RESULTS: P. acidilactici Kp10 was moderately tolerant to phenol and adhere to mammalian epithelial cells (Vero cells and ileal mucosal epithelium). The bacterium also exhibited antimicrobial activity against several gram-positive and gram-negative food-spoilage and food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytgenes ATCC 15313, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13311, Shigella sonnei ATCC 9290, Klebsiella oxytoca ATCC 13182, Enterobacter cloaca ATCC 35030 and Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 12378. The absence of haemolytic activity and proteinase (trypsin) and the presence of a strong peptidase (leucine-arylamidase) and esterase-lipase (C4 and C8) were observed in this LAB strain. P. acidilactici Kp10 also produced acid, coagulated milk and has demonstrated proteolytic and amylolactic activities.
CONCLUSION: The properties exhibited by P. acidilactici Kp10 suggested its potential application as probiotic and starter culture in the food industry.
METHODS: A retrospective analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 years. The cumulative antibiograms were constructed in accordance with current guidelines.
RESULTS: A total of 976 first isolate cultures were obtained from ICUs of the different referral hospitals. K. pneumoniae (8.8%, 8.1%) was a predominant pathogen in Windhoek Central hospital ICU in 2017 and 2018. In Oshakati intermediate hospital ICU, Enterobacter sp. (22.2%) and P. aeruginosa (37.5%) were the common pathogens in 2017 and 2018, respectively. A. baumannii isolates were >90% susceptibility to colistin, carbapenems, and tigecycline in 2017. In 2017, K. pneumoniae isolates were more susceptible to carbapenems (94% and 93.8% among isolates), amikacin (89.3%), and tigecycline (88.7%). In 2018, K. pneumoniae isolates were 100% susceptible amikacin, colistin, and carbapenems. S. maltophilia isolates were more than 80% susceptible to all the tested antibiotics. S. aureus isolates were 100% susceptible to linezolid, rifampicin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin in 2017 and in 2018. Its susceptibility to these antibiotics did not change.
CONCLUSION: The susceptibility patterns of the common isolated gram-negative pathogens were highly variable. Meropenem in combination with gentamicin is now the recommended antibiotic combination for empiric therapy for patients with LRTIs in Windhoek Central Hospital ICU.
METHODS: We conducted this scoping review to collect evidence related to the antimicrobial potential of diverse natural compounds from Zingiberaceae plants and their synthetic derivatives. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus electronic databases for relevant studies published from 2012 to 2023. A total of 28 scientific studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The authors of these studies implemented in vitro and in silico methods to examine the antimicrobial potency and underlying mechanisms of the investigated compounds.
RESULT: The evidence elucidates the antimicrobial activity of natural secondary metabolites from Zingiberaceae species and their synthetic derivatives against a broad panel of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungi and viruses.
CONCLUSION: To date, researchers have proposed the application of bioactive compounds derived from Zingiberaceae plants and their synthetic analogues as antimicrobial agents. Nevertheless, more investigations are required to ascertain their efficacy and to broaden their commercial applicability.