The presence of mixed contaminants, such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers) can affect the biodegradation, fate and environmental impacts of each compound. To understand the influence of interactions among BTEX compounds on their biodegradation, four bacteria were isolated from oil-contaminated soil and assayed for BTEX biodegradation in vitro. The isolate exhibiting maximum biodegradation was identified as Pseudomonas putida based on the 16S rDNA sequence. The biodegradation of the BTEX compounds was greatly influenced by pH, temperature, and salinity. Substrate mixture studies (binary, tertiary and quaternary) revealed that the presence of toluene increased the biodegradation rate of benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.

Effects of gamma irradiation on color characteristic and biological activities of ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica irradiated at 0, 10, 20, and 30 kGy were investigated. Hunter color L*-and a*-value increased by irradiation in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in lighter color than the nonirradiated, whereas Hunter color b*-value decreased with increasing irradiation dosage (p <0.05). The L. japonica extract showed inhibition effects against tyrosinase, xanthine oxidase, and nitrite-scavenging ability. Tyrosinase inhibition effect of L. japonica was higher in the gamma-irradiated sample than in the nonirradiated sample, and the effect was increased by increasing irradiation dosages. The L. japonica extracts had a higher inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase, and the effect was not greatly changed by irradiation. Nitrite-scavenging activity was the highest in L. japonica extract at pH 1.2. Overall, the gamma irradiation may not greatly influence the xanthine oxidase inhibition effect and nitrite-scavenging ability of the L. japonica extract, except for the tyrosinase inhibition effect when irradiated up to 30 kGy.

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