Effect of physical parameters in enhancing prodigiosin production and anti-MRSA activity of marine bacterium, Serratia marcescens IBRL USM84

Aims@#Marine bacteria have been reported to produce potential natural pigment with pharmaceutical properties and their growth can be manipulated in the laboratory to increase pigment production and their antimicrobial activity. Hence, this study aimed to enhance the prodigiosin production in Serratia marcescens IBRL USM84 by improving physical conditions.@*Methodology and results@#The quantification of the pigment produced by S. marcescens IBRL USM84, bacterial cell growth, and its antibacterial activity in the broth medium were determined using a spectrophotometry method. Meanwhile, the antibacterial effect of red pigment on MRSA cells was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This marine isolate produced the highest yield of prodigiosin (6.95 μg/mL) when cultivated in marine broth with the addition of 0.2% of agar, 25 °C incubation temperature, initial medium pH of 7, 150 rpm of agitation speed for 48 h of cultivation time under light illumination. There was an increment of 151.81% in prodigiosin production after enhancement compared to before the enhancement of cultural conditions. SEM observations revealed that severe damage to the cell’s morphologies was exposed to red pigment as indicated by the formation of small dents, which led to completely collapse and eventually, cell death.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#A positive correlation between pigment production and antibacterial activity was observed in the present study. The results supported the fact that marine bacteria are a reservoir of various pigments with antimicrobial properties. Also, the pigment production by S. marcescens and its antibacterial activity were significantly influenced by physical parameters.

In vitro quorum quenching activity of eleusine indica crude ethanolic extract against pseudomonas aeruginosa and serratia marcescens

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Introduction:</strong> Nosocomial contaminants such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens are increasingly developing resistance to many antibiotics. One of the promising alternatives that may complement, if not substitute, the use of antibiotics is quorum quenching, the process of interfering with chemical signals that mediate communication between microorganisms. Eleusine indica, a ubiquitous grass used traditionally to treat infections, has been shown to contain metabolites, such as fatty acid derivatives and p-coumaric acid, capable of quorum quenching. To date, there has been no study on the quorum quenching activity of E. indica.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> This study aimed to determine the in vitro activity of crude ethanolic extract of E. indica leaves against selected quorum-sensing regulated virulence factors of P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methodology:</strong> E. indica leaves were collected, washed, air-dried, and homogenized. Following ethanolic extraction and rotary evaporation, the extract was screened for antimicrobial activity through disk diffusion test and broth microdilution assay. The quorum quenching activity of the extract against P. aeruginosa was measured through swarming motility assay, while the activity against S. marcescens was measured through swarming motility and pigment inhibition assays. The quorum quenching assays were conducted in triplicates, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify differences among the treatment groups.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> Disk diffusion test revealed that no zones of inhibition formed against both P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens for varying concentrations of up to 200 mg/mL of the crude extract. Likewise, the MIC of the extract against both P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens was determined to be >200 mg/mL. However, it was shown that the extract, at 50 mg/mL, has statistically significant activity (p<0.05) against the swarming motility of P. aeruginosa, and it is 71.6% as effective in reducing the swarming area of the bacteria compared to cinnamaldehyde. This was not observed when the extract was tested against the swarming motility of and pigment production by S. marcescens.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> In this study, the quorum quenching activity of the crude ethanolic extract of E. indica leaves was found to be effective against P. aeruginosa but not against S. marcescens. The compounds that will be identified by further studies may conceivably be used as an adjunct therapy in P. aeruginosa infections and as coating agents in medical devices.</p>

Enhanced production of prodigiosin by Serratia marcescens FZSF02 in the form of pigment pellets

Background: Prodigiosin has been demonstrated to be an important candidate in investigating anticancer drugs and in many other applications in recent years. However, industrial production of prodigiosin has not been achieved. In this study, we found a prodigiosin-producing strain, Serratia marcescens FZSF02, and its fermentation strategies were studied to achieve the maximum yield of prodigiosin. Results: When the culture medium consisted of 16.97 g/L of peanut powder, 16.02 g/L of beef extract, and 11.29 mL/L of olive oil, prodigiosin reached a yield of 13.622 ± 236 mg/L after culturing at 26 °C for 72 h. Furthermore, when 10 mL/L olive oil was added to the fermentation broth at the 24th hour of fermentation, the maximum prodigiosin production of 15,420.9 mg/L was obtained, which was 9.3-fold higher than the initial level before medium optimization. More than 60% of the prodigiosin produced with this optimized fermentation strategy was in the form of pigment pellets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on this phenomenon of pigment pellet formation, which made it much easier to extract prodigiosin at low cost. Prodigiosin was then purified and identified by absorption spectroscopy, HPLC, and LCMS. Purified prodigiosin obtained in this study showed anticancer activity in separate experiments on several human cell cultures: A549, K562, HL60, HepG2, and HCT116. Conclusions: This is a promising strain for producing prodigiosin. The prodigiosin has potential in anticancer medicine studies.

Pseudohemoptisis por Serratia Marcescens / Pseudohemoptisis by Serratia Marcescens

Se denomina hemoptisis a la expulsión de sangre procedente del árbol traqueobronquial, es por ello que siempre habrá que descartar sangrado de cavidad oral, nasofaringe y tracto digestivo. De esta forma, la expectoración de sangre de una fuente que no es el tracto respiratorio inferior se denomina pseudohemoptisis, siendo sus causas la hematemesis, los tumores nasofaríngeos y digestivos, la sobredosis de rifampicina y la neumonía por Serratia marcescens. Esta bacteria patógena es la única descripta en la bibliografía como causa de pseudohemoptisis por ser productora de un pigmento rojizo denominado prodigiosina. En su diagnóstico, además de los cultivos de muestras respiratorias y hemocultivos, juega un rol importante la búsqueda de hematíes en esputo, los cuales se encuentran ausentes cuando el pigmento es el responsable de la coloración de la muestra

Using prodigiosin against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and Trypanosoma cruzi

This work aimed to explore the action of natural prodigiosin on both bacterial organisms and Trypanosoma cruzi cells. Methods: Natural prodigiosin pigment was extracted and purified from cultures of Serratia marcescens. Two media, peanut broth and peptone glycerol broth, both recommended in the literature for prodigiosin production, were compared. The prodigiosin obtained was employed to explore its antimicrobial properties against both bacteria and Trypanosoma cruzi cells. Results: Peanut broth yielded four times more prodigiosin. The prodigiosin showed remarkable activity (minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 2-8 µM for bacteria and half maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.6 µM for Trypanosoma cruzi). In fact, the prodigiosin concentration required to inhibit parasite growth was as low as 0.25 mg/l versus 4.9 mg/l of benznidazole required. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy revealed marked morphological alterations in treated epimastigote forms, although no pore-formation activity was detected in protein-free environments. Conclusions: This work demonstrates the potential usefulness of prodigiosin against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and Trypanosoma cruzi although further studies must be done in order to assess its value as a candidate molecule.(AU)

Effect of prodigiosin on the alleviation of the intestinal inflammation of weaned rats based on 1H-NMR spectroscopy study and biochemistry indexes

Weaning results in intestinal dysfunction, mucosal atrophy, transient anorexia, and intestinal barrier defects. In this study, the effect of prodigiosin (PG) on the intestinal inflammation of weaned rats was investigated by using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and biochemistry indexes to regulate the intestinal metabolism. After administration for 14 days, the body mass of the PG group was increased by 1.29- and 1.26-fold compared with those of the control and alcohol groups, respectively, using a dose of 200 µg PG·kg-1 body weight per day. PG increased organic acid content and decreased moisture, pH values, and free ammonia in feces. In addition, PG alleviated the intestinal inflammation of weaned rats. The analysis of 1H-NMR signal peak attribution and the model validation of metabolic data of feces contents showed that PG significantly affected the metabolism of small molecular compounds in the intestinal tract of weaned rats. This study presents the promising alternative of using PG to alleviate intestinal inflammation effectively in the intestinal tract of weaned rats.

Enhanced production of prodigiosin by Serratia marcescens MO-1 using ram horn peptone

This work addresses the production of prodigiosin from ram horn peptone (RHP) using MO-1, a local isolate in submerged culture. First, a novel gram-negative and rod-shaped bacterial strain, MO-1, was isolated from the body of the grasshopper (Poecilemon tauricola Ramme 1951), which was collected from pesticide-contaminated fields. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA classified the microbe as Serratia marcescens. The substrate utilization potential (BIOLOG) and fatty acid methyl ester profile (FAME) of S. marcescens were also determined. The effect of RHP on the production of prodigiosin by S. marcescens MO-1 was investigated, and the results showed that RHP supplementation promoted the growth of MO-1 and increased the production of prodigiosin. A concentration of 0.4% (w/v) RHP resulted in the greatest yield of prodigiosin (277.74 mg/L) after 48 h when mannitol was used as the sole source of carbon. The pigment yield was also influenced by the types of carbon sources and peptones. As a result, RHP was demonstrated to be a suitable substrate for prodigiosin production. These results revealed that prodigiosin could be produced efficiently by S. marcescens using RHP.

Can the adapted arcometer be used to assess the vertebral column in children?

BACKGROUND: The adapted arcometer has been validated for use in adults. However, its suitability for use in children can be questioned given the structural differences present in these populations. OBJECTIVE: To verify the concurrent validity, repeatability, and intra- and inter-reproducibility of the adapted arcometer for the measurement of the angles of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis in children. METHOD: Forty children were evaluated using both sagittal radiography of the spine and the adapted arcometer. The evaluations using the arcometer were carried out by two trained evaluators on two different days. In the statistical treatment, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Pearson's product moment correlation, Spearman's rho, the paired t test, and Wilcoxon's test were used (α=.05). RESULTS: A moderate and significant correlation was found between the x-ray and the adapted arcometer regarding thoracic kyphosis, but no correlation was found regarding lumbar lordosis. Repeatability and intra-evaluator reproducibility of the thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were confirmed, which was not the case of inter-evaluator reproducibility. CONCLUSION: The adapted arcometer can be used to accompany postural alterations in children made by the same evaluator, while its use for diagnostic purposes and continued evaluation by different evaluators cannot be recommended. Further studies with the aim of adapting this instrument for use in children are recommended. .

Prodigiosin found in Serratia marcescens y2 initiates phototoxicity in the cytomembrane

Background: Light can be absorbed by bacterial pigment and affects its growth. Prodigiosin is a red pigment found in various bacterial species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of light on prodigiosin production, biomass formation, and membrane integrity of Serratia marcescens y2. Results: S. marcescens y2 grew better and produced more intracellular prodigiosin in darkness than in illumination. The pigment leakage ratio from cells was detected more in light than in darkness conditions. Ethidium bromide uptake assay could visually prove the prodigiosin-related loss of membrane integrity under illumination. A higher concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was detected in light-treated culture than in darkness. Tests of different light treatments (red, yellow, blue and green) showed that the maximum extracellular pigment and the minimum biomass formation and intracellular pigment were obtained in green light. Conclusions: Prodigiosin could absorb light, and then initiate phototoxicity damage of the cytomembrane.

Prodigiosins: a novel family of immunosuppressants with anti-cancer activity.

Prodigiosins (PrGs) are a family of promising therapeutic molecules, isolated mostly from Gram-negative bacteria and characterized by a common pyrryldipyrrylmethene structure with varying side chains. They show a broad spectrum of activities such as anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-cancer and immunosuppressive. PrGs are attracting increasing attention due to the ongoing research for less toxic, but effective agents for cancer chemotherapy and immunosuppression for preventing allograft rejection and autoimmunity. Different analogues have been synthesized and evaluated. This review discusses the immunosuppressive and anti-cancer activities of this class of compounds, as both involve inhibition of cell proliferation. The main focus is on the in vitro and in vivo immunosuppressive activity of the different PrGs and the mechanisms involved. PrGs primarily target the T cells, though some effects are observed on other cell types also. Unlike the well-known immunosuppressant cyclosporin A, PrGs do not inhibit the secretion of IL-2 but inhibit the mitogenic signaling from IL-2, suggesting a different mechanism of action. Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (Jak3) that associates with IL-2R upon activation is considered as the molecular target for PrGs. Its restricted expression makes Jak3 as an attractive target for immunosuppressive therapy. However, the available literature suggests that some other pathways are also influenced by the PrGs. These may be important for the anti-cancer activity, as well as immunosuppressive action. Therefore, PrGs appear to be potential candidates for pharmaceutical development as immunosuppressants and also as anti-cancer agents.

Uptake of nickel (II) by Serratia marcescens.

Bioaccumulation and biosorption of various nickel salts by Serratia marcescens (NCIM 2078) were investigated Biosorption of nickel was found maximum for the nickel nitrate and nickel chloride as 28.08 and 25.51 mg-1 nickel was obtained in dry biomass of S. marcescens, respectively. The possible role of pigment prodigiosin in uptake of nickel is discussed.