Antimicrobial Activity Test Research Articles

Biological Investigations of Three Marine Algae Enteromorpha intestinalis, Rhizoclonium riparium and Ceratophyllum demersum Collected from the Bay of Bengal

The ocean consists of versatile domain of lives which can be exploited for human health benefits because of diversified secondary metabolites. Seaweeds, generally called macroalgae, are commonly found in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal. But none of them were investigated properly for their biological activities. Hence, this study was performed to investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and membrane stabilizing activities along with total phenolic content of the crude methanolic extract of three seaweeds namely, Enteromorpha intestinalis, Rhizoclonium riparium and Ceratophyllum demersum using standard protocols. Among the methanolic extracts of three seaweeds, C. demersum (52.09 ± 1.30 mg of GAE) was found to have the highest phenolic content, followed by E. intestinalis (35.98 ± 1.27 mg of GAE) and then R. riparium (29.94 ± 0.54 mg of GAE). The extractives of these seaweeds also showed promising antioxidant and membrane stabilizing properties compared to the standard. E. intestinalis extract displayed greater reducing power with increasing concentration (EC50 value 7.70 ± 0.27 μg/ml). The same seaweed E. intestinalis was found to have significant free radical (DPPH) scavenging potential (IC50 value 23.46 ± 0.54 μg/ml) compared to the reference standard ascorbic acid (IC50 value 5.76 ±0.13 μg/ml). However, the findings of antimicrobial activity test demonstrated mild antibacterial effects of these seaweeds against Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger and none of these seaweeds exhibited cytotoxicity when tested against HeLa cell line. These findings will aid in future studies attempting to explore medicinal and therapeutic agents from these readily available seaweeds of Bangladesh. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(1): 81-87, 2023 (June)

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Some Mosses

In this study, in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Plagiomnium medium (Bruch & Schimp.), Leptodon smithii (Hedw.), Rhynchostegium alopecuroides(Brid.) A.J.E.Sm., Nogopterium gracile (Hedw.) Crosby & W.R.Buck, Pylasia polyantha (Hedw.) and Timmia bavarica (Hessl.) was investigated. The antimicrobial activity of prepared moss ethanol extracts was determined using the disk diffusion method against 20 strains. The DPPH (2,2-difenil-1-pikrilhidrazil) method was used to determine the antioxidant activity. As a result of the antimicrobial activity test, it was found to be effective against multi-drug resistant and standard Staphylococcus aureus strains, which is an important hospital infection. As a result of the antioxidant activity test, an antioxidant effect was observed in all samples, and it was determined that the P. medium sample had the highest effect with an EC50 value of 6.0826 μg/mL.

Ultrasonic radiation‐induced synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of a new Fe3O4 supported‐sulfonated graphene oxide/polyaniline nano‐composite

AbstractIn this investigation, a unique Fe3O4‐supported‐sulfonated graphene oxide/polyaniline (FSGO/PANI) nano‐composite was designed and further, it was evaluated for antimicrobial activity. In situ polymerization in an aqueous acidic medium using ultrasonic irradiation technique was used to create this innovative nano‐composite (FSGO/PANI). FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and NMR, approaches were used to characterize the surface morphologies as well as structures of the developed FSGO/PANI nano‐composite. Both FTIR and NMR spectroscopy supported the existence of polyaniline (PANI). XRD data depicted that the produced nano‐composite was an amorphous material. TGA data were used to confirm the thermal stability of FSGO/PANI. At 100°C, the nano‐composite lost weight relatively slowly (11%) and roughly (34.35%) at 400°C. The FSGO/PANI nano‐composite showed excellent results in form of MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and ZOI (zone of inhibition) against bacterial strains and fungal strains in tests for antimicrobial activity.

Phytochemical, anti-microbial activity, and anti-proliferation tests against human cancer-origin cell lines using water and ethanolic extracts of Momordica cochinchinensis (Gac fruit)

Momordica cochinchinensis (Gac fruit) is a perennial tropical fruit which nutritional benefits have drawn significant attention in Southeast Asian countries but are not completely explored in this region. In addition to aril extracts, pulp and seed extracts were the focus of this study in terms of their phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and wound healing properties. The extracts obtained were aril water extract (AW), pulp water extract (PW) and seed extracts (SW), and its ethanolic counterpart, namely aril extract (AE), pulp extract (PE) and seed extract (SE). Both water and ethanolic extracts of the aril, pulp and seed contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, volatile oil and reducing sugars. However, glycosides were only present in water extracts (AW, PW, SW), meanwhile tannins were detected only in SW. The PW exhibited an increased level of total phenolic content (TPC); 0.0215 ± 0.00060 mg GAE/g whereas, total flavonoid content (TFC) was quantitated at 0.083 ± 0.022 mg QE/g FW (TFC), respectively. Apart from that, the PW extract also exhibited potent antibacterial activity, with MIC values between 5 and 20 mg/ml and MBC values between 10 and 20 mg/ml against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. flexneri, and B. cereus. Cancer- origin cell lines MCF7, HepG2, A549, HCT116 and HT29 have been discovered to be most susceptible to AW and PW at 72 hours (h) post-treatment. The concentrations ranged between 1 µg/ml and 10 µg/ml of PE and SW extracts showed positive effects in the wound healing experiment.

Zebrafish Larvae as an in vivo Model for Antimicrobial Activity Tests against Intracellular Salmonella.

Blood infections from multi-drug-resistant Salmonella pose a major health burden. This is especially true because Salmonella can survive and replicate intracellularly, and the development of new treatment strategies is dependent on expensive and time-consuming in vivo trials. The aim of this study was to develop a Salmonella-infection model that makes it possible to directly observe Salmonella infections of macrophages in vivo and to use this model to test the effect of antimicrobials against intra- and extracellular Salmonella in order to close the gap between in vitro and rodent-infection models. We established suitable Salmonella-infection conditions using genetically engineered zebrafish and Salmonella-expressing fluorescent proteins (green fluorescent protein (GFP) and/or mCherry). We detected Salmonella inside and outside zebrafish larvae macrophages. Administration of the cell-impermeable antibiotic tobramycin removed Salmonella residing outside macrophages but did not affect Salmonella in macrophages, whereas ceftriaxone successfully cleared both types of Salmonella. Salmonella inside and outside macrophages experienced substantial DNA damage after administration of fluoroquinolones consistent with the excellent cell penetration of these antibiotics. The zebrafish-larvae model enables testing of antimicrobials for efficacy against extra- and intracellular Salmonella in a complex in vivo environment. This model thus might serve for antimicrobial lead optimization prior to using rodent models.

Lactic acid bacteria with a strong antioxidant function isolated from "Jiangshui," pickles, and feces.

Excessive free radicals and iron death lead to oxidative damage, which is one of the main causes of aging and diseases. In this field of antioxidation, developing new, safe, and efficient antioxidants is the main research focus. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are natural antioxidants with good antioxidant activity and can regulate gastrointestinal microecological balance and immunity. In this study, 15 LAB strains from fermented foods ("Jiangshui" and pickles) or feces were evaluated in terms of their antioxidant attributes. Strains with strong antioxidant capacity were preliminarily screened by the following tests: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity; ferrous ion chelating assay; hydrogen peroxide tolerance capacity. Then, the adhesion of the screened strains to the intestinal tract was examined using hydrophobic and auto-aggregation tests. The safety of the strains was analyzed based on their minimum inhibitory concentration and hemolysis, and 16S rRNA was used for molecular biological identification. Antimicrobial activity tests showed them probiotic function. The cell-free supernatant of selected strains were used to explore the protective effect against oxidative damage cells. The scavenging rate of DPPH, hydroxyl radicals, and ferrous ion-chelating of 15 strains ranged from 28.81-82.75%, 6.54-68.52%, and 9.46-17.92%, respectively, the scavenging superoxide anion scavenging activity all exceeded 10%. According to all the antioxidant-related tests, strains possessing high antioxidant activities J2-4, J2-5, J2-9, YP-1, and W-4 were screened, these five strains demonstrated tolerance to 2 mM hydrogen peroxide. J2-4, J2-5, and J2-9 were Lactobacillus fermentans and γ-hemolytic (non-hemolytic). YP-1 and W-4 were Lactobacillus paracasei and α-hemolytic (grass-green hemolytic). Although L. paracasei has been proven as a safe probiotic without hemolytic characteristics, the hemolytic characteristics of YP-1 and W-4 should be further studied. Due to the weak hydrophobicity and antimicrobial activity of J2-4, finally, we selected J2-5, J2-9 for cell experiment, J2-5 and J2-9 showed an excellent ability that resistant to oxidative damage by increasing SOD, CAT, T-AOC activity of 293T cells. Therefore, J2-5, and J2-9 strains from fermented foods "Jiangshui" could be used as potential antioxidants for functional food, health care, and skincare.

THE EFFECT OF GINGER FOR GARGLING ON SALIVARY PROFILE AND IN-VIVO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

Infectious diseases have a high incidence rate, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, caused various 
 efforts to prevent and treatment the infection. One of the effort is use of traditional herbs, Ginger. Ginger is a thibbun-nabawi herb that known to have antimicrobial activity. This study aims to determine the effect of gargling activity with ginger decoction on salivary profile and in-vivo antimicrobial tests. The study was conducted in University of Darussalam Gontor with respondents who experienced mouth ulcerand dental caries. The treatment was divided into 5 groups, positive control, negative control, ginger decoction in 3 concentrations, 10%, 20%, and 30%. The sample used was respondent's saliva obtained by the spitting method. Samples were tested for pH, and volume and incubated in a microbial growth medium to calculate the number of colonies and observations in a microscope for pathogen identification. Influence of salivary profile and colony count before and after treatment tested with T-Test analysis. The results of the pH test showed an increase in the pH value to be more alkaline after being given a solution of gargling, although the pH increase was the smallest in the negative control group and the highest in the ginger group at 30% (p>0.05). Measurements of saliva volume showed a decrease in saliva volume (p>0.05). Differences in the number of colonies before and after treatment in the control group (+) showed significant differences compared to other groups. The minimum decrease in the number of colonies was showed by the Ginger group of 30% with insignificant differences before and after treatment. The antimicrobial activity test showed ginger decoction had a minimum antimicrobial activity due to ginger decoction was not good at diluting secondary metabolites of ginger that have antimicrobial activity

An Investigation on Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles

Introduction: Nano science and nano biotechnology provided enormous opportunities for exploring the bactericidal and fungicidal activities. Since ancient times, silver was known for its anti-bacterial effects and for centuries it has been used for prevention and control of disparate infections. On the effective use silver nanomaterials synthesized and characterized play a vital role of the modern science.
 Aims: Our goal is to prepare silver nanomaterials since studies have shown that silver nanoparticles have efficient activity against bacterial biofilms.
 Methodology: The silver nanoparticles were generally synthesized by non-aqueous sol-gel technique in the presence of different precursor by chelating agent.
 Results: Here found a cubic unit cell with miller indices (111) (200) (220) (311) (222) and crystallite size around 50.00nm by XRD. The morphology of the prepared nano particles has been revealed by SEM below 10.00 nm and TEM is below 5.00nm in size of graphical presentation such as size, shape, surface etc. of the nanoparticles. DLS is a unique technique to discern particle size around 65.00nm and size distributions in aqueous or physiological solutions of the nanoparticles.
 Conclusion: The studies on the combined synthesized and use of AgNPs with other antimicrobial agents generally help reduce the problem of toxicity and to avoid the potential for development of resistance and strongly enhance the microbicidal effect. This paper describes a short and very precise description about the chemical synthesis process of silver nanoparticles like no aqueous SGM. Also, this paper contains a brief description about different characterization technique of nanoparticles like X-ray Diffraction review the shape of crystal a cubic unit cell with miller indices (111) (200) (220) (311) (222) where crystallite size around 50.00nm, the morphology of the prepared nanoparticles has been revealed with size 10.00nm by SEM, Dynamic Light Scattering discern particle size around 65.00nm and Transmission Electron Microscope review the spherical shape of the nanomaterials. Further investigation will be continuing the antimicrobial activity test of AgNPs with ceramic coating.

Synergistic effects of zinc borate and graphene on enhanced thermal stability and antimicrobial properties of poly(methyl methacrylate)

AbstractThe use of graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) as reinforcing material for thermoplastic polymer matrices, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and zinc borate (ZnB), as an antimicrobial and fire‐retardant agent was studied. PMMA‐ZnB and PMMA‐GnP‐ZnB (ZG) composite films were fabricated with different ZnB concentrations (2.5, 5, 10 wt%) by solvent casting method using acetone. The effect of additives on the antimicrobial activity, thermal and mechanical properties, and surface morphologies of the composites were investigated. Antimicrobial surface activity tests were conducted against seven microorganisms, including bacterial and fungal species. An improvement in antimicrobial activity by up to 99.99% with increasing ZnB content was observed. Thermal stability was increased with increasing concentration of ZnB and a combination of ZnB and GnP additions. 10% ZG‐based composites increased the % char residue value of PMMA from 0.5% to 9.3%. The incorporation of the ZnB and GnP into the PMMA matrix resulted in an increase in the calculated limiting oxygen index (LOI). 10% and 50% weight loss temperature increased by 11.7°C and 3.7°C, respectively, for 10% ZG composites. The Young's modulus of the composites increased with increasing ZnB and a combination of ZnB and GnP loading (increasing by 16% to 2033 MPa with the addition of 10 wt% ZG). The commercial application for this study would be in high touch and piano black automotive interior, construction, and medical applications.

Isolation, (bio)synthetic studies and evaluation of antimicrobial properties of drimenol-type sesquiterpenes of Termitomyces fungi

Macrotermitinae termites have farmed fungi in the genus Termitomyces as a food source for millions of years. However, the biochemical mechanisms orchestrating this mutualistic relationship are largely unknown. To deduce fungal signals and ecological patterns that relate to the stability of this symbiosis, we explored the volatile organic compound (VOC) repertoire of Termitomyces from Macrotermes natalensis colonies. Results show that mushrooms emit a VOC pattern that differs from mycelium grown in fungal gardens and laboratory cultures. The abundance of sesquiterpenoids from mushrooms allowed targeted isolation of five drimane sesquiterpenes from plate cultivations. The total synthesis of one of these, drimenol, and related drimanes assisted in structural and comparative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and antimicrobial activity testing. Enzyme candidates putatively involved in terpene biosynthesis were heterologously expressed and while these were not involved in the biosynthesis of the complete drimane skeleton, they catalyzed the formation of two structurally related monocyclic sesquiterpenes named nectrianolins.

Biosynthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activity of Ti-doped ZnO (Ti/ZnO) using mediated Aspergillus niger

This study presents a biosynthetic route for TiO2-doped ZnO (Ti/ZnO) using the primary metabolite component of the Aspergillus niger fungi as a source of the capping agent. The effect of biosynthetic variables based on the extracellular (Ti/ZnO) and intracellular (Ti/ZnO) enzymatic cycles of Aspergillus niger during the 3–4 days growth period was analyzed. The morphological differences between the extracellular and intracellular Ti/ZnO produced were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometry (UV–Vis), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Analyzing Ti/ZnO with different biosynthetic variables exhibited the same crystal structure, namely hexagonal Wurtzite, but with different morphology and crystal sizes of 27.42–28.99 nm. Furthermore, Ti/ZnO has a pattern of a rod with a length and diameter of 287–455 nm and 126 - 156 nm, respectively. In vitro antimicrobial activity testing against Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial cells was performed under exposure to ultraviolet light with the wavelength of λ = 385 nm. The results indicated that the increase in bacterial activity was influenced by the effect of biosynthetic variables based on differences in morphology, size, the shape of Ti/ZnO, enzymatic cycle, and growth time of Aspergillus niger.

Antimicrobial Potential Of Endophyte Bacteria In Angsana Plants (Pterocarpus indicus Willd)

The discovery of antimicrobial active compounds is one of the pressing things in the world of medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, due to the increasing and widespread resistance of pathogenic bacteria to existing antimicrobials. Angsana plant (Pterocarpus Indicus Willd) has been shown to have efficacy as a drug, so it has the potential to be used as a source of natural antibiotics. This study aims to find out the types of endophytes in various parts of the Angsana plant (Pterocarpus indicus Willd) through macroscopic and microscopic identification and find out the activity of antimicrobial compound-producing endophye bacteria in Angsana plants. Bacterial purification techniques use streak plate and spread plate methods. Antimicrobial activity tests are carried out using diffusion methods by means of point inoculation. The results showed 29 isolates of endophye bacteria isolated from the Angsana plant (Pterocarpus indicus Willd). From the roots as many as 11 isolates, stems as many as 12 isolates, and leaves as many as 6 isolates. The result of Gram staining of Angsana plant endophyte bacteria, obtained 22 bacterial isolates including Gram positive and 7 is Gram negative. There were 21 bacil-shaped endophyte bacterial isolates, 7 coccus-shaped isolates and 1 coccobacil-shaped isolate. Isolate the endophyte bacteria of Angsana plants that have the potential to produce antimicrobial compounds as many as 20 isolates. Isolates of Angsana plant endophyte bacteria form a bland zone in S. aureus (10 isolates), E. coli (17 isolates). Endophyte bacterial isolates that are able to inhibit the growth of bacteria S. aureus and E. coli are 7 isolates

Isolation of endophytic bacteria and fungi from soursop (Annona muricata L.) and bioactivity test as antimicrobial against Eschericia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans

This study aimed to test the antimicrobial activity of endophytic bacteria and fungi isolates of soursop (Annona muricata L.) in inhibiting the growth of E.coli, S. epidermidis, and C. albicans. The stages of the research were the isolation of endophytic bacteria, antimicrobial assay, and characterization of potential endophytic bacteria and fungi. Endophytic microbial was isolated from leaves, bark, and root of soursop taken from Praya, Central Lombok. The agar diffusion method was used in the antimicrobial activity assay. Characterization was carried out on endophytic microbes with antimicrobial activity based on colony morphology, Gram staining, and biochemical tests. The antimicrobial activity test results showed that none of the endophytic bacteria and fungi isolates had intense activity inhibiting the test microbes' growth. Isolates with code DN3, DNX, and AKRX had medium activity against E. coli, isolates with code AKR1 had medium activity against S. epidermidis, and isolates with code DN2 AKRX had medium activity against C.albicans. The research results showed that the endophytic bacteria from soursop plants could inhibit the growth of test microbes in the weak to moderate.

Antimicrobial Activity of Extremely Halophilic Archaea Isolated from Southern Thai Salt-Fermented Products and Solar Saltern of Pattani, Thailand

This research aimed to study the diversity and antimicrobial activity of culturable haloarchaea in soil samples of solar saltern in Pattani Province, Thailand and Southern Thai salt-fermented food. Seventy-seven extremely haloarchaea were isolated on Halophilic medium agar containing 25% NaCl at 37°C for 7-21 days. They were grouped by Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA) with two restriction enzymes, RsaI and HindIII. The ARDRA patterns illustrated 6 different Operation Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences (938 bp) of the representative of each OTUs were aligned with the GenBank database. The results showed that the representatives of OTU1, OTU2, OTU3, OTU4, OTU5, and OTU6 had 99-100% similarity to Halobacterium salinarum, 99-100% similarity to Halostagnicola larsenii, 99% similarity to Natronococcus sp., 99-100% similarity to Haloferax alexandrinus, 99-100% similarity to Natrialba sp. and 97% similarity to Halococcus sp., respectively. The antimicrobial activity testing of the 17 isolated haloarchaeal strains from solar saltern was performed against 5 tested strains of Hbt. salinarum and 1 strain of Natrialba sp. were isolated from fermented food. Seven (41.2%) were candidate halocin-producing strains. In addition, no phage activity was observed. The 14-day fermentation broth of Natronococcus sp. SS13 showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Hbt. salinarum PK08, BD07 and BD09 (>5,120 AU/ml).

Tyrosinase Inhibition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Commercial Daisy Extract (Bellis perennis)

Extracts obtained from plant material have widely applied in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries because they contain significant concentrations of biologically active substances. Commercial daisy extract (Bellis perennis) was used in this paper for in vitro testing of tyrosinase enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Inhibition of the tyrosinase enzyme was determined by monitoring dopachrome formation at a wavelength of 492 nm. Antioxidant activity was tested using FRAP and DPPH methods, while antibacterial activity was tested by diffusion technique on reference strains from the ATCC collection. The results showed that daisy extract inhibits tyrosinase enzyme in a dose-dependent manner. The extract effectively neutralized DPPH radicals and also showed good reducing ability. Bacterial strains used for in vitro antimicrobial activity testing did not show sensitivity to the extract concentrations used in this study.

Visible light-driven ZnO nanoparticles/carbon nanodots hybrid for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity

A Hybrid composite of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and carbon nanodots (CNDs) was synthesized by the sol–gel method. CNDs were obtained from olive solid wastes by pyrolysis and chemical oxidation methods. The combination of CNDs and ZnO materials led to the formation of a hybrid nanocomposite, where CNDs adsorbed on the surface of ZnO particles leading to an increase of its ζ- potential to be −28 mV; this refers to the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups attached on CNDs, which localized on the surface of ZnO after the hybridization, as well their sizes have been enlarged from 23.5 to 105 nm which is an indication of the successful hybridization of those moieties. Additionally, the CNDs enhance the visible-light photocatalytic activity of ZnO, showing a decrease in the energy band gap from 3.1 to 2.8 eV, where CNDs play as an intermediate energy level above the valence band of ZnO. Antimicrobial activity tests were also performed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial and fungal strains under dark and sunlight modes. The hybrid exhibits excellent antimicrobial activity within minimal inhibitory concentrations (7.8–62.5) µg/L, and the inhibition growth percentage was 99.9%, an inhibition zone ranged from (19 to 38) mm, and the kill time kinetic was one to two hours. The antimicrobial activity mechanism was also studied by the glutathione oxidation test showing that the broad-spectrum antimicrobial is directly related to its ROS-forming ability with a percent glutathione deficiency oxidation percentage of (88.2%) for dark mode and (95%) for sunlight mode. The findings of this study demonstrate the ability of synthesized hybrid nanocomposite as an antimicrobial active material for broad-spectrum microbial strains and other environmental solutions.

Comparative Evaluation of Physicomechanical Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of White Portland Micro- and Nanoparticulate Peruvian Cement, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, and Neomineral Trioxide Aggregate.

To compare the surface microhardness, compressive strength, and antimicrobial activity of white Portland nanoparticle and microparticle Peruvian cement, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), and neomineral trioxide aggregate (NeoMTA) at 24 hours and 28 days. Twenty specimens were prepared for each group of cement microparticulated powder (PCm), nanoparticulated cement (PCn), MTA, and NeoMTA to be evaluated at two different times, 24 hours and 28 days for the surface microhardness test and compressive strength. For the antimicrobial activity tests, another 20 specimens were prepared for each group of cement where they were subdivided into two subgroups according to the different periods at 24 hours and 48 hours. For the surface microhardness and compressive strength, the specimens, and the cement groups were mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions and transferred to a cylindrical polyethylene mold of 6-mm diameter and 4-mm height. The compressive strength test was conducted using a universal testing machine. Moreover, the agar diffusion technique was to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed. The highest microhardness values for the 24-hour subgroup were recorded for NeoMTA cement (16.99 ± 2.02), followed by MTA, PCn, and PCm, respectively. As for the 28-day subgroup, PCn cement (41.64 ± 3.20) presented the highest microhardness, followed by NeoMTA, PCm, and MTA, respectively, with statistically significant differences among them. The compressive strength of both subgroups 24 hours and 28 days exhibited the highest mean for PCn (41.3 ± 4.29, 65.74 ± 3.06), followed by PCm, NeoMTA, and the lowest value for MTA cement. Finally, for the antimicrobial activity, the highest mean for the 24-hours and 48-hours subgroup was recorded for NeoMTA cement (17.6 ± 1.26, 17.8 ± 1.44), followed by PCn, PCm, and the lowest value for MTA, with significant differences between them. It is highly recommended, Portland cement (PC) as a viable substitute since it has very similar components and properties, but at a lower cost. Regardless of the evaluation time, PCn produced higher surface microhardness and compressive strength; however, NeoMTA showed higher antimicrobial activity.

In vitro Antibacterial Activities of Selected Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers for Treating Urinary Tract Infection in Haramaya District, Eastern Ethiopia.

Despite the presence of antibacterial agents for urinary tract infection treatment, most of the uropathogenic bacteria reveal multi-drug resistance. Health and economic loss due to these represent a rising burden worldwide which necessitates serious action at regional, national and global levels. Thus, alternative approaches to overcome this problem by using bioactive compounds from traditional medicinal plants are required. This study was designed to evaluate the in-vitro antibacterial activity of Punica granatum fruit peels, Nigella sativa seeds, and Echinops kebericho used in the traditional treatment of urinary tract infections. An experimental study was employed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of methanol and ethanol crude extract of Punica granatum fruit peels, Nigella sativa seeds, and Echinops kebericho roots of six dilutions (25, 50, 100, 125, 250, and 500) mg/mL. Disc diffusion and macro broth dilution methods were used to determine antimicrobial activity test and minimum inhibitory concentration respectively against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, and S. aureus bacterias. Antibacterial activities of ethanol and methanol crude extract of Punica granatum fruit peels against E. coli ATCC25922, P. aeruginosa ATCC27853, S. aureus ATCC25923, K. pneumoniae UK5099 and P. mirabilis UK5999 had highest inhibition zones among tested plants. All tested bacteria were highly sensitive to Punica granatum extract. The second most active plant extract in inhibiting the growth of tested bacteria was Nigella sativa while Echinops kebericho showed the smallest efficacy against tested bacteria. The inhibition zone diameter produced by the methanol extract of each screened plant had higher inhibition zones than ethanol extract. The crude extracts of Punica granatum fruit peels, Nigella sativa seeds, and Echinops kebericho roots have promising antibacterial activity against tested uropathogenic bacteria.

Antimicrobial Activity Test of Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L.) Plant Extract Against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli Bacteria and Candida albicans

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) contains secondary metabolites of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and steroids that act as antimicrobials. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) plant extract in N-hexane and ethanol solvents against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. This research is an experimental laboratory study, namely the antimicrobial activity test of bitter melon plant extract on the growth of test bacteria using the agar diffusion method. The study's experimental design used a Completely Randomized Design with three repetitions at three concentration variations, namely 30%, 45%, and 60%. Then phytochemical screening was carried out to determine the active compounds in the bitter melon plant extract. Data on the inhibitory power of bitter melon plant extract were analyzed qualitatively, and the differences between concentrations were seen using the ANOVA (Analysis of variance) test. The results showed that bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) plant extract in ethanol solvent showed activity against the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli bacteria with a concentration of 60%, producing a powerful inhibition zone.

Bio-inspired functional photocatalyst: Lipase enzyme functionalized TiO2 with excellent photocatalytic, enzymatic, and antimicrobial performance

Herein, we proposed a novel approach for the improvement of a photocatalytic material via functionalization with biocatalyst for successfully utilization in photocatalytic, enzymatic, and antimicrobial processes. For this, titanium dioxide (TiO2) was first modified using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to incorporate silane groups for the effective immobilization of Lipozyme TL 100 L enzyme. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, BET, SEM, XRD, XPS, UV–vis DRS and PL analyses in order to examine the thermal, structural, textural and optical features. The covalent immobilization yield of lipozyme on the modified TiO2 (TiO2@APTES) was found to be 97.5 % with 2,437.5 U/g of enzyme activity, and the immobilized enzyme (TiO2@LPZM) displayed excellent stability at different pH and temperatures when compared to its free form. The photocatalytic performance of TiO2@LPZM towards degradation of antibiotics significantly enhanced under both UV-A and visible light irradiation. The tetracycline and ciprofloxacin degradation rates of the bio-inspired photocatalyst were found 3.4- and 1.65-times higher than that of raw TiO2, respectively. The enhanced performance was ascribed to the attachment of target antibiotics by enzyme molecules, extended light absorption and reduced recombination rate of charge pairs. In addition, the enzyme immobilization increased the surface adsorbed oxygen species which boosted the photocatalytic reaction. The antimicrobial activity tests of the samples were examined against two types of bacterial species as E. coli and S. aureus and the enhanced antibacterial efficiencies were attributed to the presence of silanol, amino, and hydroxyl groups of modified TiO2. This research highlights the importance of enzyme immobilization on a photocatalytic support with synergistically improved surface features.