Isolation and screening of some medically important fungi from indoor environment: Studying the effect of some environmental and chemical factors on their growth and spore adhesion

Isolation of some pathogenic fungi from indoor environment that may cause diseases to athletes was the goal of this work. The effect of different cloth materials and some environmental factors on the growth and adhesion of the isolated fungi as Aspergillus sydowii, Cochliobolus hawaiiensis, Cochliobolus lunatus, Epicoccum nigrum, Nigrospora oryzae, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Aspergillus niger, Cochliobolus australiensis, Stemphylium botryosum, Alternaria. alternata, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus versicolor was investigated. By studying the effect of different cloth materials, at temperatures (18, 25 and 35°C) and at pH values (4, 5.6, 8), it was concluded that cloth material, 74% cotton - 25% polyester- 1% elasthan (C.P.E) was the lowest in susceptibility to fungal attack. The fungal pathogens growth was favored at 35°C and pH 8 after two days of incubation while, after five days the growth was favored at 25 and 35°C at pH 5.6 and pH 8. Alter. alternata and A. flavus were selected for studying their spore adhesion on different cloth material samples. Also, their sensitivity for detergents and drugs on different cloth material samples was carried out.Key words: Pathogenic fungi, athletes, fungal adhesion, antimicrobial activity

Identification of Lactobacillus strains from human mother milk and cottage cheese revealed potential probiotic properties with enzymatic activity

Abstract The main attempt of this study is to isolate, determine potential probiotic properties and enzyme production of some lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Among all isolates, two LAB strains isolated from human mother milk and cottage cheese revealed antimicrobial activity against some tested pathogenic strains. Both isolates inhibited all the tested pathogens except Escherichia coli. The two isolates were identified by morphological, biochemical properties and then by 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique as Lactobacillus acidophilus SAM1 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SAM2. Potential probiotic characters were investigated. Both strains survived in relatively low pH and high bile concentrations and were able to grow at 0.5% of pancreatin concentrations. Their growth decreased by increasing phenol from 0.2% till 0.5%. Both strains did not show hemolytic activity. Coaggregation potential was exhibited by the two strains against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. Hydrophobicity of Lactobacillus acidophilus SAM1 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SAM2, with ethyl acetate; were 88.1% and 82.8%, respectively. Lactobacillus acidophilus SAM1 was susceptible to Ampicillin, Penicillin, Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline; on the contrary, it resists Vancomycin and Cefoxitin; while Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SAM2 resists all tested antibiotics. Maximum growth was achieved using glucose as a carbon source and yeast extract as nitrogen source for both strains; however, glucose is the most preferred carbon source for microorganisms and it prevents the uptake of carbon from other sources like yeast by catabolite repression mechanism. Lactobacillus acidophilus SAM1 produces lipase enzyme, while Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SAM2 produces amylase and protease