Virulence factors of Salmonella spp. isolated from free-living grass snakes Natrix natrix.

Salmonellosis associated with reptiles is a well-researched topic, particularly in China and the United States, but it occurs less frequently in Europe. The growth of the human population and changes in the environment could potentially increase the interaction between humans and free-living reptiles, which are an unidentified source of Salmonella species. In this study, we sought to explore this issue by comparing the microbiota of free-living European grass snakes, scientifically known as Natrix natrix, with that of captive banded water snakes, or Nerodia fasciata.

Colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species in healthy and sick pets: prevalence and risk factors.

Background: The characterization of staphylococcal species that colonize pets is important to maintain animal health and to minimize the risk of transmission to owners. Here, the prevalence of Staphylococcus spp. and methicillin resistance was investigated in canine and feline isolates, and risk factors of staphylococcal colonization were determined.

The antibiofilm activity of selected substances used in oral health prophylaxis.

Oral health is a window to a patient's general well-being. Balance in oral microbiome functions is crucial for health maintenance. A state of oral dysbiosis may lead to a variety of local and systemic pathological conditions.

Respiratory microbiota as a good predictor of outcome in humoral immunodeficiency. Methodological and conceptual difficulties in comprehensive microbiome analysis.

Unlabelled: The microbiome as a broad term defines the most dynamic ecological system in which, apart from the biocenosis, there is unique niche for its development, equally dynamic, because host-derived, contrary to physical environment in ecology. Although for years, antibodies, was recognized as a key element of the mucosal barrier, there is still no progress in comprehensive linking microbes and humoral elements. Which organism is a pathogen and which is a commensal - there are still no exact answers (and criteria).

The challenges in the identification of Escherichia coli from environmental samples and their genetic characterization.

Escherichia coli bacteria are an essential indicator in evaluations of environmental pollution, which is why they must be correctly identified. This study aimed to determine the applicability of various methods for identifying E. coli strains in environmental samples.

Regiospecific Hydrogenation of Bromochalcone by Unconventional Yeast Strains.

This research aimed to select yeast strains capable of the biotransformation of selected 2'-hydroxybromochalcones. Small-scale biotransformations were carried out using four substrates obtained by chemical synthesis (2'-hydroxy-2″-bromochalcone, 2'-hydroxy-3″-bromochalcone, 2'-hydroxy-4″-bromochalcone and 2'-hydroxy-5'-bromochalcone) and eight strains of non-conventional yeasts. Screening allowed for the determination of the substrate specificity of selected microorganisms and the selection of biocatalysts that carried out the hydrogenation of tested compounds in the most effective way.

Prevalence, Genetic Structure, and Antifungal Susceptibility of the Species Complex Strains Collected from the Arboreal Niche in Poland.

Fungi belonging to the species complex (CNGSC) are etiological agents of serious and not infrequently fatal infections in both humans and animals. Trees are the main ecological niche and source of potential exposition concerning these pathogens. With regard to epidemiology of cryptococcosis, various surveys were performed worldwide, enabling the establishment of a map of distribution and genetic structure of the arboreal population of the CNGSC.

Epidemiology of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in cats in Poland.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a well-known coagulase-positive staphylococcus that is mainly associated with the asymptomatic colonization of the skin of pets and mucous membranes. Little is still known about the occurrence of S. pseudintermedius in cats.

Recommended Tests for the Self-Disproportionation of Enantiomers (SDE) to Ensure Accurate Reporting of the Stereochemical Outcome of Enantioselective Reactions.

The purpose of this review is to highlight the necessity of conducting tests to gauge the magnitude of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) phenomenon to ensure the veracity of reported enantiomeric excess (ee) values for scalemic samples obtained from enantioselective reactions, natural products isolation, etc. The SDE always occurs to some degree whenever any scalemic sample is subjected to physicochemical processes concomitant with the fractionation of the sample, thus leading to erroneous reporting of the true ee of the sample if due care is not taken to either preclude the effects of the SDE by measurement of the ee prior to the application of physicochemical processes, suppressing the SDE, or evaluating all obtained fractions of the sample. Or even avoiding fractionation altogether if possible.

An analysis of the population of Cryptococcus neoformans strains isolated from animals in Poland, in the years 2015-2019.

Fungi belonging to the Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii species complex (CNGSC) are pathogens causing severe infections in humans and animals, that for humans may result in a mortality rate ranging up to 70%. The CNGSC is divided into eight major molecular types, that may differ in their virulence and susceptibility.

The Phylogenetic Structure of Reptile, Avian and Uropathogenic with Particular Reference to Extraintestinal Pathotypes.

The impact of the Gram-negative bacterium ( on the microbiomic and pathogenic phenomena occurring in humans and other warm-blooded animals is relatively well-recognized. At the same time, there are scant data concerning the role of strains in the health and disease of cold-blooded animals. It is presently known that reptiles are common asymptomatic carriers of another human pathogen, , which, when transferred to humans, may cause a disease referred to as reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS).

Cloacal Gram-Negative Microbiota in Free-Living Grass Snake Natrix natrix from Poland.

Reptiles appear to be an important vector for Gram-negative pathogens, therefore, they are epidemiologically relevant. However, the composition of reptilian microbiota has been poorly recognized so far. The majority of studies concern exotic reptiles as asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella serovars.

Molecular Routes to Specific Identification of the Lactobacillus Casei Group at the Species, Subspecies and Strain Level.

The genus includes, among others, , and species that are collectively referred to as the group. Many studies have shown that strains belonging to this group may decrease lactose intolerance, the effects of inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, constipation, food allergies and even colon cancer. Moreover, evidences exists of positive effects of these bacteria on mucosal immunity and blood cholesterol level.

The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) via column chromatography of β-amino-α,α-difluorophosphonic acid derivatives.

This work presents the first study of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers via chromatography (SDEvC) of β-aminophosphonic acid esters, several of which have been synthesized for the first time. Three types of structures were examined, N-acetylated, dipeptide construction with N-Cbz glycine, and a free amine. In the latter case, this is the first time that SDEvC has been reported for free amine amino acids.

Efficacy of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as well as genotypic and phenotypic methods in identification of staphylococci other than isolated from intramammary infections in dairy cows in Poland.

We compared the effectiveness of various methods for the identification of spp. other than S. isolated from intramammary infections of cows on 3 dairy farms in Lower Silesia, Poland.

The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) of amino acids and their derivatives.

This review covers the phenomenon of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) of amino acids and their derivatives in all its guises from phase transformations (recrystallization, sublimation, and distillation), to the application of force fields, through to chromatography including HPLC, MPLC, gravity-driven column chromatography, and SEC. The relevance of the SDE phenomenon to amino acid research and to marketed pharmaceuticals is clear given the potential for alteration of the enantiomeric excess of a portion of a scalemic sample. In addition, the possible contribution of the SDE phenomenon to the genesis of prebiotic homochirality is considered.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus Species Colonization in Healthy and Sick Cats.

is one of the most frequently isolated genera of opportunistic bacteria in animals and human beings. Staphylococci in mammals mostly inhabit the skin and mucous membranes. The objectives of the study were to investigate the distribution of staphylococcal species in healthy and sick cats in order to find diagnostic markers.

The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE): The effect of scaling down, potential problems versus prospective applications, possible new occurrences, and unrealized opportunities?

This commentary discusses an important, though not widely appreciated, chiral phenomenon of molecular chirality that effectively always occurs whenever nonracemic samples are subjected to practically any physicochemical process (e.g., force field, recrystallization, sublimation, even distillation, etc.

The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) of α-amino acid derivatives: facets of steric and electronic properties.

α-Amino acids (α-AAs) are in extremely high demand in nearly every sector of the food and health-related chemical industries and continue to be the subject of intense multidisciplinary research. The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) is an emerging and one of the least studied areas of α-AA or enantiomeric properties, critically important for their production and application. In the present work, we report a detailed study of the SDE via achiral, gravity-driven column chromatography for a set of N-acylated, N-carbonylated, N-fluoroacylated, and N-thioacylated α-amino acid esters.

Internal chirality descriptors iR and iS and ire and isi. A proposed notation to extend the usefulness of the R/S system by retaining the sense of stereochemistry in cases of ligand ranking changes.

The R/S system, universally applied for indicating the absolute configuration of a structure, is extremely adept for conveying the absolute configuration unequivocally. However, it suffers from one limitation, viz that due to CIP priority rules the rankings of the ligands attached to an asymmetric center can be altered upon a change in a ligand leading to a change in the designated configuration even if bonds to the asymmetric center were not actually formed or broken. This means that the sense of stereochemistry in situations such as within a set of compounds where family relationships are of focus or where the sense of the stereochemical course of a reaction is of interest can be lost or confusion may occur.

The self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE): a menace or an opportunity?

Herein we report on the well-documented, yet not widely known, phenomenon of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE): the spontaneous fractionation of scalemic material into enantioenriched and -depleted fractions when any physicochemical process is applied. The SDE has implications ranging from the origins of prebiotic homochirality to unconventional enantiopurification methods, though the risks of altering the enantiomeric excess (ee) unintentionally, regrettably, remain greatly unappreciated. While recrystallization is well known as an SDE process, occurrences of the SDE in other processes are much less recognized, sublimation and even distillation.

Chiral sulfoxides: advances in asymmetric synthesis and problems with the accurate determination of the stereochemical outcome.

Chiral sulfoxides are in extremely high demand in nearly every sector of the chemical industry concerned with the design and development of new synthetic reagents, drugs, and functional materials. The primary objective of this review is to update readers on the latest developments from the past five years (2011-2016) in the preparation of optically active sulfoxides. Methodologies covered include catalytic asymmetric sulfoxidation using either chemical, enzymatic, or hybrid biocatalytic means; kinetic resolution involving oxidation to sulfones, reduction to sulfides, modification of side chains, and imidation to sulfoximines; as well as various other methods including nucleophilic displacement at the sulfur atom for the desymmetrization of achiral sulfoxides, enantioselective recognition and separation based on either metal-organic frameworks (MOF's) or host-guest chemistry, and the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction.

Possible Case of Halogen Bond-Driven Self-Disproportionation of Enantiomers (SDE) via Achiral Chromatography.

The major breakthrough reported in this work is the discovery of likely halogen bond-driven self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE). Taking into account that the halogen-bonding interactions can be rationally designed and can match, or even exceed, the strength of the more familiar hydrogen bond, this discovery clearly opens an unexpected new direction of research in the areas of molecular chirality and the SDE phenomenon.

Diastereoselective α-Alkylation of Metallo Enamines Generated from N-C Axially Chiral Mebroqualone Derivatives.

The reactions of various alkyl halides with the metallo enamines generated from racemic and optically pure N-C axially chiral mebroqualone derivatives were found to proceed with a synthetically attractive stereochemical outcome (up to 99% yield and up to dr = 26:1) allowing preparation of a structurally new type of pharmaceutically interesting compounds possessing elements of axial and central chirality.

Self-disproportionation of enantiomers via achiral gravity-driven column chromatography: A case study of N-acyl-α-phenylethylamines.

Herein we report a study of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) via gravity-driven achiral column chromatography of a series of amides derived from 1-phenylethylamine. We demonstrated that structural and electronic factors of the substituents play an important role in the observed magnitude of the SDE. For the first time, the SDE phenomenon of amides with that of thioamides was compared.