Ten strains of Salmonella weltevreden isolated from poultry sources were examined and found to contain plasmid DNA ranging in size from 1.8 to 68.5 MD. All isolates were susceptible to carbenicillin, cephalothin, ceftriazone, gentamicin, kanamycin and nalidixic acid, but resistance to bacitracin (100%), penicillin G (100%), rifampicin (100%), sulphamethoxazole (100%), cefuroxime (80%) and tetracycline (60%) was recorded. The 55 MD plasmid of strain SW5 determined resistance to penicillin G and tetracycline, which was transmissible to the E. coli K12 recipient at a frequency of 3.52 x 10(-5) transconjugants per input donor cell. The results of arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR), using two 10-mer oligonucleotides and PCR-ribotyping to differentiate between the ten strains of S. weltevreden were compared. The strains were separated into ten different genome types by AP-PCR but were indistinguishable by PCR-ribotyping. These results suggest that poultry may constitute a reservoir for disseminating antibiotic resistance and that AP-PCR may be a valuable tool for epidemiological studies.
This study aimed at determining the presence and characterization of Escherichia coli and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) from imported frozen beef meats. Seventy-four (74) frozen imported beef meat samples from two countries, India (42 samples) and Australia (32 samples), were collected and tested for E. coli. These samples were purchased from the frozen meat sections of five different supermarkets in different locations in Selangor, Malaysia, from April 2012 to October 2014. A total of 222 E. coli strains were isolated from the meat samples; 126 strains were isolated from country A (India), and 96 E. coli strains were from country of origin B (Australia), respectively. A total of 70 E. coli strains were identified and characterized. All E. coli strains were isolated into Fluorocult medium and identified using API 20E kit. All selected E. coli strains were characterized for Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). All biochemically identified E. coli in this study were further subjected to molecular detection through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and characterization using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Of the 70 E. coli strains, 11 strains were positive for both Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) and 11 (11/70) strains were positive for stx1 gene, while 25 (25/70) strains were positive for stx2 gene. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene of all the E. coli isolates in this study was successfully sequenced and analyzed, and based on sequence data obtained, a phylogenetic tree of the 16S rRNA gene was performed using Clustal W programme in MEGA 6.06 software. Phylogenetic tree showed that the E. coli isolates in our study cluster with the strain of E. coli isolated in other countries, which further confirm that the isolates of E. coli in this study are similar to those obtained in other studies. As a result, all the strains obtained in this study proved to be a strain of pathogenic E. coli, which may cause a serious outbreak of food-borne disease. The isolation of pathogenic E. coli strains from the imported meat samples calls for prudent management of imported meats by the relevant authorities.
Islam is a religion that inspires its followers to seek knowledge continually and nurtures innovation, within the realms of Islamic rulings, towards an ameliorated quality of life. Up-to-date biotechnological techniques, specifically animal cloning, are involved in advancing society's health, social, and economic domains. The goal of animal cloning includes the production of genetically modified animal for human consumption. Therefore, this research endeavoured to study animal cloning's current scientific findings, examine the by-product of said process, and determine its permissibility in an Islamic context. This study employed descriptive literature reviews. Results concluded that animal cloning, especially in mammals, does not occur naturally as in plants. A broadly trusted and efficient animal cloning method is known as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), which includes three principal steps: oocyte enucleation; implantation of donor cells (or nucleus); and the activation of the embryo. Nevertheless, the limitations of SCNT, particularly to the Large Offspring Syndrome (LOS), should be noted. One of the forms of the application of animal cloning is in agriculture. From an Islamic perspective, determining the permissibility of consuming cloned animals as food is essentially based on whether the cloned animal conforms to Islamic law's principles and criteria. Islam interdicts animal cloning when it is executed without benefiting humans, religion, or society. Nonetheless, if it is done to preserve the livelihood and the needs of a community, then the process is deemed necessary and should be administered following the conditions outlined in Islam. Hence, the Islamic ruling for animal cloning is not rigid and varies proportionately with the current fatwa.