Arun Kumar

Microbial lipases (extracellular in origin) are the most broadly utilized industrial enzymes. Some industries (detergent, food, oil and paper) demand for lipolytic microbes to fulfill several applications. Therefore, identification and isolation of lipolytic fungi from soil is very significant for such industries. Soil is the best habitat for several microorganisms, secreting enzymes of extracellular origin thus soil samples were obtained from five diverse oil mills of Newai town and were utilized in the current study. Soil samples were processed by serial dilution agar plate method for the isolation of fungi in PDA (Potato dextrose agar) plates. Isolated fungi were further qualitatively evaluated for extracellular lipase production on tributyrin agar (TBA) medium. Lipolytic activity was identified by the formation of halo zone (clear zone of tributyrin degradation) around colonies of fungi. Formation of clear zone around the colonies indicated the production of extracellular lipase, which hydrolyzed the tributyrin and opacity of the medium around such colonies was not retained. Among the all tested thirty one fungal isolates for extracellular lipase production in TBA media, twelve isolates demonstrated zone of hydrolysis. Based on the interpretation of primary screening, four fungal isolates (LPF-5, LPF-9, LPF-17 and LPF-28) were further confirmed for extracellular lipase production in SmF using quantitative method. Among the four isolates, Maximum lipase production (82.21 ± 0.90 U mL-1 min-1) was obtained by isolate LPF-5 at 72 h of incubation at 28 ºC. Key words: Lipase, lipolytic microbes, tributyrin agar medium, zone of hydrolysis, quantitative assay

Blood group antigens being the major antigen in humans are present on the surface of red blood cells and various epithelial cells. Since the majority of human cancer cases are derived from epithelial cells, changes in blood group antigens are an important aspect of cancer.  Thus the present work is designed to study ABO blood group and incidence of breast cancer in patients of Mahavir Cancer Institute. The study has been carried out on 400 breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated at Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Centre and control blood samples of 200 healthy people were taken randomly and were classified according to their ABO blood group. The blood group frequencies were compared using Chi- square test. In control group of women 28 percent having blood group A. while 37.5 percent has blood group B. 12.5 percent and 22 percent has blood group AB and O.  In breast cancer 21.2 percent has blood group A. While 35.1 percent, 7.3 percent and 36.4 percent has blood group B, AB and O respectively. Thus it is evident from study that blood group O has more chances to develop breast cancer, while blood group B also has increased incidence of breast cancer. More than two third patients of breast cancer belong from these two groups. While blood group AB and A has less incidence of breast cancer comparatively. It is quite clear from study that blood group O people were more prone to develop breast cancer.

Stenotrophomonas maltophiliahas arisen as an important opportunistic pathogen, causing infections whose management is often difficult due to its intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics. Objective of the study was to identify accurately S. maltophilia isolates from environmental samples; the site selected being the Vellar estuarybased on the extent of pollutants being discharged and the land waterways being polluted by aquaculture discharge, wastes and effluents being dumped by hospital as well as households. The surficial sediment sample from the site was tested for species isolation and identification.The isolate was identified as S. maltophilia; the identity was confirmed by conventional biochemical analyses and molecular techniques. The strain’s antibiotic sensitivity/resistivity was checked by doing disk diffusion assay. The proposed approach enables isolation and identification of S. maltophilia from nonclinical environments. The drug resistant strains may associate with the indigenous microbial communities resulting in the rise of resistant varieties. The main risk for public health is that drug resistance genes are transferred from environmental bacteria to human pathogens. So awareness should be created among hospital staff and nearby communities.