• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.488-500
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• 2022

Most fungal infections by opportunistic yeast pathogens such as Candida spp. are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with lowered immune. Previous studies have reported that some strains of Candida secret secondary metabolites play an important role in the decreasing of immunity in the infected patient. In this study, 110 Candida spp. were isolated from different clinical specimens from Baghdad hospitals. Candida isolates were identified by conventional methods, they were processed for Candida speciation on CHROMagar. The results of identification were confirmed by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were analyzed with reference strains deposited in GenBank. Antifungal susceptibility testing was evaluated by the disc diffusion method and performed as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) M44-A document. Candida isolates investigated produce secondary metabolites gliotoxin with HPLC technique and quantification. Out of 110 Candida isolates, C. albicans (66.36%) was the most frequent isolate, followed by the isolates of C. tropicalis (10.9%) and C. glabrata (6.36%) respectively. Concerning the antifungal susceptibility test, Candida isolates showed a high level of susceptibility to Miconazole (70.9%), Itraconazole (68.2%), and Nystatine (64.5%). The ability of obtained isolates of Candida spp. to produce gliotoxin on RPMI medium was investigated, only 28 isolates had the ability to secret this toxin in culture filtrates. The highest concentrations were detected in C. albicans (1.048 ㎍/ml). Gliotoxin productivity of other Candida species was significantly lower. The retention time for gliotoxin was approximately 5.08 min.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.32.1-32.11
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of inorganic composition and filler particle morphology on the mechanical properties of different self-adhesive resin cements (SARCs). Materials and Methods: Three SARCs including RelyX Unicem-2 (RUN), Maxcem Elite (MAX), and Calibra Universal (CAL) were tested. Rectangular bar-shaped specimens were prepared for flexural strength (FS) and flexural modulus (FM) and determined by a 3-point bending test. The Knoop microhardness (KHN) and top/bottom microhardness ratio (%KHN) were conducted on the top and bottom faces of disc-shaped samples. Sorption (Wsp) and solubility (Wsl) were evaluated after 24 hours of water immersion. Filler morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). FS, FM, %KHN, Wsp, Wsl, and EDS results were submitted to 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test, and KHN also to paired t-test (α = 0.05). Results: SARC-CAL presented the highest FS value, and SARC-RUN presented the highest FM. SARC-MAX and RUN showed the lowest Wsp and Wsl values. KHN values decreased from top to bottom and the SARCs did not differ statistically. Also, all resin cements presented carbon, aluminum, and silica in their composition. SARC-MAX and RUN showed irregular and splintered particles while CAL presented small and regular size particles. Conclusions: A higher mechanical strength can be achieved by a reduced spread in grit size and the filler morphology can influence the KHN, as well as photoinitiators in the composition. Wsp and Wsl can be correlated with ions diffusion of inorganic particles.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.82.1-82.12
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• 2023

Background: The current conventional serotyping based on antigen-antisera agglutination could not provide a better understanding of the potential pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Brancaster. Surveillance data from Malaysian poultry farms indicated an increase in its presence over the years. Objective: This study aims to investigate the virulence determinants and antimicrobial resistance in S. Brancaster isolated from chickens in Malaysia. Methods: One hundred strains of archived S. Brancaster isolated from chicken cloacal swabs and raw chicken meat from 2017 to 2022 were studied. Two sets of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were conducted to identify eight virulence genes associated with pathogenicity in Salmonella (invasion protein gene [invA], Salmonella invasion protein gene [sipB], Salmonella-induced filament gene [sifA], cytolethal-distending toxin B gene [cdtB], Salmonella iron transporter gene [sitC], Salmonella pathogenicity islands gene [spiA], Salmonella plasmid virulence gene [spvB], and inositol phosphate phosphatase gene [sopB]). Antimicrobial susceptibility assessment was conducted by disc diffusion method on nine selected antibiotics for the S. Brancaster isolates. S. Brancaster, with the phenotypic ACSSuT-resistance pattern (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamides, and tetracycline), was subjected to PCR to detect the corresponding resistance gene(s). Results: Virulence genes detected in S. Brancaster in this study were invA, sitC, spiA, sipB, sopB, sifA, cdtB, and spvB. A total of 36 antibiogram patterns of S. Brancaster with a high level of multidrug resistance were observed, with ampicillin exhibiting the highest resistance. Over a third of the isolates displayed ACSSuT-resistance, and seven resistance genes (β-lactamase temoneira [bla_TEM], florfenicol/chloramphenicol resistance gene [floR], streptomycin resistance gene [strA], aminoglycoside nucleotidyltransferase gene [ant(3")-Ia], sulfonamides resistance gene [sul-1, sul-2], and tetracycline resistance gene [tetA]) were detected. Conclusion: Multidrug-resistant S. Brancaster from chickens harbored an array of virulence-associated genes similar to other clinically significant and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, placing it as another significant foodborne zoonosis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2013

In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidative activities of Epimedium koreanum Nakai were investigated for applications as cosmetic ingredients. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of fraction-bacterium, that showed high antibacterial activity from disc diffusion assay on human skin pathogens, were tested. The ethyl acetate fraction on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Propionibacterium acnes and 50% ethanol extract on S. aureus exhibited higher antibacterial activities than methyl paraben, well known as a preservative. The DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activities of 3 fractions of E. koreanum Nakai were lower than (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol, known as a typical antioxidant. From the results of the scavenging activities of various ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ systems ($OSC_{50}$), 50% ethanol extract ($OSC_{50}=2.46{\pm}0.06{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone fraction ($OSC_{50}=1.45{\pm}0.02{\mu}g/ml$) showed high activities similar to L-ascorbic acid ($OSC_{50}=1.50{\pm}0.85{\mu}g/ml$), used as reference. The cellular protective effects (${\tau}_{50}$) on photohemolysis by $^1O_2$ generated by photosensitization reaction were tested. The cellular protective effect of 50% ethanol extract (${\tau}_{50}=37.0{\pm}0.3$ min) was similar to (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\tau}_{50}=38.0{\pm}1.8$ min), used as reference. In particular, the ${\tau}_{50}$ of aglycone fraction results were $165.9{\pm}7.2$ min. This is a high cellular protective effect, more than 4 times that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. These results indicate that E. koreanum Nakai extract, and its fractions, could be utilized as a cosmetic ingredient possessing antibacterial and antioxidative activities.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.313-320
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• 2014

In this study, the antimicrobial activity of niaouli leaf extracts was evaluated against skin flora. The skin flora used for experiments were three gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), and two gram-negative, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa( P. aeruginosa), and the yeast, Plasmodium ovale (P. ovale). The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effects of niouli leaf extracts or fraction included the disc diffusion assay and broth dilution assay. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 50% ethanol extract on B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. acnes, E. coli and P. aeruginosa were 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.00%, 0.13% and 0.25% respectively and the MIC values of water fraction were 0.25%, 0.25%, 4,00%, 0.25% and 0.25%. P. ovale did not show antimicrobial activities. The MIC values of methyl paraben used as positive control indicated 0.25%, 0.25%, 0.25%, 0.13% and 0.50%. Also, Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 50% ethanol extract were 2.00%, 2.00%, 1.00%, 0.50% and 2.00% individually and the MBC values of water fraction were 0.50%, 0.25%, 4.00%, 0.50% and 1.00%. The MBC values of methyl paraben indicated 1.00%, 0.500%, 0.50%, 0.50% and 1.00%. These results showed that water fraction was as good as methyl paraben except for P. acnes. The 50% ethanol extract also showed activity similar with it. Thus, it is concluded that the 50% ethanol extract/fraction of niaouli could be applicable to cosmetics as a natural preservatives effective in antimicrobial activity against skin flora.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.994-1002
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• 2009

A bacteriocin-producing bacterium identified as Bacillus licheniformis was isolated from soybean sauce. Antibacterial activity was confirmed by paper disc diffusion method, using Micrococcus luteus as a test organism. The bacteriocin also showed antibacterial activities against Bacillus sphaericus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus planiarum, Paenibacillus polymyxa, and Pediococcus dextrinicus. Optimal culture conditions for the production of bacteriocin was attained by growing the cells in an MRS medium at a pH of 6.5~ 7.0 and a temperature of 37$^\circ$C for 36$\sim$48 hr. Solvents such as chloroform, ethanol, acetone, and acetonitrile had little effect on bacteriocin activity. However, about 50% of bacteriocin activity diminished with treatment of methanol and isopropanol at the final concentration of 50% at 25$^\circ$C for 1 hr. It was stable against a pH variation range from 3.0 and 7.0, but the activity reduced to 50% at a pH range from 9.0 to 11.0. It's activity was not affected by heat treatment at 100$^\circ$C for 30 min and 50% of activity was retained after heat treatment at 100$^\circ$C for 60 min, showing high thermostability. The bacteriocin was purified to a homogeneity through ammonium sulfate precipitation, SP-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The entire purification protocol led to a 75-fold increase in specific activity and a 13.5% yield of bacteriocin activity. The molecular weight of purified bacteriocin was estimated to be about 2.5 kDa by tricine-SDS-PAGE.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 1984

Some investigations on chronic mastitis in dairy cattle in Taegu-Kyungpook Provinces from the beginning of October, 1984 till the end of August, 1985 were conducted with the particular regard to the causative agents and their drug susceptibility. Milk samples from 83 isolated cases of chronic mastitis cattle were investigated bacteriologically and the causative organisms recovered were examined for their antibiotic susceptibility by using disc diffusion susceptibility technique against the major antibiotics of current veterinary use. Major causative agents involved in chronic mastitis in Taegu-Kyungpook Provinces were in order of prevalence Staphylococcus spp. (48.2 %), Escherichia coli (18.1 %), Candida spp. (10.8 %) and Corynebacterium spp. (8.4 %), Streptococcus agalactiae (3.6 %), Bacillus cereus (3.6 %) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.4 %) were found to be one of the minor agents. The majority of staphylococcal isolates and E. coli were highly resistant to the most antibiotics tested. The percentages of staphylococcal cultures resistant to penicillin, methicillin, lincomycin, novobiocin, ampicillin and tetracycline were 87.2 %, 78.7 %, 68.1 %, 61.7% and 57.4 %, respectively, while the majority of them were susceptible to gentamicin(78.7 %), cephalothin(76.6 %) and chloramphenicol (74.5%). E. coli isolates were found to be highly resistant to streptomycin, cephalothin, tetracycline and ampicillin while the majority of them were susceptible to colistin (83.3 %), gentamicin (77.8 %) and chloramphenicol (66.7 %). Corynebacterium spp. were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, oleandomycin and tetracycline although they showed resistance to novobiocin and penicillin. Two cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from mastitis milk were highly resistant to the antibiotics employed in the present study.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.407-417
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• 2018

In this study, the antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities of 50% ethanol extract of Polygoni multiflori Radix (PMR) and its ethyl acetate fraction were evaluated to confirm the applicability as a functional ingredient. The activities of the major constituent of PMR were verified and 2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (THSG) was confirmed to be the main component of extract and fraction using HPLC-DAD, LC-EIS-MS analysis. The phenolic and THSG contents of the ethyl acetate fraction were 11.1- and 3.0-folds higher than those of the ethanol extract, respectively. As a result of the DPPH assay and that of luminol dependent chemiluminescence assay in $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/H2O2 system. the ethylacetate fraction was superior to the ethanol extract in free radical and ROS scavenging activities. Especially, the ethyl acetate fraction and THSG exhibited the similar scavenging activity like L-ascorbic acid in ROS scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction perceived the most potent cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage of erythrocytes induced by photosensitization reaction, followed by the ethanol fraction, THSG and that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol, which was used as a positive control. Antimicrobial activities were evaluated by disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. In particular, the antibacterial activity of the extract and fraction against S. aureus was superior to that of methyl paraben. Taken together, our results suggest that PMR could be used as a natural ingredient for antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2021

This study was attempted to investigate natural materials with antimicrobial activity and to apply as natural preservatives in cosmetics. The disc diffusion method was used to search for nine species of natural antibacterial material for three species of skin pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Candida albicans. As a result of measuring the size of inhibition zone, Rhus Semialata gall (Gallnut) extract, Oak vinegar, and ε-polylysine were showed strongest antibacterial activities (> 10 mm). The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of gallnut and oak vinegar ranged from 10 to 20 mg/mL and from 20 to 40 mg/mL against five human skin pathogens. The MBC of ε-polylysine ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/mL in fungus. The synergic effect of gallnut extract/oak vinegar mixture and gallnut extract/ε-polylysine mixture were evaluated by checkerboard test. Compared to when used alone, the MBC of gallnut extract/oak vinegar mixture were at 4 times lower concentration against E. coli, C. albicans, and A. brasiliensis. Also Furthermore, the MBC of gallnut extract/ε-polylysine mixture were at 4 times lower concentration against C. albicans and A. brasiliensis. It was confirmed that the combination of gallnut extract with oak vinegar or ε-polylysine resulted in synergistic antibacterial effect against three human skin pathogens. Thus, it is expected that gallnut extract and natural product mixture can not only demonstrate antibacterial synergies, but also be applied in cosmetics as a natural preservative system with a wide antibacterial spectrum.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.936-942
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• 2016

As the incidence of environmental diseases is increasing due to harmful environmental factors, there is a rising interest in developing eco-friendly materials for housing. In this study, we sought to develop antimicrobial interior fabric blind materials by employing ethanol extract of a medicinal plant Zanthoxylum piperitum DC. As determined by the disc diffusion method, the zones of inhibition of the pericarp ethanol extract at a concentration of 5 mg/disc against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus mutans were 13.5±1.5 mm, 14.0±0.5 mm and 15.0±0.1 mm, respectively, whereas the leaf ethanol extract (5 mg/disc) against K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and S. mutans were 12.8± 0.3 mm, 13.5±1.0 mm, and 12.0±0.1 mm, respectively. The IC₅₀ of the leaf ethanol extract against K. pneumoniae, S. aureus and S. mutans were about 0.5 mg/ml, 0.1 mg/ml and 1.0 mg/ml respectively. To examine whether the leaf ethanol extract possessing antibacterial activity of Z. piperitum DC can be applicable to production of antimicrobial fabric blind materials, the fabrics treated with either 1.0% or 2.0% of the leaf ethanol extract were tested for antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus using International Standard Fabrics Test Method. The results indicate that the fabric treated with the ethanol extract of Z. piperitum DC possesses an excellent antimicrobial activity against both pathogenic bacteria. These results suggest that Z. piperitum DC may be applicable to producing functional fabrics which are effective in reducing the harmful bacterial factors in indoor environments.