Fungal endophytes, symbiotic microorganisms residing within plants, are renowned for producing bioactive secondary metabolites with diverse beneficial properties. We investigated the antimicrobial potential of fungal endophytes isolated from , an invasive weed, against clinically significant bacterial pathogens. Selected fungal endophytes (, sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe efficacy of 23 bacterial isolates obtained from surface-sterilized stems and leaves of three medicinal plants ( Miller, , and ) was investigated in an endeavour to prevent the growth of using the cross-streak method. Endophytes were isolated by incubating sterile plant materials on nutrient agar at 30 °C for 5 days. Two isolates showing activity were subsequently utilized to produce the extracts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a fermented food product from maize, commonly consumed in Southern Africa. This study investigated the effect of optimizing fermentation (time and temperature) and boiling time of white maize (WM) and yellow maize (YM) , with the use of the Box-Behnken-response surface methodology (RSM). Fermentation time and temperature as well as boiling time were optimized and pH, total titratable acidity (TTA) and total soluble solids (TSS) determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The emerging of antimicrobial resistance has become a problem as it is threatening public health worldwide.
Objectives: To extract crude extracts from three different medicinal plants, test activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and screen for phytochemicals of those that showed activity against the targeted bacteria.
Methods: KirkiaacuminataOliv.
Bacterial secondary metabolites play a major role in the alleviation of diseases; however, the cytotoxicity of other metabolites cannot be ignored as such metabolites could be detrimental to human cells. Three strains , and were used in the experiments. These strains are well known to cause hospital and community-acquired infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioelectrochemistry
October 2022
The study explored the combined photosynthetic activities of two green microalgal species, Tetradesmus obliquus and Tetradesmus reginae, on an integrated biophotovoltaic (BPV) platform for simultaneous wastewater treatment, toxic metal biosorption, carbon biofixation, bioelectricity generation and biodiesel production. The experimental setup comprised of a dual-chambered BPV with copper anode surrounded by T. obliquus in BG11 media, and copper cathode with T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
February 2022
Brucellosis is a widespread zoonotic illness, and it poses serious public health and economic risks. The purpose of this investigation is to look at the antimicrobial susceptibility of unpasteurized milk, blood, and lymph node specimens from cattle, goats, and sheep, as well as to identify virulence-associated genes. In this investigation, a total of 123 isolates were examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSCUBA divers are predisposed to otitis externa caused by which is becoming increasingly multi-drug resistant (MDR). The present work assessed the antibiotic resistance profiles of obtained from SCUBA divers and their environment in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. Bacterial isolates from a total of 137 random water and ear swab samples were identified using biochemical and molecular methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to investigate the kinetics of phenolic compound modification during the fermentation of maize flour at different times. Maize was spontaneously fermented into sourdough at varying times (24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h) and, at each point, the pH, titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), phenolic compounds (flavonoids such as apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, and taxifolin) and phenolic acids (caffeic, gallic, ferulic, -coumaric, sinapic, and vanillic acids) were investigated. Three kinetic models (zero-, first-, and second-order equations) were used to determine the kinetics of phenolic modification during the fermentation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe data presented in this study represents the profile of metabolites of germinated Bambara groundnut flour (GBF) and starch (GBS) extracted using two different extraction solvents. Bambara groundnuts obtained from a local agro market in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria were germinated at 28 ± 1°C for 24, 48 and 72 h, dried and then processed into flour and starch. Raw Bambara groundnuts (0 h) were also processed into flour and starch and served as controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEntomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are known to be highly pathogenic to insect pests, due to their associated symbiotic bacteria, which produce virulence factors, exo-enzymes and other harmful secondary metabolites to conquer, kill, and degrade their insect hosts. However, these properties are not fully characterized. This study reports on the antimicrobial activities of sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe genome sequences of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) bacteria and their functional analyses can lead to the genetic engineering of the bacteria for use as biocontrol agents. The bacterial symbiont Photorhabdus heterorhabditis strain ETL isolated from an insect pathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis zealandica strain ETL, collected in the northernmost region of South Africa was studied to reveal information that can be useful in the design of improvement strategies for both effective and liquid production method of EPN-based pesticides. The strain ETL genome was found closely related to the type strain genome of P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Since ancient times medicinal plants have been used as medicine in many parts of the world to promote human health and longevity. In recent years many novel secondary metabolites of plants have been isolated and reported to provide lead compounds for new drug discoveries. Solanum mauritianum Scopoli is native to South America.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe physical properties and water absorption kinetics of three varieties of Mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriens, Mucuna rajada and Mucuna veracruz) were determined in this study. Physical properties including length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, porosity, bulk density, area, volume and one thousand seed mass were calculated while hydration kinetics was studied by soaking Mucuna beans in water at 30 °C, 40 °C and 50 °C and measuring water uptake at 9 h interval. Peleg's equation was used to model the hydration characteristics and Arrhenius equation was used to describe the effect of temperature on Peleg's rate constant k and to obtain the activation energies for soaking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabolomics is a high precision analytical approach to obtaining detailed information of varieties of metabolites produced in biological systems, including foods. This study reviews the use of metabolomic approaches such as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), matrix assisted laser desorption /ionization tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for investigating the presence of foodborne pathogens and their metabolites. Pathogenic fungi and their notable metabolites (mycotoxins) have been studied more extensively using metabolomics as compared to bacteria, necessitating further studies in this regard.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study isolated and identified endophytic bacteria from the leaves of and investigated the potential of the bacterial endophyte extracts as antibacterial and anticancer agents and their subsequent secondary metabolites. Ethyl acetate extracts from the endophytes and the leaves (methanol: dichloromethane (1 : 1)) were used for antibacterial activity against selected pathogenic bacterial strains by using the broth microdilution method. The anticancer activity against the U87MG glioblastoma and A549 lung carcinoma cells was determined by the MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxy-phenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Foodborne diseases (FBD) caused by resistant pathogens are a global public health problem. One main driver of the increasing FBD incidence is the transfer of pathogenic organisms from animal guts to carcasses during processing and subsequent transfer from meat products to consumers.
Methods: In this study, meat samples from abattoirs in the formal meat sector (FMS) ( = 140) and slaughter points in the informal meat sector (IMS) ( = 104) were collected for microbial detection and phenotypic AMR determination using polymerase chain reaction.
Compliance of the effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to the regulatory standards, which mostly entail the removal/reduction of organic waste and deactivation of the potential microbial pathogens is of great importance. The detection of indicator parameters can be used to determine the effectiveness of a WWTP and the level of compliance with the South African regulatory standards. The performance of the WWTP was assessed by biological, physical and chemical measures in wastewater final effluent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTuberculosis (TB) is an ongoing public health care, with the state of affairs exacerbated by the growth of anti-TB drug-resistant forms in South Africa. Not much attention is given to zoonotic TB. Thus, this study aimed to determine the presence of rpoB mutations among Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates of lymph nodes from slaughtered cattle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to characterise antibiotics resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from the formal meat sector (FMS) and informal meat sectors (INMS).
Method: A total of 162 and 102 E. coli isolates from the FMS, and INMS respectively were isolated by standard culture-based, and biochemical reactions.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
January 2020
Plant endophytes are microbial sources of bioactive secondary metabolites, which mimic the natural compounds chemistry of their respective host plants in a similar manner. This study explored the isolation and identification of fungal endophytes, and investigated the antibacterial and antimycobacterial activity of their crude extracts. Fungal endophytes were isolated from , identified using morphological traits and internal transcribed spacer ribosomal-deoxyribonucleic acid (ITS-rDNA) sequence analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug-resistant tuberculosis prevalence is still a global challenge. Making it imperative to examine the molecular epidemiology of drug resistant tuberculosis. Molecular epidemiology methods can evaluate transmission patterns and risk factors, ascertain transmission cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and furthermore determine transmission patterns in a human populace.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Complement Altern Med
November 2019
Background: Endophytic fungi are a proven source of bioactive secondary metabolites that may provide lead compounds for novel drug discovery. In this study, crude extracts from fungal endophytes isolated from Datura stramonium were evaluated for cytotoxic activity on two human cancer cell lines.
Methods: Fungal endophytes were isolated from surface sterilized aerial parts of D.
The results from this study revealed that crude extracts isolated from bacterial endophytes obtained from Crinum macowanii bulbs showed activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, while Acinetobacter guillouiae crude extracts displayed anticancer activity. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bacterial endophytes and their crude extracts from C. macowanii bulbs.
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