International Journal of Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Microbial Profile of Fresh and Semicooked Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Hygienic Practice of Fish Handlers in Hawassa, Ethiopia","authors":"Fasika Admasu, Abraham Mikru, Kassaye Balkew, Million Adane","doi":"10.1155/2023/5866719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5866719","url":null,"abstract":"Despite its high nutritional quality, fish is a highly perishable food item. This study aimed at assessing the microbial quality and safety of fresh and semicooked Nile tilapia fish fillets and the food safety practices of fish handlers in Hawassa City. The microbial load of 40 for each of raw and semicooked fillet samples was estimated by the standard plate count method, and the dominant flora as well as common bacterial pathogens were identified following phenotypic procedures. Moreover, a survey was conducted to assess the hygienic conditions and food safety practices of 30 fish handlers. The mean microbial load of the raw fillet samples in log10CFUg−1 was 8.42 for aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMBC), 2.52 for total coliforms (TCC), and 3.41 for a count of staphylococci (CS). On the other hand, the respective parameters for the semicooked fillets in log10CFUg−1 were 6.68 (AMBC), 2.52 (TCC), and 3.17 (CS). The mean AMBC of all the fresh raw fillet samples exceeded the recommended maximum permissible limits. The mean SC of raw fillets from three of the eight vendors and one semicooked fillet were at a potentially hazardous level (>4 log units). Moreover, Salmonella species were isolated from 30% to 25% of raw and semicooked samples, respectively. The mesophilic bacterial flora of both types of samples was dominated by Bacillus species, Salmonella species, E coli, and Staphylococcus species. Most fish handlers did not practice hygienic food handling and lacked basic sanitation amenities like clean water and soap for hand washing. Moreover, nearly all the fish handlers did not have any formal education. These findings call for public health intervention measures like the provision of training in good hygienic practices and certification for fish vendors in the chain.","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134954378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is There a Real Relationship between the Presence of Helicobacter pylori in Dental Plaque and Gastric Infection? A Genotyping and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Study on Patient Specimens with Dyspepsia in Southwest Iran","authors":"Mojtaba Moosavian, Elyas Kushki, Tahereh Navidifar, Eskandar Hajiani, Mahdi Mandegari","doi":"10.1155/2023/1212009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1212009","url":null,"abstract":"Background. The oral cavity can act as an extra gastric reservoir for H. pylori, and the presence of the bacteria in the oral cavity is associated with a higher risk of dental caries development. This study aimed to determine the genotype and evaluate the association between the presence of H. pylori in dental plaque and gastric biopsy specimens in dyspeptic patients in Ahvaz, Southwest Iran. Methods. In this study, 106 patients with recruited dyspeptic complaints were selected, and from each patient, two gastric antral biopsy specimens and two dental plagues were examined. The presence of H. pylori was identified by the rapid urease test (RUT) and the amplification of ureAB and 16S rRNA genes. Also, to verify a hypothetical mouth-to-stomach infection route, the enzymatic digestions of three genes of cagA, vacA, and ureAB in H. pylori strains isolated from dental plaques and stomach samples were compared for each same case. Results. H. pylori was found in the stomach of 52.8% (56/106) and the dental plaques of 17.9% (19/106) of the studied cases. On the other hand, H. pylori was recognized in the stomach of all 19 cases with oral colonization. Following a combination of restriction fragment lengths 21 polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of these three known genes on stomach and dental plague samples, 14 and 11 unique patterns were seen, respectively. However, for all H. pylori-positive cases (19), the comparison of RLFP patterns of these genes in dental plaque and gastric biopsy specimens was different for the same case. Conclusions. In this study, it seems that there is no significant association between the presence of H. pylori in dental plaque and the stomach of the same case.","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135432933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial and Physicochemical Dynamics of Kocho, Fermented Food from Enset.","authors":"Dereba Workineh Seboka,&nbsp;Abay Tabor Bejiga,&nbsp;Debela Jufar Turunesh,&nbsp;Andualem Arimo Turito,&nbsp;Abayeneh Girma","doi":"10.1155/2023/6645989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6645989","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over 20 million Ethiopians depend on enset (<i>Ensete ventricosum</i>) as a staple or costaple food. \"Kocho,\" \"Bulla,\" and \"Amicho\" are the three main food types obtained from enset. This review aimed to summarize the physicochemical and microbial dynamics of kocho. It is the most common food obtained from the scraped pseudostem and decorticated corm of enset after a long period of fermentation. The quality of kocho depends on the maturity of the enset plant, the enset processing method, the fermentation period, and the dynamics of microorganisms during the fermentation process. Microorganisms play a significant role in kocho fermentation to enhance its nutritional quality, improve sensory properties, and reduce spoilage and disease-causing agents. The populations of microbes available in kocho fermentation include lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts and molds, and <i>Clostridium</i> spp., which have both positive and negative impacts on kocho quality. There is a visible variation in microbial dynamics during kocho fermentation caused by the fermentation period. As the fermentation day increases, species of LAB also increase, whereas counts of Enterobacteriaceae decrease. This is due to a decrease in pH, which leads to an increase in titratable acidity. Moisture content also slightly decreases as fermentation progresses. Dynamics in the microbial population and physicochemical parameters ensure the development of desirable qualities in kocho and enhance the acceptability of the final product. Organic acids (such as lactic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid), bacteriocins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins are bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms during Kocho fermentation. Further research is needed on the molecular identification of microorganisms during Kocho fermentation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10602703/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71412133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metataxonomic Characterization of Enriched Consortia Derived from Oil Spill-Contaminated Sites in Guimaras, Philippines, Reveals Major Role of <i>Klebsiella</i> sp. in Hydrocarbon Degradation.","authors":"Kiara Nicole D Rodriguez,&nbsp;Russel T Santos,&nbsp;Michael Joseph M Nagpala,&nbsp;Rina B Opulencia","doi":"10.1155/2023/3247448","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/3247448","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oil spills are major anthropogenic disasters that cause serious harm to marine environments. In the Philippines, traditional methods of rehabilitating oil-polluted areas were proven to be less efficient and cause further damage to the environment. Microbial degradation has poised itself to be a promising alternative to those traditional methods in remediating oil spills. Hence, the present study aimed to enrich and characterize hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortia from oil-contaminated regions in Guimaras Island for potential use in bioremediation. A total of 75 soil samples were obtained and used as inoculum for the enrichment for hydrocarbon degraders. Afterwards, 32 consortia were recovered and subjected to the 2,6-DCPIP assay for biodegradation ability on four types of hydrocarbons: diesel, xylene, hexane, and hexadecane. The consortia that obtained the highest percent degradation for each of the four hydrocarbons were \"B2\" (92.34% diesel degraded), \"A5\" (85.55% hexadecane degraded), \"B1\" (74.33% hexane degraded), and \"B7\" (63.38% xylene degraded). Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the dominant phyla in all consortia are Pseudomonadota (previously Proteobacteria), followed by Bacillota (previously Firmicutes). Overall, the amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) retrieved were mainly from the <i>Gammaproteobacteria</i> class, in which many hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are found. Predictive functional profiling of the consortium showed the presence of genes involved in the degradation of recalcitrant hydrocarbon pollutants. Fatty acid metabolism, which includes <i>alkB</i> (alkane-1-monooxygenase) and genes for beta oxidation, was inferred to be the most abundant amongst all hydrocarbon degradation pathways. <i>Klebsiella</i> sp. is the predominant ASV in all the sequenced consortia as well as the major contributor of hydrocarbon degradation genes. The findings of the study can serve as groundwork for the development of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortia for the bioremediation of oil spill-affected areas in the Philippines. Likewise, this paper provides a basis for further investigation into the role of <i>Klebsiella</i> sp. in the bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10545452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41118554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Papaverine Enhances the Oncolytic Effects of Newcastle Disease Virus on Breast Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.","authors":"Sura Akram,&nbsp;Ahmed Majeed Al-Shammari,&nbsp;Hayder B Sahib,&nbsp;Majid Sakhi Jabir","doi":"10.1155/2023/3324247","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/3324247","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breast cancer is a lethal disease in females worldwide and needs effective treatment. Targeting cancer cells with selective and safe treatment seems like the best choice, as most chemotherapeutic drugs act unselectively. Papaverine showed promising antitumor activity with a high safety profile and increased blood flow through vasodilation. At the same time, it was widely noticed that virotherapy using the Newcastle disease virus proved to be safe and selective against a broad range of cancer cells. Furthermore, combination therapy is favorable, as it attacks cancer cells with multiple mechanisms and enhances virus entrance into the tumor mass, overcoming cancer cells' resistance to therapy. Therefore, we aimed at assessing the novel combination of the AMHA1 strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and nonnarcotic opium alkaloid (papaverine) against breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo. <i>Methods.</i> In vitro experiments used two human breast cancer cell lines and one normal cell line and were treated with NDV, papaverine, and a combination. The study included a cell viability MTT assay, morphological analysis, and apoptosis detection. Animal experiments used the AN3 mouse mammary adenocarcinoma tumor model. Evaluation of the antitumor activity included growth inhibition measurement; the immunohistochemistry assay measured caspase protein expression. Finally, a semiquantitative microarray assay was used to screen changes in apoptotic proteins. In vitro, results showed that the combination therapy induces synergistic cytotoxicity and apoptosis against cancer cells with a negligible cytotoxic effect on normal cells. In vivo, combination treatment induced a significant antitumor effect with an obvious regression in tumor size and a remarkable and significant expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 compared to monotherapies. Microarray analysis shows higher apoptosis protein levels in the combination therapy group. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the role of papaverine in enhancing the antitumor activity of NDV, suggesting a promising strategy for breast cancer therapy through nonchemotherapeutic drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10504052/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10652901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibitory Potential of <i>Streptomyces</i> sp. G-18 Grown in Various Media.","authors":"G C Ashok,&nbsp;Suman Prakash Pradhan,&nbsp;Krishna Kumar Karki,&nbsp;Aakriti Khadka,&nbsp;Aishwarya Bhandari,&nbsp;Bishnu Prasad Pandey","doi":"10.1155/2023/6439466","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/6439466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Streptomyces</i> are bacteria well known for producing bioactive secondary metabolites which are commonly found in diverse habitats. The biosynthesis of metabolites from <i>Streptomyces</i> is influenced by various factors such as the growth medium, environmental conditions, and gene regulation. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different growth media on biomass production and the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential of a crude extract obtained from <i>Streptomyces</i> sp. G-18 isolated from high altitudinal soil of Nepal. The highest dry weight growth was observed in R2YE medium (184 mg/L), followed by R5 (144 mg/L), YEME (38 mg/L), and R5M media (30 mg/L). The crude extract showed notable antioxidant activities against free radicals. The highest alpha-amylase inhibition was observed in the R2YE medium, and worthy lipase and tyrosinase inhibition was observed in the YEME medium. However, only the R2YE medium exhibited inhibitory potential against elastase and acetylcholinesterase, while crude extracts from R5, YEME, and R5 modified did not show any such activity. Overall, our findings suggest that the production of bioactive secondary metabolites in <i>Streptomyces</i> sp. G-18 was significantly influenced by the growth medium. This strain may be a promising source of enzyme inhibitors with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10425256/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10003947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Throat Swab Culture Positivity and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Children 2-5 Years of Age Suspected of Bacterial Tonsillitis at Hargeisa Group of Hospitals, Somaliland: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Hamda Hussein Darod, Addisu Melese, Mulugeta Kibret, Wondemagegn Mulu","doi":"10.1155/2023/6474952","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/6474952","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tonsillitis is the third most frequently diagnosed infection in the pediatric age and is associated with significant morbidity and loss of school attendance. Throat swab cultures are useful for the confirmation of children with a clinically suspected tonsillitis. However, Somaliland is one of the underdeveloped countries with a low standard of sanitation and poor health seeking culture. Treatment of tonsillitis with antibiotics is irrational and not empirical. This study determined the bacterial throat swab culture positivity and antibiotic resistance profiles of the bacterial isolates among children 2-5 years of age with suspicion of tonsillitis at Hargeisa Group of Hospital, Somaliland.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2020. A total of 374 children from 2 to 5 years of age suspicion of tonsillitis was included using a convenient sampling method. Throat swabs were collected, and bacterial isolation and identification were done using standard bacteriological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the disk diffusion method. Data on demographic variables and clinical profiles were collected using structured questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was computed to identify factors associated with bacterial tonsillitis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 120 (32.1%) (95% CI 27.4-36.8%) of children were positive for bacterial throat cultures. Of these, 23 (19.2%) were mixed bacterial isolates. The most frequent bacterial isolates were beta-hemolytic streptococci 78 (55%), <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> 42 (29%), and <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> 10 (7%). Isolates revealed 83.3-100% rate of resistance to ampicillin. Beta-hemolytic streptococci isolates were 94.9% resistant to ampicillin. <i>S</i>. <i>aureus</i> was resistant to clarithromycin (38%) while <i>S</i>. <i>pneumoniae</i> isolates were 100% resistant to ampicillin. History of tonsillitis (AOR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.06-0.21), difficulty in swallowing (AOR = 6.99; 95% CI = 3.56-13.73), and attending schools (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.64-5.42) were found to be associated with positive throat culture.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Resistance to ampicillin and MDR among beta-hemolytic streptococci and other isolates of throat colonizers in children with clinically suspected of bacterial tonsillitis are major concerns in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Therefore, treatments of cases are recommended to be guided by regular culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to prevent complications of tonsillitis and associated antibiotic resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10098414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9322895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacterial Profile of External Ocular Infections, Its Associated Factors, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern among Patients Attending Karamara Hospital, Jigjiga, Eastern Ethiopia.","authors":"Tigist Abebe, Zelalem Teklemariam, Tadesse Shume, Surafel Mekuria, Kedir Urgesa, Fitsum Weldegebreal","doi":"10.1155/2023/8961755","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/8961755","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>External ocular infection is a global public health problem. Frequently, bacteria cause an ocular infection that ranges from morbidity to loss of vision. The increasing bacterial resistance in ocular infections leads to the risk of treatment failure with possibly serious consequences.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The study aimed to assess the bacterial profile of external ocular infections, their associated factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among patients admitted to Karamara hospital, Jigjiga, Eastern Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Institutional-basedcross-sectional study was conducted on 288 conveniently selected patients among patients admitted to Karamara hospital from May 1 to June 30, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The ocular sample was collected and cultured in the appropriate culture media and identified using a series of biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates was performed by using the disk diffusion method. Data were double entered onto EpiData version 3.1 then exported to SPSS version 20 and analyzed to calculate descriptive frequency and odds ratio, and <i>p</i> value ≤0.05 was taken as the significant value.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>The prevalence of bacterial infection in external ocular samples was 62.2% (95% CI: 56.6%, 68.4%). Out of the 179 isolates, the majority of the bacterial isolates (87.7%) were Gram-positive. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (53.1%) was the predominant isolate. Using soap for washing the face (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.95), having diabetes mellitus (AOR = 3.11; 95% CI: 1.45, 6.75), and history of hospitalization (AOR = 2.82; 95% CI: 1.44, 5.54) were significantly associated with external ocular infection. Most (95.5%) of the Gram-positive bacteria showed resistance to penicillin, but they were susceptible to vancomycin, clindamycin, and ciprofloxacin.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study showed a high prevalence of bacterial infections with the predominant isolate was <i>S. aureus</i>. Penicillin-resistant bacteria were identified among Gram-positive bacterial isolates. Soap usage, hospitalization, and diabetes mellitus were associated with the infection. Antibiotics that were susceptible to the specific bacteria should be used as a drug of choice and using soap for washing the face is advisable to protect against external ocular infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10023229/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9200574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Relation between ACE Gene Polymorphism and the Severity of COVID-19 Infection.","authors":"Yara El-Sayed Marei, Ahmed Abdallah Bayoumy, Hassnaa Mohamed Abulazm Nassar, Bassam Mansour, Asmaa Bakeir Hamady","doi":"10.1155/2023/4540287","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/4540287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which emerged in China at the end of 2019, rapidly spread worldwide. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene contains an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism that leads to a higher serum ACE level which is associated with several diseases and also with a high mortality rate in SARS. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the association between ACE gene polymorphism and the risk and severity of COVID-19 disease in patients. <i>Methodology</i>. Forty-five SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and another random control group of 45 healthy individuals were included. The detection of ACE I/D gene polymorphism in both groups was done by PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>53% of infected patients with SARS-CoV-2 had an ACE deletion/deletion genotype (D/D), 27% had an ACE deletion/insertion genotype (D/I), and 20% had an ACE insertion/insertion genotype (I/I). On the one hand, the D/D variant was significantly detected in the COVID-19 patients compared to the control subjects, whereas the I/I variant was significantly detected in the control subjects compared to the COVID-19 patients (<i>p</i> = 0.004). The D/D variant subgroup showed the lowest lymphocytic count compared to the D/I or I/I subgroups. In addition, the C-reactive protein was significantly higher and the oxygen saturation was significantly lower in patients with the D/D allele compared to the other subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ACE gene polymorphism, particularly the DD genotype, was observed to affect the severity of COVID-19 infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9833908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10534462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of Thermostable Cellulase from <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i> PANG L Isolated from the Himalayan Soil.","authors":"Manita Shyaula,&nbsp;Sunil Regmi,&nbsp;Deegendra Khadka,&nbsp;Ram Chandra Poudel,&nbsp;Agni Dhakal,&nbsp;Devesh Koirala,&nbsp;Jaishree Sijapati,&nbsp;Anjana Singh,&nbsp;Jyoti Maharjan","doi":"10.1155/2023/3615757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3615757","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to isolate, purify, and characterize a potential thermophilic cellulase-producing bacterium from the Himalayan soil. Eleven thermophilic bacteria were isolated, and the strain PANG L was found to be the most potent cellulolytic producer. Morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular characterization identified PANG L as <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i>. This is the first study on the isolation of thermostable cellulase-producing <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i> from the Himalayan soil. This bacterium was processed for the production of cellulase enzyme. The optimum conditions for cellulase production were achieved at 45°C after 48 h of incubation at pH 6.5 in media-containing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and yeast extract as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, in a thermo-shaker at 100 rpm. The enzyme was partially purified by 80% ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by dialysis, resulting in a 1.52-fold purification. The optimal activity of partially purified cellulase was observed at a temperature of 60°C and pH 5. The cellulase enzyme was stable within the pH ranges of 3-5 and retained 67% of activity even at 55°C. Cellulase activity was found to be enhanced in the presence of metal ions such as Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Ba²⁺. The enzyme showed the highest activity when CMC was used as a substrate, followed by cellobiose. The <i>K</i>_<i>m</i> and <i>V</i>_max values of the enzyme were 1.8 mg/ml and 10.92 <i>μ</i>g/ml/min, respectively. The cellulase enzyme obtained from <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i> PANG L had suitable catalytic properties for use in industrial applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":14098,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Microbiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10484656/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10220984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}