Search results for: bacterial gene clusters

Authors: Magdy Al Shourbagi

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Diabetes mellitus is the commonest cause of neuropathy. The common pattern is a distal symmetrical sensory polyneuropathy, associated with autonomic disturbances. Less often, Diabetes mellitus is responsible for a focal or multifocal neuropathy. Common causes for non-healing of diabetic foot are the infection and ischemia. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a defective cellular and humoral immunity. Particularly, decreased phagocytosis, decreased chemotaxis, impaired bacterial killing and abnormal lymphocytic function resulting in a reduced inflammatory reaction and defective wound healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is defined by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society as a treatment in which a patient intermittently breathes 100% oxygen and the treatment chamber is pressurized to a pressure greater than sea level (1 atmosphere absolute). The pressure increase may be applied in mono-place (single person) or multi-place chambers. Multi-place chambers are pressurized with air, with oxygen given via face mask or endotracheal tube; while mono-place chambers are pressurized with oxygen. Oxygen gas plays an important role in the physiology of wound healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can raise tissue oxygen tensions to levels where wound healing can be expected. HBOT increases the killing ability of leucocytes also it is lethal for certain anaerobic bacteria and inhibits toxin formation in many other anaerobes. Multiple anecdotal reports and studies in HBO therapy in diabetic patients report that HBO can be an effective adjunct therapy in the management of diabetic foot wounds and is associated with better functional outcomes.

Keywords: hyperbari oxygen therapy, diabetic foot, neuropathy, multiplace chambers

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Authors: Shashank Gahlaut, Chandrashekhar Sharan, J. P. Singh

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Increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a big concern for the treatment of pathogenic diseases. The effect of treatment of patients with antibiotics often leads to the evolution of antibiotic resistance in the pathogens. The detection of antibiotic or antimicrobial resistant bacteria (microbes) is quite essential as it is becoming one of the big threats globally. Here we propose a novel technique to tackle this problem. We are taking a step forward to prevent the infections and diseases due to drug resistant microbes. This detection is based on some unique features of silver (a noble metal) nanorods (AgNRs) which are fabricated by a physical deposition method called thermal glancing angle deposition (GLAD). Silver nanorods are found to be highly sensitive and selective for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. Color and water wetting (contact angle) of AgNRs are two parameters what are effected in the presence of this gas. H₂S is one of the major gaseous products evolved in the bacterial metabolic process. It is also known as gasotransmitter that transmits some biological singles in living systems. Nitric Oxide (NO) and Carbon mono oxide (CO) are two another members of this family. Orlowski (1895) observed the emission of H₂S by the bacteria for the first time. Most of the microorganism produce these gases. Here we are focusing on H₂S gas evolution to determine live/dead and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. AgNRs array has been used for the detection of H₂S from micro-organisms. A mobile app is also developed to make it easy, portable, user-friendly, and cost-effective.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, hydrogen sulfide, live and dead bacteria, mobile app

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Authors: Yusuf Ali Abdulle, Azhar Uddin Keerio

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Background: Protein elicitors play a key role in signaling or displaying plant defense mechanisms and emerging as vital tools for bio-control of insects. This study was aimed at the characterization of the novel protein elicitor isolated from entomopathogenic fungi Lecanicillium lecanii (V3) strain and its activity against Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci in cotton. The sequence of purified elicitor protein showed 100% similarity with hypothetical protein LEL_00878 [Cordyceps confragosa RCEF 1005], GenBank no (OAA81333.1). This novel protein elicitor has 253 amino acid residues and 762bp with a molecular mass of 29 kDa. The protein recombinant was expressed in Escherichia coli using pET‐28a (+) plasmid. Effects of purified novel protein elicitor on Bemisia tabaci were determined at three concentrations of protein (i.e., 58.32, 41.22, 35.41 μg mL⁻¹) on cotton plants and were exposed to newly molted adult B.tabaci. Bioassay results showed a significant effect of the exogenous application of novel protein elicitor on B. tabaci in cotton. In addition, the gene expression analysis found a significant up-regulation of the major genes associated with salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) linked plant defense pathways in elicitor protein-treated plants. Our results suggested the potential application of a novel protein elicitor derived from Lecanicillium lecanii as a future bio-intensive controlling approach against the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

Keywords: resistance, Lecanicillium lecanii, secondary metabolites, whitefly

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Authors: S. Hallal, Z. Chami, A. Hadji-Lehtihet, S. Sokhal-Boudella, A. Berhoune, L. Yargui

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Gaucher disease is the most common lysosomal storage in our population, it is due to a deficiency of β –glucosidase acid. The enzyme deficiency causes a pathological accumulation of undegraded substrate in lysosomes. This metabolic overload is responsible for a multisystemic disease with hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and bone involvement. Neurological involvement is rare. The laboratory diagnosis of Gaucher disease consists of phenotypic diagnosis by determining the enzymatic activity of β - glucosidase by fluorimetric method, a study by genotypic diagnosis in the GBA gene, limiting the search recurrent mutations (N370S, L444P, 84 GG); PCR followed by an enzymatic digestion. Abnormal profiles were verified by sequencing. Monitoring of treated patients is provided by the determination of chitotriosidase. Our experience spaning a period of 6 years (2007-2014) has enabled us to diagnose 78 patients out of a total of 328 requests from the various departments of pediatrics, internal medicine, neurology. Genotypic diagnosis focused on the entire family of 9 children treated at pediatric CHU Mustapha, which help define the clinical form; or 5 of them had type III disease, carrying the L444P mutation in the homozygous state. Three others were composite (N370/L444P) (N370S/other unintended mutation in our study), and only in one family no recurrent mutation has been found. This molecular study permits screening of heterozygous essential for genetic counseling.

Keywords: Gaucher disease, mutations, N370S, L444P

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Authors: Preethy Mary Donald, Renjith George

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Oral tori are localized non-neoplastic protuberances of maxilla and mandible. Torus palatinus (TP) is found on the midline of the roof of mouth existing as single growth or in clusters. Torus mandibularis(TM) is located on the lingual aspect of the mandible commonly between canine and premolar region. Etiology of their presence was not clear and was found to be multifactorial. Their variations in relation to age, gender, ethnicity and also the characteristics of TP and TM have become the interest of multiple studies. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of torus palatinus (TP) and torus mandibularis (TM) among patients who have visited outpatient department, Faculty of Dentistry, Melaka Manipal Medical College. 108 patients were examined for the presence of oral tori at the outpatient department, Faculty of Dentistry, Melaka-Manipal Medical College. Factors such as age, gender, ethnicity of the patients and size, shape, location of the oral tori were studied. For TP, Malays (62.96%) have been found to have the highest prevalence than Chinese (43.3%) and Indians (35.71%). For TM, Chinese (7.46%) had predominated compared to Malays (7.41%) and Indians (0%). There is no significant association between occurrence of TP and TM with age, gender and ethnicity. For Torus palatinus, the most common size was Grade 1(1-3mm), most common location was molar region, and the most common shape was spindle. For Torus mandibularis, the most frequent location was canine premolar region and exists in unilateral single or bilateral single fashion. The overall prevalence rates were 47.2% for TP and 6.48% for TM. However, there is no significant association between occurrence of TP and TM with age, gender and ethnicity. The results showed variations in clinical characteristics and support the findings that occurrence of tori is a dynamic phenomenon which is multifactorial owing to the environmental factors such as stress from occlusion and dietary habits. It could be due to the genetic make-up of the individual.

Keywords: torus palatinus, torus mandibularis, age, gender

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Authors: Nourmalita Safitri Ningsih, Ridwan, Iqri Puspa Yunanda

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The aim of this study was to utilize the waste from slaughterhouses for chicken feed ingredients is probiotic. Livestock waste produced by livestock activities such as feces, urine, food remains, as well as water from livestock and cage cleaning. The process starts with the isolation of bacteria. Rumen fluid is taken at Slaughterhouse Giwangan, Yogyakarta. Isolation of Lactobacillus ruminus is done by using de Mann Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) medium. In the sample showed a rod-shaped bacteria are streaked onto an agar plates. After it was incubated at 37ºC for 48 hours, after which it is observed. The observation of these lactic acid bacteria it will show a clear zone at about the colony. These bacterial colonies are white, round, small, shiny on the agar plate mikroenkapsul In the manufacturing process carried out by the method of freeze dried using skim milk in addition capsulated material. Then the results of these capsulated bacteria are mixed with feed for livestock. The results from the mixing of capsulated bacteria in feed are to increase the quality of animal feed so as to provide a good effect on livestock. Scanning electron microscope testing we have done show the results of bacteria have been shrouded in skim milk. It can protect the bacteria so it is more durable in use. The observation of the bacteria showed a sheath on Lactobacillus sp. Preservation of bacteria in this way makes the bacteria more durable for use. As well as skim milk can protect bacteria that are resistant to the outside environment. Results of probiotics in chicken feed showed significant weight gain in chickens. Calculation Anova (P <0.005) shows the average chicken given probiotics her weight increased.

Keywords: chicken, probiotics, waste, Lactobacillus sp, bacteria

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Authors: Wajid Rehman, Sirajul Haq, Bakhtiar Muhammad, Syed Fahad Hassan, Amin Badshah, Muhammad Waseem, Fazal Rahim, Obaid-Ur-Rahman Abid, Farzana Latif Ansari, Umer Rashid

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Five novel triorganotin (IV) compounds have been synthesized and characterized. The tin atom is penta-coordinated to assume trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. Using in silico derived parameters; the objective of our study is to design and synthesize promiscuous antibacterials potent enough to combat resistance. Among various synthesized organotin (IV) complexes, compound 5 was found as potent antibacterial agent against various bacterial strains. Further lead optimization of drug-like properties was evaluated through in silico predictions. Data mining and computational analysis were utilized to derive compound promiscuity phenomenon to avoid drug attrition rate in designing antibacterials. Xanthine oxidase and human glucose- 6-phosphatase were found as only true positive off-target hits by ChEMBL database and others utilizing similarity ensemble approach. Propensity towards a-3 receptor, human macrophage migration factor and thiazolidinedione were found as false positive off targets with E-value 1/4> 10^-4 for compound 1, 3, and 4. Further, displaying positive drug-drug interaction of compound 1 as uricosuric was validated by all databases and docked protein targets with sequence similarity and compositional matrix alignment via BLAST software. Promiscuity of the compound 5 was further confirmed by in silico binding to different antibacterial targets.

Keywords: antibacterial activity, drug promiscuity, ADMET prediction, metallo-pharmaceutical, antimicrobial resistance

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Authors: H. Nabahat, E. Amiri, F. AzaditalabDavoudabadi, N. Zaeri

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Tooth decay is one of the most common forms of oral and dental illness in the world, which causes huge costs of treatment, especially in high-risk groups such as people with oral dry mouth, prevention and control of it are very important. The use of traditional treatments such as extraction of drugs from medicinal plants is of paramount importance to Iran and the international community as well. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the antibacterial effect of the extract of Salvia officinalis and Mentha pulegium, which are the most commonly used drugs in the treatment of oral and teeth bacterial (Streptococcus mutant, Lactobacillus rhamnosis, and Actinomyces viscosis) in vitro method. In this experimental study, two herbs of Salvia and Mentha were prepared by maceration of hydroalcoholic extract, and the antibacterial effect was evaluated by broth macro dilution on streptococcal mutagen bacteria, lactobacillus rhamnosis, and viscose actinomycosis. The results were analyzed by the Whitney Mann test (P > 0.05). The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the salmonella extract for Streptococcus mutan were 6.25 and 12.5 μg/ml, respectively, for lactobacillus of 1.56 and 3.12 μg/ml, respectively, and for actinomycosis viscose, The order of 12.5 and 100 μg/ml was obtained. As a result, broth macro dilution showed that both extracts of Salvia and Mentha had an inhibitory effect on all three species of bacteria. This effect for Salvia was significantly (P < 0.05) more than Mentha and was within the concentration range of both the extracts and had a bactericidal effect on all three bacteria.

Keywords: antibacterial effect, dental bacteria, herbal extracts , salvia officinalis, mentha pulegium

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Authors: M. Gerasimou, S. Mantzoukis, P. Christodoulou, N. Varsamis, G. Kolliopoulou, N. Zotos

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Purpose: Microbial infection of the blood is a serious condition where bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause systemic disease. In such cases, blood cultures are performed. Blood cultures are a key diagnostic test for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Material and method: The BacT/Alert system, which measures the production of carbon dioxide with metabolic organisms, is used. The positive result in the BacT/Alert system is followed by culture in the following selective media: Blood, Mac Conkey No 2, Chocolate, Mueller Hinton, Chapman and Sabaureaud agar. Gram staining method was used to differentiate bacterial species. The microorganisms were identified by biochemical techniques in the automated Microscan (Siemens) system and followed by a sensitivity test on the same system using the minimum inhibitory concentration MIC technique. The sensitivity test is verified by a Kirby Bauer-based test. Results: In 2017 the Laboratory of Microbiology received 3347 blood cultures. Of these, 170 came from the ICU. 116 found positive. Of these S. epidermidis was identified in 42, A. baumannii in 27, K. pneumoniae in 12 (4 of these KPC ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase’), S. hominis in 8, E. faecium in 7, E. faecalis in 5, P. aeruginosa in 3, C. albicans in 3, S. capitis in 2, K. oxytoca in 2, P. mirabilis in 2, E. coli in 1, S. intermidius in 1 and S. lugdunensis in 1. Conclusions: The study of epidemiological data and microbial resistance phenotypes is essential for the choice of therapeutic regimen for the early treatment and limitation of multivalent strains, while it is a crucial factor to solve diagnostic problems.

Keywords: blood culture, bloodstream, infection, intensive care unit

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Authors: Jafar Ahmadi, Alireza Pour-Aboughadareh

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Wheat is the first and the most important grain of the world and its bakery property is due to glutenin and gliadin qualities. Wheat seed proteins were divided into four groups according to solubility. Two groups are albumin and globulin dissolving in water and salt solutions possessing metabolic activities. Two other groups are inactive and non-dissolvable and contain glutelins or glutenins and prolamins or gliadins. Gliadins are major components of the storage proteins in wheat endosperm. Gliadin proteins are separated into three groups based on electrophoretic mobility: α/β-gliadin, γ-gliadin, and ω-gliadin. It seems that little information is available about gliadin genes in Iranian wild relatives of wheat. Thus, the aim of this study was the evaluation of the wheat wild relatives collected from different origins of Zagros Mountains in Iran, involving coding gliadin genes using specific primers. For this, forty accessions of Triticum boeoticum and Triticum urartu were selected. For each accession, genomic DNA was extracted and PCRs were performed in total volumes of 15 μl. The amplification products were separated on 1.5% agarose gels. In results, for Gli-2A locus, three allelic variants were detected by Gli-2As primer pairs. The sizes of PCR products for these alleles were 210, 490 and 700 bp. Only five (13%) and two accessions (5%) produced 700 and 490 bp fragments when their DNA was amplified with the Gli.As.2 primer pairs. However, 37 of the 40 accessions (93%) carried 210 bp allele, and three accessions (8%) did not yield any product for this marker. Therefore, these germplasm could be used as rich gene pool to broaden the genetic base of bread wheat.

Keywords: diploied wheat, gliadin, Triticum boeoticum, Triticum urartu

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Authors: Sharda Nara, Bansi Dhar Malhotra

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Investigation of the vitamins as an electron transfer mediator could significantly assist in merging the area of tissue engineering and electronics required for the implantable therapeutic devices. The present study report that the molecules of folic acid released by Providencia rettgeri via fermentation route under the anoxic condition of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) exhibit characteristic electrochemical and optical properties, as indicated by absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and cyclic voltammetry studies. The absorption spectroscopy has depicted an absorption peak at 263 nm with a small bulge around 293 nm on day two of bacterial culture, whereas an additional peak was observed at 365 nm on the twentieth day. Furthermore, the PL spectra has indicated that the maximum emission occurred at various wavelengths 420, 425, 440, and 445 nm when excited by 310, 325, 350, and 365 nm. The change of emission spectra with varying excitation wavelength might be indicating the presence of tunable optical bands in the folic acid molecules co-related with the redox activity of the molecules. The results of cyclic voltammetry studies revealed that the oxidation and reduction occurred at 0.25V and 0.12V, respectively, indicating the electrochemical behavior of the folic acid. This could be inferred that the released folic acid molecules in a MFC might undergo inter as well as intra molecular electron transfer forming different intermediate states while transferring electrons to the electrode surface. Synchronization of electrochemical and optical properties of folic acid molecules could be potentially promising for the designing of electroactive scaffold and biocompatible conductive surface for the applications of tissue engineering and biofuel cells, respectively.

Keywords: biofuel cell, electroactivity, folic acid, tissue engineering

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Authors: Suresh Vanguri, Suresh Palla, K. V. Kalyani, S. K. Chaturvedi, B. N. Mohapatra

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Enhancing the fly ash utilization in the manufacture of cement is identified as one of the key areas to mitigate the Green House Gas emissions from the cement industry. Though increasing the fly ash content in cement has economic and environmental benefits, it results in a decrease in the compressive strength values, particularly at early ages. Quality of clinker and fly ash were identified as predominant factors that govern the extent of absorption of fly ash in the manufacturing of cement. This paper presents systematic investigations on the effect of clinker and fly ash quality on the properties of resultant cement. Since mechanical activation alters the physicochemical properties such as particle size distribution, surface area, phase morphology, understanding the variation of these properties with activation is required for its applications. The effect of mechanical activation on fly ash surface area, specific gravity, flow properties, lime reactivity, comparative compressive strength (CCS), reactive silica and mineralogical properties were also studied. The fineness of fly ash was determined by Blaine’s method, specific gravity, lime reactivity, CCS were determined as per the method IS 1727-1967. The phase composition of fly ash was studied using the X-ray Diffraction technique. The changes in the microstructure and morphology with activation were examined using the scanning electron microscope. The studies presented in this paper also include evaluation of Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), prepared using high volume fly ash. Studies are being carried out using clinker from cement plants located in different regions/clusters in India. Blends of PPC containing higher contents of activated fly ash have been prepared and investigated for their chemical and physical properties, as per Indian Standard procedures. Changes in the microstructure of fly ash with activation and mechanical properties of resultant cement containing high volumes of fly ash indicated the significance of optimization of the quality of clinker and fly ash fineness for better techno-economical benefits.

Keywords: flow properties, fly ash enhancement, lime reactivity, microstructure, mineralogy

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Authors: D. Zahran, M. AlKhazindar, M. Khalil, E. T. A. Sayed

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Streptomyces scabies is a pathogenic actinomycete that infects potato crop causing severe production losses. Actinophages affect the composition and diversity of the bacterial population, thereby, can be used as a biological control. Samples of actinomycetes and phages were collected from different cultivated soils including farms of Faculty of Science, Faculty of Agriculture and different locations in Giza, Egypt. Actinomycetes were identified by using biochemical, morphological tests and molecular studies using 16S rRNA sequencing. Two specific phages (E1 and E2) against Streptomyces scabies and other hosts were isolated. Phages were identified using dilution end point (DEP), longevity in vitro (LIV), thermal inactivation point (TIP), host range and electron microscopy. PhageE1 was characterized by 10-8 (DEP),180 days(LIV), 95°C(TIP), narrow host range and electron microscopy showed ahead (59.9 nm) and neck (10.4nm). On the other hand phageE2 had 10-20 (DEP),180 days(LIV), 90°C(TIP), and the size of head was (67.2 nm) and tail (114nm). Antiviral activity was also studied using different chemicals (NaCL, KCL, CaCL2, BaCL2, CoCL2, AgNO3, ALCL3and HgCL2) with different concentrations and different plant extracts with different concentrations (star anise, tea, tillia, peppermint, ginger, cumin, chamomile, turmeric cinnamon, marjoram and black cumin). Both Phage E1and phage E2 were vulnerable to (cumin, ginger, chamomile, guavas leaves and star anise) but resistant to (Tillie, marjoram, fennelflower seeds, peppermint, and cinnamon).

Keywords: potato scab, actinophages, biological control, electron microscopy, TIP, DEP, LIV, antiviral activity

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Authors: C. T. Eze, I. N. E. Onwurah

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An important hydrogeologic problem in areas of high faults formations is high environmental health hazard occasioned by microbial and heavy metals contamination of ground waters. Consequently, we examined the microbial load and heavy metals concentration of hospital wastewater discharged into the environment at Park Lane General Hospital Enugu Urban, Nigeria. The microbial counts, characteristics and frequency of occurrences of the isolated microorganisms were determined by cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics using established procedure while the varying concentrations of the identified heavy metals were determined using the spectrophotometric method. The microbiological analyses showed a mean total aerobic bacteria counts from 13.7 ± 0.65 × 107 to 22.8 ± 1.14 ×1010 CFU/ml, mean total anaerobic bacteria counts from 6.0 ± 1.6 × 103 to 1.7 ± 0.41 ×104 CFU/ml and mean total fungal counts from 0 ± 0 to 2.3 ± 0.16 × 105 CFU/ml. The isolated micro-organisms which included both pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris, Klesbsiella pneumonia and bacteriodes sp. The only fungal isolate was Candida albican. The heavy metals identified in the leachate were Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury and Chromium and their concentrations ranged from 0.003 ± 0.00082 to 0.14 ± 0.0082 mg/l. These values were above WHO permissible limits while others fall within the limits. Therefore, hospital waste water can pose the environmental health risk when not properly treated before discharge, especially in geologic formations with high fault formations.

Keywords: bacterial isolates, fungal isolates, heavy metals, hospital wastewater, microbial counts

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Authors: Parmjit S. Panesar, Rupinder Kaur, Ram S. Singh

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Enzymes are the biocatalysts which catalyze the biochemical processes and thus have a wide variety of applications in the industrial sector. β-Galactosidase (E.C. 3.2.1.23) also known as lactase, is one of the prime enzymes, which has significant potential in the dairy and food processing industries. It has the capability to catalyze both the hydrolytic reaction for the production of lactose hydrolyzed milk and transgalactosylation reaction for the synthesis of prebiotics such as lactulose and galactooligosaccharides. These prebiotics have various nutritional and technological benefits. Although, the enzyme is naturally present in almonds, peaches, apricots and other variety of fruits and animals, the extraction of enzyme from these sources increases the cost of enzyme. Therefore, focus has been shifted towards the production of low cost enzyme from the microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi. As compared to yeast and bacteria, fungal β-galactosidase is generally preferred as being extracellular and thermostable in nature. Keeping the above in view, the present study was carried out for the isolation of the β-galactosidase producing fungal strain from the food as well as the agricultural wastes. A total of more than 100 fungal cultures were examined for their potential in enzyme production. All the fungal strains were screened using X-gal and IPTG as inducers in the modified Czapek Dox Agar medium. Among the various isolated fungal strains, the strain exhibiting the highest enzyme activity was chosen for further phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The strain was identified as Rhizomucor pusillus on the basis of 5.8s RNA gene sequencing data.

Keywords: beta-galactosidase, enzyme, fungal, isolation

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Authors: Juliana Janet R. Martin-Puzon, Demetrio L. Valle, Windell L. Rivera

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This study aimed to determine the presence of bioactive phytochemical constituents and evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activities of Glinus oppositifolius or carpet weed, a plant valued for its use in traditional medicine and as a vegetable. The leaves, stems, and roots were extracted using chloroform, ethanol, and methanol. Phytochemical screening revealed that the entire G. oppositifolius plant, i.e. roots, stems, and leaves, is a rich source of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, sterols, tannins, and triterpenes. The antibacterial activity of the leaf and stem extracts were evaluated through disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and bactericidal concentration assays against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESβL+), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and metallo-β-lactamase-producing (MβL+) Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. The leaf extracts revealed antibacterial activities, inhibiting the growth of non-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumanii. In conclusion, the various biological activities of G. oppositifolius, including its antibacterial activity, are due to the presence of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites. The presence of phytochemical compounds in G. oppositifolius is scientific evidence on its use for treatment of many ailments. Thus, the results demonstrate the great potential of the plant as a new, alternative source of antimicrobials and other components with therapeutic value.

Keywords: antibacterial, Glinus oppositifolius, multidrug-resistant, secondary metabolites

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Authors: Klytaimnistra Katsara, George Kenanakis, Eleftherios Alissandrakis, Vassilis M. Papadakis

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In recent decades, microplastics (MPs) attracted the interest of the research community as the level of environmental plastic pollution has increased over the years. Through air inhalation and food consumption, MPs enter the human body, creating a series of possible health issues. The majority of MPs enter through the digestive tract; they migrate from the plastic packaging of the foodstuffs. Several plastics, such as Polyethylene (PE), are commonly used as food packaging material due to their preservation and storage capabilities. In this work, the surfaces of three different cured meat products with varied fat compositions were studied (bacon, mortadella, and salami) to determine the migration of MPs from plastic packaging. Micro-Raman spectroscopic measurements were performed in an experimental set lasting 28 days, where the meat samples were stored in vacuum-sealed low-density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches under refrigeration conditions at 4°C. Specific measurement days (0, 3, 9, 12, 15, and 28 days of storage) were chosen to obtain comparative results. Raman micro-spectroscopy was used to monitor the MPs migration, where the Raman spectral profile of LDPE first appeared on day 9 in Bacon, day 15 in Salami, and finally, on day 28 in Mortadella. All the meat samples on day 28 were tainted because a layer of bacterial outgrowth had developed on their surface. In conclusion, MP migration from food packaging to the surface of the cured meat samples was proven. To minimize the consumption of MPs in cured meat products that are stored in plastic packaging, a short period of storage time under refrigeration conditions is advised.

Keywords: cured meat, food packaging, low-density polyethylene, microplastic migration, micro-Raman spectroscopy

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Authors: Abdulrahman Abdulhamid Arabo, Raji Arabi Bamanga, Mujiburrahman Fadilu, Musa Abubakar, Fatima Abdullahi Shehu, Hafeez Muhammad Yakasai, Nasiru Abdullahi

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The aim of this study was to isolate and identify biosurfactant-producing and diesel alkanes degrading bacteria. For this reason, bacteria isolated from the diesel-contaminated site were screened for their potential to produce biosurfactants and degrade diesel alkanes. Primary selection of diesel degraders was carried out by using the conventional enrichment culture technique, where 12 bacterial strains were isolated based on their ability to grow on minimal media supplemented with diesel as the sole carbon source, which was followed by qualitative screening methods for potential biosurfactant production. Isolate B11 was the only candidate that showed positive signs for drop collapse, foaming, hemolytic test, oil displacement of more than 22 ± 0.05 mm, and emulsification (E24) of 14 ± 0.30%. The effect of various culture parameters (incubation time, diesel concentration, nitrogen source, pH and temperature) on the biodegradation of diesel was evaluated. The optimum incubation time was confirmed to be 120 days for isolate B11, and the optimum PH was confirmed as 8.0 for the isolate; similarly, the optimum temperature was confirmed as 35oC. In addition, diesel oil was used as the sole carbon source for the isolates. The favorable diesel concentration was 12.5 % (v/v) for the isolate. The isolate has shown degradative ability towards Tridecane (C13), dodecane, 2, 6, 10-trimethyl- (C15), Tetradecane (C14), 2,6,10-Trimethyltridecane (C16), Pentadecane (C15). It degraded between 0.27% - 9.65% of individual diesel oil alkanes. The strain has exhibited the potential of degrading diesel oil n-alkanes and was identified as Alcaligenes species strain B11 (MZ027604) using the 16S rRNA. Sequencing.

Keywords: diesel oil, biosurfactant, Alcaligenes sp, biodegradation

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Authors: Muhammad Imran Nisar, Fyezah Jehan, Tauseef Akhund, Sadia Shakoor, Kanwal Nayani, Furqan Kabir, Asad Ali, Anita Zaidi

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Pneumococcal Vaccine -10 (PCV 10) was included in the Expanded Program of immunization (EPI) in Sindh, Pakistan in February 2013. This study was carried out immediately before the introduction of PCV 10 to establish baseline pneumococcal carriage and prevalent serotypes in naso-pharynx of children 3-11 months of age in an urban and rural community in Sindh, Pakistan. An additional sample of children aged 12 to 59 months was drawn from the urban community. Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from a random sample of children. Samples were processed in a central laboratory in Karachi. Pneumococci were cultured on 5% Sheep Blood Agar and serotyping was performed using CDC standardized sequential multiplex PCR assay on bacterial colonies. Serotypes were then categorized into vaccine (PCV-10 and PCV-13) type and non-vaccine types. A total of 670 children were enrolled. Carriage rate for pneumococcus based on culture positivity was 74% and 79.5 % in the infant group in Karachi and Matiari respectively. Carriage rate was 78.2% for children aged 12 to 59 months in Karachi. Proportion of PCV 10 serotypes in infants was 38.8% and 33.5% in Karachi and Matiari respectively. In the older age group in Karachi, the proportion was 30.6%. Most common serotypes were 6A, 6B, 23F, 19A and 18C. This survey establishes vaccine and non-vaccine serotype carriage rate in a vaccine-naïve pediatric population among rural and urban communities in Sindh province. Annually planned surveys in the same communities will inform change in carriage rate after the introduction and uptake of PCV 10 in these communities.

Keywords: Naso-Pharyngeal carriage, Pakistan, PCV10, Pneumococcus

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Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen

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Valproate (VPA) is commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and epilepsy. The mechanism is complicated, including its ability to inhibit histone deacetylases (HDACs). Here, we show that VPA attenuated VEGF gene expression and the morphological changes in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) induced by photocoagulation in retina. C57BL/6 mice were injected subcutaneously at 300mg/kg twice daily with VPA before insult. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and VEGF-B were examined in the eyes of VPA-treated mice and in human retinal pigment epithelial cell lines (ARPE-19) exposed to VPA. In addition, CNV was induced by photocoagulation in mice injected with VPA, and the volume of CNV was compared by fluorescence-labeled choroidal flat mount. Morphological changes were analyzed on stained histological sections. Western blot analysis was used to determine protein levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-B, and acetylation of histone H3 in each group. VPA injected intraperitoneally attenuated the VEGF-A and VEGF-B expression in the retina, accompanied by the hyperacetylation of retina tissue, indicating that VPA acts directly on retina tissues through acetylation to reduce the expression of VEGF. VPA also attenuated the VEGF-A mRNA expression in the retinal pigment epithelium showed by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the administration of VPA significantly attenuated photocoagulation-induced CNV in mice. These results demonstrate that VPA attenuated VEGF production in retina associated with choroidal neovascularization possibly via the HDAC inhibition.

Keywords: retina, acetylation, chorodial neovascularization, vascular endothelial growth factor

Procedia PDF Downloads 179

Authors: Xiao L Dai, Wen X Wei, Shuo Wang, Jia B Li, Yan Wei

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Heavy oil pollution generated from both natural and anthropogenic sources could cause significant damages to the ecological environment, due to the toxicity of some of its constituents. Nowadays, microbial remediation is becoming a promising technology to treat oil pollution owing to its low cost and prevention of secondary pollution; microorganisms are key players in the process. Compared to the free microorganisms, immobilized microorganisms possess several advantages, including high metabolic activity rates, strong resistance to toxic chemicals and natural competition with the indigenous microorganisms, and effective resistance to washing away (in open water system). Many immobilized microorganisms have been successfully used for bioremediation of heavy oil pollution. Considering the broad choices, low cost, simple process, large specific surface area and less impact on microbial activity, modified zeolite were selected as a bio-carrier for bacteria immobilization. Three strains of heavy oil-degrading bacteria Bacillus sp. DL-13, Brevibacillus sp. DL-1 and Acinetobacter sp. DL-34 were immobilized on the modified zeolite under mild conditions, and the bacterial load (bacteria /modified zeolite) was 1.12 mg/g, 1.11 mg/g, and 1.13 mg/g, respectively. SEM results showed that the bacteria mainly adsorbed on the surface or punctured in the void of modified zeolite. The heavy oil degradation efficiency of immobilized bacteria was 62.96%, higher than that of the free bacteria (59.83%). The heavy oil degradation process of immobilized bacteria accords with the first-order reaction equation, and the reaction rate constant is 0.1483 d⁻¹, which was significantly higher than the free bacteria (0.1123 d⁻¹), suggesting that the immobilized bacteria can rapidly start up the heavy oil degradation and has a high activity of heavy oil degradation. The results suggested that immobilized bacteria are promising technology for bioremediation of oil pollution.

Keywords: heavy oil pollution, microbial remediation, modified zeolite, immobilized bacteria

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: K. Hinde, R. Bookun, P. Tran

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Percutaneous CT guided biopsies provide a fast, minimally invasive, cost effective and safe method for obtaining tissue for histopathology and culture. Standards for diagnostic yield vary depending on whether the tissue is being obtained for histopathology or culture. We present a retrospective audit from Western Health in Melbourne Australia over a 12-month period which aimed to determine the diagnostic yield, technical success and complication rate for CT guided bone biopsies and identify factors affecting these results. The digital imaging storage program (Synapse Picture Archiving and Communication System – Fujifilm Australia) was analysed with key word searches from October 2015 to October 2016. Nineteen CT guided bone biopsies were performed during this time. The most common referring unit was oncology, work up imaging included CT, MRI, bone scan and PET scan. The complication rate was 0%, overall diagnostic yield was 74% with a technical success of 95%. When performing biopsies for histologic analysis diagnostic yield was 85% and when performing biopsies for bacterial culture diagnostic yield was 60%. There was no significant relationship identified between size of lesion, distance of lesion to skin, lesion appearance on CT, the number of samples taken or gauge of needle to diagnostic yield or technical success. CT guided bone biopsy at Western Health meets the standard reported at other major clinical centres for technical success and safety. It is a useful investigation in identification of primary malignancy in distal bone metastases.

Keywords: bone biopsy, computed tomography, core biopsy, histopathology

Procedia PDF Downloads 187

Authors: Bin Mu, Site Li, Shijin Yuan

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Under the circumstance of environment deterioration, people are increasingly concerned about the quality of the environment, especially air quality. As a result, it is of great value to give accurate and timely forecast of AQI (air quality index). In order to simplify influencing factors of air quality in a city, and forecast the city’s AQI tomorrow, this study used MATLAB software and adopted the method of constructing a mathematic model of PCA-GABP to provide a solution. To be specific, this study firstly made principal component analysis (PCA) of influencing factors of AQI tomorrow including aspects of weather, industry waste gas and IAQI data today. Then, we used the back propagation neural network model (BP), which is optimized by genetic algorithm (GA), to give forecast of AQI tomorrow. In order to verify validity and accuracy of PCA-GABP model’s forecast capability. The study uses two statistical indices to evaluate AQI forecast results (normalized mean square error and fractional bias). Eventually, this study reduces mean square error by optimizing individual gene structure in genetic algorithm and adjusting the parameters of back propagation model. To conclude, the performance of the model to forecast AQI is comparatively convincing and the model is expected to take positive effect in AQI forecast in the future.

Keywords: AQI forecast, principal component analysis, genetic algorithm, back propagation neural network model

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Authors: George Abu-Aqil, Leah Tsror, Elad Shufan, Shaul Mordechai, Mahmoud Huleihel, Ahmad Salman

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Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp which negatively affect a wide range of crops are the main causes of the aggressive diseases of agricultural crops. These aggressive diseases are responsible for a huge economic loss in agriculture including a severe decrease in the quality of the stored vegetables and fruits. Therefore, it is important to detect these pathogenic bacteria at their early stages of infection to control their spread and consequently reduce the economic losses. In addition, early detection is vital for producing non-infected propagative material for future generations. The currently used molecular techniques for the identification of these bacteria at the strain level are expensive and laborious. Other techniques require a long time of ~48 h for detection. Thus, there is a clear need for rapid, non-expensive, accurate and reliable techniques for early detection of these bacteria. In this study, infrared spectroscopy, which is a well-known technique with all its features, was used for rapid detection of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. at the strain level. The bacteria were isolated from potato plants and tubers with soft rot symptoms and measured by infrared spectroscopy. The obtained spectra were analyzed using different machine learning algorithms. The performances of our approach for taxonomic classification among the bacterial samples were evaluated in terms of success rates. The success rates for the correct classification of the genus, species and strain levels were ~100%, 95.2% and 92.6% respectively.

Keywords: soft rot enterobacteriaceae (SRE), pectobacterium, dickeya, plant infections, potato, solanum tuberosum, infrared spectroscopy, machine learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Sean T. S. Wei, Joy D. Van Nostrand, Annapoorna Maitrayee Ganeshram, Stephen B. Pointing

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McMurdo Dry Valleys are a largely ice-free polar desert protected by international treaty as an Antarctic special managed area. The terrestrial landscape is dominated by oligotrophic mineral soil with extensive rocky outcrops. Several environmental stresses: low temperature, lack of liquid water, UV exposure and oligotrophic substrates, restrict the major biotic component to microorganisms. The bacterial diversity and the putative physiological capacity of microbial communities of quartz rocks (hypoliths) and soil of a maritime-influenced Dry Valleys were interrogated by two metagenomic approaches: 454 pyro-sequencing and Geochp DNA microarray. The most abundant phylum in hypoliths was Cyanobacteria (46%), whereas in solils Actinobacteria (31%) were most abundant. The Proteobacteria and Bacteriodetes were the only other phyla to comprise >10% of both communities. Carbon fixation was indicated by photoautotrophic and chemoautotrophic pathways for both hypolith and soil communities. The fungi accounted for polymer carbon transformations, particularly for aromatic compounds. The complete nitrogen cycling was observed in both communities. The fungi in particular displayed pathways related to ammonification. Environmental stress response pathways were common among bacteria, whereas the nutrient stress response pathways were more widely present in bacteria, archaea and fungi. The diversity of bacterialphage was also surveyed by Geochip. Data suggested that different substrates supported different viral families: Leviviridae, Myoviridae, Podoviridae and Siphoviridiae were ubiquitous. However, Corticoviridae and Microviridae only occurred in wetter soils.

Keywords: Antarctica, hypolith, soil, dry valleys, geochip, functional diversity, stress response

Procedia PDF Downloads 436

Authors: Sadhana Shukla, Pushplata Singh, Nidhi Didwania

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a highly advantageous and versatile group of fungi that significantly contribute to the formation of soil organic matter by creating a demand for plant carbon (C) and distributing it through below-ground hyphal biomass, regardless of their substantial contribution in enhancing net primary productivity and accumulating additional photosynthetic fixed C in the soil. The genetic role of AM fungi in carbon cycling is largely unexplored. In our study, we propose that AM fungi significantly interact with the soil, particularly: the provision of photosynthates by plants. We have studied the expression of AM fungi genes involved in CO₂ sequestration during host-plant interaction was investigated by qPCR studies. We selected Rhizophagus proliferus (AM fungi) and Oryza sativa (Rice) (inoculated with or without 200ppg AMF inoculums per plant) and investigated the effect of AM fungi on soil organic carbon (SOC) and rice growth under field conditions. Results thus provided faster SOC turnover, 35% increased nutrient uptake in plants and pronounced hyphal biomass of AM fungi which enhanced soil carbon storage by 15% in comparison to uninoculated plants. This study will offer a foundation for delving into various carbon-soil studies while also advancing our comprehension of the relationship between AM fungi and the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems.

Keywords: arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, carbon sequestration, gene expression, soil health, plant development.

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Authors: Lidija R. Jevrić, Sanja O. Podunavac-Kuzmanović, Strahinja Z. Kovačević

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Quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) analysis was used to predict the chromatographic behavior of s-triazine derivatives by using theoretical descriptors computed from the chemical structure. Fundamental basis of the reported investigation is to relate molecular topological descriptors with chromatographic behavior of s-triazine derivatives obtained by reversed-phase (RP) thin layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel impregnated with paraffin oil and applied ethanol-water (φ = 0.5-0.8; v/v). Retention parameter (RM0) of 14 investigated s-triazine derivatives was used as dependent variable while simple connectivity index different orders were used as independent variables. The best QSRR model for predicting RM0 value was obtained with simple third order connectivity index (3χ) in the second-degree polynomial equation. Numerical values of the correlation coefficient (r=0.915), Fisher's value (F=28.34) and root mean square error (RMSE = 0.36) indicate that model is statistically significant. In order to test the predictive power of the QSRR model leave-one-out cross-validation technique has been applied. The parameters of the internal cross-validation analysis (r2CV=0.79, r2adj=0.81, PRESS=1.89) reflect the high predictive ability of the generated model and it confirms that can be used to predict RM0 value. Multivariate classification technique, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), has been applied in order to group molecules according to their molecular connectivity indices. HCA is a descriptive statistical method and it is the most frequently used for important area of data processing such is classification. The HCA performed on simple molecular connectivity indices obtained from the 2D structure of investigated s-triazine compounds resulted in two main clusters in which compounds molecules were grouped according to the number of atoms in the molecule. This is in agreement with the fact that these descriptors were calculated on the basis of the number of atoms in the molecule of the investigated s-triazine derivatives.

Keywords: s-triazines, QSRR, chemometrics, chromatography, molecular descriptors

Procedia PDF Downloads 378

Authors: Majid Javanmard

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Edible mushrooms are those agricultural products which contain high quantity of protein and can have special role in human diet. So search for methods to increase their shelf life is important. One of these strategies can be use of active packaging for absorb the ethylene which has been studied in present study. In this study, initially, production of impregnating zeolite with potassium permanganate has been studied with zeolite clinoptiolite available in iran. After that, these ethylene scavengers were placed in the package of edible mushrooms and then transferred to the refrigerator with temperature 4c for a period of 20 days. Each 5 days, several experiments accomplished on edible mushrooms such as weight loss, moisture content, color, texture, bacterial experiments and sensory evaluation. After production of impregnating zeolite with potassium permanganate (with a concentration of %2.5, %5, %7.5, %10 and %12.5) by zeolite type clinoptiolite (with mesh 35 and 60), samples have been analyzed with gas chromatography and titration with sodium oxalate. The results showed that zeolite by concentration of %5, %7.5 and %10 potassium permanganate and mesh 60 have a higher efficiency. Results from the experiments on edible mushrooms proved that impregnated zeolite with potassium permanganate have a meaningful influence in prevent the weight loss, decrease of moisture content and L-value, increase of a-value and overall color change (ΔE) and decrease of firmness texture of mushrooms. In addition, these absorbents can influence on decrease microbial load (mesophilic bacteria) rather than control. Generally, concluded that the impregnated zeolite with 10% permanganate potassium has a high efficiency on increase the shelf life of fresh edible mushrooms.

Keywords: active packaging, ethylene scavenger, zeolite clinoptiolite, permanganate potassium, shelf life

Procedia PDF Downloads 400

Authors: Preeyarach Whisetkhan, Malai Taweechotipatr, Ulisa Pachekrepapol

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Elevated level of blood cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia may lead to atherosclerosis and poses a major risk for cardiovascular diseases. Probiotics play a crucial role in human health, and probiotic bacteria that possesses bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity can be used to lower cholesterol level of the host. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional Thai fermented foods were able to exhibit bile salt hydrolase activity and their use in fermented milk. A total of 28 isolates were tested for BSH activity by plate method on MRS agar supplemented with 0.5% sodium salt of taurodeoxycholic acid and incubated at 37°C for 48 h under anaerobic condition. The results showed that FN1-1 and FN23-3 isolates possessed strong BSH activity. FN1-1 and FN23-3 isolates were then identified for phenotype, biochemical characteristics, and genotype (16S rRNA sequencing). FN1-1 isolate showed 99.92% similarity to Lactobacillus pentosus DSM 20314(T), while FN23-3 isolate showed 99.94% similarity to Enterococcus faecium CGMCC1.2136 (T). Lactobacillus pentosus FN1-1 and Enterococcus faecium FN23-3 were tolerant of pH 3-4 and 0.3 and 0.8% bile. Bacterial count and pH of milk fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus FN1-1 at 37°C and 43°C were investigated. The results revealed that Lactobacillus pentosus FN1-1 was able to grow in milk, which led to decrease in pH level. Fermentation at 37°C resulted in faster growth rate than at 43 °C. Lactobacillus pentosus FN1-1 was a candidate probiotic to be used in fermented milk products to reduce the risk of high-cholesterol diseases.

Keywords: probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, bile salt hydrolase, cholesterol

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Chia-Jung Li, Kuan-Hao Tsui

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As women age, the quality of their oocytes deteriorates irreversibly, leading to reduced fertility. To better understand the role of Ferroptosis-related genes in ovarian aging, we employed a multi-omics analysis approach, including spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, human ovarian pathology, and clinical biopsies. Our study identified excess lipid peroxide accumulation in aging germ cells, metal ion accumulation via oxidative reduction, and the interaction between ferroptosis and cellular energy metabolism. We used multi-histological prediction of ferroptosis key genes to evaluate 75 patients with ovarian aging insufficiency and then analyzed changes in hub genes after supplementing with DHEA, Ubiquinol CoQ10, and Cleo-20 T3 for two months. Our results demonstrated a significant increase in TFRC, GPX4, NCOA4, and SLC3A2, which were consistent with our multi-component prediction. We theorized that these supplements increase the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) or electron transport chain (ETC), thereby increasing antioxidant enzyme GPX4 levels and reducing lipid peroxide accumulation and ferroptosis. Overall, our findings suggest that supplementation intervention significantly improves IVF outcomes in senescent cells by enhancing metal ion and energy metabolism and enhancing oocyte quality in aging women.

Keywords: multi-omics, nutrients, ferroptosis, ovarian aging

Procedia PDF Downloads 84