Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), particularly acute myocardial infarction, represent a critical global health concern driven by multifactorial risk factors, including hypercholesterolemia. While conventional lipid-lowering therapies remain effective, their side effects and limitations have prompted the exploration of alternative approaches. Probiotics, postbiotics, and functional foods have emerged as innovative strategies capable of modulating the gut microbiota to enhance lipid metabolism and mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation, offering new possibilities for CVD management. This review emphasizes the significance of doxorubicin-induced models in studying CVD mechanisms and evaluating therapeutic potentials. By leveraging insights into the gut-microbiota-heart axis, these models facilitate the development of novel interventions targeting hypercholesterolemia-induced CVDs. Cholesterol-lowering probiotic strains and functional food products stand out for their ability to provide safer complementary options to traditional therapies. Advancing research in this field requires optimizing experimental models, investigating molecular pathways, and translating findings into clinical practice through rigorous trials. The integration of these innovative solutions holds the potential to improve cardiovascular health, address unmet clinical needs, and reduce the global burden of CVDs.

The present study aimed to characterize different isolates from human breast milk and their in vitro probiotic potentialities. 16S rDNA from each isolate was sequenced. The isolates were characterized by determining their resistance to gastrointestinal conditions (pH, bile salts, and lysozyme), antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial activity, biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide production, and carbohydrate fermentation profile. Five isolates were obtained with probiotic properties belonging to the species of Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolated from human breast milk. Isolates LT1512 and LM1563C presented the best probiotic properties due to high percentages of survival under the gastrointestinal conditions, antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, resistance to twelve antibiotics, and biofilm formation. Conclusions. This study confirmed that the breast milk of women with a healthy food pattern is a good source of isolation from lactic acid bacteria. Milk carries a microbiota with potential probiotic properties, making it the source of probiotics and the focus for further research.

Researchers are still interested in the genus Staphylococcus because of its virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in different strains, which have increased infection-related morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the species and distribution of methicillin-resistant, inducible clindamycin-resistant, and multidrug- resistant (MDR) staphylococci causing clinical infections in Benin City, Nigeria. Methods. Three hundred and thirty-five staphylococcal isolates were recovered from clinical specimens over one year. These isolates were identified, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests including methicillin resistance (MR), inducible clindamycin resistance (iMLSB), and vancomycin resistance were carried out using the VITEK-2 Compact System. Result. The most common species causing infections were S. aureus and S. haemolyticus. Overall, 71.2% and 89.5% of S. aureus and Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), respectively, were methicillin-resistant. Only 19.1% of the isolates were tested positive for iMLSB, with S. saprophyticus having the highest prevalence (29.4%), followed by S. aureus with 16%. A low prevalence of vancomycin resistance was observed (1.5%) as only S aureus (2.4%) and S. haemolyticus (1.7%) showed resistance. Majority of isolates were MDR (72.5%) while S. haemolyticus had the highest prevalence (94.1%). Compared with methicillin-sensitive staphylococci, methicillin-resistant staphylococci were significantly more likely to be MDR (17.2% vs 83.3%, OR=23.489 95%CI=11.093, 49.740, p < 0.0001). Concerning susceptibility profile, S. haemolyticus was the least susceptible to the tested antibacterial agents. The most active antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus spp were tigecycline (99.7), linezolid (99.1%), nitrofurantoin (98.8%), and daptomycin (96.4%), while the least active were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (31.3%) and the quinolones ciprofloxacin (32.2%) and levofloxacin (33.1%). Conclusions. A high prevalence of MR-staphylococci that were MDR was observed in this study. There is a need to enact and implement antibiotic stewardship guidelines to reverse the rising tide of AMR.

In the modern world, the problem of the disposal of animal husbandry waste is very acute, because the growing volume of production leads to an increase in the amount of waste, which, if handled improperly, can pose a threat to the environment. Poultry factories, slaughterhouses, the leather, fur, and wool industries, and hairdressing plants constantly produce millions of tons of keratin-containing waste in the form of feathers, pig bristles, hooves, horns, leather, wool, and hair. The development of methods for their environmentally friendly processing using enzymes of microorganisms, in particular proteases, to obtain valuable products such as amino acids and oligopeptides is an important task of modern biotechnology. The purpose of this work was to investigate some physicochemical properties (pH- and thermooptimum, pH- and thermostability, substrate specificity) of the Priestia megaterium 035 enzyme preparation with keratinase activity. Methods. The object of investigation was P. megaterium 035 isolated from the bottom sediments of the Black Sea. The culture was grown under conditions of submerged cultivation at 28 °C, with a nutrient medium stirring rate of 232 rpm for 5–7 days. For growth, a basic nutrient medium containing 0.5% defatted chicken feathers as the only source of carbon and nitrogen was used. Keratinase activity was assessed by UV absorption at 280 nm of the hydrolysis products of keratin-containing materials. The degree of substrate hydrolysis was estimated by the ratio of the initial and final weights of the substrate. To investigate the substrate specificity, the P. megaterium 035 culture was grown in 50 ml test tubes with such substrates as white and black chicken feathers, sheep, rabbit, cat, and dog wool, pig bristles, and children's nails and hair. Results. The culture of P. megaterium 035 was grown for 5–7 days on a nutrient medium with the addition of white chicken feathers as the only source of carbon and nitrogen, the degree of hydrolysis of which was 84%. A partially purified enzyme preparation with keratinase activity was obtained by the method of 90% saturation of the supernatant of the P. megaterium culture liquid with ammonium sulfate. The studied enzyme preparation was active in a wide pH range (7.0–12.0) with three activity optima (7.0, 10.0, and 12.0). It was found that the enzyme was completely stable at pH 11.0 and retained 78% of the initial activity at pH 10.0 after 24 h of incubation. At neutral and slightly alkaline pH values, the enzyme preparation was less stable: its activity at pH 7.0–9.0 was maintained for 3 h. A temperature of 50 °C was optimal for the studied preparation. The enzyme retained 100% activity at 50 °C after 30 min of incubation, 91% and 25% after 60 min and 120 min of incubation, and at 60 °C it showed 80% of the initial activity only after 15 min of incubation. It was shown that P. megaterium effectively decomposed only white chicken feathers (84%), worse – black chicken feathers (45%), and practically did not affect the other studied substrates. The degree of hydrolysis of cat, dog, and pig bristles and children's nails did not exceed 3–6%. Conclusions. Among the investigated keratin-containing substrates, the P. megaterium 035 culture is able to intensively degrade only chicken feathers, which consist mainly of β-keratin.

Aspergillus species, a group of fungi, can cause various infections, especially in individuals with a weakened immune system. The increasing prevalence of Aspergillus-associated or other fungal infections highlights the urgent need for improved antifungal therapies and preventive strategies, especially as fungal resistance becomes an emerging concern within healthcare settings. New antifungal agents such as ibrexafungerp, olorofim, fosmanogepix, and rezafungin are transforming the treatment of fungal infections by addressing issues of drug resistance, toxicity, and limited efficacy against certain strains. Current antifungal treatments face significant limitations, including the emergence of drug resistance among fungal pathogens, which complicates the treatment of previously manageable infections. Emerging antifungal drugs, such as voriconazole, posaconazole, ravuconazole, SPE-843, and T-2307, are crucial in addressing the growing concern of antifungal resistance and providing alternative treatment. The integration of these innovative antifungal drugs into clinical practice is expected to significantly improve patient management and outcomes in fungal infections. Immunotherapy plays a crucial role in enhancing the immune response against Aspergillus spp. infections, particularly when combined with antifungal agents. The integration of immunotherapy with antifungal treatments, known as combination therapy, is gaining traction as it can help overcome resistance and enhance therapeutic efficacy. Immune modulation during Aspergillus infection is crucial for enhancing host immune responses and developing potential combination therapies. Synergistic mechanisms include blocking PD-1, using cytokines such as IFN-γ and G-CSF, and exploring strategies like NK cell transfer and CAR T-cell therapy to boost immune responses against Aspergillus. Antifungal agents can also modulate the activity of phagocytes, enhancing their antifungal responses through specific receptor interactions. However, challenges remain in translating these findings into clinical practice, necessitating well-designed clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of these combined approaches in diverse patient populations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the novel coronavirus Corona (SARS-CoV-2 virus (pandemic that occurred on March 11, 2020, which is the eleventh pandemic to hit the world in the last hundred years. Consequently, it has become necessary to identify the potential biomarkers that can quickly and accurately identify severe cases of the disease caused by this novel virus. From January 20, 2022, to June 30, 2022, clinical samples from 150 patients (75 males and 75 females) in Baghdad Medical City were collected and statistically analyzed in this study for Interleukins and biochemical markers levels. The samples were subjected to a Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay (RT-PCR) to establish the disease. When the patient and recovery groups were compared, the differences in the interleukins and biochemical levels were statistically significant (p<0.001). After 3 weeks of treatment, the interleukins and biochemical levels in the recovery phase patient group were significantly lower than in the acute phase group (p<0.001). Hence, the IL2, IL4, and IL-6 levels are considerably higher in COVID-19 patients,” which are linked to less favorable clinical outcomes. Conclusions. Conclusively, high-quality intervention studies are urgently needed in this area, especially on the inhibition of the IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 levels, which could be a creative manner of treating patients with COVID-19 who have dysregulated host responses.

COVID-19, an epidemic disease, caused by novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV2, significantly affected the whole world. The expeditious rise of corona cases has overpowered everything. Though the number of cases in some selected regions began to slow down after taking precautionary measures (quarantine, social distancing, vaccination), but again due to easiness showed by the individuals in preventive measures, the second wave of corona has emerged. With the large number of detecting kits and a high-sensitivity RT-PCR test, community health workers tested various individuals and recorded infectious and recovered ones. Aim. The goal of this work is to use mathematical equations to evaluate the risk of COVID-19 reinfection in the recovered compartment of the system. Method. A new SIRS model has been proposed with the help of differential equations, whose stability was checked via the Jacobian matrix, and the reproduction number has also been calculated. Results. Due to the avoidance of important preventive and precautionary measures by the people across the community, the cases accelerate erratically. The analytical results obtained by the numerical solutions revealed that the people who were recovered by either quarantine themselves or by synthetic/ chemical treatment/ vaccination can have a chance of reinfections. came out to be 1.03. Conclusions. As there are chances of being reinfected, it is important to get vaccinated and follow all the precautionary measures required to combat COVID-19 infection.

In recent decades, much attention has been paid to new approaches to vaccination against viruses of the respiratory group, among which the concept of local etiologically appropriate vaccination deserves attention, according to which vaccination should be carried out in the same way as infection occurs, that is, for viruses and microbes of the respiratory group – through the upper respiratory tract or orally, where the immune system of mucosal membrane and its important components – the structures of the lymphoepithelial ring -– play a significant role. The aim of the study was to determine the level of the production of antibodies to respiratory viruses and antigens of Streptococcus pyogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae and interferones by palatine tonsil cells and blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic tonsillitis. Methods. The study was conducted on palatine tonsil (PT) cell cultures obtained from 20 patients with chronic tonsillitis who underwent tonsillectomy for indications. The immunological activity of the tonsil cells in vitro was compared with that of mononuclear cells isolated from heparinized blood using a Ficoll-Verografin density gradient (d=1.077). The antibody content in the culture fluid after 24-hour cultivation of cells was determined by the levels of IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus antigens (using the ELISA system "Diaproph," Ukraine), anti-hemagglutinins against influenza A and B – via the hemagglutination inhibition reaction against vaccine hemagglutinins (GCFLU, quadrivalent, GC pharma). Antibodies to human orthopneumovirus antigens were determined using the ELISA system (Euroimmun), to the Virus Epstein-Barr (EBV) capsid antigen using the Vitrotest system (Ukraine), and to Streptococcus pyogenes – using the "Granum" tests (Ukraine), to Klebsiella pneumoniae proteoglycans – via the passive hemagglutination reaction using sorption of Klebsiella antigen (Biostim, France). The content of interferons α and γ was determined using ELISA kits (Elabscience, USA). Results. The obtained data indicate more pronounced reactive manifestations of antibody formation against viral and microbial antigens of respiratory pathogens after culturing PT cells of patients with chronic tonsillitis. The highest content of antibodies in the culture fluid was determined to antigens of Influenza A and B viruses, as well as to Human orthopneumovirus antigens, and to a lesser extent – to antigens of SARS-CoV-2 and EBV viruses. PT cells in vitro actively produced antibodies to streptolysin-O of S. pyogenes group A and weakly – to proteoglycans of K. pneumoniae. The content of α-interferon was higher in blood cells supernatants than that of γ-interferon in PT cells supernatants. Conclusions. The conducted studies indicate a high immunological potential of the palatine tonsils, even with their chronic inflammation relative to a wide range of antigens of respiratory viruses and microbes, which confirms the new concept of local vaccination through the upper respiratory tract, rather than parenterally.

This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial potential of Harungana madagascariensis leaf extracts against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) while considering the soil physicochemical properties, plant mineral contents, and phytochemical composition. Methods. Fresh leaves of H. madagascariensis were collected from two locations in Nigeria and subjected to aqueous and ethanol extraction. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was evaluated against MRSA using the disc diffusion method, and their potency was assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Soil samples were also collected from the two locations to analyze their physicochemical properties. Results. The results showed that ethanol leaf extracts exhibited higher inhibitory zones against MRSA compared to aqueous extracts in both locations. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolics, tannins, anthraquinones, and triterpenoids. The MIC and MBC values indicated potent antibacterial activity, with lower concentrations of ethanol extracts showing effective inhibition and killing of MRSA. Soil analysis demonstrated variations in physical and mineral properties between the two locations. Conclusions. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for the significant antibacterial potential of H. madagascariensis leaf extracts against MRSA. The findings highlight the importance of extraction methods, phytochemical composition, and soil properties in influencing the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts.