Glycemic Index Values of Rice Varieties that are Commonly Available in Markets in Bangladesh

Glycemic Index (GI) of six common rice varieties in the local markets of Bangladesh was assessed and categorized in this study to investigate manipulative varietal performance for the time being. After overnight fasting, each of ten selected healthy non-diabetic volunteers (males and females in ratio of 1:1) was fed with reference food (50 g glucose) and test foods (50 g carbohydrate-containing different rice varieties) in every two days intervals. After feeding, glucose levels (mmol/l) were measured at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Incremental Area Under Curve (IAUC) of reference food and test food (avoiding the area beneath the baseline of reference food) was calculated to measure GI values. Amylose content (%) of different test foods was measured from the standard curve obtained from the spectrophotometric analysis after alcoholic-alkaline gelatinization that was followed by acidification and iodine mixing. The result showed that the GI values were 59.7±3.4; 50.5±2.6; 57.8±2.8; 51.3±2.3; 56.9±3.9 and 44.6±2.1, while the amylose content (%) were 23.6±0.6; 26.7±0.9; 21.3±0.7; 28.3±1.1; 22.2±2.3 and 29.8±1.5 for Nizershail, BRRI Dhan 29, Chinigura, Kalijira, Hybrid Hera Dhan 12 and Sworna, respectively. Moreover, the existing inverse relationship between the GI values and amylose content in this study was similar to other researchers’ findings. Categorization of the test foods based on the observed GI values ranked Sworna, BRRI Dhan 29 and Kalijira as low GI rice varieties that could be beneficial for consumption by diabetics as well as healthy individuals

Identification of pathogenic Escherichia coli strain from river and sewage water in Bangladesh

The study was conducted to isolate and identify the presence of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains in water samples of the Old Brahmaputra River and Sewage water at Mymensingh Municipality. A total of 20 water samples were collected for this experiment. Samples were cultured on EMB agar, stained and PCR was done to detect the pathogenic E. coli. The Old Brahmaputra River is used as a sink of all types of municipal sewage, agricultural wastes, domestic wastes and religious ritual wastes through unplanned sewerage to the river water body. Low quality sanitation system and open defecation are also considerable problems to deteriorate river water quality. Due to accumulation of municipal untreated wastes to river body, it is possible to contain various pathogens. After investigation and identification, fourteen isolates of E. coli was found to contain stx-1 gene with none of stx-2 gene among twenty isolates which indicate pathogenic STEC. There may present major health risk to human and animal due to STEC. Several human diseases like mild diarrhea, bloody diarrhea or even severe hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) may occur for drinking of untreated river water. Domestic ruminants can act as a reservoir for STEC and play a significant role in the epidemiology of human infections

Molecular detection of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus from healthy broilers and backyard chickens for the first time in Bangladesh- A preliminary study

Many of the Vibrio spp. are major public health concerns globally. Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are the etiology of pandemic and epidemic diarrhea and foodborne illness, respectively. Poultry has the potential to harbor pathogenic Vibrio spp., which can have a detrimental impact on public health if they are transmitted to humans. We, therefore, screened 54 cloacal swab samples from healthy chickens (broiler=27, backyard= 27) to detect V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus. Vibrio spp. were isolated and identified by culturing, biochemical tests, PCR, and antibiogram profiles were determined by disk diffusion method. By PCR, 29.63% (16/54; 95% CI: 19.14-42.83%) samples were positive for Vibrio spp., where backyard chickens had a significantly higher (p< 0.05) occurrence (44.44%; 27.59-62.69%) than broilers (14.82%; 95% CI: 5.92-32.48%). V. parahaemolyticus was found in 22.22% (6/27; 95% CI: 10.61-40.76%) of backyard chicken samples, which was significantly dominant (p< 0.05) than in broilers (0/27, 0%, 95% CI: 0.00-12.46%). In addition, V. cholerae was positive in 7.41% (2/27; 95% CI: 1.32-23.37%) of broiler, and 14.82% (4/27; 95% CI: 5.92-32.48%) of backyard chicken samples. The toxR gene was found in all V. cholerae isolates, suggesting the presence of other virulence genes, whereas no isolates of V. parahaemolyticus contained the tdh gene. Isolated Vibrio spp. had high to moderate resistance to tetracycline, azithromycin, erythromycin, and streptomycin. The occurrence of antibiotic-resistant V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus in broiler and backyard chickens is of public health concern because of the possibility of food chain contaminatio

Isolation of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. from sulfonamide-treated diarrheic calves

Background and Aim: The bovine industry is threatened by one of the most serious and deadly enteric diseases, calf diarrhea, particularly in developing nations like Bangladesh. In this context, bacterial resistance to antimicrobial drugs and its detrimental consequences have become a critical public health issue that is difficult to address globally. This study aimed to isolate and identify Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. with their antibiogram and antibiotic resistance gene detection from sulfonamide-treated diarrheic calves. Materials and Methods: Twelve diarrheic calves suffering from calf diarrhea in a dairy farm were selected and a total of 36 fecal samples were aseptically collected directly from rectum before, during, and at the end of treatment for each calf to determine the total viable count, total E. coli count and total Salmonella count. A polymerase chain reaction was used for the specific detection of E. coli and Salmonella genus targeting fliC and invA genes, respectively. Antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolated E. coli and Salmonella spp. were performed by the disk diffusion method for eight commonly used antibiotics. Results: A total of 36 E. coli (100%) and 12 Salmonella spp. (33%) were isolated from the samples and were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Total viable count was found to be ranged from 35 × 107 to 99 × 1010 colony-forming unit (CFU)/g fecal sample before starting sulfonamide treatment, 34 × 105 to 25 × 1010 CFU/g during treatment with sulfonamide, and 48 × 103 to 69 × 1010 CFU/g immediately after completion of sulfonamide treatment. Total E. coli count was found to be ranged from 4 × 104 to 36 × 1010 CFU/g, 24 × 104 to 23 × 108 CFU/g, and 13 × 104 to 85 × 1010 CFU/g, whereas total Salmonella count was found to be ranged from 16 × 106 to 18.5 × 1011 CFU/g, 15 × 104 to 44 × 107 CFU/g, and 13.2 × 105 to 21 × 1010 CFU/g fecal sample before starting sulfonamide treatment, during treatment with sulfonamide immediately after completion of sulfonamide treatment, respectively. The in vitro antibiotic sensitivity test showed that all the E. coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from diarrheic calves (100%) contained multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes. Escherichia coli isolates were found 100% resistant to amoxicillin (AMX), cefuroxime, cephalexin (CN), erythromycin (ERY), and tetracycline (TET); whereas 94.4%, 86.1%, and 77.8% isolates were resistant to doxycycline (DOX), moxifloxacin (MOF), and gentamycin (GEN), respectively. In case of Salmonella isolates, all were found 100% resistant to AMX, CN, and ERY; whereas 91.7% of resistance was observed for DOX, MOF, cefuroxime, GEN, and TET. Based on the molecular screening of the antibiotic resistance genes, tetA gene was present in 83.3% of the isolated E. coli and 75% of the isolated Salmonella strains, whereas 83.3% E. coli and 79.2% Salmonella isolates contained blaTEM gene. Conclusion: These findings suggest that MDR E. coli and Salmonella spp. might be responsible for calf scouring, which is challenging to treat with antibiotics or sulfonamide drugs alone. Therefore, it is important to check the antibiotic sensitivity pattern to select a suitable antibiotic for the treatment of calf scoring. A suitable antibiotic or combination of an antibiotic and sulfonamide could be effective against E. coli and Salmonella spp. responsible for calf scouring

Effect of knowledge of informal poultry drug prescribers on their attitude and practice toward antimicrobial use, residues, and resistance in Bangladesh

Background and Aim: Informal prescribers (IPs) significantly contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance and in disseminating pathogens from poultry to humans and other animals through the food chain, posing a serious global health threat. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether the knowledge of IPs has an impact on their attitude and practice toward antimicrobial use, antibiotic residues, and antimicrobial resistance. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we conducted a pre-tested and questionnaire-based survey to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of IPs in selected parts of the Mymensingh division, Bangladesh. Then, we used the linear regression model test with R-squared (R2) to measure the association between the study variables. Results: Our investigation revealed that 70% of the IPs knew about antibiotics and 75% had good knowledge about antibiotic resistance, whereas only 50% were aware of withdrawal periods. Informal prescribers also displayed good attitudes toward the use and sale of antibiotics with withdrawal periods and completion of medication (50%). Analysis of their practice on the sale and prescription of antibiotics showed that 70% and 30% of IPs use antibiotics against bacterial infections and other conditions, respectively. Most of them do not consult a veterinarian before selling or prescribing antibiotics, although 80% claim to do so. This is because 75% of IPs gave other options regarding their consultations. However, 95% of IPs uses antibiotics only for therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, only 10% sell antibiotics based on a veterinarian’s recommendation. Approximately 45% of IPs use single antibiotics at a time, while the rest use multiple antibiotics, individually or combined. Approximately 15% use antibiotics monthly, while 85% use them whenever the need arises. The knowledge and attitude of IPs are significantly affected by their age (p ≤ 0.025). The district of domicile also impacted their knowledge. Surprisingly, IPs from Jamalpur had significantly better knowledge compared to those from Mymensingh and Sherpur (p ≤ 0.01). The attitude of IPs from Jamalpur and Netrokona also differed significantly (p ≤ 0.001) from that of Mymensingh and Sherpur. The knowledge of IPs influenced their attitude up to 80.5% (r2 = 0.628) and their practice up to 75.4% (r2 = 0.545). Conclusion: The knowledge of IPs greatly influenced their attitude and practice, while sociodemographics also influenced their knowledge and attitude toward antimicrobial use, antibiotic residues, and antimicrobial resistance

Assessing the impacts of zeolite on water quality, growth performance, heavy metal content and health condition of farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The rapid expansion and intensification of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture in Bangladesh results in an increasing tendency of administering more pharmaceuticals in fish health management. Hence, with the aim of investigating the effects of zeolite (a water and sediment treatment compound) on water quality, growth performance, hematology, gut microbial content, and heavy metal content of Oreochromis niloticus, an experiment was performed for 126 days in six experimental earthen ponds (each pond size is one decimal). The stocking density was 300 fry/decimal. Zeolite was applied directly into the water in treatment ponds at a rate of 200 g/decimal during pond preparation and 100 g/decimal/15 days intervals during the culture period as recommended by the manufacturing company. The results indicated that zeolite had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on all growth indices assessed in all three experimental stages (0–42 days, 43–84 days, 85–126 days) in treatment ponds compared to control ones, except condition factor (CF) at the first stage. Hematological results implied that the application of zeolite in treatment pond water had no significant effect on the red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) of experimental fish blood compared to the control. However, a significant effect on the blood glucose level and total viable count (TVC) of the experimental fish gut was observed due to the addition of zeolite in the treatment ponds. Zeolite supplementation in treatment pond water significantly reduced the concentrations of different heavy metals in pond sediment, water and fish flesh compared to the control. Therefore, zeolite could be recommended for administration in aquaculture. Further research is required to find out whether a higher or lower dose of zeolite improves the water quality, growth performance and health condition, and decreases the heavy metal content of fish or not

Tethering mesoporous Pd nanoparticles to reduced graphene oxide sheets forms highly efficient electrooxidation catalysts

Uniformly sized mesoporous palladium (Pd) nanoparticles tethered to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) surfaces can be prepared with solution phase synthesis. rGO was modified with a block copolymer and a cationic surfactant was employed to assist in the formation of mesoporous metal nanoparticle on the surface of the rGO. This procedure effectively tethers Pd to rGO and ensures good electronic contact for enhanced electrocatalysis. The mesoporous Pd nanoparticles tethered to rGO were employed in the electrooxidation of formic acid. These hybrid composite materials exhibited excellent stability, specific activity and mass activity over state-of-the-art Pd/C catalysts as well as other similar structures reported in the literature

Isolation and Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. from Healthy and Diseased Turkeys

Diseases caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella spp. can negatively impact turkey farming. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and Salmonella spp. in healthy and diseased turkeys. A total of 30 fecal samples from healthy turkeys and 25 intestinal samples from diseased turkeys that died of enteritis were collected. Bacterial isolation and identification were based on biochemical properties and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antibiogram profiles were determined by disk diffusion. The tetracycline-resistance gene tetA was detected by PCR. All samples were positive for E. coli. Only 11 samples (11/30; 36.67%) were positive for Salmonella spp. from healthy turkeys, whereas 16 (16/25; 64%) samples were positive for Salmonella spp. from diseased turkeys. E. coli isolated from diseased turkeys showed higher resistance to levofloxacin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Salmonella spp. isolated from healthy turkeys exhibited higher resistance to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, imipenem, and meropenem. All E. coli and Salmonella spp. from both healthy and diseased turkeys were resistant to erythromycin. Salmonella spp. from both healthy and diseased turkeys were resistant to tetracycline. Multidrug resistance was observed in both E. coli and Salmonella spp. from diseased turkeys. Finally, the tetA gene was detected in 93.1% of the E. coli isolates and in 92.59% of the Salmonella spp. isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to isolate and characterize tetA-gene-containing MDR E. coli and Salmonella spp. from healthy and diseased turkeys in Bangladesh. Both microorganisms are of zoonotic significance and represent a significant public health challenge

Wheat blast: a new threat to food security

Wheat blast, caused by the Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) lineage (synonym Pyricularia oryzae Triticum lineage), is a destructive disease in South America and Bangladesh. It is primarily a disease of wheat head, which can cause yield loss up to 100% under favorable disease conditions. The head infection results in complete or partial bleaching of the spike above the point of infection with either no grain or shriveled grain with low test weight. Due to low fungicide efficacy against the disease and lack of availability of resistant varieties, an integrated management program should be adopted to control this serious wheat disease. First of all, a convenient and specific diagnostic tool is needed for evaluating seed health and early detection in wheat field to initiate timely mitigation measures and thereby decreasing pathogen initial inoculum and dispersal. Second, we should have a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease and develop a real-time disease monitoring and surveillance system to alert growers to apply management practices at an optimum time. Third, we need a better understanding of the infection biology of the fungus and its interaction with wheat plants at the tissue and molecular levels helpful for improving disease management. Fourth, breeding for resistance to wheat blast can be accelerated by using resistance genes such as 2NS translocation, Rmg8 and RmgGR119 or advanced genomic technology such as CRISPR-Cas. Fifth, integration of alternative disease management practices, such as biological control using antagonistic microorganisms or derivatives thereof to achieve sustainable approach for the management of wheat blast. Finally, a globally concerted effort is needed using open science and open data sharing approaches to prevent this seed- and air-borne plant disease’s widespread devastation of wheat crop. This comprehensive review updates our knowledge on wheat blast disease and discusses the approaches for its sustainable management for ensuring food and nutritional security of the ever-increasing global population