Serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected from unvaccinated children with pneumonia at a province in central Vietnam.

Background and Objectives: Identification of pnemococcal serotypes and antimicrobial resistance provides helpful information for the use of suitable vaccines and antibiotics; however, very limited data is available on these issues in Vietnam. The present study aimed to find the serotype distribution and drug resistance patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from unvaccinated children less than 5 years of age with pneumonia at a province in centre Vietnam. Materials and Methods: A total of 126 clinical pnemococcal strains isolated from unvaccinated children less than 5 years of age with pneumonia at the Nghe An province, Vietnam between Nov 2019 and Mar 2021. All strains were identified using conventional microbiological method, VITEK® 2 Compact system, specific PCR and sequencing. The serotypes and antimicrobial resistance patterns of pnemococcal strains were determined using the multiplex PCR assays and VITEK® 2 Compact system. Results: The results showed that, eight different pneumococcal serotypes were identified. The most common serotypes were 19F (67.46%), followed by 23F (10.32%), 19A (9.52%), 6A/B (3.17%), 15A (2.38%), 9V (3.17%), 11A (1.59%) and 14 (0.80%), respectively. More than half of the pneumococcal strains were non-susceptible to penicillin. The resistance rate to ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were 41.3% and 50.8%. The percentage of pneumococci strains resistant to clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracyclin, and clindamycin were more than 93% of all strains. All pneumococcal serotypes were highly resistant to clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, and clindamycin. Conclusion: Our findings showed high antibiotic resistance rates of the strains causing pneumococcal pneumonia, mostly macrolide resistance, among unvaccinated children.

Evaluation of Cudrania tricuspidata Leaves on Antioxidant Activities and Physicochemical Properties of Pork Patties.

Characterization and utilization of the bioactive compounds from natural resources is one of the most concerns to maintain quality properties of foods, especially to prevent the oxidation of lipids in meat products. Phytochemical components and antioxidant activities of Cudrania tricuspidata (CT) leaves extracted using various solvents and their effects on physicochemical properties of pork patties during refrigerated storage were measured. The combined solvents of 80% ethanol, 80% methanol and pure double-distilled (dd)-water obtained the higher total phenolic compounds, flavonoids content, and antioxidant activities as compared to the pure solvent alone. Among the individual antioxidant components, catechin was the predominant polyphenol in CT leaves in all extracts. The addition of CT leaves extracts into pork patties showed high antioxidant activities since thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values of added CT extracts were lower than those of the control (p<0.05). In conclusion, CT leaf phytochemical components displayed antioxidant activity that varied with the extract solvent used. CT extracts were superior to control in retarding lipid oxidation of pork patties, which was evident as reduced TBARS and peroxide values (POV).