Exploring the Binding Interaction of Active Compound of Pineapple against Foodborne Bacteria and Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Based on Molecular Docking and Simulation Studies.

Natural resources, particularly plants and microbes, are an excellent source of bioactive molecules. Bromelain, a complex enzyme mixture found in pineapples, has numerous pharmacological applications. In a search for therapeutic molecules, we conducted an in silico study on natural phyto-constituent bromelain, targeting pathogenic bacteria and viral proteases. Docking studies revealed that bromelain strongly bound to food-borne bacterial pathogens and SARS-CoV-2 virus targets, with a high binding energy of -9.37 kcal/mol. The binding interaction was mediated by the involvement of hydrogen bonds, and some hydrophobic interactions stabilized the complex and molecular dynamics. Simulation studies also indicated the stable binding between bromelain and SARS-CoV-2 protease as well as with bacterial targets which are essential for DNA and protein synthesis and are required to maintain the integrity of membranous proteins. From this in silico study, it is also concluded that bromelain could be an effective molecule to control foodborne pathogen toxicity and COVID-19. So, eating pineapple during an infection could help to interfere with the pathogen attaching and help prevent the virus from getting into the host cell. Further, research on the bromelain molecule could be helpful for the management of COVID-19 disease as well as other bacterial-mediated diseases. Thus, the antibacterial and anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibitory potentials of bromelain could be helpful in the management of viral infections and subsequent bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients.

Distinction between Antimicrobial Resistance and Putative Virulence Genes Characterization in Plesiomonas shigelloides Isolated from Different Sources.

Plesiomonas shigelloides are gram-negative, thermotolerant, motile, and pleomorphic microorganisms that are only distantly related to those of the Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families. One of the most common sources of P. shigelloides contamination is human stool, but it may also be found in a wide range of other animals, plants, and aquatic habitats. Antimicrobial resistance in P. shigelloides from seawater and shellfish was investigated, and pathogenicity involved genes were characterized as part of this study. Out of 384 samples of shellfish, 5.7% included P. shigelloides. The presence of P. shigelloides was also discovered in 5% of the seawater sampled. The antimicrobial resistance of 23 P. shigelloides isolates derived from those samples was investigated. All isolates were sensitive to nalidixic acid, carbenicillin, cephalothin, erythromycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin in the study. Several strains isolated from diseased shellfish were tested for virulence in shellfish by intraperitoneal injections. The LD50 values ranged from 12 × 108 to 3 × 1012 cfu/shellfish. When looking for possible virulence factors that may play a significant role in bacterial infection in the current study, we found that all of these genes were present in these strains. These include genes such as elastase, lipase, flagellin, enterotoxin, and DNases. According to these findings, shellfish may serve as a reservoir for multi-resistant P. shigelloides and help spread virulence genes across the environment.