Combined effect of zinc oxide nano particle incorporated chitosan for better antimicrobial activity towards wound healing

Aim: The aim of the present study was to characterize the zinc oxide nano particle incorporated Chitosan (ZnO-NP-CS) and its antimicrobial activity. Methodology: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) were prepared by sol-gel method and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and agar well diffusion method was used for the assessment of antibacterial activity of ZnO-NP and ZnO-NP-CS as well. Results: In UV–spectroscopy, blue shift in wavelength (~365 nm) corresponding to bulk ZnO particles (~385 nm) indicates the nano size. In SEM image, ZnO-NP appeared as nano flake shape and ZnO-NP treated Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bacteria illustrates leakage of intracellular content, fusion and shrinkage of bacteria, respectively. The MIC of ZnO-NP for most of food pathogens were between 0.01 to 0.1mg. Lower MIC was observed for Vibrio cholerae and Listeria monocytogenes; higher MIC was observed for Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In antibiogram assay, the zone of inhibition of ZnO-NP-CS was equal to commercial antibiotics against Multiple Drug Resistant bacteria. Interpretation: The combined effect of ZnO-NP and chitosan is better than the individual component, i.e., around 5–15 mm wider zone of inhibition than chitosan. ZnO-NP-CS can be a suitable alternative for the treatment of wound infected by multiple drug resistant bacteria

Prevalence of Linguatula serrata in domestic ruminants in South India.

Linguatula serrata Frohlich, 1789 is an aberrant endoparasite of occasional zoonotic importance in humans. We report the prevalence of encapsulated nymphal stages of L. serrata in domestic ruminants surveyed in Wayanad, located in Kerala State, South India. Large and small intestine mesentery were examined from 100 goats, cattle and buffaloes each revealing an infection prevalence of 21, 19, and 8%, respectively. The prevalence of L. serrata infection among ruminants is higher than previous reports from India and indicates a strong focus of infection in herbivorous domesticated mammals of South India. The potential importance of these findings to human health is discussed.

Visceral schistosomiasis among domestic ruminants slaughtered in Wayanad, South India.

This short communication reports the prevalence of visceral schistosomiasis by worm counts from the mesentery of domestic ruminants of the hilly district of Wayanad, located in Kerala, one of the states in South India. We found 57.3, 50, and 4.7% of cattle, buffaloes and goats, respectively, had visceral schistosomiasis upon slaughter at a municipal slaughter house in Kalpetta. Our findings show that the prevalence of Schistosoma spindale infection is very high in Wayanad in comparison to previous reports from this and neighboring countries.