scholarly journals Isolation, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity of Bacterial and Fungal Representatives Associated With Particulate Matter During Haze and Non-haze Days

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Yan ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Jing-Lin Bai ◽  
Jing Su ◽  
Li-Li Zhao ◽  
...  

Particulate matter (PM) has been a threat to the environment and public health in the metropolises of developing industrial countries such as Beijing. The microorganisms associated with PM have an impact on human health if they are exposed to the respiratory tract persistently. There are few reports on the microbial resources collected from PM and their antimicrobial activities. In this study, we greatly expanded the diversity of available commensal organisms by collecting 1,258 bacterial and 456 fungal isolates from 63 PM samples. A total of 77 bacterial genera and 35 fungal genera were included in our pure cultures, with Bacillus as the most prevalent cultured bacterial genus, Aspergillus, and Penicillium as the most prevalent fungal ones. During heavy-haze days, the numbers of colony-forming units (CFUs) and isolates of bacteria and fungi were decreased. Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Chaetomium were found to be enriched during haze days, while Kocuria, Microbacterium, and Penicillium were found to be enriched during non-haze days. Antimicrobial activity against common pathogens have been found in 40 bacterial representatives and 1 fungal representative. The collection of airborne strains will provide a basis to greatly increase our understanding of the relationship between bacteria and fungi associated with PM and human health.

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junpeng Li ◽  
Shuping Hu ◽  
Wei Jian ◽  
Chengjian Xie ◽  
Xingyong Yang

AbstractAntimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short, usually positively charged polypeptides that exist in humans, animals, and plants. Considering the increasing number of drug-resistant pathogens, the antimicrobial activity of AMPs has attracted much attention. AMPs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi are an important defensive barrier against pathogens for many organisms. With continuing research, many other physiological functions of plant AMPs have been found in addition to their antimicrobial roles, such as regulating plant growth and development and treating many diseases with high efficacy. The potential applicability of plant AMPs in agricultural production, as food additives and disease treatments, has garnered much interest. This review focuses on the types of plant AMPs, their mechanisms of action, the parameters affecting the antimicrobial activities of AMPs, and their potential applications in agricultural production, the food industry, breeding industry, and medical field.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3170
Author(s):  
Wafaa M. Elkady ◽  
Mariam H. Gonaid ◽  
Miriam F. Yousif ◽  
Mahmoud El-Sayed ◽  
Hind A. N. Omar

Active components from natural sources are the current focus in most pharmacological research to provide new therapeutic agents for clinical use. Essential oils from the Pinus species have been traditionally used in medicine. This study aimed to investigate the chemical profile of two Pinus species, Pinus halepensis L. and Pinus pinea Mill, from different altitudes in Libya and study the effect of environmental conditions on the biological activities of essential oils. A clevenger apparatus was used to prepare the essential oils by hydrodistillation. Analyses were done using GC/MS. Anthelmintic and antimicrobial activities were tested against the earthworm Allolobophora caliginosa, gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Different chemical profiles were observed among all tested essential oils, and terpenes were the most dominant class. All studied essential oils from the Pinus species exhibited a remarkable anthelmintic activity compared to the standard piperazine citrate drug. Pinus halepensis from both altitudes showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms, while Pinus pinea was effective against only Escherichia coli. From these findings, one can conclude that there are variations between studied species. The essential oil compositions are affected by environmental factors, which consequently affect the anthelmintic and antimicrobial activity.


2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Adiguzel ◽  
H. Ozer ◽  
H. Kilic ◽  
B. Cetin

The present work reports the <i>in vitro</i> antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and methanol extract from <i>Satureja hortensis</i> as well as the content of its essential oil. The chemical composition of hydrodistilled essential oil of Satureja hortensis was analysed by means of GC-MS. Thirty constituents were identified. The main constituents of the oil were thymol (40.54%), &gamma;-terpinene (18.56%), carvacrol (13.98%), and <i>p</i>-cymene (8.97). The essential oil of <i>Satureja hortensis</i> exhibited the activity against 25 bacteria, 8 fungi, and a yeast, <i>C. albicans</i>; exerting the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values (MIC) ranging from 15.62 to 250 &micro;l/ml. Similarly, methanol extract of the plant also showed antimicrobial activity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awol Mekonnen ◽  
Berhanu Yitayew ◽  
Alemnesh Tesema ◽  
Solomon Taddese

In this study, thein vitroantimicrobial activities of four plant essential oils (T. schimperi,E. globulus,R. officinalis, andM. Chamomilla) were evaluated against bacteria and fungi. The studies were carried out using agar diffusion method for screening the most effective essential oils and agar dilution to determine minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oils. Results of this study revealed that essential oils ofT. schimperi,E. globulus, andR. officinaliswere active against bacteria and some fungi. The antimicrobial effect ofM. chamomillawas found to be weaker and did not show any antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration values ofT. schimperiwere<15.75 mg/mL for most of the bacteria and fungi used in this study. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of the other essential oils were in the range of 15.75–36.33 mg/mL against tested bacteria. This study highlighted the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil ofE. globulus,M. chamomilla,T. Schimperi, andR. officinalis. The results indicated thatT. schimperihave shown strong antimicrobial activity which could be potential candidates for preparation of antimicrobial drug preparation.


2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirbalouti Ghasemi ◽  
Parvin Jahanbazi ◽  
Shekoofeh Enteshari ◽  
Fatemeh Malekpoor ◽  
Behzad Hamedi

The major aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of eight plant species which are endemic in Iran. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts of eight Iranian traditional plants, including Hypericum scabrum, Myrtus communis, Pistachia atlantica, Arnebia euchroma, Salvia hydrangea, Satureja bachtiarica, Thymus daenensis and Kelussia odoratissima, were investigated against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. Most of the extracts showed a relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacteria and fungi. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from the essential oils of M. communis and T. daenensis. The MIC values for active extract and essential oil ranged between 0.039 and 10 mg/ml. It can be said that the extract and essential oil of some medicinal plants could be used as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation. .


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Marina Ontiveros-Magadan ◽  
Robin C. Anderson ◽  
Oscar Ruiz-Barrera ◽  
Claudio Arzola-Alvarez ◽  
Jaime Salinas-Chavira ◽  
...  

Spoiled silages can harbor pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant microbes. The potential of some antimicrobial additives to inhibit certain pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in air-exposed silage was measured using pure and mixed bacterial cultures. With pure cultures, laurate and monolaurin (5 mg·mL−1) caused decreases (P < 0.05) of 4 to >7 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)·mL−1 in Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus faecalis compared to controls. Ten-fold higher amounts of these inhibitors were needed to equivalently decrease staphylococci. 2-Nitropropanol (1 mg·mL−1) decreased (P < 0.05) E. faecalis and L. monocytogenes 2.9–3.8 and 2.4–7.2 log10 CFU·mL−1 after 6 and 24 h incubations, respectively. In air-exposed whole-plant corn silage the inhibitors caused decreases, although not necessarily significant, of 0.7–2.2 log10 CFU·mL−1 in L. monocytogenes, staphylococci and culturable aerobes after 24 h incubation, with modest yet significant (P < 0.05) inhibition (<0.1–0.3 log10 CFU·mL−1) of yeasts and molds. Tests for carry-over effects against ruminal microbes revealed laurate, monolaurin, and 2-nitropropanol inhibited methanogenesis by >50% (P < 0.05) after 24 h incubation and inhibited L. monocytogenes and enterococci. The antimicrobial activities exhibited by these compounds may yield opportunities to optimize their use to rescue spoiled silages.


2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 1381-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline B.M. Vaz ◽  
Rubens C. Mota ◽  
Maria Rosa Q. Bomfim ◽  
Mariana L.A. Vieira ◽  
Carlos L. Zani ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to examine antimicrobial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of 54 species of Orchidaceae collected in a Brazilian tropical ecosystem. In total, 382 filamentous fungi and 13 yeast isolates were obtained and cultured to examine the production of crude extracts. Thirty-three percent of the isolates displayed antimicrobial activity against at least one target microorganism. The multivariate statistical analyses conducted indicate that the extracts of endophytic fungi isolated from leaves of terrestrial orchids in semideciduous forest were more active against Escherichia coli , whereas extracts of endophytic fungi from roots of rupicolous orchids collected in rock fields were more active against Candida krusei and Candida albicans . Among the fungi that were screened in the study, 22 isolates held their antimicrobial activities after replication and were therefore selected for assessment of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), which ranged from 62.5 to 250 µg/mL and 7.8 to 250 µg/mL against bacteria and fungi, respectively. One isolate of Alternaria sp. and one isolate of Fusarium oxysporum presented the strongest antibacterial activity. Three Fusarium isolates, Epicoccum nigrum , and Sclerostagonospora opuntiae showed the greatest MIC values against the pathogenic yeasts. This study is the first survey investigating the bioactive potential of endophytic fungi associated with tropical Orchidaceae species present in Brazilian ecosystems.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2403 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Syafiq ◽  
S. M. Sapuan ◽  
M. Y. M. Zuhri ◽  
R. A. Ilyas ◽  
A. Nazrin ◽  
...  

Recently, many scientists and polymer engineers have been working on eco-friendly materials for starch-based food packaging purposes, which are based on biopolymers, due to the health and environmental issues caused by the non-biodegradable food packaging. However, to maintain food freshness and quality, it is necessary to choose the correct materials and packaging technologies. On the other hand, the starch-based film’s biggest flaws are high permeability to water vapor transfer and the ease of spoilage by bacteria and fungi. One of the several possibilities that are being extensively studied is the incorporation of essential oils (EOs) into the packaging material. The EOs used in food packaging films actively prevent inhibition of bacteria and fungi and have a positive effect on food storage. This work intended to present their mechanical and barrier properties, as well as the antimicrobial activity of anti-microbacterial agent reinforced starch composites for extending product shelf life. A better inhibition of zone of antimicrobial activity was observed with higher content of essential oil. Besides that, the mechanical properties of starch-based polymer was slightly decreased for tensile strength as the increasing of essential oil while elongation at break was increased. The increasing of essential oil would cause the reduction of the cohesion forces of polymer chain, creating heterogeneous matrix and subsequently lowering the tensile strength and increasing the elongation (E%) of the films. The present review demonstrated that the use of essential oil represents an interesting alternative for the production of active packaging and for the development of eco-friendly technologies.


2021 ◽  
pp. FSO704
Author(s):  
Hagar Bach ◽  
Horacio Bach

Aim: To explore the bioactivities of commercial fragrances. Materials & methods: The antimicrobial activity of 25 commercial fragrances was assessed with pathogenic bacteria and fungi in vapor phase. Inflammatory response was evaluated by the measurement of cytokines. Results: Several fragrances were able to kill the microorganisms. Moreover, preparations of binary mixtures of the most active fragrances showed a synergistic effect. Regarding the inflammatory response, none of the tested fragrances showed a pro-inflammatory response, but two fragrances upregulated the secretion of IL-10 from macrophages. Conclusion: The antimicrobial activities of fragrances represent a new approach to control airborne pathogens.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1351
Author(s):  
Saravanan Rajendrasozhan ◽  
Hani El Moll ◽  
Mejdi Snoussi ◽  
Ramy M. Romeilah ◽  
Emad A. Shalaby ◽  
...  

Rhanterium epapposum, native to the Arabian Peninsula, is traditionally used to cure skin infections. The objective is to screen the phytochemical content and antimicrobial activity of aqueous, methanol and 80% methanol extracts of aerial parts of R. epapposum. The phytochemical screening of aqueous, methanolic, and 80% methanol extracts of R. epapposum was conducted using gas chromatographymass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts were assessed by well diffusion and microdilution methods. Qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol in all three extracts, whereas ethanol, 2-methoxy-, acetate; n-hexadecanoic acid; and 2,3-butanediol are present in higher amount exclusively in the methanol, 80% methanol and aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of R. epapposum, respectively. The highest antibacterial activity was shown by the aqueous extract S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. cloacae, and K. pneumoniae, methanolic extract against S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and E. coli, and 80% methanol extract against S. epidermidis, and S. paucimobilis. Interestingly, 80% methanol extracts showed the highest antifungal activity against C. albicans, C. guillermondii, C. vaginalis, C. utilis, and C. tropicalis. The aerial parts of R. epapposum showed broad-spread antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Especially, the 80% methanol extract showed potent antifungal activity against all the tested fungal strains.


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