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Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021The inherent resistance of synthetic plastics to degradation has led to an increasing challenge of waste accumulation problem and created a pollution issue that can only... (Review)
Review
The inherent resistance of synthetic plastics to degradation has led to an increasing challenge of waste accumulation problem and created a pollution issue that can only be addressed with novel complementary methods such as biodegradation. Since biocontrol is a promising eco-friendly option to address this challenge, the identification of suitable biological agents is a crucial requirement. Among the existing options, organisms of the genus have been reported to biodegrade several complex polymeric macromolecules such as chitin, lignin, and cellulose. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential of strains for the biodegradation of synthetic plastics. The results showed that although strains are widely distributed in different ecosystems in nature, few studies have explored their capacity as degraders of synthetic polymers. Moreover, most of the research in this field has focused on strains with promising biotransforming potential against polyethylene-like polymers. Our findings suggest that this field of study is still in the early stages of development. Moreover, considering the diverse ecological niches associated with , these actinobacteria could serve as complementary agents for plastic waste management and thereby enhance carbon cycle dynamics.
PubMed: 34821720
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering8110154 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2020Sun overexposure is associated with the development of diseases that primarily affect the skin, which can lead to skin cancer. Among the main measures of photoprotection... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Sun overexposure is associated with the development of diseases that primarily affect the skin, which can lead to skin cancer. Among the main measures of photoprotection is the use of sunscreens. However, there is currently concern about the reported harmful effects to both humans and the environment due to several of the sunscreen ingredients available on the market. For this reason, the search for and development of new agents with photoprotective properties is required. In searching for these metabolites, researchers have turned their attention to microbial sources, especially the microbiota in unusual hostile environments. Among the diverse microorganisms available in nature, Actinobacteria and specifically , have been shown to be a source of metabolites with various biological activities of interest, such as antimicrobial, antitumor and immunomodulator activities. Herein, we present the results of a systematic review of the literature in which isolates were studied as a source of compounds with photoprotective properties. A meta-analysis of the structure-property and structure-activity relationships of those metabolites identified in the qualitative analysis phase was also carried out. These findings indicate that are a source of metabolites with potential applications in the development of new, safe and more eco-friendly sunscreens.
Topics: Antioxidants; Biological Products; Humans; Secondary Metabolism; Streptomyces; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sunscreening Agents; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 32679651
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143221 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Nov 2013Mycetoma is a chronic infectious disease of the subcutaneous tissue with a high morbidity. This disease has been reported from countries between 30°N and 15°S since... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Mycetoma is a chronic infectious disease of the subcutaneous tissue with a high morbidity. This disease has been reported from countries between 30°N and 15°S since 1840 but the exact burden of disease is not known. It is currently unknown what the incidence, prevalence and the number of reported cases per year per country is. In order to estimate what the global burden of mycetoma is, a meta-analysis was performed. In total 50 studies were included, which resulted in a total of 8763 mycetoma cases. Most cases were found in men between 11 and 40 years of age. The foot was most commonly affected. Most cases were reported from Mexico, Sudan and India. Madurella mycetomatis was the most prevalent causative agent world-wide, followed by Actinomadura madurae, Streptomyces somaliensis, Actinomadura pelletieri, Nocardia brasiliensis and Nocardia asteroides. Although this study represents a first indication of the global burden on mycetoma, the actual burden is probably much higher. In this study only cases reported to literature could be used and most of these cases were found by searching archives from a single hospital in a single city of that country. By erecting (inter)national surveillance programs a more accurate estimation of the global burden on mycetoma can be obtained.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Global Health; Humans; Mycetoma; Young Adult
PubMed: 24244780
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002550 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2016The β-lactamase inhibitor, clavulanic acid is frequently used in combination with β-lactam antibiotics to treat a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. Clavulanic acid... (Review)
Review
The β-lactamase inhibitor, clavulanic acid is frequently used in combination with β-lactam antibiotics to treat a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. Clavulanic acid prevents drug resistance by pathogens against these β-lactam antibiotics by preventing the degradation of the β-lactam ring, thus ensuring eradication of these harmful microorganisms from the host. This systematic review provides an overview on the fermentation conditions that affect the production of clavulanic acid in the firstly described producer, Streptomyces clavuligerus. A thorough search was conducted using predefined terms in several electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, EBSCO), from database inception to June 30th 2015. Studies must involve wild-type Streptomyces clavuligerus, and full texts needed to be available. A total of 29 eligible articles were identified. Based on the literature, several factors were identified that could affect the production of clavulanic acid in S. clavuligerus. The addition of glycerol or other vegetable oils (e.g., olive oil, corn oil) could potentially affect clavulanic acid production. Furthermore, some amino acids such as arginine and ornithine, could serve as potential precursors to increase clavulanic acid yield. The comparison of different fermentation systems revealed that fed-batch fermentation yields higher amounts of clavulanic acid as compared to batch fermentation, probably due to the maintenance of substrates and constant monitoring of certain entities (such as pH, oxygen availability, etc.). Overall, these findings provide vital knowledge and insight that could assist media optimization and fermentation design for clavulanic acid production in S. clavuligerus.
PubMed: 27148211
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00522 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2018β-Lactams are the most widely used and effective antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, bacteria have developed several mechanisms to... (Review)
Review
β-Lactams are the most widely used and effective antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, bacteria have developed several mechanisms to combat these therapeutic agents. One of the major resistance mechanisms involves the production of β-lactamase that hydrolyzes the β-lactam ring thereby inactivating the drug. To overcome this threat, the small molecule β-lactamase inhibitors (e.g., clavulanic acid, sulbactam and tazobactam) have been used in combination with β-lactams for treatment. However, the bacterial resistance to this kind of combination therapy has evolved recently. Therefore, multiple attempts have been made to discover and develop novel broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitors that sufficiently work against β-lactamase producing bacteria. β-lactamase inhibitory proteins (BLIPs) (e.g., BLIP, BLIP-I and BLIP-II) are potential inhibitors that have been found from soil bacterium spp. BLIPs bind and inhibit a wide range of class A β-lactamases from a diverse set of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including TEM-1, PC1, SME-1, SHV-1 and KPC-2. To the best of our knowledge, this article represents the first systematic review on β-lactamase inhibitors with a particular focus on BLIPs and their inherent properties that favorably position them as a source of biologically-inspired drugs to combat antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, an extensive compilation of binding data from β-lactamase⁻BLIP interaction studies is presented herein. Such information help to provide key insights into the origin of interaction that may be useful for rationally guiding future drug design efforts.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Proteins; Humans; Models, Molecular; Streptomyces; beta-Lactam Resistance; beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; beta-Lactamases
PubMed: 30061509
DOI: 10.3390/ijms19082222 -
Metabolites Oct 2018While progress has been made in discerning genetic associations with Parkinson's disease (PD), identifying elusive environmental contributors necessitates the... (Review)
Review
While progress has been made in discerning genetic associations with Parkinson's disease (PD), identifying elusive environmental contributors necessitates the application of unconventional hypotheses and experimental strategies. Here, we provide an overview of studies that we conducted on a neurotoxic metabolite produced by a species of common soil bacteria, ), indicating that the toxicity displayed by this bacterium causes stress in diverse cellular mechanisms, such as the ubiquitin proteasome system and mitochondrial homeostasis. This dysfunction eventually leads to age and dose-dependent neurodegeneration in the nematode . Notably, dopaminergic neurons have heightened susceptibility, but all of the neuronal classes eventually degenerate following exposure. Toxicity further extends to human SH-SY5Y cells, which also degenerate following exposure. Additionally, the neurons of nematodes expressing heterologous aggregation-prone proteins display enhanced metabolite vulnerability. These mechanistic analyses collectively reveal a unique metabolomic fingerprint for this bacterially-derived neurotoxin. In considering that epidemiological distinctions in locales influence the incidence of PD, we surveyed soils from diverse regions of Alabama, and found that exposure to ~30% of isolated species caused worm dopaminergic neurons to die. In addition to aging, one of the few established contributors to PD appears to be a rural lifestyle, where exposure to soil on a regular basis might increase the risk of interaction with bacteria producing such toxins. Taken together, these data suggest that a novel toxicant within the genus might represent an environmental contributor to the progressive neurodegeneration that is associated with PD.
PubMed: 30380609
DOI: 10.3390/metabo8040070 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2022Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease that remains under-explored; up to date it is known that the bacterium is involved in the disease occurrence, also associated... (Review)
Review
Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease that remains under-explored; up to date it is known that the bacterium is involved in the disease occurrence, also associated with a microbial dysbiosis. Antibiotics have become a mainstay treatment generating the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In addition, there are some reported side effects of alternative treatments, which indicate the need to investigate a different therapeutic approach. Natural products continue to be an excellent option, especially those extracted from actinobacteria, which represent a prominent source of metabolites with a wide range of biological activities, particularly the marine actinobacteria, which have been less studied than their terrestrial counterparts. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the potential anti-infective activity of metabolites isolated from marine actinobacteria strains against bacteria related to the development of acne vulgaris disease. It was found that there is a variety of compounds with anti-infective activity against and , bacteria closely related to acne vulgaris development; nevertheless, there is no report of a compound with antibacterial activity or quorum-sensing inhibition toward , which is a surprising result. Since two of the most widely used antibiotics for the treatment of acne targeting were obtained from actinobacteria of the genus , this demonstrates a great opportunity to pursue further studies in this field, considering the potential of marine actinobacteria to produce new anti-infective compounds.
PubMed: 35884220
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11070965 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2021Global environmental contamination with a complex mixture of xenobiotics has become a major environmental issue worldwide. Many xenobiotic compounds severely impact the...
Global environmental contamination with a complex mixture of xenobiotics has become a major environmental issue worldwide. Many xenobiotic compounds severely impact the environment due to their high toxicity, prolonged persistence, and limited biodegradability. Microbial-assisted degradation of xenobiotic compounds is considered to be the most effective and beneficial approach. Microorganisms have remarkable catabolic potential, with genes, enzymes, and degradation pathways implicated in the process of biodegradation. A number of microbes, including , and , have been isolated and characterized, and have shown exceptional biodegradation potential for a variety of xenobiotic contaminants from soil/water environments. Microorganisms potentially utilize xenobiotic contaminants as carbon or nitrogen sources to sustain their growth and metabolic activities. Diverse microbial populations survive in harsh contaminated environments, exhibiting a significant biodegradation potential to degrade and transform pollutants. However, the study of such microbial populations requires a more advanced and multifaceted approach. Currently, multiple advanced approaches, including metagenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, are successfully employed for the characterization of pollutant-degrading microorganisms, their metabolic machinery, novel proteins, and catabolic genes involved in the degradation process. These technologies are highly sophisticated, and efficient for obtaining information about the genetic diversity and community structures of microorganisms. Advanced molecular technologies used for the characterization of complex microbial communities give an in-depth understanding of their structural and functional aspects, and help to resolve issues related to the biodegradation potential of microorganisms. This review article discusses the biodegradation potential of microorganisms and provides insights into recent advances and omics approaches employed for the specific characterization of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms from contaminated environments.
PubMed: 33644024
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.632059 -
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2019Biofilm is a critical virulence factor associated with the strains of Candida spp. pathogens as it confers significant resistance to the pathogen against antifungal...
BACKGROUND
Biofilm is a critical virulence factor associated with the strains of Candida spp. pathogens as it confers significant resistance to the pathogen against antifungal drugs.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature was undertaken by focusing on natural products, which have been reported to inhibit biofilms produced by Candida spp. The databases explored were from PubMed and Google Scholar. The abstracts and full text of the manuscripts from the literature were analyzed and included if found significant.
RESULTS
Medicinal plants from the order Lamiales, Apiales, Asterales, Myrtales, Sapindales, Acorales, Poales and Laurales were reported to inhibit the biofilms formed by Candida spp. From the microbiological sources, lactobacilli, Streptomyces chrestomyceticus and Streptococcus thermophilus B had shown the strong biofilm inhibition potential. Further, the diverse nature of the compounds from classes like terpenoids, phenylpropanoid, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenol, naphthoquinone and saponin was found to be significant in inhibiting the biofilm of Candida spp.
CONCLUSION
Natural products from both plant and microbial origins have proven themselves as a goldmine for isolating the potential biofilm inhibitors with a specific or multi-locus mechanism of action. Structural and functional characterization of the bioactive molecules from active extracts should be the next line of approach along with the thorough exploration of the mechanism of action for the already identified bioactive molecules.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Biofilms; Biological Products; Candida; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plants, Medicinal; Species Specificity
PubMed: 31654510
DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666191025154834