scholarly journals Development of a Benzalkonium Chloride Based Antibacterial Paper for Health and Food Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Swarit Ahmed Shadman ◽  
Ishmamul Hoque Sadab ◽  
Mohammed Sakib Noor ◽  
Mohidus Samad Khan
Keyword(s):  
Benzalkonium Chloride ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ammonium Compound ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Allowable Limit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Food Applications ◽  
Spread Of Infection

Pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms pose a potent threat to humans by causing various infectious diseases. To control the spread of infection, different antibacterial products have been developed. However, most of them are known to be associated with health hazards, environmental pollution, complex fabrication, and/or higher cost. To address these issues, in this study, a low cost, biodegradable and human skin compatible antibacterial paper has been developed. A quaternary ammonium compound, benzalkonium chloride (BKC) has been used for paper surface treatment. The concentration of aqueous solution of BKC coated on paper was varied from 0.1 wt% to 0.2 wt%. No external binder was required for coating BKC onto paper. The efficacy of the coated paper was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 bacterial strains. This antibacterial paper is highly effective against both strains with the concentrations of BKC being within the allowable limit for cytotoxic effects. The optimum concentration of BKC coated on paper can be considered as 0.15 wt%, as nearly 100% inhibition was achieved with it against both strains. The developed antibacterial paper is suitable for being used in the industry for disinfection and food packaging purposes, and also by the public for hand sanitization.

scholarly journals The Oleaginous Yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima Displays Killer Activity against Avian-Derived Pathogenic Bacteria

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1227
Author(s):  
Robert H. Hicks ◽  
Mauro Moreno-Beltrán ◽  
Deborah Gore-Lloyd ◽  
Christopher J. Chuck ◽  
Daniel A. Henk
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Killer Activity ◽  
Metschnikowia Pulcherrima ◽  
Livestock Health ◽  
Yeast Interactions

Metschnikowia pulcherrima is a non-conventional yeast with potential to be used in biotechnological processes, especially those involving low-cost feedstock exploitation and biocontrol applications. The combination of traits that supports these industrial applications in M. pulcherrima also makes it an attractive option to study in the context of livestock health. In this study, we examined the specific interactions between M. pulcherrima and multiple avian pathogenic bacteria. We tested individual bacteria–yeast interactions and bacterial combinations in both solid and liquid media and in variable nutrient environments. Across multiple isolates of M. pulcherrima, we observed different levels of antimicrobial activity, varying from supporting the growth of competing bacteria through suppression and bacterial killing, and we found that these responses varied depending on the bacterial strains and media. We identified multiple molecular routes, including proteins produced by M. pulcherrima strains, that acted to control these microbial interactions. Furthermore, protein screening revealed that M. pulcherrima strains were induced to produce proteins specifically when exposed to bacterial strains, suggesting that fine-tuned mechanisms allow M. pulcherrima to function as a potential lynchpin in a microbial community.

scholarly journals Cost-Effective Fabrication, Antibacterial Application and Cell Viability Studies of Modified Nonwoven Cotton Fabric

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahat Nawaz ◽  
Sayed Tayyab Raza Naqvi ◽  
Batool Fatima ◽  
Nazia Zulfiqar ◽  
Muhammad Umer Farooq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cotton Fabric ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Enterobacter Aerogenes ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Toxicity Assay

Abstract Nonwoven cotton fabric has been fabricated and designed for antibacterial applications using low cost and ecofriendly precursors. The treatment of fabric with alkali leads to formation of active sites. The surfaces were dip coated with silver nanaoparticles and chitosan. The surface was chlorinated in next step to transform amide (N-H) groups in chitosan into N-halamine (N-Cl). The modified and unmodified surfaces of the nonwoven cotton fabric have been characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD. The active chlorine loading is measured with iodine/ sodium thiosulphate. The antimicrobial activity and cell toxicity assay were carried out with and without modifications of nonwoven cotton fabric. The antimicrobial efficacies of loaded fabric were evaluated against four bacterial species (Micrococcus lutes, Staphylococcus aurea, Enterobacter aerogenes, and E.coli). It was found that modified fabric exhibited superior efficiency against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains as compared to their bulk counterparts upon exposure without destroying and affecting fabric nature. The overall process is economical for commercial purposes. The modified fabric can be used for antimicrobial, health, and food packaging industries, and in other biomedical applications.

scholarly journals Quantifying variation in bacterial reproductive fitness with and without antimicrobial resistance: a high-throughput method

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal M. Frey ◽  
Julian Baer ◽  
Judith Bergadà Pijuan ◽  
Conor Lawless ◽  
Philipp K. Bühler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Reproductive Fitness ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Competitive Fitness ◽  
Image Intensity ◽  
High Throughput Method

ABSTRACTBackgroundTo evaluate changes in reproductive fitness of bacteria, e.g., after acquisition of antimicrobial resistance, a low-cost high-throughput method to analyse bacterial growth on agar is desirable for broad usability, including in low-resource settings.MethodIn our bacterial quantitative fitness analysis (baQFA), cultures are spotted in a predefined array on agar plates and photographed sequentially while growing. These time-lapse images are analysed using a purpose-built open source software to derive normalised image intensity values for each culture spot. Subsequently, a Gompertz growth model is fitted to these optical intensity values of each culture spot and fitness is calculated from parameters of the model. For image segmentation validation, we investigated the association between normalised intensity values and colony-forming unit (CFU) counts. To represent a range of clinically important pathogenic bacteria, we used different strains of Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with and without antimicrobial resistance. Relative competitive fitness (RCF) was defined as the mean fitness ratio of two strains growing competitively on one plate.ResultsbaQFA permitted the accurate construction of growth curves from bacteria grown on semisolid agar plates and fitting of Gompertz models: Normalised image intensity values showed a strong association with the total CFU/ml count per spotted culture (p<0.001) for all strains of the three species. Bacterial QFA showed relevant reproductive fitness differences between individual strains, suggesting substantial higher fitness of methicillin-resistant S. aureus JE2 than Cowan (RCF 1.60, p<0.001). Similarly, the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium ST172b showed higher competitive fitness than susceptible E. faecium ST172 (RCF 1.72, p<0.001).ConclusionOur baQFA adaptation allows detection of fitness differences between our bacterial strains, and is likely to be applicable to other bacteria. In the future, baQFA may help to estimate epidemiological antimicrobial persistence or contribute to the prediction of clinical outcomes in severe infections at a low cost.

Potential Bactericidal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles

MRS Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (18-19) ◽  
pp. 975-984
Author(s):  
David Medina Suárez ◽  
Jousen A. Merced Colón ◽  
Waldemar García-Mercado ◽  
Dalice Piñero-Cruz ◽  
Sonia J. Bailón-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
Targeted Drug Delivery ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Micrococcus Luteus ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Ag Nps ◽  
Targeted Drug

ABSTRACTIn recent times, nanotechnology has drawn the attention of the scientific community because of the wide variety of applications that can be done with it, from food packaging to targeted drug delivery; the use of nanoparticles has been a breakthrough in science that has now reached the market. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have unique properties due to the oscillation of electrons in the superficial plasmon. These nanostructures have been used in different applications in the area of nanomedicine, such as: targeted drug delivery, sensing and imaging, anti-fungal, anti-cancerous and biosensors. It has become evident that pathogenic bacteria are resisting antibiotics such as Penicillin becoming one of the most worrying topics in the world. People in the science community fear the day when we no longer can use these antibiotics, because the resistance of bacteria became too great, leaving us defenceless against any type of pathogens and possibly causing a catastrophe. However, we theorize that the possible solution to this problem could be the use of silver nanoparticles, given that there has not been a documented bacterial adaptation strategy that could give them resistance to Ag NPs. The purpose of this study is to find how the water-stable silver nanoparticles interact with different strains, including Gram negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The main objectives of our research were to synthesize and characterize water stable silver nanoparticles and test their potential bactericidal activity. We synthesized our Ag NPs using sodium citrate as a reducing agent. After synthesizing the nanoparticles, their optical properties were characterized by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis); crystalline structure was evaluated with Electron Diffraction (ED) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD); morphology was assessed by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM). Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to indicate functional groups involved in the nanoparticle capping. Cultures were prepared with agarose and inoculated with the following bacterial strains: Bacillus cereus (Gram +), Micrococcus luteus (Gram +), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram +), Escherichia coli (Gram -), Citrobacter freundii (Gram -), Enterobacter aerogenes (Gram -), Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram -), Proteus mirabilis (Gram -), Proteus vulgaris (Gram -) and Serratia marcescens (Gram -). Preliminary tests showed an inhibition diameter that surpassed 1.0 cm in all bacterial strains. We expect our Ag NPs to have a potential antibacterial activity towards all types of bacteria, due to oxidation of silver (Ag0 to Ag+).

scholarly journals Novel biotechnological approaches for monitoring and immunization against resistant to antibiotics Escherichia coli and other pathogenic bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
José E. Belizário ◽  
Marcelo P. Sircili
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Methyl Esters ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Immunological Methods ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Surveillance Programs

Abstract The application of next-generation molecular, biochemical and immunological methods for developing new vaccines, antimicrobial compounds, probiotics and prebiotics for zoonotic infection control has been fundamental to the understanding and preservation of the symbiotic relationship between animals and humans. With increasing rates of antibiotic use, resistant bacterial infections have become more difficult to diagnose, treat, and eradicate, thereby elevating the importance of surveillance and prevention programs. Effective surveillance relies on the availability of rapid, cost-effective methods to monitor pathogenic bacterial isolates. In this opinion article, we summarize the results of some research program initiatives for the improvement of live vaccines against avian enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli using virulence factor gene deletion and engineered vaccine vectors based on probiotics. We also describe methods for the detection of pathogenic bacterial strains in eco-environmental headspace and aerosols, as well as samples of animal and human breath, based on the composition of volatile organic compounds and fatty acid methyl esters. We explain how the introduction of these low-cost biotechnologies and protocols will provide the opportunity to enhance co-operation between networks of resistance surveillance programs and integrated routine workflows of veterinary and clinical public health microbiology laboratories.

Development and production experience of the multilayer curtain-coated linerboard of Ji’an PM No. 3,

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
JUNMING SHU ◽  
ARTHAS YANG ◽  
PEKKA SALMINEN ◽  
HENRI VAITTINEN
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Dioxide ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Flexographic Printing ◽  
Curtain Coating ◽  
Coating Formulations

The Ji’an PM No. 3 is the first linerboard machine in China to use multilayer curtain coating technology. Since successful startup at the end of 2011, further development has been carried out to optimize running conditions, coating formulations, and the base paper to provide a product with satisfactory quality and lower cost to manufacture. The key challenges include designing the base board structure for the desired mechanical strength, designing the surface properties for subsequent coating operations, optimizing the high-speed running of the curtain coater to enhance production efficiency, minimizing the amount of titanium dioxide in the coating color, and balancing the coated board properties to make them suitable for both offset and flexographic printing. The pilot and mill scale results show that curtain coating has a major positive impact on brightness, while smoothness is improved mainly by the blade coating and calendering conditions. Optimization of base board properties and the blade + curtain + blade concept has resulted in the successful use of 100% recycled fiber to produce base board. The optical, mechanical, and printability properties of the final coated board meet market requirements for both offset and flexographic printing. Machine runnability is excellent at the current speed of 1000 m/min, and titanium dioxide has been eliminated in the coating formulations without affecting the coating coverage. A significant improvement in the total cost of coated white liner production has been achieved, compared to the conventional concept of using virgin fiber in the top ply. Future development will focus on combining low cost with further quality improvements to make linerboard suitable for a wider range of end-use applications, including frozen-food packaging and folding boxboard.

Preliminary in Vitro Investigations on The Inhibitory Activity of The Original Dietary Supplement Oxidal® on Pathogenic Bacterial Strains

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 37-43
Author(s):  
Prof. Teodora P. Popova ◽  
Toshka Petrova ◽  
Ignat Ignatov ◽  
Stoil Karadzhov
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Supplement ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Microbial Strains

The antimicrobial action of the dietary supplement Oxidal® was tested using the classic Bauer and Kirby agar-gel diffusion method. Clinical and reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were used in the studies. The tested dietary supplement showed a well-pronounced inhibitory effect against the microbial strains commensurable with that of the broad-spectrum chemotherapeutic agent Enrofloxacin and showed even higher activity than the broad spectrum antibiotic Thiamphenicol. The proven inhibitory effect of the tested dietary supplement against the examined pathogenic bacteria is in accordance with the established clinical effectiveness standards for antimicrobial agents.

Opportunities for Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Platforms in Dietetic Research and Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Meghan Lynch ◽  
Irena Knezevic ◽  
Kennedy Laborde Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Article Comment

To date, most qualitative knowledge about individual eating patterns and the food environment has been derived from traditional data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. However, there currently exists a large source of nutrition-related data in social media discussions that have the potential to provide opportunities to improve dietetic research and practice. Qualitative social media discussion analysis offers a new tool for dietetic researchers and practitioners to gather insights into how the public discusses various nutrition-related topics. We first consider how social media discussion data come with significant advantages including low-cost access to timely ways to gather insights from the public, while also cautioning that social media data have limitations (e.g., difficulty verifying demographic information). We then outline 3 types of social media discussion platforms in particular: (i) online news article comment sections, (ii) food and nutrition blogs, and (iii) discussion forums. We discuss how each different type of social media offers unique insights and provide a specific example from our own research using each platform. We contend that social media discussions can contribute positively to dietetic research and practice.

scholarly journals Monomers, Materials and Energy from Coffee By-Products: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6921
Author(s):  
Laura Sisti ◽  
Annamaria Celli ◽  
Grazia Totaro ◽  
Patrizia Cinelli ◽  
Francesca Signori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Material Technology ◽  
Coffee Production ◽  
Coffee Pulp ◽  
Coffee Waste ◽  
By Products

In recent years, the circular economy and sustainability have gained attention in the food industry aimed at recycling food industrial waste and residues. For example, several plant-based materials are nowadays used in packaging and biofuel production. Among them, by-products and waste from coffee processing constitute a largely available, low cost, good quality resource. Coffee production includes many steps, in which by-products are generated including coffee pulp, coffee husks, silver skin and spent coffee. This review aims to analyze the reasons why coffee waste can be considered as a valuable source in recycling strategies for the sustainable production of bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels. It addresses the most recent advances in monomer, polymer and plastic filler productions and applications based on the development of viable biorefinery technologies. The exploration of strategies to unlock the potential of this biomass for fuel productions is also revised. Coffee by-products valorization is a clear example of waste biorefinery. Future applications in areas such as biomedicine, food packaging and material technology should be taken into consideration. However, further efforts in techno-economic analysis and the assessment of the feasibility of valorization processes on an industrial scale are needed.

scholarly journals A glimpse of antimicrobial resistance gene diversity in kefir and yoghurt

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienn Gréta Tóth ◽  
István Csabai ◽  
Gergely Maróti ◽  
Ákos Jerzsele ◽  
Attila Dubecz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Gene Diversity ◽  
Fermented Food ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Fermented Foods ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Gene

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat gaining more and more practical significance every year. The main determinants of AMR are the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Since bacteria can share genetic components via horizontal gene transfer, even non-pathogenic bacteria may provide ARG to any pathogens which they become physically close to (e.g. in the human gut). In addition, fermented food naturally contains bacteria in high amounts. In this study, we examined the diversity of ARG content in various kefir and yoghurt samples (products, grains, bacterial strains) using a unified metagenomic approach. We found numerous ARGs of commonly used fermenting bacteria. Even with the strictest filter restrictions, we identified ARGs undermining the efficacy of aminocoumarins, aminoglycosides, carbapenems, cephalosporins, cephamycins, diaminopyrimidines, elfamycins, fluoroquinolones, fosfomycins, glycylcyclines, lincosamides, macrolides, monobactams, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles, penams, penems, peptides, phenicols, rifamycins, tetracyclines and triclosan. In the case of gene lmrD, we detected genetic environment providing mobility of this ARG. Our findings support the theory that during the fermentation process, the ARG content of foods can grow due to bacterial multiplication. The results presented suggest that the starting culture strains of fermented foods should be monitored and selected in order to decrease the intake of ARGs via foods.

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