September 2008

Effect of temperature and pH on the antimicrobial activity of inhibitory substances produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from Ergo, an Ethiopian traditional fermented milk

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) predominates the microflora of milk and milk products. They produce antimicrobial metabolites that inhibit growth of food-borne pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, thereby enhancing the shelf-life of the food. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity and the effect of temperature and pH on the culture supernatant of LAB, 112 strains of LAB, belonging to Lactococcus, Lactobacillus,...

Author(s): Esayas Assefa, Fekadu Beyene and Amutha Santhanam

September 2008

Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in nosocomial infections in Gaza Strip

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is considered to be one of the most important causative agents of nosocomial infections. The present study therefore aimed broadly at obtaining a snapshot of MRSA prevalence in Gaza Strip, as well as to examine the antibiotic resistance profile of such isolates. A total of 150 clinical isolates of S. aureus were identified from patients. Disk...

Author(s): N. S. Abu Hujier and F. A. Sharif

September 2008

Modulation of the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B selective toxicity by pH change of the stock solutions

Stock solutions of the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B (AmB) were prepared at pHs from 4.0 to 5.4 in acetic acid/acetate buffer, at 7.4 in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and from 10.0 to 10.8 in carbonate/bicarbonate buffer. Their antifungal activity was tested on Candida albicans cells and their toxicity on human erythrocytes. Antifungal activity was observed for all preparations. Surprisingly, the...

Author(s): Belkherroubi-Sari L, Boucherit Z, Chéron M, Boucherit K, Benyoucef M  and  Belbraouet S

September 2008

Comparative analysis of the antimicrobial activity of cinnamon oil and cinnamon extract on some food-borne microbes

The aim of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial activities of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) extract (50% ethanol) and its oil, and to compare their effectiveness against ten bacteria (seven Gram-positive and three Gram-negative) and seven fungi by agar well diffusion assays. Cinnamon oil exhibited a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity, as compared to its extract, by inhibiting both bacteria and...

Author(s): Charu Gupta, Amar P. Garg, Ramesh C. Uniyal and Archana Kumari