Background: High salinity (1-10% w/v) of tannery wastewater makes it difficult to be treated by conventional biological treatment. Salt tolerant microbes can adapt to these saline conditions and degrade the organics in saline wastewater.

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Industrial wastewaters such as tannery and textile processing effluents are often characterized by a high content of dissolved organic dyes, resulting in large values of chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD) in the aquatic systems into which they are discharged. Such wastewater streams are of rapidly growing concern as a major environmental issue in developing countries. Hence there is a need to mitigate this challenge by effective approaches to degrade dye-contaminated wastewater. In this study, several choline-based salts originally developed for use as biocompatible hydrated ionic liquids (i.e., choline sacchrinate (CS), choline dihydrogen phosphate (CDP), choline lactate (CL), and choline tartarate (CT)) have been successfully employed as the cosubstrate with S. lentus in the biodegradation of an azo dye in aqueous solution. We also demonstrate that the azo dye has been degraded to less toxic components coupled with low biomass formation.

Bioreaction calorimetric studies of degradation of the dye acid blue 113 by Staphylococcus lentus are reported for the first time. The heat released during the dye degradation process can be successfully measured using reaction calorimeter. Power time and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) profile followed each other suggesting that heat profiles could monitor the progress of the dye degradation in biocalorimetry. The shifts observed in power-time profile indicated three distinct phases of the bioprocess indicating simultaneous utilization of glucose (primary) and dye (secondary carbon source). Secretion of azoreductase enzyme enhanced the degradation process. Optimization of aeration and agitation rates was observed to be vital to efficient dye degradation. The degradative pathway for acid blue 113 by S. lentus was delineated via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Interestingly the products of degradation were found to have low toxicity, as per cytotoxicity measurements.

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Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers. is a common traditional medicinal plant used in bronchitis, anaemia, headache, fever, ophthalmia, nasal catarrh, leprosy, inflammation, gout and rheumatism. The present study aimed to assess plant regeneration and plantlets development in vitro using explants of S. grandiflora together with the estimation of total phenolic content and antioxidative activity of various extracts obtained from the plant. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium added with different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) was used for plant tissue culture, whereas ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of different extracts of the plant. In the presence of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP; 0.1 mg/l), the highest level (85.41%) of seed germination was achieved while the highest callus formation (96.6%) was recorded with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 0.5 mg/l). In addition, the highest shoot induction, shoot formation and shoot elongation were observed with BAP (0.1 mg/l), indole-3-butyric acid (3 mg/l) and naphthaleacetic acid + BAP (0.4 + 0.2 mg/l) respectively. The extract of dried calluses showed highest contents of proline (110.94 mg/g), phenol (16.42 mg/g) and flavonoid (22.22 mg/g), and also highest antioxidant potential with FRAP and DPPH assays. From the present study, we may conclude that the MS basal medium supplemented with PGRs is effective for the commercial production of S. grandiflora.Keywords: Antioxidant activity, in vitro micropropagation, phenolic content, plant growth regulators, Sesbania grandiflora.SESBANIA GRANDIFLORA (L.) Pers., commonly known as hummingbird tree of the family Leguminosae, is a popular traditional medicinal plant used in bronchitis, anaemia, headache, fever, ophthalmia, nasal catarrh, leprosy, inflammation, gout and rheumatism 1 . The dried leaves are used as tea and also as an antibiotic, antitumour and contraceptive. The juice obtained from fresh leaves was found effective in bruises 2 . The seeds of the plant are rich in protein while seed oil is a potent antioxidant agent. Various studies confirmed the presence of phytosterols in the seed oil which shows anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities. The presence of high phytosterol content makes it an important plant for the commercial production of steroidal hormones and cosmetics 3 . The flowers of S. grandiflora contain tannin and other nutritious contents. Moreover, its astringent nature also contributes in antimicrobial activity 4 . The process of plant tissue culture is considered to be highly valuable in terms of commercial production of a medicinal plant, in which the aseptic culture of cells and organs can be achieved under in vitro conditions 5 . Several compounds with a varied array of structures influence the tissue growth and morphogenesis under exposed atmosphere. Besides, this technique is useful for conserving medicinal plants and enhancing their secondary metabolites of industr...

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