Advances on delta 5-unsaturated-polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids: Resources, biosynthesis, and benefits.

Though the knowledge on delta 5-unsaturated-polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids (Δ5-UPIFAs) is being updated, the issue of their integration still exists within the field. Thus, this review systematically summarizes the sources, biosynthesis and metabolism, analytical methods, preparation, and health-promoting roles of Δ5-UPIFAs. In plants, the content of Δ5-UPIFAs is higher, which is an ideal source. In animals, although the content of Δ5-UPIFAs is not high, there are many species, which is the possible source of some special Δ5-UPIFAs. At present, although the extraction of Δ5-UPIFAs is mainly from plants, the fermentation by organisms, especially for genetically modified microorganisms engineering maybe be a substitue of pepration of Δ5-UPIFAs. Δ5-UPIFAs have been proved to possess multi-beneficial effects, such as lipid lowering, anti-inflammation and so on, so it has a certain potential application value. However, related knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms regarding Δ5-UPIFAs limited, and how Δ5-UPIFAs work is not clear. Further clinical and human studies about Δ5-UPIFAs are also needed. Studies on tapping new resources, developing structured lipide rich in Δ5-UPIFA and enhancing delivery were quite deficient. This review emphasizes the further directions on Δ5-UPIFAs with scientific suggestions to pay more attention to the applications of Δ5-UPIFAs in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Mycotoxins in food and feed: toxicity, preventive challenges, and advanced detection techniques for associated diseases.

Mycotoxins are produced primarily as secondary fungal metabolites. Mycotoxins are toxic in nature and naturally produced by various species of fungi, which usually contaminate food and feed ingredients. The growth of these harmful fungi depends on several environmental factors, such as pH, humidity, and temperature; therefore, the mycotoxin distribution also varies among global geographical areas. Various rules and regulations regarding mycotoxins are imposed by the government bodies of each country, which are responsible for addressing global food and health security concerns. Despite this legislation, the incidence of mycotoxin contamination is continuously increasing. In this review, we discuss the geographical regulatory guidelines and recommendations that are implemented around the world to control mycotoxin contamination of food and feed products. Researchers and inventors from various parts of the world have reported several innovations for controlling mycotoxin-associated health consequences. Unfortunately, most of these techniques are restricted to laboratory scales and cannot reach users. Consequently, to date, no single device has been commercialized that can detect all mycotoxins that are naturally available in the environment. Therefore, in this study, we describe severe health hazards that are associated with mycotoxin exposure, their molecular signaling pathways and processes of toxicity, and their genotoxic and cytotoxic effects toward humans and animals. We also discuss recent developments in the construction of a sensitive and specific device that effectively implements mycotoxin identification and detection methods. In addition, our study comprehensively examines the recent advancements in the field for mitigating the health consequences and links them with the molecular and signaling pathways that are activated upon mycotoxin exposure.

Advance toward isolation, extraction, metabolism and health benefits of kaempferol, a major dietary flavonoid with future perspectives.

As a major ubiquitous secondary metabolite, flavonoids are widely distributed in planta. Among flavonoids, kaempferol is a typical natural flavonol in diets and medicinal plants with myriad bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory activity, anti-cancer activity, antioxidant activity, and anti-diabetic activity. However, the natural sources, absorption and metabolism as well as the bioactivities of kaempferol have not been reviewed comprehensively and systematically. This review highlights the latest research progress and the effect of kaempferol in the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases, as well as its protective health effects, and provides a theoretical basis for future research to be used in nutraceuticals. Further, comparison of the different extraction and analytical methods are presented to highlight the most optimum for PG recovery and its detection in plasma and body fluids. Such review aims at improving the value-added applications of this unique dietary bioactive flavonoids at commercial scale and to provide a reference for its needed further development.

Recent trends and advances in the epidemiology, synergism, and delivery system of lycopene as an anti-cancer agent.

Dietary interventions are key nutritional strategies to prevent, improve, and prolong the survival of cancer patients. Lycopene, one of the strongest natural antioxidants, and its biologically active metabolites, have shown significant potential to prevent a variety of cancers, including prostate, breast, and stomach cancers, making it a promising anti-cancer agent. We review the potential regulatory mechanisms and epidemiological evidences of lycopene and its metabolites to delay the progression of cancers at different developmental stages. Recent studies have revealed that lycopene and its metabolites mediate multiple molecular mechanisms in cancer treatment such as redox homeostasis, selective anti-proliferation, apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, tumour microenvironment regulation, and anti-metastasis and anti-invasion. Gut microbes and cholesterol metabolism are also the potential regulation targets of lycopene and its metabolites. As a dietary supplement, the synergistic interaction of lycopene with other drugs and nutrients is highlighted especially due to its binding activity with other nutrients in the diet found central to the fight against cancer. Furthermore, the application of several of novel lycopene delivery carriers are on the rise including nanoemulsions, nanostructured liposomes, and polymer nanoparticles for cancer prevention as discussed in this review with future needed development. Moreover, the synergistic mechanism between lycopene and other nutrients or drugs and novel delivery systems of lycopene should now be deeply investigated to improve its clinical application in cancer intervention in the future.

Sugiol, a diterpenoid: Therapeutic actions and molecular pathways involved.

Understanding how the natural products structural diversity interacts with cellular metabolism and infectious disease targets remains a challenge. Inflammation is an important process in the human healing response in which the tissues respond to injuries induced by many agents, including pathogens. In recent years, several drugs derived from plant products have been developed, and current drug research is actively investigating the pharmacotherapeutic role of natural products in advanced multimodal inflammatory disease targeting. Sugiol, a diterpenoid, can act as an antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinoma, antiviral, and cardiovascular agent. Until now, there have been no updates on the pharmacotherapeutic advancement of sugiol. Herein, we correlate the diverse molecular pathways in disease prevention involving sugiol. We also discuss the origins of its structural diversity and summarize new research directions toward exploring its novel effective future uses. Despite much evidence of its efficacy and safety, the sugiol has not yet been approved as a therapeutic agent due to its low bioavailability, and insolubility in an aqueous environment. The aim of this review is to renew and update noteworthy information on the pharmacotherapeutic characteristics of sugiol to approach different advanced strategies employed in the context of natural nurturing-based biomedicine.

Reproductive toxic potential of phthalate compounds - State of art review.

Phthalates are pervasive compounds, and due to the ubiquitous usage of phthalates, humans or even children are widely exposed to them. Since phthalates are not chemically bound to the plastic matrix, they can easily leach out to contaminate the peripheral environment. Various animal and human studies have raised vital health concern including developmental and reproductive toxicity of phthalate exposure. The present review is based upon the available literature on phthalates with respect to their reproductive toxic potential. Common reproductive effects such as declined fertility, reduced testis weight, variations in accessory sex organs and several female reproductive disorders appeared to be largely associated with the transitional phthalates. Among the higher molecular weight phthalates (≥ C7), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) produces some minor effects on development of male reproductive tract and among low molecular weight phthalates (≤C3), di-methyl (DMP) and di-isobutyl (DIBP) phthalate produce some adverse effects on male reproductive system. Whereas transitional phthalates such as di-butyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate have shown adverse effects on female reproductive system. Owing to these, non-toxic alternatives to phthalates may be developed and use of phthalates could be rationalized as an important issue where human reproduction system is involved. Though, more epidemiological studies are needed to substantiate the reported findings on phthalates.

Au@Zr-based metal-organic framework composite as an immunosensing platform for determination of hepatitis B virus surface antigen.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor has been prepared using an immunofunctionalized zirconium (Zr)-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with gold (Au) decoration Au@UiO-66(NH2) composite-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the determination of infectious hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We fabricated GCE with specific composite via immune-functionalization using anti-HBsAg with Au nanoparticles embedded in UiO-66(NH2). The electrochemical sensing performance of the immunofunctionalized Au@UiO-66(NH2)/GCE with HBsAg was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Under optimized conditions, there was a linear dynamic relationship in the buffer system between the electrical signal and HBsAg levels over the range 1.13 fg mL-1-100 ng mL-1 (R2 = 0.999) with a detection limit of 1.13 fg mL-1. The total analysis time was 15 min per sample. Further validations were performed with HBsAg-spiked human serum samples, and similar detection limits as in the buffer system were observed with reduced signal intensities at lower concentrations of HBsAg (1, 10, and 100 fg mL-1) and minimal interference. The HBsAg electrochemical immunosensing assay had good selectivity and excellent reproducibility, thereby indicating its significant potential in the super-fast diagnosis of hepatitis B.

5-O-Demethylnobiletin Alleviates CCl4-Induced Acute Liver Injury by Equilibrating ROS-Mediated Apoptosis and Autophagy Induction.

Polymethoxyflavanoids (PMFs) have exhibited a vast array of therapeutic biological properties. 5-O-Demethylnobiletin (5-DN) is one such PMF having anti-inflammatory activity, yet its role in hepatoprotection has not been studied before. Results from in vitro study revealed that 5-DN did not exert a high level of cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells at 40 µM, and it was able to rescue HepG2 cell death induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Subsequently, we investigated acute liver injury on BALB/c mice induced by CCl4 through the intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL/kg CCl4 and co-administration of 5-DN at (1 and 2 mg/kg) by oral gavage for 15 days. The results illustrated that treatment with 5-DN attenuated CCl4-induced elevated serum aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio and significantly ameliorated severe hepatic damage such as inflammation and fibrosis evidenced through lesser aberrations in the liver histology of 5-DN dose groups. Additionally, 5-DN efficiently counteracted and equilibrated the production of ROS accelerated by CCl4 and dramatically downregulated the expression of CYP2E1 vitally involved in converting CCl4 to toxic free radicals and also enhanced the antioxidant enzymes. 5-DN treatment also inhibited cell proliferation and inflammatory pathway abnormally regulated by CCl4 treatment. Furthermore, the apoptotic response induced by CCl4 treatment was remarkably reduced by enhanced Bcl-2 expression and noticeable reduction in Bax, Bid, cleaved caspase 3, caspase 9, and apaf-1 expression. 5-DN treatment also induced the conversion of LC3 and promoted the autophagic flux. Conclusively, 5-DN exhibited hepatoprotective effects in vitro and in vivo and prevented liver fibrosis induced by CCl4.

Antimicrobial potential of the food-grade additive carvacrol against uropathogenic E. coli based on membrane depolarization, reactive oxygen species generation, and molecular docking analysis.

The antibiotic resistance of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli has increased drastically in recent years. In our study, we determined the principle mechanisms of action for the food-grade additive carvacrol against ESBL E. coli isolated from the blood of patients with a urinary tract infection. Carvacrol, which has a minimum inhibitory concentration of 150 µg/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration of 300 µg/ml, reduced E. coli cell counts in a time-dependent manner. After treatment with carvacrol, the E. coli killing time was found to be 120 min. Fluorescent staining confirmed an increase in bacterial cell death, greater membrane depolarization, and an elevated oxidative burst in carvacrol-treated E. coli. Carvacrol also induced the release of cellular DNA, proteins, and potassium ions from bacterial cells and reduced both the number of E. coli in invasion assays against macrophages and the levels of the inflammatory proteins TNF-α and COX-2. In addition, carvacrol was found to inhibit ß-lactamase enzyme activity (in vitro), which was supported by in silico results. Moreover, carvacrol inhibited motility, and protected against bacterial invasion. Overall, the findings suggest that carvacrol has significant antimicrobial potential against ESBL E. coli.

Revisiting the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria: lessons from the past and objectives for the future.

Plant beneficial rhizobacteria (PBR) is a group of naturally occurring rhizospheric microbes that enhance nutrient availability and induce biotic and abiotic stress tolerance through a wide array of mechanisms to enhance agricultural sustainability. Application of PBR has the potential to reduce worldwide requirement of agricultural chemicals and improve agro-ecological sustainability. The PBR exert their beneficial effects in three major ways; (1) fix atmospheric nitrogen and synthesize specific compounds to promote plant growth, (2) solubilize essential mineral nutrients in soils for plant uptake, and (3) produce antimicrobial substances and induce systemic resistance in host plants to protect them from biotic and abiotic stresses. Application of PBR as suitable inoculants appears to be a viable alternative technology to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Furthermore, PBR enhance nutrient and water use efficiency, influence dynamics of mineral recycling, and tolerance of plants to other environmental stresses by improving health of soils. This report provides comprehensive reviews and discusses beneficial effects of PBR on plant and soil health. Considering their multitude of functions to improve plant and soil health, we propose to call the plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) as PBR.

Morin Hydrate Sensitizes Hepatoma Cells and Xenograft Tumor towards Cisplatin by Downregulating PARP-1-HMGB1 Mediated Autophagy.

The cross-talk between apoptosis and autophagy influences anticancer drug sensitivity and cellular death in various cancer cell lines. However, the fundamental mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unidentified. We demonstrated anti-cancerous role of cisplatin (CP) and morin hydrate (Mh) as an individual and/or in combination (CP-Mh) in hepatoma cells and tumor model. Exposure of CP resulted in the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cellular vacuolization, expansion of mitochondria membrane and activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress. Consequently, Cyt c translocation led to the increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, which simultaneously triggered caspase-mediated cellular apoptosis. In addition, CP-induced PARP-1 activation led to ADP-ribosylation of HMGB1, which consequently developed autophagy as evident by the LC3I/II ratio. Chemically-induced inhibition of autophagy marked by increased cell death signified a protective role of autophagy against CP treatment. CP-Mh abrogates the PARP-1 expression and significantly reduced HMGB1-cytoplasmic translocation with subsequent inhibition of the HMGB1-Beclin1 complex formation. In the absence of PARP-1, a reduced HMGB1 mediated autophagy was observed followed by induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. To confirm the role of PARP-1-HMGB1 signaling in autophagy, we used the PARP-1 inhibitor, 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (ANI), HMGB1 inhibitor, ethyl pyruvate (EP), autophagy inhibitors, 3-methyl adenine (3-MA) and bafilomycin (baf) and small interfering RNAs (siRNA) to target Atg5 in combination of CP and Mh. Exposure to these inhibitors enhanced the sensitivity of HepG2 cells to CP. Collectively, our findings indicate that CP-Mh in combination served as a prominent regulator of autophagy and significant inducer of apoptosis that maintains a homeostatic balance towards HepG2 cells and the subcutaneous tumor model.

Reprogramming Postnatal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes Toward Functional Neural Crest Fates.

During development, neural crest (NC) cells are induced by signaling events at the neural plate border of all vertebrate embryos. Initially arising within the central nervous system, NC cells subsequently undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition to migrate into the periphery, where they differentiate into diverse cell types. Here we provide evidence that postnatal human epidermal keratinocytes (KC), in response to fibroblast growth factor 2 and insulin like growth factor 1 signals, can be reprogrammed toward a NC fate. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses show that keratinocyte-derived NC cells are similar to those derived from human embryonic stem cells. Moreover, they give rise in vitro and in vivo to NC derivatives such as peripheral neurons, melanocytes, Schwann cells and mesenchymal cells (osteocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and smooth muscle cells). By demonstrating that human keratin-14+ KC can form NC cells, even from clones of single cells, our results have important implications in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Stem Cells 2017;35:1402-1415.

NANOG Reverses the Myogenic Differentiation Potential of Senescent Stem Cells by Restoring ACTIN Filamentous Organization and SRF-Dependent Gene Expression.

Cellular senescence as a result of organismal aging or progeroid diseases leads to stem cell pool exhaustion hindering tissue regeneration and contributing to the progression of age related disorders. Here we discovered that ectopic expression of the pluripotent factor NANOG in senescent or progeroid myogenic progenitors reversed cellular aging and restored completely the ability to generate contractile force. To elicit its effects, NANOG enabled reactivation of the ROCK and Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-ß pathways-both of which were impaired in senescent cells-leading to ACTIN polymerization, MRTF-A translocation into the nucleus and serum response factor (SRF)-dependent myogenic gene expression. Collectively our data reveal that cellular senescence can be reversed and provide a novel strategy to regain the lost function of aged stem cells without reprogramming to the pluripotent state. Stem Cells 2017;35:207-221.

Ghost probiotics with a combined regimen: a novel therapeutic approach against the Zika virus, an emerging world threat.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) used to be an obscure flavivirus closely related to dengue virus (DENV). Transmission of this epidemic pathogen occurs mainly via mosquitoes, but it is also capable of placental and sexual transmission. Although the characteristics of these viruses are well defined, infections are unpredictable in terms of disease severity, unusual clinical manifestations, unexpected methods of transmission, long-term persistence, and the development of new strains. Recently, ZIKV has gained huge medical attention following the large-scale epidemics around the world, and reported cases of congenital abnormalities associated with Zika virus infections which have created a public health emergency of international concern. Despite continuous research on ZIKV, no specific treatment or vaccine has been developed, excepting a preventive strategy for congenital ZIKV infection. Probiotics, known as GRAS, are bacteria that confer various health beneficial effects, and have been shown to be effective at curing a number of viral diseases by modulating the immune system. Furthermore, probiotic preparations consisting of dead cells and cellular metabolites, so-called "Ghost probiotics", can also act as biological response modifiers. Here, we review available information on the epidemiology, transmission, and clinical features of ZIKV, and on treatment and prevention strategies. In addition, we emphasize the use of probiotics and plant-based natural remedies and describe their action mechanisms, and the green technologies for microbial conversion, which could contribute to the development of novel therapies that may reduce the pathogenicity of ZIKV. Accordingly, we draw attention to new findings, unanswered questions, unresolved issues, and controversies regarding ZIKV.

Flow induced adherens junction remodeling driven by cytoskeletal forces.

Adherens junctions (AJs) are a key structural component for tissue organization and function. Under fluid shear stress, AJs exhibit dynamic assembly/disassembly, but how shear stress couples to AJs is unclear. In MDCK cells we measured simultaneously the forces in cytoskeletal α-actinin and the density and length of AJs using a genetically coded optical force sensor, actinin-sstFRET, and fluorescently labeled E-cadherin (E-cad). We found that shear stress of 0.74dyn/cm2 for 3h significantly enhanced E-cad expression at cell-cell contacts and this phenomenon has two phases. The initial formation of segregated AJ plaques coincided with a decrease in cytoskeletal tension, but an increase in tension was necessary for expansion of the plaques and the formation of continuous AJs in the later phase. The changes in cytoskeletal tension and reorganization appear to be an upstream process in response to flow since it occurred in both wild type and dominant negative E-cad cells. Disruption of F-actin with a Rho-ROCK inhibitor eliminated AJ growth under flow. These results delineate the shear stress transduction paths in cultured cells, which helps to understand pathology of a range of diseases that involve dysfunction of E-cadherin.

Developments of Cyanobacteria for Nano-Marine Drugs: Relevance of Nanoformulations in Cancer Therapies.

Current trends in the application of nanomaterials are emerging in the nano-biotechnological sector for development of medicines. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are photosynthetic prokaryotes that have applications to human health and numerous biological activities as dietary supplements. Cyanobacteria produce biologically active and chemically diverse compounds such as cyclic peptides, lipopeptides, fatty acid amides, alkaloids, and saccharides. More than 50% of marine cyanobacteria are potentially exploitable for the extraction of bioactive substances, which are effective in killing cancer cells by inducing apoptotic death. The current review emphasizes that not even 10% of microalgal bioactive components have reached commercialized platforms due to difficulties related to solubility. Considering these factors, they should be considered as a potential source of natural products for drug discovery and drug delivery approaches. Nanoformulations employing a wide variety of nanoparticles and their polymerized forms could be an emerging approach to the development of new cancer drugs. This review highlights recent research on microalgae-based medicines or compounds as well as their biomedical applications. This review further discusses the facts, limitations, and commercial market trends related to the use of microalgae for industrial and medicinal purposes.

Cytotoxic properties of the anthraquinone derivatives isolated from the roots of Rubia philippinensis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the most frequently occurring diseases and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. In this study, anthraquinone derivatives (Compounds 1-5) were evaluated for their anti-cancer potential against various skin and breast cancer cell lines to assess whether these anthraquinone derivatives may serve as a lead for the augmentation of anti-cancer drug. METHODS: Anthraquinone derivatives, 2-methyl-1,3,6-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone-3-O-(6'-O-acetyl)-α-rhamnosyl(1 → 2)-ß-glucoside (Comp 1), 2-methyl-1,3,6-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (Comp 2), and alizarin (Comp 3) were isolated from the dichloromethane fraction of the roots of Rubia philippinensis., whereas ethyl acetate fraction yielded xanthopurpurin (Comp 4) and lucidin-ω-methyl ether (Comp 5). Structures of all the isolated compounds were determined by spectral data analysis. All isolated compounds (Comp 1-5) were assessed for cytotoxicity by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against four different cancer cell lines, i.e. human melanoma (SK-MEL-5), murine melanoma (B16F10), and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231). RESULTS: Significant activity of the compounds 4 and 5 was observed against the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 14.65 ± 1.45 and 13.03 ± 0.33 µM, respectively. Encouragingly, IC50 values of 67.89 ± 1.02 and 79.01 ± 0.03 µM against normal kidney epithelial cells (MDCK) were also obtained for compounds 4 and 5, respectively, which indicated very low toxicity and favorable selectivity indices for compounds 4 and 5 in the range of 1.85 to 3.95 and 2.11 to 6.06 against skin cancer cell lines (SK-MEL-5, and B16F10), and breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the compounds 4 (xanthopurpurin) and 5 (lucidin-ω-methyl ether) showed high selective toxicity towards breast cancer cells at lower concentrations without showing toxicity towards normal cells, thus could be of potential as new lead molecules in cancer treatment.

Termitarium-Inhabiting Bacillus spp. Enhanced Plant Growth and Bioactive Component in Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.).

Curcumin (diferuloyl methane) is the main bioactive component of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) having remarkable multipotent medicinal and therapeutic applications. Two Bacilli isolated from termitarium soil and identified as Bacillus endophyticus TSH42 and Bacillus cereus TSH77 were used for bacterization of rhizome for raising C. longa ver. suguna for growth and enhancement. Both the strains showed remarkable PGP activities and also chemotactic in nature with high chemotactic index. Turmeric plants bacterized with strains B. endophyticus TSH42 and B. cereus TSH77 individually and in combination increased plant growth and turmeric production up to 18% in field trial in comparison to non-bacterized plants. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis was performed to determine the content of curcumin, which showed concentration of curcumin in un-inoculated turmeric as 3.66 g which increased by 13.6% (4.16 g) when combination of TSH42 and TSH77 was used.

Isolation and preliminary characterization of a bacteriocin-producer Bacillus strain inhibiting methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

In a multivalent approach to discover new antimicrobial substance, a total of 160 Bacilli were isolated from termitarium soil, characterized on the basis of their morphological and physiological characters and screened for their antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion method against certain drug resistant pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and common food contaminating bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. After preliminary screening, sixteen isolates showed inhibitory activity against test pathogens. Among them Bacillus isolate TSH58 exhibited maximum inhibitory activity against MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Based on morphological, physiological, biochemical and 16S rDNA characteristics isolate TSH58 was identified as a member of the Bacillus cereus species group. Various nutrient sources and culture conditions were optimized, the partially purified antimicrobial metabolite was subjected to various treatments such as heat, pH and proteolytic enzymes. Complete loss in the activity observed when the crude metabolite was treated with proteolytic enzymes suggesting its proteinaceous nature and termed as bacteriocin like inhibitory substance (BLIS). Minimal inhibitory concentration of the partially purified bacteriocin determined by microtiter plate assay was 80 µg/ml for MRSA and 40 µg/ml for L. monocytogenes. Tricine SDS PAGE analysis revealed that the partially purified bacteriocin produced by the Bacillus strain TSH58 had an apparent molecular weight of about 4.0 KDa.