Development of actinobacterial resources for functional cosmetics

The effect of Jordanian essential oil from coriander seeds on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory activities using RAW 246.7 murine macrophages

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a member of the Umbelliferae/Apiaceae family and one of the well-known essential oil-containing plants, in which the seeds are used in traditional medicine, and as flavoring in food preparation. Knowing the diverse chemical components of different parts of the plant, this work aims to investigate the antioxidant, the anti-inflammatory, and the immunostimulatory modulator effects of the Jordanian C. sativum's seed extracted essential oil (JCEO). Coriander oil extract was prepared by hydro-distillation method using the Clevenger apparatus. Different concentrations of coriander oil were examined by using DPPH radical scavenging assay, MTT assay, pro-inflammatory cytokine (Tumor Necrosis Factor-TNF-alpha) production in RAW264.7 murine macrophages in addition, scratch-wound assessment, NO level examination, Th1/Th2 assay, phagocytosis assay, and fluorescence imaging using DAPI stain were conducted. JCEO had a potential metabolic enhancer effect at a concentration of 0.3 mg/mL on cell viability with anti-inflammatory activities via increasing cytokines like IL-10, IL-4, and limiting NO, INF-γ, and TNF-α release into cell supernatant. Antioxidant activity was seen significantly at higher concentrations of JCEO reaching 98.7% when using 100mg/mL and minimally reaching 50% at 12.5mg/mL of the essential oil. Treated macrophages were able to attain full scratch closure after 48-hrs at concentrations below 0.3mg/mL. The seed-extracted JCEO showed significant free radical scavenging activity even at lower dilutions. It also significantly induced an anti-inflammatory effect via an increase in the release of cytokines but reduced the LPS-induced NO and TNF-α production at 0.16-0.3mg/mL. In summary, coriander essential oil demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory effects, showcasing its therapeutic potential at specific concentrations. The findings underscore its safety and metabolic enhancement properties, emphasizing its promising role in promoting cellular health.

Optimized carotenoid production and antioxidant capacity of Gordonia hongkongensis

The current emphasis within the cosmetic market on sustainable ingredients has heightened the exploration of new sources for natural, active components. Actinomycetota, recognized for producing pigments with bioactive potential, offer promising functional cosmetic ingredients. This study aimed to optimize pigment and antioxidant metabolite production from the Gordonia hongkongensis strain EUFUS-Z928 by implementing the Plackett-Burman experimental design and response surface methodology. Extracts derived from this strain exhibited no cytotoxic activity against human primary dermal fibroblast (HDFa, ATCC® PCS-201-012™, Primary Dermal Fibroblast; Normal, Human, Adult). Eight variables, including inoculum concentration, carbon and nitrogen source concentration, NaCl concentration, pH, incubation time, temperature, and stirring speed, were analyzed using the Plackett-Burman experimental design. Subsequently, factors significantly influencing pigment and antioxidant metabolite production, such as temperature, inoculum concentration, and agitation speed, were further optimized using response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design. The results demonstrated a substantial increase in absorbance (from 0.091 to 0.32), DPPH radical scavenging capacity (from 27.60% to 84.61%), and ABTS radical scavenging capacity (from 17.39% to 79.77%) compared to responses obtained in the isolation medium. The validation of the mathematical model accuracy exceeded 90% for all cases. Furthermore, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) facilitated the identification of compounds potentially responsible for enhanced pigment production and antioxidant capacity in extracts derived from G. hongkongensis. Specifically, six carotenoids, red-orange pigments with inherent antioxidant capacity, were identified as the main enhanced compounds. This comprehensive approach effectively optimized the culture conditions and medium of a G. hongkongensis strain, resulting in enhanced carotenoid production and antioxidant capacity. Beyond identifying bioactive compounds and their potential cosmetic applications, this study offers insights into the broader industrial applicability of these extracts. It underscores the potential of G. hongkongensis and hints at the future utilization of other untapped sources of rare actinomycetes within the industry.

Evolving Advances in the Cosmetic use of Probiotics and Postbiotics: Health, Regulatory and Marketing Aspects

Ongoing development in cosmetics is increasingly making use of probiotics, which are defined as "live microorganisms with health-enhancing properties mediated through ingestion or topical application to the host". The observation that several bacterial strains augment normal processes of healthy tissue maintenance, particularly for the skin, has opened up new avenues for the use of bacterial strains in cosmetics. A principal feature of such "cosmeceuticals" is an application of increasing insight into the biochemical nature of the skin's normal microbial flora, also called its microbiome. The opportunity of manipulating the skin microbiome to address various skin disorders has revealed novel routes for treatment. The skin microbiome manipulation approaches to address various skin disorders include skin microbiome transplantation, skin bacteriotherapy, and prebiotic stimulation. Research in this field has revealed that medical outcome-targeted manipulation of skin microbiome bacterial strain makeup may significantly increase skin health and appearance. Commercial availability of probiotic skincare products is rapidly expanding worldwide due to satisfactory laboratory results and public perception of probiotics as being intrinsically more wholesome than other bioactive substances, such as synthetics. Major outcomes of probiotic use include a significant reduction in skin wrinkling, acne and other conditions adversely affecting skin appearance and healthy function. Moreover, probiotics may additionally promote normal skin hydration, resulting in a vibrant and lustrous appearance. Nevertheless, significant technical challenges remain for the full optimization of probiotics in cosmetic products. This article summarizes the evolving nature of this field and explores current probiotic research initiatives, along with regulatory aspects and significant challenges in the manufacturing of cosmetics in the context of market expansion for these products.

Bioprospecting of Metabolites from Actinomycetes and their Applications

Actinomycetes are present in various terrestrial and aquatic habitats, predominantly in the soil rhizosphere, encompassing marine and freshwater ecosystems. These microorganisms exhibit characteristics that resemble both bacteria and fungi. Numerous actinomycetes exhibit a mycelial existence and undergo significant morphological transformations. These bacteria are widely recognized as biotechnologically significant microorganisms utilized for the production of secondary metabolites. In all, over 45% of all bioactive microbial metabolites are produced by actinomycetes, which are responsible for producing around 10,000 of them. The majority of actinomycetes exhibit substantial saprophytic characteristics in their natural environment, enabling them to effectively decompose a diverse range of plant and animal waste materials during the process of decomposition. Additionally, these organisms possess a sophisticated secondary metabolic system, which enables them to synthesize almost two-thirds of all naturally occurring antibiotics. Moreover, they can create a diverse array of chemical compounds with medical or agricultural applications, including anticancer, antiparasitic, and antibacterial agents. This review aims to provide an overview of the prominent biotechnological domains in which actinobacteria and their metabolites demonstrate noteworthy applicability. The graphical abstract provides a preview of the primary sections covered in this review. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the biotechnological applications and metabolites of actinobacteria, highlighting their potential for patent innovations.

Variovorax terrae sp. nov. Isolated from Soil with Potential Antioxidant Activity

A white-pigmented, non-motile, gram-negative, and rod-shaped bacterium, designated CYS-02^T, was isolated from soil sampled at Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Cells were strictly aerobic, grew optimally at 20-28ºC and hydrolyzed Tween 40. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain CYS-02^T formed a lineage within the family Comamonadaceae and clustered as members of the genus Variovorax. The closest members were Variovorax guangxiensis DSM 27352^T (98.6% sequence similarity), Variovorax paradoxus NBRC 15149^T (98.5%), and Variovorax gossypii JM-310^T (98.3%). The principal respiratory quinone was Q-8 and the major polar lipids contain phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylethanolamine (PG), and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG). The predominant cellular fatty acids were C_16:0, summed feature 3 (C_16:1ω7c and/or C_16:1ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C_18:1ω7c and/or C_18:1ω6c). The DNA GC content was 67.7 mol%. The ANI and dDDH values between strain CYS-02^T and the closest members in the genus Variovorax were ≤ 79.0 and 22.4%, respectively, and the AAI and POCP values between CYS-02^T and the other related species in the family Comamonadaceae were > 70% and > 50%, respectively. The genome of strain CYS-02^T showed a putative terpene biosynthetic cluster responsible for antioxidant activity which was supported by DPPH radical scavenging activity test. Based on genomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain CYS-02^T was classified into a novel species in the genus Variovorax, for which the name Variovorax terrae sp. nov., has been proposed. The type strain is CYS-02^T (= KACC 22656^T = NBRC 115645 [corrected] ^T).

Laccase Mediator Cocktail System as a Sustainable Skin Whitening Agent for Deep Eumelanin Decolorization

The overproduction of eumelanin leads to a panel of unaesthetic hyper-pigmented skin diseases, including melasma and age spots. The treatment of these diseases often requires the use of tyrosinase inhibitors, which act as skin whitening agents by inhibiting the synthesis of eumelanin, with harmful side effects. We report here that laccase from Trametes versicolor in association with a cocktail of natural phenol redox mediators efficiently degraded eumelanin from Sepia officinalis, offering an alternative procedure to traditional whitening agents. Redox mediators showed a synergistic effect with respect to their single-mediator counterpart, highlighting the beneficial role of the cocktail system. The pro-oxidant DHICA sub-units of eumelanin were degraded better than the DHI counterpart, as monitored by the formation of pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA) and pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) degradation products. The most effective laccase-mediated cocktail system was successively applied in a two-component prototype of a topical whitening cream, showing high degradative efficacy against eumelanin.

Nine novel psychrotolerant species of the genus Pedobacter isolated from Arctic soil with potential antioxidant activities

Fifteen isolates of the genus Pedobacter were obtained from Arctic soil samples. All isolates were Gram-stain-negative and rod-shaped. Cells were strictly aerobic, psychrotolerant and grew optimally at 15–20 °C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that all the isolated strains formed a lineage within the family Sphingobacteriaceae and clustered as members of the genus Pedobacter . The sole respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (iso-C15 : 02-OH/C16 : 1ω7c/ω6c), iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The DNA G+C content of the novel strains was 33.9–41.8 mol%. In addition, the average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness values between the novel type strains and phylogenetically related type strains were below the threshold values used for species delineation. Based on genomic, chemotaxonomic, phenotypic, phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses, the isolated strains represent novel species in the genus Pedobacter , for which the names Pedobacter cryotolerans sp. nov. (type strain AR-2-6T=KEMB 9005-717T=KACC 19998T=NBRC 113826T), Pedobacter cryophilus sp. nov. (type strain AR-3-17T=KEMB 9005-718T=KACC 19999T=NBRC 113827T), Pedobacter frigiditerrae sp. nov. (type strain RP-1-13T=KEMB 9005-720T=KACC 21147T=NBRC 113829T), Pedobacter psychroterrae sp. nov. (type strain RP-1-14T=KEMB 9005-721T=KACC 21148T=NBRC 113830T), Pedobacter hiemivivus sp. nov. (type strain RP-3-8T=KEMB 9005-724T=KACC 21152T=NBRC 113833T), Pedobacter frigidisoli sp. nov. (type strain RP-3-11T=KEMB 9005-725T=KACC 21153T=NBRC 113927T), Pedobacter frigoris sp. nov. (type strain RP-3-15T=KEMB 9005-726T=KACC 21154T=NBRC 113834T), Pedobacter psychrodurus sp. nov. (type strain RP-3-21T=KEMB 9005-728T=KACC 21156T=NBRC 113835T) and Pedobacter polaris sp. nov. (type strain RP-3-22T=KEMB 9005-729T=KACC 21157T=NBRC 113836T) are proposed.

Development of Multifunctional Cosmetic Cream Using Bioactive Materials from Streptomyces sp. T65 with Synthesized Mesoporous Silica Particles SBA-15

Various cosmetics having a single function are increasingly being used, but cosmetics having multifunctional activities remain limited. We aimed to develop a multifunctional cosmetic cream having antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, anti-aging and antimicrobial activities. Antimicrobial activities were performed by disc-diffusion method. Cell toxicity and cell proliferations were evaluated in a 96-well plate with different cell lines such as HaCaT, RAW264.7, CCD-986Sk, B16F1, and B16F10. Mushroom tyrosinase inhibition, elastase inhibition, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities were evaluated and IC₅₀ was calculated. Mesoporous silica particle was synthesized using Pluronic P123 and tetraethyl ortho-silicate (TEOS). Facial pictures were captured by VISIA-CR (Facial Imaging System for Clinical Research). Roughness of image was analysed by PRIMOS software and brightness of image was analyzed by Chromameter CR-400. The crude product of strain T65 inhibited the different human pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The IC₅₀ of T65 crude product for mushroom tyrosinase, elastase, and DPPH radical scavenging activities were 58.73, 14.68, and 6.31 µg/mL, respectively. T65 crude product proliferated collagen type I in CCD-986Sk cell up to 145.91% ± 9.11% (mean ± SD; mean of 24, 48, and 72 h) at 250 pg/mL. Synthesized mesoporous particles (SBA-15) confirmed the sustainable performance by control-release for three days. Formulated functional cosmetic cream containing T65 embedded SBA-15, significantly decreased the skin roughness by 4.670% and increased the skin brightness by 0.472% after application of 4 weeks. T65 crude product inhibited both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Synthesized mesoporous particle, SBA-15, confirmed the physiologically active substance was released in sustainable release condition. T65 crude product showed impeccable antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-aging, and whitening activities with non-cytotoxic effects to different cell lines related to the human skin.

Bacterial Infections and Their Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Background

Antibiotic resistance is a global challenge in the public health sector and also a major challenge in Ethiopia. It is truly difficult to report bacterial antibiotic resistance pattern in Ethiopia due to the absence of a review which is done comprehensively. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the works of literature on the antibiotic resistance pattern of the specific bacterial isolates that can be obtained from different clinical samples in the context of Ethiopia.

Materials and Methods

A web-based search using PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, Sci Hub, Scopus and the Directory of Open Access Journals was conducted from April to May 2018 for published studies without restriction in the year of publication. Works of literature potentially relevant to the study were identified by Boolean search technique using various keywords: Bacterial infection, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic resistance, drug resistance, drug susceptibility, anti-bacterial resistance, Ethiopia. Study that perform susceptibility test from animal or healthy source using <10 isolates and methods other than prospective cross-sectional were excluded.

Results

The database search delivered a total of 3459 studies. After amendment for duplicates and inclusion and exclusion criteria, 39 articles were found suitable for the systematic review. All studies were prospective cross-sectional in nature. The review encompasses 12 gram-positive and 15 gram-negative bacteria with their resistance pattern for around 12 antibiotics. It covers most of the regions which are found in Ethiopia. The resistance pattern of the isolates ranged from 0% up to 100%. The overall resistance of M. tuberculosis for antituberculosis drugs ranges from 0% up to 32.6%. The percentage of resistance increases among previously treated tuberculosis cases. Neisseria gonorrhea, S. typhimurium, S. Virchow, Group A Streptococci (GAS), and Group B Streptococci (GBS) were highly susceptible for most of the tested antibiotics. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus was highly resistant to most of the antibiotics with a slightly increased susceptibility to gentamycin.

Conclusions

Total bacterial isolates obtained from a different source of sample and geographic areas were 28, including M. tuberculosis. Majority of the bacterial isolates were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. A continuous monitoring and studies on the multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates are important measures.

Microbial Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance in Nepal: Current Trends and Recommendations

Antimicrobial resistance is a life threatening challenges to the world. Most of the well-known antibiotics are currently ineffective to several microbial diseases. Ampicillin, metronidazole, amoxicillin, cotrimoxazole, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, gentamicin, and ceftazidime are common antibiotics whose resistance pattern has been elevated in recent years. The rise and dissemination of resistant bacteria has contributed in increasing cases of antimicrobial resistance. Multi-drug Resistant (MDR) organism such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomionas aeruginosa, Escherchia coli, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are principal problems for public health and stakeholders. Globally, issues of antimicrobial resistance are major concern. In the context of Nepal, insufficient surveillance system, lack of appropriate policy, and poor publications regarding the use of antibiotics and its resistance pattern has misled to depict exact scenario of antimicrobial resistance. This mini-review presents current trends of antibiotic use and its resistance pattern in Nepal. In addition, global progression of antibiotic discovery and its resistance has been covered as well. Furthermore, use of antibiotics and possible ways on improvement of effectiveness have been discussed.

Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from soil, with potential applications in cosmetics

An aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, oxidase- and catalase-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, coccoid, creamish-white-coloured bacterium, designated strain R161T, was isolated from soil in Hwaseong, South Korea. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid, serine and lysine, and whole-cell sugars were galactose, rhamnose, glucose and ribose. Strain R161T showed antibacterial and enzyme inhibitory activities. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain R161T formed a lineage within the family Dermacoccaceae, and showed highest sequence similarity with type strains of Calidifontibacter indicus PC IW02T (97.71 % sequence similarity) and Yimella lutea YIM 45900T (97.58 %). The sequence similarity of strain R161T with type strains of members of the genus Dermacoccus was less than 96.5 %. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H4). The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 1 H, anteiso-C17 : 1ω9c, summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or C16 : 0 10-methyl) and iso-C15 : 0. The DNA G+C content of strain R161T was 73.9 mol%. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain R161T and C. indicus JCM 16038T was 52.1 %. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, strain R161T represents a novel species of genus Calidifontibacter, for which the name Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Calidifontibacter terrae sp. nov. is R161T (=KEMB 9005-404T=KACC 18906T=JCM 31558T).