Detection of Vibrio cholerae in raw cockles (Anadara granosa) by polymerase chain reaction

Aimed of this study was to determine the presence of Vibrio cholerae in cockles (Anadara granosa) from different coasts in Malaysia and to measure the biosafety of V. cholerae in raw cockles at wet market in Malaysia using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with the most probable number (MPN) method. A total of 100 samples from 4 different wet markets in the West and East were examined for the presence of V. cholerae. The prevalence of V. cholerae between the two coasts was not significant different. In fact, the 74% of samples from West coast area was found positive while the 69% for samples collected in the East coast. West coast samples showed a prevalence of 60% for the wet market A=, 64% for B=, 88% for C= and 84% for the market D); East coast samples showed the same percentage with 72% for the wet markets E, F and H, followed by wet market G with 60%.With the MPN-PCR method, using 80 samples of raw cockles obtained from 4 wet markets, the occurrence of V. cholerae detected was of 95%. The frequency of V. cholerae in raw cockles obtained from wet market I and L was higher (100%) compared to other wet market (Wet market B=, 90%; Wet market C=, 95%).The density of V. cholerae detected in all samples ranged from 24000 MPN/g, but most of the samples (24 samples) were in category >24000 MPN/g concentration. V. cholerae was present in raw cockles in higher number. Hence, these results demonstrate the presence of pathogenic V.cholerae in cockles harvested and reveal the potential risk of illness associated with their consumption. This study will be the first biosafety assessment of V. choleare in raw cockles in Malaysia and it will provide significant insights about Malaysian scenario

A mini review : cholera outbreak via shellfish.

Problem statement: Food borne illness occurs all over the world. Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera which is spread by contaminated food, water or direct fecal contact with food handlers. There are also examples of sporadic outbreaks of illness attributed to raw products eaten unprocessed. Consequently, there was a widespread concern that food in international trade carries pathogenic microorganisms that could result in outbreaks of illness. Approach: A review was done on the role of shellfish and seafood in the transmission of cholera. Google, Pubmed and Scpus were used in preparation of this review. Results: This review clarified that shellfish is one of the main seafood sources for the transmission of cholera. In natural waters Vibrio cholerae can be presented in both free-living state or attached to copepods, zooplankter and algae. Vibrio cholerae can adhere strongly to the shellfish digestive tract and cannot be effectively removed by rinsing the shellfish or by depuration. Colonization or attachment of Vibrio cholerae to shellfish increased the resistance of these bacteria to heat, drying and low pH. Conclusion: Therefore, sea food in general and shellfish in particular provided suitable background for cholera outbreaks. Unfortunately, this mode of transmission was underestimated. Accordingly, proper cooking, storing and re-heating of foods before eating were considered as main safety measures for preventing food-borne transmission of cholera. It was recommended to reconsider this mode of transmission for cholera again as source of cholera epidemics

In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Angiogenic Activities of Panduratin A

Targeting angiogenesis has emerged as an attractive and promising strategy in anti-cancer therapeutic development. The present study investigates the anti-angiogenic potential of Panduratin A (PA), a natural chalcone isolated from Boesenbergia rotunda by using both in vitro and in vivo assays.PA exerted selective cytotoxicity on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with IC(50) value of 6.91 ± 0.85 µM when compared to human normal fibroblast and normal liver epithelial cells. Assessment of the growth kinetics by cell impedance-based Real-Time Cell Analyzer showed that PA induced both cytotoxic and cytostatic effects on HUVECs, depending on the concentration used. Results also showed that PA suppressed VEGF-induced survival and proliferation of HUVECs. Furthermore, endothelial cell migration, invasion, and morphogenesis or tube formation demonstrated significant time- and dose-dependent inhibition by PA. PA also suppressed matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) secretion and attenuated its activation to intermediate and active MMP-2. In addition, PA suppressed F-actin stress fiber formation to prevent migration of the endothelial cells. More importantly, anti-angiogenic potential of PA was also evidenced in two in vivo models. PA inhibited neo-vessels formation in murine Matrigel plugs, and angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos.Taken together, our study demonstrated the distinctive anti-angiogenic properties of PA, both in vitro and in vivo. This report thus reveals another biological activity of PA in addition to its reported anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities, suggestive of PA's potential for development as an anti-angiogenic agent for cancer therapy