Ceftriaxone Mediated Synthesized Gold Nanoparticles: A Nano-Therapeutic Tool to Target Bacterial Resistance.

Ceftriaxone has been a part of therapeutic regime for combating some of the most aggressive bacterial infections in the last few decades. However, increasing bacterial resistance towards ceftriaxone and other third generation cephalosporin antibiotics has raised serious clinical concerns especially due to their misuse in the COVID-19 era. Advancement in nanotechnology has converted nano-therapeutic vision into a plausible reality with better targeting and reduced drug consumption. Thus, in the present study, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were synthesized by using ceftriaxone antibiotic that acts as a reducing as well as capping agent. Ceftriaxone-loaded GNPs (CGNPs) were initially characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, DLS, Zeta potential, Electron microscopy and FT-IR. However, a TEM micrograph showed a uniform size of 21 ± 1 nm for the synthesized CGNPs. Further, both (CGNPs) and pure ceftriaxone were examined for their efficacy against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella abony and Klebsiella pneumoniae. CGNPs showed MIC50 as 1.39, 1.6, 1.1 and 0.9 µg/mL against E. coli, S. aureus, S. abony and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Interestingly, CGNPs showed two times better efficacy when compared with pure ceftriaxone against the tested bacterial strains. Restoring the potential of unresponsive or less efficient ceftriaxone via gold nanoformulations is the most alluring concept of the whole study. Moreover, applicability of the findings from bench to bedside needs further validation.

Microbiological Contamination and Food Hygiene Practices In old Restaurants In Nablus Governorate, Palestine (preprint)

Introduction: Personal hygiene is important in maintaining food quality and health safety, so the low level of personal hygiene causes contamination leading to food spoilage and the occurrence of sick cases for consumers. Objective: This study was conducted under the Corona pandemic to verify food safety in Nablus old restaurants, Palestine, in the year 2021. Research methodology: This study covered 32 restaurants and 160 employees randomly selected. Data collection began between April and June in 2021 using 160 questionnaires that included 20 questions were answered by workers in these restaurants. Results: : Contamination with coliform bacteria was found in the restaurant samples with a percentage (42.5%), where the samples have taken from the tables having the highest contamination of this bacterium (50%). Furthermore, the data revealed that there was a relationship between coliform bacteria contamination and age, educational level, and food safety training, as the contamination being seen in the group that got the training, In contrast to those who didn't at the P-value <0.20. Conclusion: There was an association of bacterial contamination with age, especially among the younger group who were less concerned with hygiene and food safety practices compared to the elderly group. And it turns out that restaurant workers must be properly trained in food safety and monitored regularly.