This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, and cytotoxic effects of thymol/ampicillin with thymol/cefotaxime on Escherichia coli (E. coli). The antimicrobial investigation of thymol / cefotaxime and thymol/ampicillin individually and in combination was performed on E.coli ATCC25922 bacterial strain and 20 clinical strains by MIC-MBC method. Biofilm skill, kinetic kinetics, checkerboard method of these compounds were performed on E.coli ATCC25922 bacterial strain. The investigation of the functional groups and chemical bands of these compounds was done with FTIR device, and the toxicity investigation was done on human red blood cells by hemolysis method and skin fibroblast cells by MTT method. The results of this study showed that the antimicrobial effects of the thymol/ampicillin 2/8) µg/ml) were better than the thymol/cefotaxime 16/128) µg/ml( in both ATCC and clinical strains. In the examination with the FTIR device, one band named C=C conjugated, C≡C in both compounds showed the connection between thymol/ampicillin and thymol/cefotaxime. The biofilm inhibition effect of thymol/ampicillin (62 %) was better than thymol/cefotaxime (39.28 %) on E. coli ATCC25922. The bacterial killing time curve of the thymol/ampicillin at a lower concentration and time was better than the combination of thymol/cefotaxime. Cytotoxicity of synergistic compounds on RBCs and human skin fibroblasts (Ffk) was not different and was lower than that of Triton X-100. This study showed that the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of the combination of thymol/ampicillin are better than the combination of thymol/cefotaxime, which can be used as a new drug in the treatment of diseases caused by E. coli bacteria.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown A novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage, designated as PaYy-2, has been isolated from a lake in China and its genome meticulously sequenced and characterized. The PaYy-2 phage possesses a 92,348 base pair double-stranded DNA genome that encodes for 168 proteins, exhibiting a 68% similarity to the genome of the known Pseudomonas phage YS35. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the putative RNA polymerase of PaYy-2 shares a 94% similarity with that of Pseudomonas phage SRT6, and its putative terminase large subunit exhibits a 96% resemblance to phage YS35, both of which are classified under the Pakpunavirus genus. Morphological examination via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has provided insights into the phage’s tail and particle morphology. These collective findings underscore the classification of PaYy-2 as a distinct species within the Pakpunavirus genus of the family Myoviridae.

The unique medicinal properties of Ganoderma lucidum have led to a growing demand for it as an essential source of dietary supplements in the food sector. The wide array of therapeutic and pharmacological effects of G. lucidum can be attributed principally to its diverse prebiotic and biologically active compounds. This review comprehensively analyzes the practical application of bioactive compounds with its structural characterisation derived from G. lucidum. It also provides an update on the characterization of several compounds from G.lucidum, such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, nucleotides, meroterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and alkaloids. The polysaccharides and peptides derived from G. lucidum, have been extensively utilized in traditional Chinese medicine as immunomodulatory, anticancer, and neuropharmacological agents. Thus, G. lucidum has become an essential part of many's diet because of its antioxidant characteristics and health-promoting properties. Aromatic meroterpenoids, which possess antioxidant properties, have been found to exhibit bioactivities significantly, including antioxidant, anti-HIV protease, and anti-fibrotic capabilities. These compounds, with their unique structures, have garnered interest from phytochemists, chemists, and pharmacologists. A pH-responsive nanoparticle drug delivery system has been developed using G. lucidum polysaccharides, which are well-known for their remarkable anti-tumor properties. Furthermore, G. lucidum has been employed as a medicinal remedy for over two millennia, and have also examined its pharmacological applications.

Wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Meloidogyne incognita significantly affects tomato crops, reducing yields by up to 40%. This study evaluated a biocontrol agent with fungicidal and nematicidal properties. Four Trichoderma isolates were identified: Trichoderma asperellum Tv1, Trichoderma asperelloides Tasd1, Trichoderma harzianum Th1, and Trichoderma koningiopsis Tk1. Tv1 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum isolates (TF-N, TF-P, and TF-S) by 75.53%, 77.41%, and 79.53%, respectively. The crude metabolite of TV1 had similar effects. The mortality rate of M. incognita J2s ranged from 90.48% to 100% after 24 to 72 hours of incubation, and compared with that of the control, the inhibition of egg hatching reached 90.20%. The shoot length (47.86±0.211 cm), root length (17.59±0.129 cm), fresh weight (18.37±0.283 g), and dry weight (1.95±0.011 g) of the tomato plants treated with Tv1 conidia increased. In a pot experiment, Tv1 treatment reduced wilt disease incidence by 64.57%, comparable to carbendazim treatment (82.32%). Tv1-treated plants had fewer root galls (18.2±1.166), egg masses (13.8±1.166), and J2s per gram of roots (21.4±3.929) than did the inoculated-untreated control plants (46.6±3.262 galls/plant, 38.8±1.721 egg masses/100 g of root, and 67.4±2.577 J2s/100 g of root). The root-knot index (RKI) was significantly lower in plants treated with furadon (3.36±0.350) and Tv1 (4.58±0.515) than in the control (5.8±0.4). The bio-control efficiency of Tv1 against M. incognita was 21.04%, and the reproductive factor (RF) of the nematodes decreased to 0.53 in the Tv1 treatment group and 0.39 in the furadon treatment group, while it decreased to 1.69 in the control group. Based on the findings above, it was established that Tv1 effectively controlled nematode populations and reduced wilt disease when applied to the soil.

Root rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi.) is a common soil-borne disease in black gram, and its management with chemicals showed persistent toxicity and soil degradation. The existing bioagents, such as talc formulation, lead to leaching and are less productive. Hence, developing liquid bioformulation is essential to contain the disease and maximize the yield. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the efficacy and survivability of liquid formulation of Trichoderma asperellum (Tv1 LF), metabolites against root rot of black gram, and their growth promotion. The results showed that the vigor index 4025.00 with a spore load of 1X108 cfu/ml was recorded for growth promotion and spermophere study @ 5ml /kg of seeds with Tv1 LF. The treatment T8 significantly reduced the incidence (9.1%) against control (74.3%), with an increased biomass index in the glasshouse condition. There are 32 mVOCs profiled during the tri-trophic interaction in black gram roots, and they were up or down-regulated, Viz., Mollugin, Pentadecanoic acid, Cyclopropaneoctanoic acid 2-octyl-, methyl-ester, Rhodopin, Dodecanoic acid, 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester involved in pathways like jasmonic acid, glyconeogenic and act as acyl-CoA: acyltransferase-2 inhibitor. The results of this study confirmed that Tv1 LF performed better in growth promotion and managing root rot of black gram.

Bacterial endophytes are a promising source of novel fibrinolytic enzymes with unique metabolic pathways and desirable characteristics that may not be present from conventionally explored sources. This study aimed to characterize fibrinolytic enzymes from selected endophytic bacteria isolated from papaya (Carica papaya L.) leaves and the genes encoding the enzymes. A strain BFP1 (InaCC-B1657) that showed the highest fibrinolytic activity was identified as Bacillus cereus based on the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence. The enzyme exhibited optimum activity at 50°C and pH 7.0, and remained stable until 80°C and pH 6 - 10 for 24 h. The assay of metal ions and inhibitors on the fibrinolytic enzyme activity found that adding Cu2+ stimulated, while Fe2+ reduced the activity. PMSF and TPCK inhibited the enzyme activity, while adding EDTA and EGTA increased the activity. These suggest that the fibrinolytic enzymes belong to the serine protease group. Of the 21 proteases/peptidases determined from the 5,257,484 base pairs (bp) genome, minor extracellular protease Vpr and S8 family peptidase genes were found related to the fibrinolytic enzyme activity. The Vpr gene has a molecular weight of 98.5 kDa. The subtilase domain (peptidase S8 family) and the catalytic triad subtilase active sites (Asp204, His237, and Ser531) were detected. A prediction of physicochemical characteristics of the Vpr gene showed that the enzyme is hydrophilic and exhibited alkali-halo tolerant and thermo tolerant over a broad range of temperatures.

The present study aimed to identify arsenic (As)-resistant bacterial strains that can be used to mitigate arsenic stress. A bacterium Bacillus mycoides NR5 having As tolerance limit of 1100 mg L -1 was isolated from Nag River, Maharashtra, India. It was also equipped with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes like P solubilization, siderophores, ammonia and nitrate reduction, with added antibiotic tolerance. Further, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Micrograph (TEM) suggested biosorption as possible mechanisms of arsenic tolerance. A strong peak in FTIR spectra at 3379.0 corresponding to amine in As-treated NR5 also indicated metal interaction with cell surface protein. Amplification of the arsenic reductase gene in NR5 further suggested intracellular transformation of As speciation. Moreover, the As tolerance capability of NR5 was shown in spinach plants in which the bacterium effectively mitigated 25ppm As by the production of defence-related proline molecules. Evidence from SEM, TEM and FTIR, concluded biosorption is possibly the primary mechanism of As tolerance in NR5 along with the transformation of arsenic. B. mycoides NR5 with PGP attributes, high As tolerance and antibiotic resistance mediated enhanced As tolerance in spinach plants advocated that the strain can be a better choice for As bioremediation in contaminated agricultural soil and water.

Microalgae interact with mineral particles in aqueous environment, yet how clay minerals affect physiological processes in algal cells remain unexplored. In this study, we compared the effects of palygorskite (Pal) and montmorillonite (Mt), which respectively represent fibrous and layered clay minerals, on the physiological processes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It was observed that C. reinhardtii responded differently to the treatments of Pal and Mt. The Pal particles bound tightly to and even inserted cells, resulting in a significantly decrease of cell numbers from 27.35 to 21.02*107 mL-1. However, Mt was only loosely attached to the cell surface. The photosynthesis in the algal cells was greatly inhibited by Pal, with rETRmax significantly reduced from 103.80 to 56.67 μmol electrons m-2s-1 and downregulation of IF2CP, psbH and OHP1, which were key genes involved in photosynthesis. In addition, Pal reduced the quantities of proteins and polysaccharides in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the P uptake by C. reinhardtii when the P level in the culture was 3.15 mg/L. However, no significant changes were found regarding the above EPS components or the amount of P in algal cells upon the addition of Mt. Together, the impacts of fibrous Pal on C. reinhardtii was more profound than those of layered Mt.

Escherichia Coli ( E. coli) is one of the most prevalent bacteria in the gut and plays an important role in the formation of the intestinal microbiome. In this study, Escherichia phage Ioannina, a novel member of Caudoviricetes, with high lytic activity against E. coli ATCC 25922, was isolated from hospital wastewater. Escherichia phage Ioannina was highly resistant to a broad range of temperatures and alkaline pH, but was sensitive to acidic pH. Whole genome sequencing of the phage, revealed that Escherichia phage Ioannina is a novel phage within the Dhillonvirus genus. Its genome is a 45,270 bp double-stranded DNA molecule that encodes 64 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The phylogenetic analysis of open reading frames, which diversified Escherichia phage Ioannina from other dhillonviruses, indicated that ORF31 (a putative tail fiber protein) presented higher similarity to representatives of other phage families. ORF31 was significantly more related to similar ORFs belonging to the Kuravirus and Tunavirus ( Drexlerviridae) genera, indicating a possible recombination event.

The capacity to form biofilms is a common trait among many microorganisms present on Earth. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the fatal pine pitch canker agent, Fusarium circinatum, can lead a biofilm-like lifestyle with aggregated hyphal bundles wrapped in extracellular matrix (ECM). Our study suggests that F. circinatum biofilms respond to a changing environment, demonstrated by poor and optimal biofilm development under particular abiotic conditions, including temperature and pH. Further analysis revealed that while planktonic cells produced small amounts of ECM per unit of the biomass, heat- and azole-exposed biofilms produced significantly more ECM than non-exposed biofilms. The increased synthesis of ECM in biofilms due to these abiotic factors underscores biofilm importance in response to various stress conditions, demonstrating the adaptability of F. circinatum to changing environments. Interestingly, azole exposure also led to biofilms that were resistant to DNase, which typically uncouples biofilms by penetrating the biofilm and degrading its extracellular DNA; we propose that DNases were likely hindered from reaching target cells by the ECM barricade. The interplay between antifungal treatment and DNase enzyme suggests a complex relationship between eDNA, ECM, and antifungal agents in F. circinatum biofilms. Therefore, our results show how a phytopathogen’s sessile (biofilm) lifestyle could influence its response to the surrounding environment.