Background: Marine deep-sea environments harbour microorganisms with extraordinary biosynthetic potential, yet their secondary metabolite repertoires remain largely uncharacterised. Results: This study reports the isolation, phenotypic characterisation, and whole-genome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain E1, recovered from deep Atlantic seawater (Gulf of Guinea, 2500 m depth), which exhibits antifungal activity against multidrug-resistant Candida parapsilosis. Three presumptive P. aeruginosa isolates (E1, E17, and E44) showed > 99
In the recent decades, Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have posed an emerging clinical threat. The treatment of NTM infection poses therapeutic challenges owing to factors like drug-resistance of pathogens, presence of biofilms, and the time-consuming treatment regimens. Given high toxicity and limited efficacy of numerous established therapeutic agents, natural products have been explored extensively as alternative or adjuvant therapy for NTM. This systematic review focused on therapeutic benefits of natural products in NTM infection. Major biomedical literature databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar) were searched for publications till December 2025 to collect relevant articles detailing the impact of natural products on NTM organisms. We included in vitro studies, in vivo studies (animal models) and clinical trials that assessed the antimycobacterial actions of diverse natural product types. The quality and risk of bias have been appraised utilizing standard tools like ToxRTool and SYRCLE to evaluate the methodological rigor of the selected articles. Total of 19 studies were selected, the majority of which (n = 15) were laboratory-based. A variety of agents such as essential oils, isolated phytochemicals, and probiotics showed antimycobacterial activities targeting different NTM species such as M. avium and M. abscessus complexes. Several compounds such as Juniperus communis essential oil, Helichrysum italicum essential oil, berberine combinations, and citrus oil fractions, demonstrated significant activity when combined with conventional antimycobacterial agents or through the disruption of biofilm formation. Animal and clinical studies revealed less conclusive benefits, while few showed improved immunity or stable imaging, and substantial reduction in bacterial load was rarely achieved. Overall, the quality of current research is inconsistent, and further rigorous validation is needed. Although natural products show promise as antimycobacterial agents and their adjunctive actions in vitro, their clinical success remains limited and significant improvement is expected. Future rigorously planned experimental and clinical studies will need to validate the therapeutic role of these promising products in NTM management.
A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive, white rod-shaped strain, RF13T, was isolated from water samples of the Qingliang River in Fucheng County, Hebei Province, China, and was grown at 15–42 °C (optimum 35 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum pH 7), and 0–0.5
The filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina has become one of the most promising microalgae in contemporary biotechnology because of its remarkable nutritional profile, metabolic adaptability, and environmental adaptation. This thorough analysis highlights Spirulina's function as a sustainable bioresource while examining its many uses in various biotechnological fields. Phycocyanin, polysaccharides, and other substances with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, along immunomodulatory properties are among the pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical uses covered in depth. Spirulina is also useful in animal feed, cosmeceuticals, agriculture as a biofertilizer and bio stimulant, and environmental biotechnology, especially in CO2 sequestration and wastewater treatment. Its versatility is shown by its new opportunities in genetic engineering, biofuel production, pigment extraction, and even space biotechnology. Ongoing advancements in metabolic engineering and sustainable processing are opening the door for its industrial expansion despite obstacles relating to cultivation cost, scalability, and regulatory harmonization. Overall, this research underscores the immense potential of spirulina as a cornerstone of the circular bioeconomy, offering comprehensive solutions for future space exploration, environmental sustainability, nutrition, and health.
Honey bee gut microbiome studies have primarily emphasized bacteria, leaving fungal communities comparatively overlooked despite their ecological and functional importance. Whole-genome shotgun metagenomics of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera revealed fungal assemblages dominated by Ascomycota, with Basidiomycota and Microsporidia in minor proportions, alongside gut bacterial communities composed mainly of Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, and Actinomycetota. The bacterial diversity was markedly higher in A. mellifera (Shannon = 5.90; Simpson = 0.98) than in A. cerana (Shannon = 4.01; Simpson = 0.94; p > 0.05), while fungal diversity remained comparable between species (p > 0.05). Beta-diversity analyses revealed strong host-specific clustering for both bacterial (PERMANOVA R2 = 0.7989, p > 0.05) and fungal communities (R2 = 0.7218, p > 0.05), indicating distinct microbial organization driven by host species. Bacterial-fungal co-occurrence patterns exhibited host-specific structuring, suggesting differential inter-kingdom community organization between A. cerana and A. mellifera. Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) identified 93 discriminatory fungal taxa (45 enriched in A. cerana, 48 in A. mellifera), highlighting yeast-dominated signatures in A. mellifera and Basidiomycota-affiliated enrichments in A. cerana. KEGG and CAZy profiling revealed host- and kingdom-specific functional differences, with bacterial communities of A. mellifera showing distinct representation of carbohydrate metabolism and nutrient-cycling functions, while fungal communities exhibited a comparatively narrower functional repertoire. Together, these findings provide a high-resolution view of honey bee bacterial and fungal microbiomes, highlighting strong host-driven divergence in taxonomy, function, and cross-kingdom interactions.
Since the 1990s, Acinetobacter baumannii has become a major global concern owing to its high incidence in hospital-acquired infections. Although antimicrobial resistance is a natural process, it has been enhanced by the widespread use of antimicrobials in human and animal healthcare and is considered a global priority in the development of new drugs. Therefore, antibacterial photodynamic therapy has gained prominence for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This involves the use of photosensitizers, which, in the presence of light radiation at the appropriate wavelength, form reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative damage to bacterial cells. This review aims to critically evaluate the available literature on the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy using porphyrins as photosensitizers against strains of A. baumannii. A search was conducted in five databases using the following keywords: “Acinetobacter baumannii,” “photoinactivation,” and “porphyrin.” Eight articles from different periods were selected, evaluating in vitro and in vivo assays at different concentrations and light incidence. Different concentrations of porphyrins interact differently with wavelengths, resulting in variable photosensitizer behavior, indicating that activity is also linked to virulence mechanisms, such as biofilm formation. Regarding multidrug-resistant strains, no relationship was observed between activity and resistance; however, higher concentrations of the compound were required in minimum inhibitory concentration assays. The compiled data provide important insights into the potential of porphyrins as alternatives to available antimicrobials and evaluate different parameters that influence their activity.
Jute is one of the world's most important lignocellulosic fibre crops, yet its commercial value remains highly dependent on retting, a biologically mediated fibre extraction process still largely governed by empirical practices and variable environmental conditions. Recent advances in microbial ecology, enzymology, molecular biology, and bioprocess engineering have transformed retting from a traditional post-harvest operation into a controllable lignocellulosic bioconversion process. This review synthesizes current understanding of the structural organization of jute bast fibres, selective degradation of plant cell-wall polymers, microbial succession, extracellular enzyme networks, and physicochemical factors regulating fibre liberation. It highlights the coordinated interactions among cell-wall architecture, microbial communities, enzyme specificity, and environmental conditions that collectively determine retting efficiency and fibre quality. Emerging precision retting strategies, including defined microbial consortia, enzyme-assisted retting, ribbon retting, controlled processing systems, and water-efficient technologies, are critically evaluated for their potential to improve process reproducibility, fibre quality, and environmental sustainability. The review also examines metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, metabolomics, systems biology, and artificial intelligence as enabling technologies for microbiome-guided process monitoring, predictive modelling, and digital decision support. Furthermore, this review discusses the integration of precision retting within circular bioeconomy frameworks through resource recovery, pollution mitigation, climate-resilient processing, and lignocellulosic biorefineries. Key knowledge gaps, including limited understanding of microbial interactions, lack of standardized microbial consortia, insufficient process-monitoring tools, fragmented multi-omics datasets, and challenges in industrial scale-up, are identified. Overall, this review presents a systems-level framework for advancing jute retting toward standardized, predictive, and environmentally sustainable precision bioprocessing.
The present research investigates the chemical profile of secondary metabolites produced by Bacillus paramycoides BOK01 and Microbacterium barkeri BPATH02 rhizospheric bacteria originating from the tea rhizosphere and their antifungal activity against major tea pathogens. GC–MS analysis revealed that dimethyl sulphate (77.09
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory affliction that causes gut dysbiosis, impaired mucosal integrity and disrupted immune regulation/responses. Conventional therapies, which aim to suppress inflammation or immune flare-ups, are associated with adverse effects and have limited long-term management efficacy. Therefore, the focus has shifted to the use of microbe-mediated therapeutics, such as multi-strain probiotic blends, for alleviating inflammation and lengthening the relapse period. Within this context, Weissella is an emerging and underexplored genus of Lactic acid bacteria with unique metabolic and immunomodulatory properties.This review consolidates current insights on Weissella SP., particularly W. confusa and W. cibaria, focusing on their probiotic attributes, safety profiles, molecular mechanisms, and performance in pre-clinical models of colitis. Evidence shows that this genus can help decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines, enhancing mucosal integrity via strengthening tight-junction proteins, and supporting goblet cell recovery. Despite encouraging pre-clinical findings, comprehensive safety studies and human clinical data are limited. Hence, this review outlines critical research gaps and future directions, positioning Weissella as an underexplored yet promising component of next-generation probiotic blends for IBD therapeutics.
The safety of fecal microbiota transplantation in early life remains unclear. We established murine models using two age groups (3-week-old and 8-week-old mice) and two inoculation doses (low, 100 μL; high, 400 μL), with age-matched saline controls. High-dose fecal microbial administration in 3-week-old mice was associated with reduced weight gain, mild hypothermia, diarrhea, and multi-organ pathological changes, together with altered gut tight junction gene expression, elevated serum IL-6 and IL-1β, and increased Proteobacteria-associated bacterial DNA signals detected in extraintestinal tissues. In contrast, these effects were not observed in 8-week-old mice under the same conditions. Our findings suggest that early life may represent a susceptible window for adverse effects to high-dose fecal microbial exposure and support the need for age- and dose-stratified safety evaluation before pediatric application.
Mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus remains a significant challenge to control due to increasing antimicrobial resistance and the limited efficacy of existing vaccines. Staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC) is a critical virulence factor and a highly immunogenic determinant in S. aureus strains frequently isolated from bovine mastitis cases. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant SEC (rSEC) encapsulated within poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles (PLGA-rSEC) using a murine mastitis model. Immunization with PLGA-rSEC induced significantly higher serum IgG responses (OD492) compared with bacterin, non-encapsulated rSEC and control groups (p < 0.05). Following intramammary challenge with S. aureus, mice immunized with PLGA-rSEC showed a marked reduction in mammary gland bacterial load, resulting in a 3.15 log10 CFU/gland reduction. This protective efficacy was significantly superior to that of the traditional bacterin group (2.23 log10 CFU/gland; p < 0.05). Furthermore, PLGA-rSEC-immunized mice exhibited attenuated inflammatory responses, characterized by lower serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and a rapid reduction in serum IL-10 concentrations post-challenge. Histopathological analysis confirmed the preservation of mammary gland architecture with minimal inflammatory cell infiltration in the PLGA-rSEC group, contrasting with the severe necrosis and abscess formation observed in control groups. Overall, PLGA-encapsulated rSEC elicited a robust humoral immune response and conferred significant protection against intramammary S. aureus challenge. These findings suggest that PLGA-rSEC is a promising subunit vaccine candidate for the prevention of S. aureus-associated bovine mastitis, offering improved protective efficacy compared with conventional vaccine formulations.
Two novel aerobic bacterial strains, designated SGZ-38T and sgz301269T, were isolated from the root of Pennisetum sp. and paddy soil, respectively. Strain SGZ-38T grew at 10–40 ℃ (optimum 30 °C) and pH 5.0–12.0 (optimum 6.5) and tolerated up to 1.0
A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, obligately anaerobic strain, designated WILCCON 0060T, was isolated from the faecal sample of a wild boar (Sus scrofa) collected on the Island of Ubin (Pulau Ubin), Singapore (1.4126°N, 103.9577°E). Phylogenetic and comparative analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences indicated that strain WILCCON 0060T belongs to the genus Mitsuokella, within the family Selenomonadaceae. Notably, the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain WILCCON 0060T and the type strains of two existing Mitsuokella species, Mitsuokella multacida DSM 20544T and Mitsuokella jalaludinii DSM 13811T, only ranged from 84.6–84.9
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a clinically significant opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, particularly in surgical settings. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance patterns, biofilm-forming ability, and the distribution of selected virulence and resistance genes among S. aureus isolates collected from healthy orthopedic surgical personnel in Iran. A total of 63 S. aureus isolates, comprising 52 methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and 11 methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) isolates, were recovered from nasal and hand swabs. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method or broth microdilution for oxacillin. Biofilm formation was quantified using the tissue culture plate assay, and resistance and virulence genes were detected by PCR. All isolates were biofilm producers, with nasal isolates representing the highest proportion of strong producers, although the difference was not statistically significant. High resistance rates were observed to penicillin and ampicillin, and erythromycin resistance was significantly associated with moderate biofilm formation. MRSA, identified by cefoxitin resistance, accounted for 82.5
Fungal-mediated biomineralization of magnesium represents a complex biogeochemical interface where metabolic activity drives the transformation of geological substrates into functional crystalline structures. This paper investigates the synthesis pathway of glushinskite (MgC2O4·2H2O), a magnesium oxalate dihydrate formed through a two-phase process of bio acid mediated solubilization and subsequent nucleation on fungal hyphae. By analysing diverse species, scientists could establish how fungal biology governs crystal morphology (for example, spindle, coffin, and needle-like habits) and spatial stratification. The review also discusses the possible roles of glushinskite in niche exclusion, where the rapid precipitation of minerals alters the local microenvironment to favour fungal dominance and flourishment, and detoxification, where fungi mitigate magnesium toxicity or co-precipitate heavy metals. Furthermore, we discuss the transition from biogenic minerals to green nanotechnology, demonstrating how the thermal decomposition of glushinskite serves as a template for producing porous, high surface area MgO nanoparticles. This perspective emphasizes the potential of fungal biomineralization in addressing contemporary challenges in bioremediation, carbon sequestration, and sustainable nanomaterial synthesis.
Enterococcus faecalis remains a primary cause of persistent endodontic infections, persisting in root canals through robust biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance. This study characterized clinical E. faecalis oral isolates and evaluated the comparative efficacy of conventional endodontic medicaments against the probiotic and antibiofilm potential of food derived Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). Clinical isolates (JUDS 01, JUDS 02, JUDS 03, JUSA 05) exhibited a high prevalence of ace, agg, cyl, and gelE virulence genes, demonstrating significant multidrug resistance. Among conventional treatments, TAP exhibited the notable antibacterial zones of inhibition (23 ± 1–24 ± 0.5 mm) and uniform, highly significant biomass reduction (p < 0.0001), whereas Ca(OH)2, NaOCl, and DAP completely failed to reduce mature biofilms (p > 0.05). Among the probiotic strains, Pediococcus acidilactici JUFB demonstrated great physiological stress tolerance, maintaining robust survival under lethal acid conditions (OD600 = 0.32 at pH 2.0) and high growth under bile stress (OD600 = 1.15 in 0.3
Two Gram-stain-negative, yellowish-white, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated F26169LT and F26204T, were isolated from coastal sediment of Jingzi Port, Weihai. Based on phenotypic, physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and phylogenomic analyses, the two strains were affiliated with the genus Sulfitobacter. They showed obvious differences in phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic characteristics compared with closely related taxa in this genus, and the ANI, AAI and dDDH values between them and related species were all lower than the standard thresholds for bacterial species delineation. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of genes encoding a complete sulfur oxidation (SOX) pathway and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyases in both strains. Accordingly, strains F26169LT and F26204T are proposed as two novel species of the genus Sulfitobacter, for which the names Sulfitobacter gelatinilyticus sp. nov. and Sulfitobacter weihaiensis sp. nov., are proposed, respectively. The type strains are F26169LT (= KCTC 92635 T = MCCC 1H01356T) and F26204T (= KCTC 92634 T = MCCC 1H01357T).
The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has become a major global health concern, highlighting the urgent need to discover new antimicrobial agents. Actinobacteria, particularly Streptomyces, are well known for their ability to produce diverse bioactive secondary metabolites with important pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. The purpose of this research was to isolate, characterize and evaluate the antimicrobial potential of actinobacteria isolated from tropical peat swamp forest soil. A total of 157 actinobacterial isolates were obtained and assigned to the genera Streptomyces, Microbispora, Microtetraspora, Micromonospora and Planosporangium. Preliminary antimicrobial screening revealed that 81 isolates (51.59
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common opportunistic fungal infection of the female genital tract, primarily associated with Candida overgrowth influenced by host factors, hormonal changes, microbial imbalance, and environmental conditions. This study examined the prevalence, antifungal susceptibility, and virulence factors of Candida species in 440 pregnant women (ages 18–55) with vulvovaginitis and vaginal discharge at a Saudi Arabian hospital. The study was conducted from March 2022 to February 2023 at a tertiary hospital in Hail, Saudi Arabia, including 440 pregnant women with vaginitis. Vaginal swabs were cultured for Candida, with species identification and antifungal susceptibility testing performed using the Vitek-2 Compact system against five antifungals. Multiplex PCR was used to detect virulence genes (Hwp, Als, Sap, Hlp). Among them, 114 (25.9
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a common opportunistic pathogen in dogs and an increasing concern in veterinary medicine due to rising antimicrobial resistance, particularly to methicillin. This study aimed to characterize resistance profiles and genetic mechanisms in isolates from healthy and diseased dogs in Montevideo, Uruguay. A total of 133 isolates was analyzed (83 from clinical infections and 50 from asymptomatic carriers). Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion following veterinary guidelines. Resistance genes and SCCmec types were detected by PCR. Ten representative isolates underwent whole genome sequencing. High resistance rates were observed for penicillin (81
