Identification of Pathogenic Microbes in Tools of Beauty Salon in Jeddah City

Beauty salons may draw in customers with glamour; however, they could also be considered a major health issue. They can cause the spread of bacterial and fungal infections. The purpose of this research was to identify pathogenic microbes from beauty salon tools. Microorganisms from contaminated salon tools and cosmetic products were isolated using various selective media. Microbial isolates were identified based on their molecular and biochemical characteristics. The most common bacterial species isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus equorum, Microbacterium spp., Bacillus siamensis, Bacillus subtilis, Sphingomonas aeria, Macrococcus spp., Microbacterium oxydans, Brachybacterium spp., Micrococcus luteus, and Brachybacterium nesterenkovii. Fungal isolates included Penicillium spp., Aspergillus niger, Purpureocillium lilacium, and Aspergillus flavus. Overall, Staphylococcus spp. and A. niger were the most common organisms isolated from the samples. The presence of potential pathogens indicates that the tools used in salons have not been adequately sterilized and the high risk of diseases spread.

Analysis of changes in the microbial community structure and physicochemical properties during the fermentation of sand crab juice

The structure of the microbial community during sand crab juice fermentation was analyzed using culture-based methods and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, the changes in amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) were evaluated. Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus arlettae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Salinicoccus amylolyticus, and Bacillus cereus were isolated by traditional culture isolation technique. The Good's coverage obtained by high-throughput sequencing was over 99.5%, and the Chao1 and Simpson indices showed small fluctuations, indicating that the species abundance and diversity did not change significantly during the fermentation process, although the abundance decreased. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla observed during fermentation, whereas Aquabacterium, Roseovarius, Muribaculaceae, and Silicimonas were the dominant bacterial genera. The AAN content increased from 0.15 to 0.43 g/100 mL during the 15-day fermentation, indicating the production of small peptides and amino acids during fermentation. The TVB-N content (25.2 mg/100 mL) on day 15 indicated slight spoilage of sand crab juice, although the freshness conformed to the production standard. These results provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality and optimizing the production process of sand crab juice.

Identificación de cepas bacterianas cultivables presentes en peces (caballas) utilizando un fragmento del gen 16S ARNr

El salazonado de pescado es una forma antigua y económica de preservación que se usa aún en países en vías de desarrollo como el Perú. En la región Tumbes, es común la comercialización de caballa (Scomber japonicus peruanus) salada artesanalmente, por lo cual su inocuidad microbiológica no está garantizada. La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar, mediante el secuenciamiento de un fragmento del gen 16S ARNr, las bacterias cultivables presente en la caballa salada comercializada en Tumbes. A partir de tejido del músculo de la caballa, se aislaron cepas bacterianas en medio TSA suplementado con 15% de NaCl, de las que luego se obtuvieron fragmentos del gen 16S ARNr, que fueron secuenciados para luego identificar la especie a la que pertenecieron mediante una búsqueda en Genbank. Adicionalmente se analizaron el contenido de humedad y de NaCl del músculo de la caballa salada. Como resultado se identificaron cepas típicas de productos salados como: Staphylococcus sp, Halomonas sp, Staphylococcus equorum, Salinivibrio sp, Staphylococcus nepalensis y Salinivibrio sp. Sin embargo, en el 70% de las caballas analizadas se tuvieron niveles de humedad inadecuados, así como bajos niveles de NaCl, lo cual indicó un salado inadecuado y en consecuencia un producto con pobre conservación.

An in-Depth Investigation of the Safety of Wooden Shelves Used for Traditional Cheese Ripening

The main goal of this research was to characterize the bacterial diversity of wooden boards used for aging traditional Sicilian cheeses and to evaluate whether pathogenic bacteria are associated with these surfaces. Eighteen cheese dairy factories producing three traditional cheese typologies (PDO Pecorino Siciliano, PDO Piacentinu Ennese and Caciocavallo Palermitano) were selected within Sicily region. The wooden shelf surfaces were sampled by a destructive method to detach wood splinters as well as by a non-destructive brushing to collect microbial cells. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of almost continuous bacterial formations on the majority of the shelves analysed. Yeasts and fungal hyphae were also visualized, indicating a complexity of the plank communities. The amplicon library of the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region was pair-end sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq system allowing the identification of 14 phyla, 32 classes, 52 orders, 93 families and 137 genera. Staphylococcus equorum was identified from all wooden surfaces with a maximum abundance of 64.75%. Among cheese surface ripening bacteria, Brevibacterium and Corynebacterium were detected in almost all samples. Several halophilic ( Halomonas , Tetragenococcus halophilus , Chromohalobacter, Salimicrobium , Marinococcus , Salegentibacter , Haererehalobacter , Marinobacter and Idiomarinaceae) and moderately halophilic ( Salinicoccus , Psychrobacter and Salinisphaera ) bacteria were frequently identified. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were present at low percentages with the genera Leuconostoc , Lactococcus , Lactobacillus , Pediococcus and Streptococcus . The levels of wooden shelf viable microorganisms ranged between 2.4 and 7.8 log CFU/cm 2 . In some cases, LAB were counted at very high levels (8.2 log CFU/cm 2 ). Members of Enterobacteriaceae family were detected in a viable state only for six samples. Coagulase positive staphylococci, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected. Seventy-five strains belonged to Leuconostoc , Lactococcus , Pediococcus , Enterococcus , Lactobacillus and Weissella genera. IMPORTANCE This study provides evidence for the lack of pathogenic bacteria on the wooden shelves used to ripen internal bacterially ripened semi-hard and hard cheeses produced in Sicily. These three cheeses are non-inoculated on their surfaces and surface ripening is not considered to occur or, at least, not at the same extent of surface inoculated smear cheeses. Several bacterial groups identified from the wooden shelves are typically associated with smear cheeses strongly suggesting that PDO Pecorino Siciliano, PDO Piacentinu Ennese and Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese rind contributes to their final organoleptic profiles.

Testing the Capacity of Staphylococcus equorum for Calcium and Copper Removal through MICP Process

This research focused on the evaluation of the potential use of a soil-isolated bacteria, identified as Staphylococcus equorum, for microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and copper removal. Isolated bacteria were characterized considering growth rate, urease activity, calcium carbonate precipitation, copper tolerance as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and copper precipitation. Results were compared with Sporosarcina pasteurii, which is considered a model bacteria strain for MICP processes. The results indicated that the S. equorum strain had lower urease activity, calcium removal capacity and copper tolerance than the S. pasteurii strain. However, the culture conditions tested in this study did not consider the halophilic feature of the S. equorum, which could make it a promising bacterial strain to be applied in process water from mining operations when seawater is used as process water. On the other hand, copper removal was insufficient when applying any of the bacteria strains evaluated, most likely due to the formation of a copper–ammonia complex. Thus, the implementation of S. equorum for copper removal needs to be further studied, considering the optimization of culture conditions, which may promote better performance when considering calcium, copper or other metals precipitation.

Microbial Diversity of Traditionally Processed Cheese from Northeastern Region of Transylvania (Romania)

The composition and production technology of the cheese are extremely diverse. There are a wide variety of microbial species on their surface, with a much smaller number inside of the product. The microbiota of the cheese may be composed of beneficial microorganisms, spoilage and foodborne pathogens. Identification and characterization of the microorganisms present in these products are important nutrition, food safety and technological aspects. During our work we evaluated the prevalence of allochthonous bacteria and microscopic fungi in traditionally processed cheeses from northeastern region of Transylvania, with classical microbiological culture methods. Based on the results the microbiota of the analysed cheeses was highly diversified. The identified bacteria with the highest prevalence from different selective media, were as follows: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalis, Shigella flexnerii, Proteus vulgaris, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Staphylococcus equorum subsp. equorum, Staphylococcus equorum subsp. linens, Halomonas alkaliphila, Kocuria rhizophila, Hafnia paralvei, Bacillus licheniformis and Klebsiella michiganensis.

Association of Staphylococcal Populations on Teatcups of Milking Parlours with Vaccination against Staphylococcal Mastitis in Sheep and Goat Farms

There is a paucity of information regarding staphylococcal populations on teatcups of milking parlours in sheep and goat farms. The objectives were to describe the populations of staphylococci on teatcups in milking parlours in sheep or goat farms in two field investigations throughout Greece and to potentially associate the findings with the use of anti-staphylococcal mastitis vaccinations in the farms visited during the two investigations. In a cross-sectional (255 sheep and 66 goat farms across Greece) and a longitudinal (12 sheep farms, four samplings, throughout lactation) study, swab samples were collected from 1418 teatcups (upper and lower part) for staphylococcal recovery, identification and assessment of biofilm-formation. A total of 328 contaminated teatcups (23.1%) were found in 105 sheep (41.2%) and 35 goat (53.0%) farms. Staphylococci were more frequently recovered from the upper than the lower part of teatcups: 269 versus 139 teatcups, respectively. After identification, 253 staphylococcal isolates were found: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus lentus, and Staphylococcus capitis predominated. Of these isolates, 87.4% were biofilm-forming. The proportion of contaminated teatcups was smaller in farms where vaccination against anti-staphylococcal mastitis in general or vaccination specifically against mastitis caused specifically by biofilm-forming staphylococcal strains was applied, 19.7% or 10.9%, respectively, versus 25.5% in farms without vaccination. In the longitudinal study, contaminated teatcups were identified in 28 (58.3%) sampling occasions, with staphylococci being recovered more frequently from their upper part. The same species as in the cross-sectional study predominated. Of these isolates, 61.9% were biofilm-forming. In farms where vaccination against mastitis caused specifically by biofilm-forming staphylococcal strains was applied, the proportion of contaminated teatcups was smaller: 20.4% versus 48.3% in farms without vaccination. There were no differences in proportions of contaminated teatcups between sampling occasions. In conclusion, the great majority of staphylococci recovered from teatcups of milking parlours in sheep and goat farms included biofilm-forming isolates. Reduced staphylococcal isolation was noted in farms where anti-staphylococcal vaccination was performed; this was possibly the effect of reduced excretion of staphylococci in the milk of vaccinated animals.

Insertion of PrpoD_rpoS Fragment Enhances Expression of Recombinant Protein By Dps Auto-Inducible Promoter in Escherichia Coli

Background: Nowadays, recombinant therapeutic proteins have been widely produced and consumed. For the safety and effectiveness of the protein production, an auto-inducible expression vector is required to replace inducer interference, which is uneconomic and could be harmful. In this research, an auto-inducible expression plasmid, pCAD2_sod, which was under dps (RpoS-dependent gene) promoter control, was modified to provide RpoS at earlier phase, hence accumulate more target protein by generated a new plasmid, pCAD2+_sod. pCAD2_sod had been constructed to automatically induce the expression of recombinant superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Staphylococcus equorum (rMnSODSeq) in the stationary growth phase of Escherichia coli. This work aimed to obtain pCAD2+_sod and determined the expression level of rMnSODSeq. Method and Results: A synthetic rpoS coding region under rpoD promoter control (prpoD_rpoS) was inserted to pCAD2_sod and generated pCAD2+_sod. The rMnSODSeq (24.3 kDa) produced from pCAD2+_sod was ~1.5 fold higher at 37 °C and more intense at 43 °C compared to that produced from pCAD2_sod, likewise shifted to earlier phase (after 1 h of incubation), as shown in the SDS-PAGE. The dismutase activity was also retained after zymography assay. The mRNA level of rMnSODSeq from pCAD2+_sod, in all growth phases, gave a consistently lower Cq values compared to the one carried pCAD2_sod and so gave higher quantification values relative to rho reference gene as well. Conclusions: The prpoD_rpoS insertion shifts and increases the rMnSODSeq production from stationary to exponential phase, either in the RNA or protein level. The pCAD2+_sod plasmid has good potential for further recombinant protein productions.

Flavor Composition and Microbial Community Structure of Mianning Ham

Mianning ham, a traditional Chinese dry-cured ham, is protected by national geographical indications. To understand the surface and internal flavor composition and microbial community structure of Mianning ham, solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC-MS) technology and Illumina high-throughput sequencing were utilized. The results showed that a total of 60 flavor substances were identified in the hams. Forty-nine kinds of flavorings were identified on the surface, including 14 aldehydes, 6 ketones, 10 alcohols, 5 esters, 7 hydrocarbons, 5 acids, and 2 other compounds. Thirty-six kinds of internal flavorings were identified, including 13 aldehydes, 4 ketones, 6 alcohols, 3 esters, 5 hydrocarbons, 4 acids and 1 other type. Decanal (34.91 μg/g) was the most prevalent compound on the surface, followed by n-hexanol (24.99 μg/g), n-hexanal (20.20 μg/g), and n-octyl (16.14 μg/g). n-Hexanal (20.74 μg/g) was the most common compound internally, followed by non-aldehyde (5.70 μg/g), 1-octene-3-alcohol (3.54 μg/g), and inverse-2-octenal (2.77 μg/g). Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium nalgiovense, Debaryomyces hansenii, Staphylococcus equorum, and Erwinia tasmaniensis were isolated from the surfaces of the hams by the traditional culture method. By Illumina high-throughput sequencing, three fungal phyla were identified. Ascomycota was the dominant phylum followed by Basidiomycota. At the genus level, 11 fungi were identified, of which Aspergillus was the dominant fungus, followed by Penicillium and Wallemia. These findings provide fundamental knowledge regarding the microorganisms and flavor compounds in Mianning ham, which will help industrial processors develop effective strategies for standardizing quality parameters.