Explore the vast range of titles available.

Pediococcus pentosaceus is well known for its probiotic properties, including roles in improving health, antimicrobial production, and enhancing fermented food quality. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the whole genome of P . pentosaceus MBBL6, isolated from healthy cow milk, to assess its probiotic and antimicrobial potentials. P . pentosaceus MBBL6, isolated from a healthy cow milk at BSMRAU dairy farm, Gazipur, Bangladesh, underwent comprehensive genomic analysis, including whole genome sequencing, assembly, annotation, phylogenetic comparison, and assessment of metabolic pathways and secondary metabolites. Antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated through in-vitro and in-vivo studies, alongside in-silico exploration for potential mastitis therapy. We predicted 1,906 genes and 204 SEED sub-systems involved in carbohydrate metabolism and vitamin B complex biosynthesis, with a focus on lactose metabolism in MMBL6. Notably, 43 putative carbohydrate-active enzyme genes, including lysozymes, suggest the ability of MBBL6 for carbohydrate biotransformation and antimicrobial activity. The genome also revealed primary metabolic pathways for arginine and gallic acid metabolism and secondary metabolite gene clusters, including T3PKS and RiPP-like regions. Importantly, two bacteriocin biosynthesis gene clusters namely bovicin_255 _variant and penocin_A , were identified in MBBL6. The safety assessment of MBBL6 genome revealed no virulence genes and a low pathogenicity score (0.196 out of 1.0). Several genes related to survival in gastrointestinal tract and colonization were also identified. Furthermore, MBBL6 exhibited susceptibility to a wide range of antibiotics in-vitro , and effectively suppressed mastitis pathogens in an in-vivo mouse mastitis model trial. The observed bacteriocin, particularly bovicin, demonstrated the ability to disrupt the function of an essential protein, Rho factor of mastitis pathogens by blocking transcription termination process. Taken together, our in-depth genomic analysis underscores the metabolic versatility, safety profile, and antimicrobial potential of P . pentosaceus MBBL6, suggesting its promise for applications in therapeutics, bioremediation, and biopreservation.

Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is the most costly common disease in the dairy industry, and is caused by mammary pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The bacteria invade the mammary alveolar lumen and disrupt the blood-milk barrier. In normal mammary gland, alveolar epithelial tight junctions (TJs) contribute the blood-milk barrier of alveolar epithelium by blocking the leakage of milk components from the luminal side into the blood serum. In this study, we focused on claudin subtypes that participate in the alveolar epithelial TJs, because the composition of claudins is an important factor that affects TJ permeability. In normal mouse lactating mammary glands, alveolar TJs consist of claudin-3 without claudin-1, -4, and -7. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis, alveolar TJs showed 2-staged compositional changes in claudins. First, a qualitative change in claudin-3, presumably caused by phosphorylation and participation of claudin-7 in alveolar TJs, was recognized in parallel with the leakage of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated albumin (FITC-albumin) via the alveolar epithelium. Second, claudin-4 participated in alveolar TJs with claudin-3 and claudin-7 12 h after LPS injection. The partial localization of claudin-1 was also observed by immunostaining. Coinciding with the second change of alveolar TJs, the severe disruption of the blood-milk barrier was recognized by ectopic localization of β-casein and much leakage of FITC-albumin. Furthermore, the localization of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on the luminal side and NFκB activation by LPS was observed in the alveolar epithelial cells. We suggest that the weakening and disruption of the blood-milk barrier are caused by compositional changes of claudins in alveolar epithelial TJs through LPS/TLR4 signaling.

Enterococcus faecium is a promising probiotic with potential antimicrobial effects. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic and antimicrobial properties of E. faecium MBBL3, isolated from healthy cow milk, against bovine mastitis pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae MBBL2 ( Kp MBBL2) and Escherichia coli MBBL4 ( Ec MBBL4), using comprehensive genomic and functional analyses. The genome assembly and functional annotations of MBBL3 unveiled many important probiotic traits, and comparative genomic analysis demonstrated its high degree of genetic similarity with other Enterococcus strains. MBBL3 exhibited the ability to ferment a diverse range of carbohydrates and possessed 76 genes linked to carbohydrate-active enzyme, including five key CAZy families with potential antimicrobial activity. Additionally, MBBL3 harbored genes essential for bile salt and acid tolerance, stress resistance, and surface adhesion. Furthermore, MBBL3 was found to harbor gene clusters encoding secondary metabolites with antimicrobial potentials. Safety evaluations revealed a low pathogenic potential, while in-vitro assays demonstrated antibiotic susceptibility and a reduction in the growth of Kp MBBL2 and Ec MBBL4, respectively. It's bacteriocin Enterolysin_A exhibited strong molecular interactions with virulence-associated proteins of the mastitis pathogens. Thus, the promising probiotic potential and antimicrobial activity of E. faecium MBBL3, particularly against mastitis-related pathogens coupled with its safety profile, render it a promising candidate for further investigation.

This study investigated the dyeability of poly(ethylene terephthalate- co -polyethylene glycol) (PCP) fibers engineered for convenient disperse dyeing, using both low and high energy disperse dyes within a temperature range of 90–130 °C. A thermodynamic analysis revealed that the disperse dyeing of PCP fibers followed the Nernst isotherm. It displayed higher partition coefficients and equilibrium exhaustion than those of conventional PET fibers. The affinity parameter indicated a higher affinity of the disperse dyes for the PCP fibers, although the enthalpy and entropy variation indicated weaker dye embedding within the PCP polymer matrix. Kinetic studies revealed that dye exhaustion occurs more rapidly on PCP fibers at a temperature below the conventional disperse dyeing temperature for polyester (i.e., below 130 °C). In addition, the PCP fibers exhibited lower dyeing transition temperatures and higher diffusion coefficients at these reduced temperatures. Among the studied dyes, the low-molecular-weight disperse dye demonstrated more favorable thermodynamic and kinetic parameters than the high-molecular-weight disperse dye. Overall, these observations indicate that dyeing at 100 °C under atmospheric pressure is the optimal process condition for PCP fibers and is effective for both low- and high-molecular-weight dyes.

Blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with spandex are widely used in sportswear and outdoor apparel. However, dyeing PET/spandex fabrics remains challenging due to the high energy required at elevated dyeing temperatures and persistent problems with poor color fastness caused by dye staining on the spandex component. In this study, we investigated the dyeing behavior of a chemically modified poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-polyethylene glycol) (PCP) blended with spandex and compared it with conventional PET/spandex blends. The PCP/spandex fabrics exhibited significantly improved dyeability, showing higher dyebath exhaustion and greater color strength than PET/spandex blends, particularly at sub-conventional dyeing temperatures. The optimal dyeing condition for PCP/spandex blends was identified as 110 °C for 60 min, which provided a balance between enhanced dye uptake and minimized spandex staining. Moreover, PCP/spandex fabrics demonstrated improved color fastness at lower dyeing temperatures (110–120 °C), primarily due to the reduced staining tendency of the spandex component when blended with PCP fibers. This reduction in spandex staining minimized dye migration during washing. Overall, these findings suggest that PCP/spandex blends offer a promising, energy-efficient alternative to conventional PET/spandex fabrics. They enable effective dyeing at lower temperatures while achieving improved color fastness, thereby addressing key challenges in the dyeing of elastic fiber blends.

Background Mastitis poses a significant threat to dairy industry and public health due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli . This study provides a genomic characterization of two MDR E. coli strains, MBBL4 and MBBL5, from bovine mastitis in Bangladesh, highlighting their evolutionary relationships, resistome, and virulome. Methods Species-level identification of MBBL4 and MBBL5 was confirmed using biochemical assays, VITEK-2 system, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiling was conducted to determine their resistance patterns. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and comprehensive genomic analysis were performed for phylogenetic, comparative genomics, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), and virulence factor genes (VFGs) analyses. Results Both isolates exhibited extensive MDR patterns, showing resistance to ten antibiotics. Phylogenetic and ANI analyses showed that MBBL4 clustered with mastitis-associated and human bacteremia strains of E. coli , while MBBL5 was closely related to wildlife-associated strains, reflecting divergent evolutionary lineages. Pangenome analysis revealed an open pangenome structure, indicating high genetic diversity, with MBBL4 harboring 21 unique genes and MBBL5 possessing nine unique genes. Both genomes harbored numerous ARGs spanning over 11 antibiotic classes, and VFGs, predominantly associated with adherence and secretion systems, underscoring their extensive resistome, virulome, and adaptive potentials. Abundant MGEs (plasmids, prophages, insertion sequence elements and genomic islands) further underscored the role of horizontal gene transfer in driving resistance and virulence in these strains. Conclusion This study highlights the zoonotic potential and adaptive capacity of MDR E. coli from bovine mastitis in Bangladesh driven by resistome, virulome, and mobile genetic elements. These findings highlight the urgent need for One Health-based genomic surveillance to mitigate MDR E. coli transmission from dairy farms to humans and the environment.

This study aimed at determining the existence of oils and fats in ghee manufactured in Bangladesh and to validate the nature of the impurity. In this study, a ghee sample was prepared in the laboratory by following standard methods and was used as a control sample. On the other hand, 19 ghee samples, including five branded samples (B1-B5), and 14 local samples (L1-L14) were collected from different manufacturers. The ghee samples were assessed for fat composition, Reichert Meissl (RM), saponification, Polenske, acid, Kirschner, and butyro refractometer (BR) values. To validate the ghee samples, vegetable oils and body fats were mixed in different ratios and then analyzed. All the branded samples contained more than 99.5% fat, but only three local samples showed more than 97% fat. Admixing of soybean oil and coconut oil in different ratios showed the RM value from 1.57 ± 0.09 to 4.14 ± 0.21, whereas incorporation of hydrogenated vegetable oils and tallow showed 6.36 ± 0.03 to 14.10 ± 0.14. Nine local samples revealed RM values similar to external fat admixed samples. B2, B4, B5, L2-L8, and L10-L14 samples' saponification values differed from the standard limits. Polenske, acid, Kirschner values and BR reading for L4, L6, L7, L8, L10, L12, L13, and L14 showed the worst results. All values varied significantly ( < 0.01). Local samples, L4, L6, L7, L8, L10, L12, L13, and L14, were assumed to be adulterated with external oils and fats. The quality of local ghee is questionable, as the samples contained more than 8% moisture, whereas pure ghee had less than 0.5% moisture.

Thirteen strains of four different Bifidobacterium spp. were observed for their autoaggregation ability and surface hydrophobicity, and correlation between these two traits was determined. Bifidobacteria were classified into high, medium and low autoaggregation strains according to autoaggregation ratio measured from changes in absorbance of media. High autoaggregation strains showed microscopic clustering of cells, whereas low and medium autoaggregation strains showed no such clustering. Autoaggregation ability decreased in high autoaggregation strains but increased in medium and low autoaggregation strains when the assay was performed at higher temperature (37°C compared with 25 and 10°C). Bacterial strains belonging to the high, medium or low autoaggregation group were correlated in terms of their surface hydrophobicity and evaluated based on changes in absorbance of the bacterial suspension before and after extraction with xylene. These results indicate that autoaggregation ability, together with surface hydrophobicity and microscopic image could be used for evaluating the adhesion ability of potential probiotic bifidobacterial strains. Moreover, a synergistic effect of pH and media may be involved in autoaggregation.

The mammary alveolus is a highly specialized structure that secretes milk for suckling infants during lactation. The secreting alveolus consists in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and myoepithelial cells and is surrounded by microvascular endothelial cells, adipocytes and several immune cell types such as macrophages and neutrophils. During normal lactation, these cells play distinct roles needed to maintain the secretory ability of the mammary alveolus. However, inflammation resulting from pathogenic bacterial infections causes structural and functional regression of the secreting alveolus in the lactating mammary gland. We initiated artificial inflammation in the mammary glands of lactating mice by injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as a mammary inflammation model and investigated, by immunohistochemical analysis, the early response of the cells constituting and surrounding the alveolus. Some AECs sloughed away from the alveolar epithelial layer and showed progression of apoptosis detected by immunostaining of cleaved caspase-3 after LPS injection. Adipocytes exhibited transient shrinkage and re-accumulation of lipid droplets, although the numbers of adipocytes did not demonstrate a significant difference. Activation of F4/80-positive cells around the mammary alveolus was observed 3 h after LPS injection. However, the recruitment of CD11b-positive cells into the alveolar lumen was not observed until 12 h after LPS injection. Myoepithelial cells were contracted after LPS injection. LPS injection around the alveolus did not induce any detectable structural changes in capillaries surrounding the alveolus. Thus, cell-specific behavior and tissue remodeling of the alveolus occur after LPS injection in a time-dependent manner.

Herein, two spironaphthoxazine-based photochromic dyes are synthesized and their dyeing, fastness, and photochromic properties on nylon fabric are investigated. A novel performance indicator, the photochromic efficiency index (PEI), is proposed to assess the photochromic performance of the synthesized spironaphthoxazine dyes. Using the PEI, the parameters affecting dyeability and photochromic performance are optimized for efficient photochromic performance, and a pH of 9 and temperature range of 80–90 °C are determined as the optimal dyeing conditions. Evidently, 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2]octane improves photocoloration efficiency by inhibiting thermal oxidative degradation via singlet oxygen quenching. The dye containing a hydroxyl group achieves higher buildup and photochromic performance on the nylon fabric owing to its increased affinity in terms of polarity and hydrophilicity. The synthesized dyes exhibit reasonable buildup and photocoloration properties on nylon fabric, in addition to excellent color fastness to washing, rubbing, and perspiration.