Antibiotic resistance patterns of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) isolates from a major teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species is a leading cause of nosocomial infection in patients with indwelling medical devices and immunocompromised patients. This study was conducted to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern of CoNS isolated from a major teaching hospital in Malaysia. A total of 43 CoNS isolates were collected from August to October 2018 at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Speciation of CoNS species was conducted by 16S rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using a standard procedure, and detection of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements and antibiotic resistance genes were conducted via multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Comparison of 16S rRNA sequences showed that 67.44% of the isolates were identified as S. epidermidis, followed by S. haemolyticus (11.63%), S. hominis (9.3%), S. capitis (4.65%), and other Staphylococcus sp. (6.98%). All the CoNS isolates were susceptible to linezolid and tedizolid, while most of them were resistant towards penicillin (86.05%), cefoxitin (69.77%), erythromycin (72.02%), and 88.37% of them were resistant to at least 3 antibiotics. The majority of CoNS harboured nontypeable SCCmec elements. AacA-D (95.5%) and ermC (78.6%) were the most commonly detected antibiotic resistance genes while no detection of tetK, tetM and ermA genes were observed. This study showed a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant CoNS in HCTM healthcare settings. Understanding CoNS resistance mechanism is warranted for intervention strategy

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Galls of Quercus infectoria Olivier against Oral Pathogens

The galls of Quercus infectoria are commonly used in Malay traditional medicine to treat wound infections after childbirth. In India, they are employed traditionally as dental applications such as that in treatment of toothache and gingivitis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of galls of Quercus infectoria Olivier against oral bacteria which are known to cause dental caries and periodontitis. Methanol and acetone extracts were screened against two Gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 and Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 13419) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 and Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586). The screening test of antibacterial activity was performed using agar-well diffusion method. Subsequently, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by using twofold serial microdilution method at a concentration ranging between 0.01 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was obtained by subculturing microtiter wells which showed no changes in colour of the indicator after incubation. Both extracts showed inhibition zones which did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) against each tested bacteria. Among all tested bacteria, S. salivarius was the most susceptible. The MIC ranges for methanol and acetone extracts were the same, between 0.16 and 0.63 mg/mL. The MBC value, for methanol and acetone extracts, was in the ranges 0.31–1.25 mg/mL and 0.31–2.50 mg/mL, respectively. Both extracts of Q. infectoria galls exhibited similar antibacterial activity against oral pathogens. Thus, the galls may be considered as effective phytotherapeutic agents for the prevention of oral pathogens

Infeksi Mycobacterium tuberculosis: data demografi dan perbandingan ujian kerentanan anti-tuberkulosis

Tuberkulosis merupakan masalah utama dalam kesihatan awam di kebanyakan negara membangun termasuklah Malaysia. Di Malaysia, bilangan kes kematian disebabkan tuberkulosis menurun tetapi yang membimbangkan adalah apabila terdapat peningkatan kes kerintangan Mycobacterium tuberculosis terhadap ubat-ubatan sedia ada. Dalam kajian ini, data demografik pesakit telah dianalisis dan kerintangan M. tuberculosis terhadap agen anti-tuberkulosis (Isoniazid, Streptomycin, Rifampicin dan Ethambutol) telah dikenal pasti dengan menggunakan ujian kerentanan plat MYCOTB. Sejumlah 40 pencilan klinikal M. tuberculosis yang dipencil daripada pesakit di PPUKM telah dipilih secara rawak. Dalam kalangan pesakit tuberkulosis, seramai 62.5% adalah lelaki (purata umur: 36.9+17.9 tahun) manakala 37.5% adalah wanita (purata umur: 42.6+16.6 tahun). Pesakit berbangsa Melayu mencatatkan peratusan tertinggi iaitu 60%, diikuti pesakit India 15%, Cina 5% dan lain-lain bangsa 20%. Pemencilan M. tuberculosis daripada sampel klinikal adalah masing-masing 60%, 17.5%, 7.5%, 7.5%, 5% dan 2.5% daripada kahak, aspirat trakea, nanah, darah, larvaj bronkoalveolar dan tisu. Ini berhubung kait dengan pesakit Tuberculosis yang majoritinya (67.5%) hadir dengan simptom batuk berpanjangan. Keputusan ujian kerentanan antara MYCOTB dan BACTEC MGIT 960 telah dibandingkan. Purata masa yang diperlukan untuk ujian kerentanan anti-TB menggunakan plat MYCOTB dan BACTEC MGIT 960 ialah masing-masing 2 dan 40.5 minit. Kos setiap sampel bagi plat MYCOTB dan BACTEC MGIT 960 adalah masing-masing RM16.65 dan RM42.87. Sebagai kesimpulan, berdasarkan data demografik, jangkitan TB dalam kalangan pesakit lelaki kaum Melayu adalah yang tertinggi sementara kahak merupakan spesimen yang paling banyak diterima. Penggunaan plat MYCOTB adalah lebih baik berbanding BACTEC MGIT 960 dan keputusan ujian kerentanan menunjukkan pencilan klinikal tersebut adalah 100% rentan kepada agen anti-TB yang diuji. Data yang diperoleh boleh digunakan sebagai maklumat dalam pengemaskinian panduan diagnosis dan rawatan TB pada masa hadapan

The assessment of 3-indole lactate as promising antimalarial agent fractionated from endophytic Streptomyces SUK10 in Shorea ovalis tree.

As the most threatening human parasitic disease, the malarial etiological agents were reported to be resistant against nearly all current antimalarial drugs. The endophytic Streptomyces that resides in plant generally have a huge potential as a source of novel bioactive compounds with medicinal and pharmaceutical properties. The objective of the study is to evaluate the antimalarial potential of bioactive compound fractionated from endophytic Streptomyces SUK10 isolated from the bark of Shorea ovalis tree against Plasmodium berghei NK65. The 1D 1H-13C, 2D 1H-1H NMR data and the comparison between AntiBase library, HR-LCMS analysis and antimalarial bioassay tests towards the crude extract of Streptomyces SUK10 evidenced that 3-indole lactate or 3-indole lactic acid (C11H11NO3) as a promising compound was involved in antimalarial activity. The four days suppression test (4DST) in male ICR strain mice (25-30 g, 6-8 weeks old) showed that 78.5 % of the inhibition rate by 3-indole lactate at 10 µg/kg body weight (bw) and 50 % of the treated mice had survived for more than 9 months post-infection. There was a positive relationship (p ≤ 0.05, n = 6) between the survival of the treated mice group and the ability to inhibit the parasites growth. The results for biochemical tests were significantly situated in the normal ranged and histologically, no abnormalities found on the selected vital organs. The findings in this study indicated that 3-indole lactate fractionated from endophytic Streptomyces SUK10 in the bark of Shorea ovalis tree has a stronger and promising antimalarial property as a new substance for antimalarial treatment

Presence of Salmonella spp. on beef carcasses and meat contact surfaces at local abattoirs in Selangor, Malaysia

Salmonella spp. is a pathogenic microbial contaminant in beef of worldwide importance. It has the ability to colonize the gastrointestinal tract of animals without producing any clinical sign. It may lead to infections in human when the contaminated meat was consumed. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the contamination of Salmonella spp. on beef carcasses and meat contact surfaces at selected abattoirs in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 152 swabs from beef carcasses (n = 104) and meat contact surfaces (n = 48) were collected from the selected abattoirs in October 2015 to June 2016. The collected samples were examined for total viable count and prevalence of Salmonella spp. Salmonella-positive samples were confirmed by routine biochemical tests and Gram staining. The results showed that all samples contained an average viable count of 4.56 ± 1.23 Log CFU/cm2. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 21.05% which beef carcasses and meat contact surfaces contributed 11.18% and 9.87%, respectively to the overall prevalence. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. on meat contact surfaces was higher than that on beef carcasses could be attributed to poor hygienic practices at the abattoirs. However, despite a lower prevalence of Salmonella spp. on the beef carcasses, beef could still be a potential vehicle for foodborne infections. This study suggests implementation of preventive measures and good hygienic practices at abattoirs in order to avoid cross-contamination on beef prepared for retail markets

The heterogeneic distribution of Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island reflects different pathologies in multiracial Malaysian population

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori harbouring cag-pathogenicity island (cagPAI) which encodes type IV secretion system (T4SS) and cagA virulence gene are involved in inflammation of the gastric mucosa. We examined all the 27 cagPAI genes in 88 H. pylori isolates from patients of different ethnicities and examined the association of the intactness of cagPAI region with histopathological scores of the gastric mucosa. RESULTS: 96.6% (n = 85) of H. pylori isolates were cagPAI-positive with 22.4% (19/85) having an intact cagPAI, whereas 77.6% (66/85) had a partial/rearranged cagPAI. The frequency of cag2 and cag14 were found to be significantly higher in H. pylori isolated from Malays, whereas cag4 was predominantly found in Chinese isolates. The cag24 was significantly found in higher proportions in Malay and Indian isolates than in Chinese isolates. The intactness of cagPAI region showed an association with histopathological scores of the gastric mucosa. Significant association was observed between H. pylori harbouring partial cagPAI with higher density of bacteria and neutrophil activity, whereas strains lacking cagPAI were associated with higher inflammatory score. CONCLUSIONS: The genotypes of H. pylori strains with various cagPAI rearrangement associated with patients’ ethnicities and histopathological scores might contribute to the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection in a multi-ethnic population

Commercial herbal slimming products: evaluation of heavy metals and microorganism contamination at different batch production

Herbal-based slimming products which are consumed orally may be contaminated with heavy metals as well as microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate the safety level of these slimming products by determining heavy metals and microbial contamination in different batch production. Six different brands of herbal-based slimming products (A, B, C, G, H and I) with three different batch productions (1, 2 and 3) were investigated (n =18). Five heavy metals Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper and Zinc were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The presence of microorganisms was determined by total aerobic count and the bacteria were identified. The samples’ moisture content was determined by calculating the percentage of water loss after drying process. All batches of samples A and B had high content of zinc, over the permissible level of 5ppm while, 6 samples contained Chromium above the permissible level (1.5 ppm). All 3 batches of sample A presented with the highest total daily intake of heavy metals. Bacteria were present in all the samples tested with the highest numbers in samples G, H and A followed by B, I and C. The highest number of fungi was found in product A while product I was free from fungal contamination. Aspergillus spp. was the predominant fungus present in the samples. There was a weak correlation between moisture content and bacteria (r = 0.087) and fungal (r = 0.253) presence in the samples. As some herbal slimming products contain heavy metals as well as microorganisms, consumers need to be more vigilant and discerning when selecting products to be consumed

Bioactive compounds fractionated from endophyte Streptomyces SUK 08 with promising ex-vivo antimalarial activity

Objective: To determine ex vivo antimalarial activity and cytotoxicity of endophytic Streptomyces SUK 08 as well as the main core structure fractionated from its crude extract. Methods: The activities of SUK 08 crude extract were evaluated by using the Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase assay and synchronization test against rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei, instead of human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The cytotoxicity of the crude extract was determined by MTT assay. The crude extract was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry. Results: The ethyl acetate crude extract showed very promising antimalarial activity with IC50 of 1.25 mg/mL. The synchronization tests showed that ethyl acetate extraction could inhibit all stages of the Plasmodium life cycle, but it was most effective at the Plasmodium ring stage. On the basis of a MTT assay on Chang Liver cells, ethyl acetate and ethanol demonstrated IC50 values of >1.0 mg/mL. The IC50 of parasitemia at 5% and 30% for this extract was lower than chloroquine. Thin-layer chromatography, with 1: 9 ratio of ethyl acetate: hexane, was used to isolate several distinct compounds. Based on gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry analysis, three core structures were identified as cyclohexane, butyl propyl ester, and 2,3-heptanedione. Structurally, these compounds were similar to currently available antimalarial drugs. Conclusions: The results suggest that compounds isolated from Streptomyces SUK 08 are viable antimalarial drug candidates that require further investigation

Gancidin W, a potential low-toxicity antimalarial agent isolated from an endophytic Streptomyces SUK10

Endophytic Streptomyces strains are potential sources for novel bioactive molecules. In this study, the diketopiperazine gancidin W (GW) was isolated sfrom the endophytic actinobacterial genus Streptomyces, SUK10, obtained from the bark of Shorea ovalis tree, and it was tested in vivo against Plasmodium berghei PZZ1/100. GW exhibited an inhibition rate of nearly 80% at 6.25 and 3.125 µg kg-1 body weight on day four using the 4-day suppression test method on male ICR strain mice. Comparing GW at both concentrations with quinine hydrochloride and normal saline as positive and negative controls, respectively, 50% of the mice treated with 3.125 µg kg-1 body weight managed to survive for more than 11 months after infection, which almost reached the life span of normal mice. Biochemical tests of selected enzymes and proteins in blood samples of mice treated with GW were also within normal levels; in addition, no abnormalities or injuries were found on internal vital organs. These findings indicated that this isolated bioactive compound from Streptomyces SUK10 exhibits very low toxicity and is a good candidate for potential use as an antimalarial agent in an animal model