SPR and Double Resonance LPG Biosensors for BabA Antigen Detection.

Given the medical and social significance of infection, timely and reliable diagnosis of the disease is required. The traditional invasive and non-invasive conventional diagnostic techniques have several limitations. Recently, opportunities for new diagnostic methods have appeared based on the recent advance in the study of outer membrane proteins and their identified receptors.

Photodynamic Inactivation of Bovine Coronavirus with the Photosensitizer Toluidine Blue O.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to the group of enveloped positive-sense single-strand RNA viruses and are causative agents of respiratory, gastro-intestinal, and central nervous systems diseases in many host species, i.e., birds, mammals, and humans.

In Vitro Study of the Biological Potential of Wastewater Obtained after the Distillation of Four Bulgarian Oil-Bearing Roses.

The wastewater after rose oil distillation is usually discharged into the drainage systems and it represents a serious environmental problem. While being rich in polyphenols, which have beneficial biological activity and application in the pharmaceutical industry, limited research has been carried out about the biological activity of the specific wastewaters per se. Wastewaters after distillation of the four Bulgarian oil-bearing roses Mill.

Photodynamic Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant and Sensitive with Peripheral Pd(II)- vs. Zn(II)-Phthalocyanines.

The antimicrobial multidrug resistance (AMR) of pathogenic bacteria towards currently used antibiotics has a remarkable impact on the quality and prolongation of human lives. An effective strategy to fight AMR is the method PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT). PDT is based on a joint action of a photosensitizer, oxygen, and light within a specific spectrum.

Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Isolated from Swine Faeces and Lagoons in Bulgaria.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide health problem affecting humans, animals, and the environment within the framework of the "One Health" concept. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of pathogenic strains of the species (), their AMR profile, and biofilm-forming potential. The isolated strains from three swine faeces and free lagoons (ISO 16654:2001/Amd 1:2017) were confirmed using Phoenix M50 and 16S rDNA PCR.

Impact of water-soluble zwitterionic Zn(II) phthalocyanines against pathogenic bacteria.

The photodynamic impact of water-soluble zwitterionic zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc1-4) was studied on pathogenic bacterial strains after specific light exposure (LED 665 nm). The structural differences between the studied ZnPc1-4 are in the positions and the numbers of substitution groups as well as in the bridging atoms (sulfur or oxygen) between substituents and macrocycle. The three peripherally substituted compounds (ZnPc1-3) are tetra-2-(N-propanesulfonic acid)oxypyridine (ZnPc1), tetra-2-(N-propanesulfonic acid)mercaptopyridine (ZnPc2), and octa-substituted 2-(N-propanesulfonic acid)mercaptopyridine (ZnPc3).

Quaternized Zn(II) phthalocyanines for photodynamic strategy against resistant periodontal bacteria.

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) has been featured as an effective strategy in the treatment of acute drug-resistant infections. The efficiency of PDI was evaluated against three periodontal pathogenic bacteria that were tested as drug-resistant strains. In vitro studies were performed with four water-soluble cationic Zn(II) phthalocyanines (ZnPc1-4) and irradiation of a specific light source (light-emitting diode, 665 nm) with three doses (15, 36 and 60 J/cm2).

Photodynamic Effect of some Phthalocyanines on Enveloped and Naked Viruses.

Activity of three photosensitizing phthalocyanine derivatives was tested for photodynamic inactivation towards two coated and two non-enveloped viruses - bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), influenza virus A(H3N2), poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) and human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV5). In the case of coated viruses, a combination of virucidal and irradiation effects was registered by octa-methylpyridyloxy-substituted Ga phthalocyanine (Ga8) toward BVDV, whereas tetra-methylpyridyloxy-substituted Ga phthalocyanine (Ga4) revealed a marked photoinactivation only. No such effect was observed towards influenza A virus.

The common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) pectic polysaccharides modulate phagocytic leukocytes and intestinal Peyer's patch cells.

Two pectic (chPS-L1, chPS-L2) and one polyphenolic (chPP-L) fractions were obtained from lavender flowers after boiling water extraction, exhaustive removing of alcohol-soluble molecules and SEC. chPS-L1 (52.4kDa) contains mainly low-acetylated and high-methoxylated homogalacturonans (HG), and smaller rhamnogalacturonan (RG) I backbone fragments rich in 1,3,5-branched arabinan and arabinogalactan (AG) II side chains.

Axially substituted silicon(IV) phthalocyanine and its quaternized derivative as photosensitizers towards tumor cells and bacterial pathogens.

Axially di-(alpha,alpha-diphenyl-4-pyridylmethoxy) silicon(IV) phthalocyanine (3) and its quaternized derivative (3Q) were synthesized and tested as photosensitizers against tumor and bacterial cells. These new phthalocyanines were characterized by elemental analysis, and different spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR, UV-Vis, MALDI-TOF and H NMR. The photophysical properties such as absorption and fluorescence, and the photochemical properties such as singlet oxygen generation of both phthalocyanines were investigated in solutions.

Virus inactivation under the photodynamic effect of phthalocyanine zinc(II) complexes.

Various metal phthalocyanines have been studied for their capacity for photodynamic effects on viruses. Two newly synthesized water-soluble phthalocyanine Zn(II) complexes with different charges, cationic methylpyridyloxy-substituted Zn(II)- phthalocyanine (ZnPcMe) and anionic sulfophenoxy-substituted Zn(II)-phthalocyanine (ZnPcS), were used for photoinactivation of two DNA-containing enveloped viruses (herpes simplex virus type 1 and vaccinia virus), two RNA-containing enveloped viruses (bovine viral diarrhea virus and Newcastle disease virus) and two nude viruses (the enterovirus Coxsackie B1, a RNA-containing virus, and human adenovirus 5, a DNA virus). These two differently charged phthalocyanine complexes showed an identical marked virucidal effect against herpes simplex virus type 1, which was one and the same at an irradiation lasting 5 or 20 min (Δlog=3.

Photodynamic inactivation of pathogenic species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans with lutetium (III) acetate phthalocyanines and specific light irradiation.

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a light-associated therapeutic approach suitable for treatment of local acute infections. The method is based on specific light-activated compound which by specific irradiation and in the presence of molecular oxygen produced molecular singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species, all toxic for pathogenic microbial cells. The study presents photodynamic impact of two recently synthesized water-soluble cationic lutetium (III) acetate phthalocyanines (LuPc-5 and LuPc-6) towards two pathogenic strains, namely, the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a fungus Candida albicans.

Antimicrobial photodynamic efficiency of novel cationic porphyrins towards periodontal Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

The Gram-negative Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Fusobacterium nucleatum are major causative agents of aggressive periodontal disease. Due to increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antimicrobial Photodynamic therapy (aPDT) seems to be a plausible alternative. In this work, photosensitization was performed on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in pure culture using new-age cationic porphyrins, namely mesoimidazolium-substituted porphyrin derivative (ImP) and pyridinium-substituted porphyrin derivative (PyP).

Effects of pectic polysaccharides isolated from leek on the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by phagocytes.

The current survey investigates the effect of four polysaccharides isolated from fresh leek or alcohol insoluble substances (AIS) of leek on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) from phagocytes. The ability of the polysaccharides to activate serum complement was also investigated. Despite the lack of antioxidant activity, the pectic polysaccharides significantly decreased the production of ROS by human neutrophils.

Photodynamic efficacy of water-soluble Si(IV) and Ge(IV) phthalocyanines towards Candida albicans planktonic and biofilm cultures.

Water-soluble phthalocyanine complexes of silicon (SiPc1) and germanium (GePc1) were synthesized. The absorbance of SiPc1 in water was with minor aggregation while GePc1 strongly aggregated in water. The fluorescence data in water showed low quantum yields of 0.

Non-aggregated Ga(III)-phthalocyanines in the photodynamic inactivation of planktonic and biofilm cultures of pathogenic microorganisms.

Visible light-absorbing cationic water-soluble gallium(III) phthalocyanines (GaPcs) peripherally substituted with four and eight methylpyridyloxy groups were synthesized and investigated as antimicrobial photodynamic sensitizers. The inserted large gallium ion in the phthalocyanine ligand is axially substituted by one hydroxyl group which prevents aggregation of the complexes in aqueous solution. The cellular uptake and the photodynamic activity for the representative strains of the Gram positive bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and Enterococcus faecalis, of the Gram negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and of the fungus Candida albicans in planktonic phase were studied.

Composition and properties of biologically active pectic polysaccharides from leek (Allium porrum).

Background: Leek (Allium porrum) is very commonly used vegetable in Bulgaria and is distinctive with high content of bioactive components. Previously we obtained five crude pectic polysaccharides from leek through consecutive extraction. Some of them appeared to be good stimulators of the immune system.

Photodynamic inactivation of Aeromonas hydrophila by cationic phthalocyanines with different hydrophobicity.

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy is a pioneering method for the inactivation of pathogenic bacteria. Four tetra alkyl-substituted cationic phthalocyanines with different hydrocarbon chains attached to the pyridyloxy group were synthesized. These photodynamic sensitizers were studied for antibacterial inactivation of a multidrug-resistant strain of Gram-negative bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila.

Attenuation and preserved immunogenic potential of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mutant strains evidenced in oral pig model.

Experimental oral infection of pigs with a parental Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain pIB102, serotype O:3 and two mutant isogenic strains - pIB155,DeltayopK and pIB44,DeltaypkA has been carried out. Clinical findings, microbiological and immunological parameters were examined in dynamics from day 7 to day 60 post-infection (p.i.

Photodynamic activity of water-soluble phthalocyanine zinc(II) complexes against pathogenic microorganisms.

Photodynamic activity of tetrakis-(3-methylpyridyloxy)- and tetrakis-(4-sulfophenoxy)-phthalocyanine zinc(II) toward the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, the gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the fungi Candida albicans was studied. The drug uptake dependency with an inverse behavior to the cell density was observed. The cationic photosensitizer completely inactivated S.

Experimental pig yersiniosis to assess attenuation of Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 mutant strains.

An experimental oral pig model was used to assess the pathogenic and immunogenic potential of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8 wild-type strain 8081-L2 and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant derivatives: a spontaneous rough mutant 8081-R2, strain 8081-DeltawzzGB expressing O-antigen with uncontrolled chain lengths, and strain 8081-wbcEGB expressing semirough LPS with only one O-unit. Microbiological and immunological parameters of the infected pigs were followed from day 7 to 60 postinfection. The wild-type and all LPS mutant strains persisted in the lymphoid tissue of tonsils and small intestines, causing asymptomatic infection without any pathological changes.

Morphological variability and cell-wall deficiency in Mycobacterium tuberculosis 'heteroresistant' strains.

Setting: Sofia State Hospital for Tuberculosis Treatment, Bulgaria.

Objective: To investigate the morphology of two 'heteroresistant' clinical isolates and one non-heteroresistant isolate, all isolated from newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) patients, as well as the reference strain H37Rv. Heteroresistant isolates contained clonally-related sensitive and drug-resistant organisms which could subsequently be separated using drug-containing primary cultures and had been isolated from patients originally diagnosed with susceptible TB by the 1% proportion method.

Combined immunomodulating effects of BCG and Lentinan after intranasal application in guinea pigs.

The ability of a Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) medical mushroom-derived bioactive polymer Lentinan (Ajinomoto, Japan) to modulate the immune response makes it a potential candidate for combination therapy with BCG, or as adjunct for BCG vaccination, especially in high-risk individuals. We studied the combined immune-potential effectiveness of intranasal application of Lentinan (at a dose of 1 mg/kg, three times at 2-day intervals), followed by administration of BCG (strain Sofia SL-222 at a dose of 1 x 10(8) CFU, once) in guinea pigs. Samples of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, as well as tissue fragments of lungs, spleens and lymph nodes were obtained from four groups (combined treatment with Lentinan and BCG; only with Lentinan; only with BCG; control with saline) of animals at different intervals--1, 14 and 45 days after last treatment and were evaluated by several parameters (establishing the number, H2O2 and nitrite production, and killing ability against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus of alveolar macrophages; spleen index, BCG CFU in spleens and histomorphological observations).