Anti-Bacterial Effects of Essential Oils against Uropathogenic Bacteria

Controllable Preparation and Research Progress of Photosensitive Antibacterial Complex Hydrogels

Hydrogels are materials consisting of a network of hydrophilic polymers. Due to their good biocompatibility and hydrophilicity, they are widely used in biomedicine, food safety, environmental protection, agriculture, and other fields. This paper summarizes the typical complex materials of photocatalysts, photosensitizers, and hydrogels, as week as their antibacterial activities and the basic mechanisms of photothermal and photodynamic effects. In addition, the application of hydrogel-based photoresponsive materials in microbial inactivation is discussed, including the challenges faced in their application. The advantages of photosensitive antibacterial complex hydrogels are highlighted, and their application and research progress in various fields are introduced in detail.

Interactions between Natural Products-A Review

Plant-based natural products have been used as a source for therapeutics since the dawn of civilization. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. Numerous natural extracts, widely known in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda medicine and other practices, have led to the modern discovery and development of new drugs. Plants continuously interact with their environment, producing new compounds and ever-changing combinations of existing ones. Interestingly, some of the compounds have shown lower therapeutic activity in comparison to the extract they were isolated from. These findings suggest that the higher therapeutic activity of the source extract was due to the synergistic effect of several compounds. In other words, the total therapeutic potential of the extract cannot be explained only by the sum of its parts alone. In traditional medicine, most herbal remedies are based on a mixture of plants, and it is the interaction between different constituents that amplifies their therapeutic potential. Considering the significant influence traditional medicine has on human healthcare, knowing and studying the synergistic effect of compounds is paramount in designing smart therapeutic agents.

A Focused Insight into Thyme: Biological, Chemical, and Therapeutic Properties of an Indigenous Mediterranean Herb

A perennial wild shrub from the Lamiaceae family and native to the Mediterranean region, thyme is considered an important wild edible plant studied for centuries for its unique importance in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industry. Thyme is loaded with phytonutrients, minerals and vitamins. It is pungent in taste, yet rich in moisture, proteins, crude fiber, minerals and vitamins. Its chemical composition may vary with geographical location but is mainly composed of flavonoids and antioxidants. Previous studies have illustrated the therapeutic effects of thyme and its essential oils, especially thymol and carvacrol, against various diseases. This is attributed to its multi-pharmacological properties that include, but are not limited to, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic actions. Moreover, thyme has long been known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic activities, in addition to remarkable disruption of microbial biofilms. In the COVID-19 era, some thyme constituents were investigated for their potential in viral binding. As such, thyme presents a wide range of functional possibilities in food, drugs, and other fields and prominent interest as a nutraceutical. The aims of the current review are to present botanical and nutritive values of this herb, elaborate its major constituents, and review available literature on its dietetic and biological activities.

Occurrence of urinary tract infection and preventive strategies practiced by female students at a tertiary care teaching institution

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more common in females than males and predominantly based on their unhealthy practices in their day to day lives. This study is trying to assess the occurrence of UTI and strategies used by female student to prevent UTI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in a tertiary care teaching institute. A total of 338 conveniently selected B. Sc. Nursing and MBBS Medical students were surveyed. The data were collected by using a pretested, a self-structured questionnaire related to occurrence and practices to prevent UTI along with necessary demographic details. Descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential (Chi-square test) statistics was used to compute the data.

RESULTS

The result of this study shows that 10.05% female students reported of having UTI. The proportion was higher in nursing students (67.6%) than medical (32.4%) but did not show a significance difference (P = 0.61). Age, duration of hostel life, and marital status were significantly associated with the status of UTI (P = 0.001). To prevent UTI, students were using commercial product with Tea Tree Oil, soap, drinking 3-4 l water/day, increased frequency of peri-wash during menstruation period, and use of Citrus Fruits. The use of western toilet was also significantly associated with status of UTI (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The occurrence of UTI was more among nursing students. Most of the perineal hygienic practices by the female students were associated with occurrence of UTI; hence, it is necessary to emphasize on preventive practices to minimize re-occurrence.

The Healing Capability of Clove Flower Extract (CFE) in Streptozotocin-Induced (STZ-Induced) Diabetic Rat Wounds Infected with Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is of great challenge as it is shown to be infected by multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR bacteria). Sixty four bacterial isolates were isolated from DFU cases; antibiotic susceptibility tests were carried out for all of them. One bacterial isolate (number 11) was shown to resist the action of 8 out of 12 antibiotics used and was identified by both a Vitek-2 system and 16S rRNA fingerprints as belonging to Proteus mirabilis, and was designated Proteus mirabilis LC587231 (P. mirabilis). Clove flower extract (CFE) inhibited distinctively the P. mirabilis bacterium obtained. GC-MS spectroscopy showed that this CFE contained nine bioactive compounds. The effect of CFE on wound healing of Type 1 diabetic albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) was studied. The results indicated that topical application of CFE hydrogel improved wound size, wound index, mRNA expression of the wound healing markers (Coli1, MMP9, Fibronectin, PCNA, and TGFβ), growth factor signaling pathways (PPAR-α, PGC1-α, GLP-1, GLPr-1, EGF-β, EGF-βr, VEGF-β, and FGF-β), inflammatory cytokine expression (IL8, TNFα, NFKβ, IL1β, and MCP1), as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL4 & IL10), pro-apoptotic markers (FAS, FAS-L, BAX, BAX/BCL-2, Caspase-3, P53, P38), as well as an antiapoptotic one (BCL2). Furthermore, it improved the wound oxidative state and reduced the wound microbial load, as the cefepime therapy improved the wound healing parameters. Based on the previous notions, it could be concluded that CFE represents a valid antibiotics alternative for DFU therapy since it improves diabetic wound healing and exerts antibacterial activity either in vitro or in vivo.

Extending the Shelf-Life of Fresh-Cut Green Bean Pods by Ethanol, Ascorbic Acid, and Essential Oils

Green beans are a perishable crop, which deteriorate rapidly after harvest, particularly when minimally processed into ready-to-eat fresh-cut green beans. This study investigated the effectiveness of ethanol, ascorbic acid (AsA), tea tree essential oil (TTO), and peppermint essential oil (PMO) on the quality and storability of fresh-cut green bean pods samples stored at 5 °C for 15 days. Our results indicated that samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO preserved appearance, firmness (except ethanol), chlorophyll content, and moisture compared with the samples without any treatment (control). Additionally, higher vitamin C, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were observed in samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO compared with the control. The most effective treatments for controlling microbial growth were ethanol followed by either TTO or PMO. All the treatments had positive effects on shelf life, maintained quality, and reducing microbial growth during 15 days of cold storage. A particular treatment can be selected based on the economic feasibility and critical control point in the value chain.

In Vitro Coliform Resistance to Bioactive Compounds in Urinary Infection, Assessed in a Lab Catheterization Model

Bioactive compounds and phenolic compounds are viable alternatives to antibiotics in recurrent urinary tract infections. This study aimed to use a natural functional product, based on the bioactive compounds’ composition, to inhibit the uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. E.coli ATCC 25922 was used to characterize the IVCM (new in vitro catheterization model). As support for reducing bacterial proliferation, the cytotoxicity against a strain of Candida albicans was also determined (over 75% at 1 mg/mL). The results were correlated with the analysis of the distribution of biologically active compounds (trans-ferulic acid-268.44 ± 0.001 mg/100 g extract and an equal quantity of Trans-p-coumaric acid and rosmarinic acid). A pronounced inhibitory effect against the uropathogenic strain E. coli 317 (4 log copy no./mL after 72 h) was determined. The results showed a targeted response to the product for tested bacterial strains. The importance of research resulted from the easy and fast characterization of the functional product with antimicrobial effect against uropathogenic strains of E. coli. This study demonstrated that the proposed in vitro model was a valuable tool for assessing urinary tract infections with E. coli.

MAPLE Coatings Embedded with Essential Oil-Conjugated Magnetite for Anti-Biofilm Applications

The present study reports on the development and evaluation of nanostructured composite coatings of polylactic acid (PLA) embedded with iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) modified with Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil. The co-precipitation method was employed to synthesize the magnetite particles conjugated with Eucalyptus natural antibiotic (Fe₃O₄@EG), while their composition and microstructure were investigated using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique was further employed to obtain PLA/Fe₃O₄@EG thin films. Optimal experimental conditions for laser processing were established by complementary infrared microscopy (IRM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations. The in vitro biocompatibility with eukaryote cells was proven using mesenchymal stem cells, while the anti-biofilm efficiency of composite PLA/Fe₃O₄@EG coatings was assessed against Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens.