Effects of Phomopsidione on the Viability, Virulence, and Metabolites Profile of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have become one of the most threatening multidrug-resistant pathogens. Thus, an ongoing search for anti-MRSA compounds remains an urgent need to effectively treating MRSA infections. Phomopsidione, a novel antibiotic isolated from Diaporthe fraxini, has previously demonstrated potent anti-candidal activity. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of phomopsidione on the viability, virulence, and metabolites profile of MRSA. MRSA was sensitive to phomopsidione in a concentration-dependent manner. Phomopsidione exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 62.5 and 500.00 µg/mL against MRSA on broth microdilution assay. The compound showed significant reduction in virulence factors production including extracellular polymeric substances quantification, catalase, and lipase. An untargeted metabolomics analysis using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry revealed a significant difference in the metabolites profile of MRSA with 13 putatively identified discriminant metabolites. The present study suggested the potential of phomopsidione as a promising anti-MRSA agent.

Chitosan-Based Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils: Potential Leads against Breast Cancer Cells in Preclinical Studies.

Since ancient times, essential oils (EOs) derived from aromatic plants have played a significant role in promoting human health. EOs are widely used in biomedical applications due to their medicinal properties. EOs and their constituents have been extensively studied for treating various health-related disorders, including cancer. Nonetheless, their biomedical applications are limited due to several drawbacks. Recent advances in nanotechnology offer the potential for utilising EO-loaded nanoparticles in the treatment of various diseases. In this aspect, chitosan (CS) appears as an exceptional encapsulating agent owing to its beneficial attributes. This review highlights the use of bioactive EOs and their constituents against breast cancer cells. Challenges associated with the use of EOs in biomedical applications are addressed. Essential information on the benefits of CS as an encapsulant, the advantages of nanoencapsulated EOs, and the cytotoxic actions of CS-based nanoencapsulated EOs against breast cancer cells is emphasised. Overall, the nanodelivery of bioactive EOs employing polymeric CS represents a promising avenue against breast cancer cells in preclinical studies.

Thymol-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles Improve the Postharvest Microbiological Safety of Blueberries.

Research background: The presence of Yersinia enterocolitica on raw food products raises the concern of yersiniosis as most of the berries are consumed raw. This is a challenging issue from the food safety aspect since it could increase the occurrence of foodborne diseases among humans. Thus, it is crucial to implement an effective sanitation before the packaging. Experimental approach: This study aims to synthesize and characterize thymol-loaded polyvinyl alcohol (Thy/PVA) nanoparticles as a sanitizer for postharvest treatment of blueberries. Thy/PVA nanoparticles were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic approaches, prior to the analyses of antimicrobial properties. Results and conclusions: The diameter size of the nanoparticles was on average 84.7 nm, with a surface charge of -11.73 mV. Based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurement, the Thy/PVA nanoparticles notably shifted to the frequency of 3275.70, 2869.66, 1651.02 and 1090.52 cm-1. A rapid burst was observed in the first hour of release study, and 74.9 % thymol was released from the PVA nanoparticles. The largest inhibition zone was displayed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), followed by Y. enterocolitica and Salmonella typhi. However, amongst these bacteria, the inhibition and killing of Y. enterocolitica required a lower concentration of Thy/PVA nanoparticles. The treatment successfully reduced the bacterial load of Y. enterocolitica on blueberries by 100 %. Novelty and scientific contribution: Thymol is a plant-based chemical without reported adverse effects to humans. In this study, by using the nanotechnology method of encapsulation with PVA, we improved the stability and physicochemical properties of thymol. This nanoparticle-based sanitizer could potentially promote the postharvest microbiological safety of raw berries, which may become an alternative practice of food safety.

Nanoparticle-laden contact lens for controlled release of vancomycin with enhanced antibiotic efficacy.

Vancomycin is the last resort antibiotic for the treatment of severe bacterial keratitis. Its clinical application is limited due to its hydrophilicity and high molecular weight. To overcome this, this study aims to develop nanoparticles-laden contact lens for controlled ocular delivery of vancomycin. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as encapsulant material. The nanoparticles had a negative surface charge and an average size of 147.6 nm. A satisfactory encapsulation efficiency (61.24%) was obtained. The release profile was observed to be slow and sustained, with a release rate of 1.29 µL mg-1 h-1 for 48 h. Five out of 6 test bacteria were suppressed by vancomycin nanoparticles-laden contact lens. Vancomycin is generally ineffective against Gram-negative bacteria and unable to pass through the outer membrane barrier. In this study, vancomycin inhibited Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nano-encapsulation enables vancomycin to penetrate the Gram-negative cell wall and further destroy the bacterial cells. On Hohenstein challenge test, all test bacteria exhibited significant reduction in growth when exposed to vancomycin nanoparticles-laden contact lens. This study created an effective and long-lasting vancomycin delivery system via silicone hydrogel contact lenses, by using PVA as encapsulant. The antibiotic efficacy and vancomycin release should be further studied using ocular in vivo models.

Development of sodium alginate-pectin biodegradable active food packaging film containing cinnamic acid.

Plastics are still the most popular food packaging material and many of them end up in the environment for a long period. Due to packaging material's inability to inhibit microbial growth, beef often contains microorganisms that affect its aroma, colour and texture. Cinnamic acid is categorized as generally recognised as safe and is permitted for use in food. The development of biodegradable food packaging film with cinnamic acid has never been conducted before. This present study was aimed to develop a biodegradable active packaging material for fresh beef using sodium alginate and pectin. The film was successfully developed with solution casting method. The films' thickness, colour, moisture level, dissolution, water vapour permeability, bending strength and elongation at break were comparable to those of polyethylene plastic film in terms of these attributes. The developed film also showed the degradability in soil of 43.26% in a duration of 15 days. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that cinnamic acid was successfully incorporated with the film. The developed film showed significant inhibitory activity on all test foodborne bacteria. On Hohenstein challenge test, a 51.28-70.45% reduction on bacterial growth was also observed. The antibacterial efficacy of the established film by using fresh beef as food model. The meats wrapped with the film showed significant reduction in bacterial load throughout the experimental period by 84.09%. The colour of the beef also showed significant different between control film and edible film during 5 days test. Beef with control film turned into dark brownish and beef with cinnamic acid turn into light brownish. Sodium alginate and pectin film with cinnamic acid showed good biodegradability and antibacterial activity. Further studies can be conducted to investigate the scalability and commercial viability of this environmental-friendly food packaging materials.

Natural Corynanthe-Type Cholinesterase Inhibitors from Malaysian Uncaria attenuata Korth.: Isolation, Characterization, In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

The Uncaria genus is notable for its therapeutic potential in treating age-related dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. A phytochemical study of the leaves of Malaysian Uncaria attenuata Korth., afforded an undescribed natural corynanthe-type oxindole alkaloid, isovillocarine D (1) together with two known indole alkaloids, villocarine A (2) and geissoschizine methyl ether (3), and their structural identification was performed with extensive mono- and bidimensional NMR and MS spectroscopic methods. The isolated alkaloids were evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE)- and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)-inhibitory activity. The results indicated that compound (2) was the most potent inhibitor against both AChE and BChE, with IC50 values of 14.45 and 13.95 µM, respectively, whereas compounds (1) and (3) were selective BChE inhibitors with IC50 values of 35.28 and 17.65 µM, respectively. In addition, molecular docking studies revealed that compound (2) interacts with the five main regions of AChE via both hydrogen and hydrophobic bonding. In contrast to AChE, the interactions of (2) with the enzymatic site of BChE are established only through hydrophobic bonding. The current finding suggests that U. attenuata could be a good source of bioactive alkaloids for treating age-related dementia.

Metabolites characterisation of endophytic Phyllosticta fallopiae L67 isolated from Aloe vera with antimicrobial activity on diabetic wound microorganisms.

This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activity of endophytic Phyllosticta fallopiae L67 isolated from Aloe vera against diabetic wound microorganisms and characterise their active fraction for biologically important metabolites. The dichloromethane (DCM) extract exhibited the most significant activity with inhibition zones ranging from 11.33 to 38.33 mm. The minimal inhibitory and lethality concentrations of DCM extract ranged from 78.13 to 2500.00 µg/ml and 625.00 to 5000.00 µg/ml, respectively. The extract showed teratogenicity and lethality in the zebrafish model, where peritoneal and hepatic oedema occurred at 62.50 µg/ml, and no abnormality appeared at 31.25 µg/ml. The extract also inhibited more than 82% biofilm formation. Bioassay-guided fractionation on DCM extract yielded 18 fractions and the most active fraction was subjected to UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. Flavones, stilbenes, flavanonols, isoflavonoids, phenolic glycosides and phenol derivatives were detected. In conclusion, endophytic P. fallopiae possessed bioactive metabolites with significant antimicrobial activity against diabetic wound microorganisms.

Cynometra cauliflora essential oils loaded-chitosan nanoparticles: Evaluations of their antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

Nanoencapsulation has appeared as an alternative approach to protect the bioactive constituents of essential oils (EOs) and to improve their properties. In this study, Cynometra cauliflora essential oils (CCEOs) were nanoencapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) using an emulsion-ionic gelation technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images illustrated a well dispersion and spherical shape of C. cauliflora EOs-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CCEOs-CSNPs) with an average size of less than 100 nm. In addition to that, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed the success of CCEOs nanoencapsulation. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was in the range of 38.83% to 44.16% while the loading capacity (LC) reached 32.55% to 33.73%. The antioxidant activity (IC50) of CCEOs-CSNPs was ranged from 21.65 to 259.13 µg/mL when assessed using DPPH radical scavenging assay. CCEOs-CSNPs showed an appreciable antimicrobial effects on diabetic wound microorganisms. Notably, cytotoxic effects against human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells recorded IC50 of 3.72-17.81 µg/mL and 16.24-17.65 µg/mL, respectively, after 72 h treatment. Interestingly, no cytotoxicity against human breast normal MCF-10A cells was observed. Thus, nanoencapsulation using CSNPs could improve the properties of CCEOs in biomedical related applications.

Metabolomics Analysis and Antioxidant Potential of Endophytic Diaporthe fraxini ED2 Grown in Different Culture Media.

Endophytic fungi are a promising source of bioactive metabolites with a wide range of pharmacological activities. In the present study, MS-based metabolomics was conducted to study the metabolomes variations of endophytic Diaporthe fraxini ED2 grown in different culture media. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were conducted to assess the antioxidant potential of the fungal extracts. Multivariate data analysis (MVDA) was employed in data analysis and interpretation to elucidate the complex metabolite profile. The supplemented culture medium of D. fraxini fungal extract stimulated the production of metabolites not occurring in the normal culture medium. Antioxidant activity studies revealed the potential of supplemented cultured fungal extract of D. fraxini as a source of antioxidants. The present findings highlight that fungal culture medium supplementation is an effective approach to unravelling the hidden metabolome in plant-associated fungal diversity.

Plant Terpenoids as the Promising Source of Cholinesterase Inhibitors for Anti-AD Therapy.

Plant-derived terpenes are the prolific source of modern drugs such as taxol, chloroquine and artemisinin, which are widely used to treat cancer and malaria infections. There are research interests in recent years on terpene-derived metabolites (diterpenes, triterpenes and sesquiterpenes), which are believed to serve as excellent cholinesterase inhibitors. As cholinesterase inhibitors are the current treatment for Alzheimer's disease, terpene-derived metabolites will have the potential to be involved in the future drug development for Alzheimer's disease. Hence, a bibliographic search was conducted by using the keywords "terpene", "cholinesterase" and "Alzheimer's disease", along with cross-referencing from 2011 to 2020, to provide an overview of natural terpenes with potential anticholinesterase properties. This review focuses on the extraction, chemical structures and anti-cholinesterase mechanisms of terpenes, which support and encourage future research on drug discovery and development in treating Alzheimer's disease.

Cholic acid: a novel steroidal uncompetitive inhibitor against ß-lactamase produced by multidrug-resistant isolates.

ß-lactam antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed class of drugs worldwide, due to its efficacy and good safety profile. However, the emergence of ß-lactamase producing bacterial strains eliminated the use of ß-lactam antibiotics as a chemotherapeutic choice. To restore their usability, a non-antibiotic adjuvant in conjunction with ß-lactam antibiotics is now being utilised. Cholic acid potentially acts as an adjuvant since it can blunt the pro-inflammatory activity in human. Our main objective is to scrutinise the inhibition of ß-lactamase-producing bacteria by adjuvant cholic acid, synergism of the test drugs and the primary mechanism of enzymatic reaction. Antibacterial effect of the cholic acid-ampicillin (CA-AMP) on 7 ß-lactamase positive isolates were evaluated accordingly to disc diffusion assay, antibiotic susceptibility test, as well as checkerboard analysis. Then, all activities were compared with ampicillin alone, penicillin alone, cholic acid alone and cholic acid-penicillin combination. The CA-AMP displayed notable antibiotic activity on all test bacteria and depicted synergistic influence by representing low fractional inhibitory concentration index (FIC ≤ 0.5). According to kinetic analyses, CA-AMP behaved as an uncompetitive inhibitor against beta lactamase, with reducing values of Michaelis constant (Km) and maximal velocity (Vmax) recorded. The inhibitor constant (Ki) of CA-AMP was equal to 4.98 ± 0.3 µM, which slightly lower than ampicillin (5.00 ± 0.1 µM).

Mechanistic Actions between Garcinia atroviridis Essential Oil and 2 Deoxy-d-glucose in Cultured PANC-1 Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease that progresses in a relatively symptom-free manner; thus, is difficult to detect and treat. Essential oil is reported to exhibit pharmacological properties, besides its common and well-known function as aromatherapy. Therefore, this study herein aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative effect of essential oil extracted from leaves of Garcinia atroviridis (EO-L) against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line. The cell growth inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50) and selective index (SI) values of EO-L analyses were determined as 78 µg/mL and 1.23, respectively. Combination index (CI) analysis revealed moderate synergism (CI values of 0.36 to 0.75) between EO-L and 2 deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) treatments. The treatments of PANC-1 cells with EO-L, 2-DG and EOL+2DG showed evidence of depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, cell growth arrest and apoptosis. The molecular mechanism causing the anti-proliferative effect between EO-L and 2-DG is potentially through pronounced up-regulation of P53 (4.40-fold), HIF1α (1.92-fold), HK2 (2.88-fold) and down-regulation of CYP3A5 (0.11-fold), as supported by quantitative mRNA expression analysis. Collectively, the current data suggest that the combination of two anti-proliferative agents, EO-L and 2-DG, can potentially be explored as therapeutic treatments and as potentiating agents to conventional therapy against human pancreatic cancer.

The potentiation of beta-lactam and anti-bacterial activities of lipophilic constituents from Mesua ferrae leaves against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVES: Mesua ferrae, from the family of Calophyllaceae, is traditionally used for the treatment of piles, fever and renal disorders. The present study was aimed to examine the antibacterial compounds from the leaves of M. ferrae and their ß-lactam antibiotic potentiate activities against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). METHODS: Stigmasterol (1) and ß-caryophyllene oxide (2) were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of the leaves of M. ferrae using a bioassay-guided fractionation approach. RESULTS: The isolated compounds displayed anti-Staphylococcus and anti-MRSA activities. It is worth to note that both compounds demonstrated synergism with ß-lactam antibiotics against S. aureus and MRSA. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicated the n-hexane fraction was dominated by triterpenes and sesquiterpenes, suggesting the total antibacterial activity exhibited by the fraction. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, it could conclude that M. ferrae is a promising natural source for the discovery of new anti-MRSA lead compounds.

Potential of Naturally Derived Alkaloids as Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Agents for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Alkaloids are a class of secondary metabolites that can be derived from plants, fungi and marine sponges. They are widely known as a continuous source of medicine for the management of chronic disease including cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. For example, galanthamine and huperzine A are alkaloid derivatives currently being used for the symptomatic management of neurodegenerative disease. The etiology of neurodegenerative diseases is polygenic and multifactorial including but not limited to inflammation, oxidative stress and protein aggregation. Therefore, natural-product-based alkaloids with polypharmacology modulation properties are potentially useful for further drug development or, to a lesser extent, as nutraceuticals to manage neurodegeneration. This review aims to discuss and summarise recent developments in relation to naturally derived alkaloids for neurodegenerative diseases.

Recent Developments in Metabolomics Studies of Endophytic Fungi.

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that colonize living plants' tissues without causing any harm. They are known as a natural source of bioactive metabolites with diverse pharmacological functions. Many structurally different chemical metabolites were isolated from endophytic fungi. Recently, the increasing trends in human health problems and diseases have escalated the search for bioactive metabolites from endophytic fungi. The conventional bioassay-guided study is known as laborious due to chemical complexity. Thus, metabolomics studies have attracted extensive research interest owing to their potential in dealing with a vast number of metabolites. Metabolomics coupled with advanced analytical tools provides a comprehensive insight into systems biology. Despite its wide scientific attention, endophytic fungi metabolomics are relatively unexploited. This review highlights the recent developments in metabolomics studies of endophytic fungi in obtaining the global metabolites picture.

Gelatine Film Incorporated with Clitoria ternatea-Derived Anthocyanin Microcapsules, A Food Packaging Material Effective Against Foodborne Pathogens.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Microbial contamination of food products is one of the significant causes of food spoilage and foodborne illnesses. The use of active packaging films incorporated with antimicrobial agents can be a measure to improve food quality and extend shelf life. Nevertheless, antimicrobial agents such as silver, copper, titanium and zinc in the packaging films have raised concerns among consumers due to toxicity issues. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The current study aims to develop biodegradable gelatine-based edible films incorporated with microcapsules of Clitoria ternatea-derived anthocyanins as a natural antimicrobial agent. The impact of incorporation of microcapsules with anthocyanins on the morphology, thermal, mechanical, water vapour barrier and physicochemical properties of the gelatine films was evaluated in this study. The effectiveness of the developed films against foodborne pathogens and their application for perishable food protection were also investigated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results show that incorporating anthocyanin microcapsules enhances the gelatine film physical and mechanical properties by increasing the thickness, tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break of the films. Scanning electronic microscopy analysis revealed that the film surface morphology with anthocyanin microcapsules had a homogeneous and smooth surface texture compared to the control. The thermogravimetric analysis also showed a slight improvement in the thermal properties of the developed films. Agar well diffusion assay revealed that the developed films exhibit significant inhibition against a broad-spectrum of bacteria. Furthermore, the films composed of gelatine with anthocyanin microcapsules significantly reduced the total viable count of microorganisms in the bean curd during storage for 12 days compared with the control films. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: Increasing global awareness of healthy and safe food with minimal synthetic ingredients as preservatives has sparked the search for the use of antimicrobial agents of natural origins in active food packaging material. In this study, a safe and effective active packaging film was developed using an environmentally friendly biopolymer, gelatine film incorporated with microcapsules of Clitoria ternatea-derived anthocyanins as a natural antimicrobial agent. This study demonstrated that such a method is not only able to improve the film physical properties but can also significantly prolong the shelf life of food products by protecting them from microbial spoilage.

Potential of Endophytic Diaporthe sp. as a New Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Endophytic fungi are symbiotically related to plants and spend most of their life cycle within them. In nature, they have a crucial role in plant micro-ecosystem. They are harnessed for their bioactive compounds to counter human health problems and diseases. Endophytic Diaporthe sp. is a widely distributed fungal genus that has garnered much interest within the scientific community. A substantial number of secondary metabolites have been detected from Diaporthe sp. inhabited in various plants. As such, this minireview highlights the potential of Diaporthe sp. as a rich source of bioactive compounds by emphasizing on their diverse chemical entities and potent biological properties. The bioactive compounds produced are of significant importance to act as new lead compounds for drug discovery and development.

A Bottom-Up Synthesis Approach to Silver Nanoparticles Induces Anti-Proliferative and Apoptotic Activities Against MCF-7, MCF-7/TAMR-1 and MCF-10A Human Breast Cell Lines.

A bottom-up approach for synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs-GA) phytomediated by Garcinia atroviridis leaf extract is described. Under optimized conditions, the AgNPs-GA were synthesized at a concentration of 0.1 M silver salt and 10% (w/v) leaf extract, 1:4 mixing ratio of reactants, pH 3, temperature 32 °C and 72 h reaction time. The AgNPs-GA were characterized by various analytical techniques and their size was determined to be 5-30 nm. FTIR spectroscopy indicates the role of phenolic functional groups in the reduction of silver ions into AgNPs-GA and in supporting their subsequent stability. The UV-Visible spectrum showed an absorption peak at 450 nm which reflects the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AgNPs-GA and further supports the stability of these biosynthesized nanoparticles. SEM, TEM and XRD diffractogram analyses indicate that AgNPs-GA were spherical and face-centered-cubic in shape. This study also describes the efficacy of biosynthesized AgNPs-GA as anti-proliferative agent against human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MCF-7/TAMR-1. Our findings indicate that AgNPs-GA possess significant anti-proliferative effects against both the MCF-7 and MCF-7/TAMR-1 cell lines, with inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50 values) of 2.0 and 34.0 µg/mL, respectively, after 72 h of treatment. An induction of apoptosis was evidenced by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. Therefore, AgNPs-GA exhibited its anti-proliferative activity via apoptosis on MCF-7 and MCF-7/TAMR-1 breast cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, the leaf extract from Garcinia atroviridis was found to be highly capable of producing AgNPs-GA with favourable physicochemical and biological properties.

Phomopsidione-Loaded Chitosan Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Nanocomposite Dressing for Pressure Ulcers.

Pressure ulcers are commonly associated with microbial infections on the wounds which require an effective wound dressing for treatment. Thus far, the available silver dressing has shown tremendous result, however, it may cause argyria and complicate the internal organ function. Hence, our study aims to develop and characterize phomopsidione-loaded chitosan-polyethylene glycol nanocomposite hydrogel (C/PEG/Ph) as an antimicrobial dressing. Physically, the C/PEG/Ph hydrogel demonstrated a uniform light blue color, soft, flexible, and elastic, with no aggregation form. The evaluation via Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) exposed the C/PEG/Ph hydrogel has a notable shift towards lower frequency at 1600 and 1554 cm-1. For drug release test, the phomopsidione attained plateau at 24 h, with a total release of 67.9 ± 6.4% from the C/PEG/Ph hydrogel. There was a null burst release effect discovered throughout the experimental period. The C/PEG/Ph hydrogel showed significant results against all 4 Gram-negative bacteria and 1 yeast, with 99.99-100% reduction of microbial growth. The findings revealed that the C/PEG/Ph hydrogel can potentially act as an antimicrobial dressing for pressure ulcers.

Valorization of exo-microbial fermented coconut endosperm waste by black soldier fly larvae for simultaneous biodiesel and protein productions.

The conventional practice in enhancing the larvae growths is by co-digesting the low-cost organic wastes with palatable feeds for black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). In circumventing the co-digestion practice, this study focused the employment of exo-microbes in a form of bacterial consortium powder to modify coconut endosperm waste (CEW) via fermentation process in enhancing the palatability of BSFL to accumulate more larval lipid and protein. Accordingly, the optimum fermentation condition was attained by inoculating 0.5 wt% of bacterial consortium powder into CEW for 14-21 days. The peaks of BSFL biomass gained and growth rate were initially attained whilst feeding the BSFL with optimum fermented CEW. These were primarily attributed by the lowest energy loss via metabolic cost, i.e., as high as 22% of ingested optimum fermented CEW was effectively bioconverted into BSFL biomass. The harvested BSFL biomass was then found containing about 40 wt% of lipid, yielding 98% of fatty acid methyl esters of biodiesel upon transesterification. Subsequently, the protein content was also analyzed to be 0.32 mg, measured from 20 harvested BSFL with a corrected-chitin of approximately 8%. Moreover, the waste reduction index which represents the BSFL valorization potentiality was recorded at 0.31 g/day 20 BSFL. The benefit of fermenting CEW was lastly unveiled, accentuating the presence of surplus acid-producing bacteria. Thus, it was propounded the carbohydrates in CEW were rapidly hydrolysed during fermentation, releasing substantial organic acids and other nutrients to incite the BSFL assimilation into lipid for biodiesel and protein productions simultaneously.