Isolation, Characterization, and Efficacy of Three Lytic Phages Infecting Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Serovars from Poultry Farms in Egypt.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella serovars are considered a significant threat to veterinary and public health. Developing new antimicrobial compounds that can treat the infection caused by these notorious pathogens is a big challenge. Bacteriophages can be adsorbed on and inhibit the growth of bacteria, providing optimal and promising alternatives to chemical antimicrobial compounds against foodborne pathogens due to their abundance in nature and high host specificity. The objective of the current study was to isolate and characterize new phages from poultry farms and sewage and to evaluate their efficacy against S. Enteritidis isolates. The study reports three lytic phages designated as ϕSET1, ϕSET2, and ϕSET3 isolated from poultry carcasses and sewage samples in Qalubiya governorate Egypt. The effectiveness of phages was evaluated against multidrug-resistant S. Enteritidis strains. Electron microscopy showed that these phages belong to the Siphoviridae family. Phages were tested against 13 bacterial strains to determine their host range. They could infect four S. Enteritidis and one S. Typhimurium; however, they did not infect other tested bacterial species, indicating their narrow infectivity. The bacteriophage's single-step growth curves revealed a latent period of 20 min for ϕSET1 and 30 min for ϕSET2 and ϕSET3. The isolated Salmonella phages prevented the growth of S. Enteritidis for up to 18 hrs. The findings revealed that Salmonella phages could be used as alternative natural antibacterial compounds to combat infection with MDR S. Enteritidis in the poultry industry and represent a step forward to using large panels of phages for eliminating Salmonella from the food chain.

The ameliorative effect of curcumin extract on the morphological and skeletal abnormalities induced by sunset yellow and tartrazine in the developing chick embryo Gallus domesticus.

Previous studies have suggested that food dyes are responsible for causing number of health problems. The study under consideration aims to show the possible morphological and skeletal malformation induced due to in ovo administration of sunset yellow (SY) and tartrazine (Tz) with or without curcumin (Cur) during organogenesis of developing chick embryo at doses 1.575mg/egg, 0.375mg/egg and 3mg/kg eggs for SY, Tz and Cur comparing with control. The investigation revealed evident reduction in the weight and length of embryos as well as malformations in feather, head, and limbs. Most of the congenital malformations were seen in SY and Tz injected groups such as short beak, excencephaly, kniked tail and pygostyle, curved scapula and retardation in the degree of ossification were the most evident in endoskeleton malformation. In addition, the length of ossified long bones in SY and Tz groups was affected. Co-administration of Cur with SY and Tz ameliorate the reversed effect of SY and Tz on the shape, length, body weight and skeleton of embryos.

Coffea arabica Bean Extracts and Vitamin C: A Novel Combination Unleashes MCF-7 Cell Death.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C (VC) is believed to enhance immunity and is regularly integrated as a supplementary agent during several treatments. OBJECTIVE: The green (GC) and roasted (RC) coffee (Coffea arabica) aqueous extracts (0, 125, 250 and 500 µg/ml) combined with VC (50 µg/ml) were examined on the cancerous MCF-7 cell line and normal human lymphocytes. METHODS: Neutral red uptake assay, comet assay, immunocytochemical reactivity for protein expression and mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes were performed. RESULTS: A significant (P< 0.05) concentration-dependent increase of apoptotic features, such as morphological changes, and abundant nuclear condensation, altered the expression of p53 and caspase-3 mRNA, down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein as well as the acidic autophagosomal vacuolization in treated cells. The oxidative stress and DNA single-strand breaks were noticed too. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that coffee in combination with VC undergoes apoptotic anticancer pathway. This supports the integration of coffee and VC as a valuable candidate for anticancer research and treatments.

Recombinant expression of Mimivirus L725 ORFan gene product.

Mimivirus was the first discovered amoebal giant virus. The Mimivirus virions are covered by a dense layer of approximately 130 nm-long fibers, the length and shape of which diverge from those of other viruses. Here, we aimed at expressing the L725 protein to further confirm and study its role as a fiber-associated protein. We report Escherichia coli expression of the L725 protein, which is encoded by a Mimivirus ORFan, was previously identified by proteomics in purified viral fibers and demonstrated to be a fiber-associated protein by RNA-silencing experiments. The expressed protein was recognized by anti-Mimivirus fiber or anti-Mimivirus L725 polyclonal antibodies. This study is the only expression, to our knowledge, of a product from a Mimiviral ORFan gene.

Cytogenetic study of buffalo under pollution of environmental conditions.

Thirty-four buffalos were used in the present study. Animals were kept in three experimental groups, two groups of which were reared in polluted areas, and the third group in an agricultural area (control group). the first and second groups were exposed to industrial and automobile exhaust emissions of genotoxic agents. Comparative cytogenetic analysis was made between the three groups. The cytogenetic studies of peripheral blood lymphocytes included chromosomal aberration and sister chromatide exchange (SCE). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in the percentage of cells with total chromosomal aberrations and gaps between buffalo from polluted and agricultural areas (31+/-1.4% and 21.1+/-6.7% and 7.6+/-1.6% and 6.8+/-1%, respectively). The differences of frequencies of the total gaps between the first and second groups were significant, while it was non-significant in the total chromosomal aberrations. The frequency of sister chromatide exchange of buffalo from polluted areas was 11.8+/-1.4% compared to 8.3+/-1. 2% from the agricultural area, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). These results indicated that cytogenetic analysis of chromosomes in peripheral lymphocytes of buffalo exposed to environmental pollution allows to direct detection of mutation in somatic cell, which can be prevented.

Postpartum ovarian activity in suckled and milked buffaloes.

PIP: Postpartum ovarian activity in suckled and milked buffaloes was investigated. 70 buffaloes were alotted at random to either a suckled group or a milked group. 60 days after calving the 1st ovulation was detected in 52.4 and 69.1% of suckled and milked animals, respectively. After a postparturient period of 3 months, corresponding figures for the 2 respective groups were 76.2 and 90.5%. The percentage of animals with postpartum ovulation interval (PPOI) of more than 3 months was 23.8% for sucklers and 9.5% for milkers. Average PPOI length for suckled and milked animals was significantly different (p less than .01, 87 vs. 51 days, respectively). Percentages of animals that came into heat 2 months after calving were 19.1% for sucklers and 31% for milkers. 90 days' postpartum, 35.1% of sucklers and 66.7% of milkers showed their 1st estrus. 61.9% of nursed animals and 33.3% of the milked animals came into heat after a long postpartum estrous interval (PPEI) of more than 3 months. Average PPEI length for sucklers was significantly different from that for milkers (131.5 vs. 77.9 days, p less than .01). PPEI lengths for primipara and pluripara were 108.6 and 100.8 days, respectively. These data show that suckling in buffaloes delayed the 1st postpartum ovulation and lengthened the period of time to the 1st postpartum heat.^ieng