Bacillus subtilis and saponin shifted the availability of heavy metals, health indicators of smelter contaminated soil, and the physiological indicators of Symphytum officinale.

Bacillus subtilis and saponin were tested for the uptake of heavy metals (HMs) by Symphytum officinale grown in a smelter-contaminated soil in completely randomized design. Soil pH and electrical conductivity increased by 0.11 unit (T3) and 754 mS cm-1 (T2), respectively. The bioavailable Zn decreased by 5.80% (T2); Cd and Pb increased by 6.21% (T2) and 13.46% (T3), respectively. Soil urease increased by 24% (T3) and alkaline phosphatase, ß-glucosidase, and dehydrogenase decreased by 20% (T2), 27.70% (T2), and 21% (T1), respectively. Soil amendments altered the microbial diversity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction reported no obvious changes, except saponin application, which led to possible release of HMs in soil. The fresh weight of Symphytum officinale increased by 21.3 and 5.50% in T2 and T3, respectively. Chlorophyll (a) and carotenoid decreased by the sole application of B. subtilis and saponin and vice-versa for chlorophyll (b). Mono-application of B. subtilis efficiently increased the peroxidase (POD: 27%) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO: 13.56%), whereas, co-application enhanced the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL: 6.50%) level in shoots. Zn concentration in the shoots and roots declined by 12.75 and 27.32% in T1, respectively. Cd increased (3.92%, T3) in shoots and decreased (39.25%, T1) in roots; Pb concentration remained below detection in shoots and increased by 40% (T3) in roots due to accumulation in dead cells and cell vacuoles. Overall, B. subtilis and saponin influenced the bioavailability of HMs, enzymatic activities, and bacterial abundance in the soil; plant growth indicators, antioxidants activities, and metal uptake in shoots and roots.

Prevalence and susceptibility patterns of bacteria causing respiratory tract infections in North Waziristan, Pakistan.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common infectious diseases in humans and are the major cause of mortality and morbidity in Pakistan. These infections are the leading causes of consultations in primary care in Pakistan. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining bacterial pathogens of respiratory tract infections and the susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates to antibiotics. The study was conducted between February, 2013 and March, 2014 in North Waziristan region of Pakistan. Sputum specimens were collected aseptically from 227 patients and cultured on the appropriate bacteriological media. Bacterial isolates were identified by biochemical tests and their antibiotics susceptibility patterns were determined by standard methods. Out of 227, various species of bacteria were isolated from 152 (75%) specimens. The prevalence of bacteria species isolated were as follows Pseudomonas aeruginosa (42.8%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (26.7%), Corynebacterium diphtheria (10.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.9%), Proteus vulgaris (4.6%), Micrococcus species (3.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.6%) and Bacillus species (2.6%). The susceptibility patterns varied among bacterial species depending on the antibiotics. For the susceptibility test 11 commercially available antibiotics against bacterial isolates were used. The results revealed that generally the bacterial isolates were susceptible to gentamicin (80.9%), meropenem (75 %), ceftazidime (62.5%), cefotaxime (57.9%) and ceftriazone (57.9%) and resistant to penicillin (84.9%) and doxycycline (78.9%). The antibiotics gentamicin (100%) meropenem (100%), ceftriaxone (58.5%), ciprofloxacin (60%) trimethoprim (60%), ceftazidime (66.2%) and cefotaxime (64.6%) were observed effective against the P. aeruginosa isolates. The findings of our study provide significant information for empiric therapy of patients with RTIs in North Waziristan region of Pakistan.