-
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Given the increasing pressure on water bodies, it is imperative to explore sustainable methodologies for wastewater treatment and reuse. The simultaneous presence of...
Given the increasing pressure on water bodies, it is imperative to explore sustainable methodologies for wastewater treatment and reuse. The simultaneous presence of multiples contaminants in complex wastewater, such as the liquid effluents from biogas plants, can compromise biological treatment effectiveness for reclaiming water. Vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands were established as low-cost decentralized wastewater treatment technologies to treat the liquid fraction of digestate from municipal organic waste with metals, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes, to allow its reuse in irrigation. Twelve lab-scale planted constructed wetlands were assembled with gravel, light expanded clay aggregate and sand, testing four different treating conditions (liquid digestate spiked with oxytetracycline, sulfadiazine, or ofloxacin, at 100 μg/ L, or without dosing) during 3 months. Physicochemical parameters (pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients, metals, and antibiotics), the microbial communities dynamics (through 16S high-throughput sequencing) and antibiotic resistance genes removal (qPCR) were monitored in influents and effluents. Systems removed 85.8%-96.9% of organic matter (as COD), over 98.1% of ammonium and phosphate ions, and 69.3%-99.4% of nitrate and nitrite ions, with no significant differences between the presence or absence of antibiotics. Removal of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr exceeded 82% in all treatment cycles. The treatment also removed oxytetracycline, sulfadiazine and ofloxacin over 99%, and decreased , and gene copies. Nonetheless, after 3 months of ofloxacin dosing, gene started being detected. Removal processes relied on high HRT (14 days) and various mechanisms including sorption, biodegradation, and precipitation. Microbial community diversity in liquid digestate changed significantly after treatment in constructed wetlands with a decrease in the initial Firmicutes dominance, but with no clear effect of antibiotics on the microbial community structure. Removals above 85% and 94% were observed for and respectively. Results suggest that vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands were a suitable technology for treating the liquid digestate to reuse it in irrigation agricultural systems, contributing to the circular bioeconomy concept. However, a more profound understanding of effective wastewater treatment strategies is needed to avoid antibiotic resistance genes dissemination.
PubMed: 38903785
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1388895 -
BioMed Research International 2024In a research experiment, 48 male Wistar rats were anesthetized and second-degree burns were induced on their backs. The rats' wounds were then uniformly inoculated with...
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In a research experiment, 48 male Wistar rats were anesthetized and second-degree burns were induced on their backs. The rats' wounds were then uniformly inoculated with MRSA. Various treatments were applied to the burn wounds daily, including Myrtus ointment, silver nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles-Myrtus ointment, silver sulfadiazine-Myrtus ointment, silver sulfadiazine 1%, mupirocin ointment, and a positive control. The study measured the antimicrobial effects, wound area, percentage of wound healing, antioxidant capacities, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide concentrations in the serum of the rats. Data analysis was performed using GraphPad software, with one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests used to determine the statistical significance of the results.
RESULTS
Rats treated with Myrtus ointment, silver nanoparticles-Myrtus ointment, and mupirocin had reduced bacterial growth compared to the positive control group, nanoparticle ointment, and silver sulfadiazine ( < 0.05). The wound area of the Myrtus ointment group decreased significantly on the seventh and fourteenth days, as well as the level of MDA and nitric oxide, compared to the other groups. In Myrtus and silver sulfadiazine-Myrtus ointment increased the thickness of the epidermis and dermis compared to the other groups.
CONCLUSION
Based on the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound healing properties of Myrtus, with further studies, an ointment of this plant may be used as a main or complementary treatment for burn wound infections caused by MRSA.
Topics: Animals; Wound Healing; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Burns; Plant Extracts; Male; Ointments; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Plant Leaves; Myrtus; Anti-Infective Agents; Wound Infection; Staphylococcal Infections; Metal Nanoparticles; Silver Sulfadiazine
PubMed: 38899039
DOI: 10.1155/2024/6758817 -
American Journal of Translational... 2024High doses of radiation, while effective at destroying tumor tissues, also result in radiation dermatitis (RD) at irradiated sites, which is one of the most common... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
High doses of radiation, while effective at destroying tumor tissues, also result in radiation dermatitis (RD) at irradiated sites, which is one of the most common complications in cancer radiotherapy. Currently, no standardized protocols for the prevention and treatment of RD have been established in clinical practices, and severe RD can compromise treatment efficacy and reduce patients' quality of life. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aims to compare the effectiveness of various interventions in preventing RD in patients.
METHODS
As of June 2023, four databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, were searched, with a total of 19 interventions obtained for comparative analysis of their effectiveness in preventing RD. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was employed to screen literature, extract data, and appraise the quality of the studies by two researchers. Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted utilizing StataSE 15 and R 4.2.3.
RESULTS
A total of 33 studies involving 4307 patients were included in this analysis. From the 33 studies, 19 interventions, encompassing Barrier Films and Dressings (BFD), Boron_Gel, Best supportive care, Corticosteroids_cream, Doxepin_cream, Eau Thermale Avèn_gel, Epidermal Growth Factor_cream, Hyaluronan_cream, Medicinal_Plants, Mineral_Oil, Olive oil and calcium hydroxide (OOCH), Photobiomodulation therapy, Recove_cream, Silicone_gel, Silver sulfadiazine (SSD), Timolol_Gel, Trolamine, VitD_Gel, and VitE_Gel, were retrieved and compared. The NMA results indicated that Hyaluronan_cream (SUCRA: 94.9%) was highly effective in preventing Grade 0/1 RD. Meanwhile, OOCH (SUCRA: 95.7%) demonstrated the most prominent effect in preventing ≥ Grade 2 RD.
CONCLUSION
The study reveals that Hyaluronan_cream and OOCH are two promising treatments for the prevention of RD in patients undergoing radiotherapy. Future research might focus on validating the efficacy of these two therapies with large sample sizes and on identifying an optimal intervention strategy.
PubMed: 38883361
DOI: 10.62347/XLGT5405 -
JAMA Network Open Jun 2024Peceleganan spray is a novel topical antimicrobial agent targeted for the treatment of skin wound infections. However, its efficacy and safety remain unclear. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
IMPORTANCE
Peceleganan spray is a novel topical antimicrobial agent targeted for the treatment of skin wound infections. However, its efficacy and safety remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety and efficacy of peceleganan spray for the treatment of wound infections.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This multicenter, open-label, phase 3 randomized clinical trial recruited and followed up 570 adult patients diagnosed with secondary open wound infections from 37 hospitals in China from August 23, 2021, to July 16, 2022.
INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomized to 2 groups with a 2:1 allocation. One group received treatment with 2% peceleganan spray (n = 381) and the other with 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream (n = 189).
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary efficacy outcome was the clinical efficacy rate (the number of patients fulfilling the criteria for efficacy of the number of patients receiving the treatment) on the first day following the end of treatment (day 8). The secondary outcomes included the clinical efficacy rate on day 5 and the bacterial clearance rate (cases achieving negative bacteria cultures after treatment of all cases with positive bacteria cultures before treatment) on days 5 and 8. The safety outcomes included patients' vital signs, physical examination results, electrocardiographic findings, blood test results, and adverse reactions.
RESULTS
Among the 570 patients randomized to 1 of the 2 groups, 375 (98.4%) in the 2% peceleganan treatment group and 183 (96.8%) in the 1% SSD control group completed the trial (n = 558). Of these, 361 (64.7%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (15.3) years. The demographic characteristics were similar between groups. On day 8, clinical efficacy was achieved by 339 patients (90.4%) in the treatment group and 144 (78.7%) in the control group (P < .001). On day 5, clinical efficacy was achieved by 222 patients (59.2%) in the treatment group and 90 (49.2%) in the control group (P = .03). On day 8, bacterial clearance was achieved by 80 of 334 patients (24.0%) in the treatment group and in 75 of 163 (46.0%) in the control group (P < .001). On day 5, bacterial clearance was achieved by 55 of 334 patients (16.5%) in the treatment group and 50 of 163 (30.7%) in the control group (P < .001). The adverse events related to the application of peceleganan spray and SSD cream were similar.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This randomized clinical trial found that peceleganan spray is a safe topical antimicrobial agent with a satisfactory clinical efficacy rate for the treatment of skin wound infections, while the effectiveness of bacterial clearance remains uncertain.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2100047202.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Wound Infection; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; China; Silver Sulfadiazine; Treatment Outcome; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 38861260
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15310 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2024The presence of veterinary drug residues in aquatic products represents a significant challenge to food safety. The current detection methods, limited in both scope and...
The presence of veterinary drug residues in aquatic products represents a significant challenge to food safety. The current detection methods, limited in both scope and sensitivity, underscore the urgent need for more advanced techniques. This research introduces a swift and potent screening technique using high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) and a refined QuEChERS protocol, allowing simultaneous qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of 192 residues. A comprehensive database, employing full scan mode and data-dependent secondary mass spectroscopy, enhances screening accuracy. The method involves efficient extraction using 90% acetonitrile, dehydration with NaSO, and acetic acid, followed by cleanup using dispersive solid-phase extract sorbent primary secondary amine. It is suitable for samples with varying fat content, offering detection limits ranging from 0.5 to 10 μg/kg, high recovery rates (60-120%), and low relative standard deviations (<20%). Practical application has validated its effectiveness for multi-residue screening, marking a significant advancement in food safety evaluation.
PubMed: 38855097
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101504 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Jun 2024Antibiotics, frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, can negatively impact the health of resident organisms. Although the study on the possible effects of antibiotics...
Antibiotics, frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, can negatively impact the health of resident organisms. Although the study on the possible effects of antibiotics on these organisms has been increasing, there is still little information available on the molecular effects on exposed non-target organisms. In our study we used a label free proteomic approach and sea bream, Sparus aurata, to evaluate the effects of exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the antibiotic compounds ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfadiazine (SULF) and trimethoprim (TRIM) produced at the protein level. Individuals of sea bream were exposed to single compounds at 5.2 ± 2.1 μg L of CIP, 3.8 ± 2.7 μg L of SULF and 25.7 ± 10.8 μg L of TRIM for 21 days. After exposure, the number of differentially expressed proteins in the liver was 39, 73 and 4 for CIP, SULF and TRIM respectively. In the brain, there was no alteration of proteins after CIP and TRIM treatment, while 9 proteins were impacted after SULF treatment. The differentially expressed proteins were involved in cellular biological, metabolic, developmental, growth and biological regulatory processes. Overall, our study evidences the vulnerability of Sparus aurata, after exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the major antibiotics CIP, SULF and TRIM and that their chronic exposure could lead to a stress situation, altering the proteomic profile of key organs such as brain and liver.
PubMed: 38844040
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124308 -
Narra J Apr 2024Second-degree burn, the most common among burn degrees, underscores the importance of timely and proper treatment in influencing prognosis. Nutmeg (), renowned for its...
Second-degree burn, the most common among burn degrees, underscores the importance of timely and proper treatment in influencing prognosis. Nutmeg (), renowned for its potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, also serves as an effective antiseptic for open wounds. The aim of this study was to identify the phytochemical constituents of nutmeg essential oil and analyze the wound healing effect of nutmeg cream on second-degree burns in an animal model. An experimental study with a completed randomized design was conducted on strain Wistar rats with second-degree burn. This study had four groups and each group consisting of four rats: B (burn-treated base cream), B+N (burn-treated 3% nutmeg cream), B+SSD (burn-treated silver sulfadiazine (BSS)), and B+N+SSD (burn-treated 3% nutmeg cream and SSD in a 1:1 ratio). The phytochemical analysis of nutmeg essential oil was conducted by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The burn diameter and burn wound healing percentage were measured from day 0 to 18. One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc analysis using the least significant difference (LSD) was employed to analysis the effect. The phytochemical analysis of nutmeg essential oil found that myristicin, terpinene-4-ol, terpinene, safrole and terpinolene were the most abundant putative compounds in nutmeg essential oil. On day 0, the average burn wound diameters were 1.4 cm in all groups and increases were observed in all groups on day 3. The wound diameter decreased until day 18 with the smallest burn wound diameter was found in the B+N group (0.86±0.37 cm), followed by B+SSD (0.93±0.29 cm). The B+SSD group exhibited the highest percentage of burn wound healing (56.80±14.05%), which was significantly different from the base cream (<0.05). The percentage of burn wound healing in rats given 3% nutmeg cream was 41.88±13.81%, suggesting that nutmeg cream could promote burn wound healing in rats induced by second-degree burns.
Topics: Animals; Myristica; Wound Healing; Burns; Rats, Wistar; Rats; Disease Models, Animal; Oils, Volatile; Skin Cream; Male; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Silver Sulfadiazine
PubMed: 38798873
DOI: 10.52225/narra.v4i1.621 -
Journal of Food Protection May 2024Linking outbreaks of Shigella spp. to specific foods is challenging due to poor selectivity of current enrichment media. We have previously shown that enrichment media,...
Overcoming Microbial Inhibition of S. Sonnei Through the Exploitation of Genomically Predicted Antibiotic Resistance Profiles for the Development of Food Enrichment Media.
Linking outbreaks of Shigella spp. to specific foods is challenging due to poor selectivity of current enrichment media. We have previously shown that enrichment media, tailored to the genomically-predicted antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Shiga toxigenic E. coli strains, enhances their isolation from foods. This study investigates the application of this approach for Shigella isolation. The AMR gene profiles of 21,908 published S. sonnei genomes indicated a high prevalence of genes conferring resistance to streptomycin (aadA, aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id, 92.8%), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2, 74.8%), and/or trimethoprim (dfrA, 96.2%). Genomic analysis and antibiotic susceptibility testing conducted with a panel of 17 outbreak-associated S. sonnei strains confirmed the correlation of AMR gene detection with resistance phenotypes. Supplementation of Shigella Broth (SB) with up to 400 µg/mL of trimethoprim or sulfadiazine did not suppress the growth of sensitive strains, whereas 100 µg/mL of streptomycin increased the selectivity of this broth. All three antibiotics increased the selectivity of modified Tryptone Soya Broth (mTSB). Based on these results, supplemented media formulations were developed and assessed by measuring the relative growth of S. sonnei in cultures coinoculated with a strain of bacteriocin-producing E. coli that is inhibitory to Shigella growth. S. sonnei was not recovered from cocultures grown in SB or mTSB without antibiotics. In contrast, media supplemented with streptomycin at 50 and 100 µg/mL, trimethoprim at 25 and 50 µg/mL, and sulfadiazine at 100 µg/mL increased the relative proportion of S. sonnei in postenrichment cultures. The enhanced recovery of resistant S. sonnei strains achieved in this study indicates that, in cases where genomic data are available for clinical S. sonnei isolates, customization of selective enrichment media based on AMR gene detection could be a valuable tool for supporting the investigation of foodborne shigellosis outbreaks.
PubMed: 38754553
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100302 -
RSC Advances May 2024Advanced oxidation techniques based on peroxysulfate activation have been paid much attention owing to their excellent performance in degrading stubborn pollutants in...
Advanced oxidation techniques based on peroxysulfate activation have been paid much attention owing to their excellent performance in degrading stubborn pollutants in water. In response to the current situation that requires more raw materials and higher costs and involves more complicated processes for the preparation of Fe/C catalysts to activate persulfates, novel catalysts (Fe/C-700, Fe/C-800, Fe/C-900 and Fe/C-1000) were prepared by a high-temperature carbonization method at different pyrolysis temperatures (700, 800, 900 and 1000 °C) using inexpensive and environmentally friendly ferric citrate as raw material. Fe/C catalysts were characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, and VSM and were screened for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade sulfadiazine (SDZ) in water, where Fe/C-900 exhibited higher efficiency. Thus, its activation performance for PMS to degrade SDZ was comprehensively investigated and the mechanisms of activation degradation were analyzed. The results showed that the degradation rate of 98.7% can be achieved to 10 mg L SDZ by 0.1 g L Fe/C-900 and 0.5 mmol L PMS within 60 min. A wide range of solution pH, low catalyst dosage and good recycling performance were found in the Fe/C-900 application and the amount of iron ions dissolved at the end of the reaction was low (0.350 mg L). It was shown that both free radical and non-free radical pathways existed in the reaction system, where O, SO˙ and O˙ played dominant roles in the degradation process of SDZ. The results could provide new ideas for the preparation of Fe/C catalysts and their heterogeneous activation for PMS to degrade stubborn organic pollutants in water.
PubMed: 38746842
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00768a -
JAC-antimicrobial Resistance Jun 2024Microorganisms tend to rely on close relationships with other species to survive. Consequently, biofilms formed by interactions of different species have been shown to...
BACKGROUND
Microorganisms tend to rely on close relationships with other species to survive. Consequently, biofilms formed by interactions of different species have been shown to delay the wound healing process. Studies suggest these mixed-population infections contribute to the development of drug resistance and inhibition of host immune response. Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) has been shown to effectively decrease the risk of infection in an open wound. Typically, these are bacterial wound infections; however, the role of fungal species needs further attention.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of SSD on interactions between 09-009 (PA1) or 09-010 (PA2) and ATTC 64550 (CA).
METHODS
A mixture of 4 mL of tryptic soy broth (TSB) and 100 µL of CA and/or PA1 or PA2 (∼10 log cfu/mL) inoculums were deposited into either wells or vials. The wells or vials were then sonicated (50 W for 10 s) to separate microorganisms attached to the walls. After incubation, cell counts were performed at 24 and 48 h for each microorganism using specific media.
RESULTS
Our results show that without SSD treatment, exhibits an inhibitory effect on . Treatment with SSD demonstrated significant reduction of ; however, persisted. This experiment demonstrates that SSD was effective in reducing the bioburden of both strains after 24 and 48 h; however, it was not as effective in reducing .
CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that for polymicrobial mixed infections containing spp. and , treatment with SSD may be beneficial but does not provide adequate microorganism eradication. As such, added treatments that provide coverage for infection are necessary. Additional studies are needed to obtain a better understanding of the complex interactions between these organisms.
PubMed: 38741896
DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlae075