Indian Journal of Microbiology最新文献

Abstract

In last few years, sensing of molecules has gained a huge attention of scientists and researchers. Small molecules (drugs, pesticides, and others) are being consumed directly or indirectly by us in our daily life. Often, these molecules enter the environment and interact with different non-target organisms. Consumption of drugs/pesticides emerged as a major concern for public health, environment, ground-water and agricultural soil. Pesticides can have odd impacts such as degradation of soil properties, environmental pollution, pollution of groundwater as well as the consumption of unwanted drugs can have serious health impacts. Therefore, the sensing of drugs/pesticides plays an important role in detecting and preventing the unwanted usage of drugs/pesticides. Quantitative and qualitative determination of pesticides and drugs can be achieved using electrochemical techniques. This review offers a concise examination of the literature about the electrochemical sensing of drugs and pesticides. The review provides a comprehensive summary of different electrochemical investigations and outlines the reported analytical performance metrics, including limits of detection and linearity ranges. Furthermore, it underscores the progress made in pesticide detection using electrochemical methods for the selected compounds, highlighting the challenges ahead and emphasizing the necessary efforts to develop sensors suitable for in-situ applications.

Graphical Abstract

Microfluidics has advanced the area of diagnostics during the past ten years by offering fresh approaches that weren’t achievable with traditional detection and treatment techniques. High-throughput operations can be carefully controlled by using microfluidics and are very cost-effective too. It has been accepted to be a quick and effective method for controlled medication delivery, biological sample preparation, and analysis. This new technology has made it possible to create a wide range of micro and nanocarriers for poorly soluble medications, which has many advantages over traditional drug delivery techniques. Furthermore, a targeted medication delivery system utilizing microfluidic technology can be developed to enhance the drug's local bioavailability. Over the years, extensive R&D in microfluidic technology has led to the creation of various advanced applications in both laboratory and consumer biotechnology. Miniaturized genetic and proteasome analyzers, cell culture and control platforms, biosensors, disease detection, optical imaging devices, diagnostic advanced drugs, drug delivery schemes, and innovative products are some of the advanced applications of the microfluidics system. Also, these are highly adaptable microfluidic tools for disease detection and organ modeling, as well as transduction devices used in biomedical applications to detect biological and chemical changes. Beyond the specialized difficulties in studying cell–cell interactions, microfluidics has several difficulties in biomedical applications, especially for diagnostic devices where minute interactions can lead to imprecise evaluations. Assay function can be significantly changed by the way plastics, adhesives, and other materials interact. Therefore, the foundation of microfluidic technology needs to be grounded in real-world uses that can be produced on a big scale and at a reasonable cost. Further, it is a very interdisciplinary field that requires the collaboration of professionals in fluidics, assay science, materials science, and instrumentation to provide devices with the proper and needed functionality. In this article, we have discussed the advanced disease diagnosis and their therapeutic management which will help to understand the current scenario in the field of microfluidics diagnosis and will fill knowledge about the ‘gap’ in the system.

Soil is home to microbiota with diverse metabolic activities. These microorganisms play vital roles in many ecological processes. Thus, the assessment of microbial functional diversity is an important quality indicator of soil ecosystems. In this study, we collected soil samples from three distinct forest habitats, i.e., an agroforest, a primary forest (PF), and a secondary forest, within the Angat Watershed Reservation in Bulacan, Northern Philippines. Community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) was done with the BIOLOG EcoPlate™ to analyze the responses of the soil microbial communities from the three forest habitats in the absence or presence of antibiotics. The BIOLOG EcoPlate represents 31 utilizable carbon sources. Based on the CLPP analysis, soil samples from the PF showed significantly higher utilization of most carbon sources than the other forest types (p < 0.05). Thus, less disturbed forest types constitute more functionally diverse microbial communities. The presence of antibiotics significantly decreased the carbon utilization patterns of the soil microbial communities (p < 0.05), indicating the possible use of CLPP in monitoring contamination in soil.

The increasing challenge of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) calls for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies, highlighting the potential of adjunctive immunotherapies that are both cost-effective and safe. Host-directed therapy (HDT) using immunomodulators shows promise in enhancing treatment efficacy by modulating immune responses, thereby shortening the duration of therapy and reducing drug resistance risks. This study investigated the immunomodulatory potential of combining Heat-killed Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (hBCG) with a Squalene-based oil-in-Water Emulsion (SWE) adjuvant against TB. The therapeutic efficacy of the hBCG-SWE regimen was assessed in a guinea pig model infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). Furthermore, the impact of hBCG-SWE on TNF-α and MCP-1 production was evaluated in RAW264.7 macrophages, examining the role of TLR2/4 and MyD88 signaling pathways using ELISA, both with and without specific inhibitors. Our findings revealed that hBCG-SWE significantly enhanced TNF-α and MCP-1 production compared to hBCG alone, indicating activation through TLR2/4 and MyD88-dependent pathways. In guinea pigs, hBCG-SWE administration led to notable reductions in lung pathology and spleen bacterial loads versus control groups. These results highlight the capacity of hBCG-SWE to boost innate immunity and provide robust protection against M. tb. Future research should focus on evaluating the ability of hBCG-SWE to shorten conventional chemotherapy and exploring ways to amplify its immunomodulatory efficacy through advanced formulation techniques.

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a unique ecophysiological group of iron-metabolizing bacteria that have immense potential biotechnological applications. These bacteria have predominantly been isolated from oxygen-limited conditions of aquatic niches and rarely from the soils. The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot has been well-studied for its fauna and flora diversity. The present study includes optimization of enrichment medium for cultivation of MTB, to suit aerobic mesophiles from forest soil. The major components included were Ferric quinate and Resazurin. The enrichment and isolates were characterized for their magnetic properties using magnetotaxis on agar plates, Vibrating Sampler Magnetometer (VSM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The isolates, namely Bacillus sp. S1 (MN212953), Sphingoaurantiacus sp. S2_03 (MN212954), Burkholderia sp. S2_08 (MN212955) and Microvirga sp. S2_09 (MN212956) were isolated and characterized to have a magnetosome size of 2.5–8 nm. Our study is the first report on the enrichment and isolation of MTB from Western Ghats forest soil.

Nanotechnology has revolutionized cancer detection and treatment, overcoming limitations of conventional methods. Imaging, targeting, and therapy moieties can all be combined in multifunctional nanoparticle systems to deliver the imaging or treatment modalities to the tumor in a targeted manner. These nanostructures can be engineered to create smart drug delivery systems for effective distribution and combinatorial therapy. Nanostructures made of biomolecules are naturally multifunctional and have a variety of biological functions that can be investigated for use in cancer nanomedicine. The supramolecular characteristics of biomolecules can be carefully engineered to create smart drug delivery systems that enable effective drug distribution to specific areas of the body as well as combinatorial therapy in a single design. Nanotechnology has also increased the efficiency of cancer vaccines, highlighting the future of tumor immunotherapy. Nanomaterials are often used as anti-cancer drugs or anti-inflammatory drugs due to their biosafety potential and enhanced bioavailability. By delivering targeted antigens and adjuvants, nanomaterials can improve vaccination efficacy and safety, preventing rapid degradation and prolonging antigen retention in lymphoid and tumor cells. We examine both organic and inorganic multifunctional nanomaterials in this review, emphasizing particular multifunctional properties in the context of cancer targeting, therapy, and vaccinations.

Bacterioruberin (BR) is a fat-soluble, dipolar, reddish pigment predominantly found in halophilic archaea. BR is a rare C50 carotenoid from the xanthophyll family, and it has been extensively studied for its potent antioxidant properties, such as its ability to protect cells from oxidative stress. In addition, several studies have shown that BR-rich extracts and its derivatives exhibit significant antiviral, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects, making them ideal candidates for the development of novel therapeutic interventions against various diseases. Although it possesses remarkable biological properties, studies related to the regulatory aspects of biosynthesis, in vitro and in vivo studies of purified BR have been rare. However, investigations are needed to explore the potential application of BR in various industries. Additionally, optimization of the culture conditions of BR-producing haloarchaea could pave the way for their sustainable production and utilization. The current review provides comprehensive information on BR, which includes the sources of this compound and its bioproduction, extraction, stability, toxicity, and biological activities in relation to its commercial applications. This review also discusses the potential challenges and limitations associated with BR bioproduction and its utilization in various industries. In addition, this treatise highlights the need for further research to optimize production and extraction methods and explore avenues for novel applications of BR in various sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics.

Graphical Abstract

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) function as versatile and highly selective elements in biosensing, mimicking biomolecular receptors and effectively interacting with target analytes within complex matrices. Integrating MIPs with paper-based analytical devices (PADs) allows for rapid, convenient, and cost-effective deployment of molecular imprinting technologies. This review provides an overview of the advances in the fabrication process of MIP-PADs and explores their diverse applications, highlighting their utility in on-site detection using various detection mechanisms such as colorimetric, fluorometric, chemiluminescent electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The fabrication process involves synthesizing MIPs tailored for specific target analytes and incorporating them into cellulosic paper-based analytical devices, resulting in MIP-PADs that offer advantages such as affordability, portability, and disposability. Applications of MIP-PADs extend across environmental monitoring, food safety, and biomedical analysis, demonstrating exceptional selectivity and sensitivity toward diverse biomolecules, pathogens, and small molecules. Their affordability and user-friendly design make them particularly suitable for resource-limited settings. Lastly, the challenges and future prospects of MIP-PAD technologies are presented in the context of real-world applications.

Cactus pear fruit is known since ages for its medicinal properties. The fruit contains biofunctional compounds such as colored pigments (betacyanin and betaxanthin), polyphenol, flavonoid, ascorbic acid and minerals. There is a huge potential for the development of novel functional superfoods by incorporating health beneficial microorganisms into such medicainal fruits. So, to explore one of the medicinal properties i.e., antianemic potential of cactus pear fruit, the study was planned to assess the effect of lactic fermented cactus pear fruit beverage (LCB) containing Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus on phenylhydrazine (PHZ) induced anemic rats. The anemic model was established with 40 mg/kg PHZ injection for consecutive 2 days. The PHZ injection reduced the heamaglobin from 15 to about 10 g/dL in the experimental animals. LCB was then administered in three doses i.e. 5 mL (T1), 10 mL (T2) and 15 mL (T3) per kg body weight for 14 days with regular diet. Body weight, hematological parameters, creatinine, urea, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), fecal microbial count and histology of kidney, liver and spleen of the experimental rats were studied. With the treatment of LCB and standard drug, red blood cells restored to the normal range in T1 (6.31 × 10⁶/µL), T2 (6.28 × 10⁶/µL), T3 (5.81 × 10⁶/µL) and standard control (6.53 × 10⁶/µL) group compared to disease control (4.88 × 10⁶/µL), at the end of study. Hematocrit percentage returned to normal range at the end of study in T1 (42.0%), T2 (42.8%), T3 (38.2%) and standard control (47.9%) as compared to disease control group (32.2%). All the three doses of LCB improved the hematological parameters, restored the level of creatinine, urea, SGPT and SGOT, in blood serum. Further, LCB administered rats’ fecal matter showed significant increase in lactobacilli counts i.e., about rise in 1 log CFU/g on 16th day than 0th day of the study. Moreover, all the groups exhibited significant histomorphological improvement over disease control group. The 10 mL/kg LCB dose was comparatively more effective than the other two. The LCB with desirable taste may thus be utilized as an effective supportive therapeutic drink for the treatment of hemolytic anemia.

Lipids have tremendously transformed the biomedical field, especially in the last few decades. Nanosystems, especially Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs), have emerged as the most demanding nanovehicle systems for delivering drugs, genes, and other diagnostic agents. Unique attributes and characteristic features such as higher encapsulation efficiency, stealth effect, ability to solubilize a wide range of drugs, capability to inhibit P-gp efflux pumps, and higher stability play a vital role in engaging this nanosystem. LNCs are a lipid-based nano-drug delivery method that combines the most significant traits of liposomes with polymeric nanoparticles. Structurally, LNCs have an oily core consisting of medium and long triglycerides and an aqueous phase encased in an amphiphilic shell. This manuscript crosstalks LNCs for various biomedical applications. A detailed elaboration of the structural composition, methods of preparation, and quality control aspects has also been attained, with particular emphasis on application approaches, ongoing challenges, and their possible resolution. The manuscript also expounds the preclinical data and discusses the patents atlas of LNCs to assist biomedical scientists working in this area and foster additional research.