Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are known to modulate gut associated immune responses. Not many studies have reported on the role of Weissella species in preventing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced proinflammatory stress in murine macrophages as well as in human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2). Therefore, the present study was taken up to evaluate the probiotic attributes of four newly isolated Weissella strains (two each from fermented dosa batter and a human infant faecal sample); these attributes are cholesterol reduction, adhesion to Caco-2 cells and mucin and their ability to prevent LPS-induced nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα) production by the murine macrophages and IL-8 production by the human epithelial cells. Reduction in LPS induced pro-inflammatory stress was compared with a well-studied probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The results suggested that the strains were tolerant to gastric conditions (pH 3.0) and bile salts. In addition, the strains exhibited moderate cell surface hydrophobicity, cholesterol reduction and adhesion to Caco-2 cells and gastric mucin. All the strains could prevent LPS-induced nitric oxide and IL-6 production in murine macrophages, while strain 28 alone prevented IL-1β production. All the strains could prevent IL-8 production by the human epithelial cells. The present study led to the first line selection of W. cibaria 28 as a putative strain for future studies as it showed adhesion to Caco-2 cells and gastric mucin and cholesterol reduction besides preventing LPS-induced pro-inflammatory stress in macrophages and in human colonic epithelial cells.

Aims: Biochar produced from different waste biomass has been documented as an adsorbent for heavy metal removal from contaminated water. In present study, Banana peduncle which considered as waste, but abundantly available and have high biomass was selected for production of biochar to investigate its adsorption capacity for hexavalent chromium. Place and Duration of Study: Environment and Sustainability Department, CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), Bhubaneswar, India, between April 2014 and October 2014. Methodology: Banana peduncle pyrolysed at 300°C and 500°C temperature and characterized by proximate, total carbon, FE-SEM, FTIR and XPS analysis. The adsorption of Cr (VI) studied through the batch experiment at different pH, adsorbent dose, and initial concentration. Results: The banana peduncle biochar yield was 66 and 40% at 300°C and 500°C respectively. The Cr (VI) removal and adsorption capacity of biochar was found to be dependent on pH, initial chromium concentration, and biochar dose. Maximum Cr (VI) removal of 91.18 and 54.06% was obtained at pH-2, 50 mg/l initial concentration and 2 g/l biochar adsorbent dose for BC-300 and BC-500 respectively. The regression co-efficient values show that adsorption of Cr (VI) fitted well with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. However, relatively higher Cr (VI) monolayer adsorption capacity (114 mg/g) was found in biochar produced at 300°C than 500°C (49 mg/g). The FE-SEM, FTIR, and XPS analysis indicates adsorption coupled reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) and complexation of Cr (III) with hydroxyl and carboxyl group of biochar are responsible for its removal. Conclusion: The research findings reflect about the suitability of banana peduncle’s biochar for Cr (VI) adsorption from polluted waste water.

The prevalence of plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) in the Irish peatlands was investigated in five different peatland habitats—raised bog, cutover scrub/woodlands, fens and peat grasslands, which were further sub-categorised into fourteen different sub-habitats. Within the raised bog habitat were healthy bog hummock (HBH), healthy bog lawn (HBL), degraded bog hummock (DBH) and degraded bog lawn (DBL) and the fen habitats were fen peat (FP) and rich fen peat (R-FP). Cutover scrub or woodland habitat included cutover scrub rewetted (C-RW), cutover scrub non-rewetted (C-NRW), woodlands rewetted (W-RW) and woodlands non-rewetted (W-NRW). Grassland included wasted peat (WP), rough grazing (RG-I) and improved fen peat grassland (IFPG-RW and IFPG-NRW). Soil samples from peatlands were all collected between July and December 2023 when the temperature ranged from 12 to 20 °C. One half of each sample was used for molecular nematode analysis and the other half for morphological identification of nematodes. For the morphological identification, a specific nematode extraction protocol was optimised for peatland soils, and the extracted nematodes were fixed onto slides to be studied under a high-power light microscope. Subsequently, the other part of the soil was processed to isolate total DNA, from which the 18S rRNA gene was sequenced for the identification of nematode taxa. The extracted DNA was also used for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting analysis to determine banding patterns that could classify different bog habitats based on PPN random primers. Compared to that in the climax habitats (HBH, HBL, DBH, DBL, FP, R-FP), PPN prevalence was recorded as being higher in grasslands (WP, RG-I, IFPG-RW and IFPG-NRW) and scrub/woodland ecosystems (C-RW, C-NRW, W-RW, W-NRW). The results indicate that nematode populations are different across the various bog habitats. Emerging and current quarantine PPN belonging to the families Pratylenchidae, Meloidogynidae, Anguinidae and Heteroderidae were noted to be above the threshold limits mentioned under EPPO guidelines, in grassland and wooded peatland habitats. Future actions for PPN management may need to be considered, along with the likelihood that these PPN might impact future paludiculture and other crops and trees growing in nearby agricultural lands.