A Simple and Rapid Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Screening Test Using a Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL)-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticle Probe.

Rapid diagnosis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is essential for guiding clinical treatment and preventing the spread of MRSA infections. Herein, we present a simple and rapid MRSA screening test based on the aggregation effect of mannose-binding lectin (MBL)-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNP), called the MRSA probe. Recombinant MBL protein is a member of the lectin family and part of the innate immune system. It can recognize wall teichoic acid (WTA) on the membrane of MRSA more specifically than that of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) under optimized salt conditions. Thus, the MRSA probe can selectively bind to MRSA, and the aggregation of the probes on the surface of the target bacteria can be detected and analyzed by the naked eye within 5 min. To demonstrate the suitability of the method for real-world application, we tested 40 clinical S. aureus isolates (including 20 MRSA specimens) and recorded a sensitivity of 100%. In conclusion, the MRSA probe-based screening test with its excellent sensitivity has the potential for successful application in the microbiology laboratory.

Mangifera Indica leaf extracts promote hair growth via activation of Wnt signaling pathway in human dermal papilla cells.

The crosstalk between androgens and Wnt signaling pathways is critical in the hair growth cycle. Therefore, natural products that target these two pathways for the inhibition of hair loss are sought after. In this study, we investigated the effect of water extracts of Mangifera indica leaves (WEML) on hair growth. WEML treatment significantly reduced the expression levels of both dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and type 2 5α-reductase (SRD5A2) involved in Wnt signal suppression activity and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis, respectively, in human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDP). In addition, WEML treatment effectively upregulated Wnt target genes and downregulated DKK1 expression that was increased by DHT treatment. Degranulation analysis in rat basophilic leukemia mast cell line (RBL-2H3) using ß-hexosaminidase release assay confirmed that WEML did not exhibit allergenic activity. Furthermore, hair growth was significantly enhanced in in vivo mice model treated with WEML. These results suggest that M. indica leave extract contains bioactive materials that can be used to treat hair loss.

Changes in the quality of pork loin after short-term (ten-day) storage in a supercooling refrigerator.

The study aimed to evaluate pork loin quality after short-term (ten-day) storage in a supercooling refrigerator. Pork loin samples were stored for 10 days in a traditional refrigerator (control) and a commercially available supercooling refrigerator (SC). Pork quality measurements included meat pH, meat color, water holding capacity (drip loss and cooking loss), tenderness (hardness), and a sensory evaluation. Temperature changes of 0.45 ± 0.2°C and 0.02 ± 0.25°C occurred in the control and the SC, respectively, during 10 days of storage. The temperature in the SC chamber did not remain below freezing point, failing to meet expectations. Regarding the pork quality measurements, only the drip losses in the control and the SC were significantly different (4.45% vs. 2.59%, p < 0.01) after 10 days of storage. There were no significant differences between the two types of refrigerator in terms of the other measurements. Additionally, the overall acceptability of the pork loin did not vary significantly between the control and the SC when the sensory evaluation was performed. Therefore, a commercial SC could prove beneficial in terms of water holding capacity during the short-term storage of meat. Further research should be performed to evaluate quality changes that occur during long-term storage of meat in SC s and evaluate a wide range of meat, such as beef and chicken.

Antiviral Activity of Itraconazole against Echovirus 30 Infection In Vitro.

OBJECTIVES: Echovirus 30 is a major cause of meningitis in children and adults. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antifungal drug itraconazole could exhibit antiviral activity against echovirus 30. METHODS: The cytopathic effect and viral RNA levels were assessed in RD cells as indicators of viral replication. The effects of itraconazole were compared to those of two known antiviral drugs, rupintrivir and pleconaril. The time course and time-of-addition assays were used to approximate the time at which itraconazole exerts its activity in the viral cycle. RESULTS: Itraconazole and rupintrivir demonstrated the greatest potency against echovirus 30, demonstrating concentration-dependent activity, whereas pleconaril showed no antiviral activity. Itraconazole did not directly inactivate echovirus 30 particles or impede viral uptake into RD cells, but did affect the initial stages of echovirus 30 infection through interference with viral replication. CONCLUSION: Itraconazole can be considered a lead candidate for the development of antiviral drugs against echovirus 30 that may be used during the early stages of echovirus 30 replication.

Complete Genome Sequence of Rotavirus Group C Isolated in South Korea.

Rotavirus group C is the major etiological agent associated with acute gastroenteritis in all human age groups. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of human group C rotavirus (GpC-RV) isolated in South Korea.

Complete sequence analysis and antiviral screening of medicinal plants for human coxsackievirus a16 isolated in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Coxsackievirus A group 16 strain (CVA16) is one of the predominant causative agents of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). METHODS: Using a specimen from a male patient with HFMD, we isolated and performed sequencing of the Korean CVA16 strain and compared it with a G10 reference strain. Also, we were investigated the effects of medicinal plant extract on the cytopathic effects (CPE) by CPE reduction assay against Korean CVA16. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Korean CVA16 isolate belonged to cluster B-1 and was closely related to the strain PM-15765-00 isolated in Malaysia in 2000. The Korean CVA16 isolate showed 73.2% nucleotide identity to the G10 prototype strain and 98.7% nucleotide identity to PM-15765-00. Next, we assessed whether the Korean CVA16 isolate could be used for in vitro screening of antiviral agents to treat HFMD infection. Vero cells infected with the Korean CVA16 isolate showed a cytopathic effect 2 days after the infection, and the treatment of cells with Cornus officinalis, Acer triflorum, Pulsatilla koreana, and Clematis heracleifolia var. davidiana Hemsl extracts exhibited strong antiviral activity against CVA16. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our work provides potential candidates for the development of vaccine and novel drugs to treat the CVA16 strain isolated from a Korean patient.

Enteroviruses isolated from herpangina and hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Korean children.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina are commonly prevalent illness in young children. They are similarly characterized by lesions on the skin and oral mucosa. Both diseases are associated with various enterovirus serotypes. In this study, enteroviruses from patients with these diseases in Korea in 2009 were isolated and analyzed. Demographic data for patients with HFMD and herpangina were compared and all enterovirus isolates were amplified in the VP1 region by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Among the enterovirus isolates, prevalent agents were coxsackievirus A16 in HFMD and coxsackievirus A5 in herpangina. More prevalent months for HFMD were June (69.2%) and May (11.5%), and June (40.0%) and July (24.0%) for herpangina. Age prevalence of HFMD patients with enterovirus infection was 1 year (23.1%), 4 years (19.2%), and over 5 years (19.2%). However, the dominant age group of herpangina patients with enterovirus infection was 1 year (48.0%) followed by 2 years (28.0%). Comparison of pairwise VP1 nucleotide sequence alignment of all isolates within the same serotypes revealed high intra-type variation of CVA2 isolates (84.6-99.3% nucleotide identity). HFMD and herpangina showed differences in demographic data and serotypes of isolated enteroviruses, but there was no notable difference in amino acid sequences by clinical syndromes in multiple comparison of the partial VP1 gene sequence.