Emergence of Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) Strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in TB Patients in Kerala, India

We report the detection of extensively drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Kerala, India. Earlier we had reported that 22 of 206 local isolates were multidrug resistant. Now, we tested the same isolates for their resistance to ofloxacin and amikacin. Six among the MDR isolates showed resistance to both drugs and therefore fall under XDR category

Bacterial decolourization of azo dyes

Release of textile effluent into the environment is a matter of health concern. Dyes and pigments that are part of textile effluent generate hazardous wastes which are generally inorganic or organic contaminants. Among the present pollution control strategies, biodegradation of synthetic dyes by microbes is evolving as a promising approach, even more than physico-chemical methods. While both mixed cultures and pure cultures have been used to achieve efficient biodegradation, no conclusive result has been determined. This paper aims at checking the efficiency of mixed culture of sewage and pure isolates in degradation of azo dyes, both simple dyes like methyl red and methyl orange and a more complex dye like Janus green

Presence of Region of Difference 1 among Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from India▿

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Efficient discrimination by MIRU-VNTRs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates belonging to the predominant SIT11/EAI3-IND ancestral genotypic lineage in Kerala, India

The present study evaluated the ability of MIRU–VNTRs to discriminate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) clinical isolates belonging to the SIT11/EAI3-IND ancestral genotypic lineage, which is highly prevalent in Kerala, India. Starting from 168 MTB clinical isolates, spoligotyping (discriminatory index of 0.9113) differentiated the strains into 68 distinct patterns, the biggest cluster being SIT11/48 SIT11 (n = 48). The present study shows that 12-loci MIRUs and 3 ETRs allowed an efficient discrimination of these isolates (discriminatory indexes of 0.7819 and 0.5523, respectively)

Flavonoids as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Molecules: A Review

Hydroxylated polyphenols, also called flavonoids, are richly present in vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, herbs, seeds, stems, and flowers of numerous plants. They possess numerous medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammation. Studies show that flavonoids activate antioxidant pathways that render an anti-inflammatory effect. They inhibit the secretions of enzymes such as lysozymes and β-glucuronidase and inhibit the secretion of arachidonic acid, which reduces inflammatory reactions. Flavonoids such as quercetin, genistein, apigenin, kaempferol, and epigallocatechin 3-gallate modulate the expression and activation of a cytokine such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8); regulate the gene expression of many pro-inflammatory molecules such s nuclear factor kappa-light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), activator protein-1 (AP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM), and E-selectins; and also inhibits inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and lipoxygenase, which are pro-inflammatory enzymes. Understanding the anti-inflammatory action of flavonoids provides better treatment options, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, obstructive pulmonary disorder, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and cancer. This review highlights the sources, biochemical activities, and role of flavonoids in enhancing human health

AFLP profiles generated by primer combinations EO/MT (panel A) and EG/MC (panel B)

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Combined use of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism and IS-RFLP in fingerprinting clinical isolates of from Kerala, South India"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/7/86</p><p>BMC Infectious Diseases 2007;7():86-86.</p><p>Published online 28 Jul 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC1950308.</p><p></p> Lanes1-8: clinical isolates of , lanes 9&10: non tuberculous mycobacteria. The non-tuberculous mycobacteria have a very different profile from each other as well as from isolates. The primer pair EG/MC (panel B) shows fewer bands and more differences between the isolates as compared to EO/MT primer pair (panel A