Search results for " TOXIC"

Identification of New Antimicrobial Peptides from Mediterranean Medical Plant Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta

2020

The present work was designed to identify and characterize novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta, previously named Urginea maritima, is a Mediterranean plant, well-known for its biological properties in traditional medicine. Polypeptide-enriched extracts from different parts of the plant (roots, leaves and bulb), never studied before, were tested against two relevant pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With the aim of identifying novel natural AMPs, peptide fraction displaying antimicrobial activity (the bulb) that showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) equal to 30 &micro

Antibiotic Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria from Wild Captured Loggerhead Sea Turtles

2020

Sea turtles have been proposed as health indicators of marine habitats and carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, for their longevity and migratory lifestyle. Up to now, a few studies evaluated the antibacterial resistant flora of Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and most of them were carried out on stranded or recovered animals. In this study, the isolation and the antibiotic resistance profile of 90 Gram negative bacteria from cloacal swabs of 33 Mediterranean wild captured loggerhead sea turtles are described. Among sea turtles found in their foraging sites, 23 were in good health and 10 needed recovery for different health problems (hereafter named wea…

Draft genome sequence and biofilm production of a carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpR405) sequence type 405 strain isolated in Italy

2021

Rapid identification and characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains is essential to diagnose severe infections in patients. In clinical routine practice, K. pneumoniae is frequently identified and characterized for outbreak investigation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or multilocus sequence typing could be used, but, unfortunately, these methods are time-consuming, laborious, expensive, and do not provide any information about the presence of resistance and virulence genes. In recent years, the decreasing cost of next-generation sequencing and its easy use have led to it being considered a useful method, not only for outbreak surveillance but also for rapid ide…

The purine analogues abacavir and didanosine increase acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity by enhancing mitochondrial dysfunction

2016

Background NRTIs are essential components of HIV therapy with well-documented, long-term mitochondrial toxicity in hepatic cells, but whose acute effects on mitochondria are unclear. As acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity also involves mitochondrial interference, we hypothesized that it would be exacerbated in the context of ART. Methods We evaluated the acute effects of clinically relevant concentrations of the most widely used NRTIs, alone or combined with acetaminophen, on mitochondrial function and cellular viability. Results The purine analogues abacavir and didanosine produced an immediate and concentration-dependent inhibition of oxygen consumption and complex I and III activity. Th…

Bacteriophages: Protagonists of a Post-Antibiotic Era

2018

This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacteriophages: Alternatives to Antibiotics and Beyond.

Phages for biofilm removal

2020

This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage Therapy, Lysin Therapy, and Antibiotics, a Trio Due to Come.

2019

Aquaculture production has increased tremendously during the last decades, and new techniques have been developed, e.g., recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). In RAS, the majority of water volume is circulated via mechanical and biological filters and reused in the tanks. However, the prevention and treatment of diseases in these systems are challenging, as the pathogens spread throughout the system, and the addition of chemicals and antibiotics disrupts the microbiome of the biofilters. The increasing antibiotic resistance has made phage therapy a relevant alternative for antibiotics in food production. Indeed, as host-specific and self-replicating agent they might be optimal for target…

A New Water-Soluble Bactericidal Agent for the Treatment of Infections Caused by Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacterial Strains

2020

Grapefruit and lemon pectin obtained from the respective waste citrus peels via hydrodynamic cavitation in water only are powerful, broad-scope antimicrobials against Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. Dubbed IntegroPectin, these pectic polymers functionalized with citrus flavonoids and terpenes show superior antimicrobial activity when compared to commercial citrus pectin. Similar to commercial pectin, lemon IntegroPectin determined ca. 3-log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus cells, while an enhanced activity of commercial citrus pectin was detected in the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells with a minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 15 mg mL&minus

New Synthetic Nitro-Pyrrolomycins as Promising Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents

2020

: Pyrrolomycins (PMs) are polyhalogenated antibiotics known as powerful biologically active compounds, yet featuring high cytotoxicity. The present study reports the antibacterial and antitumoral properties of new chemically synthesized PMs, where the three positions of the pyrrolic nucleus were replaced by nitro groups, aiming to reduce their cytotoxicity while maintaining or even enhancing the biological activity. Indeed, the presence of the nitro substituent in diverse positions of the pyrrole determined an improvement of the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) against Gram-positive (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus) or -negative (i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) pathogen strains as compare…

Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Arcobacter spp. Recovered from Aquatic Environments

2021

Arcobacter spp. are emerging waterborne and foodborne zoonotic pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis in humans. In this work, we evaluated the occurrence and the antimicrobial resistance profile of Arcobacter isolates recovered from different aquatic sources. Besides, we searched for Arcobacter spp. in seaweeds and the corresponding seawater samples. Bacteriological and molecular methods applied to 100 samples led to the isolation of 28 Arcobacter isolates from 27 samples. The highest prevalence was detected in rivers followed by artificial ponds, streams, well waters, and spring waters. Seaweeds contained a higher percentage of Arcobacter than the corresponding seawater samples. The is…