Enterococcus Sp Research Articles

Comparative genomics reveals the organic acid biosynthesis metabolic pathways among five lactic acid bacterial species isolated from fermented vegetables

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a widespread bacterial group, inhabiting the niches of fermented vegetables and capable of producing beneficial organic acids. In the present study, several bioinformatics approaches were used to perform whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics of five LAB species, Lactobacillus plantarum PC1–1, Pediococcus pentosaceus PC2–1(F2), Weissella hellenica PC1A, Lactobacillus buchneri PC-C1, and Enterococcus sp. YC2–6, to enhance understanding of their different genetic functionalities and organic acid biosynthesis. The results revealed major carbohydrate-active enzymes, putative operons and unique mobile genetic elements, including plasmids, resistance genes, insertion sequences and composite transposons involved in organic acid biosynthesis. The metabolic pathways of organic acid biosynthesis emphasize the key genes encoding specific enzymes required for organic acid metabolism. The five genomes were found to contain various regions of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, including the type III polyketide synthases (T3PKS) enriched with unique genes encoding a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase, capable of exhibiting specific antimicrobial activity with biopreservative potential, and a cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) transcription factor acting as a glucose sensor in organic acid biosynthesis. This could enable the organisms to prevail in the fermentation process, suggesting potential industrial applications.

Microbial and Physicochemical Quality of Harvested Rain Water in Eku and Abraka Metropolis

The study design was aimed at assessing the microbial as well as physicochemical qualities of harvested rain- water in Abraka and Eku metropolis. Thirty (30) samples, five (5) each were randomly collected from different environs within Abraka and Eku metropolis between the months of February and March, 2020. Standard microbiological procedures and biochemical techniques were conducted for the isolation, characterization and identification of bacterial isolates. Fungal isolations were done by microscopic and macroscopic examinations. The result findings of the total bacterial counts was observed to range from 3.7 ± 0.34 to 5.7 ± 0.32 ×103CFU/ml for sampled water obtained from Okomuku and Okurekpo respectively. Also, the counts of coliform and fungi ranged from 1.0± 0.42 to 4.4 ± 0.26 × 103 CFU/ml; 2.6 ± 0.18 to 4.7 ± 0.26 × 103CFU/ml respectively. Ten (10)species of bacteria were identified which includes: Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Klebsiella sp., Shigella sp., Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., Proteus sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Enterococcus sp. While the identified fungi include: Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium sp. The result of percentage prevalence of bacterial species showed that Escherichia coli (22.2%) had the highest occurrence, while Proteus sp. (7.9%) and Enterococcus sp. (7.9%) were the least dominant isolates. Whereas, in fungal isolation, Aspergillus fumigatus (25%) was the most dominant compared to Rhizopus sp. (21.4%) and Penicillum sp. (17.8%) which followed in order of dominance. Virtually all antibiotics were observed to be susceptible to the Gram negative and positive bacterial isolates especially Ciprofloxacin (83%) and Chloramphenicol (100%). Results of the physicochemical properties and heavy metal ion compositions fell within the allowable limit set-up by the World Health Organization. However, the high contamination by microbes as revealed in the study could cause water-borne diseases and infections to consumers if not properly treated.

Resistance profile of bacteria to antibiotics in city laboratories

IntroductionBacteria are the causative agents most frequently described in infections. Therefore, antibiotic resistance is a real public health problem. Thus, bacterial infections are becoming one of the major threats to public health in the world. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of isolation of bacteria and to study the sensitivity of bacteria isolated in different biological samples at the level of city laboratories in the entire population (women, men and children).Patients and methodsThis is a prospective descriptive study carried out in city medical analysis laboratories. The inclusion criteria were all positive samples from the examinations performed: urinary examination, vaginal swab, urethral swab, pus, sputum, semen. The exclusion criteria concerned patients with negative examinations and other microorganisms (viruses, mycoses and parasites). Data collection was carried out using an information sheet. An antibiogram is carried out to study the resistance of bacteria. Data processing was carried out and statistically analyzed at a risk of 5%.ResultsOut of a total of 8,594 samples identified, 2,465 strains isolated were responsible for bacterial infections with a prevalence of 28.7%. A clear predominance was noted in the female sex with 1710 (69%) versus 755 (31%) in the male. The F / M sex ratio was 2.2. The most affected of the patients were those over 60 years of age with an enrollment of 832 (33.7%). 1954 strains were Gram negative bacilli or a frequency of 79.3%, 462 strains were Gram positive coccis or a frequency of 18.7% and 49 strains were Gram negative coccis or a frequency of 2%. The distribution of isolates according to the type of sample revealed a predominance of urine samples with a frequency of 1703 (69%), followed by vaginal samples with a frequency of 276 (11.2%), urethral samples with a frequency of 166 (6.8%), sputum with a frequency of 154 (6.2%) and others. The bacteriological profile was largely dominated by Escherichia coli 1410 (57.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 355 (14.4%), Staphylococcus sp 294 (12%), Enterococcus sp 109 (4.4%), Streptococcus sp85 (3,4%). For Enterobacteriaceae, the lowest sensitivities in out‐of‐hospital settings were recorded with Amoxicillin followed respectively by Ticarcillin, Cefalotin, and Amoxicillin‐clavulanic acid. High sensitivities have been observed for Imipenem, Colistin, Furan, and Aminoglycosides.ConclusionAt the end of the study, the results showed an increase in the resistance of bacteria. This rise could be linked to selection pressure due to the overuse of antibiotics. Regular monitoring is essential to define effective and appropriate therapeutic strategies, limiting the emergence and dissemination of very resistant strains.

Frequency of Various Causative Bacterial Organisims and their Culture Sensitivity Pattern in Patients with Open Tibial Fracture

Objective: To determine the frequency of various causative bacterial organisms and their culture sensitivity pattern in patients with open tibial fracture. Subject and Methods: This is cross sectional study conducted at Orthopedic Surgery, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro and SMBBMU Larkana from 14th October 2015 to 13th April 2016. Total of 150 patients having open tibial fracture with signs and symptoms of infections presenting within one week of fracture were included in this study. All this information was recorded through Proforma (attached). Results: Out of 150 infected fractures, S. aureus was present in 40% cases, MRSA in 14%, Enterococcus in 4%, B-Staphylococcus in 4%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 8%, Acinetobacter in 4%, E.coli in 16% and Klebsiella in 10%. Regarding sensitivity analysis, Meronem, Pipericillin, Avelox, Linzulid were more than 80% sensitive to S. Aureus. MRSA Enterococcus Sp, B-Streptococcus. Ceftazidime, Gentamicin were more than 80% sensitive to S. Aureus and gentamicin also 83.3% sensitive to B-Streptococcus. Gentamicin was 83.3% sensitive to Enterococcus Sp as shown in table 2A. Meronem, Pipericillin were 80% to 96% sensitive to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, E. Coli and Klebsiella Species. Avelox was 83.3% sensitive to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ceftriaxone and Avelox were 87.5% and 100% sensitive to E. coli. Conclusion: It is noted that infection rate is higher in open fracture mostly fracture at extremity of bones. More severe and exposure, more is infection rate noted. Key Words: Open fracture, Bacterial organisms, Sensitivity pattern, Open tibial fracture

Fermented milk of cheese-derived Lactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp.bulgaricus displays potentials in alleviating alcohol-induced hepatic injury and gut dysbiosis in mice

An isolate of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus L7) with robust antioxidant capacity was screened from traditional fermented Xinjiang cheese. Here, we focused on evaluating the effect of L. bulgaricus fermented milk on acute alcoholic liver disease prevention using a mice model, with glutathione treated mice as positive control. The results showed that both fermented milk and glutathione feeding could relieve alcohol-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses significantly. However, fermented milk feeding seemed to hold more promise in restoring gut dysbiosis relative to glutathione. Enhanced abundance of potential pathogens, Porphyromonas sp. and Enterococcus sp., induced by alcohol was considerably attenuated by additional feeding of fermented milk. Different scenario was firstly observed when additionally fed with glutathione in this study, showing remarkably increased abundance of Bacteroides sp. and Enterococcus sp. Our results suggested the more robust capability of L. bulgaricus fermented milk in restoring alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis relative to glutathione, indicating its potential protective effects on alcohol-induced hepatic injury.

Microbial Contamination and Survival Rate on Different Types of Banknotes.

In the COVID-19 pandemic context, numerous concerns have been raised regarding the hygienic status of certain objects we interact with on a daily basis, and especially cash money and their potential to harbor and transmit pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed different currency bills represented by British pounds (5 £, 10 £ and 20 £), Romanian lei (1 leu, 5 lei and 10 lei), U.S. dollars (1 $, 5 $ and 10 $) and Euros (5 €, 10 € and 20 €) in order to evaluate the bacterial survival rate and bacterial adherence. We used five reference microorganisms by American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA, USA): Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Enterococcus sp. ATCC 19952, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi ATCC 6539, and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644. Microorganisms were selected in accordance with the criteria of prevalence, pathogenicity, opportunism, and incidence. However, Maldi-TOF analysis from samples taken from the banknotes revealed only a few of the common pathogens that are traditionally thought to be found on banknotes. Some of the most important factors for the survival of pathogenic agents on surfaces are the presence of organic matter, temperature and humidity. Our data showed that Salmonella enterica survived 72 h on every banknote tested, while L. monocytogenes tended to improve persistence in humid conditions. Survival rate is also influenced by the substrate composition, being lower for polymer-based banknotes especially for Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus sp. The adherence of bacterial strains was lower for polymer-based banknotes British pounds and Romanian Leu, in contrast to the cotton-based U.S dollars and Euro banknotes. The risk of bacterial contamination from the banknote bills is high as indicated by both a strong survival capacity and low adherence of tested bacteria with differences between the two types of materials used for the tested banknotes.

Effect of the water matrix and reactor configuration on Enterococcus sp. inactivation by UV-A activated PMS or H2O2

In this work, the influence of the matrix on the photolytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been studied for the inactivation of Enterococcus sp. Additionally, two different reactor configurations (batch reactor and tubular reactor) have been evaluated that achieve complete disinfection within 120 min when using a tubular reactor. Three water matrices (distilled water, saline solution and simulated wastewater) have been studied, and experiments have been carried out using radical scavengers to determine the main reactive species involved in each process. The hydroxyl radical (OH) has been found to be the main responsible for the inactivation of bacteria in distilled water, while chlorinated species generated during treatments are responsible for disinfection in a saline matrix. The study of the influence of various inorganic ions (Br−, F−, PO43−, NO3−, NO2−) on treatments revealed an increase in the efficacy of the PMS/UV-A system in the presence of Br− due to the bromine generation. Furthermore, the effect of F− has been studied for the first time, determining that the presence of this compound does not have a significant influence on the H2O2/UV-A system while inhibiting PMS/UV-A treatment. Overall, the results suggest that H2O2-based treatments would be less dependent on matrix composition than those involving PMS, and the presence of nitrites is a contraindication to the application of either process.

Enterocin: Promising Biopreservative Produced by Enterococcus sp.

Food preservation is a method used to handle and treat food products to slow down food spoilage and subsequently reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Nowadays, the demand for natural preservatives over chemical preservatives in food is increasing due to the awareness of consuming healthy food products without the risk of harmful side effects. Thus, the research and development of preservation techniques, referred to as biopreservation, is growing rapidly. In biopreservation methods, microorganisms that are known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their antimicrobial substances are used to extend shelf life and maintain the nutritional value of foods. Among the most studied LAB are from the genus Enterococcus, which produces a bacteriocin called enterocin. Bacteriocins are ribosomal-synthesized antimicrobial peptides that are capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause spoilage in food. LAB is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. The current application of LAB, notably Enterococcus sp. in the biopreservation of meat and meat-based products was highlighted in this review. This report also includes information on the effects of enzymes, temperature, and pH on the stability of bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. An extensive compilation of numerous industry procedures for preserving meat has also been emphasized, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each method.

Phenotypic Surveillance of Enterococcus Sp. From A Tertiary Care Regional Hospital

Enterococci are ubiquitous pathogens commonly present in gut microbiota in humans/animals that can able to form biofilms which leads to increased antimicrobial resistance. As the treatment of drug resistant Enterococci associated infections is difficult to treat and the mortality rate is rapidly increasing among clinical settings. The present study is aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance pattern, virulence genes activation and biofilm forming ability of Enterococcus species isolated from hospital wards in Kerala, India. From January 2018 to March 2019, we collected 100 samples and detected 93 Enterococci isolates which were confirmed by Gram staining and biochemical assay tests. Ability of the isolates to produce biofilms were also studied. In total of 93 enterococci strains, Enterococcus faecalis (85%) was observed as predominant species. Many isolates exhibited multidrug resistance; in particular, 91.30 % isolates of E. faecium and E. faecalis were resistant to five antibiotics. Notably, E. faecalis (88.6%) is more resistant against vancomycin than E. faecium. And, we detected 11virulence genes and 15 antibiotic resistance genes in the tested isolates. E. faecium had exhibit higher level of biofilm formation than E. faecalis. This is the first report to exhibit hospital wards (ICU wards) as reservoir for multidrug resistant enterococci with potential of virulence and biofilm formation. It may ease to transmit the organism from environments into humans. This study provides some useful data about enterococci and suggesting that a regular maintenance of aseptic condition and patients surveillance is needed to control the pathogenesis of Enterococci from hospitals.

Antimicrobial analysis of isolates from sea food exposed to different preservation techniques

The study examined the microbial load of bacteria and fungi of samples stored from 0- 10 days. The study samples were subjected to microbiological analysis. The organisms isolated were characterized by using standard biochemical methods, the following bacterial were isolated Salmonella sp, Pseudomonas sp, Staphylococcus sp, Klebsiella sp, Serretia sp, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp, Enterococcus sp, Enterobacter sp and Proteus sp. The study showed that Staphylococcus sp was more prevalent with a percentage occurrence of 19.0%. This was followed by Pseudomonas sp and Klebsiella sp with prevalence of 14.3% respectively. Escherichia coli and Bacillus sp were at a prevalence of 11.1% respectively. Salmonella sp occurred at 7.9% and Enterococcus and Proteus were 6.3%respectively while Serretia sp was the least occurring bacteria, also the percentage of occurrence of Penicillium sp stood at 77.8% while Aspergillus sp was least occurring with a percentage frequency of 22.2% respectively. Thus, reduction in water activity as a result of smoking fish slow down spoilage and extend shelf life of the sample. In the samples treated, smoking have been shown to be more effective in the preservation than Refrigeration.

L-Lactate oxidase-mediated removal of l-lactic acid derived from fermentation medium for the production of optically pure D-lactic acid.

There has been an increasing demand for optically pure d-lactic and l-lactic acid for the production of stereocomplex-type polylactic acid. The d-lactic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass is important owing to its great abundance in nature. Corn steep liquor (CSL) is a cheap nitrogen source used for industrial fermentation, though it contains a significant amount of l-lactic acid, which decreases the optical purity of d-lactic acid produced. To remove l-lactic acid derived from the CSL-based medium, l-lactate oxidase (LoxL) from Enterococcus sp. NBRC 3427 was expressed in an engineered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formally called Lactobacillus plantarum) strain KOLP7, which exclusively produces d-lactic acid from both hexose and pentose sugars. When the resulting strain was applied for d-lactic acid fermentation from the mixed sugars consisting of the major constituent sugars of lignocellulose (35g L-1 glucose, 10g L-1 xylose, and 5g L-1 arabinose) using the medium containing 10g L-1 CSL, it completely removed l-lactic acid derived from CSL (0.52g L-1 ) and produced 41.7g L-1 of d-lactic acid. The l-lactic acid concentration was below the detection limit, and improvement in the optical purity of d-lactic acid was observed (from 98.2% to>99.99%)by the overexpression of LoxL. The LoxL-mediated consumption of l-lactic acid would enable the production of optically pure d-lactic acid in any medium contaminated by l-lactic acid.

Microbiological dynamics involved in cereal-porridge production using maize and sorghum

Cereal-porridge(‘ogi’) was produced by spontaneous fermentation using maize and sorghum substrates. The microbiological dynamics involved were monitored over a period of 48h fermentation. Bacteria, yeasts and moulds were isolated. Based on the morphological, cultural and biochemical test results, the aerobic bacterial isolates were identified as Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Citrobacter sp, Bacillus sp, Proteus sp, Shigella sp, and Escherichia coli. The Lactic acid bacteria were Lactococcus sp, Enterococcus sp, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus sp. The yeast isolates were 2 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one other Saccharomyces sp and a Candida sp. The moulds were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus sp and Penicillium sp. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated were 2 strains of Lactococcus lactis, 2 Enterobacter spp, 5 strains of Lactobacillus fermentum and 1 other Lactobacillus sp. The initial total viable aerobic bacterial count at 0h in maize, sorghum and maize-sorghum blend were 4.6 × 104, 7.3 × 104 and 2.4 × 105cfu/ml respectively. The growths rose to peaks of 6.5 × 107 and 3.9 × 107cfu/ml at 24h in maize and maize-sorghum blend, respectively. A Peak of 4.7 x 107cfu/ml was attained at 36h in sorghum. Coliform bacteria and moulds growths in the three samples attained peaks of growth at 12h and reduced till there was no growth by 48h. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts increased in numbers till the end of fermentation. The initial pH value at 0h was lowest in maize-sorghum blend sample (5.43) and highest in maize (5.75). Final values at 48h were 3.76, 3.78 and 3.75 in maize, sorghum and maize-sorghum blend samples respectively. There were no significant differences between the microbial growth patterns, changes in pH, total titratable acidity (TTA) and amylase enzymatic activities in maize, sorghum and maize-sorghum blend samples during fermentation.

Inducible boron resistance via active efflux in Lysinibacillus and Enterococcus isolates from boron-contaminated agricultural soil.

Phylogenetically diverse bacteria tolerate high boron concentrations while others require it for metabolic purposes despite the metalloid being toxic beyond a threshold. Boron resistance and plant growth promoting attributes of two bacterial strains, Lysinibacillus sp. OL1 and a novel Enterococcus sp. OL5, isolated from boron-fertilizer-amended cauliflower fields were investigated in this study. OL1 and OL5 grew efficiently in the presence of 210-230mM boron, and resistance was found to be inducible by small amounts of the element: 5 to 50mM boron pre-exposure progressively shortened the lag phase of growth in the presence of 200mM boron. Intracellular boron accumulation was also found to be regulated by the level of pre-exposure: no induction or induction by small amounts led to higher levels of intracellular accumulation, whereas induction by high concentrations led to lower accumulation. These data, in the context of the strains' overall resistance towards 200mM boron, indicated that induction by higher boron concentrations turned potential efflux mechanisms on, while resistance was eventually achieved by continuous cellular entry and exit of the ions. Involvement of solute efflux in boron resistance was corroborated by the genome content of the isolates (genes encoding proteins of the ATP-binding cassette, major facilitator, small multidrug resistance, multi antimicrobial extrusion, and resistance-nodulation-cell division, family/superfamily). Bacteria such as OL1 and OL5, which resist boron via influx-efflux, potentially lower boron bioavailability, and therefore toxicity, for the soil microbiota at large. These bacteria, by virtue of their plant-growth-promoting attributes, can also be used as biofertilizers.

Probiotics analysis by high-throughput sequencing revealed multiple mismatches at bacteria genus level with the declared and actual composition

The unregulated probiotic market can lead to serious health consequences. The aim of this study was to analyze commercially available probiotics using high-throughput sequencing. Nine out of seventeen probiotics contained all the bacterial genera declared by the manufacturer, however, in addition to them, extraneous genera of bacteria were found. The most common genus of bacteria in the studied samples was Lactobacillus. Representatives of this genus were declared in more than 80% of probiotics. 29% of probiotics were characterized by the absence of a microorganisms declared by the manufacturers. In three samples, Bifidobacterium spp. were absent, in one – Propionibacterium sp., and one probiotics did not contain the declared genus Bacillus. More than 70% of probiotics contained additional genera of bacteria not declared in the composition, among which the most common were Lacticaseibacillus sp., Lactiplantibacilus sp. and Enterococcus sp. One probiotic had completely different genera of bacteria in composition. Changes in the bacterial composition of probiotics can negatively affect the taste, storage, transportation of products and, most importantly, the health benefits of the supplement for humans. We have shown that high-throughput sequencing can be an effective tool for quality control of probiotic.

Bioactive compounds derived from Streptomyces sp. SA32: antibacterial activity, chemical profile, and their related genes

Microbes which are resistant to drugs and antibiotics as well as multi-drug resistant (MDR) microbes have developed due to the improper use of antibiotics and led to explore the microbial isolates as the sources of new antibiotics or those with highly effective and stabile attack. Streptomyces sp. SA32 was selected to inhibit the growth of MDR bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloaceae, and Enterococcus sp. E. coli was sensitive to crude extracts of Streptomyces sp. SA32 at the concentration of 19 g.mL-1 with moderate strength against E. cloacae. The bioactive compounds analyzed using thin layer chromatography and phytochemical methods showed that the spot with Rf 0.63 and 0.68 was polyketide compound and that with Rf 0.74 was flavonoid compound. The bioautography assay on the TLC plate confirmed the absence of MDR bacterial growth on polyketide and flavonoid spots. The synthesis of antibacterial compounds was also confirmed by the successful analysis on both non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) gene sequences.

Screening of Bacterial Isolates with Probiotic Potential of Tiger Nut Drink, Ogi and Palm Wine

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are very beneficial to human health when consumed in a sufficient amount. Screening and fingerprinting of isolates with probiotic potentials from indigenous food products were evaluated. Fresh palm wine, Ogi and Tiger nut drinks were bought from retailers in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State. These samples on getting to the lab in sterile containers were analysed using standard microbiological techniques for the enumeration and isolation of bacterial isolates. Identification of isolates relied on the biochemical and genomic techniques using standard methods. The probiotics were screened based on their ability to tolerate ethanol, bile salt, low pH, high salt concentration, lactose utilization and the production of biogenic amine. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterial isolates (probiotics) was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion. Forty-two bacterial isolates which belonged to the genera: Lactobacillus sp, Pediococcus sp, Enterococcus sp and Streptococcus sp were identified. Genomic characterization of isolates showed that isolate NO2 has 83.4% pairwise identity with Bacillus firmus strain T1, Isolate NP2 has 86.5% pairwise identity with Bacillus cereus strain PKID1, NT8 has 80.3% pairwise identity with Bacillus cereus strain PV-G21. Results of screened probiotics showed that out of the forty-two bacterial isolates, only fifteen were non-spore producers and that they were tolerant to ethanol, low pH, NaCl and bile salt at all concentrations. Results of lactose utilization showed that only twelve out of the fifteen bacterial isolates utilized lactose. Results of biogenic amine production showed that only five out of fifteen bacterial isolates produced biogenic amine. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the screened bacterial isolates showed that they exhibited resistance to Pefloxacin, Gentamycin, Ampiclox, Amoxicillin, Rocephin, Ciprofloxacin; Streptomycin, Sceptrin and Erythromycin. They were highly resistant to Gentamycin and Zinnacef. Bacillus firmus strain T1, Bacillus cereus strain PKID1 and Bacillus cereus strain PV-G21 were identified as bacterial probiotics. Consumption of palm wine, Ogi and tiger nut drinks is highly recommended due to the availability of probiotics.

Vibrio and Heterotrophic Marine Bacteria Composition and Abundance in Nutrient-enriched Kappaphycus striatus

Inorganic nutrient application in Kappaphycus seaweed farming has been a practice in the southern Philippines for the past years. To investigate the inorganic nutrient’s influence on the number and assemblage of Vibrio and heterotrophic marine bacteria and on the presence of ice-ice disease-inducing bacteria in Kappaphycus striatus, a field experiment was conducted using ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) fertilizer at high concentration (HC, 8.82 g L–1), low concentration (LC, 0.01 g L–1), and control (C, 0.00 g L–1). Vibrio (VCs) and heterotrophic marine bacterial counts (HMBCs) were found similar among treatments. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, isolates from source K. striatus, nutrient-enriched K. striatus (HC, LC, and C), farm seawater, and fertilizer solutions were identified as Vibrio alginolyticus (three strains), V. parahaemolyticus, V. brasiliensis, V. harveyi, Gilvimarinus chinensis, and species related to Bacillus sp. ST7, Psychrobacter sp. ST8, Enterococcus sp. ST5, Oceanobacillus sp. ST9, and Paracoccus sp. ST10. Bacillus sp. ST7 and Oceanobacillus sp. ST9 were unique and only present in HC and LC. The agarolytic activity of G. chinensis, isolated from all samples, suggests that it is an ice-ice disease-causing bacterium. The microbial community dynamics of farmed K. striatus, when enriched with inorganic nutrients, may pave way in addressing the occurrence of ice-ice disease.

Characterization of Structural and Physicochemical Properties of an Exopolysaccharide Produced by Enterococcus sp. F2 From Fermented Soya Beans.

The present study sought to isolate a novel exopolysaccharide (EPS-F2) from Enterococcus sp. F2 through ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange, and gel-filtration chromatography and characterize the physicochemical properties by spectral techniques. EPS-F2 was identified as a neutral homo-exopolysaccharide composed of only glucose with a high molecular weight of 1.108 × 108 g/mol. It contained →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ linkage in the main chain and →3, 6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ branch chain). Moreover, EPS-F2 possessed excellent thermal stability (266.6°C), water holding capacity (882.5%), oil holding capacity (1867.76%), and emulsifying activity against various edible oils. The steady shear experiments exhibited stable pseudo plasticity under various conditions (concentrations, temperatures, and pHs). The dynamic oscillatory measurements revealed that EPS-F2 showed a liquid-like behavior at a low concentration (2.5%), while a solid-like behavior at high concentrations (3.0 and 3.5%). Overall, these results suggest that EPS-F2 could be a potential alternative source of functional additives and ingredients and be applied in food industries.

Implementation of the World Health Organization Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System in Uganda, 2015-2020: Mixed-Methods Study Using National Surveillance Data.

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging public health crisis in Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan recommends that countries should develop and implement National Action Plans for AMR. We describe the establishment of the national AMR program in Uganda and present the early microbial sensitivity results from the program.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe a national surveillance program that was developed to perform the systematic and continuous collection, analysis, and interpretation of AMR data.MethodsA systematic qualitative description of the process and progress made in the establishment of the national AMR program is provided, detailing the progress made from 2015 to 2020. This is followed by a report of the findings of the isolates that were collected from AMR surveillance sites. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of the bacterial isolates were performed using standard methods at both the surveillance sites and the reference laboratory.ResultsRemarkable progress has been achieved in the establishment of the national AMR program, which is guided by the WHO Global Laboratory AMR Surveillance System (GLASS) in Uganda. A functional national coordinating center for AMR has been established with a supporting designated reference laboratory. WHONET software for AMR data management has been installed in the surveillance sites and laboratory staff trained on data quality assurance. Uganda has progressively submitted data to the WHO GLASS reporting system. Of the 19,216 isolates from WHO GLASS priority specimens collected from October 2015 to June 2020, 22.95% (n=4411) had community-acquired infections, 9.46% (n=1818) had hospital-acquired infections, and 68.57% (n=12,987) had infections of unknown origin. The highest proportion of the specimens was blood (12,398/19,216, 64.52%), followed by urine (5278/19,216, 27.47%) and stool (1266/19,216, 6.59%), whereas the lowest proportion was urogenital swabs (274/19,216, 1.4%). The mean age was 19.1 (SD 19.8 years), whereas the median age was 13 years (IQR 28). Approximately 49.13% (9440/19,216) of the participants were female and 50.51% (9706/19,216) were male. Participants with community-acquired infections were older (mean age 28, SD 18.6 years; median age 26, IQR 20.5 years) than those with hospital-acquired infections (mean age 17.3, SD 20.9 years; median age 8, IQR 26 years). All gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus sp) bacteria with AST showed resistance to each of the tested antibiotics.ConclusionsUganda is the first African country to implement a structured national AMR surveillance program in alignment with the WHO GLASS. The reported AST data indicate very high resistance to the recommended and prescribed antibiotics for treatment of infections. More effort is required regarding quality assurance of laboratory testing methodologies to ensure optimal adherence to WHO GLASS–recommended pathogen-antimicrobial combinations. The current AMR data will inform the development of treatment algorithms and clinical guidelines.

Impact of different doses of deltamethrine on soil microbial density and crop growth

The effects of agrochemicals pollution on soil nutrients, soil microbes as well as plants cultivated on the soil were studied. Insecticide and herbicide were used to impact on the soil samples across concentration gradients. Bean and maize seeds were planted in separate experiments to monitor the effects of the agrochemicals on the plants. The microbial diversity and the physicochemical characteristics of the soil before and after pollution were determined using standard methods. Chlorophyll contents of the leaves were also determined after planting. Results indicated that bacterial isolates such as Enterococcus sp 54(40%), Staphylococcus sp 8(13%), Bacillus sp 46(34%) and Micrococcus sp 15(11%) and fungal isolates such as Penicillium sp 41(34%), Saccharomyces sp 67(56%), Yeast sp 4(3%), Geotrichum sp 6 (5%) and Aspergillus sp 1(1.8%) were recovered from treated and untreated soil with the percentages representing after planting. From the results, the herbicide treated soils indicated that the Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (THBC) increased after cultivation while the Total Heterotrophic Fungal Count (THFC) decreased after cultivation. On the other hand, the insecticides treated soils recorded a general decrease in THFC and THBC after cultivation. The total nitrogen (TN) and available phosphorus (AP) had no significant differences before and after planting while the exchangeable potassium (EP) had significant increase recorded after planting. Plants generally had poor growth characteristics recorded by stem girth and length, as well as chlorophyll content.