Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a recently defined vaginal recurring infection, which is treated with a... more Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a recently defined vaginal recurring infection, which is treated with antibiotics. However, excessive and prolonged use of antibiotics disrupts healthy vaginal microflora and leads to the emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens. This situation has directed researchers to explore alternative antimicrobials. The current study describes in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial efficacy and pharmaceutical interactions between plant essential oils (EOs) and five lactic acid bacteria (LABs), isolated from the healthy vagina, against E. faecalis, one of the major etiological agents of AV. In vitro experiments confirm good antimicrobial activity of both plant EOs and cell free supernatant (CFS) from LABs. Based on high antimicrobial efficacy, Moringa essential oil (MO) was selected to determine its nature of interaction with CFS of five LAB strains. Synergism was recorded between MO and CFS of L. reuteri (MT180537). To validate in vitro findings, prophylactic ...
The study was aimed to assess impact of high fat diet (HFD) and synthetic human gut microbiota (G... more The study was aimed to assess impact of high fat diet (HFD) and synthetic human gut microbiota (GM) combined with HFD and chow diet (CD) in inducing type-2 diabetes (T2D) using mice model. To our knowledge, this is the first study using selected human GM transplantation via culture based method coupled dietary modulation in mice for in vivo establishment of inflammation leading to T2D and gut dysbiosis. Twenty bacteria (T2D1-T2D20) from stool samples of confirmed T2D subjects were found to be morphologically different and subjected to purification on different media both aerobically and anerobically, which revealed seven bacteria more common among 20 isolates on the basis of biochemical characterization. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, these seven isolates were identified as Bacteroides stercoris (MT152636), Lactobacillus acidophilus (MT152637), Lactobacillus salivarius (MT152638), Ruminococcus bromii (MT152639), Klebsiella aerogenes (MT152640), Bacteroides fragilis (MT152...
This study investigated the role of genetic variant rs8177374 in MAL/TIRAP gene in mediating the ... more This study investigated the role of genetic variant rs8177374 in MAL/TIRAP gene in mediating the cytokine levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, and TGF-β in malaria patients due to Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax infection. The study included human blood samples collected from patients with malaria (n = 228) and healthy controls (n = 226). P. falciparum and P. vivax groups were established based on the causative species of Plasmodium. Malaria samples were divided into mild and severe malaria groups based on the symptoms that appeared in the patients, according to the WHO criteria. In a previous study, we genotyped rs8177374 via allele specific PCR strategy. In this study, cytokine levels were estimated in the blood plasma of rs8177374 genotype samples via Sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits. Increased IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in presence of CC genotype indicates the role of CC genotype in both severe and mild malaria groups. Enhanced IL-10 levels in the CT genotype and mild malaria groups suggest a role of CT genotype and IL-10 in the mild clinical outcomes of malaria. The rs8177374 polymorphism in MAL/TIRAP plays an important role in malaria pathogenesis.
Bergenia ciliata (Family: Saxifragaceae) is a folklore remedy for the treatment of various ailm... more Bergenia ciliata (Family: Saxifragaceae) is a folklore remedy for the treatment of various ailments in Asian countries. Bergenin (1) has been isolated as an active constituent in many studies, however, the amount of bergenin has not been determined in all parts of the plant. A simple RP-HPLC method was developed to determine the amount of bergenin in methanol extracts of leaves, rhizomes and roots of the plant. Separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 column maintained at 25 o C using isocratic solvent system (water: methanol: acetic acid; 62.5:37:0.5 v/v/v) adjusted at pH 2 0 at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. and detected at 275 nm. Correlation coefficient (0.9952) showed linearity of concentration (5-200 μg/mL) and response. The values of LOD (0.00947 μg/mL) and LOQ (0.02869 μg/mL) indicated that method was sensitive. The recovery of bergenin was 99.99-100% indicating accuracy of method. The methanol extract of rhizomes contained higher amount of bergenin (19.4%) than roots (9.2%) and leaves (6.9%). It is concluded that methanol extract of rhizomes is a better source of bergenin than other parts of the plant. The findings are useful for standardization of bergenin containing extracts and herbal preparations.
ABSTRACT The performance of ultraviolet detector based on Al-doped ZnO is reported. The Al dopant... more ABSTRACT The performance of ultraviolet detector based on Al-doped ZnO is reported. The Al dopant concentration were varied at 0 at.%, 0.5 at.%, 1 at.%, 2 at.% and 3 at.% using sol gel method with annealing temperature of 450 °C for 1 hour. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the crystalline size reduces when doped with Al and the peak position of the (002) plane shifted to lower 2 values. The optical band gap shift for Al doped ZnO may be due to Burstein-Moss shift and effect of band shrinkage. I–V curve reveals an improvement in electrical properties when the samples were illuminated by ultraviolet light under room temperature. The rate of response depends on the band gap value of each films. 0.5 at.% of Al has the highest ratio response under ultraviolet illumination but they need longer time to recover. 1 at.% of Al has better response than undoped ZnO and better recovery rate than 0.5 at.% as well as 2 at.% which suitable for repeatable ultraviolet detector.
Mixed vaginitis is escalating worldwide and complicates the diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis.... more Mixed vaginitis is escalating worldwide and complicates the diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis. Several risk factors have been associated with prevalence of vaginitis. Prevalence and associated risk factors of different types of vaginitis especially, aerobic vaginitis (AV) are less known. A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the prevalence and association among different types of vaginitis and risk factors in reproductive aged women (n=300) visiting Jinnah Hospital, Lahore for complaints of vaginal discharge. Data HIGHLIGHTS • Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a least explored disease in Pakistan. • AV is the predominant cause of vaginitis followed by bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and trichomonas vaginitis (TV). • AV co-occurs significantly in higher frequency with BV and VVC as compared to TV. • Patients with history of miscarriage are more prone to AV and BV. • Unawareness and low socioeconomic conditions predispose women to TV.
Probiotics are known to possess strain- and species-specific functional properties, of which hypo... more Probiotics are known to possess strain- and species-specific functional properties, of which hypocholesteremia is of major interest. Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity is one of the key mechanisms involved in the hypocholesterolemic effect. The study was designed to genetically characterize probiotics obtained from human milk on the basis of simple sequence repeat (SSR), isolate potent hypocholesterolemic strains, and detect BSH activity, deconjugation of bile salts, and bsh polymorphism. This study, for the first time, linked genetic diversity with cholesterol reduction potential and proved the presence of conserved bsh of Levilactobacillus brevis in genetically diverse species. The strains displayed 2.78%–42.23% cholesterol reduction, which was not influenced by prebiotics. In this study, data obtained from SSR markers indicated 93.3% diversity, and based on cluster analysis, they were distributed into XI clades; out of five potent cholesterol-reducing strains, three belonged to c...
• Oxidative stress is considered as a major factor that accelerates the aging process. • D-Galact... more • Oxidative stress is considered as a major factor that accelerates the aging process. • D-Galactose impairs ambulation, rearing, leaning and grooming responses in mice. • L. brevis MG000874 can improve cognitive responses and levels of antioxidants. • L. brevis MG000874 can be further confirmed as anti-aging and antioxidant agent. • It is recommended to include L. brevis MG000874 in the list of probiotics.
Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 2021
The bacteria residing in the gut of honey bees (HB) has demonstrated a significant role in protec... more The bacteria residing in the gut of honey bees (HB) has demonstrated a significant role in protecting bees against various pathogens, production of honey and wax. However, no information exists about the antibacterial potential of bacterial isolates from gut of Asian HB, Apis cerana Indica F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), against human pathogens. This study aims to investigate the antibacterial and multienzyme potential of aerobic bacteria from A. cerana gut using culture dependent approach. A total of 12 HB gut bacteria were characterized morphologically and biochemically. These strains were further screened for their antimicrobial activity against pathogenic human microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis using cross streak (primary screening) and agar well diffusion methods (secondary screening). Preliminary characterization of cell-free supernatant (CFS) of two promising isolates was performed by measuring lactic acid concentrations, enzymatic digestion of antimicrobial compounds, stability over a range of temperature, pH and amplification of spaS (subtilin) and spoA (subtilosin) genes. In primary screening, among 12 HB isolates, eight strains showed statistically significant highest zones of inhibition (p≤0.05) against E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that these isolates belong to Bacillus genus, identified as B.
Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are known to secrete species-specific secondary metabolites that coul... more Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are known to secrete species-specific secondary metabolites that could be utilized as novel therapeutics against multi-drug resistant pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the antagonistic and probiotic properties of LABs isolated from the vaginal ecosystem of healthy women and to assess the stability of their antagonistic metabolites. Among 43 strains isolated from healthy women, eight LAB strains exhibited detectable BLISs (bacteriocin-like substances) producing ability against E. faecalis (JH-86), S. aureus (JH-68), Streptococcus sp. (JH-80), and E. coli (JH-101), with zone of inhibition (ZI) ranging from 9.00 to 20.33 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from 62.5 to 500 μL/mL, respectively. The partially purified compounds extracted from cell free supernatant (CFS) displayed an increase in antagonistic activity based on ZI, 9.67-30.17 mm and MICs, 3.91-15.63 mg/mL, respectively. In a time-kill study, both crude and partially purified compounds of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (MT180537), Pediococcus pentosaceus (MT176555), Limosilactobacillus pontis (MW362838), and Levilactobacillus brevis (MW362790) exhibited significant bactericidal action against E. faecalis (MW051601), the most frequent etiological agent of aerobic vaginitis (AV). The active secondary metabolites from L. reuteri (MT180537), P. pentosaceus (MT176555), and L. pontis (MW362838) were protein in nature and remained stable under different physicochemical conditions. Regarding probiotic properties, the strains presented probiotic characteristics, i.e., good acid, bile salt tolerance, aggregation properties, and biofilm formation. The strains were susceptible to most of the commonly used antibiotics and had no hemolytic activity. In conclusion, antagonistic compounds or BLIS produced by L. reuteri (MT180537) could be investigated further for preparation of ointments to treat AV.
Figure S2. Comparison of feed intake among 4 groups days post infection. Comparison was made usin... more Figure S2. Comparison of feed intake among 4 groups days post infection. Comparison was made using One way ANOVA followed by DMRT. Group II mice received only LM and showed significant reduction in feed intake as compared with the control group. In other groups no significant differences in feed intake was observed. Asterics show significant difference at Pâ
Figure S1. Variations in body weight due to LM infection and its amelioration with LB. Body weigh... more Figure S1. Variations in body weight due to LM infection and its amelioration with LB. Body weight at day 1st among all groups statistically similar (pâ â Ľâ 0.05). (DOCX 19 kb)
Clupisoma naziri Mirza & Awan was described on the basis of the specimens collected from the rive... more Clupisoma naziri Mirza & Awan was described on the basis of the specimens collected from the river Indus near Jinnah Barrage and the river Khiale near the village Khatki (Swat river system). The presence of a keel on the abdomen between the pelvic fins and the vent was not mentioned in the original description. This created a wrong impression that a keel was absent in this species. It has now been observed that a keel on the ventral side of the abdomen is indeed present between the pelvic fins and the vent in C.naziri. There is an adipose dorsal in the young as well as in the adult in C. naziri. In C. garua a keel is present in the abdomen between the pelvic fins and the vent. The adipose dorsal is present in the young ones having total length of 10 cm (nearly 4 inches) but is absent in the adults above the total length of 10 cm in C. garua. The number of fin rays in the anal fin is quite different in the two species: there are 29 to 36 fin rays in the anal fin in C. garua, whereas ...
Chronic infections caused by gram negative bacteria are the mains reasons to have morbidity and d... more Chronic infections caused by gram negative bacteria are the mains reasons to have morbidity and death in patients, despite using high doses of antibiotics applied to cure diseases producing by them. This study was designed to identify the role of flagella in biofilm formation Ten pure strains were collected from our lab. Morphological variation and motility assays led us to study two strains in detail. They were characterized biochemically, physiologically and genetically. Biofilm formation analysis was performed using test tube assay, congo red assay and liquid-interface coverslip assay. In order to disrupt flagella of studied strains, blending was induced for 5, 10 and 15 minutes followed by centrifugation and observing motility using motility test. Biofilm quantification of wild type (parental) and blended strains was done using test tube and liquid interface coverslip assays. 16S rRNA sequencing identified strains as Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Enterobacter cloacae. Significant b...
Biofilms are communities of organisms embedded in extracellular matrix. Their growth on abiotic a... more Biofilms are communities of organisms embedded in extracellular matrix. Their growth on abiotic and biotic surfaces results in various infections. Hence the objective of this research is to study the bacterial colonization on minimally processed fruit of Olea europaea. Additionally bacterial isolates were characterized for biofilm forming ability using two methods i.e. Congo red and cover slip. Four strains named F1, F2, F3 and F4 were isolated from minimally processed fruit of Olea europaea. Morphological and biochemical characterization showed that isolates belong to genera Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp. and Enterococcus spp. respectively. These strains showed best growth at 37°C temperature and pH 7. The biofilm formation showed by Bacillus spp. was the highest as observed by congo red method. Mutation was induced by exposing these isolates to UV rays at different time intervals. After UV exposure there was an incredible difference in biofilm formation betwe...
Origanum vulgare has been of great interest in academia and pharma industry due to its antioxidan... more Origanum vulgare has been of great interest in academia and pharma industry due to its antioxidant, antifungal and antitumor properties. The present study aimed to find the anti-MRSA potential and in vivo toxicity assessments of O. vulgare. O. vulgare extract was used to monitor anti-MRSA activity in mice. Following MRSA established infection in mice (Mus musculus), treatment with O. vulgare was continued for 7 days. Autopsies were performed and re-isolation, gross lesion scoring and bacterial load in various organs were measured. Additionally, blood sample was analysed for hematological assays. Toxicity assessment of O. vulgare potential as medicine was done at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg by evaluating liver and kidney functions. Bacterial load and gross lesion in lungs and heart were significantly low compared to positive control following O. vulgare treatment. Likewise, O. vulgare treated groups had hematological, neutrophil and TLC values similar to control groups. Increased AST, AL...
Pheretima posthuma (Vaillant, 1868), a native earthworm of Pakistan and Southeast Asia, has wide ... more Pheretima posthuma (Vaillant, 1868), a native earthworm of Pakistan and Southeast Asia, has wide utilization in vermicomposting and bioremediation process. In this study, P. posthuma coelomic fluid (PCF) and body paste (PBP) was evaluated as antibacterial agent against ampicillin (AMP) resistant five Gram positive and four Gram negative clinical isolates. The antibacterial effect of different doses (i.e. 25-100 µg/ml) of PCF and PBP along with AMP and azithromycin (AZM) (negative and positive controls, respectively) were observed through disc diffusion and micro-dilution methods. All nine clinical isolates were noticed as AMP resistant and AZM sensitive. Antibacterial effects of PCF and PBP were dose dependent and zone of inhibitions (ZI) against all clinical isolates were between 23.4 ± 0.92 to 0 ± 00 mm. The sensitivity profile of PCF and PBP against clinical isolates was noticed as 44.44 and 55.56%, respectively. Both PCF and PBP showed bacteriostatic (BTS) action against S. aure...
Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a recently defined vaginal recurring infection, which is treated with a... more Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a recently defined vaginal recurring infection, which is treated with antibiotics. However, excessive and prolonged use of antibiotics disrupts healthy vaginal microflora and leads to the emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens. This situation has directed researchers to explore alternative antimicrobials. The current study describes in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial efficacy and pharmaceutical interactions between plant essential oils (EOs) and five lactic acid bacteria (LABs), isolated from the healthy vagina, against E. faecalis, one of the major etiological agents of AV. In vitro experiments confirm good antimicrobial activity of both plant EOs and cell free supernatant (CFS) from LABs. Based on high antimicrobial efficacy, Moringa essential oil (MO) was selected to determine its nature of interaction with CFS of five LAB strains. Synergism was recorded between MO and CFS of L. reuteri (MT180537). To validate in vitro findings, prophylactic ...
The study was aimed to assess impact of high fat diet (HFD) and synthetic human gut microbiota (G... more The study was aimed to assess impact of high fat diet (HFD) and synthetic human gut microbiota (GM) combined with HFD and chow diet (CD) in inducing type-2 diabetes (T2D) using mice model. To our knowledge, this is the first study using selected human GM transplantation via culture based method coupled dietary modulation in mice for in vivo establishment of inflammation leading to T2D and gut dysbiosis. Twenty bacteria (T2D1-T2D20) from stool samples of confirmed T2D subjects were found to be morphologically different and subjected to purification on different media both aerobically and anerobically, which revealed seven bacteria more common among 20 isolates on the basis of biochemical characterization. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, these seven isolates were identified as Bacteroides stercoris (MT152636), Lactobacillus acidophilus (MT152637), Lactobacillus salivarius (MT152638), Ruminococcus bromii (MT152639), Klebsiella aerogenes (MT152640), Bacteroides fragilis (MT152...
This study investigated the role of genetic variant rs8177374 in MAL/TIRAP gene in mediating the ... more This study investigated the role of genetic variant rs8177374 in MAL/TIRAP gene in mediating the cytokine levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, and TGF-β in malaria patients due to Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax infection. The study included human blood samples collected from patients with malaria (n = 228) and healthy controls (n = 226). P. falciparum and P. vivax groups were established based on the causative species of Plasmodium. Malaria samples were divided into mild and severe malaria groups based on the symptoms that appeared in the patients, according to the WHO criteria. In a previous study, we genotyped rs8177374 via allele specific PCR strategy. In this study, cytokine levels were estimated in the blood plasma of rs8177374 genotype samples via Sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits. Increased IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in presence of CC genotype indicates the role of CC genotype in both severe and mild malaria groups. Enhanced IL-10 levels in the CT genotype and mild malaria groups suggest a role of CT genotype and IL-10 in the mild clinical outcomes of malaria. The rs8177374 polymorphism in MAL/TIRAP plays an important role in malaria pathogenesis.
Bergenia ciliata (Family: Saxifragaceae) is a folklore remedy for the treatment of various ailm... more Bergenia ciliata (Family: Saxifragaceae) is a folklore remedy for the treatment of various ailments in Asian countries. Bergenin (1) has been isolated as an active constituent in many studies, however, the amount of bergenin has not been determined in all parts of the plant. A simple RP-HPLC method was developed to determine the amount of bergenin in methanol extracts of leaves, rhizomes and roots of the plant. Separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 column maintained at 25 o C using isocratic solvent system (water: methanol: acetic acid; 62.5:37:0.5 v/v/v) adjusted at pH 2 0 at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. and detected at 275 nm. Correlation coefficient (0.9952) showed linearity of concentration (5-200 μg/mL) and response. The values of LOD (0.00947 μg/mL) and LOQ (0.02869 μg/mL) indicated that method was sensitive. The recovery of bergenin was 99.99-100% indicating accuracy of method. The methanol extract of rhizomes contained higher amount of bergenin (19.4%) than roots (9.2%) and leaves (6.9%). It is concluded that methanol extract of rhizomes is a better source of bergenin than other parts of the plant. The findings are useful for standardization of bergenin containing extracts and herbal preparations.
ABSTRACT The performance of ultraviolet detector based on Al-doped ZnO is reported. The Al dopant... more ABSTRACT The performance of ultraviolet detector based on Al-doped ZnO is reported. The Al dopant concentration were varied at 0 at.%, 0.5 at.%, 1 at.%, 2 at.% and 3 at.% using sol gel method with annealing temperature of 450 °C for 1 hour. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the crystalline size reduces when doped with Al and the peak position of the (002) plane shifted to lower 2 values. The optical band gap shift for Al doped ZnO may be due to Burstein-Moss shift and effect of band shrinkage. I–V curve reveals an improvement in electrical properties when the samples were illuminated by ultraviolet light under room temperature. The rate of response depends on the band gap value of each films. 0.5 at.% of Al has the highest ratio response under ultraviolet illumination but they need longer time to recover. 1 at.% of Al has better response than undoped ZnO and better recovery rate than 0.5 at.% as well as 2 at.% which suitable for repeatable ultraviolet detector.
Mixed vaginitis is escalating worldwide and complicates the diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis.... more Mixed vaginitis is escalating worldwide and complicates the diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis. Several risk factors have been associated with prevalence of vaginitis. Prevalence and associated risk factors of different types of vaginitis especially, aerobic vaginitis (AV) are less known. A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the prevalence and association among different types of vaginitis and risk factors in reproductive aged women (n=300) visiting Jinnah Hospital, Lahore for complaints of vaginal discharge. Data HIGHLIGHTS • Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a least explored disease in Pakistan. • AV is the predominant cause of vaginitis followed by bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and trichomonas vaginitis (TV). • AV co-occurs significantly in higher frequency with BV and VVC as compared to TV. • Patients with history of miscarriage are more prone to AV and BV. • Unawareness and low socioeconomic conditions predispose women to TV.
Probiotics are known to possess strain- and species-specific functional properties, of which hypo... more Probiotics are known to possess strain- and species-specific functional properties, of which hypocholesteremia is of major interest. Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity is one of the key mechanisms involved in the hypocholesterolemic effect. The study was designed to genetically characterize probiotics obtained from human milk on the basis of simple sequence repeat (SSR), isolate potent hypocholesterolemic strains, and detect BSH activity, deconjugation of bile salts, and bsh polymorphism. This study, for the first time, linked genetic diversity with cholesterol reduction potential and proved the presence of conserved bsh of Levilactobacillus brevis in genetically diverse species. The strains displayed 2.78%–42.23% cholesterol reduction, which was not influenced by prebiotics. In this study, data obtained from SSR markers indicated 93.3% diversity, and based on cluster analysis, they were distributed into XI clades; out of five potent cholesterol-reducing strains, three belonged to c...
• Oxidative stress is considered as a major factor that accelerates the aging process. • D-Galact... more • Oxidative stress is considered as a major factor that accelerates the aging process. • D-Galactose impairs ambulation, rearing, leaning and grooming responses in mice. • L. brevis MG000874 can improve cognitive responses and levels of antioxidants. • L. brevis MG000874 can be further confirmed as anti-aging and antioxidant agent. • It is recommended to include L. brevis MG000874 in the list of probiotics.
Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 2021
The bacteria residing in the gut of honey bees (HB) has demonstrated a significant role in protec... more The bacteria residing in the gut of honey bees (HB) has demonstrated a significant role in protecting bees against various pathogens, production of honey and wax. However, no information exists about the antibacterial potential of bacterial isolates from gut of Asian HB, Apis cerana Indica F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), against human pathogens. This study aims to investigate the antibacterial and multienzyme potential of aerobic bacteria from A. cerana gut using culture dependent approach. A total of 12 HB gut bacteria were characterized morphologically and biochemically. These strains were further screened for their antimicrobial activity against pathogenic human microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis using cross streak (primary screening) and agar well diffusion methods (secondary screening). Preliminary characterization of cell-free supernatant (CFS) of two promising isolates was performed by measuring lactic acid concentrations, enzymatic digestion of antimicrobial compounds, stability over a range of temperature, pH and amplification of spaS (subtilin) and spoA (subtilosin) genes. In primary screening, among 12 HB isolates, eight strains showed statistically significant highest zones of inhibition (p≤0.05) against E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that these isolates belong to Bacillus genus, identified as B.
Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are known to secrete species-specific secondary metabolites that coul... more Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are known to secrete species-specific secondary metabolites that could be utilized as novel therapeutics against multi-drug resistant pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the antagonistic and probiotic properties of LABs isolated from the vaginal ecosystem of healthy women and to assess the stability of their antagonistic metabolites. Among 43 strains isolated from healthy women, eight LAB strains exhibited detectable BLISs (bacteriocin-like substances) producing ability against E. faecalis (JH-86), S. aureus (JH-68), Streptococcus sp. (JH-80), and E. coli (JH-101), with zone of inhibition (ZI) ranging from 9.00 to 20.33 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from 62.5 to 500 μL/mL, respectively. The partially purified compounds extracted from cell free supernatant (CFS) displayed an increase in antagonistic activity based on ZI, 9.67-30.17 mm and MICs, 3.91-15.63 mg/mL, respectively. In a time-kill study, both crude and partially purified compounds of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (MT180537), Pediococcus pentosaceus (MT176555), Limosilactobacillus pontis (MW362838), and Levilactobacillus brevis (MW362790) exhibited significant bactericidal action against E. faecalis (MW051601), the most frequent etiological agent of aerobic vaginitis (AV). The active secondary metabolites from L. reuteri (MT180537), P. pentosaceus (MT176555), and L. pontis (MW362838) were protein in nature and remained stable under different physicochemical conditions. Regarding probiotic properties, the strains presented probiotic characteristics, i.e., good acid, bile salt tolerance, aggregation properties, and biofilm formation. The strains were susceptible to most of the commonly used antibiotics and had no hemolytic activity. In conclusion, antagonistic compounds or BLIS produced by L. reuteri (MT180537) could be investigated further for preparation of ointments to treat AV.
Figure S2. Comparison of feed intake among 4 groups days post infection. Comparison was made usin... more Figure S2. Comparison of feed intake among 4 groups days post infection. Comparison was made using One way ANOVA followed by DMRT. Group II mice received only LM and showed significant reduction in feed intake as compared with the control group. In other groups no significant differences in feed intake was observed. Asterics show significant difference at Pâ
Figure S1. Variations in body weight due to LM infection and its amelioration with LB. Body weigh... more Figure S1. Variations in body weight due to LM infection and its amelioration with LB. Body weight at day 1st among all groups statistically similar (pâ â Ľâ 0.05). (DOCX 19 kb)
Clupisoma naziri Mirza & Awan was described on the basis of the specimens collected from the rive... more Clupisoma naziri Mirza & Awan was described on the basis of the specimens collected from the river Indus near Jinnah Barrage and the river Khiale near the village Khatki (Swat river system). The presence of a keel on the abdomen between the pelvic fins and the vent was not mentioned in the original description. This created a wrong impression that a keel was absent in this species. It has now been observed that a keel on the ventral side of the abdomen is indeed present between the pelvic fins and the vent in C.naziri. There is an adipose dorsal in the young as well as in the adult in C. naziri. In C. garua a keel is present in the abdomen between the pelvic fins and the vent. The adipose dorsal is present in the young ones having total length of 10 cm (nearly 4 inches) but is absent in the adults above the total length of 10 cm in C. garua. The number of fin rays in the anal fin is quite different in the two species: there are 29 to 36 fin rays in the anal fin in C. garua, whereas ...
Chronic infections caused by gram negative bacteria are the mains reasons to have morbidity and d... more Chronic infections caused by gram negative bacteria are the mains reasons to have morbidity and death in patients, despite using high doses of antibiotics applied to cure diseases producing by them. This study was designed to identify the role of flagella in biofilm formation Ten pure strains were collected from our lab. Morphological variation and motility assays led us to study two strains in detail. They were characterized biochemically, physiologically and genetically. Biofilm formation analysis was performed using test tube assay, congo red assay and liquid-interface coverslip assay. In order to disrupt flagella of studied strains, blending was induced for 5, 10 and 15 minutes followed by centrifugation and observing motility using motility test. Biofilm quantification of wild type (parental) and blended strains was done using test tube and liquid interface coverslip assays. 16S rRNA sequencing identified strains as Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Enterobacter cloacae. Significant b...
Biofilms are communities of organisms embedded in extracellular matrix. Their growth on abiotic a... more Biofilms are communities of organisms embedded in extracellular matrix. Their growth on abiotic and biotic surfaces results in various infections. Hence the objective of this research is to study the bacterial colonization on minimally processed fruit of Olea europaea. Additionally bacterial isolates were characterized for biofilm forming ability using two methods i.e. Congo red and cover slip. Four strains named F1, F2, F3 and F4 were isolated from minimally processed fruit of Olea europaea. Morphological and biochemical characterization showed that isolates belong to genera Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp. and Enterococcus spp. respectively. These strains showed best growth at 37°C temperature and pH 7. The biofilm formation showed by Bacillus spp. was the highest as observed by congo red method. Mutation was induced by exposing these isolates to UV rays at different time intervals. After UV exposure there was an incredible difference in biofilm formation betwe...
Origanum vulgare has been of great interest in academia and pharma industry due to its antioxidan... more Origanum vulgare has been of great interest in academia and pharma industry due to its antioxidant, antifungal and antitumor properties. The present study aimed to find the anti-MRSA potential and in vivo toxicity assessments of O. vulgare. O. vulgare extract was used to monitor anti-MRSA activity in mice. Following MRSA established infection in mice (Mus musculus), treatment with O. vulgare was continued for 7 days. Autopsies were performed and re-isolation, gross lesion scoring and bacterial load in various organs were measured. Additionally, blood sample was analysed for hematological assays. Toxicity assessment of O. vulgare potential as medicine was done at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg by evaluating liver and kidney functions. Bacterial load and gross lesion in lungs and heart were significantly low compared to positive control following O. vulgare treatment. Likewise, O. vulgare treated groups had hematological, neutrophil and TLC values similar to control groups. Increased AST, AL...
Pheretima posthuma (Vaillant, 1868), a native earthworm of Pakistan and Southeast Asia, has wide ... more Pheretima posthuma (Vaillant, 1868), a native earthworm of Pakistan and Southeast Asia, has wide utilization in vermicomposting and bioremediation process. In this study, P. posthuma coelomic fluid (PCF) and body paste (PBP) was evaluated as antibacterial agent against ampicillin (AMP) resistant five Gram positive and four Gram negative clinical isolates. The antibacterial effect of different doses (i.e. 25-100 µg/ml) of PCF and PBP along with AMP and azithromycin (AZM) (negative and positive controls, respectively) were observed through disc diffusion and micro-dilution methods. All nine clinical isolates were noticed as AMP resistant and AZM sensitive. Antibacterial effects of PCF and PBP were dose dependent and zone of inhibitions (ZI) against all clinical isolates were between 23.4 ± 0.92 to 0 ± 00 mm. The sensitivity profile of PCF and PBP against clinical isolates was noticed as 44.44 and 55.56%, respectively. Both PCF and PBP showed bacteriostatic (BTS) action against S. aure...
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Papers by Najma Arshad