The development of treatment strategies for periodontitis that maximise the
effectiveness of antibiotics is highly desirable. Azithromycin is proving to be an effective antibiotic
for treatment of refractory periodontitis which works by binding to the outer membrane of Gramnegative bacteria and subsequently inhibits protein synthesis. Lactoferrin is a membrane-active
host antimicrobial protein and so the objective of this study was to determine whether the effect
of azithromycin (AZM) against example periodontopathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis and
Tannerella forsythia) could be potentiated by lactoferrin. (Copied from article).
Flaxseeds offer a wide range of pharmacological properties including antioxidant,
antibacterial and anticancer. However its effect on mesenchymal stem cells has not been
elucidated. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of flaxseed crude extract on stem cell
from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) in terms of cell viability, morphology and
proliferation activity. (Copied from article).
After the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Malaysia in recent years, the emergence of nonvaccine serotypes is of concern, particularly the antibiotic-resistant strains, with an increase specifically in serotype 15A. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Streptococcus pneumoniae strain SS40_16, isolated from the blood sample of a 19-month-old female in 2016. SS40_16 is a multidrug-resistant strain with resistance to penicillin (MIC, ≥2 µg/ml), tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The strain belongs to serotype 15A and sequence type 1591 (ST1591).
In this work, a new series of 2-[4-(2-furoyl)-1-piperazinyl]-N-aryl/aralkyl acetamides has been synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial potential. The synthesis was initiated by the reaction of different aryl/aralkyl amines (1a-u) with 2-bromoacetylbromide (2) to obtain N-aryl/aralkyl-2-bromoacetamides (3a-u). Equimolar quantities of different N-aryl/aralkyl-2-bromoacetamides (3a-u) and 2-furoyl-1-piperazine (4) was allowed to react in acetonitrile and in the presence of K2CO3, to form 2-[4-(2-furoyl)-1-piperazinyl]-N-aryl/aralkyl acetamides (5a-u). The structural elucidation was done by EI-MS, IR and 1H-NMR techniques of all the synthesized compounds. All of the synthesized molecules were active against various Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains. Among them 5o and 5c showed very excellent MIC values. The cytotoxicity of the molecules was also checked to find their utility as possible therapeutic agents, where 5c (0.51%) and 5g (1.32%) are found to be least toxic in the series.
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, an
infectious disease endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Cases have been
reported in Pahang, Johor Bahru and Kedah. The disease is difficult to combat as B.
pseudomallei has shown resistance to various antibiotics and much is still not understood
about its pathogenicity. It is suggested that investigating the bacterium hypothetical
proteins may provide potential new targets for the development of antimicrobials. The
gene of interest in this study, BPSL2774, encoding BPSL2774 hypothetical protein, is a
target gene that was predicted as essential using transposon-directed insertion site
sequencing technique (TraDIS). We aimed to express and purify soluble GST-tagged
BPSL2774 protein at sufficient concentration for future functional assays. (Copied from article).
Scleral buckle placement is a well-established technique for the treatment of primary rhegmatogenous retinal
detachment. Complications associated with scleral buckle are uncommon and its presentations can be vary. We
report a case of recurrent orbital cellulitis with anterior segment ischemia following a forgotten episode of previous
scleral buckling surgery, presenting with blurring of vision, redness and swelling of the lids. The presence of scleral
buckle was detected by detailed examination and confirmed by orbital imaging. Orbital infection and rubeosis iridis
were successfully treated with scleral buckle removal, intravenous antibiotics and intracameral ranibizumab.
However, the retinal detachment recurred and the visual acuity deteriorated to light perception. There was no further
intervention as the family declined in view of her old age. In cases of recurrent orbital infection, detailed clinical
examination is important to look for evidence of ocular prostheses as a source of infection. Orbital imaging is an
adjunct for making the diagnosis especially in cases where history is unreliable. Anterior segment ischemia due to
scleral buckle responds well to buckle removal with ranibizumab injection.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality. With increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance, the importance of optimizing antibiotic treatment is key to maximize treatment outcomes. This is especially important in critically ill patients in intensive care units, in whom the infection is usually caused by less susceptible organisms. In addition, the marked physiological changes that can occur in these patients can cause serious changes in antibiotic pharmacokinetics which in turn alter the attainment of therapeutic drug exposures. This article reviews the various aspects of the pharmacokinetic changes that can occur in the critically ill patients, the barriers to achieving therapeutic drug exposures in pneumonia for systemically delivered antibiotics, the optimization for commonly used antibiotics in hospital- and ventilator-associated pneumonia, the agents that should be avoided in the treatment regimen, as well as the use of adjunctive therapy in the form of nebulized antibiotics.
Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram negative, rod shaped bacterium that belongs to the family Vibrionaceae. It is a deadly, opportunistic human pathogen which is responsible for the majority of seafood-associated deaths worldwide. V. vulnificus infection can be fatal as it may cause severe wound infections potentially requiring amputation or lead to sepsis in susceptible individuals. Treatment is increasingly challenging as V. vulnificus has begun to develop resistance against certain antibiotics due to their indiscriminate use. This article aims to provide insight into the antibiotic resistance of V. vulnificus in different parts of the world as well as an overall review of its clinical manifestations, treatment, and prevention. Understanding the organism's antibiotic resistance profile is vital in order to select appropriate treatment and initiate appropriate prevention measures to treat and control V. vulnificus infections, which should eventually help lower the mortality rate associated with this pathogen worldwide.
Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in the emergency departments worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs are early recognition, adequate source control, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Prompt resuscitation of patients with ongoing sepsis is of utmost important. In hospitals worldwide, non-acceptance of, or lack of access to, accessible evidence-based practices and guidelines result in overall poorer outcome of patients suffering IAIs. The aim of this paper is to promote global standards of care in IAIs and update the 2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections.
OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to evaluate the practices and attitudes of young Malaysian adults towards the use of antibiotics, and to determine the socioeconomic factors associated with the antibiotic use.
METHODS: A survey was carried in Cheras community by approaching a conveniently selected sample of 480 participants. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection.
RESULT: Of 480 participants approached, 400 agreed to participate in this study, giving a response rate of 83.3%. The study results showed that 42.75% of the participants exhibited poor attitudes towards antibiotic usage. Chinese race and high income were significantly associated with the positive attitudes towards antibiotic usage. It is shown that the practice of the participants towards antibiotics was relatively poor. The majority of participants agreed that they do not consult a doctor for minor illnesses (64%). The main reason for not consulting a doctor was the high fees of consultation (34.25%) and the inconvenience of visit (29.25%). However, a large proportion of respondents (77.5%) agreed that there is a need to enhance antibiotic education among public.
CONCLUSION: The study results identified some crucial gaps in the attitudes and practices of Cheras community about the use of antibiotics. Thus, improving the public knowledge and changing their attitude towards antibiotic use along with proper interventions to regulate the ease of their availability would play a significant role for the effective use of antibiotics in the community.
The livestock industry has been relying merely on chemically synthesized antibiotic for eye infections as sprays and ointment. A natural remedy from Curcuma spp. has been tested for efficacy in curing keratoconjunctivitis and uveitis. A severe case of uveitis has been cured within 7 days, with impaired vision restored. These results are observations of a preliminary study conducted in a goat with uveitis.
The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of incorporation of 3- acetylcoumarin (3-AC), an antibacterial agent, on the mechanical and surface morphology of glass ionomer cement (GIC). A conventional GIC, Fuji II LC, was used as a control. 3-AC was incorporated into GIC during its manipulation at percentage of 2% and 5% (wt/wt). Flexural strength of the specimens were analysed using Shimadzu AGX-Plus while morphological evaluation of the specimens were observed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Oneway analysis (ANOVA) with post-hoc Bonferroni multiple-range test was used to determine the significant differences among the groups. Statistically, the incorporation of 2% (wt/wt) of 3-AC into GIC showed a significantly lower flexural strength (p
The plant Alpinia officinarum of the ginger family originated in China and is used throughout South and South-East Asian countries to flavor food and as a traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases. This review summarizes the biological, pharmacological and phytochemical properties of extracts and subsequently isolated compounds from A. officinarum. In vitro and in vivo studies of both extracts and pure compounds indicate a wide variety of potent bioactivities including antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiobesity, anticancer, enzyme inhibitory and remarkable antiviral properties. The latter is particularly promising in the face of emerging, virulent respiratory diseases in Asia and the Middle East.
Chemical modification of medicines from natural product-based molecules has become of interest in recent years. In this study, a series of halogenated azo derivatives 1a-d were synthesised via coupling reaction, followed by Steglich esterification with aspirin (a natural product derivative) to form azo derivatives 2a-d. While, halogenated azo-aspirin 3a-d were synthesised via direct coupling reaction of aspirin and diazonium salt. Bacteriostatic activity was demonstrated against E. coli and S. aureus via turbidimetric kinetic method. Compound 3a-d showed excellent antibacterial activities against E. coli (MIC 75-94 ppm) and S. aureus (MIC 64-89 ppm) compared to ampicillin (MIC 93 and 124 ppm respectively), followed by 1a-d and 2a-d. The presence of reactive groups of -OH, N=N, C=O and halogens significantly contribute excellent interaction towards E. coli and S. aureus. Molecular dockings analysis of 3a against MIaC protein showed binding free energy of -7.2 kcal/mol (E. coli) and -6.6 kcal/mol (S. aureus).
We report three patients with corneal bee sting at our tertiary care center in a three-year period starting from 2014 to 2016. All patients sustained a bee sting injury to the cornea. All patients received early preoperative topical antibiotics, topical cycloplegic and intensive topical steroids. However, the timing of the initial presentation, the duration, and the location of the retained stinger differed in each case leading to different postsurgical outcomes.
In the recent decades, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in aquatic organism have been one of the major interesting research subjects due to their various existence strains in fish microbiota. Moreover, LABs are sometimes abundant in the intestine of several fish species. Many recent papers indicated that several LAB strains are harmless and have been reported for beneficial effects on fish health. There was also converging evidence that led us for more research and findings regarding LAB as a promising probiotics in aquaculture. This article provides an overview of the variability of LAB in gastrointestinal (GI) tract of fish and the development of this species as probiotics. LAB was known able to colonise the gut, and has antagonistic activity against some fish pathogens. This harmless bactreriocin-producing strain may confer benefits in increasing disease resistance, improving nutrient digestibility and growth of the host animals. In addition, these strains may reduce the need of antibiotics usage in future aquaculture industry.
Urease is a bacterial enzyme that is responsible for virulence of various pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Helicobacter pylori and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Increased urease activity aids in survival and colonization of pathogenic bacteria causing several disorders especially gastric ulceration. Hence, urease inhibitors are used for treatment of such diseases. In search of new molecules with better urease inhibitory activity, herein we report a series of acridine derived (thio)semicarbazones (4a-4e, 6a-6l) that were found to be active against urease enzyme. Molecular docking studies were carried out to better comprehend the preferential mode of binding of these compounds against urease enzyme. Docking against urease from pathogenic bacterium S. pasteurii was also carried out with favorable results. In silico ADME evaluation was done to determine drug likeness of synthesized compounds.
Bacteriophages are ubiquitous in our world, mainly in the oceans, soil, the water and food
we consume. They can be used efficiently in modern biotechnology, as well as alternatives
to antibiotics for many antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Phages can be used as vehicles
for vaccines both DNA and protein, for the detection of pathogenic bacterial strain, as biocontrol
agents in agriculture and food industry. This review outlines the properties as well
as the influence of different external physical and chemical factors like temperature and
acidity on phage persistence. A better understanding of the complex problem of phage
sensitivity to external factors may be useful for other researchers working with phages.
Furthermore, the applications of bacteriophages were described in this paper as well.
Modern science has found that most traditional practice of using stingless bee honey has
great potential as an added value in modern medicine and considered to have a higher
medicinal value than other bee species. However, due to the relatively low output of honey
compared to other honey so, focus on this honey is limited. Hence, this systematic review
provides the updated result on the potential value of stingless bee honey as an antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial. The search strategy was developed in
four databases (Scopus, Medline and Ovid, EMBASE and PubMed) with the search terms
"("honey" and "Kelulut", "honey" and "stingless bee", "honey" and "Trigona", "honey"
and "pot honey", and "honey" and "Melipon")". The merged data was assessed using
PRISMA guidelines and after the duplicates were removed, 1271 articles were segregated.
Afterwards, 1232 articles were eliminated because they do not meet the inclusion criteria
and 39 articles were reevaluated again for eligibility. Finally, after the evaluation process,
only 26 of the articles were chosen for this review. The data of 26 articles of stingless bee
honey were deliberated based on antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity
and analysis of antimicrobial activity. Three articles reported on antioxidant properties,
one article on anti-inflammatory analysis, two articles on cytotoxicity analysis, and twenty
articles on analysis of antimicrobial activity. Based on the feasible affirmation from the
literature, stingless bee honey has an antioxidant capacity that able to decrease the ROS.
ROS able to lead a variety of health problems thus stingless bee honey can be a dietary
supplement to overcome this problem.
Introduction: Proximal humerus fracture fixation using plate osteosynthesis depends on the quality of the bone, design of the fixation devices and intra-operative soft tissue dissection. This study evaluates the functional outcome of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis using locking compression plate in proximal humerus fracture treatment. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 30 patients with complex proximal humerus fractures treated by minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis using locking compression plate (PHILOS). There were 21 males and 9 females. The average age of our study group was 58.8 years. All the patients were evaluated at six weeks, three months, four months, six months and 12 months following surgery. Results: All patients had fracture union at an average of 13.2 weeks. The mean DASH score at the follow-up was 8.69 (2.5 to 17.16), the average range of flexion was 143.83 degrees (100 to 170 degrees) and abduction was 121.49 degrees (90 to 160 degrees). We had superficial infection in three patients which resolved with a short course of antibiotics. There was excellent outcome in 26 patients, good and fair in two patients each. Conclusion: Proximal humerus fractures treated with minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis using locking compression plate with minimal soft tissue dissection, provides good functional outcome and early return of shoulder function.