Explore the vast range of titles available.

Enzymes represent one of the most fascinating and meaningful entities in the biological world. In the fields of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology, enzymes serve as vital tools. Enzymes acting as biological catalysts have been known to all of us since our primary education. Nonetheless, learning about enzymes at the graduate level can be difficult by a lack of comprehension of the principles and a misunderstanding of the terminology employed in enzymology. This book has been written to augment the understanding of enzymology among graduate and postgraduate students. The author of this book has extensive experience teaching enzymology and has proven and admired competence in the field. Balanced text, well-illustrated concepts, and an organized stepwise ascent of the topics are key features of this book. Besides fundamentals, this book also covers some of the emerging areas of enzymology, such as enzyme immobilization, reversible covalent modification, and proteolytic activation. This book not only provides information for enzymologists but also does so in a manner that will also aid non-enzymologists in making proper use of these biocatalysts in their research. This book consists of a detailed discussion of key concepts of enzymology, enzyme kinetics, modes of enzyme regulation, isozymes, enzyme immobilization, DNA cloning, and genome editing. Difficult concepts have been simplified with analogies and examples. Furthermore, this book's material aligns with the majority of university curriculum and exams, both domestically and internationally. Key Features: Written in a simple and understandable language; Covers fundamental concepts; Presents information in an easily accessible format to serve as a quick reference source; A concise write-up for addressing dullness while going through it; Provides essential basics as well as up-to-date information on enzymes and their use in recombinant DNA technology, and genome editing.

Kombucha, also known as the Manchurian mushroom, is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, the so-called SCOBY. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the ferments obtained from green coffee beans after different fermentation times with kombucha. Results for the ferments were compared to the green coffee extract that was not fermented. In this study, the antioxidant potential of obtained ferments was analyzed by assessing the scavenging of external and intracellular free radicals and the assessment of superoxide dismutase activity. Cytotoxicity of ferments on keratinocyte and fibroblast cell lines was assessed as well as anti-aging properties by determining their ability to inhibit the activity of collagenase and elastase enzymes. In addition, the composition of the obtained ferments and the extract was determined, as well as their influence on skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) after application of samples on the skin. It has been shown that the fermentation time has a positive effect on the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties. The highest values were recorded for the tested samples after 28 days of fermentation. After 14 days of the fermentation process, it was observed that the analyzed ferments were characterized by low cytotoxicity to keratinocytes and fibroblasts. On the other hand, the short fermentation time of 7 days had a negative effect on the properties of the analyzed ferments. The obtained results indicate that both green coffee extracts and ferments can be an innovative ingredient of cosmetic products.

The current study aims at the high-value utilization of ramie textile waste and explores a bio-synthetic pathway to convert waste ramie fibers into bacterial cellulose (BC). Ramie fibers were treated with commercial cellulase (C2730) and the hydrolysate was used as a base medium (RFH) for BC synthesis by fermentation. The enzymatic hydrolysis parameters were optimized by response surface methodology, yielding an optimal temperature of 40 °C, 64 h, and an enzyme dosage of 5.7%. Under these optimized conditions, the resultant yield of reducing sugars was 31.24 ± 0.37 g/L. And then the Novacetimonas hansenii HX1 strain isolated from kombucha was used for fermentation production of BC. The study found that adding yeast extract into RFH can significantly increase BC production, and 7.2 g/L BC can be produced within 7 days. The physical and chemical properties of BC were then analyzed, including Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), confirming its type I α cellulose structure and good thermal stability. In particular, BC shows efficient adsorption capacity for Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution, with the highest adsorption efficiency reaching 95.62%. This research not only provides a new way to recycle textile waste, but also lays the foundation for the application of BC in the field of environmental remediation.

Mask wearing is described as one of the main public health measures against COVID-19. Mask wearing induces various types of subjective and objective facial skin damage, such as hair pore dilatation and redness. Facial pore size and redness show morning-to-evening intra-day fluctuations. It remains unknown whether mask usage affects fluctuations in pore size and redness. We measured facial skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), pore size, and redness four times a day for 6 weeks in 20 healthy young women. After a 2-week no-mask-usage period (baseline period), all subjects wore unwoven masks for 2 weeks; then, for the following 2 weeks, they applied masks after the topical application of a moisturizer containing a Galactomyces ferment filtrate (GFF) skin care formula (Pitera™). We demonstrated that mask wearing significantly increased the intra-day fluctuations of pore size, redness, and TEWL. In addition, significant correlations were evident among these three parameters. Notably, these mask-induced skin changes were significantly improved, achieving a return to baseline levels, by the application of a GFF-containing moisturizer. In conclusion, mask wearing aggravates intra-day fluctuations in pore size and redness. Appropriate moisturization can minimize this mask-related skin damage, most likely by normalizing the elevated TEWL.

The novelty of this study is to comprehensively investigate the effects of various extraction methodologies, processing treatments, and leaf maturity on the quality attributes of mulberry leaf extracts. The findings indicated that extraction employing 70% ethanol or 100% methanol yielded the highest levels of bioactive compounds and greatest antioxidant activity, according to Fisher's statistical least significant difference test. Specifically, the extraction efficiency of 70% ethanol under high-temperature conditions resulted in the highest efficiency, with total phenolic content reaching 60.1 ± 1.1 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight, total flavonoid content at 14.8 ± 0.1 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight, DPPH scavenging ability of 447.8 ± 11.1 μg/mL (IC 50 ), ABTS scavenging ability of 835 ± 6 μg/mL (IC 50 ), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of 41.1 ± 1.2 mg butylated hydroxyanisole equivalent/g dry weight. In the context of mulberry leaf processing, nonfermented leaves exhibited higher levels of total phenols and flavonoids and higher antioxidant potential than partially or fully fermented leaves did. Additionally, upper leaf segments of mulberry plants had higher levels of bioactive compounds and greater antioxidant activity than tender shoots.

Background The semiactive or inactive probiotics or their extracts used in dermatology have interesting properties to ameliorate signs of irritated skin and enhance the skin barrier. Bifidobacterium, as the most common probiotics, which has been found to be effective in reducing acne and improving the skin barrier function of atopic dermatitis. Bifida Ferment Lysate (BFL) can be obtained from Bifidobacterium by fermentation and extraction. Purpose In this study, we investigated the effect of a topically used BFL on the skin using in vitro evaluation methods. Results The results showed that upregulation of skin physical barrier gene (FLG, LOR, IVL, TGM1, and AQP3) and antimicrobial peptide gene (CAMP and hBD‐2) in HaCaT cells by BFL might be responsible for skin barrier resistance. In addition, BFL had strong antioxidant properties representing a dose‐dependent increasing of the scavenging capacity of DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals. BFL treatment also fundamentally inhibited the intracellular ROS and MDA production and improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and GSH‐Px) in H2O2‐stimulated HaCaT cells. As a good immunomodulatory factor, BFL efficiently decreased the secretion of IL‐8 and TNF‐α cytokines, and COX‐2 mRNA expression in LPS‐induced THP‐1 macrophages. Conclusion BFL can strengthen the skin barrier function and stimulate skin barrier resistance, to reinforce the skin against oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli.

Artisanal Minas cheese (QMA) is traditionally elaborate using raw milk and endogenous ferment ( pingo — whey or rala — grated ripened cheese). In the present study, 91 yeast strains were isolated and identified from pingo and rala . Eight yeast species were identified by the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and confirmed by sequencing of the ITS region. The yeasts’ protease and lipase activities were evaluated in addition to probiotic properties such as tolerance to low pH and bile salts, hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, co-aggregation with pathogens, and antimicrobial susceptibility. The rala ferment showed a greater variety of species. Yarrowia lipolytica was the dominant specie (52.7% of isolates), followed by the Kluyveromyces lactis and Kodamaea ohmeri (9.9 and 6.6%, respectively). From the total yeasts evaluated, 74 strains showed positive enzymatic activity: 52 strains showed lipolytic (51 Y. lipolytica and one Trichosporon japonicum ) and 44 proteolytic activities (18 Y. lipolytica , 13 K. ohmeri , 11 K. lactis , and 2 Wickerhamiella sp.). All evaluated isolates demonstrated tolerance to pH 2.0, and 69 isolates supported the presence of bile salts. From them, 12 isolates showed the capacity of autoaggregation (> 30%) and hydrophobicity (> 90.0%) and were then selected for co-aggregation and antibiotic resistance assays. All selected isolates showed co-aggregation with Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli , and Listeria monocytogenes greater than 30%. None of the yeast showed sensibility to the evaluated antibiotics and antagonistic activity against the evaluated pathogens. The results demonstrated that pingo and rala have different yeast composition with different enzymatic activity, which may affect the characteristics of the cheese. Furthermore, some yeast strains: Y. lipolytica (9 strains isolated from rala ) and K. ohmeri (3 strains isolated from pingo ) demonstrated attractive probiotic potential.

Broadly acting antivirals are needed to complement vaccines in present and future pandemics and outbreaks as safe and sustainable tools for combating virus infections. Thus, the current study aims to investigate the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of ferments of selected strains belonging to the Ganoderma lucidum complex isolated from Finland and investigate their mechanism of action. Cytopathic effect inhibition assay and endpoint assay were used to determine the antiviral activity. The antibacterial activity ws examined using recombinant biosensor strains. Mechanism of action studies included time of addition assay, transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, sucrose gradient separation assay, and thermal assay. The metabolite composition of the ferments was studied using UHPLC-HR-MS/MS. Ferments showed antiviral efficacy against non-enveloped enteroviruses, already at room temperature and within one minute. Broad antimicrobial activity was demonstrated with non-enveloped rotaviruses, enveloped coronaviruses, zika viruses, and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Ferments also directly affected the viruses and caused clustering of the virus particles. Additionally, treatment of enteroviruses with ferments caused strong stabilization of the virus capsid, thus preventing their genome release. UHPLC-HR-MS/MS analysis of the ferments verified the presence of several terpenoid compounds. The results show great promise for the future use of ferments from the Ganoderma lucidum complex in combating microbial infections for various applications.

Research summary: The study explores renewal in a novel but understudied context—an era of ferment with competing technological options. It focuses on IBM's transition from market leadership in a failed path (plasma) to leadership in the emerging dominant technology (LCD) in the 1980s. Interviews and internal documents offer two primary factors explaining renewal at IBM. First, IBM Research had a hybrid structure that captured the benefits of both centralized and decentralized R&D. Second, middle managers shaped senior management cognitive frames to focus on business-related issues instead of specific technical issues, thus bypassing biases often resulting from failure. The study offers an integrated framework on what facilitates flexibility at the technology, organization, and decision-making levels. This flexibility helps firms survive a turbulent era of ferment. Managerial summary: Firms facing technological uncertainty may need to recover from unlucky bets. But responding to failure is politically and organizationally difficult. This study explores how IBM recovered from its failed bet on plasma displays to lead the LCD display market. This study identifies six key factors, highlighting two. First, IBM's researchers received centralized funding, but could also receive funding directly from division managers. This structure helped preserve options and variety. Second, internal LCD champions focused on the business case for displays and not technology. This fostered technology agnosticism and helped avoid managerial biases from failure. For managers looking to use real options to maintain flexibility in an uncertain environment, this study offers clear suggestions related to design and decision making that can foster flexibility.