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TheScientificWorldJournal 2024The dried stigmas of L. produce saffron, a precious spice used for its culinary and medicinal properties since ancient times, while its petals are considered the main... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The dried stigmas of L. produce saffron, a precious spice used for its culinary and medicinal properties since ancient times, while its petals are considered the main by-product of saffron production. The present study aimed to comparatively evaluate the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of stigmas and petals of L. from Taliouine. The polyphenol content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH free radical scavenging method, and the well-diffusion method was used to assess antibacterial activity against seven pathogenic bacterial strains (, , and ). Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined using the microdilution broth test. Our findings revealed that stigmas and petals contained phenolic compounds at the rate of 56.11 ± 4.70 and 64.73 ± 3.42 mg GAE/g, as well as DPPH radical scavenging capacity with IC of 1700 g/ml and 430 g/ml, respectively. Petal extract showed more effective antibacterial activity, with inhibition diameters ranging from 10.66 ± 0.57 to 22.00 ± 1.00 mm and MIC values ranging from 2.81 to 5.62 mg/ml, compared to the stigma extract, which displayed inhibition diameters from 10.00 ± 0.00 to 18.67 ± 0.76 mm and MIC from 2.81 to 11.25 mg/ml, against five of the seven bacterial strains tested, including S. aureus, E. coli, P. vulgaris, P. aeruginosa, and . Statistical analyses were performed to determine the significance of these results. Thus, stigmas and petals of L. might serve as a suitable source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Topics: Crocus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Plant Extracts; Phenols; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Flowers; Morocco; Bacteria
PubMed: 38808159
DOI: 10.1155/2024/6676404 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Chalcone (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one) is an α, β-unsaturated ketone that serves as an active constituent or precursor of numerous natural substances, exhibiting a broad...
Chalcone (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one) is an α, β-unsaturated ketone that serves as an active constituent or precursor of numerous natural substances, exhibiting a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects. In this study, the classical Claisen-Schmidt condensation method was used to synthesize the chalcone derivative 2',4'-dimethoxychalcone (DTC) and evaluate its pharmacological activity. By upregulating the expression of the epithelial cell marker E-cadherin and downregulating the expression of the mesenchymal cell marker vimentin, DTC was found to inhibit transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in A549 cells, maintaining the cells' epithelial-like morphology and reducing the ability of the cells to migrate. Additionally, DTC demonstrated the ability to decrease the expression levels of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in RAW264.7 cells, suggesting a possible anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, DTC was found to exhibit bacteriostatic activity against (), (), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and (), indicating that this chemical may possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity.
PubMed: 38794223
DOI: 10.3390/ph17050653 -
Metabolites Apr 2024The oral cavity contains a vast array of microbes that contribute to the balance between oral health and disease. In addition, oral bacteria can gain access to the...
The oral cavity contains a vast array of microbes that contribute to the balance between oral health and disease. In addition, oral bacteria can gain access to the circulation and contribute to other diseases and chronic conditions. There are a limited number of publications available regarding the comparative lipidomics of oral bacteria and fungi involved in the construction of oral biofilms, hence our decision to study the lipidomics of representative oral bacteria and a fungus. We performed high-resolution mass spectrometric analyses (<2.0 ppm mass error) of the lipidomes from five Gram-positive commensal bacteria: , , , , and ; five Gram-positive opportunistic bacteria: , , , , and ; seven Gram-negative opportunistic bacteria: , , , , , and ; and one fungus: . Our mass spectrometric analytical platform allowed for a detailed evaluation of the many structural modifications made by microbes for the three major lipid scaffolds: glycerol, sphingosine and fatty acyls of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs).
PubMed: 38668368
DOI: 10.3390/metabo14040240 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Worldwide, bacterial resistance is one of the most severe public health problems. Currently, the failure of antibiotics to counteract superbugs highlights the need to...
Worldwide, bacterial resistance is one of the most severe public health problems. Currently, the failure of antibiotics to counteract superbugs highlights the need to search for new molecules with antimicrobial potential to combat them. The objective of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of BS4 against Gram-negative bacteria. Thirty yeasts and thirty-two isolates were tested following the agar well-diffusion method. Four sp. strains (BS3, BS4, BS17, and BS21) showed antagonistic activity against ATCC 25922 using bacterial culture (BC) and the cell-free supernatant (CFS), where the BS4 strain stood out, showing inhibitory values of 20.50 ± 0.70 mm and 19.67 ± 0.58 mm for BC and CFS, respectively. The sp. BS4 strain can produce antioxidant, non-hemolytic, and antimicrobial metabolites that exhibit activity against several microorganisms such as , , , , , , , sp., , , and . According to the characterization of the supernatant, the metabolites could be proteinaceous. The production of these metabolites is influenced by carbon and nitrogen sources. The most suitable medium to produce antimicrobial metabolites was TSB broth. The one-factor-at-a-time method was used to standardize parameters such as pH, agitation, temperature, carbon source, nitrogen source, and salts, resulting in the best conditions of pH 7, 150 rpm, 28 °C, starch (2.5 g/L), tryptone (20 g/L), and magnesium sulfate (0.2 g/L), respectively. Moreover, the co-culture was an excellent strategy to improve antimicrobial activity, achieving maximum antimicrobial activity with an inhibition zone of 21.85 ± 1.03 mm. These findings position the BS4 strain as a promising candidate for producing bioactive molecules with potential applications in human health.
PubMed: 38666980
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13040304 -
European Urology Open Science May 2024Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) remains a major health burden for women. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT; NCT02543827) reported that...
BACKGROUND
Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) remains a major health burden for women. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT; NCT02543827) reported that female patients with rUTI receiving a sublingual vaccine, MV140, had a reduction in rUTI and increase in UTI-free rate compared with placebo.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of MV140 on the personal burden of disease in women with rUTI using secondary endpoint data from the pivotal RCT evaluating MV140.
DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
In the primary RCT, female patients with rUTI enrolled in Spain and UK (from October 2015 to April 2019) were randomized to placebo (6 mo) or MV140 (3 or 6 mo), and followed for 12 mo. Individuals analyzed in this secondary analysis included those in the placebo and 3-mo (recommended dose) groups.
INTERVENTION
A polybacterial sublingual vaccine, MV140 (four inactivated whole-cell bacteria-, , , and ), or placebo.
OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Symptom severity scoring, antibiotic use, safety, and multiple aspects of quality of life (QoL; Short-Form Questionnaire [SF-36]) were assessed.
RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS
Compared with the placebo group ( = 76), the 3-mo vaccinated group ( = 74) experienced fewer overall UTI symptoms (mean symptom score 102.2 ± 222.9 vs 194.2 ± 178.8; = 0.0002), fewer days on antibiotics (12.4 ± 17.7 vs 28.7 ± 25.2; = 0.0001), and improved total, general, and physical SF-36 QoL improvement (differences in means for total SF-36 score 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.80, 22.64; < 0.0001), with only social function QoL showing no impact (4.07; 95% CI -4.93, 13.08; = 0.3744).
CONCLUSIONS
Three months of MV140 is associated with a reduction of the personal burden of UTI by reducing overall UTI symptoms and antibiotic use, improving QoL in women with rUTI.
PATIENT SUMMARY
Three months of MV140 vaccine, which has previously been shown to reduce the risk of urinary tract infection safely, is associated with a reduction in the personal burden of disease.
PubMed: 38585593
DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2024.03.010 -
Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious... Jun 2024Although Proteus species are occasional causes of serious infections, their epidemiology has not been well defined. The objective was to describe the overall and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Although Proteus species are occasional causes of serious infections, their epidemiology has not been well defined. The objective was to describe the overall and species-specific occurrence and determinants of Proteus species bloodstream infection (BSI) in a large Australian population.
METHODS
All Queensland residents with Proteus species BSI identified within the publicly funded healthcare system between 2000 and 2019 were included.
RESULTS
A total of 2,143 incident episodes of Proteus species BSI were identified among 2,079 Queensland residents. The prevalence of comorbid illness differed with higher Charlson comorbidity scores observed with P. penneri and P. vulgaris, and higher prevalence of liver disease with P. penneri, higher comorbid cancer with P. vulgaris, and lower diabetes and renal disease prevalence with P. mirabilis BSIs.
CONCLUSION
This study provides novel information on the epidemiology of Proteus species BSI.
Topics: Humans; Bacteremia; Male; Middle Aged; Female; Proteus Infections; Aged; Queensland; Proteus; Prevalence; Adult; Comorbidity; Aged, 80 and over; Young Adult; Proteus mirabilis
PubMed: 38574445
DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2024.116286 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science May 2024Ruminant mastitis continues to be a cause of economic losses in the dairy industry and remains a major public health hazard globally.
BACKGROUND
Ruminant mastitis continues to be a cause of economic losses in the dairy industry and remains a major public health hazard globally.
OBJECTIVES
This cross-sectional study was carried out in Mukurweini Sub-County of Nyeri County, Kenya, to investigate the prevalence of bacteria causing mastitis, risk factors associated with goat mastitis and the antibiotic resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from the goat milk.
METHODS
Farm level data on risk factors for mastitis was obtained from 56 farmers using a semi structured questionnaire. A total of 189 goat milk samples were collected. The goat's udder was observed for signs of clinical mastitis and the California Mastitis Test (CMT) used to test the milk for sub-clinical mastitis. All samples were then cultured for morphological identification of bacteria and strain typing by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI)-Time of Flight (ToF) technique. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacter spp., Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia vulneris to eight commonly used antibiotics was done by the disc diffusion method and validated by determining the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (mecA and blaTEM) using polymerase chain reaction method.
RESULTS
The prevalence of clinical mastitis was 1.1% (2/189) while that of sub-clinical mastitis was 84.7% (160/189). Higher (p < 0.05) prevalence of mastitis was observed in goats whose houses were cleaned fortnightly and in cases where farmers used same towel to dry different does' udders during the milking process. Thirteen different bacterial species were isolated from the milk samples and identified by MALDI-ToF, and these included S. aureus (22.0%), CoNS (20.3%), E. coli (18.1%), Pseudomonas spp. (14.3%), Enterobacter spp. (10.4%), K. oxytoca (6.0%), E. vulneris (1.7%), P. vulgaris (1.7%), Raoutella ornithinolytica (1.7%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (1.1%), Pantoea agglomerans (1.1%), Serratia marcescens (1.1%) and Cedeceas spp. (0.6%). One hundred pathogenic bacterial isolates were randomly selected and tested for antibiotic sensitivity to eight antibiotics out of which S. aureus were 97.5% resistant to Oxacillin and 100% sensitive to Ciprofloxacin. The CoNSs were 100% resistant to Oxacillin and 100% sensitive to Ciprofloxacin. E. coli were 93.9% resistant to Oxacillin, 69.7% sensitive to Ciprofloxacin and 87.9% sensitive to both Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Meropenem. The antimicrobial resistant genes detected in S. aureus and E. coli were mecA [66.7%, 0%], and bla [20% and 78.3%], respectively.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the study showed that most of the does were affected by subclinical mastitis with the main causative bacteria being Staphylococci spp. and coliforms. Farmers need to be trained on improved control of mastitis by adoption of good milking practices and use of CMT kit for early detection of mastitis. Occurrence of multidrug resistance by key mastitis causing pathogens was shown to be prevalent and therefore there is need for development of intervention strategies.
Topics: Female; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Staphylococcus aureus; Escherichia coli; Prevalence; Kenya; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Staphylococcus; Bacteria; Oxacillin; Anti-Infective Agents; Ciprofloxacin; Mastitis; Goats; Goat Diseases
PubMed: 38546016
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1420 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Feb 2024Origanum punonense Danin is one of the old traditional medicinal plants Bedouins utilize in the Dead Sea region to treat a variety of illnesses, those caused by...
BACKGROUND
Origanum punonense Danin is one of the old traditional medicinal plants Bedouins utilize in the Dead Sea region to treat a variety of illnesses, those caused by infections. The current study aimed to identify the phytochemical components of O. punonense essential oil (EO) and determine its antiproliferative and antimicrobial effects.
METHODS
Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were employed to detect the phytochemical constituents of O. punonense EO. Broth microdilution assay was utilized to determine the antimicrobial effects against various microbial species, including those causing diabetic foot infections.
RESULTS
This study revealed that O. punonense EO contains 44 phytochemical compounds, of which 41 compounds were detectable and amounted to 99.78% of the total oil. The main chemical components of the oil were carvacrol (57.4%), p-cymene (6.66%), carvone (5.35%), pinene (4.9%), and terpinene (2.96%). The antiproliferative activity of different concentrations of O. punonense EO was noted in all of the investigated cell lines, with the best activity at the concentration of 500 µg/mL. The greatest antibacterial activity was against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus vulgaris, with MIC values of 1.56 µL/mL. In addition, and the O. punonense EO showed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans with a MIC value of 0.8 µL/mL. In addition, the O. punonense EO showed potent antibacterial activity against all MRSA samples obtained from the diabetic foot with a MIC value of 3.13 µL/mL. The O. punonense EO demonstrated potent activity against Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, Citrobacter freundii, and K. pneumoniae, with MICs value of 6.25 µL/mL.
CONCLUSION
The potent antiproliferative and broad antimicrobial activity of O. punonense EO makes it an effective strategy for treating infections, especially in immunocompromised patients with chronic comorbidities such as cancer and diabetes mellitus.
Topics: Humans; Oils, Volatile; Origanum; Arabs; Diabetic Foot; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Escherichia coli; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 38418969
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04395-4 -
Microorganisms Feb 2024This study aimed to explore the phenotype and relationship of drug resistance genes in livestock and poultry farm wastewater and drinking water reservoirs to provide...
This study aimed to explore the phenotype and relationship of drug resistance genes in livestock and poultry farm wastewater and drinking water reservoirs to provide evidence for the transmission mechanisms of drug resistance genes, in order to reveal the spread of drug resistance genes in wastewater from intensive farms in Central China to urban reservoirs that serve as drinking water sources and provide preliminary data for the treatment of wastewater from animal farms to reduce the threat to human beings. DNA extraction and metagenomic sequencing were performed on eight groups of samples collected from four water reservoirs and four related wastewaters from animal farms in Central China. Metagenomic sequencing showed that the top 20 AROs with the highest abundance were _gene, _gene, , , , _gene_, _gene, , _gene, _gene, , , , , _gene, , _gene, , , and . The resistance genes mentioned above belong to the following categories of drug resistance mechanisms: antibiotic target replacement, antibiotic target protection, antibiotic inactivation, and antibiotic efflux. The resistomes that match the top 20 genes are and ; ; ; and . ; ; and ; and ; , , , , , , , , , and ; and ; , , , , , and ; and ; and ; , , and ; , , , , , , and . Unreported drug resistance genes and drug-resistant bacteria in Central China were identified in 2023. In the transmission path of drug resistance genes, the transmission path from aquaculture wastewater to human drinking water sources cannot be ignored. For the sake of human health and ecological balance, the treatment of aquaculture wastewater needs to be further strengthened, and the effective blocking of drug resistance gene transmission needs to be considered.
PubMed: 38399800
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020396 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of citrate-stabilized sols of cerium oxide nanoparticles at different concentrations via...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of citrate-stabilized sols of cerium oxide nanoparticles at different concentrations via different microbiological methods and to compare the effect with the peroxidase activity of nanoceria for the subsequent development of a regeneration-stimulating medical and/or veterinary wound-healing product providing new types of antimicrobial action. The object of this study was cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesized from aqueous solutions of cerium (III) nitrate hexahydrate and citric acid (the size of the nanoparticles was 3-5 nm, and their aggregates were 60-130 nm). Nanoceria oxide sols with a wide range of concentrations (10-10 M) as well as powder (the dry substance) were used. Both bacterial and fungal strains (, , , , , , , ) were used for the microbiological studies. The antimicrobial activity of nanoceria was investigated across a wide range of concentrations using three methods sequentially; the antimicrobial activity was studied by examining diffusion into agar, the serial dilution method was used to detect the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, and, finally, gas chromatography with mass-selective detection was performed to study the inhibition of growth. To study the redox activity of different concentrations of nanocerium, we studied the intensity of chemiluminescence in the oxidation reaction of luminol in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. As a result of this study's use of the agar diffusion and serial dilution methods followed by sowing, no significant evidence of antimicrobial activity was found. At the same time, in the current study of antimicrobial activity against strains using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, the ability of nanoceria to significantly inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms after 24 h and, in particular, after 48 h of incubation at a wide range of concentrations, 10-10 M (48-95% reduction in the number of microbes with a significant dose-dependent effect) was determined as the optimum concentration. A reliable redox activity of nanoceria coated with citrate was established, increasing in proportion to the concentration, confirming the oxidative mechanism of the action of nanoceria. Thus, nanoceria have a dose-dependent bacteriostatic effect, which is most pronounced at concentrations of 10-10 M. Unlike the effects of classical antiseptics, the effect was manifested from 2 days and increased during the observation. To study the antimicrobial activity of nanomaterials, it is advisable not to use classical qualitative and semi-quantitative methods; rather, the employment of more accurate quantitative methods is advised, in particular, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, during several days of incubation.
PubMed: 38392727
DOI: 10.3390/nano14040354