Fruit juices are among the best food products with respect to the nutritional and medicinal applications. However, disaster can come along the way, as bacteria can cause spoiling of fruit juices through contaminated raw materials, extraction equipment and malpractice of handlers and results into the deleterious health effects. Numerous bacterial species including Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholera, etc can be present in high concentrations in fruit juices. In the present study, a total of 164 bacterial strains were isolated from nine samples of fresh fruit juices (Carrot, Orange and sugarcane) from different areas in Lahore. Three media i.e., Nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue agar (EMB) were used for enumeration and isolation of various bacterial genera. Among the total 164 isolated bacterial strains, 37 were recovered from sugarcane juice samples, 91 from carrot juice samples and 36 from orange juice samples. The most frequent strains were E. coli and Enterobaacter spp. which were most likely due to the contamination from water. A panel of 10 antibiotics including Erythromycin, Ceftizoxime, Ciprofloxacin, Tobramycin, Vancomycin, Ampicillin, Streptomycin, Polymyxin B, Levofloxacin, and Cephalexin was used to determine the antibiotics sensitivity (AST) status of the isolated strains. It was observed that Levofloxacin showed highest zones of inhibition against all the tested strains and overall, strains didn’t have significant resistance against the tested antibiotics. The practice of proper hand and fruit washing can minimize the potential threat of bacterial contamination in food products.
Actinomycetes are well known group of gram positive bacteria for their potential to produce antibiotics. This study sought to assess the ability of the selected actinomycetes to control biofilm forming bacteria isolated from different dental plaque samples. On the basis of morphological differences three out of ten different dental plaque bacterial isolates were selected for further study. These isolates were biochemically and genetically characterized and were identified as Acinetobacter schinndleri, Moraxella aci, and Bacillus cereus. Antibiotic resistant profile was measured through disc diffusion method and found that all three isolates were moderately sensitive to ofloxacin and erythromycin and resistant to trimethoprim. Antibacterial activity of ten different Streptomyces strains was assessed through an agar plug and well diffusion method against three dental biofilm forming bacteria. Two Streptomyces strains named as S. erythrogriseus and S. labedae showed good antibacterial activity against Moraxella and Acinetobacter strains. Ability of the four active antibiotic producing strains to inhibit biofilm formation was assessed using microtiter biofilm detection assay. It was found that biofilm forming ability of Acinetobacter and Moraxella was inhibited by S. labedae an antibiotic producing strain, while S. macrosporeus can only inhibit biofilm formation by B. cereus.
Background: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of MRSA with their antibiotic susceptibility pattern and molecular characterization of these strains. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Microbiology section of Citilab and Research Centre, Lahore. Period: March 2014 to June 2016. Materials and Methods: Bacterial isolates were retrieved from different specimens of pus/wound, blood and other body fluids. These were characterized using conventional (catalase, DNase, coagulase etc), phenotypic and molecular techniques (oxacillin and cefoxitin susceptibility, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and mec-A gene) methods of identification. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern was also detected by applying standard Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Out of all the isolated strains, the frequency of MSSA (methicillin sensitive Staphylococcu saureus) was more than the MRSA and it was found that the male patients were more affected than the female patients. All of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin and oxacillin while most of them showed positive band of mec-A gene. All of the MRSA isolates showed resistant to penicillin followed by azithromycin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole and ciprofloxacin, while these strains were sensitive to linezolid and vancomycin, followed by teicoplanin, fosfomycin and fusidic acid. Conclusion: In conclusion, proper diagnosis of MRSA required conventional, phenotypic molecular techniques in our hospital diagnostic settings. This will help in choosing the effective antibiotics combat the infection.
The structures and bioactivities of three unprecedented fused 5-hydroxyquinoxaline/alpha-keto acid amino acid metabolites (baraphenazines A–C, 1–3), two unique diastaphenazine-type metabolites (baraphenazines D and E, 4 and 5) and two new phenazinolin-type (baraphenazines F and G, 6 and 7) metabolites from the Himalayan isolate Streptomyces sp. PU-10A are reported. This study highlights the first reported bacterial strain capable of producing diastaphenazine-type, phenazinolin-type, and izumiphenazine A-type metabolites and presents a unique opportunity for the future biosynthetic interrogation of late-stage phenazine-based metabolite maturation.
Synthesis of some novel 1-(3,4,5-trimethoxy)benzoyl-3- arylthiourea derivatives (1a-o) was accomplished in 2 steps. The synthetic route involves the reaction of 1-(3,4,5-trimethoxy)benzoyl chloride with potassium thiocyanate in 1:1 molar ratio in acetone to afford the corresponding isothiocyante followed by treatment with suitably substituted anilines. The structures of the products were established by elemental analyses, IR, ^1H- and ^{13}C-NMR, and mass spectroscopy and for 1b and 1m from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. All of the synthesized compounds (1a-o) were screened for antibacterial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains and were found to exhibit low activity towards the tested microorganisms, compared to chloramphenicol, the standard drug.
Given the emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR), finding new antimicrobials and chemotherapeutics is a need of the hour. The under-explored habitats harbouring untapped microbial diversity are considered attractive targets to look for new potent bioactive compounds. In this study, N=32 actinobacteria strains were recovered from the soil of Neelum Valley, Kashmir, Pakistan, to screen their inhibitory activity and metabolomic potential against MDR typhoidal Salmonella. The TLC pattern and HPLC-UV-MS analysis of the extracts of isolated strains showed the presence of a variety of bioactive compounds. The actinobacteria strains B6, D13, B11.2 and others were found to be the most prolific producers of diverse secondary metabolites. In the screening for inhibitory activity against MDR typhoidal Salmonella, the extracts of strains B6, B16, B21 and D13 were found to be the most active exhibiting up to 20 mm zone of inhibition. Similarly, the cytotoxicity potential of the extracts against Artemiasalina by determining %larval mortality, the extract of strain Kel 1311A showed 91% mortality followed by the extracts of strains AzB1, kel 1391, B13, B8, and B4 showed % mortality up to 87.3%. 90%, 88% and 85.41% respectively. The HPLC-UV/MS analysis revealed the presence of a varietyof compounds with molecular weights of 400, 510 and 519 Daltons in the extract of strain B4 and 651, 356, 378 and 400 Daltons in the extracts of strain D13. The study suggested that actinobacteria living in the soil of Neelum Valley Kashmir are a rich source of novel bio-active, cytotoxic and anti-microbial compounds.
This research focuses on the reintegration of released juvenile offenders within Dir Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Situated within a unique socio-cultural and legal context, this region face distinct challenges that impact the lives of juvenile offenders. This study aims to uncover the role of family dynamics in shaping successful reintegration and inform tailored interventions. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study collected data through semi structured interviews with twenty released juvenile offenders and twenty family members. Thematic analysis revealed intricate patterns in family involvement that significantly influence the reintegration process. The family emerged as both a source of support and challenge for these juveniles. Challenges included absent key family members, strained relationships, and dysfunctional family environments, which hinderd reintegration efforts. Economic challenges, emotional support, and family criminal history were also found relevant factors in reintegration. The study’s conclusions offer policy implications, including family centered policies, tailored interventions, and holistic rehabilitation.
Bioprospecting of actinobacteria isolated from Kubuqi desert, China for antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic metabolites production and their structure elucidation.A total of 100 actinobacteria strains were selectively isolated from Kubuqi desert, Inner Mongolia, China. The taxonomic characterization revealed Streptomyces as the predominant genus comprising 37 different species, along with the rare actinobacterial genus Lentzea. The methanolic extracts of 60.8% of strains exhibited potent antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and high to mild in vitro cytotoxicity against PC3 (prostate cancer) and A549 (lung carcinoma) cell lines. The metabolomics analysis by TLC, HPLC-UV/vis, HPLC-MS and NMR showed the presence of compounds with molecular weights ranging from 100 to 1000 Da. The scale-up fermentation of the prioritized anti-Gram-negative strain PU-KB10-4 (Streptomyces griseoviridis), yielded three pure compounds including; griseoviridin (1; 42.0 mgL- 1) with 20 fold increased production as compared to previous reports and its crystal structure as monohydrate form is herein reported for the first time, mitomycin C (2; 0.3 mgL- 1) and a new bacterial metabolite 4-hydroxycinnamide (3; 0.59 mgL- 1).This is the first report of the bioprospecting and exploration of actinobacteria from Kubuqi desert and the metabolite 4-hydroxycinnamide (3) is first time isolated from a bacterial source. This study demonstrated that actinobacteria from Kubuqi desert are a potential source of novel bioactive natural products. Underexplored harsh environments like the Kubuqi desert may harbor a wider diversity of actinobacteria, particularly Streptomyces, which produce unique metabolites and are an intriguing source to develop medicinally valuable natural products.
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