Analysis of the bacterial diversity in Moroccan Jben cheese using TTGE, DGGE, and 16S rRNA sequencing.

This research investigated the physicochemical, microbiological, and bacterial diversity of Jben cheese, a popular artisanal variety in Morocco. The bacterial diversity was explored using culture-independent methods, including temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (TTGE), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Significant intra-sample differences were observed for most physicochemical parameters within each milk type, while inter-sample differences occurred between cow and goat cheeses for dry matter and ash. Jben cheese exhibited distinct characteristics, with low pH values of 3.96, 4.16, and 4.18 for cow, goat, and mixed cheeses, respectively. Goat cheeses had higher fat (49.23 g/100 g), ash (1.91 g/100 g), and dry matter (36.39 g/100 g) than cow cheeses. All cheeses displayed high microbial counts, with a notable prevalence of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group, averaging 8.80 ± 0.92 log CFU/g. Jben cheese also displayed high contamination levels with total coliforms, faecal coliforms, yeast, and molds. Fatty acid profiling revealed fraudulent practices in Jben cheese marketing, with cow or mixed cheeses sold as goat cheese, as proven by low capric acid concentration. HTS analysis of Jben cheese identified ten genera and twenty-four species, highlighting Lactococcus lactis as predominant. TTGE and DGGE confirmed the presence of L. lactis but failed to provide the detailed profile achieved through HTS analysis. HTS has been demonstrated to be more reliable, whereas TTGE/DGGE methods, though informative, were more time-consuming and less reliable. Despite limitations, the combined use of TTGE, DGGE, and HTS provided a comprehensive view of indigenous bacterial communities in Jben cheese, identifying L. lactis as the main species.

Promoting the growth of Sulla flexuosa L. by endophytic root nodule bacteria authors and affiliations.

Legume plants rely upon multipartite interactions between rhizobia and bacterial endophytes within root nodules to facilitate plant growth. This study aimed to isolate and identify indigenous endophytic bacteria from root nodules of Sulla aculeolata L. in Northeast Morocco. Based on their tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) solubilization capacity, five endophytes were chosen for further evaluation of their plant growth traits. All isolates were hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and siderophore producers, while only BCH24 tested positive for ACC deaminase activity. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis ranged from 1.27 mgL- 1 to 2.89 mgL- 1, while soluble phosphate concentrations was between 7.99 mg L- 1 and 110.58 mg L- 1. Additionally, all the endophytes were able to produce more than two lytic enzymes. Based on the analysis of 16 S rRNA gene sequences five isolates were identified as Enterobacter sp (BCH13, BCH2), Pseudomonas sp (BCH16, BCH24), and Serratia sp (BCH10). The strains inhibited the growth of three phytopathogenic fungi, with BCH13 exhibiting the highest rate against Aspergillus ochraceus (45%), followed by BCH24 against Fusarium oxysporum (40%) and Botrytis cinerea (35%), respectively. In vivo inoculation of halotolerant strains Enterobacter hormaechei (BCH13) and Pseudomonas moraviensis (BCH16) under gnotobiotic conditions revealed that co-inoculation with Rhizobium sullae KS6 improved plant development compared to single inoculation, making it a promising eco-friendly bio-inoculant for legume Sulla flexuosa L. production.

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in farm animals and breeders in north of Morocco.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to determine for the first time, in Morocco, the nasal carriage rate, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and virulence genes of Staphylococcus. aureus isolated from animals and breeders in close contact. METHODS: From 2015 to 2016, 421 nasal swab samples were collected from 26 different livestock areas in Tangier. Antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes were determined by disk diffusion according to EUCAST 2015. The presence of nuc, mecA, mecC, lukS/F-PV, and tst genes were determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for all isolates. RESULTS: The overall S. aureus nasal carriage rate was low in animals (9.97%) and high in breeders (60%) with a statistically significant difference, (OR = 13.536; 95% CI = 7.070-25.912; p < 0.001). In general, S. aureus strains were susceptible to the majority of antibiotics and the highest resistance rates were found against tetracycline (16.7% in animals and 10% in breeders). No Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in animals and breeders. A high rate of tst and lukS/F-PV genes has been recovered only from animals (11.9 and 16.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Despite the lower rate of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the absence of MRSA strains in our study, S. aureus strains harbored a higher frequency of tst and lukS/F-PV virulence genes, which is associated to an increased risk of infection dissemination in humans. This highlights the need for further larger and multi-center studies to better define the transmission of the pathogenic S. aureus between livestock, environment, and humans.

Optical method for detecting oxygen via the chromogenic reaction catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase.

The present work describes a method for detecting the ingress of gas phase oxygen into packed food. It uses the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO)from Mushroom and Mediterranean dwarf palm. The PPO is incorporated into an indubiose film along with a non-toxic polyphenol such as gallic acid or chlorogenic acid. If exposed to oxygen, the test spot undergoes an irreversible and visible color change from pale to deep brown due to the PPO catalyzed oxidation of the respective polyphenol by oxygen. The color change can be detected visually or by spectrophotometry at 470 nm. The effect of the amount of oxygen or substrate, type of enzyme substrate, enzyme source, temperature and duration of storage on the response were studied. Air oxygen can be detected within 30 min under optimized condition. The smallest amount of oxygen that can be detected with acceptable response time (120 min) is 5%. The test is highly selective for oxygen and the detector is stable over time. The detector may be used in any application as long as the presence or absence of oxygen in a sealed space is determined prior to the application using the detector.

Nasal carriage of sequence type 22 MRSA and livestock-associated ST398 clones in Tangier, Morocco.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to provide data of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage as well as to determine the genetic lineages of this circulating MRSA in the Tangier community. METHODOLOGY: Between 2012 and 2013 two subpopulations consisting of randomly chosen healthy volunteers and outpatients in 11 healthcare facilities were screened. The antibiotic resistance phenotype was determined by disk diffusion. Toxin Panton-Valentin Leukocidin (PVL), toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene (tst), and mecA were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nasal swabs were obtained from persons with no identified risk factors for MRSA acquisition. MRSA molecular typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec, and Staphylococcus protein A (spa) typing. RESULTS: A total of400 subjects (33.3%) were nasally colonized with S. aureus, and 17 (1.4%) were nasal carriers of MRSA. The analysis did not identify age, gender, and the two subpopulations as predictors for MRSA colonization. MRSA were more likely to harbor the tst gene (p < 0.05). This work highlighted a low prevalence of nasal MRSA carriage, with 52.94% belonging to sequence type (ST) ST22. The remaining isolates were distributed as singletons (ST8, ST1, and ST398), whereas approximately one-third of MRSA was not identified, including three novel spa-types (t13247, t13248, and t13249). CONCLUSIONS: Although we highlighted the current clones present in the Tangier community, they are limited in space and time. Therefore, further studies would be required to obtain a comprehensive picture of the dissemination of MRSA in the community, hospital, and livestock.

Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens Strain ET76, Isolated from Rice Rhizosphere in Northwestern Morocco.

Pseudomonas fluorescens ET76 was isolated from rice rhizosphere in northwestern Morocco. Its draft genome was estimated to be 6,681,652 bp with 5,789 coding sequences (CDSs). Genes encoding for type I to VI secretion systems, PvdQ, proteases, siderophores, hydrogen cyanide synthase, ACC-deaminase, among others, highlight its potential use in biological control of plant pathogens.