In vitro antimicrobial activity of certain plant products / seed extracts against multidrug resistant Propionibacterium acnes, Malassezia furfur, and aflatoxin producing Aspergillus flavus

Seed extracts of five different plants viz. Phoenix sylvestris, Tamarindus indica, Syzygium cumini, Manilkara zapota, and Annona squamosa, prepared by microwave assisted extraction (MAE) method were screened for their antimicrobial activity against various human pathogenic microbes. Extraction efficiency ranged from 6-24%. Antimicrobial activity of seed extracts was investigated against three yeasts (Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisae, Malassezia furfur), one mold (Aspergillus flavus) and one anaerobic bacterium (Propionibacterium acnes) by broth dilution assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. Methanolic extract of T. indica and S. cumini inhibited 60% of test organisms. Amongst the microorganisms tested, the most resistant was found to be C. albicans and the most susceptible was M. furfur. Effect of eight seed extracts on aflatoxin production by A. flavus was also investigated. Ethanolic extract of A. squamosa caused 100% inhibition of aflatoxin production at 500 µg/mL

A Scientific Roadmap for Antibiotic Discovery: A Sustained and Robust Pipeline of New Antibacterial Drugs and Therapies is Critical to Preserve Public Health

In recent decades, the discovery and development of new antibiotics have slowed dramatically as scientific barriers to drug discovery, regulatory challenges, and diminishing returns on investment have led major drug companies to scale back or abandon their antibiotic research. Consequently, antibiotic discovery—which peaked in the 1950s—has dropped precipitously. Of greater concern is the fact that nearly all antibiotics brought to market over the past 30 years have been variations on existing drugs. Every currently available antibiotic is a derivative of a class discovered between the early 1900s and 1984.At the same time, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has accelerated, giving rise to life-threatening infections that will not respond to available antibiotic treatment. Inevitably, the more that antibiotics are used, the more that bacteria develop resistance—rendering the drugs less effective and leading public health authorities worldwide to flag antibiotic resistance as an urgent and growing public health threat

A Peculiar Presentation of Cardiac Sarcoidosis As Third-Degree Atrioventricular Heart Block Complicated By Right Ventricle Perforation

• Cardiac sarcoidosis is a rare, inflammatory multisystem disorder that manifests as noncaseating granulomas of multiple organs. • The clinical presentation of sarcoidosis is variable and may be underrecognized by clinicians. • Individuals may be asymptomatic during their lifetimes and may be incidentally diagnosed with the disease for the first-time during autopsy. • Patients with cardiac involvement of sarcoidosis may initially present with complications including arrhythmias, heart block, bundle branch block, congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion, pulmonary hypertension, and/or sudden cardiac death

Comparison of the spatial QRS-T angle derived from digital ECGs recorded using conventional electrode placement with that derived from Mason-Likar electrode position

Background: The spatial QRS-T angle is ideally derived from orthogonal leads. We compared the spatial QRS-T angle derived from orthogonal leads reconstructed from digital 12-lead ECGs and from digital Holter ECGs recorded with the Mason-Likar (M-L) electrode positions. Methods and results: Orthogonal leads were constructed by the inverse Dower method and used to calculate spatial QRS-T angle by (1) a vector method and (2) a net amplitude method, in 100 volunteers. Spatial QRS-T angles from standard and M-L ECGs differed significantly (57° ± 18° vs 48° ± 20° respectively using net amplitude method and 53° ± 28° vs 48° ± 23° respectively by vector method; p < 0.001). Difference in amplitudes in leads V4–V6 was also observed between Holter and standard ECGs, probably due to a difference in electrical potential at the central terminal. Conclusion: Mean spatial QRS-T angles derived from standard and M-L lead systems differed by 5°–9°. Though statistically significant, these differences may not be clinically significant

Anti-infective potential of hydroalcoholic extract of Punica granatum peel against gram-negative bacterial pathogens [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Background: Punica granatum extracts have been prescribed in traditional medicine for management of a variety of disease conditions including microbial infections. Generation of scientific evidence for validation of P. granatum peel extract’s anti-pathogenic efficacy is required. Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract of P. granatum peel (PGPE), prepared by microwave assisted extraction method was evaluated for its quorum-modulatory potential against two different human-pathogenic bacteria viz. Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results: This extract was able to modulate in vitro production of quorum sensing-regulated pigments in both these test bacteria at ≥5 μg/ml. Virulence traits of P. aeruginosa like haemolytic activity, and biofilm formation were negatively affected by the test extract, and it also made P. aeruginosa more susceptible to lysis by human serum. Antibiotic susceptibility of both test bacteria was modulated owing to pre-treatment with PGPE. Exposure of these test pathogens to PGPE (≥0.5 μg/ml) effectively reduced their virulence towards the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Repeated subculturing of P. aeruginosa on PGPE-supplemented growth medium did not induce resistance to PGPE in this notorious pathogen, and this extract was also found to exert a post-extract effect on P. aeruginosa. Individual constituent phytocompounds of PGPE were found to be less efficacious than the whole extract. PGPE seemed to interfere with the signal-response machinery of P. aeruginosa and C. violaceum. PGPE also exhibited notable prebiotic potential by promoting growth of probiotic strains- Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus plantarum at ≤50 μg/ml. Conclusions: This study indicates PGPE to be an effective antipathogenic and prebiotic preparation, and validates its therapeutic use mentioned in traditional medicine. This study also emphasizes the need for testing any bioactive extract at broadest possible concentration range, particularly in vivo, so that an accurate picture of dose-response relationship can emerge

Prophylactic potential of a Panchgavya formulation against certain pathogenic bacteria [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

A Panchgavya preparation was evaluated for its prophylactic efficacy against bacterial infection, employing the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host. Worms fed with the Panchgavya preparation prior to being challenged with pathogenic bacteria had a better survival rate against four out of five test bacterial pathogens, as compared to the control worms. Panchgavya feeding prior to bacterial challenge was found to be most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in 27% (p=0.0001) better worm survival. To the best of our awareness, this is the first report demonstrating in vivo prophylactic efficacy of Panchgavya mixture against pathogenic bacteria

Antipathogenic Potential of a Polyherbal Wound-Care Formulation (Herboheal) against Certain Wound-Infective Gram-Negative Bacteria

This study investigated antipathogenic efficacy of a polyherbal wound-healing formulation Herboheal against three multidrug-resistant strains of gram-negative bacterial pathogens associated with wound infections. Herboheal was evaluated for its quorum-modulatory potential against three different human-pathogenic bacteria, first in vitro through the broth dilution assay and then in vivo in the model host Caenorhabditis elegans. Herboheal at ≥0.1% v/v was able to inhibit (19–55%) in vitro production of quorum sensing-regulated pigments in all these bacteria and seemed to interfere with bacterial quorum sensing by acting as a signal-response inhibitor. This formulation could compromise haemolytic activity of all three bacteria by ∼18–69% and induced their catalase activity by ∼8–21%. Herboheal inhibited P. aeruginosa biofilm formation up to 40%, reduced surface hydrophobicity of P. aeruginosa cells by ∼9%, and also made them (25%) more susceptible to lysis by human serum. Antibiotic susceptibility of all three bacteria was modulated owing to pretreatment with Herboheal. Exposure of these test pathogens to Herboheal (≥0.025% v/v) effectively reduced their virulence towards the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Repeated subculturing of P. aeruginosa on the Herboheal-supplemented growth medium did not induce resistance to Herboheal in this mischievous pathogen, and this polyherbal extract was also found to exert a post-extract effect on P. aeruginosa, wherein virulence of the Herboheal-unexposed daughter cultures, of the Herboheal-exposed parent culture, was also found to be attenuated. Overall, this study indicates Herboheal formulation to be an effective antipathogenic preparation and validates its indicated traditional therapeutic use as a wound-care formulation