Methanolic extract from flaxseeds was investigated for its effect on anti-cholesterol and antioxidant activity. In vitro anti-cholesterol activity was measured by cholesterol enzymatic endpoint method using simvastatin as positive control. The total amount of phenolic compounds was determined spectrophotometrically and the results were expressed as Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE gG 1). Antioxidant activity of flaxseeds in vitro was measured in terms of DPPH free radical scavenging and total antioxidant potential assay. Increasing anti-cholesterol activity by flaxseeds was observed up to 20 min and a maximum inhibition was found as 93.04%, which was comparable to the anti-hyperlipidemic drug simvastatin (95.1%). Phenolic compound content of flaxseeds was found as 0.059 mg GAE gG 1 and antioxidant potential was 1.037 mg mLG 1. Lower DPPH free radical scavenging activity was observed after 30 min of incubation. The results indicated that flaxseed might reduce or control the cholesterol levels and oxidative damage and it is apparent that flaxseeds could contribute to new formulations with potential anti-cholesterol and antioxidant effects.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common environmental pollutants and biodegradation using microorganisms is the preferred and major route of PAH removal from contaminated environments. This study investigated the bacterial degradation of petrol and diesel in liquid media that were isolated from oil contaminated soils by enrichment technique. The isolates could use petrol and diesel as their sole carbon and energy source in Bushnell Hass Mineral Salts (BHMS) medium at 2% (v/v) concentration. A total of eight isolates were selected and characterized by using a variety of phenotypic and morphologic properties. Two isolates each showed highest growth in petrol and diesel containing media during screening were selected and characterized using 16S RNA sequencing. Molecular identification of the isolates assigned them to Achromobacter sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The selected isolates degraded petrol and diesel up to 31.9% and 34.4% respectively. This study indicates that the contaminated soil samples contain a diverse population of PAH-degrading bacteria and the use of Achromobacter sp. and Pseduomonas aeruginosa has the potential for bioremediation of PAH contaminated sites.