Cockroaches: a potential source of novel bioactive molecule(s) for the benefit of human health

Moroccan Hospital Cockroaches: Carriers of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria

Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is a growing global health concern, particularly in hospital environments, where cockroaches act as vectors for resistant strains. This study aimed to analyze antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation in GNB isolated from cockroaches collected in the hospital environment. Cockroaches were collected, and bacterial isolation was performed from their gut contents and external surfaces. GNB strains were tested for antibiotic susceptibility using the disk diffusion method and examined for Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases production. Molecular characterization of ESBLs and carbapenemases in GNB involved PCR amplification of antibiotic resistance genes, while biofilm formation was studied using a microplate assay. Seventy-five cockroaches were collected from which 165 GNB were isolated. The prevalence of ESBL-producing and carbapenemase-producing GNB was 6.7 and 1.8%, respectively. The predominant ESBL gene was blaCTX-M-28, while blaNDM-1 was the only carbapenemase gene detected. The qnrS1 gene was found in one NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and three ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The qacΔE1 gene was detected in an NDM-1-producing Citrobacter freundii and a CTX-M-28-producing E. coli, whereas one NDM-1-producing Enterobacter cloacae carried both qacΔE1 and acrA genes. Strains harboring qacΔE1 and/or acrA genes exhibited biofilm-forming capabilities, with biofilm formation observed in 81.81% of ESBL-producing isolates and 100% of carbapenemase-producing isolates. The study underscores the role of cockroaches in carrying and disseminating ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing GNB in hospital settings. The coexistence of disinfectant resistance genes and antibiotic resistance suggests co-selection mechanisms, while biofilm formation enhances bacterial survival. These findings underline the urgent need for infection control strategies.

The 2023 Update on Pressure Injuries: A Review of the Literature

GENERAL PURPOSE

To provide a summary of six articles published in 2023 that provide important new data or insights about pressure injuries (PIs).

TARGET AUDIENCE

This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses with an interest in skin and wound care.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES

After participating in this educational activity, the participant will:1. Summarize selected current evidence addressing the prevention of PIs.2. Evaluate new studies exploring PI treatment modalities.3. Identify recent findings concerning the role of artificial intelligence in staging PIs.

Gut Microbiota Is Not Essential for Survival and Development in Blattella germanica, but Affects Uric Acid Storage

Cockroaches harbor two coexisting symbiotic systems: the obligate endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenotii, and a complex gut microbiota. Blattabacterium is the only bacterium present in the eggs, as the gut microbiota is acquired by horizontal transmission after hatching, mostly through coprophagy. Blattella germanica, a cosmopolitan omnivorous cockroach living in intimate association with humans, is an appropriate model system for studying whether the gut microbiota is essential for the cockroach's survival, development, or welfare. We obtained a germ-free cockroach population (i.e., containing normal amounts of the endosymbiont, but free of microbes on the insects' surface and digestive tract). Non-significant differences with the controls were detected in most fitness parameters analyzed, except for a slight shortening in the hatching time of the second generation and a reduction in female weight at 10 days after adult ecdysis. The latter is accompanied by a decrease in uric acid reserves. This starvation-like phenotype of germ-free B. germanica suggests that the microbiota is not essential in this species for survival and development throughout its complete life cycle, but it could participate in complementation of host nutrition by helping with food digestion and nutrient absorption.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from Unexplored Tunisian Ecological Niches: Antimicrobial Potential, Probiotic and Food Applications

The continued exploration of the diversity of lactic acid bacteria in little-studied ecological niches represents a fundamental activity to understand the diffusion and biotechnological significance of this heterogeneous class of prokaryotes. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lpb. plantarum) strains were isolated from Tunisian vegetable sources, including fermented olive and fermented pepper, and from dead locust intestines, which were subsequently evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli O157:H7 CECT 4267 and Listeria monocytogenes CECT 4031, as well as against some fungi, including Penicillium expansum, Aspergilus niger, and Botrytis cinerea. In addition, their resistance to oro-gastro-intestinal transit, aggregation capabilities, biofilm production capacity, adhesion to human enterocyte-like cells, and cytotoxicity to colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line were determined. Further, adhesion to tomatoes and the biocontrol potential of this model food matrix were analyzed. It was found that all the strains were able to inhibit the indicator growth, mostly through organic acid production. Furthermore, these strains showed promising probiotic traits, including in vitro tolerance to oro-gastrointestinal conditions, and adhesion to abiotic surfaces and Caco-2 cells. Moreover, all tested Lpb. plantarum strains were able to adhere to tomatoes with similar rates (4.0-6.0 LogCFU/g tomato). The co-culture of LAB strains with pathogens on tomatoes showed that Lpb. plantarum could be a good candidate to control pathogen growth. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to guarantee their use as probiotic strains for biocontrol on food matrices.