A general field bioassay for detecting biologically active compounds in plants and insects has been developed and tested for efficacy and sensitivity. Methanolic extracts, in sucrose solution, of 20 plant and six caterpillar species were offered to the ponerine ant Paraponera clavata and the feeding preferences observed. The bioassay resulted in the detection of nine plant and three caterpillar...

Three methods of measuring the epidermolytic toxin Staphylococcus aureus-bioassay in newborn mice, radial immunodiffusion, and radioimmunoassay-were compared for reproducibility, specificity, and sensitivity. The bioassay is highly specific and remains the only functional assay. It is reproducible only if newborn mice of the same age are used. The time required for epidermolysis follows a dose-...

A novel, partial life-cycle bioassay using Chironomus tentans in artificial streams was developed for evaluating the effects of metal mine effluent. The utility of this bioassay was compared to an existing beaker life-cycle bioassay under laboratory conditions. Chironomus tentans larvae were exposed to 45% (v/v) treated metal mine effluent from day 11 through hatching of the second generation. ...

Tumini M., Nagel O.G., Molina M.P., Althaus R.L. (2016): Microbiological method using Bacillus megaterium with fusidic acid for detection of macrolides in milk. Czech J. Food Sci., 34: 9–15. The microbiological method to attain a sensitive detection of macrolides using Bacillus megaterium in agar medium with fusidic acid was designed. To this aim, Mueller-Hinton medium fortified with glucose at...

BACKGROUND Plants are considered as promising sources of new antibacterial agents as well as bioassay guided fractionation. OBJECTIVES In the present work, the antibacterial properties, especially against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), of Bromus inermis inflorescence was studied, using the bioassay guided fractionation as well as the bio-autographic method. MATERIALS AN...

Although herbicides are used for weed control in the field, their residues can have unfavourable environmental impacts. The objective was to determine sulfosulfuron herbicide wheat field soil using bioassay and laboratory (HPLC) methods. two-year experiment a randomised complete-block design (RCBD) with three replicates at control, recommended (26.6 g/ha, D1) doubled (53.2 D2) rates. Soil sampl...

Abstract Smoke-derived seed germination is an important trait for plants to colonize postfire habitats. The well-characterized smoke-derived chemicals of karrikins germinate seeds species not known occur after fires in nature. Hence, the ecologically relevant cues smoke remain be explored native plants. With fire-chaser, Nicotiana attenuata , we revisit a bioassay-driven fractionation liquid id...

Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies of medical applications of BoNTs and detection of poisoned food, as well as for response to potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, the most common method of BoNT detection is the mouse bioassay. While this assay is sensitive, it is slow, quite expensive, has ...