1,721,008 research outputs found
Antifungal, anti-biofilm and adhesion activity of the essential oil of Myrtus communis L. against Candida species
No full textCandida species belong to the normal microbiota of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and vagina. The increasing incidence of drug-resistant pathogens and the toxicity of the antifungal compounds have drawn the attention towards the antimicrobial activity of natural products, an inexpensive alternative. The aim of this work was to evaluate the adhesion activity, the biofilm formation and the action of the Myrtus communis L. essential oil (EO) on the biofilm formation towards three species isolated from clinical samples: Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis. Furthermore, we evaluated the antimycotic activity of the EO towards the three species, and the results were compared with the minimum inhibitory concentration of six antimycotics. The activity of the EO against C. albicans and C. parapsilosis was better than that obtained against C. tropicalis; moreover, the strains used in the assay were adhesive and biofilm producer, and the effect of myrtle EO on the biofilm formation yielded encouraging results
Levels of different cytokines in women and men with asymptomatic genital infection caused by Chlamydia
No full textINTRODUCTION: Immune response to genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection is involved in both immunity and pathology. The cytokine profile during infection has been implicated in the disease outcome, either resolution or severe sequelae. METHODOLOGY: In total, 3900 patients were analyzed for presence of genital infections caused by Chlamydia using molecular assays. Interleukins (IL) IL-10, IL-17, IL-6, IL-2 and chemokine IP-10 were estimated by ELISA in urine, cervical swabs and semen samples. Statistical analysis was performed using the T student test. RESULTS: A total of 47 out of 3900 samples (1.2%) were found to be positive for Chlamydia trachomatis based on the Real Time (RT) PCR results. Statistical analysis revealed that the differences between Chlamydia trachomatis positive and negative samples regarding levels of cytokines were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that no significant difference in cytokine concentrations exists in Chlamydia trachomatis infected patients when compared to healthy controls. In further study, we aim to test on a greater number of positive samples a greater number of cytokines involved in the immune response to Chlamydia trachomatis infections
Essential oils of Daucus carota subsp. carota of Tunisia obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction
No full textThe essential oils and supercritical CO2 extracts of wild Daucus carota L. subsp. carota from two different sites in Tunisia
were investigated. The main components of the essential oil of the flowering and mature umbels with seeds from Sejnane were
eudesm-7(11)-en-4-ol (8.2 – 8.5%), carotol (3.5 - 5.2%), sabinene (12.0 -14.5%), α-selinene (7.4 – 8.6) and 11-α-(H)-
himachal-4-en-1-β-ol (12.7 – 17.4%), whereas the oils from Tunis were predominantly composed of elemicin (31.5 – 35.3%)
and carotol (48.0 – 55.7%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils were assayed by using the broth dilution method
on Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, and clinical strains of Candida albicans and
C. tropicalis 1011 RM. The MIC values obtained were all > 2.5% (v/v)
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Biological Mechanisms of Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Toxin: Linking Inflammation, Colorectal Cancer, and Clinical Implications
No full textEnterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) has emerged as a gut microbiome pathogen that can promote intestinal inflammation and contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC). Its principal virulence factor, the Bacteroides fragilis toxin (BFT), is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease that disrupts epithelial barrier integrity, initiates inflammatory signaling pathways, and enhances epithelial proliferation. Although growing evidence supports a link between ETBF and CRC, some inconsistencies across studies highlight the need for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underpinning BFT-mediated pathogenesis. This review examines the biological structure and activity of BFT, with a focus on its role in epithelial injury, inflammatory responses, and tumorigenesis. In addition, we discuss current challenges in the detection and characterization of ETBF and BFT, including technical limitations in clinical diagnostics and methodological variability across studies. Recent advances in multi-omics technologies, molecular diagnostics, nanobody-based detection platforms, and probiotic intervention are also highlighted as promising avenues for improving ETBF identification and therapeutic targeting. Future research integrating systematic molecular profiling with clinical data is essential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms, and develop effective interventions against ETBF-associated diseases
Detection of virulence factors in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa strains isolated from contact lens-associated corneal ulcers.
No full text
Attività antimicotica di oli essenziali di lavanda ed i suoi ibridi nei confronti di ceppi di Aspergillus spp. di isolamento ambientale
No full textGli aspergilli sono miceti ubiquitari. é stata testata l'attività antimicrobica di diversi oli essenziali
Identification and functional characterization of Lactobacillus strains isolated from milk and Gioddu, a traditional Sardinian fermented milk
No full textRaw milk from Sardinian cows and sheep, and sheep's milk yoghurt (Gioddu), are food products that are poorly characterized in terms of the presence of mesophilic Lactobacillus strains, and may be good sources from which to isolate novel bacterial strains. Sixteen Lactobacillus strains were identified by genotypic and phenotypic methods from samples of sheep's milk (n=7), fermented sheep's milk (n=7) and one sample of cows' milk. These strains were further characterized for the presence of functional traits useful for probiotic applications, such as resistance to simulated gastric acid, resistance to bile salts, and adhesion of two different cell lines (Caco-2 and MIM/PPK). Moreover, selected aspects correlated with safety (antimicrobial susceptibility and presence of plasmids) and ecological roles (ability to produce biofilms and bacteriocin-like substances) were tested. All but 1 of the 16 strains were unambiguously allotted to three species, L. paracasei (5 strains), L. plantarum (8 strains), and L. reuteri (2 strains). Many of the strains exhibited characteristics suggesting that they would survive in the gastrointestinal tract and also had the capability to attach to various cells. Greater variability was observed for the other traits analyzed. These data suggest that Sardinian artisan dairy products are interesting sources for the isolation of bacterial strains with characteristic and differentiated functional traits. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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