Metronidazole (MTDZ), the drug of choice for the treatment of protozoal infections such as luminal amebiasis, is highly susceptible to colonic metabolism, which may hinder its conversion from a colon-specific prodrug to an effective anti-amebic agent targeting the entire large intestine. Thus, in an attempt to control the colonic distribution of the drug, a polymeric colon-specific prodrug, MTD...

UNLABELLED For ecosystems vulnerable to environmental change, understanding the spatiotemporal stability of functionally crucial symbioses is fundamental to determining the mechanisms by which these ecosystems may persist. The coral Pachyseris speciosa is a successful environmental generalist that succeeds in diverse reef habitats. The generalist nature of this coral suggests it may have the ca...

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have been found to act as effective quorum sensing quenchers, capable of preventing biofilm formation. Our previous studies demonstrated a profound antibiofilm effect of the TZD derivative thiazolidinedione-8 (S-8), either in solution or incorporated into a sustained-release membrane (SRM-S-8) under batch conditions. In the present study, we used a constant depth film ...

Mature beagles were fed a ground-meal diet containing 0, 2, or 10 mug of oxytetracycline per g for 44 days. The 10-mug/g diet resulted in a shift from a predominantly drug-susceptible population of enteric lactose-fermenting organisms to a multiply antibiotic-resistant population which peaked at 78% resistant organisms. Since a shift to drug-resistant organisms did not occur in the group fed 2 ...

Capsules are used for filling different materials like Powders, Granules, Beads, Tablets, Capsules, Pastes etc.. Some of the disadvantages associated with conventional capsule: They are easily tampered with (although techniques exist for preventing this). They are subject to the effects of relative humidity and to microbial contamination. Some of the innovations are targeted to:  Overcome the ...

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are made of processed chromatin bound to granular and selected cytoplasmic proteins. NETs are released by white blood cells called neutrophils, maybe as a last resort, to control microbial infections. This release of chromatin is the result of a unique form of cell death, dubbed "NETosis." Here we review our understanding of how NETs are made, their functio...

Internalization and degradation of live Bb within phagosomal compartments of monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), allows for the release of lipoproteins, nucleic acids and other microbial products, triggering a broad and robust inflammatory response. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key players in the recognition of spirochetal ligands from whole viable organisms (i.e., vita-PAMPs). ...

The present study reports the fabrication and characterization of a novel nanostructured phyto-bioactive coated rayon/polyester wound dressing (WD) surface refractory to Candida albicans adhesion, colonization and biofilm formation, based on functionalized magnetite nanoparticles and Anethum graveolens (AG) and Salvia officinalis (SO) essential oils (EOs). TEM, XRD, TGA, FT-IR were used for the...

Heat treatment is a simple technique for releasing polyphosphate (polyP) from microbial cells. We investigated the ultrastructural alterations of polyP granules (PPGs) in response to heat treatment at 70 degrees C using a polyP-accumulating phoU mutant of Escherichia coli as a model organism. Electron microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis suggested concurrent occurrence of PPG degrad...

Microbes release important metabolites that regulate various physiological activities inside and outside of organisms. The human gastrointestinal tract is a reservoir microbes play regulatory roles in modulating the immune system numerous other functions. Thus, there substantial interest these microbial products their clinical significance. These have shown promise as therapies for cancer, infl...