Cultivation in Zehnder medium containing 5.1 mg L −1 zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) boosted the growth of the green algae Desmodesmus subspicatus, Dunaliella salina, Parachlorella kessleri and Raphidocelis subcapitata and the eustigmatophycean algae Nannochloropsis limnetica and Trachydiscus minutus. In the cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima, growth stimulation occurred at 1.7-5.1 mg L −1 nZVI. In all studied microorganisms, 5.1 mg L −1 nZVI strongly enhanced lipid accumulation, decreased the content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids with the exception of palmitoleic acid and increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cells. The nZVI particles may provide a suitable source of iron causing increased cell growth and induce metabolic changes resulting in higher lipid production and changes in fatty acid (FA) composition. Altered lipid synthesis may reflect the oxidative action of nZVI. Further research may contribute to optimizing the economical production of oils from oleaginous microorganisms and help clarify the mechanism of nZVI action.

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Vitis vinifera canes are waste material of grapevine pruning and thus represent cheap source of high-value polyphenols. In view of the fact that resistance of many pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics is a growing problem, the antimicrobial activity of plant polyphenols is studied as one of the possible approaches. We have investigated the total phenolic content, composition, antioxidant activity, and antifungal activity against Candida biofilm of an extract from winter canes and a commercially available extract from blue grapes. Light microscopy and confocal microscopy imaging as well as crystal violet staining were used to quantify and visualize the biofilm. We found a decrease in cell adhesion to the surface depending on the concentration of resveratrol in the cane extract. The biofilm formation was observed as metabolic activity of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei biofilm cells and the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations were determined. The highest inhibition of metabolic activity was observed in Candida albicans biofilm after treatment with the cane extract (30 mg/L) and blue grape extract (50 mg/L). The composition of cane extract was analyzed and found to be comparatively different from blue grape extract. In addition, the content of total phenolic groups in cane extract was three-times higher (12.75 gGA/L). The results showed that cane extract was more effective in preventing biofilm formation than blue grape extract and winter canes have proven to be a potential source of polyphenols for antimicrobial and antibiofilm treatment.

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Oxidative stress induced by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVIs) was used to improve lipid accumulation in various oleaginous and non-oleginous yeasts-Candida sp., Kluyveromyces polysporus, Rhodotorula glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulospora delbrueckii, Trichosporon cutaneum, and Yarrowia lipolytica. The highest lipid yields occurred at 9-13 mg/L nZVIs. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the fatty acids. It showed an increasing abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially essential linoleic acid, in the presence of nZVIs. Our results suggest that nZVIs can be used to improve not only lipid production by oleaginous microorganisms but also the nutritional value of biosynthesized unsaturated fatty acids.

IntroductionThe role of eicosanoids, metabolites of arachidonic acid with cardio-renal activity, remains unclear in human heart failure (HF).Material and methodsWe enrolled 50 patients with HF to measure plasma 14,15-EET and 14,15-DHET levels using commercial ELISA kits and compared them with 25 age- and sex-matched controls.ResultsBoth of the measured eicosanoids were significantly higher in the HF group: 14,15-EET (91.3 ±25.7 ng/ml vs. 64.95 ±35.4 ng/ml) and 14,15-DHET (10.58 ±2.06 ng/ml vs. 9.07 ±1.60 ng/ml), p for both < 0.001.ConclusionsWe found that peripheral plasma eicosanoid (14,15-EET, 14,15-DHET) levels are raised in patients with HF compared to age- and sex-matched controls.

Yeast responses to stress conditions include an increase in lipid content and concomitant changes in content of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Some fatty acids are among the dietetically important fatty acids and new possibilities are sought for their biotechnological production in addition to those already exploited from marine organisms, nuts and other sources. The possibility of the production of palmitoleic and linoleic acids resulting from new approaches to traditional biotechnologically useful yeast species (

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