Disinfectant as Removal Agent of the Pre-Formed Biofilm by Staphylococcus sp. Isolated from Dental Clinics in Taif, KSA

Background and purpose: Staphylococcus sp. are pathogenic bacteria widely investigated for its high incidence in clinical environments and its ability to form strong biofilms. The biofilm-related infections can resist several antimicrobial agents; therefore, the therapy of these infections may face difficulties. The aim of this study is to identify staphylococcal bacteria isolated from dental clinics, evaluate the effect of some disinfectants on removing the preformed biofilms and to demonstrate the adhesion of cells on the surfaces of some materials used for manufacturing the dental material using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Material and Methods: Out of 70 different swabs, 12 Staphylococcal isolates were recovered. All isolates were subjected to 13 antimicrobial agents to test their sensitivity. The biofilm established isolates, as well as the effect of some disinfectant as removal agents of the preformed biofilm were estimated using microtiter plate (MtP) test. SEM was used for demonstrating biofilm formation by the tested isolates on stainless steel and rubber surfaces. Results: Of 12 Staphylococcus isolates, 33.3, 16.6 and 50% were shown strong, moderate and weak biofilm producers, respectively. Adhesions of the preformed biofilm were found to be reduced in the presence of betadine and sodium bicarbonate. Captured photographs by SEM confirmed the capability of biofilm formation by S. aureus H3 and S. hominis M0401 on stainless steel and rubber surfaces. Conclusion: the effective preventive strategies for infection control are essential to prevent staphylococcal infections in the dental clinics. This study reveals effective antibiofilm agents as betadine and sodium bicarbonate

S434F in NrdE Generates the Thermosensitive Phenotype of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes CH31 and Enhances Thermolability by Increasing the Surface Hydrophobicity of the NrdE(Ts) Protein

The thermosensitive phenotype of strain CH31, a derivative of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes ATCC 6872, was allocated by cloning, sequencing, and genetic complementation to a single C→T exchange in the nrdE (nucleotide reduction) gene at nucleotide 1301. Protein modeling indicates the impaired surface hydrophobicity of NrdE(Ts) due to the S434F transition

Molecular characterization of ochratoxigenic fungi associated with poultry feedstuffs in Saudi Arabia

Fungal and mycotoxins contamination of food and poultry feeds can occur at each step along the chain from grain production, storage, and processing. A total of 200 samples comprising of mixed poultry feedstuffs (n = 100) and their ingredients (n = 100) were collected from Riyadh, Alhassa, Qassium, and Jeddah cities in Saudi Arabia. These samples were screened for contamination by fungi. Penicillium chrysogenum was the predominant species taking into its account and frequency, respectively, in both mixed poultry feedstuff and barley samples (4,561.9 and 687 fungal colony-forming units (CFU)/g) and (66% and 17%). Moisture content was an important indicator for the count of fungi and ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin analysis of plate cultures was performed by a HPLC technique. Sample of mixed poultry feedstuff which was collected from Jeddah displayed the highest level of ochratoxin (14.8 µg/kg) and moisture content (11.5%). Corn grains samples were highly contaminated by ochratoxin A (450 and 423 µg/kg) and recorded the highest moisture contents (14.1 and 14.5%). Ochratoxin A production in fungal species isolated from mixed poultry feedstuff samples were high with P. verrucosum (5.5 μg/kg) and A. niger (1.1 μg/kg). In sorghum and corn grains, the highest ochratoxins producing species were P. viridicatum (5.9 μg/kg) and A. niger (1.3 μg/kg), respectively. Sixty-three isolates of A. niger were ochratoxigenic, and all of them showed the presence of pks genes using PKS15C-MeT and PKS15KS primer pairs. The detection technique of A. niger in poultry feedstuff samples described in the present study was successfully used as a rapid and specific protocol for early detection of A. niger without cultivation on specific media

The Anti-Fasciolasis Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Trichoderma harzianum and Their Improvement of the Anti-Fasciolasis Drug Triclabendazole

Recently, new strains of Fasciola demonstrated drug resistance, which increased the need for new drugs or improvement of the present drugs. Nanotechnology is expected to open some new opportunities to fight and prevent diseases using an atomic scale tailoring of materials. The ability to uncover the structure and function of biosystems at the nanoscale, stimulates research leading to improvement in biology, biotechnology, medicine and healthcare. The size of nanomaterials is similar to that of most biological molecules and structures; therefore, nanomaterials can be useful for both in vivo and in vitro biomedical research and applications. Therefore, this work aimed to isolate fungal strains from Taif soil samples, which have the ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The fungus Trichoderma harzianum, when challenged with silver nitrate solution, accumulated silver nanoparticles (AgNBs) on the surface of its cell wall in 72 h. These nanoparticles, dislodged by ultrasonication, showed an absorption peak at 420 nm in a UV-visible spectrum, corresponding to the plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. The transmission electron micrographs of dislodged nanoparticles in aqueous solution showed the production of reasonably monodisperse silver nanoparticles (average particle size: 4.66 nm) by the fungus. The percentage of non hatching eggs treated with the Triclabendazole drug was 69.67%, while this percentage increased to 89.67% in combination with drug and AgNPs

Utilization of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from Agaricus bisporus extract for food safety application: synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial efficacy, and toxicological assessment

Abstract The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in foodborne bacterial pathogens has raised significant concerns in the food industry. This study explores the antimicrobial potential of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from Agaricus bisporus (Mushroom) against foodborne bacterial pathogens. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized using various techniques, including UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential analysis. The antibacterial activity of the AgNPs was tested against a panel of foodborne bacterial strains, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated on normal human skin fibroblasts. Among the tested strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 showed the highest sensitivity with an inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 48 mm, while Klebsiella quasipneumoniae ATTC 700603 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 displayed the highest resistance with IZDs of 20 mm. The silver cations released by AgNPs demonstrated strong bactericidal effects against both Gram-positive (G + ve) and Gram-negative (G − ve) bacteria, as evidenced by the minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC/MIC) ratio. Moreover, cytotoxicity testing on normal human skin fibroblasts (HSF) indicated that AgNPs derived from the mushroom extract were safe, with a cell viability of 98.2%. Therefore, AgNPs hold promise as an alternative means to inhibit biofilm formation in the food industry sector