Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Four Lycopus Taxa and an Interaction Study of Their Major Compounds

Next-Generation Sequencing of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains Isolated from Patients Hospitalized in the University Hospital Facilities

Carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella pneumoniae represents an urgent worldwide threat. We focused on CR K. pneumoniae in selected facilities of the University Hospital Bratislava (UHB) to investigate sequence types (STs), clonal relatedness, and antimicrobial resistance. Suspected carbapenem-nonsusceptible K. pneumoniae strains were obtained from hospitalized patients. Further examination included carbapenemase confirmation, cgMLST, and quantitative susceptibility testing. Of the total 41 CR K. pneumoniae strains, 26 (63.4%) were determined as ST11 in hospital No. 1; of these ST11, 22 (84.6%) were found in the first internal clinic. Six (14.6%) ST258 and three (7.3%) ST584 occurred in hospital No. 2; the most, i.e., four (66.7%), ST258 were detected in the geriatric clinic. In hospital No. 3, we found two (4.8%) ST584 and one (2.4%) ST258. Of the ST11 set, 24 (92.3%) produced NDM-1. Furthermore, seven (87.5) ST258 and five (100%) ST584 strains generated KPC-2. Antimicrobial resistance was as follows: ertapenem 97.6%, meropenem 63.4%, tigecycline 7.3%, eravacycline 7.3%, and colistin 2.5%. We revealed a presumably epidemiological association of ST11 with transmission, particularly in the first internal clinic of hospital No. 1, while ST258 and ST584 were related to interhospital dissemination between medical facilities No. 2 and No. 3. It is essential to prevent the circulation of these pathogens within and between healthcare facilities.

Optimization of Fermentation Process of Pomegranate Peel and Schisandra Chinensis and the Biological Activities of Fermentation Broth: Antioxidant Activity and Protective Effect Against H2O2-induced Oxidative Damage in HaCaT Cells

In this study, the lactobacillus fermentation process of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (PP&SC) was optimized by using the response surface method (RSM) coupled with a Box-Behnken design. The optimum fermentation condition with the maximal yield of ellagic acid (99.49 ± 0.47 mg/g) was as follows: 1:1 (w:w) ratio of pomegranate peel to Schisandra chinensis, 1% (v:v) of strains with a 1:1 (v:v) ratio of Lactobacillus Plantarum to Streptococcus Thermophilus, a 37 °C fermentation temperature, 33 h of fermentation time, 1:20 (g:mL) of a solid–liquid ratio and 3 g/100 mL of a glucose dosage. Under these conditions, the achieved fermentation broth (FB) showed stronger free radical scavenging abilities than the water extract (WE) against the ABTS⁺, DPPH, OH⁻ and O₂⁻ radicals. The cytotoxicity and the protective effect of FB on the intracellular ROS level in HaCaT cells were further detected by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The results showed that FB had no significant cytotoxicity toward HaCaT cells when its content was no more than 8 mg/mL. The FB with a concentration of 8 mg/mL had a good protective effect against oxidative damage, which can effectively reduce the ROS level to 125.94% ± 13.46% (p < 0.001) compared with 294.49% ± 11.54% of the control group in H₂O₂-damaged HaCaT cells. The outstanding antioxidant ability and protective effect against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in HaCaT cells promote the potential for the FB of PP&SC as a functional raw material of cosmetics.

Clinical significance of Saussurea Costus in thyroid treatment

Saussurea costus (S. costus) belongs to family of Asteraceae and is one of the therapeutic plants extensively used as a traditional medicine in Saudi Arabia. Constituents of this plant have the potential to be developed as bioactive molecules. Among Arabs, the prevalence of thyroid disorders ranges from 6.18 % to 47.34% and hypothyroidism has been reported to be the most prevalent. Although there is no natural treatment that can directly replace thyroid hormones, their role as an alternate treatment or as an add-on to available thyroid treatment has been explored. Flavanoids and antioxidant properties of S. costus may be an important mechanism involved in supporting its medicinal use. Current data on the possible role of S. costus in thyroid disorders is lacking and the available evidence is inconclusive. This review deal with the current understanding of use and myth regarding the use of this medicinal plant in thyroid disease.