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International Health Sep 2020The present study was carried out to investigate the tap water quality of public toilets in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
BACKGROUND
The present study was carried out to investigate the tap water quality of public toilets in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
METHODS
Water samples from the taps of the public toilets were collected in sterile containers and physicochemical and bacteriological analysis was performed using standard methods. Also, genotypic and phenotypic characterization of the bacterial isolates was performed using different biochemical tests and 16S ribosomal RNA analysis. An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using antibiotics based on their mode of action. A biofilm assay was performed to assess the adhesion potential of the isolates.
RESULTS
A total of 25 bacterial isolates were identified from the water samples, including Acinetobacter junii, Acinetobacter pittii, Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus marisflavi, Bacillus flexus, Bacillus oceanisediminis, Pseudomonas otitidis, Pseudomonas sp. RR013, Pseudomonas sp. RR021, Pseudomonas sp. RR022, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae. The results of the antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that the antibiotics cefodroxil, aztreonam, nitrofurantoin, cefepime, ceftazidime and amoxyclav were found to be mostly ineffective against various isolates. The biofilm assay revealed the weak, moderate and strong biofilm producers among them.
CONCLUSIONS
The tap water in the public toilets was microbially contaminated and needs to be monitored carefully. The antibiotic susceptibility profile showed that of 25 bacterial isolates, 5 were multidrug resistant. Bacterial isolates exhibited strong to weak adhesion potential in the biofilm assay.
Topics: Acinetobacter; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacillus; Bacterial Infections; Bathroom Equipment; Biofilms; Genotype; Humans; India; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phenotype; Pseudomonas; Water; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 31693132
DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihz074 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2021causes deadly primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. Humans obtain the infection by inhaling water or dust contaminated with amebae into the nostrils,...
causes deadly primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. Humans obtain the infection by inhaling water or dust contaminated with amebae into the nostrils, wherefrom the pathogen migrates via the olfactory nerve to cause brain inflammation and necrosis. Current PAM treatment is ineffective and toxic. Seeking new effective and less toxic drugs for the environmental control of the amoeba population to reduce human exposure is logical for the management of infection. On the basis of the concept of competitive exclusion, where environmental microorganisms compete for resources by secreting factors detrimental to other organisms, we tested cell-free culture supernatants (CFSs) of three bacteria isolated from a fresh water canal, i.e., , , and , were tested against . The CFSs inhibited growth and caused morphological changes in . At low dose, trophozoites exposed to pyocyanin were seen to shrink and become rounded, while at high dose, the trophozoites were fragmented. While the precise molecular mechanisms of pyocyanin and products of and that also exert anti- activity await clarification. Our findings suggest that pyocyanin may have a role in the control of amphizoic in the environment.
PubMed: 33535404
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020142 -
Biologia Futura Sep 2023To study how biofilm-forming rhizobacteria isolated from mines and dumpsites improved the phytoremediation efficacy of B. juncea in metal-contaminated soil. Out of 91...
Biofilm-forming plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial consortia isolated from mines and dumpsites assist green remediation of toxic metal (Ni and Pb) using Brassica juncea.
To study how biofilm-forming rhizobacteria isolated from mines and dumpsites improved the phytoremediation efficacy of B. juncea in metal-contaminated soil. Out of 91 isolates, six were chosen for research based on their tolerance to metals, and their efficient PGPR properties, and subjected to the design of a consortium. A compatibility study revealed no antagonistic interaction between rhizobacterial-consortiums. The results of the biofilm formation and FEG-SEM studies revealed that a consortium-BC8 formed a strong biofilm on the root surface of B. juncea seedlings. Based on results obtained with the phytoextraction efficiency of B. juncea in consortium-BC8 (SMHMZ46 and SMHMP23), they were identified as Klebsiella variicola and Pseudomonas otitidis, respectively, and submitted to NCBI GenBank with accession numbers MZ145092 and OK560623. This rhizobacteria is the first to be reported as assisting Ni and Pb phytoremediation by employing B. juncea. Soil inoculation with consortium-BC8 increased the amount of soluble Ni and Pb by 13.25-fold and 10.69-fold, respectively, when compared to the control. These consortiums-BC8 significantly increased vegetative growth and metal accumulation in root and shoot with a translocation-factor of 1.58 for Ni and soil to root with a bioconcentration-factor of 1.3 for Pb in B. juncea grown in individual soil contamination with 96.05 mg/kg NiCl and 89.63 mg/kg Pb(NO), which are significantly higher than other consortium treatments and the non-inoculated control. B. juncea amendments with a biofilm-forming consortium-BC8 having TF, BCF, and BAC > 1 for Ni, whereas BCF > 1, TF, and BAC < 1 for Pb, are appropriate for green remediation of Ni and phytostabilization of Pb.
PubMed: 37733193
DOI: 10.1007/s42977-023-00179-y -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021Recently, the application of endophytes in the alleviation of different types of stresses has received considerable attention, but their role in drought stress...
Recently, the application of endophytes in the alleviation of different types of stresses has received considerable attention, but their role in drought stress alleviation and growth promotion in soybean is not well-stated. In this study, twenty bacterial endophytes were isolated from soybean root tissues and screened for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, biocontrol potential, and drought stress alleviation. Out of them, 80% showed PGP traits, and 20% showed antagonistic activity against (ITCC 2389), (ITCC 1800), and (ITCC 3467), and only three of them showed drought tolerance up to 15% (-0.3 MPa). Results indicated that drought-tolerant PGP endophytic bacteria enhanced soybean seedling growth under drought stress conditions. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization (16S rRNA) revealed that these three bacterial isolates, AKAD A1-1, AKAD A1-2, and AKAD A1-16, closely resemble (GenBank accession No. MN079048), (MW301101), and sp. (MN079074), respectively. We observed that the soybean seedlings were grown in well-watered and drought-stressed soil showed the adverse effect of drought stress on morphological (stem length, root length, plant fresh and dry weight) as well as on biochemical parameters (a decline of photosynthetic pigments, membrane damage, etc.). However, soybean seedlings inoculated with these endophytes have improved the biomass significantly ( ≤ 0.05) under normal as well as in drought stress conditions over control treatments by influencing several biochemical changes. Among these three endophytes, AKAD A1-16 performed better than AKAD A1-2 and AKAD A1-1, which was further validated by the ability to produce the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase in the following order: AKAD A1-16 > AKAD A1-2 > AKAD A1-1. Scanning electron microscopy images also showed a bacterial presence inside the roots of soybean seedlings. These findings supported the application of bacterial root endophytes as a potential tool to mitigate the effect of drought as well as of fungal diseases on the early seedling growth of soybean.
Topics: Alternaria; Ascomycota; Bacteria; Droughts; Endophytes; Fusarium; Plant Roots; Pseudomonas; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Glycine max
PubMed: 33494513
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18030931 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jan 2023Nafion by-product 2 (Nafion BP2), an emerging fluorinated sulfonic acid commonly used in polymer electrolyte membrane technologies, has been detected in various...
Nafion by-product 2 (Nafion BP2), an emerging fluorinated sulfonic acid commonly used in polymer electrolyte membrane technologies, has been detected in various environmental and human matrices. To date, however, few studies have explored its toxicity. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to Nafion BP2 at concentrations of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, and 160 mg/L from fertilization to 120 post-fertilization (hpf), and multiple developmental parameters (survival rate, hatching rate, and malformation rate) were then determined. Results showed that Nafion BP2 exposure led to a significant decrease in survival and hatching rates and an increase in malformations. The half maximal effective concentration (EC) of Nafion BP2 for malformation at 120 hpf was 55 mg/L, which is higher than the globally important contaminant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, 6 mg/L). Furthermore, exposure to Nafion BP2 resulted in additional types of malformations compared to PFOS exposure. Pathologically, Nafion BP2 caused abnormal early foregut development, with exfoliation of intestinal mucosa, damage to lamina propria, and aberrant proliferation of lamina propria cells. Nitric oxide content also decreased markedly. In addition, embryos showed an inflammatory response following Nafion BP2 exposure, with significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory factors C4 and IL-6. Acidic mucin in the hindgut increased more than two-fold. 16 S rRNA sequencing revealed a marked increase in the pathogen Pseudomonas otitidis. Furthermore, pathways involved in intestinal protein digestion and absorption, inflammatory response, and immune response were significantly altered. Our findings suggest that the intestine is a crucial toxicity target of Nafion BP2 in zebrafish, thus highlighting the need to evaluate its health risks.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Fluorocarbon Polymers; Homeostasis; Intestines; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Zebrafish
PubMed: 36508837
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114368 -
Biologia 2022Aquaculture is a highly productive and fast-growing agricultural sector. The occurrence of epidemic or sporadic disease outbreak is a major limiting factor in this...
Aquaculture is a highly productive and fast-growing agricultural sector. The occurrence of epidemic or sporadic disease outbreak is a major limiting factor in this sector, thus better alternatives are the need of the hour. Use of indigenous probiotics is a promising strategy to control infectious diseases. Thus, the present study was aimed to screen and characterize potent indigenous probiotics from marine fish, towards enhancing sustainable aquaculture production. Totally 347 bacterial isolates were obtained from gastrointestinal tract, out of these, four isolates (KAF121, 124, 135, 136) were confirmed as potent probiotics in terms of biosafety, highly resistant to acidic pH, gastric juice, bile salt, high hydrophobicity to solvents, auto and co-aggregation potential. These four isolates also exhibited virtuous antioxidant activity. Further the isolates, KAF124 and 135 proved their efficiency in growth and survival of fish after challenged againt . The isolates were identified based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence and the data were submitted to Genbank as KAF121 (MH393516) KAF124 (MH393226) KAF135 (MH393230) and KAF136 (MH393230). The results conclude that two isolates, KAF124 and KAF135 are highly safe and potent probiotics which are first time isolated from the marine fish The two strains could be used as better alternatives to antibiotics and other chemical-based drugs to prevent/control infectious diseases in aquaculture.
PubMed: 35034969
DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00957-w -
Water Environment Research : a Research... Dec 2019More than 2.1 billion people worldwide are deprived of safe drinking water at homes. The situation is strikingly worse in a developing country like Pakistan where over...
More than 2.1 billion people worldwide are deprived of safe drinking water at homes. The situation is strikingly worse in a developing country like Pakistan where over 69% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. The present study evaluated a perenial herb, Typha angustata (TA), to purify the spring water. For this purpose, 25 water samples were collected. Majority of samples (20/25) were highly contaminated with microbes ranging colony forming units (CFU) per millileter per Petri dish ranged from 85 to 279 with an average of 136.4. Microbial inhibition of water samples treated with the nonmodified plant extract was observed to be better with the average of 55.5% compared to the treatment with NaOH chemically modified plant where average 46.4% inhibition of microbial load was observed. Four species of microbes such as Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas otitidis, and Streptococcus agalactiae were identified after sequencing. We concluded that T. angustata extract may be used as an antibacterial agent/biosorbent for the purification of drinking water to provide safe drinking water to billions of humans. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Spring water samples were collected from 25 different springs. Spring water samples were analyzed for physiochemical parameters. Spring water samples were found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, that is, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas otitidis, and Streptococcus agalactiae. Pathogenic bacteria in spring water samples were treated with extract of Typha angustata. Extract of Typha angustata was found as a potential antibacterial agent against pathogenic bacteria.
Topics: Bacteria; Humans; Pakistan; Typhaceae; Water Microbiology; Water Supply
PubMed: 31306534
DOI: 10.1002/wer.1182 -
Canadian Journal of Microbiology Apr 2019An important mechanism for microbial resistance to mercury is its reduction into elemental mercury (facilitated by the merA gene). Thirty-eight microbial isolates from a...
An important mechanism for microbial resistance to mercury is its reduction into elemental mercury (facilitated by the merA gene). Thirty-eight microbial isolates from a variety of wastewater sources in Egypt were collected. Approximately 14 of the 38 isolates exhibited not only a high degree of tolerance to mercury (up to 160 ppm) but also a high degree of resistance to other tested heavy metals (Cu, Co, Ni, and Zn). From these 14, the 10 most resistant isolates were selected for further study and were found to include 9 Gram-negative and 1 Gram-positive bacterial strains. Multi-antibiotic-resistance profiles were detected for 6 out of the 10 selected isolates. All the tested Gram-negative isolates (n = 9) harbored a plasmid-encoded merA gene. The mercury removal effectiveness for the 10 selected isolates ranged between 50% and 99.9%, among which Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ADW10 recorded the highest rate (99.9%; at an initial mercury concentration of 20 ppm). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to (i) demonstrate the presence of a multimetal-resistant S. maltophilia bacterium with a high mercury tolerance capacity that would make it a suitable candidate for future bioremediation efforts in heavy-metal-polluted areas in Egypt and (ii) report Pseudomonas otitidis as one of the mercury-resistant bacteria.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Egypt; Genes, Bacterial; Mercury; Metals, Heavy; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Oxidoreductases; Plasmids; Pseudomonas; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; Wastewater; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 30633555
DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2018-0379 -
Microorganisms Jun 2021The rhizobacterium AVO110 exhibits antagonism toward the phytopathogenic fungus . This strain efficiently colonizes hyphae and is able to feed on their exudates. Here,...
The rhizobacterium AVO110 exhibits antagonism toward the phytopathogenic fungus . This strain efficiently colonizes hyphae and is able to feed on their exudates. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of AVO110. The phylogeny of all available genomes separates environmental isolates, including AVO110, from those obtained from infected human blood and oyster tissues, which cluster together with . Core and pan-genome analyses showed that strains encode highly heterogenic gene pools, with the AVO110 genome encoding the largest and most exclusive variable region (~1.6 Mb, 1795 genes). The AVO110 singletons include a wide repertoire of genes related to biofilm formation, several of which are transcriptionally modulated by exudates. One of these genes () encodes a GGDEF/EAL domain protein specific to spp. strains isolated primarily from the rhizosphere of diverse plants, but also from soil and water samples. We also show that CmpA has a role in biofilm formation and that the integrity of its EAL domain is involved in this function. This study contributes to a better understanding of the niche-specific adaptations and lifestyles of , including the mycophagous behavior of strain AVO110.
PubMed: 34202389
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071388 -
Protoplasma Jul 2016Thermoplastic-based materials are recalcitrant in nature, which extensive use affect environmental health. Here, we attempt to compare the response of indigenously...
Thermoplastic-based materials are recalcitrant in nature, which extensive use affect environmental health. Here, we attempt to compare the response of indigenously produced bacterial consortium-I and consortium-II in degrading polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These consortia were developed by using different combination of bacterial strains of Pseudomonas otitidis, Bacillus cereus, and Acanthopleurobacter pedis from waste disposal sites of Northern India after their identification via 16S rDNA sequencing. The progressive degradation of PVC by consortia was examined via scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV-vis, FT-IR spectra, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis at different incubations and time intervals. The consortium-II was superior over consortium-I in degrading the PVC. Further, the carbon source utilization analysis revealed that the extensive use of consortia has not any effect on functional diversity of native soil microbes.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Microbial Consortia; Molecular Typing; Polyvinyl Chloride; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 26231814
DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0855-9