Lipases from psychrotrophic fungal isolates BPF4 and BPF6 identified as Penicilium canesense and Pseudogymnoascus roseus respectively were characterized for their compatibility towards laundry detergent. BPF4 and BPF6 lipases showed maximum activity at pH 11 and 9 respectively and at 40 °C. The residual activities at 20 °C and 4 °C of BPF4 lipase were 35% and 20% and of BPF6 lipase were 70% and 20 °C respectively. Both the enzymes were stable at 4 °C, 20 °C and 40 °C for 2 h losing at the most 20% of activities. Both the enzymes were metalloenzymes with activity enhancement by nearly threefold by Ca2+. Contrary to BPF6 lipase, BPF4 enzyme was not stimulated by EDTA nor inhibited, rather stimulated by SDS and Triton X-100 by 125% and 330% respectively. Both the lipases showed minor to moderate inhibition by NaClO3 and H2O2, and exhibited nearly 90% residual activity after 1 h of incubation in selected detergent brands thus indicating potential for their inclusion in detergent formulation thereby facilitating cold-washing as a step towards mitigation of climate change.

Of the twenty-three morphotypes of yeasts isolated from soil capable of utilizing pectin as sole carbon source at 6°C, two yeast isolates, one psychrotolerant (PT1) and one psychrophilic (SPY11), were selected according to their ability to secrete pectinolytic enzymes under some oenological conditions (temperature 6 and 12°C and pH 3·5) and ability or inability to grow above 20°C, respectively. As compared to their optimal activity, the three pectinolytic enzymes viz., pectin methyl esterase (PME), endopolygalacturonase (endo-PG) and exopolygalacturonase (exo-PG) isolated and assayed at pH 3·5 from PT1 were found to retain 39, 60 and 60% activity at 12°C and 40, 79 and 74% activity at 28°C, respectively. Likewise, the enzymes PME and endo-PG at pH 3·5 from SPY11 displayed 46 and 86% activity at 12°C and 50 and 60% activity at 28°C, respectively. All these enzymes showed 20–90% of residual activity at pH 3·5 and 6°C. The yeast isolates PT1 and SPY11 were identified as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Cystofilobasidium capitatum, respectively, on the basis of morphological, physiological and molecular characteristics. This study presents the first report on pectinolytic activities under major oenological conditions from psychrotolerant isolate R. mucilaginosa PT1 and psychrophilic isolate C. capitatum SPY11. Significance and Impact of the Study The cold-active pectinolytic enzymes (PME, endo-PG and exo-PG) from the newly isolated and identified psychrophilic yeast Cystofilobasidium capitatum SPY11 and psychrotolerant yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa PT1that exhibited 50–80% of their optimum activity under some major oenological conditions pH (3·5) and temperatures (6 and 12°C) could be applied to wine production and juice clarification at low temperature. The psychrotrophic yeasts themselves could be applied to cold process for the production of enzymes thus saving cost of energy and protecting process from contamination.

Concerted efforts have been made to push up andrographolide production through optimization of culture conditions, calli induction, cell growth and elicitation in cell suspension culture of Andrographis paniculata Nees. Optimum callus induction was obtained with cotyledon and hypocotyls of the plant on Skoog and Hilderbrandt (SH) medium containing 2.0 µg/mL 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.1µg/mL 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP). Half MS medium containing 20 g/L sucrose and 20 h photoperiod showed highest cells fresh weight (CFW) (17.96 ± 0.06 g/50 mL), growth index (10.95 ± 0.96) and andrographolide yield (4.61±0.688 mg/g DCW). The addition of copper sulphate (500 µM/L), Methyl jasmonate (25 mg/L), Chitin (500 mg/L) or Fungal mycelium (500 mg/L) in separate experiments showed significant increase (p=0.05) in bioproduction of andrographolide to the extent of 29.42±0.31 mg/g DCW, 13.13±0.11mg/g DCW, 19.45±0.68 mg/g DCW and 13.629±1.12 mg/g DCW respectively, copper sulphate thus proved to be the most effective one. The study indicated that a holistic approach involving both culture conditions and elicitation could enhance the overall production of secondary metabolites (andrographolide) appreciably in this herb and possibly in other medicinal plants.

Summary: The declining productivity of little millet ( Panicum sumatrense ) in a rural area in India necessitates finding a sustainable solution. A suitable composition of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizosphere of a crop is considered important for its optimum yield. Therefore, a study was undertaken to isolate and identify suitable bacteria and see their priming effect on the productivity of little millet. Rhizospheric soil samples were used to isolate bacteria on nitrogen-free Jensen's medium. Fast-growing rhizobacterial isolates FKK5 and DUM4, which exhibit significant selected plant growth-promoting activities, were selected. Little millet seeds were inoculated with selected PGPR and a non-native Azotobacter chroococcum before sowing. The inoculated plants were grown under semi-sterile poly-house conditions. Little millet inoculated with FKK5, DUM4, and A. chroococcum (5576) showed enhanced grain yield by 28.14%, 24.72%, and 20.43%, respectively, and enhanced total biomass yield by 23.08%, 21.87%, and 19.09%, respectively. The isolates were identified as Burkholderia sp. with 0.66% dissimilarity in 16S rDNA sequence with the most closely related species in the Genbank database. The native PGPR proved to be more effective compared to non-native PGPR as biofertilizers in restoring the productivity of the nutritionally important cereal.