in particular at 8% salinity level the consortia could be used as suitable working cultures for tannery saline wastewater treatment.

Synthesis and characterization of curcumin loaded polymer/lipid based nanoparticles and evaluation of their antitumor effects on MCF-7 cells

BACKGROUND Hybrid materials are synthesized using hydrophilic polymer and lipids which ensure their long term systemic circulation through intravenous administration and enhance loading of hydrophobic drugs. The purpose of this study is to prepare, characterize and evaluate the in vitro efficacy of curcumin loaded poly-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/stearic acid nanoparticles in MCF-7. METHODS C-PSA-NPs, prepared using the emulsification-solvent evaporation method were characterized by dynamic laser scattering, SEM, AFM, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, and TGA. The in vitro release behavior was observed in PBS pH7.4, the anticancer potential was analyzed by MTT assay, cell cycle and apoptosis studies were performed through flow cytometry. C-PSA-NPs drug localization and cancer cell morphological changes were analyzed in MCF-7 cell line. RESULTS C-PSA-NPs exhibited the mean particle size in the range of 184nm with no aggregation. The surface charge of the material was around -29.3mV. Thermal studies (TGA) and surface chemistry studies (FT-IR, XRD) showed the existence of drug curcumin in C-PSA-NPs. The MTT assay indicated higher anticancer properties and flow cytometry studies revealed that there were better apoptotic activity and maximum localization of C-PSA-NPs than curcumin. CONCLUSIONS Polymer lipid based drug delivery appeared as one of the advancements in drug delivery systems. Through the present study, a novel polymer lipid based nanocarrier delivery system loaded with curcumin was demonstrated as an effective and potential alternative method for tumor treatment in MCF-7 cell line. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE C-PSA-NPs exhibited potent anticancer activity in MCF-7 cell line and it indicates that C-PSA-NPs are a suitable carrier for curcumin.

Biocalorimetric and respirometric studies on metabolic activity of aerobically grown batch culture ofPseudomonas aeruginosa

Biocalorimetry has proved to be a useful tool for scale up and control of bioreactors. The findings reported here are fundamental data required for scale up and control of a reactor for the treatment of saline tannery wastewater. The study deals with biokinetics of a halo-tolerant bacteriaPseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from tannery saline wastewater (soak liquor). Batch experiments were performed in a biocalorimeter and the isolated strain was grown in a glucose-limited mineral salt medium (MSM) at optimized growth conditions. Tessier model is found to fit well for the growth ofP. aeruginosa in biocalorimeter. Biokinetic constants are evaluated and simulation is done to validate experimental results with theoretical values. Respirogram and heat profiles are seen to follow the biomass growth curve. Oxycalorific coefficient is validated with the theoretical values and those noticed in the published literature. There is a good correlation between experimentally determined heat yields and the theoretical values predicted by elemental and enthalpy balances. The heat yield and biomass yield values indicated the behavior of the isolated organism in a substrate-limited well defined growth media (MSM)

Metabolism and biotransformation of azo dye by bacterial consortium studied in a bioreaction calorimeter

Effluents from leather and textile industries are difficult for treatment owing to its recalcitrant nature. Since the volume of effluent generated are high, a robust and active microbial consortia is required for effective treatment. The focus in the present study is the calorimetric traceability of the metabolic behaviors of mixed microbial consortia, while it grows and degrades recalcitrant substance such as an azo dye acid blue 113. The consortium exhibited a syntrophic division of substrate and was effective in degrading dye up to 0.8g/l. Notably, it was able to degrade 93.7% of the azo dye in 12-16h whereas its monocultures required 48-72h to reach 82.1%. The products of biodegradation were analyzed and the chemical pathway substantiated using chemical thermodynamic and energy release patterns. MTT assay confirmed that emanates are eco-friendly. Heat profile pattern and bioenergetics provide fundamental data for a feasible application in commercial level.

Energetics of growth of Aspergillus tamarii in a biological real-time reaction calorimeter

Fungal cultivation in a biological real-time reaction calorimeter (BioRTCal) is arduous due to the heterogeneous nature of the system and difficulty in optimizing the process variables. The aim of this investigation is to monitor the growth of fungi Aspergillus tamarii MTCC 5152 in a calorimeter. Experiments carried out with a spore concentration of 105 spores/mL indicate that the growth based on biomass and heat generation profiles was comparable to those obtained hitherto. Heat yield due to biomass growth, substrate uptake, and oxygen uptake rate was estimated from calorimetric experiments. The results would be useful in fermenter design and scale-up. Heat of combustion of fungal biomass was determined experimentally and compared to the four models reported so far. The substrate concentration had significant effects on pellet formation with variation in pellet porosity and apparent density. Metabolic heat generation is an online process variable portraying the instantaneous activity of monitoring fungal growth and BioRTCal is employed to measure the exothermic heat in a noninvasive way.

Oxygen mass transfer studies on batch cultivation of P. aeruginosa in a biocalorimeter

In the present work volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) was investigated during batch cultivations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a nutrient media. The effects of process variables (viz. impeller speed, oxygen flow and geometry of impeller) on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient of oxygen, kLa, in a biocalorimeter (Bio-RC1) was investigated and reported in this research work. The experimental data have been analyzed employing MATLAB to obtain the influences of the process parameters on kLa. An attempt was made to correlate volumetric mass transfer coefficient with metabolic heat production rate at optimized process conditions. The correlation reported in this work would be useful to control and scale up of bioprocesses. With the recent activities for developing biological

Biocalorimetric Studies of the Metabolic Activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aerobically Grown in a Glucose-Limited Complex Growth Medium

Biocalorimetric experiments were performed to investigate the aerobic growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isolated from tannery saline wastewater. Growth factors (pH, Inoculum size, carbon source, temperature, aeration rate, and agitation rate) were optimized in shaker and calorimeter based on the growth of P. aeruginosa and heat generation rates. A limiting value of 0.2% glucose concentration was found to be optimum for the growth of P. aeruginosa in a complex growth medium, and the heat flux (qr) profiles resulting from the metabolic activity of P. aeruginosa further confirmed this observation. The bacterial growth profile was found to correlate well with the metabolic heat generated. Heat-yield values were calculated for both glucose consumption and the growth of P. aeruginosa from the calorimetric results. Metabolic shifts in substrate uptake from glucose to peptone present in growth medium was observed by the variations in heat-flux profile. The calorimetric data presented in this study should be useful in understanding the behavior of the isolated bacterial strain in degrading complex and mixed substrates commonly observed in tannery saline waste stream, and further to extend the results for scale-up studies.

Bioenergetics and pathway of acid blue 113 degradation by Staphylococcus lentus

Bioreaction calorimetric studies of degradation of the dye acid blue 113 by Staphylococcus lentus are reported for the first time. The heat released during the dye degradation process can be successfully measured using reaction calorimeter. Power time and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) profile followed each other suggesting that heat profiles could monitor the progress of the dye degradation in biocalorimetry. The shifts observed in power–time profile indicated three distinct phases of the bioprocess indicating simultaneous utilization of glucose (primary) and dye (secondary carbon source). Secretion of azoreductase enzyme enhanced the degradation process. Optimization of aeration and agitation rates was observed to be vital to efficient dye degradation. The degradative pathway for acid blue 113 by S. lentus was delineated via high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analyses. Interestingly the products of degradation were found to have low toxicity, as per cytotoxicity measurements.

Influence of irradiation on the structure and thermo-kinetic behavior of tri-n-butyl phosphate

Abstract Tri-n-butyl phosphate is the primary extractant in the PUREX extraction process of uranium and plutonium. Despite its efficiency as an extractant, its reaction with nitric acid in the presence of irradiation and metal nitrates poses hazards. This study evaluates the effect of γ radiation on tributyl phosphate’s structure and observes its thermal behavior in an accelerating rate calorimeter. The bound water molecules in tributyl phosphate were gradually removed with the increase in radiation dose. The degradation products analyzed by spectroscopic methods revealed breakup of structure of TBP into dibutyl phosphate, monobutyl phosphate and hydrocarbons. It was observed that the effects of irradiation on TBP were minor and could be less hazardous in the absence of acid.

Modeling of exo-inulinase biosynthesis by Kluyveromyces marxianus in fed-batch mode: correlating production kinetics and metabolic heat fluxes

A metabolic heat-based model was used for estimating the growth of Kluyveromyces marxianus, and the modified Luedeking-Piret kinetic model was used for describing the inulinase production kinetics. For the first time, a relationship was developed to relate inulinase production kinetics directly to metabolic heat generated, which corroborated well with the experimental data (with R2 values of above 0.9). It also demonstrated the predominantly growth-associated nature of the inulinase production with Luedeking-Piret parameters α and β, having values of 0.75 and 0.033, respectively, in the exponential feeding experiment. MATLAB was used for simulating the inulinase production kinetics which demonstrated the model’s utility in performing real-time prediction of inulinase concentration with metabolic heat data as input. To validate the model predictions, a biocalorimetric (Bio RC1e) experiment for inulinase production by K. marxianus was performed. The inulinase concentration (IU/mL) values acquired from the model in were validated with the experimental values and the metabolic heat data. This modeling approach enabled the optimization, monitoring, and control of inulinase production process using the real-time biocalorimetric (Bio RC1e) data. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis were carried out to study the overflow metabolism taking place in K. marxianus inulinase production.