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Trunet C, Vischer N, Coroller L, Brul S. Germination and outgrowth of Bacillus mycoides KBAB4 spores are impacted by environmental pH, quantitatively analyzed at single cell level with sporetracker. Food Microbiol 2024; 121:104509. [PMID: 38637073 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Quantifying spore germination and outgrowth heterogeneity is challenging. Single cell level analysis should provide supplementary knowledge regarding the impact of unfavorable conditions on germination and outgrowth dynamics. This work aimed to quantify the impact of pH on spore germination and outgrowth, investigating the behavior of individual spore crops, produced under optimal and suboptimal conditions. Bacillus mycoides (formerly B. weihenstephanensis) KBAB4 spores, produced at pH 7.4 and at pH 5.5 were incubated at different pH values, from pH 5.2 to 7.4. The spores were monitored by microscopy live imaging, in controlled conditions, at 30 °C. The images were analyzed using SporeTracker, to determine the state of single cells. The impact of pH on germination and outgrowth times and rates was estimated and the correlation between these parameters was quantified. The correlation between germination and outgrowth times was significantly higher at low pH. These results suggest that an environmental pressure highlights the heterogeneity of spore germination and outgrowth within a spore population. Results were consistent with previous observations at population level, now confirmed and extended to single cell level. Therefore, single cell level analyses can be used to quantify the heterogeneity of spore populations, which is of interest in order to control the development of spore-forming bacteria, responsible for food safety issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Trunet
- Univ Brest, INRAE, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Écologie Microbienne, F-29000, Quimper, France.
| | - N Vischer
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - L Coroller
- Univ Brest, INRAE, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Écologie Microbienne, F-29000, Quimper, France
| | - S Brul
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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2
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Ding J, Liu Q, Hou W, Cai J, Wang B, Lu C. Enhanced sporulation of B. licheniformis BF-002 through automatic co-feeding of carbon and nitrogen sources. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:1642-1658. [PMID: 38381097 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus licheniformis formulations are effective for environmental remediation, gut microbiota modulation, and soil improvement. An adequate spore quantity is crucial for the activity of B. licheniformis formulations. This study investigated the synergistic effects of carbon/nitrogen source consumption and concentration on B. licheniformis BF-002 cultivation, with the aim of developing an automatic co-feeding strategy to enhance spore production. Initial glucose (10 g/L) and amino nitrogen (1.5 g/L) concentrations promote cell growth, followed by reduced glucose (2.0 g/L) and amino nitrogen (0.5 g/L) concentrations for sustained spore generation. The spore quantity reached 2.59 × 1010 CFU/mL. An automatic co-feeding strategy was developed and implemented in 5 and 50 L cultivations, resulting in spore quantities of 2.35 × 1010 and 2.86 × 1010 CFU/mL, respectively, improving by 6.81% and 30.00% compared to that with a fixed glucose concentration (10.0 g/L). The culture broth obtained at both the 5 and 50 L scales was spray-dried, resulting in bacterial powder with cell viability rates of 85.94% and 82.68%, respectively. Even after exposure to harsh conditions involving high temperature and humidity, cell viability remained at 72.80% and 69.89%, respectively. Employing the automatic co-feeding strategy increased the transcription levels of the spore formation-related genes spo0A, spoIIGA, bofA, and spoIV by 7.42%, 8.46%, 8.87%, and 9.79%, respectively. The proposed strategy effectively promoted Bacillus growth and spore formation, thereby enhancing the quality of B. licheniformis formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ding
- The key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Qingyuan Liu
- Bayannur Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Center, Bayannur, China
| | - Wenbiao Hou
- The key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jun Cai
- The key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Bo Wang
- The key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- The key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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Birch E, Bridgens B, Zhang M, Dade-Robertson M. Biological, physical and morphological factors for the programming of a novel microbial hygromorphic material. Bioinspir Biomim 2024; 19:036018. [PMID: 38569524 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad3a4d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The urgency for energy efficient, responsive architectures has propelled smart material development to the forefront of scientific and architectural research. This paper explores biological, physical, and morphological factors influencing the programming of a novel microbial-based smart hybrid material which is responsive to changes in environmental humidity. Hygromorphs respond passively, without energy input, by expanding in high humidity and contracting in low humidity.Bacillus subtilisdevelops environmentally robust, hygromorphic spores which may be harnessed within a bilayer to generate a deflection response with potential for programmability. The bacterial spore-based hygromorph biocomposites (HBCs) were developed and aggregated to enable them to open and close apertures and demonstrate programmable responses to changes in environmental humidity. This study spans many fields including microbiology, materials science, design, fabrication and architectural technology, working at multiple scales from single cells to 'bench-top' prototype.Exploration of biological factors at cellular and ultracellular levels enabled optimisation of growth and sporulation conditions to biologically preprogramme optimum spore hygromorphic response and yield. Material explorations revealed physical factors influencing biomechanics, preprogramming shape and response complexity through fabrication and inert substrate interactions, to produce a palette of HBCs. Morphological aggregation was designed to harness and scale-up the HBC palette into programmable humidity responsive aperture openings. This culminated in pilot performance testing of a humidity-responsive ventilation panel fabricated with aggregatedBacillusHBCs as a bench-top prototype and suggests potential for this novel biotechnology to be further developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Birch
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Bridgens
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Meng Zhang
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Martyn Dade-Robertson
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
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Ye X, Li J, Gao D, Ma P, Wu Q, Song D. A Dual-Mode Fluorescent Nanoprobe for the Detection and Visual Screening of Pathogenic Bacterial Spores. Anal Chem 2024; 96:6012-6020. [PMID: 38564412 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial vegetative cells turn into metabolically dormant spores in certain environmental situations. Once suitable conditions trigger the germination of spores belonging to the pathogenic bacterial category, public safety and environmental hygiene will be threatened, and lives will even be endangered when encountering fatal ones. Instant identification of pathogenic bacterial spores remains a challenging task, since most current approaches belonging to complicated biological methods unsuitable for onsite sensing or emerging alternative chemical techniques are still inseparable from professional instruments. Here we developed a polychromatic fluorescent nanoprobe for ratiometric detection and visual inspection of the pathogenic bacterial spore biomarker, dipicolinic acid (DPA), realizing rapidly accurate screening of pathogenic bacterial spores such as Bacillus anthracis spores. The nanoprobe is made of aminoclay-coated silicon nanoparticles and functionalized with europium ions, exhibiting selective and sensitive response toward DPA and Bacillus subtilis spores (simulants for Bacillus anthracis spores) with excellent linearity. The proposed sensing strategy allowing spore determination of as few as 0.3 × 105 CFU/mL within 10 s was further applied to real environmental sample detection with good accuracy and reliability. Visual quantitative determination can be achieved by analyzing the RGB values of the corresponding test solution color via a color recognition APP on a smartphone. Different test samples can be photographed at the same time, hence the efficient accomplishment of examining bulk samples within minutes. Potentially employed in various on-site sensing occasions, this strategy may develop into a powerful means for distinguishing hazardous pathogens to facilitate timely and proper actions of dealing with multifarious security issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiwen Ye
- Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Jingkang Li
- Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Dejiang Gao
- Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Pinyi Ma
- Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Nanomedicine and Translational Research Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130030, China
| | - Daqian Song
- Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun 130012, China
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Shepherdson EMF, Elliot MA. Redefining development in Streptomyces venezuelae: integrating exploration into the classical sporulating life cycle. mBio 2024; 15:e0242423. [PMID: 38470267 PMCID: PMC11005364 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02424-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Two growth modes have been described for the filamentous Streptomyces bacteria. Their classic developmental life cycle culminates in the formation of dormant spores, where movement to new environments is mediated through spore dispersal. In contrast, exploratory growth proceeds as a rapidly expanding vegetative mycelium that leads to extensive surface colonization and is associated with the release of volatile compounds that promote alkalinization (and reduced iron bioavailability) of its surrounding environment. Here, we report that exploratory growth in Streptomyces venezuelae can proceed in tandem with classic sporulating development in response to specific nutritional cues. Sporulating exploration is not accompanied by a rise in environmental pH but has the same iron acquisition requirements as conventional exploration. We found that mutants that were defective in their ability to sporulate were unaffected in exploration, but mutants undergoing precocious sporulation were compromised in their exploratory growth and this appeared to be mediated through premature activation of the developmental regulator WhiI. Cell envelope integrity was also found to be critical for exploration, as mutations in the cell envelope stress-responsive extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigE led to a failure to explore robustly under all exploration-promoting conditions. Finally, in expanding the known exploration-promoting conditions, we discovered that the model species Streptomyces lividans exhibited exploration capabilities, supporting the proposal that exploration is conserved across diverse streptomycetes. IMPORTANCE Streptomyces bacteria have evolved diverse developmental and metabolic strategies to thrive in dynamic environmental niches. Here, we report the amalgamation of previously disparate developmental pathways, showing that colony expansion via exploration can proceed in tandem with colony sporulation. This developmental integration extends beyond phenotype to include shared genetic elements, with sporulation-specific repressors being required for successful exploration. Comparing this new exploration mode with previously identified strategies has revealed key differences (e.g., no need for environmental alkalinization), and simultaneously allowed us to define unifying requirements for Streptomyces exploration. The "reproductive exploration" phenomenon reported here represents a unique bet-hedging strategy, with the Streptomyces colony engaging in an aggressive colonization strategy while transporting a protected genetic repository.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M. F. Shepherdson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie A. Elliot
- Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Li Y, Luo L, Wang W, Hong B, Ma Y, Wang J. Characterization of a cell wall hydrolase with high activity against vegetative cells, spores and biofilm of Bacillus cereus. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 414:110617. [PMID: 38335884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a prevalent foodborne pathogen that induces food poisoning symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Its capacity to form spores and biofilm enables it to withstand disinfectants and antimicrobials, leading to persistent contamination during food processing. Consequently, it is necessary to develop novel and efficient antimicrobial agents to control B. cereus, its spores, and biofilms. Peptidoglycan hydrolases have emerged as a promising and eco-friendly alternative owing to their specific lytic activity against pathogenic bacteria. Here, we identified and characterized a Lysozyme-like cell wall hydrolase Lys14579, from the genome of B. cereus ATCC 14579. Recombinant Lys14579 specifically lysed B. cereus without affecting other bacteria. Lys14579 exhibited strong lytic activity against B. cereus, effectively lysing B. cereus cell within 20 min at low concentration (10 μg/mL). It also inhibited the germination of B. cereus spores and prevented biofilm formation at 12.5 μg/mL. Moreover, Lys14579 displayed good antimicrobial stability with negligible hemolysis in mouse red blood cells and no cytotoxicity against RAW264.7 cells. Notably, Lys14579 effectively inhibited B. cereus in boiled rice and minced meat in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and point mutagenesis experiments revealed that Glu-47 was the catalytic site, and Asp-57, Gln-60, Ser-61 and Glu-63 were active-site residues related with the cell wall lytic activity. Taken together, Lys14579 could be a promising biocontrol agent against vegetative cells, spores, and biofilm of B. cereus in food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lun Luo
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wenhai Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bin Hong
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yi Ma
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jufang Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Wang C, Defoirdt T, Rajkovic A. The impact of indole and mucin on sporulation, biofilm formation, and enterotoxin production in foodborne Clostridium perfringens. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae083. [PMID: 38544331 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Indole and mucin are compounds found in the host environment as they are produced by the host or by the host-associated microbiota. This study investigated whether indole and mucin impact Clostridium perfringens growth and sporulation, as well as enterotoxin production and biofilm formation. METHODS AND RESULTS There was no impact on growth of Cl. perfringens for up to 400 µM indole and 240 mg/l mucin, and neither indole nor mucin affected sporulation. Reverse-transcriptase qPCR showed that mucin strongly upregulated the expression of Cl. perfringens enterotoxin (up to 121-fold increase), whereas indole had a much more modest effect (2-fold). This was also reflected in increased Cl. perfringens enterotoxin levels in mucin-treated Cl. perfringens (as assessed by a reversed passive latex agglutination assay). Finally, mucin and indole significantly increased biofilm formation of Cl. perfringens, although the effect size was relatively small (less than 1.5 fold). CONCLUSION These results indicate that Cl. perfringens can sense its presence in a host environment by responding to mucin, and thereby markedly increased enterotoxin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Defoirdt
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Research Unit Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Freire V, Condón S, Gayán E. Impact of sporulation temperature on germination of Bacillus subtilis spores under optimal and adverse environmental conditions. Food Res Int 2024; 182:114064. [PMID: 38519157 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis spores are important food spoilage agents and are occasionally involved in food poisoning. In foods that are not processed with intense heat, such bacterial spores are controlled by a combination of different hurdles, such as refrigeration, acidification, and low water activity (aw), which inhibit or delay germination and/or growth. Sporulation temperature has long been regarded as a relevant factor for the assessment of germination in chemically defined media, but little is known about its impact on food preservation environments. In this study, we compared germination dynamics of B. subtilis spores produced at optimal temperature (37 °C) with others incubated at suboptimal (20 °C) and supraoptimal (43 °C) temperatures in a variety of nutrients (rich-growth medium, L-alanine, L-valine, and AGFK) under optimal conditions as well as under food-related stresses (low aw, pH, and temperature). Spores produced at 20 °C had a lower germination rate and efficiency than those incubated at 37 °C in all the nutrients, while those sporulated at 43 °C displayed a higher germination rate and/or efficiency in response to rich-growth medium and mostly to L-alanine and AGFK under optimal environmental conditions. However, differences in germination induced by changes in sporulation temperature decreased when spores were activated by heat, mainly due to the greater benefit of heat for spores produced at 20 °C and 37 °C than at 43 °C, especially in AGFK. Non-heat-activated spores produced at 43 °C still displayed superior germination fitness under certain stresses that had considerably impaired the germination of the other two populations, such as reduced temperature and aw. Moreover, they presented lower temperature and pH boundaries for the inhibition of germination in rich-growth medium, while requiring a higher NaCl concentration threshold compared to spores obtained at optimal and suboptimal temperature. Sporulation temperature is therefore a relevant source of variability in spore germination that should be taken into account for the accurate prediction of spore behaviour under variable food preservation conditions with the aim of improving food safety and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Freire
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Santiago Condón
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Elisa Gayán
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
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Dang HT, Tran DM, Phung TTB, Bui ATP, Vu YH, Luong MT, Nguyen HM, Trinh HT, Nguyen TT, Nguyen AH, Van Nguyen AT. Promising clinical and immunological efficacy of Bacillus clausii spore probiotics for supportive treatment of persistent diarrhea in children. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6422. [PMID: 38494525 PMCID: PMC10944834 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56627-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Persistent diarrhea is a severe gastroenteric disease with relatively high risk of pediatric mortality in developing countries. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of liquid-form Bacillus clausii spore probiotics (LiveSpo CLAUSY; 2 billion CFU/5 mL ampoule) at high dosages of 4-6 ampoules a day in supporting treatment of children with persistent diarrhea. Our findings showed that B. clausii spores significantly improved treatment outcomes, resulting in a 2-day shorter recovery period (p < 0.05) and a 1.5-1.6 folds greater efficacy in reducing diarrhea symptoms, such as high frequency of bowel movement of ≥ 3 stools a day, presence of fecal mucus, and diapered infant stool scale types 4-5B. LiveSpo CLAUSY supportive treatment achieved 3 days (p < 0.0001) faster recovery from diarrhea disease, with 1.6-fold improved treatment efficacy. At day 5 of treatment, a significant decrease in blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23 by 3.24% (p = 0.0409), 29.76% (p = 0.0001), and 10.87% (p = 0.0036), respectively, was observed in the Clausy group. Simultaneously, there was a significant 37.97% decrease (p = 0.0326) in the excreted IgA in stool at day 5 in the Clausy group. Overall, the clinical study demonstrates the efficacy of B. clausii spores (LiveSpo CLAUSY) as an effective symptomatic treatment and immunomodulatory agent for persistent diarrhea in children.Trial registration: NCT05812820.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Thuy Dang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dien Minh Tran
- Department of Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thuy Thi Bich Phung
- Department of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Anh Thi Phuong Bui
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd. Company, No. 22, Lot 7,8 Van Khe Urban, La Khe, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Yen Hai Vu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Minh Thi Luong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hang Minh Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Huong Thi Trinh
- Department of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Vietnam National Children's Hospital, No. 18/879 La Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tham Thi Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd. Company, No. 22, Lot 7,8 Van Khe Urban, La Khe, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Anh Hoa Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd. Company, No. 22, Lot 7,8 Van Khe Urban, La Khe, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam.
- LiveSpo Pharma Ltd. Company, N03T5, Ngoai Giao Doan Urban, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Anh Thi Van Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd. Company, No. 22, Lot 7,8 Van Khe Urban, La Khe, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Wetzel D, Carter ZA, Monteiro MP, Edwards AN, Scharer CD, McBride SM. The pH-responsive SmrR-SmrT system modulates C. difficile antimicrobial resistance, spore formation, and toxin production. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0046123. [PMID: 38345371 PMCID: PMC10929453 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00461-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic gastrointestinal pathogen that spreads through the environment as dormant spores. To survive, replicate, and sporulate in the host intestine, C. difficile must adapt to a variety of conditions in its environment, including changes in pH, the availability of metabolites, host immune factors, and a diverse array of other species. Prior studies showed that changes in intestinal conditions, such as pH, can affect C. difficile toxin production, spore formation, and cell survival. However, little is understood about the specific genes and pathways that facilitate environmental adaptation and lead to changes in C. difficile cell outcomes. In this study, we investigated two genes, CD2505 and CD2506, that are differentially regulated by pH to determine if they impact C. difficile growth and sporulation. Using deletion mutants, we examined the effects of both genes (herein smrR and smrT) on sporulation frequency, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. We determined that SmrR is a repressor of smrRT that responds to pH and suppresses sporulation and toxin production through regulation of the SmrT transporter. Further, we showed that SmrT confers resistance to erythromycin and lincomycin, establishing a connection between the regulation of sporulation and antimicrobial resistance.IMPORTANCEClostridioides difficile is a mammalian pathogen that colonizes the large intestine and produces toxins that lead to severe diarrheal disease. C. difficile is a major threat to public health due to its intrinsic resistance to antimicrobials and its ability to form dormant spores that are easily spread from host to host. In this study, we examined the contribution of two genes, smrR and smrT, on sporulation, toxin production, and antimicrobial resistance. Our results indicate that SmrR represses smrT expression, while production of SmrT increases spore and toxin production, as well as resistance to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Wetzel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zavier A. Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcos P. Monteiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Adrianne N. Edwards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher D. Scharer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shonna M. McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Gor GY, Scherer GW, Stone HA. Bacterial spores respond to humidity similarly to hydrogels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320763121. [PMID: 38416680 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320763121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial spores have outstanding properties from the materials science perspective, which allow them to survive extreme environmental conditions. Recent work by [S. G. Harrellson et al., Nature 619, 500-505 (2023)] studied the mechanical properties of Bacillus subtilis spores and the evolution of these properties with the change of humidity. The experimental measurements were interpreted assuming that the spores behave as water-filled porous solids, subjected to hydration forces. Here, we revisit their experimental data using literature data on vapor sorption on spores and ideas from polymer physics. We demonstrate that upon the change of humidity, the spores behave like rubber with respect to their swelling, elasticity, and relaxation times. This picture is consistent with the knowledge of the materials comprising the bacterial cell walls-cross-linked peptidoglycan. Our results provide an interpretation of the mechanics of bacterial spores and can help in developing synthetic materials mimicking the mechanical properties of the spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Y Gor
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - George W Scherer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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12
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Zuo C, Qin Y, Zhang Y, Pan L, Tu K, Peng J. Oil addition increases the heat resistance of Clostridium sporogenes spores in braised sauce beef: Perspectives from spore surface characteristics and microstructure. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 413:110608. [PMID: 38308875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
During thermal processing of braised sauce beef, the lipid content of circularly used sauce increased accordingly because of lipid migration from beef to sauce, which may impact the bacterial heat resistance in the products. This study aims to characterize the heat resistance of Clostridium sporogenes spores in braised sauce beef, and investigate the effects of oil on the spore surface characteristics and microstructure. The results indicated that the heat resistance of C. sporogenes spores in beef was significantly higher than that in sauce. Oil addition remarkably enhanced the spore heat resistance in sauce, with D95°C value three times more than that without oil added, and even higher than that in beef. The results of spore surface characteristics indicated that oil addition led to an increase of hydrophobicity and a decrease of zeta potential, which ultimately increased spore heat resistance. Microstructure analysis indicated that exosporium maintenance and cortex expansion induced by oil addition might contribute to the increase of spore heat resistance. This study has sufficiently verified the importance of oil content on the heat resistance of C. sporogenes spores, which should be taken into consideration when developing thermal processes for controlling the spores in food matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changzhou Zuo
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yue Qin
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yueyang Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Leiqing Pan
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Kang Tu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jing Peng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing 210095, China.
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13
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Cai R, Ma Y, Wang Z, Yuan Y, Guo H, Sheng Q, Yue T. Inactivation activity and mechanism of pulsed light against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in concentrated apple juice. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 413:110576. [PMID: 38246025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris has received much attention due to its unique thermo-acidophilic property and implication in the spoilage of pasteurized juices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sterilization characteristics and mechanisms of pulsed light (PL) against A. acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in apple juice. The results indicated that bacteria cells in apple juice (8-20°Brix) can be completely inactivated within the fluence range of 20.25-47.25 J/cm2, which mainly depended on the soluble solids content (SSC) of juice, and the spores in apple juice (12°Brix) can be completely inactivated by PL with the fluence of 54.00 J/cm2. The PL treatment can significantly increase the leakage of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proteins from cells and spores. Fluorescence studies of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) indicated that the loss of ATP was evident. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope presented that PL-treated cells or spores had serious morphological damage, which reduced the integrity of cell membrane and led to intracellular electrolyte leakage. In addition, there were no significant negative effects on total sugars, total acids, total phenols, pH value, SSC and soluble sugars, and organic acid content decreased slightly during the PL treatment. The contents of esters and acids in aroma components had a certain loss, while that of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones were increased. These results demonstrated that PL treatment can effectively inactivate the bacteria cells and spores in apple juice with little effect on its quality. This study provides an efficient method for the inactivation of A. acidoterrestris in fruit juice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cai
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'An, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Yali Ma
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, YangLing, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zhouli Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, YangLing, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yahong Yuan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'An, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Hong Guo
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'An, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Qinglin Sheng
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'An, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Tianli Yue
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'An, Shaanxi 710069, China.
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14
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Zhang Y, Yang Z, Huang Q, Zhan X, Liu X, Guo D, Wang S, Rui W, Lü X, Shi C. Antimicrobial Activity of Eugenol Against Bacillus cereus and Its Application in Skim Milk. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2024; 21:147-159. [PMID: 38100031 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen widely distributed in the large-scale catering industry and produces spores. The study explored the antibacterial activity, potential mechanism of eugenol against B. cereus, and spores with germination rate. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 0.6 mg/mL) of eugenol to six B. cereus strains was compared with the control; B. cereus treated with eugenol had a longer lag phase. Eugenol at a concentration of more than 1/2MIC decreased viable B. cereus (∼5.7 log colony-forming unit [CFU]/mL) counts below detectable limits within 2 h, and eugenol of 3MIC reduced B. cereus (∼5.9 log CFU/mL) in skim milk below detectable limits within 30 min. The pH values of skim milk were unaffected by the addition of eugenol. The ΔE values below 2 show that the color variations of skim milk were not visible to the human eye. For sensory evaluation, eugenol did not significantly affect the color or structural integrity of the skim milk. It had a negative impact on the flavor and general sensory acceptance of the treated milk. Eugenol hyperpolarized B. cereus cell membrane, decreased intracellular ATP concentration, and increased intracellular reactive oxygen species contents and extracellular malondialdehyde contents, resulting in the cell membrane of B. cereus being damaged and permeabilized, and cell morphology being changed. In addition, according to the viable count, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and spore morphology changes, eugenol reduced the germination rate of B. cereus spores. These findings suggest that eugenol can be used as a new natural antibacterial agent to control B. cereus and spores in the food production chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhuokai Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Qianning Huang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiangjun Zhan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xing Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Du Guo
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Wushuang Rui
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xin Lü
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Chao Shi
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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15
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Mohammadi B, Pérez Reyes ME, Smith SA. Survival, Growth, and Toxin Production of Bacillus cereus During Cooking and Storage of Fresh Rice Noodles. J Food Prot 2024; 87:100239. [PMID: 38325555 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Retail stores maintain fresh rice noodles (FRNs) at room temperature because refrigeration negatively impacts FRNs' texture. The room temperature and high water activity of FRNs help spore-forming Bacillus cereus to grow and produce toxins. In this study, the effect of steam cooking on survival and different storage temperatures on the growth and enterotoxins production of B. cereus in FRNs were investigated. White rice flour was used to make FRNs. Three treatments of FRNs were used in this study; uninoculated, inoculated (with 4.0 log CFU/ml of B. cereus spores), and autoclaved as a negative control. A slurry of rice flour, cornstarch, and water was steam cooked for 4 min at 90°C and incubated for 168 h at 4°C, and for 72 h at 22 and 32°C. Incubated FRNs were tested for pH, B. cereus growth, and enterotoxins production. Steam cooking reduced the total number of B. cereus spores by 0.7 ± 0.3 log CFU/g. Surviving B. cereus spores in inoculated and uninoculated FRNs germinated over 72 h of storage. No B. cereus was detected in negative controls. An interaction was observed across storage temperatures and time (p < 0.05). The B. cereus population in uninoculated FRNs increased by more than 7.0 log CFU/g at 22 and 32°C over 72 h, while inoculated FRNs showed a 5.0 log bacterial increase at these storage temperatures. No growth was observed at 4°C in both inoculated and uninoculated FRNs. The pH of inoculated FRNs was reduced from 6.9 ± 0.1 to 5.7 ± 0.0 at 32°C and to 6.2 ± 0.1 at 22°C, and the pH of uninoculated FRNs was reduced from 7.0 ± 0.1 to 5.8 ± 0.2 at 32°C and to 6.5 ± 0.0 at 22°C, indicative of FRNs spoilage. B. cereus in inoculated FRNs produced enterotoxins after 12 h of storage at 32°C, and over 24 h of storage at 22°C, while no toxin was detected at 4°C. Our findings show that storing FRNs at room temperature for 24 h leads to enterotoxin production, emphasizing the importance of proper FRN storage and their potential risk to consumers. Nevertheless, further research should investigate the effect of other foodborne pathogens on these products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephanie A Smith
- School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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16
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Boening-Ulman KM, Mikelonis AM, Heckman JL, Calfee MW, Ratliff K, Youn S, Smith JS, Mitchell CE, Hunt WF, Winston RJ. The potential to manage releases of Bacillus anthracis using bioretention and a high flow media filter: Results of simulated runoff testing with tracer spores Bacillus globigii. J Environ Manage 2024; 354:120286. [PMID: 38354613 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The threat of bioterrorism has spurred research on the decontamination and containment of different agents. Anthrax [causative agent Bacillus anthracis (Ba)] is a disease that can lead to severe infections within human and animals, particularly when inhaled. This research investigated the use of spore-contaminated simulated runoff events into stormwater control measures (SCMs), which are designed to retain and improve the quality of runoff and may have the potential to filter and contain the spores. In this study, the effectiveness of a bioretention cell (BRC) and high flow media filter (HFMF) in Huron, Ohio, were evaluated for removal of Bacillus globigii (Bg) spores (a harmless cognate of Ba). Three 4-8 mm simulated runoff events were created for each SCM using a fire hydrant and Bg spores were injected into the runoff upstream of the SCM inlets. The BRC significantly (p < 0.001) outperformed the HFMF in reducing Bg concentrations and loads, with an average load reduction of 1.9 log (∼99% reduction) compared to 0.4 (∼60% reduction), respectively. A probable critical design factor leading to these differences was the infiltration rate of the media and subsequent retention time within the filters, which was supported by similar disparities in suspended solids reductions. Differences in spore removal may also have been due to particle size distribution of the HFMF, which was more gravelly than the bioretention cell. At 3 and 6 months after the-simulated runoff tests, soil samples taken from both SCMs, yielding detectable Bg spores within the top 15 cm of media, with increased spore concentrations where ponding occurred for longer durations during the tests. This suggests that forebays and areas near inlets may be hotspots for spore cleanup in a real-world bioterrorism incident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Boening-Ulman
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Anne M Mikelonis
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - J Lee Heckman
- APTIM Government Solutions, 1600 Gest St., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Test and Evaluation Facility, Cincinnati, OH, 45204, USA
| | - M Worth Calfee
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Katherine Ratliff
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Sungmin Youn
- Department of Civil Engineering, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA
| | - Joseph S Smith
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Caleb E Mitchell
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, 3100 Faucette Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - William F Hunt
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, 3100 Faucette Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Ryan J Winston
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2070 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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17
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Sundaresan A, Cheong I. Elucidating Bacterial Spore Dynamics through Lanthanide-Enhanced Live Imaging. ACS Sens 2024; 9:789-798. [PMID: 38221734 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Identifying and distinguishing dormant and active bacterial spores are vital for biosecurity, food safety, and space exploration. Yet, there is a lack of simple, quick, and nondestructive methods to achieve this. The common Schaeffer-Fulton method is both sample-destructive and requires significant operator involvement. In this study, we employed lanthanide-beta-diketonate complexes to directly observe both dormant and germinated single spores. Staining is instantaneous and requires minimal sample processing. The complex stains areas outside the core of dormant spores, leaving the core hollow and nonfluorescent. However, upon germination, the complex enters the core, making it brightly fluorescent. This difference was noted in five bacterial species including Bacillus, Clostridium, and Clostridioides. Various lanthanides and beta-diketonates can be mixed to form a range of spore-visualizing complexes. Due to their low toxicity, these complexes allow for live imaging of single germinating spores. We demonstrate low-cost imaging using a USB microscope as well as imaging of spores in milk matrices. This method provides a valuable tool for studying bacterial spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajitha Sundaresan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117604 Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117558 Singapore
| | - Ian Cheong
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117604 Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117558 Singapore
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18
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Xu F, Zhang W, Wang Y, Tian X, Chu J. Enhancing and monitoring spore production in Clostridium butyricum using pH-based regulation strategy and a robust soft sensor based on back-propagation neural networks. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:551-565. [PMID: 37921467 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium butyricum is a probiotic that forms anaerobic spores and plays a crucial role in regulating gut microbiota. However, the total viable cell count and spore yield of C. butyricum in industrial production are comparatively low. To this end, we investigated the metabolic characteristics of the strain and proposed three distinct pH regulation strategies for enhancing spore production. In addition, precise measurement of fermentation parameters such as substrate concentration, total viable cell count, and spore concentration is crucial for successful industrial probiotics production. Nevertheless, online measurement of these intricate parameters in the fermentation of C. butyricum poses a considerable challenge owing to the complex, nonlinear, multivariate, and strongly coupled characteristics of the production process. Therefore, we analyzed the capacitance and conductivity acquired from a viable cell sensor as the core parameters for the fermentation process. Subsequently, a robust soft sensor was developed using a seven-input back-propagation neural network model with input variables of fermentation time, capacitance, conductivity, pH, initial total sugar concentration, ammonium ion concentration, and calcium ion concentration. The model enables the online monitoring of total viable biomass count, substrate concentrations, and spore yield, and can be extended to similar fermentation processes with pH changes as a characteristic feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiwei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ju Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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19
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Bolomey AC, Cadnum JL, Jencson AL, Donskey CJ. Evaluation of a mobile disinfection cabinet using ultraviolet-C light and aerosolized hydrogen peroxide for disinfection of medical equipment. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2024; 45:257-259. [PMID: 37767689 DOI: 10.1017/ice.2023.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
In laboratory testing, a mobile enclosed disinfection cabinet using ultraviolet-C light and aerosolized hydrogen peroxide was effective for disinfection of hard and soft surfaces. The addition of aerosolized hydrogen peroxide to ultraviolet-C light resulted in improved disinfection of soft surfaces and Clostridioides difficile spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin C Bolomey
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans' Affairs (VA) Medical Center, ClevelandOhio
| | - Jennifer L Cadnum
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans' Affairs (VA) Medical Center, ClevelandOhio
| | - Annette L Jencson
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans' Affairs (VA) Medical Center, ClevelandOhio
| | - Curtis J Donskey
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
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20
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Cao R, Tan L, Wan Q, Wu G, Wang J, Lin Y, Huang T, Wen G. The improved resistance of germinated spores to ultraviolet irradiation: Comparison with chlorine. Chemosphere 2024; 349:140929. [PMID: 38092169 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Fungi outbreaks in water will include a series of processes, including spore aggregation, germination, biofilm, and finally present in a mixed state in the aquatic environment. More attention is paid to the control of dispersed fungal spores, however, there was little knowledge of the control of germinated spores. This study investigated the inactivation kinetics and mechanism of ultraviolet (UV) treatment for fungal spores with different germination percentages compared with dormant spores. The results indicated that the inactivation rate constants (k) of spores with 5%-45% germination were 0.0278-0.0299 cm2/mJ for Aspergillus niger and 0.0588-0.0647 cm2/mJ for Penicillium polonicum, which were lower than those of dormant spores. It suggested that germinated spores were more tolerant to UV irradiation than dormant spores, and it may be due to the defensive barrier (upregulated pigments) and some reductive substance (upregulated enoyl reductase) by absorbing UV or reacting with reactive oxygen species according to transcriptome analysis. Compared to dormant spores, the k-UV of germinated spores decreased by 18.17%-26.56% for Aspergillus niger, which was less than k-chlorine (62.33%-69.74%). A slighter decrease in k-UV showed UV irradiation can efficiently control fungi contamination, especially when dormant spores and germinated spores coexisted in actual water systems. This study indicates that more attention should be paid to germinated spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihua Cao
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Lili Tan
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Qiqi Wan
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Gehui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Yingzi Lin
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130118, PR China
| | - Tinglin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China
| | - Gang Wen
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, PR China.
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21
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Juneja VK, Osoria M, Altuntas EG, Taneja NK, Thakur S, Kumar GD, Setlow P. Effects of spore purity on the wet heat resistance of Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis spores. Food Res Int 2024; 177:113904. [PMID: 38225145 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Heat resistance of spores of Clostridium perfringens 8238 (Hobbs Serotype 2), Bacillus cereus NCTC 11143 (4810/72), and Bacillus subtilis PS533, an isogenic derivative of strain PS832 (a 168 strain) was determined in ground beef at 95 °C. Spore purification was by centrifugation and washing with sterile distilled water (dH2O), followed by sonication and then Histodenz centrifugation for B. subtilis and C. perfringens, and centrifugation and washing with sterile dH2O followed by Histodenz centrifugation for B. cereus. Bags containing inoculated beef samples were submerged in a temperature-controlled water bath and held at 95 °C for predetermined lengths of time. Surviving spore populations were enumerated by plating on mannitol egg yolk polymyxin agar (MYP) agar plates for B. cereus and B. subtilis, and on tryptose-sulfite-cycloserine agar (TSC) agar plates for C. perfringens. Survivor curves were fitted to linear, linear with tail, and Weibull models using the USDA Integrated Pathogen Modeling Program (IPMP) 2013 software. The Weibull model provided a relatively better fit to the data since the root mean square error (RMSE), mean square error (MSE), sum of squared errors (SSE), and Akaike information criterion (AIC) values were lower than the values obtained using the linear or the linear with tail models. Additionally, the Weibull model accurately predicted the observed D-values at 95 °C for the three spore-formers since the accuracy factor (Af) values ranged from 1.03 to 1.08 and the bias factor (Bf) values were either 1.00 or 1.01. Times at 95 °C to achieve a 3-log reduction decreased from 206 min for C. perfringens spores purified with water washes alone to 191 min with water washes followed by sonication and Histodenz centrifugation, from 7.9 min for B. cereus spores purified with water washes alone to 1.4 min with water washes followed by Histodenz centrifugation, and from 20.6 min for B. subtilis spores purified with water washes alone to 6.7 min for water washes followed by sonication and Histodenz centrifugation. Thermal-death-time values reported in this study will assist food processors to design thermal processes to guard against bacterial spores in cooked foods. In addition, clearly spore purity is an additional factor in spore wet heat resistance, although the cause of this effect is not clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Juneja
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA.
| | - Marangeli Osoria
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA
| | | | - Neetu K Taneja
- Department of Basics and Applied Sciences, NIFTEM, Sonipat 131028, Haryana, India
| | - Sheetal Thakur
- University Centre for Research & Development, UIBT, Chandigarh University, Gharuan-Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Govindaraj D Kumar
- Center for Food Safety, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, GA, USA
| | - Peter Setlow
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030-3305, USA
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22
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Liu X, Wu Y, Ran J, Jiao L, Sun L, Ye F. Antibacterial mechanism of inosine against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. J Food Sci 2024; 89:1187-1195. [PMID: 38204435 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Inosine could potentially become a novel antibacterial agent against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris as low doses of inosine can prevent its contamination. However, until now the antibacterial mechanism of inosine targeting A. acidoterrestris is still unknown. In this study, to unravel the mechanism of inosine against A. acidoterrestris puzzle, the effects of inosine on bacterial surface hydrophobicity, intracellular protein content, cell membrane damage extent, and permeability of the A. acidoterrestris were investigated. The results showed that inosine can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of A. acidoterrestris by destroying the integrity of cell membrane and increasing its permeability, causing the leakage of intracellular nutrients. Furthermore, the interaction networks of inosine target proteins were analyzed. The interaction networks further revealed that damage to bacterial cell membranes might be relevant to inosine's effect on bacterial DNA replication and cell energy metabolism through regulating nucleotide synthesis and metabolism and the activity of translation initiation factors. Finally, the antibacterial mechanism of inosine against A. acidoterrestris was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Liu
- School of Food Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Youzhi Wu
- School of Food and Drugs, Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junjian Ran
- School of Food Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Lingxia Jiao
- School of Food Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Linjun Sun
- School of Food and Drugs, Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuzhou Ye
- School of Food and Drugs, Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, China
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23
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Wang H, Wu Q, Zhang L, Luo H, Wang X, Tie J, Ren Z. A lattice model based on percolation theory for cold atmospheric DBD plasma decontamination kinetics. Food Res Int 2024; 177:113918. [PMID: 38225119 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The tailing phenomenon, where the survival curve of bacteria shows a slow tailing period after a rapid decline, is a ubiquitous inactivation kinetics process in the advanced plasma sterilization field. While classical models suggest that bacterial resistance dispersion causes the tailing phenomenon, experiments suggest that the non-uniform spatial distribution of spores (clustered structure) is the cause. However, no existing inactivation kinetics model can accurately describe spatial heterogeneity. In this paper, we propose a lattice model based on percolation theory to explain the inactivation kinetics by considering the non-uniform spatial distribution of spores and plasma. Our model divides spores into non-clustered and clustered types and distinguishes between short-tailing and long-tailing compositions and their formation mechanisms. By systematically studying the effects of different spore and plasma parameters on the tailing phenomenon, we provide a reasonable explanation for the kinetic law of the plasma sterilization survival curve and the mechanism of the tailing phenomenon in various cases. As an example, our model accurately explains the 80-second kinetics of atmospheric pressure plasma inactivation of spores, a process that previous models struggled to understand due to its multi-stage and long-tail phenomena. Our model predicts that increasing the spatial distribution probability of plasma can shorten the complete killing time under the same total energy, and we validate this prediction through experiments. Our model successfully explains the seemingly irregular plasma sterilization survival curve and deepens our understanding of the tailing phenomenon in plasma sterilization. This study offers valuable insights for the sterilization of food surfaces using plasma technology, and could serve as a guide for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haiyun Luo
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jinfeng Tie
- PLA Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zhe Ren
- PLA Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100071, China
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24
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Ning Z, Dong W, Bian Z, Huang H, Hong K. Insight into effects of terbium on cell growth, sporulation and spore properties of Bacillus subtilis. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:79. [PMID: 38281285 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from wastewater with Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) during culture is promising due to its environmental benefits. However, the effects of REEs in the culture media on B. subtilis are poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the effects of the terbium (Tb(III)), a typical rare earth element, on the cell growth, sporulation, and spore properties of B. subtilis. Tb(III) can suppress bacterial growth while enhancing spore tolerance to wet heat. Spore germination and content of dipicolinic acid (DPA) were promoted at low concentrations of Tb(III) while inhibited at a high level, but an inverse effect on initial sporulation appeared. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer detection indicated that Tb(III) complexed cells or spores and certain media components simultaneously. The germination results of the spores after elution revealed that Tb(III) attached to the spore surface was a key effector of spore germination. In conclusion, Tb(III) directly or indirectly regulated both the nutrient status of the media and certain metabolic events, which in turn affected most of the properties of B. subtilis. Compared to the coat-deficient strain, the wild-type strain grew faster and was more tolerant to Tb(III), DPA, and wet heat, which in turn implied that it was more suitable for the recovery of REEs during cultivation. These findings provide fundamental insights for the recovery of rare earths during the culture process using microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhoushen Ning
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
- Yichun Lithium New Energy Industry Research Institute, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Yichun, 336023, China.
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
| | - Zijun Bian
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Huihong Huang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Kemin Hong
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
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25
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Siller P, Skopeck B, Rosen K, Bartel A, Friese A, Rösler U. Impact of air humidity on the tenacity of different agents in bioaerosols. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297193. [PMID: 38277366 PMCID: PMC10817179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the variety of pathogens that are transmitted via the airborne route, few data are available on factors that influence the tenacity of airborne pathogens. In order to better understand and thus control airborne infections, knowledge of these factors is important. In this study, three agents, S. aureus, G. stearothermophilus spores and the MS2 bacteriophage, were aerosolized at relative humidities (RH) varying between 30% and 70%. Air samples were then analyzed to determine the concentration of the agents. S. aureus was found to have significantly lower survival rate in the aerosol at RH above 60%. It showed the lowest recovery rates of the three agents, ranging from 0.13% at approximately 70% RH to 4.39% at 30% RH. G. stearothermophilus spores showed the highest tenacity with recovery rates ranging from 41.85% to 61.73% with little effect of RH. For the MS2 bacteriophage, a significantly lower tenacity in the aerosol was observed with a recovery rate of 4.24% for intermediate RH of approximately 50%. The results of this study confirm the significant influence of the RH on the tenacity of airborne microorganisms depending on the specific agent. These data show that the behavior of microorganism in bioaerosols is varies under different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Siller
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research–TZR, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Britta Skopeck
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research–TZR, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Rosen
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research–TZR, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Bartel
- Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anika Friese
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research–TZR, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Uwe Rösler
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research–TZR, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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26
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Zhu Y, Tian J, Liu S, Li M, Zhao L, Liu W, Zhao G, Liang D, Ma Y, Tu Q. Rapid capture and quantification of food-borne spores based on the double-enhanced Fe 3O 4@PEI@Ag@PEI core-shell structure SERS sensor. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2024; 305:123512. [PMID: 37864975 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
To realize rapid capture and quantification of food-borne spores and prevent their potential harm, Fe3O4@PEI@Ag@PEI core-shell structure nanoparticles were combined with flower-like AgNPs for double enhancement and efficient capture of spores. The developed sensor showed excellent reproducibility and SERS enhancement factor (AEF) is 4.6 × 104. Orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis and linear discriminant analysis accurately identified the three spores (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium perfringens), and the qualitative identification accuracy of linear discriminant analysis was 100 %. Efficient enrichment of B. subtilis spores was realized within 5 min, with a detection limit of 3 cfu/mL. Spiked tests revealed that this sensor was effective in detecting spores in milk, orange juice, and water samples, with recovery ratio of 95.2-103.9 % and relative standard deviation of 3.1-7.7 %. Thus, the developed sensor was accurate and reliable, and could achieve rapid identification and quantitative detection of food-borne spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaodi Zhu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; Henan Jiuyuquan Food Co., LTD., Postdoctoral Innovation Base, Henan Province, Yuanyang 453500, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Tian
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Shijie Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Miaoyun Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China.
| | - Lijun Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Weijia Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Gaiming Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Dong Liang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; Henan Jiuyuquan Food Co., LTD., Postdoctoral Innovation Base, Henan Province, Yuanyang 453500, PR China
| | - Yangyang Ma
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Qiancheng Tu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China; International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
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27
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Cun WY, Bate CE, Srikhanta YN, Hutton ML, Webb CT, Revitt-Mills SA, Lyras D, McGowan S, Yu H, Keller PA, Pyne SG. Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Cephamycin-Based Antisporulation Agents targeting Clostridioides difficile. J Med Chem 2024; 67:450-466. [PMID: 38112278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
With the aim of discovering small molecule inhibitors of the sporulation process in Clostridioides difficile, we prepared a series of C-7 α-(4-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)acetamide analogues of cefotetan, a known inhibitor of the C. difficile sporulation-specific protein target CdSpoVD. These analogues were evaluated using both in vitro binding assays with CdSpoVD and antisporulation assays against C. difficile. Further design concepts were aided utilizing the predicted docking scores (DS) using both AlphaFold (AF) models, and a crystal structure of the CdSpoVD protein (PDB 7RCZ). Despite being 1 order of magnitude more potent as a sporulation inhibitor than cefotetan, in vivo studies on compound 6a in a murine-model of C. difficile infection demonstrated comparable spore shedding capabilities as cefotetan. Importantly, compound 6a had no concerning broad spectrum antibacterial activities, toxicity, or hemolytic activity and thus has potential for further drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Y Cun
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 New South Wales, Australia
| | - Clara E Bate
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Yogitha N Srikhanta
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Melanie L Hutton
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Chaille T Webb
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Sarah A Revitt-Mills
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Dena Lyras
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Haibo Yu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul A Keller
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen G Pyne
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 New South Wales, Australia
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28
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Nunez CM, Benn JS, Blue-McLendon A, Chaki SP, Ficht TA, Rice-Ficht AC, Cook WE. In Vitro Protection and Titer Duration of Anthrax-Specific Antibodies Following Subcutaneous Vaccination of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Bacillus anthracis Sterne 34F2 Strain Spores. J Wildl Dis 2024; 60:179-183. [PMID: 37921658 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-23-00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Outbreaks of anthrax, caused by the soilborne bacterium Bacillus anthracis, are a continuous threat to free-ranging livestock and wildlife in enzootic regions of the United States, sometimes causing mass mortalities. Injectable anthrax vaccines are commercially available for use in livestock, and although hand injection is not a cost- or time-effective long-term management plan for prevention in wildlife, it may provide a tool for managers to target selectively animals of high conservation or economic value. Vaccine-induced anthrax-specific antibody responses have been reported previously in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), but the protective nature was not determined. In this study, five white-tailed deer were subcutaneously vaccinated with one dose (1 mL) of the Anthrax Spore Vaccine. Eight blood collections by jugular venipuncture were conducted over 146 d to measure the anthrax-specific antibody response in each deer's serum over time. Antibodies were first detected by ELISA and later with toxin neutralization assays to estimate in vitro protection. Average peak absorbance by ELISA occurred at 14 d postvaccination, whereas average peak in vitro protection occurred at 28 d postvaccination. Observed in vitro protection on average for white-tailed deer after this single-dose vaccination protocol lasted 42-56 d postvaccination, although three individuals still maintained lethal toxin-neutralizing serum antibody titers out to 112 d postvaccination. Vaccination responses were variable but effective to some degree in all white-tailed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase M Nunez
- Cook Wildlife Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the work
| | - Jamie S Benn
- Cook Wildlife Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Current address: Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 700 University Blvd., MSC 218, Kingsville, Texas 78363, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the work
| | - Alice Blue-McLendon
- Winnie Carter Wildlife Center, Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Physiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Sankar P Chaki
- Global Health Research Complex, Division of Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Thomas A Ficht
- Ficht Encapsulation Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Allison C Rice-Ficht
- Ficht Encapsulation Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Walter E Cook
- Cook Wildlife Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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29
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Hellmann S, García-Cancela P, Alonso-Fernández S, Corte-Rodríguez M, Bettmer J, Manteca A, Merten D, Gil-Díaz T, Schäfer T, Montes-Bayón M. Single cell ICP-MS to evaluate the interaction behaviour for Cd, Ce and U with Streptomyces coelicolor spores. Chemosphere 2024; 347:140633. [PMID: 37951404 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Streptomyces are important soil bacteria used for bioremediation of metal-contaminated soils, however, it is still unknown how metal-selective Streptomyces are and which mechanisms are involved during their capture. In this work, we exposed S. coelicolor spores to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, 100 μM) of Ce, U and Cd in solid medium for one week to investigate the uptake behaviour of hyphae in the newly formed spores. Additionally, metal adsorption onto the spores was explored by incubating inactive, ungerminated spores for one day in aqueous metal solution. The spore-washing treatment was key to distinguishing between strongly spore-associated (e.g. incorporation; Tris-EDTA buffer) and weakly spore-associated metals (Tris buffer alone minus Tris-EDTA). Single cell (sc) ICP-MS was used to quantify metal-associated content in individual spores. Our results revealed element-specific adsorption onto inactive spores showing that out of the total metal exposure, both strongly (Ce: 58%; U: 54%; Cd: 28%) and weakly (Ce: 12%; U: 1%; Cd: 18%) adsorbed metals occur. However, scICP-MS showed that from metal-amended solid medium, only Ce and U were strongly spore-associated (averages 0.040 and 0.062 fg spore-1 for 10 μM exposures, respectively) while Cd was below the limit of detection (< 0.006 fg spore-1). We propose that hyphae only metabolically interact with Ce in a controlled manner but uncontrolled with U, as 66-73% Ce and only 2-4% U were inherited from adsorbed content. We conclude that Streptomyces spore-metal interaction starts with a relevant adsorption step of Ce, U and Cd as presented for aqueous conditions. If spores start to germinate, hyphae are capable of effectively encapsulating Ce and U, but not Cd. This study brings light into the still unknown field of metal interactions with Streptomyces and applied understanding for more efficient and metal-specific use of Streptomyces in bioremediation of metal-polluted soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Hellmann
- Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Paula García-Cancela
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Julian Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. Del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Sergio Alonso-Fernández
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Biología Funcional, IUOPA and ISPA, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Mario Corte-Rodríguez
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Julian Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. Del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jörg Bettmer
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Julian Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. Del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Angel Manteca
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Biología Funcional, IUOPA and ISPA, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Dirk Merten
- Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany
| | - Teba Gil-Díaz
- Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20b, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Thorsten Schäfer
- Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany.
| | - María Montes-Bayón
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Julian Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. Del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
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Memic S, Osborne AO, Cadnum JL, Donskey CJ. Efficacy of a far-ultraviolet-C light technology for continuous decontamination of air and surfaces. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2024; 45:132-134. [PMID: 37529841 DOI: 10.1017/ice.2023.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
A wall-mounted, far-ultraviolet-C light technology reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 by >3 log10 plaque-forming units within 30 minutes. Vegetative bacterial pathogens on steel disk carriers in the center of the room were reduced by >3 log10 after 45 minutes of exposure, but Candida auris and Clostridioides difficile spores were not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Memic
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Andrew O Osborne
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Jennifer L Cadnum
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Curtis J Donskey
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
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Feuerstadt P, LaPlante KL. Efficacy and Practical Implementation of Fecal Microbiota Spores, Live-BRPK: A Novel Approach for Preventing Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection. Am J Gastroenterol 2024; 119:S22-S26. [PMID: 38153222 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Feuerstadt
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- PACT-Gastroenterology Center, Hamden, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kerry L LaPlante
- College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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32
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DiNicola M, Seuylemezian A, Guan L, Moissl-Eichinger C, Baker A, Johns J. Modeling of recovery efficiency of sampling devices used in planetary protection bioburden estimation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0083223. [PMID: 37982623 PMCID: PMC10734503 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00832-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Planetary protection at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requires bioburden on certain spacecraft to be estimated via sampling in order to comply with biological cleanliness requirements. To achieve this, the recovery efficiency of devices used to sample the spacecraft pre-launch must be understood and their uncertainty quantified in order to produce the most reasonable estimates of bioburden. This study brings together experiments performed by NASA and the European Space Agency with approved swab and wipe sampling devices, inoculating steel coupons with laboratory strains of Bacillus spp. spores commonly recovered from spacecraft assembly clean rooms (B. atrophaeus, B. megaterium, B. safensis and B. thuringiensis), with a mathematical model of the assay process to assess recovery efficiency. The statistical treatment developed in this study allows comparison of bioburden estimates made from different devices processed by different methods. This study also gives stakeholders and practitioners a statistically rigorous approach to predict bioburden that can be folded into future modeling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael DiNicola
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Arman Seuylemezian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Lisa Guan
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Christine Moissl-Eichinger
- Medical University of Graz, Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology, and Environmental Medicine, Graz, Austria
| | - Amy Baker
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Jason Johns
- Herndon Solutions Group, Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, USA
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Kyrylenko A, Eijlander RT, Alliney G, de Bos ELV, Wells-Bennik MHJ. Levels and types of microbial contaminants in different plant-based ingredients used in dairy alternatives. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 407:110392. [PMID: 37729802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
In this study levels and types of microbial contaminants were investigated in 88 different plant-based ingredients including many that are used to manufacture dairy alternatives. Studied ingredients encompassed samples of pulses (pea, faba bean, chickpea, and mung bean), cereals/pseudocereals (oat, rice, amaranth and quinoa) and drupes (coconut, almond and cashew). The microbial analysis included: i) total viable count (TVC), ii) total aerobic mesophilic spore count (TMS), iii) heat resistant aerobic thermophilic spore count (HRTS), iv) anaerobic sulfite reducing Clostridium spore count (SRCS), and v) Bacillus cereus spore count (BCES). Microorganisms isolated from the counting plates with the highest sample dilutions were identified using 16S rRNA and MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Many of the investigated ingredients showed a high proportion of spores as part of their total aerobic mesophilic counts. In 63 % of the samples, the difference between TVC and TMS counts was 1 Log10 unit or less. This was particularly the case for the majority of pea isolates and concentrates, faba bean isolates, oat kernels and flakes, and for single samples of chickpea isolate, almond, amaranth, rice, quinoa, and coconut flours. Concentrations of TVC ranged between <1.0 and 5.3 Log10 CFU/g in different samples, and TMS varied between <1.0 and 4.1 Log10 CFU/g. Levels of HTRS, BCES and SRCS were generally low, typically around or below the LOD of 1.0 Log10 CFU/g. In total, 845 individual bacterial colonies were isolated belonging to 33 different genera. Bacillus licheniformis and B. cereus group strains were most frequently detected among Bacillus isolates, and these species originated primarily from pea and oat samples. Geobacillus stearothermophilus was the main species encountered as part of the HRTS. Among the Clostridium isolates, Clostridum sporogenes/tepidum were predominant species, which were mostly found in pea and almond samples. Strains with potential to cause foodborne infection or intoxication were typed using the PCR-based method for toxin genes detection. In the B. cereus group, 9 % of isolates contained the ces gene, 28 % contained hbl, 42 % cytK, and 69 % were positive for the nhe gene. Absence of the boNT-A and -B genes was confirmed for all isolated C. sporogenes/tepidum strains. Nearly all (98 %) B. licheniformis isolates were positive for the lchAA gene. Insight into the occurrence of microbial contaminants in plant-based ingredients, combined with knowledge of their key inactivation and growth characteristics, can be used for the microbial risk assessment and effective design of plant-based food processing conditions and formulations to ensure food safety and prevent spoilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Kyrylenko
- NIZO food research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718 ZB Ede, the Netherlands; Wageningen University and Research, Food Microbiology, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Giovanni Alliney
- NIZO food research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718 ZB Ede, the Netherlands; Wageningen University and Research, Food Microbiology, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Cetinkaya YN, Bulut O, Oktem HA, Yilmaz MD. Fluorescent silica nanoparticles as nano-chemosensors for the sequential detection of Pb 2+ ions and bacterial-spore biomarker dipicolinic acid (DPA) in aqueous solution. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2023; 303:123222. [PMID: 37542871 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report fluorescein-labelled silica nanoparticles (FSNP) which serve as fluorescent nano-chemosensors for sequential detection of Pb2+ (which is a toxic heavy metal) and dipicolinic acid (DPA) (which is a distinctive indicator biomarker of bacterial spores) with high sensitivity and selectivity. The fluorescence of FSNP is quenched because of the complex formation between Pb2+ ions and surface amide groups, however, the fluorescence is recovered in contact with DPA, resulting from the association of DPA with surface bound Pb2+ ions. FSNP-Pb2+ complexes show high sensitivity towards DPA with a low detection limit of 850 nM which is approximately seventy times lower than the infectious dosage of bacterial spores (60 μM). Lateral flow test platform was further developed to show the applicability and practicability of our system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Nur Cetinkaya
- Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Konya Food and Agriculture University, 42080 Konya, Turkey
| | - Onur Bulut
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Konya Food and Agriculture University, 42080 Konya, Turkey
| | - Huseyin Avni Oktem
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey; Nanobiz Technology Inc., Gallium Block No: 27 / 218, METU Technopolis, Ankara, Turkey
| | - M Deniz Yilmaz
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42140 Konya, Turkey; BITAM-Science and Technology Research and Application Center, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42140 Konya, Turkey.
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Ribis JW, Shen A. Protocol for quantifying the germination properties of individual bacterial endospores using PySpore. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102678. [PMID: 37910513 PMCID: PMC10630823 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PySpore is a Python program that tracks the germination of individual bacterial endospores. Here, we present a protocol for segmenting spores and quantifying the germination properties of individual bacterial endospores using PySpore. We describe steps for using GUI-based tools to optimize image processing, annotating data, setting gates, and joining datasets for downstream analyses. We then describe procedures for plotting functionality tools without the user needing to modify the underlying code. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ribis et al. (2023).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Ribis
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Aimee Shen
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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36
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Matuszewska R, Mąka Ł. Comparison of mCP and TSC Media to Enumerate Clostridium perfringens in Surface Water Samples. Pol J Microbiol 2023; 72:413-419. [PMID: 37999986 PMCID: PMC10725159 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Clostridium perfringens bacteria are used to assess water quality as an indicator parameter. If detected, it can confirm the occurrence of past fecal contamination. Tests determining C. perfringens in water samples are usually performed by membrane filtration where filters are incubated on selective media under anaerobic conditions. Available media include mCP and TSC. The aim of this study was to compare the relative recovery of C. perfringens (including spores) from surface water samples and to determine the performance characteristics of the membrane filtration method using both media. The results showed that, although the procedure using the mCP medium was more sensitive and specific, higher recoveries were obtained in the tests based on the TSC medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Matuszewska
- Department of Environmental Health and Safety National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Mąka
- Department of Environmental Health and Safety National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
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Allegretti JR, Khanna S, Feuerstadt P. Practical Use of Fecal Microbiota Spores, Live BRPK for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection. Am J Gastroenterol 2023; 118:2106-2108. [PMID: 37566894 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Allegretti
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sahil Khanna
- Division of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Paul Feuerstadt
- Division of Gastroenterology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Lott TT, Martin NH, Dumpler J, Wiedmann M, Moraru CI. Microbacterium represents an emerging microorganism of concern in microfiltered extended shelf-life milk products. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:8434-8448. [PMID: 37678790 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Growing interest in the manufacture of extended shelf-life (ESL) milk, which is typically achieved by a high-temperature treatment called ultra-pasteurization (UP), is driven by distribution challenges, efforts to reduce food waste, and more. Even though high-temperature, short-time (HTST) pasteurized milk has a substantially shorter shelf life than UP milk, HTST milk is preferred in the United States because consumers tend to perceive UP milk as less desirable due to the "cooked" flavor associated with high-temperature processing. While ESL beyond 21 d may be possible for HTST, the survival and outgrowth of psychrotolerant aerobic spore-forming bacteria can still be a limitation to extending shelf life of HTST milk. Microfiltration (MF) is effective for reducing vegetative microorganisms and spores in raw milk, but it is unclear what the effects of membrane pore size, storage temperature, and milk type (i.e., skim vs. whole) are on the microbial shelf life of milk processed by both MF and HTST pasteurization. To investigate these factors, raw skim milk was MF using different pore sizes (0.8 or 1.2 μm), and then MF skim milk and standardized whole milk (MF skim with heat-treated [85°C for 20 s] cream) were HTST pasteurized at 75°C for 20 s. Subsequently, milk was stored at 3°C, 6.5°C, or 10°C and total bacteria counts were measured for up to 63 d. An ANOVA indicated that mean bacterial concentrations between storage temperatures were significantly different from each other, with mean maximum observed concentrations of 3.67, 5.33, and 8.08 log10 cfu/mL for storage temperatures 3°C, 6.5°C, and 10°C, respectively. Additionally, a smaller difference in mean maximum bacterial concentrations throughout shelf life was identified between pore sizes (<1 log cfu/mL), but no significant difference was attributed to milk type. An unexpected outcome of this study was the identification of Microbacterium as a major contributor to the bacterial population in MF ESL milk. Microbacterium is a psychrotolerant, thermoduric gram-positive, non-spore-forming rod with a small cell size (∼0.9 μm length and ∼0.3 μm width), which our data suggest was able to permeate the membranes used in this study, survive HTST pasteurization, and then grow at refrigeration temperatures. While spores continue to be a key concern for the manufacture of MF, ESL milk, our study demonstrates the importance of other psychrotolerant, thermoduric bacteria such as Microbacterium to these products.
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Affiliation(s)
- T T Lott
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - N H Martin
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
| | - J Dumpler
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - M Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - C I Moraru
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
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Delmon C, Ouk C, Casellas M, Prorot A. Evaluation of the additive effects of volatile fatty acids and moderate heat treatment for enhancing the inactivation of vegetative cells and spores of Clostridium perfringens by flow cytometry. Anaerobe 2023; 84:102802. [PMID: 38007214 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2023.102802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clostridium perfringens is a well-known spore-forming bacterium that can resist the environment. A mixture of volatile fatty acids or thermal treatments can interact with these bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different volatile fatty acid concentrations and moderate heat treatment on Clostridium perfringens sporulation. METHODS A pure culture of Clostridium perfringens type A in Duncan Strong medium was treated with a mixture of volatile fatty acids at several concentrations. A thermal treatment was also tested. To evaluate the effects, a double staining method was employed, and treatments on Clostridium perfringens were analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS Moderate heat treatment destroyed vegetative forms but had no effect on sporulating forms. Volatile fatty acids combined with moderate heat treatment inhibited Clostridium perfringens sporulation. CONCLUSIONS The use of flow cytometry as an original method for evaluating the treatment of Clostridium perfringens is of interest because of its simplicity, short time to obtain results, and the level of information provided on the microbial population (impact on metabolism). A combination of mild treatments (moderate heat treatment + volatile fatty acids) to decrease the Clostridium perfringens concentration when these bacteria sporulate is a very promising finding for inhibiting Clostridium perfringens propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Delmon
- E2Lim laboratory, UR 24133, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.
| | - Catherine Ouk
- UMR CNRS 7276, INSERM 1262, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, F-87025, Limoges Cedex, France.
| | - Magali Casellas
- E2Lim laboratory, UR 24133, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.
| | - Audrey Prorot
- E2Lim laboratory, UR 24133, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.
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Nguyen TT, Bui ATP, Le NTH, Vo HTN, Nguyen AH, Pham TD, Hara T, Yokota K, Matsutani M, Takatsuka Y, Nguyen ATV. Heat-stable spores of carotenoid-producing Bacillus marisflavi and non-pigmented Bacillus subtilis cooperatively promote growth, quality, and gut microbiota of white-leg shrimp. Benef Microbes 2023; 14:623-640. [PMID: 38350466 DOI: 10.1163/18762891-20230041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
We evaluated the benefits of heat-stable carotenoid-producing Bacillus marisflavi SH8 spores individually and in combination with non-pigmented Bacillus subtilis SH23 spores on growth, colour change, nutritional content, innate immunity, and gut microbiota of white-leg shrimp. White-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei; n = 30 per tank; 2 tanks per group) were provided feed without (control group) or with SH8, SH23, or mixed spores (total, 1 × 106 cfu/g pellet) for 28 d. The SH8 and SH8-23 combination groups had significantly higher specific growth rates (9.6 and 11.0%), improved red-colour score (4 scores), astaxanthin concentration (1.8- and 2.3-fold), lipid contents (30 and 50%), and superoxidase dismutase activity (8.5 and 12.3%) than that of the control group. Analysis of shrimp's gut microbiome using 16S rRNA metagenome sequencing revealed increased abundance of four useful species and reduced abundance of four harmful species in the combination group than in the control group. Heat-stable Bacillus spore combination improved growth parameters, nutrient content, red-colour score, live counts, and abundance of useful bacteria in the gut of L. vannamei. This is the first study to show the benefits of combining highly heat-stable pigmented and non-pigmented Bacillus spores and their possible mechanisms in a shrimp model.
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Affiliation(s)
- T T Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd., Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - A T P Bui
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd., Hanoi, Vietnam
- Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - N T H Le
- Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - H T N Vo
- Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - A H Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd., Hanoi, Vietnam
- LiveSpo Pharma Ltd. Company, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - T D Pham
- Faculty of Mathematics-Mechanics-Informatics, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - T Hara
- Environmental Microbiology Research Section, Laboratory for Complex Energy Processes, Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - K Yokota
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - M Matsutani
- Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Y Takatsuka
- Environmental Microbiology Research Section, Laboratory for Complex Energy Processes, Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - A T V Nguyen
- Spobiotic Research Center, ANABIO R&D Ltd., Hanoi, Vietnam
- Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Zhu Y, Tian J, Li M, Zhao L, Shi J, Liu W, Liu S, Liang D, Zhao G, Xu L, Yang S. Construction of Graphene@Ag-MLF composite structure SERS platform and its differentiating performance for different foodborne bacterial spores. Mikrochim Acta 2023; 190:472. [PMID: 37987841 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-023-06031-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
A new surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) biosensor of Graphene@Ag-MLF composite structure has been fabricated by loading AgNPs on graphene films. The response of the biosensor is based on plasmonic sensing. The results showed that the enhancement factor of three different spores reached 107 based on the Graphene@Ag-MLF substrate. In addition, the SERS performance was stable, with good reproducibility (RSD<3%). Multivariate statistical analysis and chemometrics were used to distinguish different spores. The accumulated variance contribution rate was up to 96.35% for the top three PCs, while HCA results revealed that the spectra were differentiated completely. Based on optimal principal components, chemometrics of KNN and LS-SVM were applied to construct a model for rapid qualitative identification of different spores, of which the prediction set and training set of LS-SVM achieved 100%. Finally, based on the Graphene@Ag-MLF substrate, the LOD of three different spores was lower than 102 CFU/mL. Hence, this novel Graphene@Ag-MLF SERS substrate sensor was rapid, sensitive, and stable in detecting spores, providing strong technical support for the application of SERS technology in food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaodi Zhu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- Henan Jiuyuquan Food Co., Ltd. Postdoctoral innovation base, Yuanyang county, Jiuquan, Henan province, 45300, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi Tian
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaoyun Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China.
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lijun Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiyong Shi
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212000, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijia Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijie Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Liang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- Henan Jiuyuquan Food Co., Ltd. Postdoctoral innovation base, Yuanyang county, Jiuquan, Henan province, 45300, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaiming Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Lina Xu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Meat Processing and Safety in Henan province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shufeng Yang
- Henan Jiuyuquan Food Co., Ltd. Postdoctoral innovation base, Yuanyang county, Jiuquan, Henan province, 45300, People's Republic of China
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Freire V, Del Río J, Gómara P, Salvador M, Condón S, Gayán E. Comparative study on the impact of equally stressful environmental sporulation conditions on thermal inactivation kinetics of B. subtilis spores. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 405:110349. [PMID: 37591013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Control of bacterial spores continues to be one of the main challenges for the food industry due to their wide dissemination and extremely high resistance to processing methods. Furthermore, the large variability in heat resistance in spores that contaminate foods makes it difficult to establish general processing conditions. Such heterogeneity not only derives from inherent differences among species and strains, but also from differences in sporulation environments that are generally ignored in spores encountered in foods. We evaluated heat inactivation kinetics and the thermodependency of resistance parameters in B. subtilis 168 spores sporulated at adverse temperatures, water activity (aw), and pH, applying an experimental approach that allowed us to quantitatively compare the impact of each condition. Reduction of incubation temperature from the optimal temperature dramatically reduced thermal resistance, and it was the most influential factor, especially at the highest treatment temperatures. These spores were also more sensitive to chemicals presumably acting in the inner membrane. Reducing sporulation aw increased heat resistance, although the magnitude of that effect depended on the solute and the treatment temperature. Thus, changes in sporulation environments varied 3D100°C values up to 10.4-fold and z values up to 1.7-fold, highlighting the relevance of taking such a source of variability into account when setting heat processing conditions. UV-C treatment and sodium hypochlorite efficiently inactivated all spore populations, including heat-resistant ones produced at low aw.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Freire
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Del Río
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Paula Gómara
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Maika Salvador
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Santiago Condón
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Elisa Gayán
- Department of Animal Production and Food Science, AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), University of Zaragoza-CITA, Faculty of Veterinary, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
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43
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Smita N, Sasikala C, Ramana C. New insights into peroxide toxicology: sporulenes help Bacillus subtilis endospores from hydrogen peroxide. J Appl Microbiol 2023; 134:lxad238. [PMID: 37863832 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxad238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
AIM The purpose of the present study was to understand the possible events involved in the toxicity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to wild and sporulene-deficient spores of Bacillus subtilis, as H2O2 was previously shown to have deleterious effects. METHODS AND RESULTS The investigation utilized two strains of B. subtilis, namely the wild-type PY79 (WT) and the sporulene-deficient TB10 (ΔsqhC mutant). Following treatment with 0.05% H2O2 (v/v), spore viability was assessed using a plate count assay, which revealed a significant decrease in cultivability of 80% for the ΔsqhC mutant spores. Possible reasons for the loss of spore viability were investigated with microscopic analysis, dipicholinic acid (DPA) quantification and propidium iodide (PI) staining. Microscopic examinations revealed the presence of withered and deflated morphologies in spores of ΔsqhC mutants treated with H2O2, indicating a compromised membrane permeability. This was further substantiated by the absence of DPA and a high frequency (50%-75%) of PI infiltration. The results of fatty acid methyl ester analysis and protein profiling indicated that the potentiation of H2O2-induced cellular responses was manifested in the form of altered spore composition in ΔsqhC B. subtilis. The slowed growth rates of the ΔsqhC mutant and the heightened sporulene biosynthesis pathways in the WT strain, both upon exposure to H2O2, suggested a protective function for sporulenes in vegetative cells. CONCLUSIONS Sporulenes serve as a protective layer for the inner membrane of spores, thus assuming a significant role in mitigating the adverse effects of H2O2 in WT B. subtilis. The toxic effects of H2O2 were even more pronounced in the spores of the ΔsqhC mutant, which lacks this protective barrier of sporulenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Smita
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Ch Sasikala
- Bacterial Discovery Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, J.N.T. University Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500085, India
| | - ChV Ramana
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
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Park SM, Choi C, Rhee MS. Cultivation-free sample preparation and DNA purification for direct real-time qPCR of intracellular or spore-like Coxiella burnetii in beef, goat, and lamb meat. Food Res Int 2023; 173:113312. [PMID: 37803623 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen that has been associated with foodborne outbreaks in products with ruminant origins. However, a method to detect C. burnetii in meat has been merely studied, and commercial kits cannot efficiently fulfill this purpose. In this study, an in-house preparation method for direct real-time qPCR of C. burnetii in beef, goat, and lamb meat was designed. In the sample preparation step (step 1), trypsin digestion and cell disruption techniques were introduced to target C. burnetii in an obligate intracellular or spore-like form. Afterward, 16 DNA purification protocols involving the following steps (steps 2-3) were assessed: the precipitation of meat proteins (step 2; using 2.5, 5.0 M NaCl or 1:1, 2:1 ethanol as the precipitant) and binding of DNA to silicon dioxide particles with chaotropic salts (step 3; using 2.5, 5.0 M NaCl or 2.5, 5.0 M guanidine thiocyanate as the salt). The protocols with superior performance in high-spiked loins (estimated 4-5 log cells/g) were verified in low-spiked (1-2 log cells/g) or Bacillus thuringiensis spore-inoculated (1-2 log CFU/g) loins, ribs, and hind legs. During the protein precipitation, 5.0 M NaCl induced significantly lower protein level as demonstrated by A280, when compared to 2.5 M NaCl or ethanol (P < 0.05). For the DNA binding step, Ct values were lowered in high-spiked goat or lamb loins (3.5-6.0▾; P < 0.05) when the concentration of NaCl was doubled or guanidine thiocyanate was introduced instead of NaCl as a chaotropic salt. Based on these results, two protocols using 5.0 M NaCl as the protein precipitant and 5.0 M NaCl (N2 + N2) or guanidine thiocyanate (N2 + G2) as the chaotropic salt were selected, which demonstrated successful detection in low-spiked (Ct values of N2 + N2, 32.9-35.6; N2 + G2, 32.3-36.4) or spore-inoculated meat (N2 + N2, 30.9-37.5; N2 + G2, 29.7-32.7). Verification in low-spiked meat showed that meat type/part significantly impacted the Ct values of N2 + G2 but not those of N2 + N2. To our knowledge, this is the first study that developed a highly accessible method for detecting C. burnetii in meat which could reveal the possibility of meat-borne Q fever in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Min Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Changsun Choi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, School of Food Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Gyeonggi Province 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Suk Rhee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
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Mikelonis AM, Hall J, Dunn CA, McArthur T, Wiley G, Hintz CL, Steenbock J, Serre S, Calfee MW, Pirhalla M. Monitoring spore washoff during a biological contamination incident response using automated stormwater samplers and sensors to predict contamination movement. Sci Total Environ 2023; 897:165307. [PMID: 37414183 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the washoff of Bacillus globigii (Bg) spores from concrete, asphalt, and grass surfaces by stormwater. Bg is a nonpathogenic surrogate for Bacillus anthracis, which is a biological select agent. Areas (2.74 m × 7.62 m) of concrete, grass, and asphalt were inoculated twice at the field site during the study. Spore concentrations were measured in runoff water after seven rainfall events (1.2-65.4 mm) and complimentary watershed data were collected for soil moisture, depth of water in collection troughs, and rainfall using custom-built telemetry units. An average surface loading of 107.79 Bg spores/m2 resulted in peak spore concentrations in runoff water of 102, 260, and 4.1 CFU/mL from asphalt, concrete, and grass surfaces, respectively. Spore concentrations in the stormwater runoff were greatly reduced by the third rain event after both inoculations, but still detectable in some samples. When initial rainfall events occurred longer after the initial inoculation, the spore concentrations (both peak and average) in the runoff were diminished. The study also compared rainfall data from 4 tipping bucket rain gauges and a laser disdrometer and found they performed similarly for values of total rainfall accumulation while the laser disdrometer provided additional information (total storm kinetic energy) useful in comparing the seven different rain events. The soil moisture probes are recommended for assistance in predicting when to sample sites with intermittent runoff. Sampling trough level readings were critical to understanding the dilution factor of the storm event and the age of the sample collected. Collectively the spore and watershed data are useful for emergency responders faced with remediation decisions after a biological agent incident as the results provide insight into what equipment to deploy and that spores may persist in runoff water at quantifiable levels for months. The spore measurements are also a novel dataset for stormwater model parameterization for biological contamination of urban watersheds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Mikelonis
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America.
| | - John Hall
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Chris A Dunn
- U.S. Coast Guard, Base Elizabeth City, Elizabeth City, NC, United States of America
| | - Timothy McArthur
- Science Systems and Applications Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Garrett Wiley
- Jacobs Technology Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Chelsea L Hintz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Joshua Steenbock
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Shannon Serre
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Land and Emergency Management, Consequence Management Advisory Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Michael Worth Calfee
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Michael Pirhalla
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
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Ahmed H, Joshi LT. Clostridioides difficile spores tolerate disinfection with sodium hypochlorite disinfectant and remain viable within surgical scrubs and gown fabrics. Microbiology (Reading) 2023; 169:001418. [PMID: 37988292 PMCID: PMC10710845 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea globally. Its spores have been implicated in the prevalence of C. difficile infection due to their resistance and transmission ability between surfaces. Currently, disinfectants such as chlorine-releasing agents (CRAs) and hydrogen peroxide are used to decontaminate and reduce the incidence of infections in clinical environments. Our previous research demonstrated the ability of C. difficile spores to survive exposure to recommended concentrations of sodium dichloroisocyanurate in liquid form and within personal protective fabrics such as surgical gowns; however, the present study examined the spore response to clinical in-use concentrations of sodium hypochlorite. Spores were exposed to a 10 min contact time of 1000, 5000 and 10 000 p.p.m. sodium hypochlorite, and spore recovery was determined. To understand whether biocide-exposed spores transmitted across clinical surfaces in vitro , biocide-exposed spores were spiked onto surgical scrubs and patient gowns and recovery was determined by a plate transfer assay. Scanning electron microscopy was used to establish if there were any morphological changes to the outer spore coat. The results revealed that viable biocide-exposed C. difficile spores can be recovered from surgical scrubs and patient gowns, with no observable changes to spore morphology, highlighting the potential of these fabrics as vectors of spore transmission. This study demonstrates that alternative strategies should be urgently sought to disinfect C. difficile spores to break the chain of transmission in clinical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humaira Ahmed
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Lovleen Tina Joshi
- Peninsula Dental School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, UK
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Qamar S, Öberg R, Malyshev D, Andersson M. A hybrid CNN-Random Forest algorithm for bacterial spore segmentation and classification in TEM images. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18758. [PMID: 37907463 PMCID: PMC10618482 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44212-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a new approach to segment and classify bacterial spore layers from Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images using a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Random Forest (RF) classifier algorithm. This approach utilizes deep learning, with the CNN extracting features from images, and the RF classifier using those features for classification. The proposed model achieved 73% accuracy, 64% precision, 46% sensitivity, and 47% F1-score with test data. Compared to other classifiers such as AdaBoost, XGBoost, and SVM, our proposed model demonstrates greater robustness and higher generalization ability for non-linear segmentation. Our model is also able to identify spores with a damaged core as verified using TEMs of chemically exposed spores. Therefore, the proposed method will be valuable for identifying and characterizing spore features in TEM images, reducing labor-intensive work as well as human bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqib Qamar
- Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rasmus Öberg
- Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dmitry Malyshev
- Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Magnus Andersson
- Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
- Integrated Science Lab, Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå, Sweden.
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48
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Li YQ, He L, Aryal M, Wicander J, Korza G, Setlow P. Thioflavin-T does not report on electrochemical potential and memory of dormant or germinating bacterial spores. mBio 2023; 14:e0222023. [PMID: 37830807 PMCID: PMC10653816 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02220-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Bacillus and Clostridium spores cause food spoilage and disease because of spores' dormancy and resistance to microbicides. However, when spores "come back to life" in germination, their resistance properties are lost. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of spore germination could facilitate the development of "germinate to eradicate" strategies. One germination feature is the memory of a pulsed germinant stimulus leading to greater germination following a second pulse. Recent observations of increases in spore binding of the potentiometric dye thioflavin-T early in their germination of spores led to the suggestion that increasing electrochemical potential is how spores "remember" germinant pulses. However, new work finds no increased thioflavin-T binding in the physiological germination of Coatless spores or of intact spores germinating with dodecylamine, even though spore memory is seen in both cases. Thus, using thioflavin-T uptake by germinating spores to assess the involvement of electrochemical potential in memory of germinant exposure, as suggested recently, is questionable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-qing Li
- School of Electrical Engineering and Intelligentization, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lin He
- School of Electrical Engineering and Intelligentization, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Makunda Aryal
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - James Wicander
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - George Korza
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peter Setlow
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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Nowak R, Wityk P, Wierzbicka-Woś A, Gos W, Kostrzewa-Nowak D. The novel sterilization device: the prototype testing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17431. [PMID: 37833295 PMCID: PMC10575896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44483-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, there are numerous methods that can be used to neutralize pathogens (i.e., devices, tools, or protective clothing), but the sterilizing agent must be selected so that it does not damage or change the properties of the material to which it is applied. Dry sterilization with hydrogen peroxide gas (VHP) in combination with UV-C radiation is well described and effective method of sterilization. This paper presents the design, construction, and analysis of a novel model of sterilization device. Verification of the sterilization process was performed, using classical microbiological methods and flow cytometry, on samples containing Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores, Bacillus subtilis spores, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Flow cytometry results were in line with the standardized microbiological tests and confirmed the effectiveness of the sterilization process. It was also determined that mobile sterilization stations represent a valuable solution when dedicated to public institutions and businesses in the tourism sector, sports & fitness industry, or other types of services, e.g., cosmetic services. A key feature of this solution is the ability to adapt the device within specific constraints to the user's needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Nowak
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, 17C Narutowicza St., 70-240, Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 1 Unii Lubelskiej St., 71-242, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Paweł Wityk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza St., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 107 Hallera St., 80-416, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Wierzbicka-Woś
- The Centre for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Szczecin, 13 Wąska St., 71-415, Szczecin, Poland
- Research and Development Centre, Sanprobi Sp. z o. o. Sp. k., 5/c Kurza stopka St., 70-535, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Waldemar Gos
- Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, 64 Mickiewicza St., 71-101, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dorota Kostrzewa-Nowak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza St., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland.
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biochemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 72 Powstańców Wlkp. Al., 70-111, Szczecin, Poland.
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Inceu AI, Neag MA, Catinean A, Bocsan CI, Craciun CI, Melincovici CS, Muntean DM, Onofrei MM, Pop RM, Buzoianu AD. The Effects of Probiotic Bacillus Spores on Dexamethasone-Treated Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15111. [PMID: 37894792 PMCID: PMC10606902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are effective anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. Long-term exposure is associated with multiple metabolic side effects. Spore-forming probiotic bacteria have shown modulatory properties regarding glycolipid metabolism and inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effects of Bacillus species spores (B. licheniformis, B. indicus, B. subtilis, B. clausii, and B. coagulans) alone and in combination with metformin against dexamethasone-induced systemic disturbances. A total of 30 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: group 1 served as control (CONTROL), group 2 received dexamethasone (DEXA), group 3 received DEXA and MegaSporeBiotic (MSB), group 4 received DEXA and metformin (MET), and group 5 received DEXA, MSB, and MET. On the last day of the experiment, blood samples and liver tissue samples for histopathological examination were collected. We determined serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), catalase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and metformin concentration. DEXA administration caused hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, increased inflammation cytokines, and decreased antioxidant markers. Treatment with MSB reduced total cholesterol, suggesting that the administration of Bacillus spores-based probiotics to DEXA-treated rats could ameliorate metabolic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Ioana Inceu
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Maria Adriana Neag
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Adrian Catinean
- Department of Internal Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Corina Ioana Bocsan
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Cristian Ioan Craciun
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Carmen Stanca Melincovici
- Department of Histology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.S.M.); (M.M.O.)
| | - Dana Maria Muntean
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400010 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Mădălin Mihai Onofrei
- Department of Histology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.S.M.); (M.M.O.)
| | - Raluca Maria Pop
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Anca Dana Buzoianu
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.I.I.); (C.I.B.); (C.I.C.); (R.M.P.); (A.D.B.)
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