Acta Microbiologica Bulgarica

132-138

Authors: G. Satchanska

This paper deals with the antimicrobial activity of different polyphenols in fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and honey. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites which protect plants from different pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects, and herbivores. They are divided into two main groups: simple phenols and phenolic acids. Flavonoids represent one of the most abundant groups of polyphenols. Polyphenols are usually metabolized in the human liver but can also remain unaffected as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract. They undergo certain biochemical transformations in the colon under the action of specific lactobacilli and bi¬fidobacteria. Polyphenols are detected in numerous plants - olives, tomatoes, peppers, parsley, onion, garlic as well as in honey. Their amount differs significantly across different species and varieties. This landscape anal¬ysis of scientific literature summarizes the antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity of polyphenols. Poly¬phenolic extracts obtained at 80ºC show higher antibacterial activity compared to those extracted at 100ºC, while methanolic extracts possess greater activity than ethanolic ones. Selected herbs, fruits and vegetables rich in antimicrobial polyphenols are a source of highly effective novel antimicrobial substances.

145-152

Authors: Markandan M., Sepperumal U., Rodríguez L. V. C.

PET bottles present to modern society momentous execution qualities wanted by a wide range of shoppers yet the destiny of poly(ethylene terephthalate) in the earth has turned into a huge management problem. For this study, bacteria were isolated from soil-contaminated PET plastic surfaces. The bacteri¬al biofilm formation, bacterial division stages, and single individual colonization of Alcaligenes faecalis (KY026604) bacteria observed by scanning electron microscopy on UV-exposed PET flakes surfaces were compared to UV-untreated PET flakes: UV can provide a starting point for biofilm formation due to their ease of biodegradation. Further, PET degradation was confirmed by FTIR studies, which indicated the for¬mation of a new functional group (C=O bond stretching, C-C bond stretching, C-H bond stretching, C-H bond stretching, C-H bond stretching, C-C-O bond stretching) as evinced in day UV exposed PET.