Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Oral colonization and boric acid susceptibility of yeast in boron mineral workers

Zafer Cetinkaya¹*, Semsettin Karaca ², Mustafa Kulac ², Ihsan Hakki Ciftci¹, Gulsah Asık¹, Osman Cenet⁴ and Nuri Kiraz³

¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

²Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

³Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Osmangazi University, Eski ehir, Turkey.

⁴Faculty of Occupation of Higher Education, Balikesir University, Balıkesir, Turkey.

Accepted 26 March, 2015

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of boron on in vivo oral yeast colonization in study groups which are exposed to boron dust in different sections of the boron mine. The study was carried out in the boron mining areas of two districts (Eskisehir and Balikesir) of Turkey. We included 184 people working in open quarry and stone milling unit, 144 people working in the factory and 150 people as control group. Specimens were taken from four oral mucosal regions and cultured onto Sabouraud dextrose agar. After incubation for 3 - 7 days at 30°C, the total number of yeast colonies on the plates was considered the relative intensity of carriage, and the total number of yeast colonies on the plates was considered the relative intensity of oral carriage. The susceptibility of Candida spp. to boric acid was investigated. The frequency of Candida colonization in boron intensive area workers was found significantly higher than automatic factory workers and control groups (p = 0.012), there were no difference between automatic factory workers and control groups in point of Candida colonization (p = 0.749). We observed that oral yeast colonization had increased directly proportional with boron powder exposure in boron mine (p = 0.005) . Mean minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of boric acid for Boron intensive area, 0.87 - 2.0% for automatic factory and 0.83 - 2.0% for control subjects. We observed that intensive exposure to boron mineral powders was strictly related to oral yeast colonization. Exposure to industrial boron mineral powder may cause important health problems by increasing Candida colonization in oral cavity. It may be useful to do periodical health control in boron mineral workers and population under risk.

Key words: Candida, boric acid, boron mineral, oral yeast colonization.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Preliminary in-vitro antibacterial activities of ethanolic extracts of Ficus sycomorus Linn. and Ficus platyphylla Del. (Moraceae)

Adeshina Gbonjubola Olusesan*, Okeke Claire-Lorentz Ebele, Osuagwu Nonyelum Onwuegbuchulam and Ehinmidu Joseph Olorunmola

Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Accepted 23 March, 2016

Abstract

Antibacterial therapeutic failure due to emergence of resistant bacterial strain is a worldwide phenomenon. The search for effective antibacterial substances from sources such as plants has become a necessity to overcome emergent of bacterial resistant in clinical practice. The dried leaves and stem barks of Ficus sycomorus and Ficus platyphylla were collected in Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria in July 2006 and extracted with 70% aqueous ethanol at room temperature. The antibacterial activities such as susceptibility, Minimum inhibitory concentrations (M.I.C.) and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (M.B.C.) were determined using appropriate methods. Using the same concentration of the two test plants extracts, the zones of inhibition showed by F. sycomorus ranged between 11.5 - 21.5 mm  while that of F. platyphylla was from 17.0 - 22.0 mm. The values of the M.I.C and M.B.C of F. sycomorus were 1.95, 31.3 and 3.91, 250 mg/ml, respectively. Similarly, F. platyphylla displayed 1.95 and 7.81 mg/ml M.I.C. values and 3.91 to 62.5 mg/ml M.B.C. values against the test organisms. The observed antibacterial activities in this study proved that the leaves and stem bark extracts of Ficus spp. obtained in Zaria support the forcloric claims of the use of Ficus plants in the treatment of ailment such as wound dressing.

Key words: Antibacterial activity, medicinal plants, bacterial resistance, Ficus spp.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of recombinant human-defensin 5 against clinical antibiotic-resistant strains

A. P. Wang, Y. P. Su, S. Wang, M. Q. Shen, F. Chen, M. Chen, X. Z. Ran, T. M. Chen and J. P. Wang*

State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China.

Accepted 1 March, 2016

Abstract

The increasing clinical bacterial strains resistant to conventional antibiotics have being a great challenge to the public’s health. As a novel kind of antimicrobial agent, defensins are undoubtedly worthy of exploitation for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To evaluate the antibacterial potency of recombinant mature human -defensin 5 (rmHD₅) against clinical pathogenic strains, we examined its antibacterial kinetics and bactericidal efficacy on forty-nine bacterial strains (belonging to eleven species) with different antibiotic-resistant phenotypes, isolated from digestive and urogenital tracts of the inpatient. Meanwhile, the action mechanism of rmHD₅ was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy observation and membrane permeability detection. The peptide of rmHD₅ was found to possess high potency against all the tested isolates at concentrations of 6 - 12 g/ml for gram-negative (G^-) bacteria and 28 - 32 g/ml for gram-positive (G⁺) bacteria. G^- bacteria were more susceptible to the peptide than G⁺ bacteria. Abnormal morphological changes and increased permeabilization of the cytomembrane were observed in both G ^- bacteria and G⁺ bacteria treated with rmHD₅. The antibacterial activity of rmHD₅ may be tightly associated with the biomembrane permeabilization. Recombinant mHD₅ is a promising candidate to be developed into therapeutic agents for bacterial infections

Key words: Antibacterial activity, mechanism, antibiotics resistant strain, human alpha defensin 5.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2015 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Fingerprinting of repetitive DNA sequences in the genus Anabaena using PCR- based techniques

Anbalagan Ezhilarasi* and Narayanaswamy Anand

Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai–600025, India.

Accepted 23 March, 2015

Abstract

In this study, ten species of Anabaena were used to test the congruence between the traditional morphological classification system and the present molecular classification system. The electrophoretic patterns for 10 cyanobacterial strains belonging to the genera (Anabaena) were used for molecular analysis using the repeated PCR technique. Genetic diversity was assessed using the banding patterns of repetitive DNA sequences including the HIP1 sequences, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus [ERIC] sequences and REP sequences that are present in the cyanobacterial genome. PCR with different sets of repetitive oligonucleotides as primers were used to evaluate the various repetitive DNA sequences. The dendrograms based on the HIP1, ERIC and REP sequences did not show a clear correlation with morphological dendrogram based on traditional classification.

Key words: Anabaena, cyanobacteria, highly iterated palindromic sequences, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences, repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences, polymerase chain reaction.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2015 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The effect of cultivation conditions on the mycelial growth of a dark-septate endophytic isolate

Ya-li Lv, Li-hua Sun, Fu-sheng Zhang, Yue Zhao and Shun-xing Guo*

Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, P. R. China.

Accepted 9 March, 2016

Abstract

The EF-37 isolate, one of DSE fungi, is beneficial to the growth and development of its host plant, Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir. The cultivation requirements including basic culture medium, temperature, light, pH, carbon source and nitrogen compounds were studied for their effects on mycelial growth of a dark-septate endophytic (DSE) fungus EF-37 by using one-factor-at-a- time method. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) was the best medium for the growth of endophyte EF-37. Our studies showed that 20°C, 24 h dark cultivation and pH 7 significantly influenced the growth of endophyte EF-37 on PDA medium. Moreover, glucose and calcium nitrate were found to be the best nutrients for EF- 37 growth. Under the optimal cultivation conditions, DSE fungus EF-37 isolate could grow actively. This is the first study about the effect of cultivation conditions on the growth of this strain, which provides the preparatory knowledge for the biological characteristics of DSE fungus EF-37.

Key words: Cultural conditions, dark-septate endophytic (DSE) fungus EF-37, mycelial growth, optimization, Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir.

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2016

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2016 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The identification of the first isolate of influenza B virus using a duplex RT- PCR DNA sequencing in Saudi Arabia (B/Riyadh/01/2007)

Fahad N. Almajhdi

Department of Botany and Microbiology, Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Sciences, King Saudi University, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +966-4677778. Fax: +966-4675833.

Accepted 24 February, 2016

Abstract

Although Influenza virus infections threaten thousands of lives each year worldwide and bear the risk of been an epidemic, little is known about the circulating strains in Saudi Arabia. The availability of a rapid and accurate diagnostic approach is essential for effective treatment and disease control. In the current study, we optimized a duplex RT-PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of influenza A and B viruses in clinical samples. The developed assay was utilized for testing 100 nasopharyngeal aspirates collected from young children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Riyadh. Influenza B not A viruses, were identified as possible causes of the disease syndrome. Recovery of influenza B virus from clinical samples was achieved by serial passage in chicken embryos and the virus isolate was designated as Influenza B/Riyadh/01/2007. The identity of B/Riyadh/01/2007 was confirmed by sequencing the RT-PCR product. The sequenced data was submitted to the Gene Bank under the accession number GU135839. An almost complete homology was recognized with all Influenza B virus strains available on Gene Bank. Although several studies suggested the presence of influenza B virus in respiratory tract infection of Saudi children, this is the first report that describes the isolation and partial identification of the circulating virus. Further studies that fully characterize the isolated strain are ongoing.

Key words: Influenza B virus, isolation, RT-PCR, DNA sequencing, Saudi Arabia.