10 research outputs found
Characterization of Phenotypic Variation in Indigenous Chicken Populations in Lower Northern Thailand to Improve Chicken Breeding
No full textIn Thailand, native chickens have a deep-rooted history of cultivation driven by diverse purposes, including food production, aesthetic appeal, exhibition, and cockfighting. Their remarkable adaptability, robustness, and resistance to diseases play pivotal roles in the evolution of chicken breeds. The study of morphological characteristics in native chicken breeds assumes significance for biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and cultural preservation. These traits not only unveil genetic diversity but also provide insights into adaptation that is crucial for the survival of native chicken populations in varied environmental conditions. The primary aim of this extensive research, conducted from June 2020 to May 2023, is to elucidate the morphological traits of six indigenous chicken breeds in Thailand’s Uttaradit province. The research methodology involved the purposive selection of a research group from chicken farms with a minimum of 5 individuals, followed by a random selection of 20 names meeting specific criteria. The resulting group comprised 134 individuals from Khiew Phalee, Thao Thong, Lueng Hang Khao, Chee, Pra Dhu Hang Dam, and Jae species. The study’s findings highlighted significant differences in eight qualitative morphological characteristics among the distinct chicken breeds, including comb type, beak color, neck plumage color, back plumage color, wing plumage color, long curved tail color, back tail color, and shank color p < 0.01. Moreover, a correlation between body size and sex-specific structures across breeds was discovered, with male chickens exhibiting significantly greater body weight, size, wing length, upper and lower shank length, and toe length than females p<0.0001. Notably, the majority of native chickens displayed the walnut (Hin) beak type, except for Jae chickens, which exhibited the single (Jak) type. Beak colors ranged from blackish-green to ivory, while each breed showcased unique plumage, tail, and shank colors, coupled with varying body sizes. This comprehensive study, covering both qualitative and quantitative parameters, emphasizes the morphological diversities among the six native chicken breeds. The derived data serve as a valuable resource for refining or developing chicken breeds in alignment with the Standard of Perfection for Thai Native Chickens, catering to the evolving needs of the market
Phenetic Study of Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult. in Thailand
No full textPinwheel Jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata L.; Apocynaceae) is widely distributed across South Asia, Thailand, and southern China and exhibits substantial morphological variation. This variability has resulted in persistent taxonomic confusion, particularly in Thailand, where distinguishing among phenotypic forms and related taxa remains challenging. Accurate taxonomic delimitation is essential for botanical classification, horticultural applications, conservation, and the reliable identification of plant resources. This study examined the taxonomic status of Pinwheel Jasmine in Thailand using numerical taxonomic approaches, including cluster and discriminant analyses. A total of 40 morphological characters (20 quantitative and 20 qualitative) were assessed across 210 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing seven phenotypes. Both analyses consistently resolved the OTUs into two distinct groups: (1) T. divaricata ‘Ceylon Jasmine’ (Phud Supachok) and (2) other Pinwheel Jasmine forms. Five quantitative characters were identified as the most diagnostic: lamina length (LML), lamina width (LMW), corolla lobe length (CLL), distance from the corolla tube base to stamen attachment (DCS), and style length (STL). These traits exhibited exceptionally high F-values in K-means cluster analysis (404.11, 432.90, 327.54, 530.04, and 181.02, respectively; p<0.01), indicating strong discriminatory power. The results demonstrate that Phud Supachok is consistently and clearly morphologically distinct from other Pinwheel Jasmine forms. However, because this study is based solely on phenetic data, additional molecular evidence is required before definitive taxonomic conclusions can be made. Integrative studies combining molecular and morphological data are recommended to refine species delimitation within Tabernaemontana
Hydroquinine Possesses Antibacterial Activity, and at Half the MIC, Induces the Overexpression of RND-Type Efflux Pumps Using Multiplex Digital PCR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textHydroquinine is an organic compound that is closely related to quinine-derivative drugs and contains anti-malarial and anti-arrhythmia activities. It has been also found in abundance in some natural extracts that possess antibacterial properties. However, there is little evidence demonstrating the antibacterial effect of hydroquinine. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the antibacterial properties of hydroquinine using broth microdilution methods. In addition, we evaluated the transcriptional responses of P. aeruginosa to hydroquinine-induced stress using RNA sequencing with transcriptomic analysis and validated the results using PCR-based methods. The MIC and MBC values of hydroquinine against all eight bacterial strains investigated ranged from 650 to 2500 and from 1250 to 5000 µg/mL, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that RND efflux pump transcripts were overexpressed (4.90–9.47 Log(2) fold change). Using mRT-dPCR and RT-qPCR, we identified that mRNA levels of mexD and mexY genes were overexpressed in response to just half the MIC of hydroquinine in P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, we uncover the antimicrobial potential of hydroquinine as well as identify changes in gene expression that may contribute to bacterial resistance. Further work will be required to explore the efficacy and potential use of hydroquinine in the clinic
Impact of yeast supplementation derived from dried banana residue on performance, egg quality, intestinal health, and feed cost in laying hens
No full textDried banana residue, a by-product of banana processing, holds potential as a valuable feed supplement for poultry. However, despite efforts to repurpose agricultural by-products, remnants from dried banana processing remain largely untapped. This study aimed to assess the potential of yeast derived from dried banana residue as a feed supplement for laying hens, evaluating its impact on performance, egg quality, small intestinal morphology, intestinal bacterial population, and feed cost. Sixty 17-week-old commercial layers were divided into two groups, with each group receiving either a control diet or a diet supplemented with yeast from dried banana residue. Over 90 days, no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found in feed intake, egg production, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg mass, and egg quality traits between the groups. However, the yeast-supplemented group exhibited significantly higher villus height and a greater ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V:C ratio) in the duodenum compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, levels of Salmonella sp. in the small intestine were significantly lower in the yeast-supplemented group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Supplementing the basal diet of egg-laying hens with yeast-fermented banana peels at a 0.1% inclusion level proved beneficial without compromising egg quality. This study highlights repurposing banana processing waste into valuable animal feed, enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and animal health in agriculture. Future research could explore broader applications of yeast from dried banana residue in livestock nutrition across Thailand and the region
A Novel and Quantitative Detection Assay (effluxR) for Identifying Efflux-Associated Resistance Genes Using Multiplex Digital PCR in Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textThe rise of multidrug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa highlights an increased need for selective and precise antimicrobial treatment. Drug efflux pumps are one of the major mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance found in many bacteria, including P. aeruginosa. Detection of efflux genes using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based system would enable resistance detection and aid clinical decision making. Therefore, we aimed to develop and optimize a novel method herein referred to as “effluxR detection assay” using multiplex digital PCR (mdPCR) for detection of mex efflux pump genes in P. aeruginosa strains. The annealing/extension temperatures and gDNA concentrations were optimized to amplify mexB, mexD, and mexY using the multiplex quantitative PCR (mqPCR) system. We established the optimal mqPCR conditions for the assay (Ta of 59 °C with gDNA concentrations at or above 0.5 ng/µL). Using these conditions, we were able to successfully detect the presence of these genes in a quantity-dependent manner. The limit of detection for mex genes using the effluxR detection assay with mdPCR was 0.001 ng/µL (7.04–34.81 copies/µL). Moreover, using blind sample testing, we show that effluxR detection assay had 100% sensitivity and specificity for detecting mex genes in P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, the effluxR detection assay, using mdPCR, is able to identify the presence of multiple mex genes in P. aeruginosa that may aid clinical laboratory decisions and further epidemiological studies
Hydroquinine Enhances the Efficacy of Contact Lens Solutions for Inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa Adhesion and Biofilm Formation
No full textP. aeruginosa is one of the most common bacteria causing contact lens-related microbial keratitis (CLMK). Previous studies report that disinfecting solutions were ineffective in preventing biofilm formation. Solutions containing novel natural agents may be an excellent alternative for reducing the risk of CLMK. Here, we investigate the disinfecting properties of hydroquinine in combination with multipurpose solutions (MPSs) to prevent P. aeruginosa adhesion and biofilm formation. We examined the antibacterial, anti-adhesion, and anti-biofilm properties of hydroquinine-formulated MPSs compared to MPSs alone. Using RT-qPCR, hydroquinine directly affected the expression levels of adhesion-related genes, namely, cgrC, cheY, cheZ, fimU, and pilV, resulting in reduced adhesion and anti-biofilm formation. Using ISO 14729 stand-alone testing, hydroquinine met the criteria (>99.9% killing at disinfection time) against both P. aeruginosa reference and clinical strains. Using the crystal violet retention assay and FE-SEM, MPSs combined with hydroquinine were effective in inhibiting P. aeruginosa adhesion and destroying preexisting biofilms. This report is the first to highlight the potential utility of hydroquinine-containing formulations as a disinfecting solution for contact lenses, specifically for inhibiting adhesion and destroying biofilm. These findings may aid in the development of novel disinfectants aimed at combating P. aeruginosa, thereby potentially reducing the incidence of CLMK
Investigating Rice Blast Resistance Gene Distribution among Landrace Rice Varieties in Lower Northern Thailand for Improving Rice Cultivars
No full textRice blast disease caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae is considered as one of the severe diseases, leading to reduce tremendous rice productivity in its cultivated areas of Thailand. Due to the rapid evolution and high genetic diversity of the pathogen, the innate rice resistance (R) genes associated with defense mechanisms are significantly considered as the most important for rice breeding program to create new rice varieties, resistant to blast disease. This study aimed to investigate the rice blast R genes (Pi9, Pib, and Pi-ta) in 98 landrace rice germplasms collected from three different provinces in lower northern Thailand, Phichit (PCT), Phitsanulok (PLK), and Sukhothai (STI) through PCR assay. The results showed that the Pi-ta gene was presented in 29 different varieties, making it the most widespread, whereas the Pi9 and Pib genes were found in 28 and 25 varieties, respectively. The distribution percentage of studied genes in PLK and STI germplasms is higher than in PCT germplasms. Interestingly, only eight landrace rice varieties (varieties no. 46, 47, 48, 51, 66, 76, 81, and 90) collected from PLK and STI germplasms contain all of these three resistance genes. This finding provided the genetic information and diversity of the R genes across landrace rice varieties in the lower north of Thailand. Moreover, these R genes could be useful as genetic resources for rice improvement with resistance to blast disease through breeding program in the future
Genetic Diversity of Landrace Rice Varieties in Lower Northern Thailand Using Chloroplast DNA Markers
No full textIn this study, the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship among 65 Thai rice varieties were classified by the neighbor-joining (NJ) analysis of DNA sequences, amplified by three cpDNA barcoding markers, namely, matK, rbcL, and trnH-psbA. Based on DNA sequencing analyses, all studied rice varieties were incorporated with 20 plant accessions by comparison with the rice reference genome available on GenBank. These accessions were categorized into two groups of an ingroup (belonging to 17 accessions of Oryza genus). The findings revealed that the highest species resolution (100%) was achieved by using the matK gene individually and combination of the matK and rbcL genes. These markers proved highly effective in distinguishing landrace rice varieties from the outgroup (reference species of rice and grasses), with bootstrap support values ranging from 25% to 100%. Meanwhile, the classification of landrace rice varieties was successfully accomplished using the rbcL gene. However, it was unable to distinguish between the ingroup and outgroup. Additionally, the trnH-psbA marker exhibited a limited effectiveness in distinguishing native rice varieties from either the ingroup or outgroup. In combination with two or three markers, only the combination of matK and rbcL genes exhibited the capability to distinguish all rice species from grass. However, combining either the matK or rbcL gene with the trnH-psbA gene trended to enhance the efficacy in classifying native rice varieties. These findings, based on the genetic distance values obtained through various DNA markers using the Kimura two-parameter model, were proved that the studied Thai rice varieties belong to the Oryza sativa L. species
Hydroquinine Inhibits the Growth of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa via the Suppression of the Arginine Deiminase Pathway Genes
No full textHydroquinine has antimicrobial potential with demonstrated activity against several bacteria, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa reference strains. Despite this, there is limited evidence confirming the antibacterial activity of hydroquinine against clinical isolates and the underlying mechanism of action. Here, we aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of hydroquinine in clinical P. aeruginosa strains using phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing and synergistic testing. In addition, we examined the potential inhibitory mechanisms against MDR P. aeruginosa isolates using informatic-driven molecular docking analysis in combination with RT-qPCR. We uncovered that hydroquinine inhibits and kills clinical P. aeruginosa at 2.50 mg/mL (MIC) and 5.00 mg/mL (MBC), respectively. Hydroquinine also showed partial synergistic effects with ceftazidime against clinical MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Using SwissDock, we identified potential interactions between arginine deiminase (ADI)-pathway-related proteins and hydroquinine. Furthermore, using RT-qPCR, we found that hydroquinine directly affects the mRNA expression of arc operon. We demonstrated that the ADI-related genes, including the arginine/ornithine antiporter (arcD) and the three enzymes (arginine deiminase (arcA), ornithine transcarbamylase (arcB), and carbamate kinase (arcC)), were significantly downregulated at a half MIC of hydroquinine. This study is the first report that the ADI-related proteins are potential molecular targets for the inhibitory effect of hydroquinine against clinically isolated MDR P. aeruginosa strains
High-Throughput Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals the Inhibitory Effect of Hydroquinine on Virulence Factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textHydroquinine is an organic alkaloid compound that exhibits antimicrobial activity against several bacterial strains including strains of both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Despite this, the effects of hydroquinine on virulence factors in P. aeruginosa have not yet been characterized. We therefore aimed to uncover the mechanism of P. aeruginosa hydroquinine-sensitivity using high-throughput transcriptomic analysis. We further confirmed whether hydroquinine inhibits specific virulence factors using RT-qPCR and phenotypic analysis. At half the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of hydroquinine (1.250 mg/mL), 254 genes were differentially expressed (97 downregulated and 157 upregulated). We found that flagellar-related genes were downregulated by between −2.93 and −2.18 Log2-fold change. These genes were consistent with the analysis of gene ontology and KEGG pathway. Further validation by RT-qPCR showed that hydroquinine significantly suppressed expression of the flagellar-related genes. By analyzing cellular phenotypes, P. aeruginosa treated with ½MIC of hydroquinine exhibited inhibition of motility (30–54% reduction) and pyocyanin production (~25–27% reduction) and impaired biofilm formation (~57–87% reduction). These findings suggest that hydroquinine possesses anti-virulence factors, through diminishing flagellar, pyocyanin and biofilm formation
