Studies focused on the possible use of spider webs as environmental pollution indicators. This was a first time ever attempt to use webs as indicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution. The aim of the study was (a) to evaluate whether webs are able to accumulate PM-associated road traffic emissions and be analyzed for organic toxics such as PAHs, (b) to assess if the distance from emission sources could have an influence on the accumulation level of pollutants, and (c) to determine types of pollution sources responsible for a structure of monitoring data set. Webs of four species from the family Agelenidae were sampled for PAHs presence. Data from vehicle traffic sites (i.e., road tunnel, arterial surface road, underground parking) and from railway traffic sites (i.e., two railway viaducts) in the city of Wroclaw (Southwest of Poland) showed a significantly higher mean concentrations of PAHs than the reference site 1 (municipal water supply works). We also found a significant differences at sites differed by the distance from emission sources. The result of PCA analysis suggested three important sources of pollution. We conclude that spider webs despite of some limitations proved useful indicators of road traffic emissions; they could be even more reliable compared to use of bioindicators whose activity is often limited by a lack of water and sun.

A novel microbial approach to the production of enantiomerically enriched and pure aroma compounds based on kinetic resolution via solid-state fermentation is proposed. Twenty-five filamentous fungi were screened for lipase activity and enantioselective hydrolysis of a volatile racemic ester (1-phenylethyl acetate (1)) and several racemic lactones (trans and cis whisky lactones (4, 5), γ-decalactone (7), δ-decalactone (8), (cis-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-1(3H)-isobenzofuranone) (9)). Solid-state fermentation was conducted with linseed and rapeseed cakes. Kinetic resolution afforded enantiomerically enriched products with high enantiomeric excesses (ee = 82–99%). The results highlight the potential economic value of solid-state fermentation using agroindustrial side-stream feedstocks as an alternative to more expensive processes conducted in submerged fermentation.

The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant microbial strains has kept the scientific world searching for novel bioactive compounds with specific chemical characteristics. Accordingly, researchers have started exploring the understudied metabolites from endophytes as a new source of bioactive compounds. In this context, the current study was designed to evaluate the bioactive properties of endophytic fungi from the Mokrzański forest in Wrocław, Poland that have not yet been fully researched. Forty-three endophytic fungi were isolated from twelve distinct plants. Following their cultivation, fungal extracts were separately prepared from biomass and cell-free filtrates, and their antibacterial, antifungal (against human and plant pathogens), and antioxidant properties were examined. Five promising fungi after screening were identified to possess all of these activities. These strains and their respective plant hosts were Trichoderma harzianum BUK-T (Fagus sylvatica), Aspergillus ochraceus ROB-L1 (Robinia pseudoacacia), Chaetomium cochliodes KLON-L1, Fusarium tricinctum KLON-L2 (Acer platanoides), and Penicillium chrysogenum SOS-B2 (Pinus sylvestris). Moreover, gamma irradiation at several doses (Gy) was separately applied to the fungal cultures to study their effects on the recorded activities. Finally, compounds after preparative thin-layer chromatography fractionation of the five fungal strains were identified by GC-MS. These findings suggest that the isolated endophytic fungi could serve as novel sources of bioactive metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, potentially paving the way for future research and the development of new bioactive compounds.

Phthalides are bioactive compounds that naturally occur in the family Apiaceae. Considering their potentially versatile applications, it is desirable to determine their physical properties, activity and metabolic pathways. This study aimed to examine the utility of whole-cell biocatalysts for obtaining 3-butyl-3-hydroxyphthalide, which is the metabolite formulated during mammalian metabolism of 3-n-butylidenephthalide. We performed transformations using 10 strains of fungi, five of which efficiently produced 3-butyl-3-hydroxyphthalide. The product yield, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, reached 97.6% when Aspergillus candidus AM 386 was used as the biocatalyst. Increasing the scale of the process resulted in isolation yields of 29–45% after purification via reversed-phase thin layer chromatography, depending on the strain of the microorganism used. We proposed different mechanisms for product formation; however, hydration of 3-n-butylidenephthalide seems to be the most probable. Additionally, all phthalides were tested against clinical strains of Candida albicans using the microdilution method. Two phthalides showed a minimum inhibitory concentration, required to inhibit the growth of 50% of organisms, below 50 µg/mL. The 3-n-butylidenephthalide metabolite was generally inactive, and this feature in combination with its low lipophilicity suggests its involvement in the detoxification pathway. The log P value of tested compounds was in the range of 2.09–3.38.

In this study, solid-state fermentation (SSF) was proposed as an alternative approach to obtain optically pure forms of one of the most common aroma compounds, whisky lactone. Filamentous fungi were used for enantioselective hydrolysis of a racemate of trans and cis whisky lactones, utilizing rapeseed cake as a growth medium. Among the tested fungi, Fusarium oxysporum AM13 and Papularia rosea AM17 were chosen for further studies. Various process parameters, including temperature, moisture content of solid media, and substrate concentration were optimized to maximize the efficiency of the kinetic resolution process. After optimization of the culture conditions (33 °C temperature, 60% moisture content, and substrate concentration of 3 mg/g oilseed cake), F. oxysporum AM13 resolved a mixture of trans-(+)-(4S,5R) and cis-(+)-(4R,5R) whisky lactones with enantiomeric excess (ee), ee > 99% and ee = 98%, respectively. This study presents an inexpensive and environmentally friendly method for the production of enantiomerically pure aroma lactones via the solid-state fermentation of oilseed cake. The results revealed that SSF is an effective method for acquiring highly valued and industrially demanded compounds with negligible economic cost.