In vitro digestibility of edible films from various starch sources

Banana, maize, potato and sagu starches were boiled in the presence or absence of plasticizer (glycerol), producing edible films. In vitro digestibility features, amylose content and amylopectin gel filtration behavior of films and parent starches were evaluated. Available starch contents were lower in glycerol-containing films, due to dilution by the plasticizer. Total resistant starch increased in the maize starch-based film but decreased markedly in those prepared from the other starches. Amylose content of banana starch (40%) was about double those of the other starches. Nonetheless, all starch films exhibited similar retrograded resistant starch content. Although film production led to increased -amylolysis rates, these were further augmented by additional film heating, thereby indicating that film-manufacture did not promote complete starch gelatinization. Gel filtration chromatography suggested amylopectin depolymerization after film-making, which may also increase digestion kinetics. The presence of glycerol in the films slowed down starch digestion, a feature of potential dietetic use.     

超广谱β-内酰胺酶细菌检测方法及与耐药质粒关系研究

目的：建立一种准确、快速、低廉的检测超广谱β-内酰胺酶（ESBL）细菌方法。方法：以克拉维酸为ESBL的抑制剂、3种第三代头孢菌素（TGC）和氨曲南为底物、某些药敏结果为补充,建立了多底物协同方法,并与E-test方法进行了对照,符合率80%,不符合菌株用质粒提取、细菌转化、接合传递试验进行验证。结果：对116株疑产ESBL细菌用多底物协同方法和E-test方向同时检测,前者比后者阳性率高。结论：该方法准确、快速、价格低廉,特别适于常规应用。     

温度对朱砂叶螨二种抗药性品系发育和繁殖的影响

朱砂叶螨敏感品系(S)和抗药性三氯杀螨醇品系(Rd)、抗双甲脒品系(Ra)的各螨态历期在一定温度范围内均随温度的增加而缩短,发育速率对温度敏感性的高低依次为Rd>Ra>S。在相同温度条件下,2个抗药性品系均比敏感品系发育更快。3个朱砂叶螨品系的平均每雌总产卵量与温度的关系,可用二次抛物线方程拟合。在相同温度条件下,2个抗药性品系的生殖力均低于敏感品系,这表明抗药性朱砂叶螨具有生殖不利性。     

Starch modification by iterated syneresis

Potato, tapioca, corn and wheat starches were solubilised in water and isolated from the solution by iterated syneresis and the effect of this physical modification on the physicochemical properties and structure was studied. The experimental starches were examined by chemical analysis, the Brabender rheological method, scanning electron or light microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Physical modification was evidenced to the change starch–water interaction and the structure of starches. Pasting temperature shifted to lower values and the gelatinisation mechanism changed. All modified starches had a B-type of X-ray diffraction pattern. The melting temperature of starch crystallites was typical of retrograded starch, but the enthalpy change was higher. The correlation between the resistant starch content of modified starches and their crystal structure was discussed together with the thermal properties.     

Isolation and characterization of lytic bacteriophages from sewage at an egyptian tertiary care hospital against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates

BackgroundMethicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen to humans causing life-threatening infections. MRSA have the capability to grow resistance to many antibiotics, and phage therapy is one treatment option for this infection.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to isolate and characterize the lytic bacteriophages specific to MRSA from domestic sewage water at a tertiary care hospital in Egypt.MethodsThirty MRSA strains were isolated from different clinical samples admitted to the microbiology lab at Theodor Bilharz Research institute (TBRI) hospital, Giza, Egypt. They were confirmed to be MRSA through phenotypic detection and conventional PCR for mecA gene. They were used for the isolation of phages from sewage water of TBRI hospital. Plaque assay was applied to purify and quantify the titer of the isolated phages. The host range of the isolated phages was detected using the spot test assay. The morphology of phages was confirmed using transmission electron microscope (TEM). Digestion of DNA extracted from phages with endonuclease enzymes including EcoRI and SmaI was performed. SDS-PAGE was performed to analyze MRSA specific phage proteins. As a positive control prophages were isolated from a mitomycin C (MitC) treated culture of S. aureus strain ATCC25923. Further characterization using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to select three known Staphylophages by detecting the endolysin gene of phage K, the polymerase gene of phage 44AHJD, and the minor tail gene of phage P68.ResultsIsolated phages in this research displayed a wide host range against MRSA using the spot test, out of thirty tested MRSA isolates 24 were sensitive and got lysed (80%). The titer of the phages was estimated to be 1.04 × 10⁶ pfu/ml using plaque test. Identification of head and tail morphology of the phages was achieved using TEM and they were designated to tailed phages of order Caudovirales, they composed an icosahedral capsid. Prophages were isolated through MitC induction. DNA of phages was digested by endonuclease enzymes. Conventional PCR yielded 341 bp of phage K endolysin gene and phage P68 minor tail protein gene 501 bp. Protein analysis using SDS-PAGE showed 4 proteins of sizes between 42 kDa and 140 kDa.ConclusionPhages isolated here are alike to others mentioned in previous studies. The high broad host range of the isolated phages is promising to control MRSA and can be in the future commercially suitable for treatment as lysate preparations. Animal models of phage-bacterial interaction will be our next step that may help in resolving the multidrug resistant crisis of MRSA in Egypt.     

云南“大粒水稻”对稻白叶枯病的抗性遗传

云南地方品种——云南大粒抗水稻白叶枯病菌“江陵691”,其抗性由2对具重叠作用的隐性抗性基因控制,与IR28、南粳15的显性抗病基因不等位;也与已命名的xa-5、xa-8、xa-9和xa-13 4个抗性基因也不等位。     

Bacitracin-resistant mutants of a mesophilic Methanobacterium species

Spontaneous mutants of Methanobacterium strain FR-2 resistant to bacitracin were isolated at a frequency of approximately 10^-7 and showed minimum inhibitory concentrations 8 to 16-fold that of the wild type organism. The mutant strains reverted to sensitivity during culture in the absence of bacitracin. Repeated transfer in medium containing 8 g bacitracin/ml resulted in the selection of a stable resistant strain with a specific growth rate, in the absence of bacitracin, comparable to that of the wild type. Resistance to bacitracin conferred cross-resistance to nisin.Abbreviations MIC minimum inhibitory concentration - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid     

Antiplasmodial activity of new 4-aminoquinoline derivatives against chloroquine resistant strain

Emergence and spread of multidrug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum has severely limited the antimalarial chemotherapeutic options. In order to overcome the obstacle, a set of new side-chain modified 4-aminoquinolines were synthesized and screened against chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (K1) strains of P. falciparum. The key feature of the designed molecules is the use of methylpiperazine linked α, β³- and γ-amino acids to generate novel side chain modified 4-aminoquinoline analogues. Among the evaluated compounds, 20c and 30 were found more potent than CQ against K1 and displayed a four-fold and a three-fold higher activity respectively, with a good selectivity index (SI = 5846 and 11,350). All synthesized compounds had resistance index between 1.06 and >14.13 as against 47.2 for chloroquine. Biophysical studies suggested that this series of compounds act on heme polymerization target.     

谷子全生育期抗旱性鉴定及抗旱指标筛选

作物全生育期抗旱性对发掘和利用抗旱品种和抗旱基因至关重要,但谷子全生育期抗旱鉴定至今未有报道,抗旱鉴定缺乏鉴定指标。本试验在干旱池模拟干旱条件下,对苗期抗旱性表现不同的谷子品种进行了全生育期抗旱性研究,调查分析了根干重等形态和生理性状在干旱胁迫条件下的变化;采用相关和灰色关联度等方法,分析这些指标与抗旱性(DRI)的关系。结果表明,相对根冠比、相对单穗粒重和灌浆期光合速率、蒸腾速率同抗旱性表现极显著相关,可以作为谷子全生育期抗旱性鉴定的指标;而相对根干重、相对单穗重、相对株高和气孔导度则可以作为谷子全生育期抗旱性鉴定的参考指标;在供试的品种中,红根谷和大齐头白表现了良好的综合抗旱性。本文还讨论了抗旱性的复杂性以及不同性状对干旱胁迫的反应,所建立的指标对谷子全生育期抗旱鉴定具有指导意义。     

Cattle nematodes resistant to macrocyclic lactones: Comparative effects of P-glycoprotein modulation on the efficacy and disposition kinetics of ivermectin and moxidectin

The role of the drug efflux pump, known as P-glycoprotein, in the pharmacokinetic disposition (host) and resistance mechanisms (target parasites) of the macrocyclic lactone (ML) antiparasitic compounds has been demonstrated. To achieve a deeper comprehension on the relationship between their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviors, the aim of the current work was to assess the comparative effect of loperamide, a well-established P-glycoprotein modulator, on the ivermectin and moxidectin disposition kinetics and efficacy against resistant nematodes in cattle. Fifty (50) Aberdeen Angus male calves were divided into five (5) experimental groups. Group A remained as an untreated control. Animals in the other experimental Groups received ivermectin (Group B) and moxidectin (Group C) (200 μg/kg, subcutaneuosly) given alone or co-administered with loperamide (0.4 mg/kg, three times every 24 h) (Groups D and E). Blood samples were collected over 30 days post-treatment and drug plasma concentrations were measured by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Estimation of the anthelmintic efficacy for the different drug treatments was performed by the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Nematode larvae were identified by pooled faecal cultures for each experimental group. Cooperia spp. and Ostertagia spp. were the largely predominant nematode larvae in pre-treatment cultures. A low nematodicidal efficacy (measured by the FECRT) was observed for both ivermectin (23%) and moxidectin (69%) in cattle, which agrees with a high degree of resistance to both molecules. Cooperia spp. was the most abundant nematode species recovered after the different drug treatments. The egg output reduction values increased from 23% to 50% (ivermectin) and from 69% to 87% (moxidectin) following their co-administration with loperamide. Enhanced systemic concentrations and an altered disposition of both ML in cattle, which correlates with a tendency to increased anthelmintic efficacy, were observed in the presence of loperamide. Overall, the in vivo modulation of P-glycoprotein activity modified the kinetic behavior and improved the efficacy of the ML against resistant nematodes in cattle. The work provides further evidence on the high degree of resistance to ML in cattle nematodes and, shows for the first time under field conditions, that modulation of P-glycoprotein may be a valid pharmacological approach to improve the activity and extend the lifespan of these antiparasitic molecules.