Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have been used for liver gene therapy. Hemgenix and Roctavian are AAV-based treatments for hemophilia B and A, respectively. They cost $3 million and $2.8 million per dose, respectively. While AAV vectors may eventually be cheaper to mass produce, a bacteria-based DNA delivery system might be much cheaper for patients. Also, “bactofection” would allow for the delivery of much larger DNA packages. Such a bacterial system may now be possible, and a prototype for the liver could possibly be developed immediately.

The present study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of five commercially available essential oils (EOs): Lavender (LEO), Clove (CEO), Oregano (OEO), Eucalyptus (EEO), and Peppermint (PEO) against the most-known MDR Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) - alone and in various combinations. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis established their complex composition. Then, the antibacterial activity was investigated in vitro by diffusimetric antibiogram method, using sterile cellulose discs with Ø 6 mm impregnated with 10 µl of sample and sterile borosilicate glass cylinders loaded with 100 µl of sample; MIC (µg/mL) for each EO was calculated from IZD values (mm) measured after 24 hours. The following EO combinations were evaluated: OEO+CEO, CEO+EEO, CEO+PEO, LEO+EEO, and EEO+PEO. Then, the influence of each dual combination on 3 conventional antibacterial drugs – Neomycin (NEO), Tetracycline (TET), and Bacitracin (BAC) - activity was investigated. The most active EOs against S. aureus and E. coli were LEO and OEO (IZD = 40 mm). They were followed by the CEO and EEO (IZD = 20-27 mm); PEO exhibited the lowest antibacterial activity (IZD = 15-20 mm). EEO alone showed the highest inhibitory activity on P. aeruginosa (IZD = 25-35 mm). It was followed by the CEO, LEO, and EEO (IZD = 7-11 mm), while PEO proved no antibacterial action against it (IZD = 0 mm). Only one synergic action was recorded (OEO+CEO against P. aeruginosa); EEO+PEO revealed partial synergism against S. aureus and CEO+PEO additive behavior against E. coli. Two triple associations with TET showed partial synergism against E. coli, and the other 2 ones (with NEO and TET) evidenced the same behavior against S. aureus; all contained EEO+PEO or CEO+PEO. Most combinations reported indifference. However, numerous cases were of antagonism between constituents included in double and triple combinations, and EOs with the strongest antibacterial activities belong to the highest antagonistic combinations. A consistent statistical analysis supports our results, showing that EOs with moderate antibacterial activities could generate combinations with higher inhibitory effects based on synergistic or additive interactions.

Carbapenems-resistant enterobacteria are considered multidrug-resistant, making the control of their nosocomial infections a major challenge in healthcare settings. It is important to know the incubation site and source of the spread of these strains, especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Colonization of the colon of preterm neonates per se by multidrug-resistant bacterial strains could be the source of dissemination of these multidrug-resistant strains and their site of incubation. In this study, colonization of the colon of preterm neonates with enterobacteria and their multidrug-resistant strains was investigated. The presence of enterobacteria in the stool of preterm neonates was investigated on EMB (eosin-methylene blue) agar, followed by morphological and biochemical characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA-encoding gene sequences. Antibiotic susceptibility of all isolated strains was tested using VITEK 2 technology. All cases examined at two weeks of age and older showed bacterial colonization of the colon. Klebsiella pneumoniae colonized the colon in 56.2% of the preterm neonates and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae was found in 6.3%, corresponding to 62.5% in total. The colonizing Klebsiella pneumoniae was multidrug-resistant in 2 of 9 cases. One strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae was resistant to carbapenems and another showed intermediate resistance to these antibiotics. These Klebsiella pneumoniae strains showed resistance to most of the other antibiotics tested. Some cases contained more than one genus, with Escherichia coli found in 50% of cases in preterm neonates. In contrast to Klebsiella pneumoniae, none of the E. coli strains colonizing the colon of preterm neonates in this study showed resistance to carbapenems. The results of this study suggest that Klebsiella pneumoniae and its carbapenems multidrug-resistant strains are well marked in preterm neonates colonizing their colon, which is the incubation site and source of such multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in NICU. This study highlights the importance of careful management of preterm neonates in the NICU and possible contamination with multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae incubated in their colon. Further studies would be of interest to avoid the possibility of fecal-oral transmission and infection by these multidrug-resistant bacteria and their treatment in the colon, where their incubation site is located.

The eutrophication of open water bodies, especially in coastal water area, has received intensive public focuses in recent years. Biological treatment of organic pollutants in industrial and domestic wastewater requires microbial flora to participate. The environmental impact of these microbes, particularly in regard to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity in coastal water, remains largely unknown. We initiate studies to examine antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial flora and study the mode of antibiotic spread in the coastal waters of Bohai Bay, North China by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The metabolic features of bacteria related to the presence of ARGs in the coastal area showed the enrichment of Pseudomonadale species with triple resistance properties (ampicillin, kanamycin and gentamycin) at the estuary site locating adjacent to a coastal sewage treatment plant where both type I and type II polyketide synthase genes and b-lactam type antibiotics are detected. Pseudomonadale order is phylogenetically belonged to Proteobacteria Phylum, Gamma-proteobacteria Class and contains Pseudomonadaceae family and Pseudomonas genus. QPCR analysis suggests that the percent occupation of Pseudomonadale species to total Proteobacteria in the examined stations is close to several sampling stations close to sewage treatment plants, where consistent release of organic wastes occurred.

Eelgrass meadows have attracted a lot of attention not only for their ability to maintain marine ecosystems as feeding grounds for marine organisms, but also for their potential to store atmos-pheric and dissolved CO2 as blue carbon. This study comprehensively evaluated the bacterial and chemical composition data obtained from eelgrass sediments of different scales along the coast of Japan to investigate the sediment effect on the acclimatization of eelgrass. Regardless eelgrass habitat, approximately 1% Anaerolineales, Babeliales, Cytophagales, and Phycisphaerales were present in the bottom sediment. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were present at 3.69 % in eelgrass sediment compared to 1.70 % in bare sediment. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were present at 2.81% and 1.10% in the eelgrass and bare sediment, respectively. Bacterial composition analysis and linear discriminant analysis revealed that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria detoxified H2S in the eelgrass meadows and that the larger-scale eelgrass meadows had a higher diversity of sul-fur-oxidizing bacteria. Our result indicated that one of the following systems detoxifies the H2S in eelgrass meadows microbial oxidation by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, oxidation by O2 perme-ated by the physical diffusion of benthos. This study indicated the issues of maintaining sustain-able conservation of the eelgrass bed.

VITEK MS PRIME (bioMerieux), a newly developed Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system, alongside VITEK PICKME Pen (PICKME), offers easy sample preparation for bacteria and yeast. VITEK MS PRIME also offers two software platforms for filamentous fungi: the IVD database and the RUO database. Our study evaluated its identification agreement on 320 clinical isolates of bacteria and yeasts, comparing PICKME and traditional wooden toothpick sampling techniques against ASTA Mi-croIDSys Elite results. Additionally, we assessed the IVD (v3.2) and SARAMIS (v4.16) RUO data-bases on 289 filamentous fungi against molecular sequencing. The concordant rates for spe-cies-level identification of bacteria and yeasts were about 89.4% (286/320) between the PICKME and wooden toothpick, about 83.4-85.3% between VITEK MS PRIME and ASTA MicroIDSys Elite. Retesting with PICKME improved concordance to 91.9%. For filamentous fungi, species-level identification reached 71.3% with the IVD database and 85.8% with RUO, which significantly enhanced basidiomycetes' identification from 35.3% to 100%. Some strains in the IVD database, like Aspergillus vesicolor, Exophiala xenobiotica, and Nannizzia gypsea failed to be identified. VITEK MS PRIME with PICKME offers reliable and efficient microorganism identification. For fila-mentous fungi, combining the use of the RUO database can be beneficial, especially for basidi-omycetes.

In mesoscale eddies, chemical properties and biological composition are different from those in surrounding water, due to their unique physical processes. It is unclear how physical-biological coupling occurs in warm-core eddies, particularly since no study has examined the relationship between bacteria and viruses. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of anticyclonic warm eddy on the relationship between bacterial and viral abundances as well as viral activity (viral production) in different depths. In the core of warm eddy, bacterial abundance (0.48 to 2.82 ×105 cells mL−1) fluctuated less than that of the outside eddy (1.12 to 7.03×105 cells mL−1). In particular, there was four-folds higher of viral-bacterial abundance ratio (VBR) estimated within the eddy below DCM than the outside eddy. We suggest that prevailing physical forces with downwelling at the center of the anticyclonic warm eddy, viruses can also be transmitted into the deep ocean directly through adsorption on particulate organic matter during sinking. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the interaction between bacterial and viral communities and their ecological mechanism within the warm eddy.

Extensive green roofs provide for many ecosystem services in urban environments. The efficacy of these services is influenced by the substrate characteristics and vegetational composition. Despite their key role in plant performance and productivity, or their contribution to nitrogen fixation or carbon sequestration, green roof microbial communities have received little attention so far. Here, we investigated whether microbial communities in extensive green roof substrates contain a core community, as well as whether they are affected by green roof plant diversity. Eleven green roofs, planted either with a mixture of grasses, wildflowers and succulents (Sedum spp.), or solely species of Sedum, were seasonally sampled to investigate prokaryotic and fungal communities via metabarcoding. Although Sedum-herbs-grasses roofs contained more plant species, we observed no discriminant microbial communities between both roof types, likely due to sharing the same substrate textures and the vegetational layers that became more similar throughout time. Examining key microbial taxa revealed that most taxa are also dominant phylotypes in soils across different biomes. Many bacterial core taxa are capable of nitrogen fixation and most fungal key taxa are stress-tolerant saprotrophs, endophytes, or both. Microbial community composition further revealed high similarities with aerial samples taken in urban environments. Considering the extreme edaphic conditions that periodically arise in green roof substrates, further investigation is warranted to determine the extent to which the dynamic and intriguing microbial communities are influenced by the aeromicrobiome.

The traditional practice of harvesting and processing raw date palm sap is not only culturally significant but also an essential nutritional source in South Asia. Yet, the potential for bacterial or viral contamination from animals and environmental sources during its collection remains a real and insufficiently studied risk. Implementing improved food safety measures and collection techniques could mitigate the risk of these infections. Additionally, the adoption of advanced food analytical methods has the potential to identify pathogens and uncover the natural bacterial diversity of these products. The advancement of NGS technologies, particularly nanopore sequencing, offers rapid and highly mobile capabilities. In this study, we employed nanopore sequencing for bacterial metabarcoding of a set of raw date palm sap samples collected without protective coverage against animals in Bangladesh in 2021. We identified several bacterial species with importance in the natural fermentation of the product and demonstrated the feasibility of this NGS method in the surveillance of raw palm sap products. We revealed two fermentation directions dominated by either Leuconostoc species or Lactococcus species in these products at the first 6 hours from harvest along with opportunistic human pathogens in the background, represented with low abundance. Plant pathogens, bacteria with the potential for opportunistic human infections and the sequences of the Exiguobacterium genus were also described and their potential role is discussed.

Acetamiprid is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid insecticide used in agriculture to control aphids. While recent studies have documented resistance to acetamiprid in several aphid species, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome and metatranscriptome of a laboratory strain of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris, 1776), with reduced susceptibility to acetamiprid after nine generations of exposure to identify candidate genes and the microbiome involved in the adaptation process. Sequencing of the transcriptome of both selected (RS) and non-selected (SS) strains allowed the identification of 14858 genes and 4938 new transcripts. Most of the differentially expressed genes were associated with catalytic activities and metabolic pathways involving carbon and fatty acids. Specifically, the alcohol-forming fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) and acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSF2), both involved in the synthesis of epidermal wax layer components, were significantly upregulated in RS, suggesting that adaptation to acetamiprid involves the synthesis of a thicker protective layer. Metatranscriptomic analysis revealed subtle shifts in the microbiome of RS. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of acetamiprid adaptation by the pea aphid and provide new insights for aphid control strategies.

Bacterial endophytes (120) were isolated from six halophytes (Distichlis spicata, Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis obtusiflora, Suaeda torreyana, Kochia scoparia, and Baccharis salicifolia). These halophiles were molecularly identified and characterized with or without NaCl conditions. Characterization was based on tests such as indole acetic acid (IAA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), and siderophores (SID) production; solubilization of phosphate (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn); mineralization of phytate; enzymatic activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase, phytases, xylanases, and chitinases) and mineralization/solubilization mechanisms involved (organic acids and sugars). Eleven halophiles (tolerated NaCl 2.5 M) were identified as Oceanobacillus sp. (1), Bacillus sp. (2), Nesterenkonia sp. (3), Bacillus velezensis (4), Halobacillus sp. (5), Oceanobacillus sp. (6), B. velezensis (7) Halomonas sp. (8), B. pumilus (9), Pseudomonas sp. (10) and Oceanobacillus sp. (11). Biochemical responses of nutrient solubilization and enzymatic activity varied between bacteria and the presence of NaCl. Organic acids were involved in P-mineralization and nutrient solubilization. Tartaric acid was common in the solubilization of P, Zn, and K. Maleic and vanillic acid were only detected in Zn and K solubilization, respectively. Moreover, sugars appeared to be involved in the solubilization of nutrients; fructose was detected in solubilization tests. Therefore, these bacteria should be tested as a consortium to mitigate saline stress in glycophytes under a global climate change scheme that threatens to exacerbate soil salinity.

Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov is a berry shrub with white flowers and red fruits, which grows in the deserts in the Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, and western China. Its fruit N. tangutorum fruit (NTF) contains various bioactive compounds, with anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective functions. However, the high saccharide content of NTF makes it unsuitable for diabetic patients. In this study, we fermented NTF to obtain N. tangutorum fermented juice (NTJ), and N. tangutorum fermented residue (NTR), which are suitable for diabetics to consume. We characterized the bioactive compounds in NTF, NTR, and NTJ, and found that fermentation increased the diversity of bioactive compounds, and greatly reduced sucrose, glucose, and fructose content while generating trehalose, which has the potential to manage blood glucose levels. Further, NTJ displays anti-diabetic potential due to various compounds anti-diabetic properties. This study provides a basis for further clinical research on NTJ's anti-diabetic function in humans.

A Infectious diseases account for about 3 million deaths per year. The advent of molecular techniques has led to an enormous improvement in their diagnosis, both in terms of sensitivity and specificity and in terms of the speed with which a clinically useful result can be obtained. Digital PCR, or 3rd generation PCR, is based on a series of technical modifications that result in more sensitive techniques, more resistant to the action of inhibitors and capable of direct quantification, without the need for standard curves.This review presents the main applications that have been developed for the diagnosis of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, and the potential prospects for the clinical use of this technology.

The global increase in population has placed significant pressure on food security, leading to the emergence of aquaculture as a vital source of aquatic foods. However, rising costs and the limited availability of fishmeal in aquafeeds have spurred the search for alternative protein sources. While plant-based ingredients have been integrated into commercial aquafeeds, they come with challenges, including low protein content, palatability issues, and the presence of antinutritional factors. In this context, fish silage, derived from fish waste and discarded fish, stands out as a promising alternative technology due to its cost-effectiveness and sustainability attributes. The production of fish silage involves the addition of organic/inorganic acids or lactic acid bacteria to homogenized fish waste. This process yields a valuable mixture rich in peptides, free amino acids, and partially hydrolyzed proteins, offering significant nutritional benefits for animal diets. Beyond its nutritional advantages, fish silage contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing the impact of waste disposal and enhancing the value of fish waste. The objective of this review is to promote sustainable practices in the aquaculture industry in response to the increasing demand for high-quality feed nutrients. To achieve this, it includes an analysis of research results related to silage technology, an appraisal of the advantages and disadvantages of using fish silage as a feed additive, and a focus on emerging trends in this field.

Preventing the rebound of black and odorous water bodies is critical for improving the ecological environment of water bodies. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of in-situ improvement of sediment microenvironment by nitrate in tailwater of wastewater treatment plants combined with aerobic denitrifying bacteria under low-DO regulation (TailN+CFM+LDO). On the 60th day of remediation, the dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential in the overlying water increased to 5.6 mg/L and 300 mV, respectively, the acid volatile sulfide in the sediment decreased by 70.4%, and the organic matter in the sediment was reduced by 62.7%, in which the HFOM was degraded from 105 g/kg to 56 g/kg, and the potential risk of water reverting to black and odorous conditions significantly decreased. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria Thiobacillus and Pseudomonas with denitrification capacity was found to be significantly higher in the TailN+CFM+LDO group than in the other remediation groups. Functional prediction of 16S sequencing results indicated that both the quantity and activity of critical microbial enzymes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes could enhance in the TailN+CFM+LDO group. These results improved our understanding of the improvement of the sediment microenvironment and could thus facilitate its application.

This study provides a comprehensive investigation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Argentinean Capsicum annum L. The research covers important aspects, including genotypic characterization, bacterial stress tolerance, adhesion ability, safety evaluation, and functional and technological properties. The predominant isolates were identified as Lactilactobacillus curvatus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Rep-PCR analysis grouped the isolates into 11 clonal groups. Lp. plantarum LVP 40 and LV 46; Levilactobacillus brevis LVP 41, Pediococcus pentosaseus LV P43, and Lt. curvatus LVP44, displayed both safety and resilience against adverse conditions such a slow pH, bile, and simulated gastric and intestinal juices. Moreover, the LAB strains exhibited high hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation percentages, NaCl tolerance, and substantial acidifying capacity. LAB supernatants demonstrated promising surfactant and emulsifying properties. Likewise, they differentially inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, showcasing their potential as antipathogenic agents. Noteworthy some strains displayed considerable co-aggregation with these pathogens, and several isolates showed an effective antimutagenic and detoxifying power, further emphasizing their multifaceted capabilities. Five pepper bacterial strains showcased probiotic properties, suggesting their potential for gut health enhancement. In summary, these LAB strains hold promise as vegetable fermentation starters, contributing to food safety and versatile applications in food science.

The use of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) for probiotic enrichment of minimally processed fruit is a well-established practice in literature. In addition, several LAB demonstrated a strain-specific ability to control harmful microorganisms and decay agents, improving shelf-life, maintaining quality and promoting the safety of fruits and vegetables. Edible coatings can help modulate phenomena of gas exchange and water loss by fruits, representing protection from physical damage and spoilage phenomena linked to oxidation and the development of undesired microorganisms. At the same time, the coating can represent an innovative delivery matrix for the LAB strains of potential interest to improve safety and quality in the postharvest management of fruits. In this work, five Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains, previously characterized for their probiotic and antifungal activity, have been incorporated into a sodium alginate coating to develop edible probiotic coatings with antifungal properties for table grapes cv. Italia. The transfer of probiotics and their survival were evaluated by comparing coated and uncoated table grapes during 14 days of cold storage at 4 °C. The alginate edible coating increased the number of probiotics transferred to the surface of the berries from about 5 to more than 7 Log CFU/g, with a crucial impact on the potential functional attributes of the final product. The ability of the functionalised coatings to counteract the decay development was evaluated on table grapes berries artificially contaminated with Aspergillus niger CECT 2805. A significant reduction of lesion diameter was observed in alginate coating with L. plantarum 11-A. The lesion diameter reduction was also accompanied by the reduction of the symptoms of infection, such as browning around the wound. These results suggest the application of selected strains of L. plantarum as promising bio-resources to enhance the overall value of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, particularly in combination with edible coating as a carrier matrix. While a strain-dependent effect was not detected with respect to the improvement of the number of cells in the edible coating, a variability depending on the biotype used was detected for the properties linked to biocontrol, suggesting that the inclusion in edible packaging may represent an innovative criterion in the selection of lactobacilli to be applied postharvest.

Polyphenols and fermentable fibers have shown favorable effects on gut microbiota composition and metabolic function. However, few studies have investigated whether combining multiple fermentable fibers or polyphenols may have additive beneficial effects on gut microbial states. Here, an in vitro fer-mentation model, seeded with human stool combined from 30 healthy volunteers, was supplemented with blends of polyphenols (PP), dietary fibers (FB) or their combination (PPFB) to determine influence on gut bacteria growth dynamics and select metabolite changes. PP and FB blends independently lead to significant increases in the absolute abundance of select beneficial taxa, namely Ruminococcus bromii, Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Dorea spp. Total short chain fatty acid concentrations, relative to non-supplemented control (F), increased significantly with PPFB and FB supplementation, but not PP. Indole and ammonia concentrations decreased with FB and PPFB supplementation, but not PP alone while increased antioxidant capacity was only evident with both PP and PPFB. These findings demonstrated that, while the independent blends displayed selective positive impacts on gut states, combination of both blends provided an additive effect. The work outlines the potential of mixed substrate blends to elicit a broader positive influence on gut microbial composition and function to build resiliency toward dysbiosis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to estimate the prevalence of chlamydiosis in small ruminants. The study included 133 publications that reported the presence of Chlamydia abortus in 109 and 74 studies in sheep and goats from 45 countries. The prevalence of chlamydiosis was estimated at global, regional, and national levels using meta-analyses of proportions. Meta-regression and cumulative meta-analyses were also performed. Globally, the prevalence of chlamydiosis in sheep and goats was estimated at 20.1% (95% CI: 17.8-22.4) and 14.4% (11.6-17.4), respectively. For sheep, chlamydiosis prevalence was heterogeneous at regional and national levels. South Asia had the highest prevalence (30.6%) and East Asia and Pacific the lowest (14.0%). Nationally, chlamydiosis was more prevalent in Romania, Hungary, and Germany (range 53.3-87.0%) compared to Costa Rica, Australia, and Zimbabwe (4.7-5.2%). Among goats, chlamydiosis prevalence was similar across regions (10.4-19.7%), but varied significantly among countries, 0.0% in Romania and Australia and 91.7% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In both species, sample size, number of diagnostic techniques, and latitude were significant covariates. Prevalence varied widely in the first decades of publications before stabilizing. Our study found a high prevalence of chlamydiosis in small ruminants, with the pathogen being distributed globally but heterogeneously across countries.

Chagas disease is a Neglected Tropical Disease with limited and ineffective therapy. In a search for new antitrypanosomal compounds, we investigated the potential of metabolites from bacteria living in corals and sediments of the Southeastern Brazilian coast. Three corals Tubastraea coccinea, Mussismilia hispida, Madracis decactis and sediments yielded 11 bacterial strains, that were fully identified by MALDI-ToF/MS or gene sequencing, resulting in six genera - Vibrio, Shewanella, Mesoflavibacter, Halomonas, Bacillus and Alteromonas. To conduct this study, EtOAc extracts were prepared and tested against Trypanosoma cruzi. Crude extracts showed IC50 values ranging from 15 to 51 μg/mL against trypomastigotes. The bacterium Mesoflavibacter zeaxanthinifaciens was selected for fractionation, resulting in an active fraction (FII) with IC50 values of 17.7 μg/mL and 23.8 μg/mL against the trypomastigotes and amastigotes, respectively, with neither mammalian cytotoxicity nor hemolytic activity. Using NMR and ESI-HRMS analysis, FII revealed the presence of unsaturated iso-type fatty acids. Its lethal action was investigated, leading to a protein spectral profile of the parasite altered after treatment. FII also induced a rapid permeabilization of the plasma membrane of the parasite, leading to cell death. These findings demonstrate these unsaturated iso-type fatty acids as possible new hits against T. cruzi.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, in particular biofilm-organized bacteria, remain a clinical challenge and a serious health problem. Rifabutin (RFB), an antibiotic of the rifamycins class, has shown in previous work excellent anti-staphylococcal activity. Here, we proposed to load RFB in liposomes aiming to promote the accumulation of RFB at infected sites and consequently enhancing the therapeutic potency. Two clinical isolates of MRSA, MRSA-C1 and MRSA-C2, were used to test the developed formulations, as well as the positive control, vancomycin (VCM). RFB in free and liposomal forms displayed high antibacterial activity, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.009-0.013 μg/mL and MBIC50 values ranging from 0.008-0.012 μg/mL, in planktonic and biofilm bacteria, respectively. Confocal microscopy studies demonstrated the rapid internalization of unloaded and RFB-loaded liposomes in the bacterial biofilm matrix. In murine models of systemic MRSA-C1 infection, Balb/c mice were treated with RFB formulations and VCM at 20 and 40 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. Obtained data proved the superior therapeutic effectiveness of RFB formulations compared to Control and VCM groups even using a two-fold lower therapeutic dose as demonstrated by significantly reduced bacterial burden and growth index values in major organs. In addition, RFB formulations were the only formulations associated with 100% survival. Globally, this study emphasizes the potential of RFB nanoformulations as an effective and safe approach against MRSA infections.

The term Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) refers generically to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Among the isomers of linoleic acid cis9, trans11-CLA (c9, t11-CLA) and trans10, cis12-CLA (t10, c12-CLA) are found to be bio-logically active isomers, and they occur naturally in milk, dairy products and meat from ruminants. In addition, some vegetables and some sea-foods have also been reported to contain CLA. Although the CLA levels in these natural sources are insufficient to confer the essential health benefits, anti-carcinogenic or anti-cancer effects are of current interest. In the rumen, CLA is an intermediate of isomerization and the biohydrogenation process of linoleic acid to stearic acid conducted by ruminal microorganisms. In addition to rumen bacteria, some other bacteria, such as Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium and some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are also capable of producing CLA. In this regard, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) has demon-strated the ability to produce CLA isomers from linoleic acid by multiple enzymatic activi-ties, including hydration, dehydration, and isomerization. L. plantarum is one of the most versatile species of LAB and the bacterium is widely used in the food industry as a micro-bial food culture. The studies reviewed in this article reveal how, in the production of some fermented foods, the use of appropriate strains of L. plantarum, as a starter or additional culture, can be considered a critical factor in the design of new CLA-enriched functional foods.

The antimicrobial quantitative structure–activity relationship of plant flavonoids against Gram-positive bacteria was established in our previous works, and the cell membrane was confirmed as a major site of action. To investigate whether plant flavonoids have similar antibacterial effects and mechanisms against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, here, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 37 plant flavonoids against Escherichia coli were determined using the microdilution broth method, and then the correlation between their lipophilic parameter ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and their MIC was analyzed. Simultaneously, the correlation between the ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and the MIC of 46 plant flavonoids reported in literature against E. coli was also analyzed. Both sets of results showed that there is a significant correlation between the LogP value and the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria. However, it is difficult to effectively predict the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria from their lipophilic parameters. By comparing two regression curves derived from plant flavonoids against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, it was further discovered that the antibacterial activities of most plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria are stronger than those against Gram-positive bacteria when their LogP values are less than about 3.0, but the opposite is true when their LogP values are more than about 3.6. Moreover, this comparison also suggests that unlike mainly acting on the cell membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, plant flavonoids have multiple mechanisms against Gram-negative species, while the cell membrane is also an important action site among them. Combined with the correlation analyses between the enzyme inhibitory activity and the LogP value of the reported flavonoids, it was further suggested that DNA gyrase is another important target of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria.

There is no doubt that seagrass beds constitute one of the most productive ecosystems in shallow coastal waters. Despite this, picoplankton in seagrass ecosystems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to compare picoplankton growth and mortality rates between seagrass and unvegetated habitats using chamber incubations. We tested two main hypotheses: (i) incubation with seagrass would result in higher bacterial growth rates due to increased DOM release from seagrass photosynthesis, and (ii) Synechococcus spp. would be lower in the presence of seagrass due to competition for inorganic nutrients. Our results showed bacterial growth rates of 2.31 and 2.44 d–1 without and with seagrass, respectively. In seagrass chambers, bacterial growth was higher than that in non-seagrass chambers, suggesting that organic carbon coming from the seagrass community may support bacterial production. Furthermore, we observed a negative Synechococcus spp. growth rate (-0.9 d–1) in the seagrass treatment, likely reflecting nutrient competition with the seagrass. Small-scale chambers proved to be a useful tool for studying the factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of picoplankton across different habitats. Furthermore, future studies should examine picoplankton growth over a wider range of spatial scales in seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediment.

The low-temperature environment significantly inhibits the growth and metabolism of denitrifying bacteria, leading to an excessive concentration of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen in sewage treatment plants during the cold season. In this study, an efficient denitrifying strain of heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification(HN-AD) bacteria named HS2 was isolated and screened from industrial sewage of a chemical factory in Inner Mongolia at 8°C. The strain was confirmed to be Achromobacter spiritinus, a colorless rod-shaped bacterium. When cultured with sodium succinate as the carbon source, a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 20-30, a shaking rate of 150-180 r/min, and the initial pH of 6-10, the Strain HS2 exhibited excellent nitrogen removal at 8°C. Through the results of whole-genome sequencing, gene amplification, and gas product detection, the Strain HS2 was determined to possess key enzyme genes in both nitrification and denitrification pathways, suggesting a HN-AD pathway of NH4+-N→NH2OH→NO2--N→NO→N2O→N2. At 8°C, the Strain HS2 could completely remove ammonia nitrogen from industrial sewage with an initial concentration of 127.23 mg/L. Microbial species diversity analysis of the final sewage confirmed Achromobacter sp. as the dominant genus, this indicated that the low-temperature denitrifying strain HS2 plays an important role in nitrogen removal of actual low-temperature sewage.

Salinity is one of the major factors responsible for the deterioration of soils, making them unsuitable for agriculture. The application of halotolerant and halophilic plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR: Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) with biological control activities as an inoculant of cultivated plants offers a biological alternative to the use of agrochemicals, particularly when subjected to salt stress. In this perspective, 70 bacterial strains were isolated from saline soils (sebkha) in arid and semi-arid areas of eastern Algeria. Three isolates were selected based on their ability to produce bioactive molecules allowing them to promote plant growth, such as hydrolytic enzymes, indole acetic acid, HCN, NH3, etc. Two of these isolates belong to the genus Serratia and the third is a halophilic Halomonas bacteria. These bacteria were identified based on the 16S rDNA sequence. Antagonism tests against phytopathogenic fungi were carried out. The identification of the antifungal molecules produced by these bacteria was done by high performance liquid chromatography. These bacteria are capable of inhibiting mycelial development against phytopathogenic fungi with rates reaching 80.67% against Botrytis cinerea, 76.22% against Aspergillus niger and 66.67% against Fusarium culmorum for Serratia sp. The strain Halomonas sp. inhibited mycelial growth by production of volatile substances of Aspergillus niger at 71.29%, Aspergillus flavus at 75.49% and Penicillium glabrum at a rate of 72.22%. The identification by HPLC of the antifungal molecules produced by these three bacteria reveals that they are polyphenols, which makes these strains the first rhizobacteria capable of producing phenolic compounds. Finally, pot tests to determine the effectiveness of these strains in promoting wheat growth under salinity stress (125 mM, 150 mM and 200 mM) were carried out. The results revealed that a consortium of two isolates (Serratia sp. and Halomonas sp.) performed best at 125 mM. But, at higher concentrations it was the halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp which gave the best result. In all cases, there was a significant improvement in the growth of wheat seedlings inoculated with the bacteria, compared to non-inoculated controls.

Abstract: Background: The birthrate of Black preterm (BPT) infant is 65% higher than White preterm (WPT) infants with BPT mortality 2.3 times higher. The incidence of culture positive sepsis is as high as 41% in preterms. This study aimed to examine infections and mortality in BPTs and WPTs. Methods: We enrolled 362 preterms born < 32 weeks gestational age (GA) between 2019-2023 in 5 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)s to study onset of infections, and dispositions; RedCap data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. Results: 226 BPTs (63.5%) and 107 WPTs (30.8%) enrolled, with 29 other than White or Black, 50.5% female, mean GA of 27.67 weeks and 986.74 grams birthweight. Of 426 suspected infections evaluated in enrolled infants, there were 7 infants with early onset sepsis (EOS) and 39 infants with late onset sepsis (LOS). The incidence of EOS was 1.9% overall, 2.2% in BPTs vs 0.9% in WPTs. LOS incidence was 10.8% overall, 11.9% in BPTs and 9.3% in WPTs. Both BPT and WPT infants had ~ 8% gram-positive LOS events and 3% gram-negative LOS events; however, 82% of all gram-negative LOS episodes occurred in BPTs. There were 27 urinary tract infections and 78% were in BPTs. Two cerebral spinal fluid cultures were positive in BPTs. Necrotizing enterocolitis was diagnosed in 5.8% of the sample, with an incidence of 6.1% in BPTs versus 4.7% in WPTs. Death occurred in 6.0% of the enrolled infants with the rate of death being slightly higher in BPTs (7.0%) versus WPTs (5.6%). Conclusions: BPTs had a higher rate of positive cultures, double the gram-negative infections, a much higher rate of urinary tract infec-tions and a higher rate of mortality than their WPT counterparts. This study emphasizes higher risk of morbidity and mortality for BPTs.

2023 was the hottest year ever recorded, global warming accelerates its rising, we witness a series of extreme weather events, more frequent and more intense, climate refugees, infrastructure harmed, forests burning, “meteorological tsunamis”. We failed to meet the main goals of the Kyoto protocol; we are very close to fail in meeting the Paris agreement’s slowing global warming goal. Greenhouse gases emissions are at rise and, even if completely halt, temperatures would keep rising, enhancing the global average. Carbon capture and storage technologies are being developed to counterbalance these emissions by removing such gases from the atmosphere and physically storing or transforming them into useful molecules for the society. In this work we prospect microorganisms that can serve as a platform for developing carbon capture technologies. We process samples from the seabed of Brainsfield Strait region, Antarctica, prospecting for an organism capable of fixing carbon dioxide without light (chemoautotrophic bacterias) and capable of enduring extreme conditions of pressure (100 bar) under 100% supercritical state carbon dioxide atmosphere (scCO2), conditions like those found in oil deposits, where the technology can be of particular use.

Inflammation which has important functions in human defense systems and in maintaining the dynamic homeostasis of the body has become a major risk factor for the progression of many chronic diseases. Although the applied medical products alleviate the general status, they still exert adverse effects in the long term. For this reason, the solution should be sought in more harmless and affordable agents. Microorganisms offer a wide range of active substances with anti-inflammatory properties. They propose important advantages such as renewable and inexhaustible nature. This review aims at the most recent updates on the microorganisms of different type and genera being carriers of anti-inflammatory activity.

Fire blight, caused by the plant-pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a highly contagious and difficult-to-control disease due to the efficient dissemination, survival, and scarcity of effective control methods. Copper and antibiotics are the most used treatments but pose environmental and human health risks. Bacteriophages (phages) constitute an ecological, safe, and sustainable fire blight control alternative. The goal of this study was to search for specific E. amylovora phages from plant material, soil, and water samples in Mediterranean environments. A collection of phages able to specifically infect and lyse E. amylovora strains was generated from former fire blight-affected orchards in Eastern Spain. Following in vitro characterization, assays on immature fruit revealed that preventively applying some of the phages or their combinations delayed the onset of fire blight symptoms and reduced the disease severity, suggesting their biocontrol potential in Spain and other countries. Morphological and molecular characterization of the selected E. amylovora phages classified them as members of the class Caudoviricetes (former Myoviridae family) and genus Kolesnikvirus. This study reveals Mediterranean settings as plausible sources of E. amylovora-specific bacteriophages, and provides the first effective European phage cocktails in plant material for the development of sustainable fire blight management measures.

The seed industry plays a crucial role in the global food production, but it faces a persistent challenge in ensuring the health and quality of seeds, particularly those of tomato and pepper, which represent key seed commodities on the global market. Seeds can serve as potential pathways for the introduction and dissemination of seed-borne bacteria, which may have devastating effects on crop yield, farmers’ remunerability, and food security. Therefore, fungicides and other anti-microbial compounds are extensively used to disinfect the seeds, thus increasing the input of chemicals in the agri-enviroment. In this review, we address aspects that connect disease epide-miology with seed infection and health, including seed contamination, endophytic colonization, and seed-borne infections. We focused on the main bacterial diseases affecting tomato and pepper by discussing their official seed testing methods as requirements supporting a smooth seed trade. Moreover, we present a survey on the past and recent innovations for seed treatments, focusing on sustainable disinfection methods. Therefore, this review will be a short, but indispensable guide for seed technologists and pathologists involved in the production of high-quality seeds, providing indications and suggestions to contrast seed-borne pathogens dissemination, avoid international controversies and complaints by phytosanitary authorities, extension services and farmers.

Considering the increasing interest in understanding the biotic component of methane removal from our atmosphere, it becomes essential to study the physiological characteristics and genomic potential of methanotroph isolates, especially their traits allowing them to adapt to elevated growth temperatures. The genetic signatures of Methylocaldum species have been detected in many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. A small set of representatives of this genus has been isolated and maintained in culture. The genus is commonly described as moderately thermophilic, with the growth optimum reaching 50oC for some strains. Here, we present a comparative analysis of genomes of three Methylocaldum strains—two terrestrial M. szegediense strains (O-12 and Norfolk) and one marine strain Methylocaldum marinum (S8). The examination of the core genome inventory of this genus uncovers significant redundancy in primary metabolic pathways, including the machinery for methane oxidation (numerous copies of pmo genes) and methanol oxidation (duplications of mxaF, xoxF1-5 genes), three pathways for one-carbon (C1) assimilation, and two methods of carbon storage (glycogen and polyhydroxyalkanoates). We also investigate the genetics of melanin production pathways, as a key feature of the genus.

Skin wounds and their infections by antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB)are very common in small animals, posing the risk of acquiring ARB by pet owners or antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer to the owners’ microbiota. The aim of this study was to identify the most common pathogens infecting wounds of companion animals, assess their antibiotic resistance and determine the ARGs using culture-based, molecular and proteomic methods. A total of 136 bacterial strains were isolated from wound swabs. Their species was identified using chromogenic media, followed by MALDI-TOF spectrometry. Disk diffusion was used to test the antibiotic resistance and twelve ARGs were detected using PCRs. The dominant species included Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (9.56%), E. coli and E. faecalis (both n=11, 8.09%). Enterobacterales were mostly resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (68.3% strains), all Pseudomonas were resistant to ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem and tylosin, Acinetobacter was mostly resistant to tylosin (55.5%), all Enterococcus were resistant to imipenem, 39.2% of Staphylococci were resistant to clindamycin. Among ARGs, strA (streptomycin resistance), sul3 (sulfonamide resistance) and blaTEM, an ESBL determinant, were the most frequent. The risk of ARB and ARD transfer between animals and humans causes the need to search for new antimicrobial therapies in the future veterinary medicine.

Haemophilus influenzae is one of causative agent of invasive bacterial pathogen that affects both children and adults. Haemophilus influenzae is a pleomorphic gram-negative coccobacillus and it is a common commensal of the upper respiratory tract. It is a human-only pathogen that can cause severe invasive diseases. These bacterial infections can range from mild, such as ear infections, to severe, such as bloodstream infections. The infections typically affect children younger than 5 years old and old age person older than 65 years. They also affect people who are immunocompromised, such as those with certain medical conditions. The highest incidence rates of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease have recently been discovered in various nations, including North America, Canada, and parts of Europe. In order to monitor the evolving nature of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease critically reviewed data is required to capture the true status of invasiveness of the Haemophilus influenza diseases. Developing new vaccines against Haemilus influenzae is a potential solution to protect some vulnerable populations against the invasive disease due to this bacterial species. This review article thoroughly investigate recent and up-to-date biomedical science perspective development, innovation, findings, publications and current areas of scientific interest and gap including pathogenicity, diagnosis, multidrug-resistance, Molecular characterization and genetic evolution, epidemiology and immunological characteristics of Haemophilus influenzae, including specific current issues that are affecting the research and development of vaccines to treat Haemophilus influenzae non serotype b diseases and providing insight into how these problems may be overcome.

Bacteria can colonize and develop biofilm on a large variety of biotic and abiotic materials, it is accountable for nosocomial infections and chronic illness and consequently, it is a serious economic and public health problem. Staphylococcus epidermidis, thanks to its ability to form biofilm and colonize biomaterials, represents the most frequent causative agent involved in bio-film-associated infections of medical devices. Due to the biofilm presence, S. epidermidis infections are extremely difficult to treat and the research of new molecules able to interfere with its biofilm formation has a remarkable interest. In the present work, the attention was focused on Pseudomonas sp. TAE6080, an Antarctic marine bacterium able to produce and secrete an effective antibiofilm compound. The molecule responsible for this activity was purified by an activity-guided approach and it resulted to be a periplasmic protein, named Cold-Azurin. The Cold-Azurin was recombinantly produced in E. coli and purified. The recombinant protein was able to impair S. epidermidis attachment to the polystyrene surface and effectively prevent biofilm formation.

The impacts of spice (sumac, cumin, black pepper, and red pepper) extract on Gram-positive (S. aureus and E. faecalis) and Gram-negative (K. pneumonia, P. aureginosa, C. jejuni, A. hydrophila, S. Paratyphi A, and Y. enterocolitica) food-borne pathogen bacterial strains (FBP) for their antibacterial activity and accumulation of ammonia (AMN), trimethylamine (TMA), and biogenic amines (BAs) in tyrosine decarboxylase broth (TDB) were investigated. Sumac extract exhibited the highest an-tibacterial potential against all FBP followed by cumin and peppers. Ammonia (AMN) production (844.24-543 mg/L) was strongly inhibited by sumac extract (55.10 mg/L), whilst suppression of trimethylamine (TMA) production (53.66-3.21 mg/L) was observed by sumac (1.28 mg/L), followed by red pepper (0.91 mg/L) extract. Cumin extracts stimulated the production of cadaverine, spermidine, tryptamine, and 2-phenylethylamine. Furthermore, sumac extracts inhibited hista-mine and tyramine production in the majority of FBP. This research suggests the application of sumac extracts as natural preservatives for inhibiting the growth of FBP and inhibiting the pro-duction of AMN, TMA, and BAs.

Our understanding of the divergence of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and mobile elements from the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) has not improved substantially since the crystallization hypothesis (explaining transition from cellular machinery to cellular life) was proposed by Woese. Here, we propose a hypothesis for the simultaneous emergence of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and mobile elements by sequential and concrete biochemical and cellular pathways. According to the hypothesis, the LUCA was a non-free-living pool of single operon type genomes composed of single-stranded (ss) RNA, double-stranded (ds) RNA, RNA/DNA hybrid, ssDNA, or dsDNA at an ancient submarine alkaline vent. Each dsDNA operon was transcribed by different systems in σ, TFIIB, or TBP genomes. Upon the fusion of multiple dsDNA operons by recombinase, the transcription system (in the σ, TFIIB, or TBP genome) was preferentially selected, leading to the first genetic linkage (described by Morgan). Vertical inheritance eventually led to Bacteria (σ genome) and Archaea (TBP genome). Eigen’s paradox (error catastrophe) can be overcome by the parallel gain of DNA replication and DNA repair mechanisms in both genomes. Enlarged DNA enabled efficient local biochemical reactions. Both genomes independently recruited lipids to facilitate reactions by forming coacervates (liquid droplets) at the chamber of the vent, leading to the lipid divide. Bilayer lipid membrane formation, proto-cell formation with a permeable membrane, proto-cell division, and the evolution of membrane-associated biochemistry are presented in detail. Simultaneous crystallization of systems in non-free-living bacteria and non-free-living archaea triggered the co-crystallization of primitive viruses and mobile elements. An arms race between non-free-living cells and primitive viruses finally led to free-living cells with a cell wall and mature viruses at the original vent. Cells and viruses spread to all vents on the planet, explaining the universality of the genetic code on Earth. The proposed scenario provides a plausible explanation for the origin of diverse taxa from the LUCA vertical and horizontal gene transfer.

Nutrition is one of the most influential environmental factor in both taxonomical shifts in gut microbiota as well as development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Emerging evidence has shown that the effects of nutrition on both these parameters is not mutually exclusive and that changes in gut microbiota and related metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and branched chain amino acids (BCAA) may influence systemic inflammation and signaling pathways that contribute to pathophysiological processes associated with T2DM. With this background, our review highlights the effects of macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, as well as micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, on T2DM, specifically through their alterations in gut microbiota and the metabolites they produce. Additionally, we describe the influences of common food groups, which incorporate varying combinations of these macronutrients and micronutrients, on both microbiota and metabolic parameters in the context of diabetes mellitus. Overall, nutrition is one of the first line modifiable therapies in the management of T2DM and better understanding of the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influence its pathophysiology provides opportunities for optimizing dietary interventions.

A single type I RC (Fe-S type, ferredoxin reducing) is found in several of the phyla of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. They include the heliobacteria (HB), the green sulfur bacteria (GSB) and the chloroacidobacteria (CAB), for which high-resolution homodimeric RC-PS structures have recently appeared [1-4]. The 2.2-Å Xray structure of the RC-PS of Heliomicrobium modesticaldum [1] revealed that the core PshA apoprotein (PshA1 and PshA2 homodimeric pair) exhibits a structurally conserved PSI arrangement comprised of five C-terminal transmembrane helices (TMHs) forming the RC domain and six N-terminal TMHs coordinating the light-harvesting (LH) pigments. The Hm. modesticaldum structure lacked quinones, indicating that electrons were transferred directly from the A0 (81-OH-chlorophyl (Chl) a) primary acceptor to the FX [4Fe4S] component, serving as the terminal RC acceptor. A pair of additional TMHs designated as Psh X were found, that function as a low-energy antennae. The 2.5Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure for the RC-PS of the GSB Chlorobaculum tepidum [2] included two Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein (FMO) antennae, which transfer excitations from the chlorosomes to the RC-PS (PscA1 and PscA2) core. Two cytochromes c (PscC) molecules were revealed, which act in series as electron donors to the photooxidized RC BChl a’ special pair, as well as PscB, housing the [4Fe-4S] cluster FA and FB, and the associated PscD protein [3]. Although their FMO components were missing from the 2.6-Å cyro-EM structure of the Zn-BChl a’ special pair containing RC-PS of Chloroacidobacterium thermophilum [4], a unique architecture was revealed that consisted of seven additional subunits including PscZ in place of PscD, the PscX and PscY cytochrome c serial electron donors and four low mol. wt. subunits of unknown function. Overall, these diverse structures have revealed that: (i) the HB RC-PS is the simplest light-energy transducing complex yet isolated, and represents the closest known homolog to a common homodimeric RC-PS ancestor; (ii) the symmetrically localized Ca2+binding sites found in each of the Type I homodimeric RC-PSs likely gave rise to the analogously positioned Mn4CaO5 cluster of the PSII RC and the TyrZ RC donor site; (iii) a close relationship between the GSB RC-PS and Chl protein (CP)43 and CP47 of PSII was demonstrated by the strongly conserved locations of their LH-(B)Chls; (iv) LH-BChls of the GSB-RC-PS are also localized in the conserved RC-associated positions of the PSII ChlZ-D1 and ChlZ-D2 sites; (v) glycosylated carotenoids of the GSB RC-PS are located in the homologous carotenoid-containing positions of PSII, reflecting an O2-tolerance mechanism capable of sustaining early stages in the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. In addition to the close relationships found between the homodimeric RC-PS and PSII, duplication of the gene encoding the ancestral Type I RC apoprotein, followed by genetic divergence my well account for the appearance of the heterodimeric Type I and Type II RC found in extant oxygenic phototrophs. Accordingly, the long-held view that PSII arose from the anoxygenic Type II RC is now supplanted by the new evidence provided by Type I RC-PS homodimer structures, indicating that the evolutionary origins of anoxygenic Type II RCs along with their distinct antenna rings are likely to have occured later than the events which gave rise to their oxygenic counterparts.

An event of increasing interest during host-pathogen interactions is the differentiation of patrolling monocytes (MOs) and the polarization of naive MOs into macrophage subsets (MФs). Therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating this event are under investigation. This review focuses on the mechanisms of induction, development, and profile of MФs polarized toward classically proinflammatory (M1) or alternatively anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes in response to bac-teria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. It highlights nuclear (PPARγ), cytoplasmic, and cell surface receptors (pattern recognition receptors/PPRs), microenvironmental mediators, and immune signaling. MФs polarize into phenotypes: M1 MФs, activated by IFN-γ, pathogen-associated mo-lecular patterns (PAMPs, e.g. LPS)/DAMPs and membrane-bound PPRs ligands (TLRs/CLRs lig-ands); or M2 MФs (a, b, c and d), induced by IL-4, -10 and -13, antigen-antibody complexes, and helminth PAMPs. The kinetics of M1 and M2 polarization evolve in a pathogen-specific manner, with or without canonicity, and can vary widely. Ultimately, this can result in varying degrees of host protection or more severe disease outcome. While the host is driving an effective MФs po-larization, pathogens are attempting to shift it to increase pathogenicity. The latter results from a bias toward an ineffective M1 or M2 response due to microbial virulence factors, culminating in pathogen evasion of host defenses. Plasticity of M1/M2 phenotypes is also ensured by cellu-lar/genomic reprogramming. Because modulation of this event can occur at multiple points, providing a therapeutic/vaccine design target to boost microbicidal (M1) or tissue repair (M2) response during the inflammation-to-resolution transition; new insights and emerging perspec-tives may have clinical implications.

Introduction Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) occur more frequently after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) compared to other abdominal surgeries, and infective complications are a leading cause of postoperative morbidity following PD. Pre-operative biliary stent (PBS) placement often leads to biliary contamination, which in turn plays a significant role in postoperative infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of MDR contamination on short-term postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing PD and to examine the relationship between MDR bacteria, PBS, and bile contamination. Methods This is a retrospective study based on a prospectively maintained database comprising 825 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between January 2010 and December 2020 at our center. All procedures were conducted with a standardized resection by a dedicated group of surgeons in a specialized pancreatic surgery unit, and the patients were managed according to the same perioperative enhanced recovery protocol. Results MDR bacteria were present in 17.5% of bile cultures, exclusively within the stented group. In our multivariate analysis, the development of a major postoperative complication (MPC) was correlated with the presence of MDR bacteria in the bile (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.1-2.52; p = 0.02). MDR bacteria were detected early in the surgical drainage in 144 out of 825 patients (12.1%), with 72.2% having a previous biliary stent placement and 27.8% without stents (p < 0.001). In our multivariate analysis, the development of an MPC was associated with the presence of MDR bacteria in the drainage (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.21-2.73, p= 0.0042). Conclusions We demonstrated that MDR contamination worsens the short-term outcomes of patients undergoing PD. Specifically, when MDR bacteria are present in both the bile and drainage, there is a statistically significant increase in the incidence of major postoperative complications (MPC). Our data suggest that the majority of MDR surgical site infections stem from biliary contamination resulting from the placement of a pre-operative biliary stent (PBS).

This literature review was aimed to identifying the opportunistic bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted by contaminated food and represent a current threat for patients particularly suscep-tible to infections because of underlying conditions or predisposing factors. The analysis was focused on recent case or outbreak reports, and systematic reviews published in years 2019 - 2023 and resulted in sorting 24 bacterial groups comprising genera or species able to cause a variety of systemic or invasive infections if ingested with food or drinking water. These included both bacteria known to cause mild infections in immunocompetent persons and bacteria considered innocuous that are used in food fermentation or as probiotics. No recent cases from dietary routes were reported for bacteria of critical importance as nosocomial pathogens and widely occurring in food products, primarily, Acinetobacter baumanii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, the very first sources of their introduction in the clinical environment still need to be estab-lished. In many instances, risky dietary habits such as eating raw fish, seafood, raw meat, unpasteurized milk and derived products or the lack of control on fermentation processes led to the reported illnesses, pointing out to the necessity to improve the hygiene of production and consumer’s awareness of risks.

Washing machines are one of the tools that bring great convenience to people's daily lives. However, washing machines that have been used for a long time often develop issues such as odor and mold, which can pose health hazards to consumers. There exists a conspicuous gap in our understanding of the microorganisms that inhabit the inner workings of washing machines. In this study, samples were collected from 22 washing machines in Shanghai, China, including both water eluted from different parts of washing machines and biofilms. Quantitative qualitative analysis was performed using fluorescence PCR quantification and microbial communities were characterized by high throughput sequencing (HTS). It showed that the microbial communities in all samples were predominantly composed of bacteria, and they have a strong adhesion ability in the washing machine environment. HTS results showed that in the eluted water samples, the bacteria mainly included Pseudomonas, Enhydrobacter, Brevibacterium and Acinetobacter. On the contrary, in biofilm samples, Enhydrobacter and Brevibacterium were the predominant bacterial microorganisms. Correlation analysis results revealed that microbial colonies in washing machines were significantly correlated with years of use and the type of detergent used to clean the washing machine. As numerous pathogenic microorganisms can be observed in the results, effective preventive measures and future research are essential to mitigate these health problems and ensure the continued safe use of these household appliances.

DNA extraction for downstream molecular diagnostic applications can be an expensive, time-consuming process. We devised a method to quickly extract genomic DNA from environmental samples based on sodium hydroxide lysis of cells with or without capture by magnetic beads, for subsequent PCR or quantitative PCR. The final DNA extraction method using NaOH is extremely low-cost and can be completed in 10 minutes at room temperature. NaOH extraction was effective for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in samples from air, soil, sewage, food, laboratory surfaces, and chicken cloacal swabs. The NaOH extraction method was comparable to commercial kits for extraction of DNA from pig fecal samples for 16S amplicon sequencing analyses. We demonstrate that an impinger and portable pump can efficiently capture bacteria in poultry facilities for rapid DNA extraction for quantification of total bacteria and for detection of specific species using qPCR. The air sampling and NaOH extraction procedures are well-suited for routine, high throughput screening, and for metagenomic analyses for specific pathogens, even in resource-limited situations.

In recent decades, given the important role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human health, scientists have paid great attention to the enrichment of this chemical compound in food using various methods, including microbial fermentation. Moreover, GABA or GABA-rich products have been successfully commercialized as food additives or functional dietary supplements. Several microorganisms can produce GABA, including bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. Among GABA-producing bacteria, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used in the production of many fermented foods. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (previously Lactobacillus plantarum) has a long history of natural occurrence and safe use in a variety of food products. This LAB species provides functional properties to various fermented foods by producing a variety of bioactive compounds, including GABA. The present review aims, after a preliminary excursus on the function and biosynthesis of GABA, to provide an overview on the current uses of microorganisms and in particular of L. plantarum in the production of GABA, with a detailed focus on fermented foods.

Water microbial contamination is a serious issue that poses a risk to both animal and human health. 120 water samples collected from main water source and drinkers from a poultry farm. Different bacterial pathogens were isolated from water sources. Escherichia (E.) coli, Pseudomonas (P.) aureoginosa, (Salmonella) S. Typhimurim, Aeromonas (A.) hydrophila at different percentages. Variable degree of bacterial resistance to some commercial disinfectants commonly used to disinfect water system (iodine, terminator and H2O2). Nanoparticles were used to control bacteria in water. About the safety investigation for the prepared nanomaterials, the work results demonstrated that zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit the highest safety profile among the manufactured materials. The median fatal dose (LD50) for ZnO NPs was determined to be 3709 mg/kg body weight. In comparison, the LD50 values for zeolites and nanocomposites were 3251 mg/kg and 2658 mg/kg, respectively. Therapeutic dosages were estimated based on the LD50. Zeolite NPs, ZnO NPs and ZnO/zeolite NPs showing promising results in control of those bacteria. It was concluded that the escalating resistance of bacteria to disinfectants have led to a need to find alternative such as nanoparticles that proved promising results in control of pathogens, particularly it showed a safe effect on laboratory animals.

Many bacteria have the ability to survive in challenging environments; however, they cannot grow on standard culture media, a phenomenon known as the Viable but Non-Culturable (VBNC) state. Bacteria commonly go into the VBNC state under nutrient-poor environments or under stressful conditions. This review explores the concept of the VBNC state, providing insights into the beneficial bacteria known to employ this strategy. The investigation covers different chemical and physical factors that can induce the latency state, cell features, and gene expression observed in cells in the VBNC state. The revision also covered the significance and applications of beneficial bacteria, methods for evaluating bacterial viability, the ability of bacteria to persist in environments associated with higher organisms, and the factors that facilitate the return to the culturable state. Knowledge about beneficial bacteria capable of entering the VBNC state remains limited, however, beneficial bacteria in this state could face adverse environmental conditions, and return to culturable state when conditions become suitable and continue to exert their beneficial effects. Likewise, this unique feature positions them as potential candidates for healthcare applications, such as the use of probiotic bacteria to enhance human health, applications in industrial microbiology for the production of prebiotics, functional foods, and in the beer and wine industry. Moreover, their use in formulations to increase crop yield and for bacterial bioremediation offers an alternative pathway to harness their beneficial attributes.

Soil improvement methods can result in changes in the microbial community in blueberry soil. However, there have been few reports on the impacts of different soil improvement methods on the microbial function, particularly on endophytic microbe. In this study, we analyzed the response of microbial community composition, microbial function and nitrogen (N) cycle to different improvement methods using high throughput sequencing. We aimed to investigate the best soil improvement method from a microbial perspective. The results showed that the highest microbial diversity was observed in the T4 treatment (peat combined with mushroom bran), followed by the T2 treatment (peat combined with acidified rice husk) both in the rhizosphere and roots. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, which were most abundance in the T4 and T1 (peat combined with sulfur) treatments in the rhizosphere soil, respectively, but showed the opposite trend in the root endophytic bacterial community. Interestingly, Acidobacterium and Paludibaculum, belonging to the Acidobacteria phylum, were found to have the highest influence according to the correlation network analysis. And these bacteria were most abundant in the T2 treatment in the rhizosphere soil. The rhizosphere soil microbial communities were clustered into two categories: one for T1 and T2 treatments, and another for T3 (mushroom bran) and T4 treatments. Compared to the other treatments, the T1 treatment had the most significant impact on microbial functional pathways in the blueberry roots. T2 treatment promoted the growth of N fixation functional bacteria both in the rhizosphere soil and roots. At the module level, the T2 treatment increased the relative abundance of N fixation and decreased the relative abundance of assimilating nitrate reduction reaction (ANRA), dissimilating nitrate reduction reaction (DNRA), denitrification and completed nitrification in the blueberry rhizosphere soil. Additionally, the T2 treatment increased the abundance of root endophytic microbes involved in N fixation. Overall, our findings suggest that the addition of peat combined with acidified rice husk is the optimal soil improvement method for blueberry cultivation.

Background: Bacterial conjunctivitis is one of the most commonly encountered eye complications in medicine, particularly in developing nations. In Hadhramout Governorate-Yemen, there is no data about bacterial conjunctivitis among patients. Aim: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of bacterial conjunctivitis among patients seeking hospitals in Hadhramout Governorate, Yemen. Methods: A total of 1722 eye swabs were collected from patients attending different Hadhramout hospitals over a period of April to December 2018. The isolation and identification of bacteria are performed using standard bacteriological procedures. In addition, structured questionnaires were used to gather data from patients. Results: Out of 1722 eye swabs, 198 (11.49%) were positive for bacterial conjunctivitis, while 1524 (88.5%) were negative. The high prevalence rate of infection was among female participants and the age group between 31 and 40 years, at 15.25% and 29.29%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of gram-positive bacteria was significantly greater among study patients than gram-negative bacteria (58.59% vs. 41.41%). The most predominant Gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (26.26%), followed by Streptococci pneumoniae (17.18%), Alpha-hemolytic Streptococci (8.08%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (7.07%). Whereas the gram-negative bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.1%), followed by Moraxella catarrhalis (10.1%), Haemophilus influenza (7.07%), Klebsiella sp. (6.06%), Enterobacter agglomerans (4.04%), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (2.02%). Additionally, the majority of study patients suffered from red eyes (100%), tearing eyes (93.93%), itching (90.9%), painful eyes (87.87%), purulent eyes (56.56%), and eye discharge (38.38%). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of bacterial conjunctivitis among patients in Hadhramout, Yemen, is relatively low compared with international investigations. Further investigation is required to assess and identify the antibiotic resistance to these agents that cause conjunctivitis.

Endophytic bacteria, especially those participate in nitrogen fixation, play critical roles in supplying essential nutrients for legume plant growth. Compared to the numerous bacterial microbiome reports targeting legume roots and nodules, little is known about embryonic bacteria that facilitate plant nutrient utilization after seed germination. Here, we collected and investigated endophytic bacterial microbiomes in edible pea (Pisum sativum) embryos using five representative cultivars and a pea sprout control. Twenty-six nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFBs) were isolated from pea embryos, with three strains found in fresh pea (FGP) and snow pea (SP) exhibiting the strongest nitrogenase activity. Some NFB isolates are also potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSBs) or phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) utilizing inorganic and/or organic phosphorus. All 26 NFBs showed variable levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) secretion. The nutrient-solubilizing NFBs identified in our research are valuable resources for biofertilizer development. At the microbiome level, high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing of 40 bacterial collections from pea embryos revealed similar community structures and species abundances and diversities in most samples. Our embryo-derived endophytic bacterial pool provides a microbiome platform for seed dormancy and germination research of edible peas.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is an essential legume crop providing healthy and nutritious food for people in low- to middle-income countries, worldwide. Lentil roots support symbiotic interactions with soil rhizobia species fostering nitrogen fixation; however, assemblage and diversity of the complete microbial rhizosphere community and the effect of seed genotype and origin remains largely unexplored. In this study we examined with metagenomic analysis, the effects of seed origin on the rhizosphere’s communities in samples of the famous Greek lentil landrace Eglouvis derived from different local farmers and farming systems including a Gene Bank sample, in comparison to a commercial variety. The landrace exhibited higher rhizosphere microbiome diversity compared to the commercial variety for all indexes. A core microbiome comprised of 158 taxa was present in all samples, while higher number of unique bacterial taxa was recorded in the landrace samples compared to the commercial cultivar. Noteworthy, landrace samples originated from organic farming had more than double unique taxa compared to conventional counterparts. The study revealed higher diversity of N2 fixers and archaea, Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota, in landrace samples and particularly in those derived from organic farming, underpinning the distinct recruiting efficiency of beneficial soil microbes by the landrace.

Aerococcus urinae is an aerobic Gram-positive coccus that grows as tiny alpha-hemolytic colonies. Actinotignum schaalii is a slow-growing facultative anaerobic Gram-positive rod. These bacteria are part of the urogenital microbiota of healthy patients, but can also be involved in urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly in elderly men and young children [1–3]. Because A. urinae and A. schaalii are fastidious and are difficult to identify with phenotypic methods, they are underestimated causes of UTIs. Their growth is slow and requires a blood-enriched medium and an incubation time of 48 hours under anaerobic or 5% CO2 atmosphere. Furthermore, accurate identification is only possible using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) or molecular-based methods. In rare cases, these bacteria can be responsible for invasive infections. We describe here the second case of bacteremic UTI caused by both A. schaalii and A. urinae in an 89-year-old woman who presented dyspnea and asymptomatic bacteriuria. This challenging clinical and microbiological diagnosis was made by our laboratory by Gram staining urine with a leucocyte count &gt;50/μL and/or a bacterial count &gt;14/μL, urinary culture on blood agar plate, and direct bacterial identification on positive blood culture bottles (BCBs) by MALDI-TOF MS. After 10 days of antimicrobial treatment consisting of 2g amoxicillin PO t.i.d the patient was discharged with complete clinical and biological recovery. A. schaalii and A. urinae are probably still underestimated causes of UTIs. Microbiologists should assess the presence of these two bacteria in urine using the appropriate culture and identification methods where direct examination is positive for small Gram-positive cocci or rods, and a urinary dipstick is negative for nitrites and associated with leukocyturia.

Biosensors based on an oxygen electrode, a mediator electrode and a mediator microbial biofuel cell (MFC) using on the bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans B-1280 have been formed and tested to determine the integral toxicity. G. oxydans bacteria exhibit high sensitivity to the toxic effects of phenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, salicylic and trichloroacetic acid and a number of heavy metal ions. The system “G. oxydans bacteria – ferrocene – graphite-paste electrode” is superior in sensitivity to biosensors formed using an oxygen electrode and MFC, in particular regarding heavy metal ions (EC50 of chromium (II), manganese (II) and cadmium (II) was 0.8 mg/dm3, 0.3 mg/dm3 and 1.6 mg/dm3, respectively). It has been determined that the period of stable functioning of electrochemical systems during measurements is reduced by half due (from 30 to 15 days) due to changes in the enzyme system of microbial cells when exposed to toxicants. Samples of products made from polymeric materials were analyzed using developed biosensor systems and standard biotesting methods based on inhibiting the growth of duckweed L. minor, reducing the motility of bull sperm and quenching the luminescence of the commercial test system "Ecolum". The developed bioelectrocatalytic systems are comparable in sensitivity to commercial biosensors, which made it possible to correlate the results and identify by all methods a highly toxic sample containing diphenylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate according to GC-MS data.

As participating molecules in nucleic acids, nucleotides also have signaling functions and act as second messengers in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the most common example being cyclic AMP (cAMP). In bacteria, a great interest has arisen in studying nucleotide signaling. It has been determined that cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), cAMP, and cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) participate in biological events such as bacterial growth, biofilm formation, sporulation, cell differentiation, motility, virulence, and other. Moreover, these cyclic-di-nucleotides (c-di-nucleotides) produced in pathogenic intracellular bacteria can affect eukaryotic host cells for infection. On the other hand, the nucleotide molecules pppGpp, and ppGpp are alarmones involved in regulating bacterial nutritional stress; they are also considered second messengers. These second messengers can be used as therapeutic agents because of their immunological functions on eukaryotic cells. In this review, different topics on the role of c-di-nucleotides as second messengers in different bacterial processes are addressed.

The study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteriocin-producing Enterococcus species from Ethiopian traditional fermented foods and beverages. The bacteriocin bioassay was tested against food-borne pathogens at various temperatures, pH, solvents, additives, and enzymes. A solvent extraction method was established to concentrate bacteriocins from Enterococcus species. The study found that crude extracts with proteinase K, pepsin, and trypsin deactivated antimicrobial activity, confirming their proteinaceous nature. Organic solvents were more effective at extracting bacteriocins from CFS, with chloroform alone and in combination providing rapid and efficient recovery. The optimal bacteriocin production and strong inhibition activity were achieved at 37°C with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 incubated for 16-18 hours. The six Enterococcus faecium species were the best bacteriocin-producing isolates. Optimizing bacteriocin production and changing environmental growing circumstances can enhance the application of bacteriocins as food preservation agents. Traditional fermented products are potential sources of bacteriocin-producing LAB.

It was of great practical significance to repair the toxicity of salt stress environment to soybean seedlings and maintain the balance between agricultural production and ecological environment in the Yellow River valley of China. ‘Xudou 20’ was used as the experimental material, a large-scale planting variety in the old Yellow River basin. Endophytes 131 and 137 isolated from soybean root nodule were taken as the research objects, and the soybean plants were cultivated by pot culture in intelligent artificial incubator. Salt stress group, bacteria suspension group and control group were set up to study the effects of inoculation treatments on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) of soybean seedlings under different NaCl stress. The results showed that when inoculated with endophyte 131 bacterial suspension and cultured for 14 days, the SOD activity was the highest (14.89 U•g−1•FW) at the salt concentration 50 mmol•L-1. When inoculated with 131 bacterial suspension (2:1) and cultured for 28 days, the SOD activity reached the highest (0.94 ug-1FW) at the salt concentration of 50 mmol•L-1, and the CAT activity amounted to the highest (1910 U•g−1•min−1). The 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the most similar strain of strain 137 was Bacillus cereus, and the most similar strain of strain 131 was Enterobacter ludwigii. Therefore, the activities of SOD and CAT in soybean seedlings inoculated with endophytes 131 and 137 increased at different degrees under salt stress, which could effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress environment to plants, and thus improve the stress resistance of plants.

This study aimed to isolate, identify enteric bacterial species from the migratory seagulls migrated to Libyan cost and to assess the antibiotic resistance of these bacteria. A total of 50 fecal samples were collected from slender-billed gulls in January, 2023 at Farwa Island near the city of Zwara. Bacteria were isolated by conventional culturing method, identified by using the Enterosystem 18R, and antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted on the isolated bacteria. Only 32 of 46 bacteria were identified using biochemical tests. These identified bacteria belong to six species of Enterobacteriacae namely Citrobacter freundii, Pantoea agglomerans, E. coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia liquifaciens, and Proteus mirabilis, with percentages of (17) 53.125%, (10) 31.25%, (2) 6.25%, (1) 3.125%, (1) 3.125%, and (1) 3.125%, respectively. All isolated bacterial species in this study were 100% sensitive to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. The highest resistance rate was observed against the antibiotic cefoxitin. The results indicated that C. freundii was the most antibiotic-resistant bacterial species isolated in this study. In conclusion, slender-billed gulls carry multi-drug resistant bacteria. The study recommends implementation of a national program to survey antibiotic-resistant bacteria and expanding scientific research on migratory birds.

Nowadays, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a major global public health problem and the burden of these infections is high. In order to reduce the incidence of HAIs and to prevent the spread antibi-otics resistant organisms is mandatory to develop surveillance systems. We undertook a retrospective case-control study of all patients presenting HAIs admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in order to assess risk factors associated with death among patients with HAIs. Patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit who died were more likely to present an infection with a multidrug resistant bacteria, an infection with Acineto-bacter baumannii, and to suffer from acute myocardial infarction. Among the patients enrolled in the study, a higher probability of death was also observed in association with certain gram-negative pathogens: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The longer the patient remains admitted in ICU, the higher the risk of getting an infection that can often become fatal. Acquiring a noso-comial infection also increases the length of hospitalization which will lead to increased financial damage.

Scavenging of atmospheric trace gases has been recognized as one of the lifestyle-defining capabilities of microorganisms in terrestrial polar ecosystems. Several metagenome-assembled genomes of as-yet-uncultivated methanotrophic bacteria, which consume atmospheric CH4 in these ecosystems, have been retrieved in cultivation-independent studies. In this study, we isolated and characterized a representative of these methanotrophs, strain D3K7, from a subarctic soil of Northern Russia. Strain D3K7 grows on methane and methanol in a wide range of temperatures, between 5 and 30°C. Weak growth was also observed on acetate. The presence of acetate in the culture medium stimulated growth at low CH4 concentrations (~100 p.p.m.v.). The finished genome sequence of strain D3K7 is 4.15 Mb in size and contains about 3700 protein-encoding genes. According to the result of phylogenomic analysis, this bacterium forms a common clade with metagenome-assembled genomes obtained from the active layer of a permafrost thaw gradient in Stordalen Mire, Abisco, Sweeden, and the mineral cryosol at Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian high Arctic. This clade occupies a phylogenetic position in between characterized Methylocapsa methanotrophs and representatives of the as-yet-uncultivated Upland Soil Cluster Alpha (USCα). As shown by the global distribution analysis, D3K7-like methanotrophs colonize mostly northern terrestrial ecosystems, such as polar deserts, subarctic soils, permafrost environments, but also occur in boreal peatlands or high-latitude habitats.

Alheira is a naturally fermented meat sausage traditionally made in the Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) have been found to be the dominant microorganisms in alheira. This study aimed: 1) to characterize technological features and in vitro antimicrobial activity of LAB isolates; and 2) to reveal associations between such phenotypic characteristics and the isolates genotypically identified to species level through amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene. Sixty-two LAB isolates were identified and Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent (32.3%), followed by Leuconostoc mesenteroides (19.4%) and Latilactobacillus sakei (17.7%), aligning with previous research on traditional Portuguese fermented meat sausages. The phenotypic analysis of LAB isolates indicated diverse acidification capacities, proteolytic activities, and inhibitory effects against foodborne pathogens. Comprising the technological attributes, L. paracasei and L. mesenteroides had higher proteolytic activity (3.46 and 3.43 mm), whereas E. faecium and L. paracasei stood out for their acidifying capacity, with mean pH after 6 h of 5.78 and 6.03, respectively. Overall, lactobacilli presented higher inhibition diameter against the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium. Although the mechanisms for inhibition of pathogen growth needs to be further elucidated, these findings enhance our understanding of LAB diversity and functionality in alheira sausages, contributing to product safety and quality assessment.

Antibiotic resistance is now a first-order health problem, which makes the development of new families of antimicrobials an imperative. These compounds should ideally be inexpensive, readily available, highly active and non-toxic. Here we present the results on the antimicrobial activity of a series of natural and synthetic polyamines with different architectures (linear, tripodal and macrocyclic) and their derivatives containing the oxygen containing aromatic functional groups 1,3-benzodioxol, ortho/para phenol or 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran. The new compounds were prepared through a non-expensive process and their activity was tested against selected strains of yeast, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In all cases, the conjugated derivatives showed antimicrobial activity higher than the unsubstituted polyamines. Several factors, such as the overall charge at physiological pH, the lipophilicity and the topology of the polyamine scaffold were relevant to their activity. The nature of the lipophilic moiety was also determinant on human cell toxicity. The lead compounds showed to be bactericidal and fungistatic, and they were synergic with the commercial antifungals fluconazole, cycloheximide and amphotericin B against the yeast strains tested.

The continued exploration of the diversity of lactic acid bacteria in little-studied ecological niches represents a fundamental activity to understand the diffusion and biotechnological significance of this heterogeneous class of prokaryotes. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lpb. plantarum) strains have been isolated from Tunisian vegetable sources, including fermented olive, fermented pepper and from dead locust intestines, subsequently evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli O157:H7 CECT 4267 and Listeria monocytogenes CECT 4031, as well as against some fungi, including Penicillium expansum, Aspergilus niger and Botrytis cinerea. In addition, their resistance to the oro-gastro-intestinal transit, aggregation capabilities, biofilm production capacity, adhesion to human enterocyte-like cells and cytotoxicity to colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line were determined. Further, the adhesion to tomatoes and the biocontrol potential on this model food matrix were analyzed. It has been found that all the strains were able to inhibit the indicator growth, mostly through organic acids production. Besides, these strains showed promising probiotic traits, including in vitro tolerance to oro-gastrointestinal conditions, adhesion to abiotic surface and to Caco-2 cells. Moreover, all tested Lpb. plantarum strains were able to adhere to tomatoes with similar rate (4.0-6.0 LogCFU/g tomato). The co-culture of LAB strains with pathogens on tomatoes showed that Lpb. plantarum could be a good candidate to control pathogen growth. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to guarantee their use as probiotic strains for biocontrol on food matrices.

In this study, we introduce and advanced multi-feature selection technique for bacterial classifi-cation employing the Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). We enhance SSA’s effectiveness by incorpo-rating the Opposition-Based Learning (OBL) strategy and the Local Search (LSA) algorithm. The proposed technique encompasses three key stages, streamlining the automated categorization of bacteria based on their distinctive features. The research adopts a multi-feature selection approach bolstered by an enhanced iteration of the Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). Enhancements include the utilization of Opposition-Based-Learning (OBL) to increase population diversity during search and Local Search Algorithms (LSA) to tackle local optimization challenges. The ISSA algorithm is designed to optimize the multi-feature selection by increasing the number of selected feature and improving classification accuracy. This study compares its performance with several other algo-rithms across ten distinct test datasets. The comparison results show that ISSA has better perfor-mance in terms of classification accuracy on 3 datasets consisting of 19 features, with a value reaching 73.75%. Additionally, ISSA excels in determining the optimal feature count and producing a better-fit value with a classification error rate of 0,249. Thus, the ISSA technique is expected to make a significant contribution to solving feature selection problems in bacterial analysis

Lactic acid bacteria are traditionally applied in a variety of fermented food products and have the capability to produce a wide range of bioactive ingredients during fermentation including vitamins, bacteriocins, bioactive peptides and bioactive compounds. The bioactivity and health benefits associated with these ingredients have gained interest in applications in the functional dairy market and have relevance both as components produced in situ and as functional additives. This review provides a brief description of the regulations regarding the functional food market in the European Union as well as an overview of some of the functional dairy products currently available in the Irish and European markets. A better understanding of the production of these ingredients excreted by lactic acid bacteria can further drive the development and innovation of the continuously growing functional food market.

There is a limited data on variation of microbial hygiene load in dairy products during different seasons. In this study, a longitudinal design with a simple random sampling method was used to collect data in the dry season (January to April) and wet season (June to August). A total of 448 milk and cottage samples were collected from 3 regions. Enumeration of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (APC), total coliforms (TCC), and Escherichia coli (EC) was performed according to standard methods. Independent t-test were employed to assess the significant variation at (p<0.05) between the two seasons. The cumulative result of APC of 7.61 log cfu/ml and g and TCC of 3.50 log cfu/ml in the dry season were significantly higher than wet season of 7.15 log cfu/ml and 2.49 log cfu/ml, respectively. Whereas generic E. coli count (EC) was significantly higher in the wet season (0.70 log cfu/ml and g) than that in the dry season (0.40 log cfu/ml and g). The results of hygienic indicator microbial load were significantly varied with season. Hence, a sustainable awareness creation on hygienic milk production and handling that comprehend seasonal influence should be implemented to improve the safety of milk.

The purported cognitive benefits associated with nicotine and its metabolites in the brain are a matter of debate. In this review, the impact of the pharmacologically active metabolite of a nicotine derivative produced by bacteria (6-hydroxy-L-nicotine) on memory, oxidative stress, and the activity of the cholinergic system in the brain was examined. A search in the PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, limiting entries to those no later than July 2023, was conducted. The search focused specifically on articles pertaining to nicotine metabolites, memory, oxidative stress, cholinergic system activity, as well as enzymes or pathways related to nicotine degradation in bacteria. The preliminary search resulted in 696 articles, and following the application of exclusion criteria, 185 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion. This review focuses on experimental studies supporting nicotine catabolism in bacteria, and the chemical and pharmacological activities of nicotine and its metabolite 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine.

Within an amplicon-based metagenomic study of Archaea, Fungi, and Bacteria in Livingston Island, Maritime Antarctica, in many of the samples antagonisms between these three super kingdoms were observed under the form of an inversely proportional dependence of the richnesses of the three types of microorganisms. This was quantified - based on the observed numbers of the total tags and the numbers of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs), as well as based on four alpha diversity parameters – the Shannon, the Simpson, the Chao1, and the ACE indices. We found that the most discriminative results in the antagonism measuring were observed in the comparison of the numbers of the OTUs and the ACE community richness estimator. The antagonism between Archaea and Fungi was strongest, followed by that of Archaea and Bacteria. The Fungi-Bacteria antagonism was slightly detectable. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis also showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the fungal and archaeal effective tags, while the correlation between archaeal and bacterial diversity was positive. Indications of the order of primary microbial succession in barren ecological niches were also observed, demonstrating that Archaea and Bacteria are the pioneers, followed by Fungi which in time would displace Archaea.

Periodic assessment of bacterial contamination is necessary as it allows proper guidance in cases of eye infections through the use of appropriate antibiotics. Due to the extensive use of antibiotic treatment, most of the contamination flora is resistant to the usual ophthalmic antibiotics. The present study shows an updated picture of the susceptibility of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria found on the ocular surface to the most commonly used antibiotic agents in patients undergoing cataract surgery. A total of 993 patients were included in the study with ages between 44 and 98 years old. Conjunctival culture was collected 7 days before cataract surgery. The response of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to various antibiotic classes like glycopeptides, cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, phenicols, tetracyclines, rifamycins, macrolides and penicillins was assessed. From the tested antibiotics, vancomycin had 97.8% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria. In the cephalosporin category, we observed an increased resistance of the cefuroxime for both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. Antibiotics that have more than 90% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria are: meropenem, imipenem, netilmicin, amikacin and rifampicin. On Gram-negative bacteria, we found 100% efficacy of all tested fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides (except for tobramycin), doxycycline, azithromycin, clarithromycin and chloramphenicol. The current study illustrates patterns of increased resistance of certain bacteria present on ocular surface to some of the commonly used antibiotics in ophthalmological clinical practice. One such revealing example is cefuroxime, which has been highly used as an intracameral antibiotic for the prevention of bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

Postbiotics are biologically active probiotic microorganisms that have produced non-viable bacterial products in the host. Eating a diet high in probiotic and prebiotic foods may help to ensure that the gut has an appropriate supply of these essential nutrients because postbiotics are produced when probiotics feed on prebiotics. Cell wall components and metabolites produced by living bacteria that have positive effects on the host are referred to as postbiotics. Postbiotics are functional bioactive chemicals that are produced in a matrix during anaerobic fermentation of organic nutrients like prebiotics. Postbiotics are low molecular weight soluble chemicals that are either produced after microbial cell lysis or secreted by live microflora as byproducts of this metabolic process. In general, the producer strains from bacterial and fungal species such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, Akkermansia muciniphila, Saccharomyces boulardii, Eubacterium hallii, Faecalibacterium, etc. When handling and selling food items in an industrial setting, postbiotics can be used as functional components in foods, which has a number of advantages, including the potential to be added to some foods that are known to be harmful to probiotic survival. Postbiotic supplements have grown in popularity among customers because of their numerous health advantages, particularly food, cosmetic, and healthcare industries. Classification of postbiotics depends on various factors including type of microorganism, structural composition, and physiological functions. This review presents a succinct introduction, history, and concept of postbiotics, the salient features of postbiotics, classification, production, purification, characterization, biological functions, and applications of postbiotics in the food industry.

Introduction: Silver nanoparticles have been extensively investigated in dental and orthopedic materials. However, the impregnation of bone graft with silver nanoparticles has been poorly investigated. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antibiofilm activity of a bovine bone impregnated with silver nanoparticles. Methods: Bone scaffolds from cancellous bovine femur were used for the tests and impregnated with silver nanoparticles (50nm) by physical adsorption. Silver nitrate minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentration were performed Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Escherichia coli. Disc diffusion tests for silver nanoparticles susceptibility and quantification of biofilm production on plate and bone with sessile cell count were also performed. Results: All pathogens were susceptible to silver with low minimal inhibitory concentration (0.25 – 4 mg/L). The scaffold impregnated with silver nanoparticles presented a significant reduction in the biofilm cells for all microorganisms with a reduction of more than 3 logs in colony forming units count. Conclusion: Bone scaffolds impregnated with silver nanoparticles can significantly reduce biofilm, and it can be a strategical material to be used as an implant for different approaches.

The drastically increasing amount of plastic waste is causing an environmental crisis that requires innovative technologies for recycling post-consumer plastics to achieve waste valorization while meeting environmental quality goals. Biocatalytic depolymerization mediated by enzymes has emerged as an efficient and sustainable alternative for plastic treatment and recycling. A variety of plastic- degrading enzymes have been discovered from microbial sources. Meanwhile, protein engineering has been exploited to modify and optimize plastic-degrading enzymes. This review highlights the recent trends and up-to-date advances in mining novel plastic-degrading enzymes through state-of-the-art omics-based techniques and improving the enzyme catalytic efficiency and stability via various protein engineering strategies. Future research prospects and challenges are also discussed

Upper mesophilic temperature acclimation of halophilic, hydrogen-producing bacteria from salt fields was investigated in this study, along with the changes in microbial abundance during an-aerobic digestion (AD) process. Genomic approaches such as PCR-denaturing gradient gel elec-trophoresis (DGGE) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were performed to profile the mi-crobial communities. During AD, there was a significant abundance of Halanaerobacter lacunarum at 48°C followed by the increase in hydrogen yield, signifying potential contribution from the halophile in the hydrogen production. A decrease in the dominance of H. lacunarum and Halan-aerobium fermentans at 42°C, likely due to an increase in other bacterial species, was noted but their dominance significantly increased at temperatures of 45°C and 48°C. This investigation provides valuable insights in highlighting the potential of Halanaerobium sp. and the other halo-philic bacteria to adapt under upper mesophilic temperature conditions and synthesizing hy-drogen. The findings in the present study also underscore the importance of optimizing temper-ature and pH conditions to maximize hydrogen yield during high-salt anaerobic digestion.

In Pakistan, bats are one of the dominant mammals that play an important role in the ecosystem in terms of pollination, seed dispersal, and control of pest insects. Bats have also played an im-portant role in the emergence and transmission of zoonotic pathogens; however, most current studies focus on viral pathogens, not potential bacterial pathogens. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence and antibiotic profiling of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus in oral and rectal samples from bats captured in northern Pakistan and to determine the factors associated with in-fection. Two hundred individual bats of five species: Pipistrellus javanicus (n = 17), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (n = 10), Rhinopoma microphyllum (n = 48), Rousettus leschenaultii (n = 124), and Scotophilus kuhlii (n = 1) were captured for non-lethal collection of oral and rectal samples to iso-late S. aureus. Bats were sampled from three sites: a natural cave, a man-made castle, and an an-imal shed, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. Oral (n = 200) and rectal (n = 200) swabs were collected from each individual bat using sterile cotton swabs specifically for use in bacteriological studies. Each isolate of bacteria was identified by using phenotypic tests and con-firmed as S. aureus based on PCR assay. Out of a cumulative four hundred samples, 80 swabs were positive for S. aureus including 47 rectal and 33 oral swabs. Prevalence of S. aureus infection varied significantly among species, with Rousettus leschenaultii exhibiting the highest prevalence (n = 77; 37.90%). In addition to bat species, prevalence varied significantly among habitats but not between sex, age class, or reproductive status. This study confirmed the occurrence of S. aureus in oral and rectal microbiota of bats in Pakistan. Importantly, S. aureus isolates showed resistance to tetracycline, gentamicin, and erythromycin and carried resistant genes such as TetK, TetM, Erma, and aacA-D. In this regard, efforts should be taken to educate the local communities on how to minimize exposure to an antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen through contact with bats while simultaneously increasing the awareness of protecting bats as a vital component of our ecosystem.

An advanced, cost-effective and portable DNA biosensor capable of detecting multiple bacteria simultaneously have been developed. The biosensor consists of a fast and inexpensive potentiostat that controls the applied potential to a screen-printed electrochemical array platform functionalized with MoS2 flakes and bacteria DNA probes, and monitors the current response obtained by the use of à la carte thionine functionalized carbon nanodots (Ty-CDs) as electrochemical indicator of the hybridization event. The design of the potentiostat prioritizes achieving an optimal signal-to-noise ratio and incorporates a user-friendly interface compatible with various devices such as computers, mobile phones and tablets. The device is compact, lightweight, and manufactured at a low cost. The key components of the potentiostat include a data acquisition board capable of analyzing multiple samples simultaneously and a controller board. The results obtained confirm the ability of the developed device to successfully detect specific bacteria DNA sequences, demonstrating the reliability and performance of the developed multiplexing portable biosensor with better sensibility than using a traditional, more complex and laboratory oriented potentiostat.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a public health menace that needs urgent efforts to mitigate and forestall their transmission in the general environment. Plasmid-mediated metallo beta-lactamase (MBL) gives bacteria an exceptional ability to transmit resistance genes. This study investigated plasmid-mediated resistance in MBL P. aeruginosa isolates from poultry food chain settings. Cloacal swab samples (n=120) were bacteriologically analyzed for the isolation of P. aeruginosa isolates. Susceptibility studies were performed by the CLSI guideline using selected antibiotics. MBL was phenotypically detected using modified Hodges test, and confirmed using PCR technique. Plasmid curing studies detected the presence of plasmids in the isolates. P. aeruginosa isolates (n=48) showed high levels of reduced susceptibility to cefoxitin (93.8%), imipenem (81.3%), gentamicin (85.4%), amikacin (85.4%), nitrofurantoin (83.3%), ofloxacin (72.9%) and cefotaxime (77.1%). MBL was phenotypically detected in 7 (14%) isolates of P. aeruginosa. The presence of blaIMP-1 and blaIMP-2 MBL genes in P. aeruginosa (n=5) isolates was confirmed by PCR. The PCR did not detect blaVIM-1 and blaVIM-2 MBL genes. The P. aeruginosa isolates were multidrug resistant, with about 50% of the isolates showing multidrug resistance (MDR) to the antibiotics. The genes for MDR in the P. aeruginosa isolates were borne on plasmids, indicating a high possibility of community transmission of MBL resistance genes. Finally, the P. aeruginosa isolates from poultry food chain milieus are multidrug resistant, produce MBL, and harbour their resistance genes on plasmids. Since many antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria are associated with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) like plasmids, it is important to step up actions to mitigate incessant use of antibiotics in poultry and other agricultural practices in Nigeria in order to diminish the evolution and spread of plasmid-mediated resistance which is capable of initiating community acquired infections that may prove difficult to treat in our hospitals with the available antibiotics.

Microbes are the most prevalent and widely-distributed life form on planet Earth. They are also cognitive organisms with memory and superior problem-solving skills that use quantum phase transitions during their remarkably-effective gathering and dissemination of information. This narrative review explores the biological ramifications of human holobionts physically embodying the human microbiome and connecting to the Internet of Microbes (IOM) beyond our body. Within the review, we consider: 1) the ways in which our microbial co-partners exerted control over our ancestors and continue to influence our current human generation, 2) how they mold virtually every key aspect of our life and even remain with our body in death and 3) how inward-looking contemplative tools such as meditation and embodied cognition provide an ideal opportunity to connect to the microbial information super highway and tap the full range of human holobiont capacities.

During meat processing, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have to competitively adapt to the hostile en-vironment produced by curing additives (CA). The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of Latilactobacillus curvatus CRL 705, a bioprotective strain of meat origin, to adapt to CA. A physiological and proteomic approach was performed. CRL 705 was grown in a chemically de-fined medium (CDM) containing specific concentrations of CA (NaCl, nitrite, sucrose and ascor-bic acid). The results showed minor differences in growth kinetics in the presence of CA. Glucose consumption, present in CDM, and production of lactic acid and bacteriocins were not signifi-cantly affected. Proteomic analyses indicated that most of the identified proteins (36 out of 39) mainly related to carbohydrate metabolism (18%), posttranslational modifications (15.6%), energy production and conversion (11.1%), translation (11.1%) and nucleotide metabolism (8.9%), were under expressed. In response to the studied CA, CRL 705 slowed down its general metabolism, achieving slight changes in physiological and proteomic parameters. The observed performance is another characteristic that extends the well-known competitive profile of CRL 705 as a meat starter- and -bioprotective culture. This is the first report dealing with the impact of CA on LAB proteomics.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's overwhelming response to an infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection. It occurs when the immune system releases cytokines into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation. If not treated, it can lead to organ failure and death. Unfortunately, sepsis has a high mortality rate, with studies reporting rates ranging from 20% to over 50%, depending on the severity and promptness of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death toll in the world is about 11 million. One of the main toxins responsible for inflammation induction are lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) from Gram-negative bacteria, which ranks among the most potent immunostimulants found in nature. Antibiotics are consistently prescribed as a part of anti-sepsis-therapy. However, antibiotic therapy (i) is increasingly ineffective due to resistance development and (ii) most antibiotics are unable to bind and neutralize LPS, a prerequisite to inhibit the interaction of endotoxin with its cellular receptor complex, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, responsible for the intracellular cascade leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of humans worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by this virus is associated with high lethality, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people. As of August 2023, nearly 7 million deaths were reported worldwide due to this disease. According to some reported studies, upregulation of TLR4 and the subsequent inflammatory signaling detected in COVID-19 patients “mimics bacterial sepsis”. Furthermore, the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 was described by others as “mirror image of sepsis”. Similarly, the cytokine profile in sera from severe COVID-19 patients was very similar to those suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Finally, the severe COVID-19 infection was frequently accompanied by bacterial co-infections, as well as by the presence of significant LPS concentrations. These data indicate similarity and interdependences of both syndromes, but also significant differences which will be discussed in the present review.

This mini-review deals with some non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) species with a controversial nature known to be both human and animal pathogens but also health-promoting and probiotic. The focus is put on Lactococcus garvieae, two Streptococcus species (Str. uberis and Str. parauberis), four Weissella species (W. hellenica, W. confusa, W. paramesenteroides and W. cibaria) and Mammalicoccus sciuri which worldwide are often found within the microbiotas of different kinds of cheese, mainly traditional artisanal ones made from raw milk and/or relying on environmental bacteria for their ripening. Based on literature data, their virulence and health-promoting effects are examined, and some of the mechanisms of these actions are investigated. Additionally, their possible roles in cheese ripening are also discussed. The analysis so far showed that, in general, the pathogenic and the beneficial strains, despite belonging to the same species, show pretty different genetic constitutions. Yet, when the safety of a given strain is assessed, genomic analysis on its own is not enough, and a polyphasic approach is needed including additional physiological and functional tests.

The oil spilled from the Gulf war caused land pollution and various petroleum compounds. Among petroleum compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known for toxicity, and have been designated as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and endocrine disrupting substances by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). According to the USEPA, toxic equivalents quotient (TEQ), and mutagenic equivalents quotient (MEQ) can be calculated by multiplying the toxic equivalency factor (TEF) and mutagenic equivalency factor (MEF) by the concentration of PAHs. The USEPA calculates the relative TEF for other PAHs by setting the TEF value of benzo(a)pyrene, which is highly toxic, to 1. Relative MEF is also calculated in the same way. In this study, the TPH concentrations of crude oil-contaminated soils collected from the Burgan in Kuwait were measured to be 5, 8, and 20% and TEQ and MEQ of the soils were calculated by multiplying the 16 PAHs concentrations measured for each sample by TEF and MEF, respectively. When the TPH concentration was increased by 4 times from 5% to 20%, the TEQ was increased by about 9 times and the MEQ was increased by about 10 times. Therefore, it was concluded that as the TPH concentration increases, the carcinogenicity and mutation rate increase greatly. In addition, ecotoxicity assessment was performed using luminescent bacteria to compare the relationship between the calculated TEQ and MEQ and actual ecotoxicity, and benzo(a)pyrene among 16 PAHs showed a coefficient of determination of 0.95. In this study, ecotoxicity in PAHs-contaminated environment can be estimated by analyzing benzo(a)pyrene as a representative substance.

Glucose is an important carbon sources for microbial growth, and its content in infertile soils is essential for the growth of the bacterium. Since the mechanism of oligotrophic bacterium adaptation in barren soils is unclear, the research employed RNA Seq technology to examine the impact of glucose concentration on the low nutrient bacteria BS-G1 in soil affected by desertification. RNA-Seq revealed that differentially expressed genes（DEG）histidine metabolism, glutamate synthesis, HIF-1 signalling pathway, sporulation, and TCA cycle pathway of BS-G1 were significantly enriched in 0.015 g/L glucose concentration, compared with 10 g/L glucose concentration. DEG amino acids system, two-component system, Metal Ion Transport, and nitrogen metabolism system of B. subtilis BS-G1 were significantly enriched in 5 g/L glucose concentration, compared with 10 g/L glucose concentration. In addition, The present study identified its regulation pattern and key genes under the low glucose environment (7 mRNAs, 16 sRNAs). This study primarily investigates the variances in the regulatory pathways of oligotrophic bacteria BS-G1, which holds substantial importance in comprehending the mechanism underlying the limited sugar tolerance of oligotrophic bacteria.

Background: Antibiofilm activity of silver nanoparticles has been extensively investigated in common bacteria. Metallo-β-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria are hard-to-treat microorganisms with few therapeutic options, and silver nanoparticles were not evaluated on the biofilm of these bacteria. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of a bone scaffold impregnated with silver nanoparticles in NDM-producing Gram-negative bacilli. Methods: Bone scaffolds from bovine femur were used for the tests and impregnated with silver nanoparticles (50 nm) by physical adsorption. Silver nitrate minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) were performed on NDM-producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Disc diffusion tests for silver nanoparticles susceptibility and quantification of biofilm production on plate and bone with sessile cell count were performed. Results: The MIC results demonstrated that silver nitrate had an antimicrobial effect on all microorganisms, inactivating the growth of isolates from a concentration of 8 µg/mL. MBC results showed that E. coli 16.211 was the only isolate to present MIC different from MBC, with a value of 16 µg/mL. Conclusion: Bone scaffolds impregnated with silver nanoparticles can significantly reduce biofilm, and it can be a strategic material to be used as an implant for different approaches.

Methanotrophic bacteria that possess a unique ability of using methane as a sole source of carbon and energy have attracted considerable attention as potential producers of a single-cell protein. So far, this biotechnology implied using freshwater methanotrophs, although many regions of the world have limited freshwater resources. This study aimed at searching for novel methanotrophs capable of fast growth in saltwater comparable in composition with seawater. A methane-oxidizing microbial consortium containing Methylomarinum- and Methylotuvimicrobium-like methanotrophs has been enriched from a sediment of the river Chernavka (water pH 7.5, total salt content 30 g L-1), a tributary river of the hypersaline Lake Elton, southern Russia. This microbial consortium, designated Ch1, demonstrated stable growth on natural gas in a bioreactor in media with a total salt content of 23 to 35.9 g L-1 at a dilution rate of 0.19-0.21 h-1. The highest biomass yield of 5.8 g CDW/L with a protein content of 63% was obtained during continuous cultivation of the consortium Ch1 in a medium with a total salt content of 29 g L-1. Isolation attempts resulted in obtaining a pure culture of methanotrophic bacteria, strain Ch1-1. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain Ch1-1 displayed 97.09-97.24% similarity to the corresponding gene fragments of characterized representatives of Methylomarinum vadi, methanotrophs isolated from marine habitats. The genome of strain Ch1-1 was 4.8 Mb in size and encoded 3 rRNA operons, and about 4400 proteins. The genome contained the gene cluster coding for ectoine biosynthesis, which explains the ability of strain Ch1-1 to tolerate high salt concentration.

(1) Background: Respiratory infections are a major public health problem worldwide, with potentially serious consequences. Indeed, these infections remain one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years old in developing countries. Etiological information on respiratory infections is crucial for prevention and case management strategies. This systematic review aims to describe the etiology of respiratory infections reported in studies carried out in sub-Saharan African countries; (2) Methods: Using PubMed, HINARI and Google scholar search engines, a systematic search was carried out to identify published articles on the etiology of viral and/or bacterial respiratory infections in sub-Saharan Africa in patients of all ages. We have only considered data from sub-Saharan Africa. Papers published from 2010 to 2021, in English or French have been included in this review; (3) Results: After reviewing 115 articles reporting studies carried out in the African continent, only 32 articles were selected of which, studies were conducted in 15 sub-Saharan African countries, including 6/32 (18.75%) in Cameroon. Twenty (62.5%) were cross-sectional studies, and twenty-four (75%) were hospital-based investigations. In these studies, RT-PCR and culture methods were respectively used for viruses and bacteria investigations. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most frequently identified, with prevalence ranging from 0.6% to 59%, followed by rhinovirus (9.3% -73%), influenza virus (flu) A/B (0.9%-69.1%), and human adenovirus (0.9% - 30.8%). Streptococcus pneumoniae (14.2% - 96%), followed by Haemophilus influenzae type b (2.5% - 54%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (1.4% - 49.9%) were the most frequently detected bacteria; (4) Conclusions: This review has reported that many pathogens, mainly viruses, are associated with acute respiratory infections in sub-Saharan Africa in both children and adults. Unfortunately, the limited geographical distribution of data across sub-Saharan Africa does not allow most of countries to develop an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections.

The rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of pathogenic bacteria is of utmost importance in ensuring food safety and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Here, we present a novel, reusable, and cost-effective impedimetric sensor based on a dual bacteria-imprinted polymer (DBIP) for the specific detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. The DBIP sensor stands out with its remarkably short fabrication time of just 20 minutes, achieved through the efficient electro-polymerization of o-phenylenediamine monomer in the presence of dual bacterial templates, followed by in-situ template removal. The key structural feature of the DBIP sensor lies in the cavity-free imprinting sites, indicative of a thin layer of bacterial surface imprinting. This facilitates rapid rebinding of the target bacteria within a mere 15 minutes, while the sensing interface regenerates in just 10 minutes, enhancing the sensor's overall efficiency. A notable advantage of the DBIP sensor is its exceptional selectivity, capable of distinguishing the target bacteria from closely related bacterial strains, including different serotypes. Moreover, the sensor exhibits high sensitivity, showcasing a low detection limit of approximately 9 CFU mL-1. The sensor's reusability further enhances its cost-effectiveness, reducing the need for frequent sensor replacements. The practicality of the DBIP sensor was demonstrated in the analysis of real apple juice samples, yielding good recoveries. The integration of quick fabrication, high selectivity, rapid response, sensitivity, and reusability makes the DBIP sensor a promising solution for monitoring pathogenic bacteria, playing a crucial role in ensuring food safety and safeguarding public health.

This study focuses on the Cereja River, a Permanent Preservation Area located in Amazon coast. The hypothesis tested was that the water quality of the Cereja River has worsened over recent years due to unplanned urban growth. To assess changes in the water quality, seven campaigns were undertaken with data being collected at six fixed points, during two distinct periods (2013–2014 and 2018–2019). High-resolution satellite images from GoogleEarth (2012 and 2019) were used to register unplanned occupation. The DPSWR (Driver-Pressure-State-Welfare-Response) socioecological framework was used to identify potential measures for the management of environmental and anthropogenic problems. The increase in the number of households found on the Cereja margins between 2012-2019 has contributed to the river’s intense trophic condition, low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, high concentrations of pathogenic bacteria, and loss of vegetation cover. The water of the Cereja River is inadequate for any human use, and its contamination is one of the principal factors determining the reduction of the water quality of the Caeté estuary. According to the obtained results, the DPSWR model proved to be an excellent analytical tool for the evaluation of specific local scenarios, through the integrated analysis of socio-environmental issues. The scenario observed can be extrapolated to other rivers located within urban areas in the Amazon region that have relatively unplanned growth.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have an extracellular proteolytic system that includes a multi-domain, cell envelope protease (CEP) with a subtilisin homologous protease domain. These CEPs have different proteolytic activities despite having similar protein sequences. Structural characterization has previously been limited to CEP homologs of dairy and human derived LAB strains, excluding CEPs of plant derived LAB strains. CEP structures are a challenge to determine experimentally due to their large size and attachment to the cell envelope. This study aims to clarify the prevalence and structural diversity of CEPs by using the structure prediction software AlphaFold 2. Domain boundaries are clarified based on a comparative analysis of 21 three-dimensional structures, revealing novel domain architectures of CEP homologs that are not necessarily restricted to specific LAB species or ecological niches. The C-terminal flanking region of the protease domain is divided into fibronectin type-III-like domains with various structural traits. The analysis also emphasizes the existence of two distinct domains for cell envelope attachment that are preceded by an intrinsically disordered cell wall spanning domain. The domain variants and their combinations provide CEPs with different stability, proteolytic activity and potentially adhesive properties, making CEPs targets for steering proteolytic activity with relevance for both food development and human health.

Antimicrobial peptides provide a powerful toolkit for combating multidrug resistance. Combatting eukaryotic pathogens is complicated by the fact, the intracellular drug targets in the eukaryotic pathogen are frequently homologs of cellular structures of vital importance in the host organism. The entomopathogenic bacteria, (symbionts of entomopathogenic nematode species), release a series of non-ribosomal templated antimicrobial peptides, some may be potential drug candidates. The ability of an entomopathogenic nematode /entomopathogenic bacterium symbiotic complex to survive in a given polyxenic milieu is a coevolutionary product, explaining that those gene complexes which are responsible for the biosynthesis of different non-ribosomal templated antimicrobial protective peptides (including those which are potently capable to inactivate the protist mammalian -pathogen Leishmania and the gallinaceous bird pathogen Histomonas) are co-regulated. Our approach is based on comparative antimicrobial bioassays of the culture media of the wild-type and regulatory mutant strains. We concluded that Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii are excellent sources of non-ribosomal templated antimicrobial peptides, that are efficient antagonists of the mentioned pathogens. Data on selective cytotoxicity of different cell-free culture media encourages us to forecast that the recently discovered “easy-PACId” research strategy is suitable for constructing EPB strains producing and releasing single, harmless, non-ribosomal templated antimicrobial peptides with considerable drug, (probiotic) -candidate potential.

BMAP-18, derived from the N-terminal region of bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide BMAP-27, demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity without cytotoxicity. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties of BMAP-18, rich in aromatic phenylalanine residues, with its aliphatic analogue, BMAP-18-FL. Both aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL exhibited equally potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA). Mechanistic investigations employing SYTOX green uptake, DNA binding, and FACScan analysis revealed that both peptides acted by inducing membrane permeabilization and subsequent intracellular targeting. Moreover, both BMAP-18 and BMAP-18-FL effectively prevented biofilm formation and eradicated existing biofilms of MRSA and MDRPA. Notably, BMAP-18-FL displayed superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to BMAP-18, significantly reducing the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. This study emphasizes the similarities and differences in the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory properties between aromatic BMAP-18 and aliphatic BMAP-18-FL, providing valuable insights for the development of multifunctional antimicrobial peptides against drug-resistant bacteria.

Fermented rice is known as a healthy food due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria as fermentative microorganisms. The study was carried out to discover and characterize the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from white and red fermented rice (BG varieties). Fermentation was carried out naturally by soaking red, white, raw and cooked rice in water using an earthen pot. Species were confirmed based on 16S r DNA gene sequencing and studied for phenotypic characteristics including morphological, physiological (growth temperature, salt tolerance, milk coagulation) and biochemical characteristics (carbohydrate fermentation pattern) using API 50CH kits. Distinct clusters like cocci (48), diplo cocci (30) and rods (30) shaped bacteria were observed from fermented rice. Five species of lactic acid bacteria including Latilactobacillus curvatus GR Lb1,2 10 and 11 (predominant Bacillus species), Latilactobacillus graminis Lb8, Limosilactobacillus fermentum GRLb17, Weissella confuse GRLb4 and Pediococcus pentosaceus GRLc1 were identified. The base pair length of amplified DNA for the isolates was 1500 Bp. The beneficial physiological and biochemical properties of isolated Lactobacillus species from fermented rice revealed their potential applications in the food industry.

This work shows the potential of a new way of co-treatment of domestic wastewater (DWW) and a liquid stream coming from the thermal hydrolysis of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) mediated by a mixed culture of purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) capable of assimilating carbon and nutrients from the medium. The biological system is an open single-step process operated under microaerophilic conditions at an oxidative reduction potential (ORP) &lt; 0 mV with a photoperiod of 12/24 h and fed during the light Stage only, so the results can be extrapolated to outdoors open ponds operation by monitoring the ORP. The effluent mostly complies with the discharge values of the Spanish legislation in COD and P values (&lt;125mg/L &lt;2 mg/L), respectively, and punctually on values in N (&lt;15mg/L). Applying an HRT of 3 d and a ratio of 100:7 (COD:N), the presence of PPB in the mixed culture surpassed 50% of 16S rRNA gene copies, removing 78% of COD, 53% of N and 66% of P. Furthermore, increasing the HRT to 5 d, removal efficiencies of 83% of COD, 65% of N and 91% of P were achieved. In addition, the reactors were further operated in a membrane bioreactor, thus separating the HRT from the SRT to increase the specific loading rate. Very satisfactory removal efficiencies were achieved by applying HRT and SRT of 2.3 and 3 d, respectively: 84% of COD, 49% of N and 93% of P despite low presence of PPB due to more oxidative conditions, which anyway step-by-step re-colonized the mixed culture until reaching &gt;20% of 16S rRNA gene copies after 49 d of operation. These results open the door to scale up the process in open photobioreactors capable of treating urban wastewater and municipal solid waste in a single stage and under microaerophilic conditions by controlling the ORP of the system. This novel urban biorefinery allows reducing treatment costs of two urban wastes and embed them in the circular bioeconomy through water recycling and valorizing PPB biomass as a source of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

The body's billions of bacteria—the microbiota—influence health and illness. The microbiome—the genetic material of these microbes—affects digestion, immunological function, and mental health. Due to bacterial variety, complicated relationships, and research technique constraints, investigating the microbiota is difficult. AI and machine learning have expanded microbiome research. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can efficiently scan large microbiome datasets to help researchers understand microbial populations and their functions. AI-based predictive algorithms can analyze food impacts on microbial communities and forecast illness risks based on gut microbiota composition. AI helps find microbial biomarkers linked to specific health disorders, enabling early illness identification and targeted therapy. AI-driven medication development platforms also modulate microbiome to treat microbiota-related diseases. Understanding microbial populations' involvement in health and illness requires understanding complicated microbial interactions within the microbiome and between it and the host. AI systems improve human health by comprehending these complex relationships. AI in microbiota study must overcome various obstacles. Data quality and AI model interpretability are essential for accurate findings. Diverse and representative datasets avoid biases and strengthen AI-driven conclusions. AI in microbiota research requires data protection, informed permission, and appropriate use of sensitive data. AI is improving our understanding of the human microbiome and its health effects, changing microbiota research. Overcoming difficulties and adhering to ethical norms will enable the proper use of AI-driven findings, leading to microbiome insights and precision medical breakthroughs.

Microalgae are a source of carotenoids, phycocyanin, phenol, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, sulfated polysaccharides, pigments, and other bioactive molecules with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and fat-burning properties. The increasing incidence of infectious processes, including tuberculosis, caused by antimicrobial resistant strains of microorganisms necessitates the search for alternative sources of compounds with antimicrobial activity, including microalgae. In this study, the antimicrobial properties of marine and freshwater microalgae extracts were evaluated against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Water, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethanol were used as extractants. The obtained microalgae extract exhibited cytotoxicity against splenocytes and, to a lesser extent, against peritoneal macrophages of CBA mice. The bacteriostatic effect of the microalgae extracts against bacteria and mycobacteria was demonstrated by MTT test. In addition, activation of bacterial and mycobacterial growth was observed in a number of cases with high levels of microalgae extracts in the medium. In an expression model of tuberculosis in mice, a decrease in mycobacterial load in the lungs and spleen was observed. Thus, microalgae have moderate to weak antimicrobial activity.

Russia is one of the largest cereal grain exporters in the world, churning out 34,3 million tons of export grain (wheat, barley and oats) in 2021. Plant infectious pathogens continue to be among the main factors in yield loss in the field and are a danger to the grain exporting industry's ability to expand internationally. This is primarily due to phytosanitary restrictions imposed by nations that monitor the presence and absence of certain phytopathogens in imported goods. Phytosanitary measures prevent the spread of plant pathogens, thus cutting the cost of dealing with them, once the pathogens invade new agricultural regions. This paper is devoted to the detection and identification of bacteria in samples of grain crops of three regions in The Republic of Crimea. The objects of the study were bacterial isolates from plant samples particularly wheat, oats, barley and triticale. The study was conducted in 2021. The identification of the isolates was carried out by sequencing a section 16–23S of the rRNA amplified by PCR with 8UA/519B, 27f/907r and PSf/PSr primers. Nucleotide sequences were deciphered using the Bio Edit program and compared with sequences placed in GenBank (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov). The result of identification was considered an organism with maximum similarity. As a result, 38 samples of grain crops were collected, 95 bacterial colonies were isolated, of which 68 were identified to genus level and 22 were identified to species level. Some of the phytopathogens identified include: Agrococcus jenensis, Pseudomonas sp. and Curtobacterium sp. Some of the bacteria identified are beneficial like Ochrobactrum sp. Erwinia sp. and Pantoea sp. had a frequency of 28.95%, with Pantoea agglomerans having a frequency of 18.42%. Ochrobactrum sp. had a frequency of 10.53%. Enterococcus mundtii an frequency of 5.26%. Information about the species composition of bacteria on grain crops can be used to determine the spread of bacteria and their diagnosis and for bioinformatic analysis of genomes in search of species-specific genetic markers.

Marine sediment sample was collected and the total aerobic population was counted and probiotic Bacillus cereus was isolated. Then it was mixed with formulated feed by spraying, while control diet was purchased from a local aquarium. 30 days of feeding experiment was conducted. Carassius auratus fishes were randomly divided into two experimental groups in rectangular tanks. The first group served as a control in which fishes were fed with commercial feed. The second group of fish were fed with probiotic incorporated feed. After 40 days, their survival and growth performance were detected. Bacillus cereus incorporated feed significantly yielded higher survival rate of the fish compared to control. Food conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly lower than the control group. The main aim of this work is to investigate the effect of a marine probiotic bacteria, Bacillus cereus on the survival and growth performance of gold fish Carassius auratus.

Bacteria’s ability to withstand the detrimental effects of antimicrobials may take the form of resistance or tolerance with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the mutant prevention concentration (MPC), and the mutant selection window as salient concepts. Isolates exposed for 30 days to different concentrations of selected antibiotics, biocides, and heavy metals, singly and in combination, were additionally exposed to very high (15 × MIC) concentrations of ampicillin., and their tolerance was calculated the time to kill 99.9% of the isolate population (MDK99.9). These values were increased by 30 to 50% in test isolates compared to the untreated control. BAC 10-exposed isolates had the highest tolerance increase, and the tolerance appeared to originate from two sources, i.e., stochastic persistence and genetic-induced persistence, involving multiple genes using diverse mechanisms. The mutant selection window of the isolates to ampicillin, amoxicillin, and oxytetracycline also slightly increased compared to the control, indicating the amplification of persister cells during the 30-day exposure. These findings indicate that bacterial exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of environmental chemical stressors may not always result in the development of antimicrobial resistance but could initiate this process by selecting for persisters that could evolve into resistant isolates.

The trillions of bacteria that live in and on our bodies make up the human microbiota, which is a very important part of keeping us healthy and protecting us from pathogenic infections. Dysbiosis is when there are changes in the composition and variety of the microbiota. This can upset the delicate balance between the host and its microbes, making the host more vulnerable to pathogens. Understanding the complicated link between microbiota and pathogens is important for coming up with effective ways to change microbiota and boost the body's defenses against infections. This study looks at how microbiota modulation affects the spread of pathogens and infections. It talks about how the makeup of microbiota affects how susceptible you are to pathogens. It shows how a healthy microbiota can protect you by making it hard for pathogens to grow and take over. The review also goes into detail about how the microbiota protects against pathogens, such as through competitive exclusion, the production of antimicrobial compounds, and the regulation of immune reactions. The study also looks at the idea of dysbiosis and how it is linked to pathogenic shifts. Disruptions in the microbiota can make it easier for pathogens to grow and make it harder for the host to fight off infections. It focuses on the need to recover microbial balance to improve the host's defenses and lower risks caused by pathogens. There is also talk about the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as ways to change the microbiome. The goal of these interventions is to restore the diversity and function of microbes, improve the integrity of barriers, and boost the immune system's reaction to pathogens. The review shows how these methods could be used to change the microbiota and make it easier for the body to fight off infections. In conclusion, knowing how the microbiota and pathogens work together in a complicated way can help a lot when it comes to making specific interventions for microbiota modulation. Strategies that restore the balance of microbes and boost the host's defenses could stop pathogens from taking over and making people sick. More study needs to be done in this area to improve therapeutic approaches and use the microbiota to its fullest extent to fight infectious diseases.

Fine aroma cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is one of Ecuador's most iconic export products, representing 63% of world production; however, few advances have been made in fermentation processes that greatly influence the development of chocolate´s organoleptic characteristics. The study of starter cultures has been investigated in other countries, which seek to improve organoleptic properties or decrease fermentation time. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a native microbial consortium based on two yeasts (Torulaspora delbrueckii and Hanseniaspora uvarum), a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) (Lactobacillus plantarum) and an acetic acid bacterium (AAB) (Acetobacter ghanensis) inoculated at the beginning of the fermentative process, on physical and biochemical variables, microbial population dynamics, and percentage of almond fermentation. The started culture caused changes in sugar and acid content, which in turn generated temperature and pH changes in the dough, resulting in the dynamics of yeast, AAB, and mesophilic microorganisms remaining higher than those of the control throughout the fermentation process; a decrease of filamentous fungi that affect the flavor and quality of beans due to the production of acetic acid or secondary metabolites from yeasts and LAB; and optimized fermentation percentage by 24% higher than spontaneous fermentation in only 96 hours.

Fermented food products are widely consumed for their nutritional and health-promoting properties earning them a central place in diets around the globe. However, these foods can present a paradox, as they have the potential to harbor not only beneficial probiotics but also antibiotic-resistant (AR) microbes and genes. The impact of AR in fermented foods has far-reached implications, such as its potential effects on human health, repercussions in the food industry, and environmental consequences. An in-depth analysis of AR in fermented foods, including dairy products, fermented fruits and vegetables, meat products, and beverages, would provide insights into the extent and ramifications of the issue with these foods. Therefore, this review systematically presents the status of AR in fermented foods, with a particular focus on AR bacteria and genes within this category of food products. The review also highlights the complexities of AR in fermented foods, emphasizing the role of bacterial adaptation during the fermentation process and the dynamics of bacterial gene transfer. Various contributing factors to AR are brought into focus, including intrinsic resistance among bacteria in fermented foods and the potential risk of contamination with pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, this review presents a range of mitigation strategies, from the development of novel antimicrobials to advances in fermentation technology and regulatory control. This comprehensive perspective on the intricate interplay between AR and fermented food will potentially pave the way for more targeted research and mitigation strategies in this critical area.

Gut microbiota plays a critical role in physiological regulation throughout life and is specifically modified to meet the demands of individual life stages and during pregnancy. Maternal gut microbiota is uniquely adapted to the pregnancy demands of the mother and the developing fetus. Both animal studies in pregnant germ-free rodents and human studies have supported a critical association between the composition of maternal microbiota during pregnancy and fetal development. Gut microbiota may also contribute to the development of the fetal gut-brain axis (GBA), which is increasingly recognized for its critical role in health and disease. Most studies consider birth as the time of GBA activation and focus on postnatal GBA development. This review focuses on GBA development during the prenatal period and the impact of maternal gut microbiota on fetal GBA development. It is hypothesized that adaptation of maternal gut microbiota to pregnancy is critical for the GBA prenatal development and maturation of GBA postnatally. Consequently, factors affecting maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy, such as maternal obesity, diet, stress and depression, infection, and medication, also affect fetal GBA development and are critical for GBA activity postnatally. Altered maternal gut microbiota during gestation has been shown to have long-term impact postnatally and multigenerational effects. Thus, understanding the impact of maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy on fetal GBA development is crucial for managing fetal, neonatal, and adult health, and should be included among public health priorities.