Prevalence of S. aureus and/or MRSA from seafood products from Indian seafood products.

Compared to the clinical sector, the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the food sector is relatively low. However, their presence in seafood is a significant public health concern. In India, fish and fishery products are maximally manually handled compared to other food products. In this study, 498 fish samples were collected under various conditions (fresh, chilled or dressed) and representatives from their surroundings. These samples were screened for the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, determining its antimicrobial resistance, MRSA and genetic profile. It is observed that 15.0% and 3.0% of the total samples were screened positive for S. aureus and MRSA, respectively. The S. aureus strain MRSARF-10 showed higher resistance to linezolid, co-trimoxazole, cefoxitin, ofloxacin, gentamicin, rifampicin, ampicillin/sulbactam and Piperacillin-tazobactam. This MRSA, spa type t021 and SCCmec type V strain isolated from dried ribbon fish (Family Trachipteridae) carried virulence factors for exoenzymes such as aureolysin, serine, toxin genes and a novel MLST ST 243, as revealed from its draft-genome sequence. This highly pathogenic, multidrug-resistant and virulent S. aureus novel strain is circulating in the environment with chances of spreading among the seafood workers and the environment. It is further suggested that Good Hygienic Practices recommended by World Health Organization need to be followed during the different stages of seafood processing to provide pathogen-free fish and fishery products to the consumers.

Assessment of microbial quality of fish processing industrial effluent in bar-mouth at Bhidia landing site, Veraval, Gujarat, India.

The present study was carried out to assess the microbial quality of fish processing industries effluent at Bhidia bar-mouth, Veraval, Gujarat during April, 2012 to March 2013. The total viable bacterial count (TVBC), total Enterobacteriaceae count, E. coli count (EC), Staphylococcus aureus and Fecal Streptococcal count in effluent ranged from 3.0 x 10(-1) to 6.8 x 10(6), 9.0 x 10(1) to 2.9 x 10(4), 0 to 0. 5 x 10(4), 0 to 0. 4 x 102 and 0.3 x 10(1) to 0. 1 x 10(4) cfu.(-1)respectively. Significantly higher load of TEC, E. coli, S.aureus, Fecal Streptococci, Total coliforms and Fecal coliforms were higher during summer whereas, TVBC was higher in the month of Sept.-Oct. Furthermore, the total coliform and fecal coliform counts were found to be higher with 1400+ /100 ml MPN value throughout the year of the study, except in the month of August. Overall occurrence of pathogenic strains of E. coli, S. aureus and Fecal streptococci were 41.67%, 25.00% and 66.67% respectively during this period. The antibiogram of the isolated E. coli isolates show that almost 50% were resistant to Cefazidime/Clavulanic acid (CAC), Amoxyclav (AMC), Ciprofloxacin (CIF) and Ampicillin (AMP). The present study indicated that the effluent of fish processing industry was heavily contaminated with E. coli, S. aureus and Fecal Streptococci which confirmed improper treatment of fish processing effluent. Moreover, the precedence of antibiotic resistant E. coli may pose threat to public health safety.

Microbiological and shelf life characteristics of eviscerated and vacuum packed freshwater catfish (Ompok pabda) during chill storage.

The effect of vacuum packaging technique on the shelflife of eviscerated pabda catfish (Ompok pabda) during chill storage at 4 ± 2 °C was studied. The shelflife of pabda fish was predicted based on the cumulative observations of biochemical, microbiological and sensory parameters. There was no significant difference in the lipid quality parameters studied between the samples during the chill storage period, whereas, vacuum packaging significantly improved the sensory and microbiological quality. Based on microbiological parameters such as Total Viable Count, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Spp, total Vibrios, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, faecal Streptococcus and anaerobic sulphite reducers, the shelflife of chilled gutted pabda catfish was estimated to be 14-16 and 18-20 days for air packed and vacuum packed samples, respectively. The sensory parameters showed extended shelflife by four more days for both the samples.

Development of κ-carrageenan-based transparent and absorbent biodegradable films for wound dressing applications.

Wound healing remains a critical challenge in healthcare, requiring advanced wound dressings with superior properties like transparency, absorbency, and biocompatibility. However, gaps exist in the use of marine-derived biopolymers for sustainable dressings. This study addresses this gap by combining κ-carrageenan (KC) with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) to develop transparent and absorbent biodegradable films through solvent casting and lyophilization techniques. Lyophilized films exhibited superior absorbency (9.17 g/cm2) and moisture management, with a water vapour transmission rate of 3990.67 g/m2/24 h, while solvent-cast films showed 78 % transmittance, enabling wound visualization. Mechanical testing revealed high tensile strength (31.5 MPa) and folding endurance (410 folds), ensuring durability. In vitro bactericidal assays confirmed efficacy against MRSA and E. coli, and in vivo tests on Wistar rats showed complete wound healing within 16 days with 91.1 % closure, outperforming untreated controls (76.7 %). This is the first study to explore lyophilized KC-PVP films for wound dressing applications, demonstrating potential for drug release, absorbency, and biodegradability. The innovative combination of biopolymers and fabrication techniques offers a sustainable, high-performance solution for wound care.

Food grade zinc oxide bulk particle composite can replace the toxic zinc oxide nano composite towards the control of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria.

ZnO-Nanoparticle-Chitosan (ZnO-NP-CH) composite has potential biomedical and food applications due to its better antimicrobial activity. However, the presence of nano-metal-oxide in the composite makes the material unsuitable for any food applications. Moreover, the cost involved in the preparation of Zinc Oxide-Nano-Particle (ZnO-NP) is a major limitation for commercial food applications. Hence a suitable alternative for ZnO-NP is highly needed for food application. Since ZnO-Bulk Particles (ZnO-BP) are food grade and there is no study on the composite prepared from ZnO-Bulk Particle-Chitosan (ZnO-BP-CH), in the present study, antimicrobial activity was assessed for ZnO-BP-CH and compared with ZnO-NP-CH. Based on the study, it was observed that in the individual form of ZnO-NP possessed significantly higher antimicrobial activity than ZnO-BP. The composite form of ZnO-NP-CH and ZnO-BP-CH possessed higher antimicrobial activity than chitosan. However, no significant difference was observed between the composite forms. Hence, ZnO-BP-CH could be recommended as a suitable alternative to ZnO-NP-CH for future studies related to chitosan with ZnO composite to avoid costly nanomaterials preparation.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolate (Sequence Type 1) from Seafood.

The draft genome sequence of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolate (sequence type 1 [ST 1]) from the salted dried ribbonfish from Gujarat, India, is reported here. Staphylococcus genus-specific genes were present in this MRSA isolate. The whole-genome sequence of this strain contains 2,797 protein-coding genes and 80 RNAs within the 2.85-Mb genome.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Methicillin-Resistant Sequence Type 39 Staphylococcal Isolate Obtained from Seafood.

The draft genome sequence of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sequence type 39 (ST 39) isolate obtained from the dried ribbonfish of Gujarat, India, is reported here. Staphylococcus-specific genes were present in this MRSA isolate. The whole-genome sequence of this strain contains 2,693 protein-coding genes and 70 RNAs within the 2.82-Mb genome.