[Isolation and study of perspective probiotic strain of spore-forming bacteria from Bacillus genus].

AIM: To study physiologic, biochemical as well as antagonistic characteristics of isolated strain of Bacillus pumilus in comparison with known spore-forming bacteria from B. subtilis species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four strains of Bacillus spp. were used in the study: B. subtilis 3H, B. subtilis 534, B. subtilis 1719, B. pumilus isolated from the environment. The following strains from the collection of Tarasevich State Institute of Standardization and Control for Immunobiologicals were used for determining of antagonistic activity: Staphylococcus xylosus 25, Proteus mirabilis 24a, S. aureus "Nikiforov", S. aureus "Filippov", P. vulgaris 177, Shigella flexneri 337, Escherichia coil O111:H55, S. sonnei 170, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9022, Candida albicans 690; clinical test-strains of yeast fungi: C. albicans (3 strains), C. haemuloni, C. tropicalis, Rhodotorula spp., Debaryomyces hansenii. RESULTS: Identification of isolated strain on combination of morphologic, tinctorial, cultural and biochemical characteristics showed that studied strain belonged to B. pumilus species. It did not have hemolytic and lecitinase activities, was resistant to several groups of antibiotics and had index of adhesion 1.76 +/- 2.5. In experiments in vivo the strain was non-toxic, non-toxigenic and avirulent. In preparations of isolated DNA, plasmids were not found. B. pumilus had high antagonistic effect against opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria as well as yeast fungi. Comparative assessment of tested strains from Bacillus genus showed that the isolated strain was not inferior than other representatives of spore-forming bacteria on spectrum and intensity of aforementioned characteristics. CONCLUSION: Low-adhesive, safe, plasmid-less strain of B. pumilus, which have intensive antagonistic properties, could be considered as a candidate for the development of new probiotic drugs for medical or veterinary use.

Microbial colonizers in leprosy skin ulcers and intensity of inflammation.

The microflora of 55 patients with leprosy skin ulcers was studied and related to a weighted inflammatory score (IS). The control group consisted of 18 ulcers with different underlying pathology. Leprosy ulcers were characterized by the exclusive presence of two types of branching gram-positive rods; a particular interesting proposal is that Mycobacterium leprae share common antigens with these unusual "leprosy ulcer associated" organisms and group G beta-hemolytic streptococci. In the leprosy group, corynebacteria and branching rods accounted for 97% of gram-positive bacilli and Bacillus species constituted only 3%. In the control group, B. species formed 50% of gram-positive rods; the rest were corynebacteria (p = 0.03). In the leprosy group, one third of the gram-positive bacteria were branching rods; none of them was acid fast. Ten of them were identified as Arcanobacterium haemolyticum, and the remaining 7 could not be identified. The IS of leprosy patients was lower than in the control group. The presence of more than two species of facultative or aerobic gram-negative rods or single species of pyogenic gram-positive cocci correlated with a high IS. The presence of two or more different pyogenic cocci resulted in a lower IS. Further studies into the nature of leprosyunique organisms as well as the inflammation inhibition factors in mixed infections are warranted. It is recommended that management of ulcers should consist of the application of local disinfection and early treatment of episodes of inflammation with a combination of fluoroquinolone and penicillin.