Bacteria under the operational group Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (OGBa) are all Gram-positive, endospore-forming, and rod-shaped. Taxonomically, the OGBa belongs to the Bacillus subtilis species complex, family Bacillaceae, class Bacilli, and phylum Firmicutes. To date, the OGBa comprises four bacterial species: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus siamensis, Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus nakamurai. They are widely distributed in various niches including soil, plants, food, and water. A resurgence in genome mining has caused an increased focus on the biotechnological applications of bacterial species belonging to the OGBa. The members of OGBa are known as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) due to their abilities to fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphate, and produce siderophore and phytohormones, as well as antimicrobial compounds. Moreover, they are also reported to produce various enzymes including α-amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, xylanase, pectinase, aminotransferase, barnase, peroxidase, and laccase. Antimicrobial compounds that able to inhibit the growth of pathogens including non-ribosomal peptides and polyketides are also produced by these bacteria. Within the OGBa, various B. velezensis strains are promising for use as probiotics for animals and fishes. Genome mining has revealed the potential applications of members of OGBa for removing organophosphorus (OPs) pesticides. Thus, this review focused on the applicability of members of OGBa as plant growth promoters, biocontrol agents, probiotics, bioremediation agents, as well as producers of commercial enzymes and antibiotics. Here, the bioformulations and commercial products available based on these bacteria are also highlighted. This review will better facilitate understandings of members of OGBa and their biotechnological applications.
A highly convenient method has been developed for the synthesis of (prop-2-ynyloxy) benzene and its derivatives. Differently substituted phenol and aniline derivatives were allowed to react with propargyl bromide in the presence of K2CO3 base and acetone as solvent. The compounds were synthesized in good yields (53-85%). Low cost, high yields and easy availability of compounds helped in the synthesis. Electron withdrawing groups favor the formation of stable phenoxide ion thus in turn favors the formation of product while electron donating groups do not favor the reaction. Phenol derivatives gave good yields as compared to that of aniline. As aprotic polar solvents favor SN2 type reactions so acetone provided best solvation for the reactions. K2CO3 was proved to be good for the synthesis. Antibacterial, Antiurease and NO scavenging activity of synthesized compounds were also examined. 4-bromo-2-chloro-1-(prop-2-ynyloxy)benzene 2a was found most active compound against urease enzyme with a percentage inhibition of 82.00±0.09 at 100 µg/mL with IC50 value of 60.2. 2-bromo-4-methyl-1-(prop-2-ynyloxy)benzene 2d was found potent antibacterial against Bacillus subtillus showing excellent inhibitory action with percentage inhibition of 55.67±0.26 at 100 µg/ml wih IC50 value of 79.9. Based on results, it can be concluded that some of the synthesized compounds may have potential antiurease and antibacterial effects against several harmful substances.
Microbial strain optimization focuses on improving technological properties of the strain of microorganisms. However, the complexities of the metabolic networks, which lead to data ambiguity, often cause genetic modification on the desirable phenotypes difficult to predict. Furthermore, vast number of reactions in cellular metabolism lead to the combinatorial problem in obtaining optimal gene deletion strategy. Consequently, the computation time increases exponentially with the increase in the size of the problem. Hence, we propose an extension of a hybrid of Bees Algorithm and Flux Balance Analysis (BAFBA) by integrating OptKnock into BAFBA to validate the result. This paper presents a number of computational experiments to test on the performance and capability of BAFBA. Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium thermocellum are the model organisms in this paper. Also included is the identification of potential reactions to improve the production of succinic acid, lactic acid and ethanol, plus the discussion on the changes in the flux distribution of the predicted mutants. BAFBA shows potential in suggesting the non-intuitive gene knockout strategies and a low variability among the several runs. The results show that BAFBA is suitable, reliable and applicable in predicting optimal gene knockout strategy.
This paper describes a new bacterial white spot syndrome (BWSS) in cultured tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. The affected shrimp showed white spots similar to those caused by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), but the shrimp remained active and grew normally without significant mortalities. The study revealed no evidence of WSSV infection using electron microscopy, histopathology and nested polymerase chain reaction. Electron microscopy indicated bacteria associated with white spot formation, and with degeneration and discoloration of the cuticle as a result of erosion of the epicuticle and underlying cuticular layers. Grossly the white spots in BWSS and WSS look similar but showed different profiles under wet mount microscopy. The bacterial white spots were lichen-like, having perforated centers unlike the melanized dots in WSSV-induced white spots. Bacteriological examination showed that the dominant isolate in the lesions was Bacillus subtilis. The occurrence of BWSS may be associated with the regular use of probiotics containing B. subtilis in shrimp ponds. The externally induced white spot lesions were localized at the integumental tissues, i.e., cuticle and epidermis, and connective tissues. Damage to the deeper tissues was limited. The BWS lesions are non-fatal in the absence of other complications and are usually shed through molting.
The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance have been of serious concern to human health and the management of bacterial infectious diseases. Effective treatment of these diseases requires the development of novel therapeutics, preferably free of side effects. In this regard, natural products are frequently conceived to be potential alternative sources for novel antibacterial compounds. Herein, we have evaluated the antibacterial activity of the epicarp extracts of the Malaysian cultivar of yellow rambutan fruit (Nephelium lappaceum L.) against six pathogens namely, Bacillus subtilis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica. Among a series of solvent extracts, fractions of ethyl acetate and acetone have revealed significant activity towards all tested strains. Chemical profiling of these fractions, via HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS, has generated a library of potentially bioactive compounds. Downstream virtual screening, pharmacological prediction, and receptor-ligand molecular dynamics simulation have eventually unveiled novel potential antibacterial compounds, which can be extracted for medicinal use. We report compounds like catechin, eplerenone and oritin-4-beta-ol to be computationally inhibiting the ATP-binding domain of the chaperone, DnaK of P. aeruginosa and MRSA. Thus, our work follows the objective to propose new antimicrobials capable of perforating the barrier of resistance posed by both the gram positives and the negatives.
Actinopyga lecanora, a type of sea cucumber commonly known as stone fish with relatively high protein content, was explored as raw material for bioactive peptides production. Six proteolytic enzymes, namely alcalase, papain, pepsin, trypsin, bromelain and flavourzyme were used to hydrolyze A. lecanora at different times and their respective degrees of hydrolysis (DH) were calculated. Subsequently, antibacterial activity of the A. lecanora hydrolysates, against some common pathogenic Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Pseudomonas sp.) were evaluated. Papain hydrolysis showed the highest DH value (89.44%), followed by alcalase hydrolysis (83.35%). Bromelain hydrolysate after one and seven hours of hydrolysis exhibited the highest antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas sp., P. aeruginosa and E. coli at 51.85%, 30.07% and 30.45%, respectively compared to the other hydrolysates. Protein hydrolysate generated by papain after 8 h hydrolysis showed maximum antibacterial activity against S. aureus at 20.19%. The potent hydrolysates were further fractionated using RP-HPLC and antibacterial activity of the collected fractions from each hydrolysate were evaluated, wherein among them only three fractions from the bromelain hydrolysates exhibited inhibitory activities against Pseudomonas sp., P. aeruginosa and E. coli at 24%, 25.5% and 27.1%, respectively and one fraction of papain hydrolysate showed antibacterial activity of 33.1% against S. aureus. The evaluation of the relationship between DH and antibacterial activities of papain and bromelain hydrolysates revealed a meaningful correlation of four and six order functions.
In this study, vegetative cell suspensions of two Bacillus subtilis strains, L10 and G1 in equal proportions, was administered at two different doses 10(5) (BM5) and 10(8) (BM8) CFU ml(-1) in the rearing water of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) for eight weeks. Both probiotic groups showed a significant reduction of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate ions under in vitro and in vivo conditions. In comparison to untreated control group, final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), food conversion ratio (FCR) and digestive enzymatic activity were significantly greater in the BM5 and BM8 groups. Significant differences for survival were recorded in the BM8 group as compared to the control. Eight weeks after the start of experiment, shrimp were challenged with Vibrio harveyi. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in shrimp survival between probiotic and control groups. Cumulative mortality of the control group was 80%, whereas cumulative mortality of the shrimp that had been given probiotics was 36.7% with MB8 and 50% with MB5. Subsequently, real-time RT-PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of prophenoloxidase (proPO), peroxinectin (PE), lipopolysaccharide- and β-1,3-glucan- binding protein (LGBP) and serine protein (SP). The expression of all immune-related genes studied was only significantly up-regulated in the BM5 group compared to the BM8 and control groups. These results suggest that administration of B. subtilis strains in the rearing water confers beneficial effects for shrimp aquaculture, considering water quality, growth performance, digestive enzymatic activity, immune response and disease resistance.
An incredible amount of joss fly ash is produced from the burning of Chinese holy joss paper; thus, an excellent method of recycling joss fly ash waste to extract aluminosilicate nanocomposites is explored. The present research aims to introduce a novel method to recycle joss fly ash through a simple and straightforward experimental procedure involving acidic and alkaline treatments. The synthesized aluminosilicate nanocomposite was characterized to justify its structural and physiochemical characteristics. A morphological analysis was performed with field-emission transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy revealed the size of the aluminosilicate nanocomposite to be ~25 nm, while also confirming a uniformly spherical-shaped nanostructure. The elemental composition was measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy and revealed the Si to Al ratio to be 13.24 to 7.96, showing the high purity of the extracted nanocomposite. The roughness and particle distribution were analyzed using atomic force microscopy and a zeta analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns showed a synthesis of faceted and cubic aluminosilicate crystals in the nanocomposites. The presence of silica and aluminum was further proven by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the functional groups were recognized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The thermal capacity of the nanocomposite was examined by a thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, the research suggested the promising application of aluminosilicate nanocomposites as drug carriers. The above was justified by an enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay, which claimed that the limit of the aptasensing aluminosilicate-conjugated ampicillin was two-fold higher than that in the absence of the nanocomposite. The drug delivery property was further justified through an antibacterial analysis against Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Bacillus subtilis (gram-positive).
Two species of plants, Andrographis paniculata and Euphorbia hirta were screened for antibacterial activities against three Gram positives and Gram negatives. The leaves from both plants were extracted by methanol extraction. The antibacterial activity was detected with spread plate well diffusion method. The extracts of both plants demonstrated inhibitory activity against both Gram negative and positives bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus epidemidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC determination using micro dilution method showed that the A/tic of A. paniculata for the tested bacteria were 1.56 mg/ml (Staph. aureus), 3.13 mg/ml (Bacillus subtilis), 3.13 mg/ml (Strept. epidemidis), 1.56 mg/ml (Escherichia cob), 12.50 mg/ml (Klebsiella pneumoniae) and 3.13 mg/ml (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) respectively. The MIC value for E. hirta was 6.25 mg/ml (Staph. aureus) and 3.13 mg/ml (Bacillus subtilis), 3.13 mg/ml (Strept. Epidemidis), 3.13 mg/ml (Pseudomonas aeruginosa),12.5 mg/ml (Escherichia coli), and 6.25 mg/ml (Klebsiella pneumoniae). Both plants represent a potential for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications and are worthy of further study.
A total of 32 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 13 honey samples commercially marketed in Malaysia, 6 strains identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus by API CHL50. The isolates had antibacterial activities against multiple antibiotic resistant's Staphylococcus aureus (25 to 32 mm), Staphylococcus epidermis (14 to 22 mm) and Bacillus subtilis (12 to 19 mm) in the agar overlay method after 24 h incubation at 30 °C. The crude supernatant was heat stable at 90 °C and 121 °C for 1 h. Treatment with proteinase K and RNase II maintained the antimicrobial activity of all the supernatants except sample H006-A and H010-G. All the supernatants showed antimicrobial activities against target bacteria at pH 3 and pH 5 but not at pH 6 within 72 h incubation at 30 °C. S. aureus was not inhibited by sample H006-A isolated from Libyan honey and sample H008-D isolated from Malaysian honey at pH 5, compared to supernatants from other L. acidophilus isolates. The presence of different strains of L. acidophilus in honey obtained from different sources may contribute to the differences in the antimicrobial properties of honey.
Matched MeSH terms: Bacillus subtilis/growth & development
The goal of this study was to determine inhibitory effect of palm kernel expeller (PKE) peptides of different degree of hydrolysis (DH %) against spore-forming bacteria Bacillus cereus, Bacillus circulans, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus stearothermophillus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Clostridium perfringens; and non-spore-forming bacteria Escherichia coli, Lisinibacillus sphaericus, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus.
Natural peptides in insect vectors played an important role in the control of
pathogens. Musca domestica Linnaeus and Chrysomya megacephala Fabricius were
two species of local fly chosen to detect presence of antimicrobial peptide substance.
The screening of the antimicrobial activity was carried using a spectrophotometric
method. Results were obtained much quicker and less laborious. The results showed
larva hemolymph of M. domestica lysed Bacillus subtilis and two Gram negatives,
Escherichia coli and Pseudomona. aeruginosa. The pupae hemolymph only lysed E.
coli. Whereas, the hemolymph of C. megacephala larva showed bactericidal effect
against both of the Gram positives tested, i.e. B. subtilis and Staph. aureus. and no
effect was against the Gram negatives. The pupa showed lytic activity against Staph.
aureus and P. aeruginosa. As a conclusion, the larva and pupa hemolymph of M.
domestica and C. megacephala demonstrated antibacterial activity. However, larva
hemolymph of M. domestica and C. megacephala has broader antibacterial activity
against both Gram positive and negative bacteria.
Piper cubeba L. is the berry of a shrub that is indigenous to Java, Southern Borneo, Sumatra, and other islands in the Indian Ocean. The plant is usually used in folk traditional medicine and is an important ingredient in cooking. The purpose of this study was to isolate and purify the bioactive compounds from P. cubeba L. fractions. In addition, the isolated compounds were tested for their antibacterial and antispore activities against vegetative cells and spores of Bacilluscereus ATCC33019, B. subtilis ATCC6633, B.pumilus ATCC14884, and B.megaterium ATCC14581. The phytochemical investigation of the DCM fraction yielded two known compounds: β-asarone (1), and asaronaldehyde (2) were successfully isolated and identified from the methanol extract and its fractions of P. cubeba L. Results showed that exposing the vegetative cells of Bacillus sp. to isolated compounds resulted in an inhibition zone with a large diameter ranging between 7.21 to 9.61 mm. The range of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was between 63.0 to 125.0 µg/mL and had minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) at 250.0 to 500.0 µg/mL against Bacillus sp. Isolated compounds at a concentration of 0.05% inactivated more than 3-Log10 (90.99%) of the spores of Bacillus sp. after an incubation period of four hours, and all the spores were killed at a concentration of 0.1%. The structures were recognizably elucidated based on 1D and 2D-NMR analyses (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and mass spectrometry data. Compounds 1, and 2 were isolated for the first time from this plant. In conclusion, the two compounds show a promising potential of antibacterial and sporicidal activities against Bacillus sp. and thus can be developed as an anti-Bacillus agent.
Several novel 1-[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) ethyl]-1H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazoles (3a-h) have been synthesized by the condensation of 1-[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-ethyl]-1H-benzotriazole (2) and appropriate acid chlorides. 1-[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-ethyl]-1H-benzotriazole (2) was synthesized by reacting 3-(1H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-1-yl)propanenitrile with sodium azide and ammonium chloride in the presence of dimethylformamide. The synthesized compounds were characterized by IR and PMR analysis. The titled compounds were evaluated for their in-vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity by the cup plate method and anticonvulsant activity evaluated by the maximal electroshock induced convulsion method in mice. All synthesized compounds exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Compounds 5-(2-(1H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazo-1-yl)ethyl)-1H-tetrazol-1-yl)(4-aminophenyl)methanone 3d and 5-(2-(1 H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazo-1-yl)ethyl)-1H-tetrazol-1-yl)(2-aminophenyl)methanone 3e elicited excellent anticonvulsant activity.
Matched MeSH terms: Bacillus subtilis/drug effects; Bacillus subtilis/growth & development
Lansium domesticum Corr. is a fruit tree of the Meliaceae family, which is commonly found in SouthEast Asia with a wide range of varieties. This study investigated three varieties of L. domesticum; Duku, Langsat and Dokong for the phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity. Seeds from the matured fruits were extracted using hexane, methanol and water. The crude extracts were screened for antimicrobial activities toward three bacteria, namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The findings showed that Langsat seed extracts contained more groups of compounds compared with the other two varieties, and its methanol extract demonstrated the highest inhibition zones against the three bacteria. The crude methanol extract of Duku seeds showed inhibition zones only towards Bacillus subtilis at a high concentration (1.0 mgL-1), whilst the seed extracts of Dokong showed no inhibition zones towards any of the tested bacteria.
An antimicrobial (AM) Active Packaging can be made by incorporating and immobilizing suitable AM agents into food package matrices and applying a bio switch concept. A starchbased film was prepared and incorporated with an antimicrobial agent, i.e. lysozyme with EDTA as a chelating agent. This film was then inoculated with the bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis to carry out the microbial contamination study. The inhibition of both E. coli and B. subtilis by the AM film was clearly observed as a clear zone formation in the culture agar test. The film appearance showed that lysozymes could give a better inhibition to the growth of E. coli and to B. subtilis, at a satisfying inhibition rate. From the broth test, the decreased in the optical densities were found to be 65.83% and 91.30%, suggesting an effective growth inhibition of E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively. Physically, the film which was incorporated with lysozymes was found to be slightly different from the control film. The moisture content of the film, with lysozymes, was found to be below 10.5%, as compared to the control, after 24 hours of formation in the storage at ambient temperature.
In continuation of investigation for environmentally benign protocol for new solvents termed deep eutectic solvents (DESs), it is herein reported results concerning the toxicity and cytotoxicity of choline chloride (ChCl) based DESs with four hydrogen bond donors including glycerine, ethylene glycol, triethylene glycol and urea. The toxicity was investigated using two Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, and two Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The cytotoxicity effect was tested using the Artemia salina leach. It was found that there was no toxic effect for the tested DESs on all of the studied bacteria confirming their benign effects on these bacteria. Nevertheless, it was found that the cytotoxicity of DESs was much higher than their individual components (e.g. glycerine, ChCl) indicating that their toxicological behavior is different. For our best knowledge this is the first time that toxicity and cytotoxicity of DESs were studied. The toxicity and cytotoxicity of DESs varied depending on the structure of components. Careful usage of the terms non-toxicity and biodegradability must be considered. More investigation on this matter is required.
The bioactivity of R. nasutus leaf extracts was assessed on Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Crude chloroform, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol and methanol extracts were screened by disc diffusion method. Promising crude extract was further subjected to the column fractionation followed by the screening of the antibacterial activity of individual fractions. Biologically active pure fraction was subjected to the advanced analytical studies like HPLC, LC-MS, IR and NMR for characterisation of the bioactive compound. Ethanolic extract exhibited the maximum antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae with the maximum of 35±0.42 mm zone of inhibition. The biologically potent column fraction from ethanol extract with 40±0.42 mm zone of inhibition upon subject to the HPLC, LC-MS, IR and NMR revealed that the active compound is rhinacanthin-C, a naphthoquinone.
Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) was found to be poorly colonised with thermophilic microorganisms. However,
evidence to support the need for inoculation to facilitate PPMS composting has only been demonstrated in one instance.
In this study, we aimed to: screen and identify PPMS digesting thermophilic bacterial strains; investigate effects of the
mixture of selected thermophilic bacterial strains on PPMS digestion; and utilize this mixture as start inoculum in PPMS
composting and assess the quality of compost product. The results showed that eleven thermophilic bacterial strains were
isolated from Bai Bang PPMS by the enrichment culture method. Among these, three strains which reflected high growth
rates on the plates of Minimal Media Agar supplemented with Bai Bang PPMS and showed hydrolytic and ligninolytic
activities on the agar plates containing appropriate inductive substrates were selected. Based on the morphological,
biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, they were identified as Bacillus subtilis. The inoculation
with the mixture of selected strains enhanced remarkably Bai Bang PPMS digestion. The dry weight decrease, volatile
suspended solids removal, dehydrogenase and protease activities in the inoculated sludge were 2.1-, 1.5-, 1.3- and 1.2-
fold higher, respectively, compared to the non-inoculated sludge. The assessment of compost quality based on stability
using the alkaline trap method and maturity using the germination and root elongation test showed that the inoculated
compost was stable and mature while the non-inoculated compost was unstable and immature. These thermophilic
bacterial strains therefore have great potential for Bai Bang PPMS composting.
This paper provided comprehensive data on spectroscopic and antibacterial activities of thioureido compounds which are relevant with research article entitled "Synthesis, Spectroscopic Studies and Antibacterial Activity of New Lauroyl Thiourea Amino Acid Derivatives" [1]. Based on the reported study, four new thioureido derivatives, namely 3-(3-dodecanoyl-thioureido)propionic acid (R1), 2-(3-dodecanoyl-thioureido)-3-methyl butyric acid (R2), (3-dodecanoyl-thioureido)acetic acid (R3) and 2-(3-dodecanoyl-thioureido)-3-phenyl propionic acid (R4) were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR), and Ultraviolet Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The preliminary results from antibacterial assay which were tested against Gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium are also described.