Flaxseed cake contains high levels of phenolic compounds, which have numerous biological activities, as well as a considerable amount of omega-3 fatty acids, such as α-linolenic acid, which remains ...after oil extraction. In this study, we examined the effects of flaxseed cake meal (FSCM) on the antioxidative status, lipid metabolism, egg fatty acid profile, and egg health index of white-egg laying hens. A total of 63 Hisex White laying hens were divided into three experimental treatment groups and fed diets containing 0, 5, or 10% FSCM from 48 to 58 weeks of age. Feeding with 5 and 10% FSCM did not significantly (p>0.05) influence total lipid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, or the high-/low-density lipoprotein ratio in the serum and egg yolk; however, 10% FSCM significantly (P<0.05) increased serum high-density lipoprotein. Dietary FSCM also did not affect (P>0.05) antioxidant markers in the eggs and blood plasma. Notably, dietary inclusion of FSCM significantly increased (P<0.05) total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid levels in egg yolk, whereas the n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratio was markedly (P<0.05) decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, including 5–10% FSCM improved (P<0.05) egg health indices, with 10% being the most beneficial. Together, these findings indicated that the inclusion of up to 10% FSCM in laying hen diets improved egg yolk lipid and fatty acid profiles, as well as egg quality and nutritional and metabolic indices.
This study evaluated the effects of whole flaxseed (WFS), fish oil (FO), and different sources of Se, Zn, and Fe (inorganic, organic, and nano-source) on egg production, quality, sensory attributes, ...and serum protein metabolites in laying hens. A total of 144 hens were divided into six groups with six replicates of four hens each. Hens were fed six diets as follows: 1) control diet; 2) 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO; 3) 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+175 mg/kg vitamin E (VE); 4) 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+175 mg/kg VE + inorganic sources of Se, Zn, and Fe (ISeZnFe); 5) 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+175 mg/kg VE + organic sources of Se, Zn, and Fe (OSeZnFe); 6) 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+175 mg/kg VE + nano-source of Se, Zn, and Fe (NSeZnFe) from 40–50 weeks of age. Laying hens fed 7.5% WFS, 1.5% FO, and different sources of trace elements in their diets had no negative effects on laying rate, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, body weight change, or survival rate compared to that of hens fed the control diet. Dietary treatments did not negatively affect the external and internal egg characteristics or egg sensory attributes. Feeding 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+VE+ISeZnFe positively influenced yolk color in fresh eggs. Dietary treatments had a significant impact on egg nutritional composition, with the highest levels of macronutrients found in eggs from hens fed the 7.5%WFS+1.5%FO+VE+NSeZnFe treatment. The highest plasma globulin concentrations were observed in hens fed organic and nano-source trace elements. The same diets reduced plasma uric acid levels. Based on these findings, the inclusion of organic or nano-source trace minerals in diets containing WFS and FO positively affected egg quality and hen protein metabolites.
The present study aimed at evaluating the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial potentials of spent coffee extracts (SCE) to use these extracts as natural preservatives of food. ...The effectiveness of SCE in postponing the oxidation and extending the shelf life of chicken fillets through delaying the microbial growth were investigated. Spent coffee was collected and extracted using water and ethanol. The extracts were analyzed for their bioactive components using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and antioxidant properties using different spectrophotometric assays. The detected bioactive components were mainly fatty acids (80 %), flavonoids, terpenoids and caffeine (5.4 %). Spent coffee ethanolic extract was richer in its active components than the aqueous one. Additionally, the in vitro antibacterial efficacy of the extracts against several food-borne bacterial strains revealed that spent coffee ethanolic extract was effective against all the tested bacteria with inhibitory percentages ranging from 34.62 to 66.69 %, whereas the aqueous extract expressed an inhibitory effect only against Salmonella typhimurium (35.82 %). To assess the practical utility of SCE as food preservatives, chicken fillets were treated with SCE at two levels (0.1 % and 0.2 %) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 0.02 %) was used as a synthetic preservative. The antioxidant and microbiological attributes of the SCE treated chicken fillets were investigated at 3 d intervals for 15 d. The results showed that inclusion of SCE enhanced the chicken fillets antioxidant properties and microbiological characteristics. Furthermore, the chicken fillets treatments succeeded in stopping the rise of the total bacterial count, with no Salmonella sp. or fungal contamination, and additionally, the overall total coliform was less than 102 cfu/ g; indicating their safety for human consumption. In conclusion, this study proved that spent coffee-treated chicken fillets exhibited extended shelf life through delaying the microbial spoilage and maintaining the antioxidant quality.
The present study aimed to investigate the benefits of ultrasonic method of extraction compared to maceration method, on intensifying the phytochemicals, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity activities of ...Eruca sativa leaves and sprouts ethanolic extracts. The ultrasonic treatments of E. sativa leaves and sprout, were tested after 10, 20 and 30 min., whereas, maceration treatments of E. sativa leaves and sprout, were considered after 72 h. Results of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that E. sativa leaves and sprouts are reach sources of active components such as phenols and flavonoids. Moreover, the sprout macerated extracts showed higher total antioxidant activity (TAA), total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC), compared to those of the sprout ultrasonic extracts. On the contrary, the ultrasonic extraction of leaves was more efficient than maceration. Results of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity showed that ultrasonic treated leaves, sprouts (10 min.), and macerated sprouts (72 h), recorded the lowest effective concentrations (EC50) of; 2.77, 3.846, and 3.676 mg/100 ml, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was assessed using the well diffusion method. Results showed that ultrasonic treated sprouts (10 min.) and ultrasonic treated leaves (10 and 30 min.) have better antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus (recording diameter of inhibition zone of 13 mm) and Candida albicans (recording diameters of inhibition zones of 13 and 11 mm, respectively). For bacteria, the Staphylococcus aureus was effectively inhibited (recording inhibition zone diameter of 13 mm) by the ultrasonic treated leaves (20 min.), Bacillus cereus was effectively inhibited with ultrasonic treated sprouts (20 and 30 min., both recording 13 mm), ultrasonic treated leaves (10 and 20 min., recording 14, 13 mm, respectively), and the macerated leaves (72 h, recording 13 mm). Salmonella typhimurium recorded (13 mm) with ultrasonic treated leaves (10 min.), and (12 mm) with macerated sprouts. Results of the cytotoxic potency demonstrated high activity of the macerated sprouts on HepG2 cell lines, whereas the macerated sprouts and ultrasonic treated leaves (30 min.) presented high efficacy on the HT-29 cells. Thus we concluded that extracts of E. sativa leaves and sprouts produced using different extraction methods, have a substantial beneficial antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities.
Pyocyanin is a secondary metabolite secreted by P. aeruginosa. It is a redox-active blue/green phenazine pigment that has various beneficial applications. The present study aims at screening the ...production of pyocyanin among clinical and environmental P. aeruginosa isolates in Dakahlya governorate, Egypt. Thereafter, large-scale production, purification, structure elucidation, and assessment of the biological activity of the highest pyocyanin producers were targeted. Pyocyanin from the highest clinical (PsC05) and environmental (PsE02) producers were subjected to large-scale production, followed by purification using silica gel column. Pyocyanin was characterized using TLC, UV-Vis, .sup.1 H NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy to confirm its structure and purity. Purified pyocyanin showed remarkable antimicrobial efficacy against all tested food-borne pathogens, MDR/XDR clinically isolated bacteria and C. albicans. Furthermore, it showed a substantial effect on biofilm inhibition and eradication of pre-formed biofilm against strong biofilm producing bacterial pathogens. However, it had limited antibiofilm activity against C. albicans. Pyocyanin from PsC05 had higher antioxidant and radicals scavenging activity than that from PsE02 as determined by FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays. Likewise, pyocyanin from PsC05 was more active against tested cancer cell lines, especially human Breast Cancer (MCF-7) and Colorectal Carcinoma (HCT-116), than that from PsE02. More importantly, it showed minimal cytotoxicity to normal cells. P. aeruginosa clinical and environmental isolates produce pyocyanin pigment in varying amounts. Pyocyanin exhibits substantial anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal activity; thus, enhancing its medical applicability. It could be used to inhibit and/or eradicate biofilm from the surfaces of medical devices which is a chief source of nosocomial infections. Its antioxidant along with cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines, make it a promising contender for use as a substitute for synthetic agents in cancer treatment.
Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen that has been held responsible for numerous nosocomial and community-acquired infections which are difficult to be controlled because of its diverse ...antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of P. mirabilis isolates collected from different clinical sources in Mansoura University Hospitals, Egypt was determined. Moreover, the underlying resistance mechanisms and genetic relatedness between isolates were investigated.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated elevated levels of resistance to different classes of antimicrobials among the tested P. mirabilis clinical isolates (n = 66). ERIC-PCR showed great diversity among the tested isolates. Six isolates (9.1%) were XDR while all the remaining isolates were MDR. ESBLs and AmpCs were detected in 57.6% and 21.2% of the isolates, respectively, where bla
, bla
, bla
, bla
and bla
were detected. Carbapenemases and MBLs were detected in 10.6 and 9.1% of the isolates, respectively, where bla
and bla
genes were detected. Quinolone resistant isolates (75.8%) harbored acc(6')-Ib-cr, qnrD, qnrA, and qnrS genes. Resistance to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol exceeded 80%. Fosfomycin was the most active drug against the tested isolates as only 22.7% were resistant. Class I or II integrons were detected in 86.4% of the isolates. Among class I integron positive isolates, four different gene cassette arrays (dfrA17- aadA5, aadB-aadA2, aadA2-lnuF, and dfrA14-arr-3-bla
-aadA15) and two gene cassettes (dfrA7 and aadA1) were detected. While class II integron positive isolates carried four different gene cassette arrays (dfrA1-sat1-aadA1, estXVr-sat2-aadA1, lnuF- dfrA1-aadA1, and dfrA1-sat2).
P. Mirabilis ability to acquire resistance determinants via integrons may be held responsible for the elevated rates of antimicrobial resistance and emergence of XDR or even PDR strains limiting the available therapeutic options for management of infections caused by those strains.
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins) systems are considered as acquired immune mechanisms in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria ...and also in archaea. They provide resistance/immunity to attacking bacteriophages or mobile genetic elements as integrative conjugative elements (ICE) as well as plasmid transformation. As an opportunistic pathogen,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
has been held responsible for serious infections especially in hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. Three subtypes of type I CRISPR system (I-C, I-E, & I-F1) have been detected in
P. aeruginosa
genomes. In this work,
P. aeruginosa
isolates were collected from different clinical sources, and the three CRISPR/Cas subtypes (I-C, I-E, & I-F1) were detected via singleplex and multiplex PCR techniques using novel universal primers that were designed specifically in this study. CRISPR subtypes I-C, I-E, and I-F1 were detected in 10, 9, and 13 isolates, respectively. Furthermore, antimicrobial susceptibility of CRISPR/Cas-positive and negative isolates to different antibiotics and the capacity of biofilm formation were detected using disc diffusion method and tissue culture plate method, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the presence/absence of CRISPR/Cas system and both antimicrobial susceptibility to some antibiotics and biofilm-forming capacity among
P. aeruginosa
clinical isolates.
Key points
•
A novel multiplex–PCR for detection of CRISPR/Cas-positive strains of P. aeruginosa.
•
Understand the correlation between CRISPR/Cas systems and other characters of P. aeruginosa.
•
Correlation between antimicrobial susceptibility and CRISPR systems in P. aeruginosa.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can negatively affect patients’ employment and work-life activities with a significant indirect economic impact. The current study aimed to measure ...unemployment, work productivity, activity impairment, and their associated factors among COPD patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Chest outpatient clinic, Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. COPD patients completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including sociodemographic, occupational data, clinical history, medical research council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, the COPD assessment test (CAT), and work productivity and activity impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-COPD). A total 140 patients were included in the study and 22.1% of them gave up their jobs because of their COPD. Due to COPD, the mean percentage of daily activity impairment was 39.8 among all patients. The mean percentages of absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work impairment among the 84 working patients were 0.07, 24.4, and 24.5. The CAT score was the significant predictor of all components of WPAI. In conclusion, COPD causes early retirement, high work productivity loss, and impaired daily activities. Higher CAT scores and increased disease severity significantly increase absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work, and activity impairment. Thus, timely diagnosis of COPD with appropriate management can help improve outcomes and lower the disease burden and economic impact.
Escherichia coli
is a multifaceted microbe since some are commensals, normally inhabiting the gut of both humans and animals while others are pathogenic responsible for a wide range of intestinal and ...extra-intestinal infections. It is one of the leading causes of septicemia, neonatal meningitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), cystitis, pyelonephritis, and traveler’s diarrhea. The present study aims to survey the distribution and unravel the association of phylotypes, virulence determinants, and antimicrobial resistance of
E. coli
isolated from different clinical sources in Mansoura hospitals, Egypt. One hundred and fifty
E. coli
isolates were collected from different clinical sources. Antimicrobial resistance profile, virulence determinants, and virulence encoding genes were detected. Moreover, phylogenetic and molecular typing using ERIC-PCR analysis was performed. Our results have revealed that phylogroup B2 (26.67%) with the greatest content in virulence traits was the most prevalent phylogenetic group. Different virulence profiles and varying incidence of virulence determinants were detected among tested isolates. High rates of resistance to different categories of antimicrobial agents, dramatic increase of MDR (92.67%), and emergence of XDR (4%) were detected. ERIC-PCR analysis revealed great diversity among tested isolates. There was no clustering of isolates according to resistance, virulence patterns, or phylotypes. Our research has demonstrated significant phylogenetic diversity of
E. coli
isolated from different clinical sources in Mansoura hospitals, Dakahlia governorate, Egypt.
E. coli
isolates are equipped with various virulence factors which contribute to their pathogenesis in human. The elevated rates of antimicrobial resistance and emergence of MDR and XDR mirror the trend detected globally in recent years.
Key points
• Clinical E. coli isolates exhibited substantial molecular and phylogenetic diversity.
• Elevated rates of antimicrobial resistance and emergence of XDR in pathogenic E. coli.
• B2 Phylogroup with the highest VS was the most prevalent among pathogenic E. coli.
PDF
