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Twenty five local filamentous fungi were screened for their abilities to produce lipids using Nile-red staining assay. Among the tested filamentous fungi, Penicillium commune NRC 2016for biodiesel production was selected and identified based on the morphological and molecular methods. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis of lipids by this fungus showed that, the resulted fatty acids are suitable for biodiesel production. The resulted fatty acids were 20% palmitic acid, 4.65% stearic acid, 13.77% oleic acid, 32% linoleic acid, 1.75% α-linolenic acid and 16.1% arachidonic acid. In conclusion, this work revealed the possibility of using the promising fungal strain P. commune NRC 2016 in biodiesel production.

Damage to normal tissues is a consequence of both therapeutic and accidental exposures to ionizing radiation. A water-soluble heteropolysaccharide called AXEPS, composed of glucose, galactose, rhamnose and glucouronic acid in a molar ratio of nearly 1.0:1.6:0.4:2.3, respectively, was isolated from culture medium of strain Alcaligenes xylosoxidans MSA3 by ethanol precipitation followed by freeze-drying. Chemical analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and chromatographic studies revealed that the molecular weight was 1.6 × 10(4) g mol(-1). This study was designed to investigate the radioprotective and biological effects of AXEPS in alleviating the toxicity of ionizing radiation in female albino rats. A total of 32 female albino rats were divided into four groups. In the control group, rats were administered vehicle by tube for four weeks. The second group was administered AXEPS (100 mg/kg) orally by gavage for four weeks. Animals in the third group were exposed to whole-body γ-rays (5 Gy) and remained for 2 weeks without treatment. The fourth group received AXEPS (100 mg/kg) orally by gavage for two weeks before being exposed to whole-body γ-rays (5 Gy), then 24 h post γ-rays, they received AXEPS (100 mg/kg) in a treatment continuing till the end of the experiment (15 days after the whole-body γ-irradiation). Oral administration of AXEPS (100 mg/kg) significantly reversed the oxidative stress effects of radiation, as evidenced by the decrease in DNA damage in the bone marrow. Assessment of apoptosis and cell proliferation markers revealed that caspase-3 significantly increased in the irradiated group. Moreover, a significant decrease in the hematological constituents of peripheral blood, the chemotactic index and CD8+ T cells were observed in animals in the irradiation-only group, whereas an increase in the lymphocyte index was observed in animals in that group. In contrast, AXEPS treatment prevented these alterations. From our results, we conclude that AXEPS is a potent antioxidant and treatment agent for protection from γ-rays.

The number of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) all over the world is rising continually and becomes one of the biggest challenges for most societies throughout the world. The potential of peripheral biochemical markers as complementary tools in the neuron-phsychiatric evaluation of these patients has claimed further attention. The aims of our study were to isolate the bacteria that able to produce exo-polysaccharides and to characterize then exopolysaccharide producing strains by 16S rDNA sequencing method. The exopolysaccharide (MEPS) produced from a newly isolated Bacillus sp. M3 was obtained by ethanol precipitation (6.5 g L-1 growth medium). The molecular masse of the MEPS was 1.45×104 g/mol wherein FT-IR, UV-Vis spectral analyses revealed prevalence of characteristic primary belonged to α-type exopolysaccharide with a pyran ring. Further, HPLC analysis revealed its two monosaccharide constituents galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid at molar ratio of 1:1. The second stage was the evaluation of anti-intoxicated effect of MEPS against aluminum chloride induced Alzheimer in rat relevant to its effect on oxidative stress, antioxidant brain status, cholinergic markers and serum level of S100B protein together with polysaccharide sub-chronic toxicity at 1/10 LD50 in both AD and control experimental animal groups to find their diagnostic value in this disease. MEPS ameliorated antioxidant status and reduced all oxidative stress parameters in brain tissue with decreasing S100B as compared to aluminum toxicant group with significant acetyl cholinesterase inhibition which increase acetylcholine concentration in brain tissue. No toxicity was observed for MEPS in sub-chronic toxicity study for 90 days in all rat organs or liver and kidney function.