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Probiotics, like lactic acid bacteria, are non-pathogenic microbes that exert health benefits to the host when administered in adequate quantity. Currently, research is being conducted on the molecular events and applications of probiotics. The suggested mechanisms by which probiotics exert their action include; competitive exclusion of pathogens for adhesion sites, improvement of the intestinal mucosal barrier, gut immunomodulation, and neurotransmitter synthesis. This review emphasizes the recent advances in the health benefits of probiotics and the emerging applications of probiotics in the food industry. Due to their capability to modulate gut microbiota and attenuate the immune system, probiotics could be used as an adjuvant in hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases. Considering the functional properties, probiotics are being used in the dairy, beverage, and baking industries. After developing the latest techniques by researchers, probiotics can now survive within harsh processing conditions and withstand GI stresses quite effectively. Thus, the potential of probiotics can efficiently be utilized on a commercial scale in food processing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effective narrow spectrum antibiotics for treatment of UTI in children in order to control the rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance to broad spectrum antibiotics. Study Design: Prospective Clinical study. Setting: Department of Pediatric, Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Bhara Kahu-Pakistan. Period: January 2021 to December 2021. Material & Methods: 361 children with clinical suspicion of UTI were enrolled in the study.. Antimicrobial sensitivity test was applied on Samples on which bacterial growth was identified using Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: Total 361 patients were enrolled in the study according to inclusion criteria, out of which, 30 (8.3%) were infants (<1 years old), 178 (49.3%) were aged 1 to 5 years and 153 (42.4%) were aged from 5 to 12 years of age. Out of 361 patients, 125 (34.6%) patients were males and 236 (65.4%) were females. Out of 124 patients, whose urine culture was positive, most common pathogen was E. coli that was observed in 92 (25.5%) cases, followed by Klebsialla in 9 (2.5%) and enterococcus in 9 (2.5%) patients, Pseudomonas in 5 (1.4%), Proteus in 4 (1.1%), Mirabilis in 4 (1.1%), Acinobacter in 2 (0.6%), and enterobacter in 2 (0.6%) cases. Spectrum of sensitivity of 17 drugs was studied. The most sensitive drug was Imipenem, (29.9%), followed by Nitrofurantoin, Fosfomycin (25.8%), Amikacin (24.1%), Piperacilin / Tazobactam (22.7%). Conclusion: Thus E. coli was the most common pathogen and the most sensitive drug was Imipenem, followed by Nitrofurantoin, Fosfomycin, Amikacin, and Piperacilin / Tazobactam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence (TRF)-based aptasensor for simultaneous recognition of mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) was developed using multi-color, Ln3+-doped time-resolved fluorescence nanoparticles (TRF-NPs) (NaYF4: Ce, Tb and NH2-Eu/DPA@SiO2 NPs) coupled with complementary strand DNA (cDNA) as luminescence probe and aptamers-conjugated amine-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) act as a capture probe. Under the optimized conditions, the time-resolved fluorescence intensities at 544 and 618 nm corresponded with Tb3+ and Eu3+, respectively, were used to measure FB1 (Y = 19,177.1 + (− 12,054.4)x, R2 = 0.9917) and OTA (Y = 4138.8 + (− 11,182.6)x, R2 = 0.9924), respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) for FB1 and OTA were 0.019 pg mL−1 and 0.015 pg mL−1, respectively, which were much lower than previously described methods for simultaneous recognition of mycotoxins OTA and FB1 while detection range varied from 0.0001–0.5 ng mL−1. This aptasensor was effectively applied to quantity FB1 and OTA in maize samples and results were compared with ELISA method. This is the first reported time-resolved fluorescence (TRF)-based aptasensor to detect two agriculturally important toxins in the maize. The developed aptasensor has potential to be used for detection of toxins in food safety fields. Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the status of bacterial pathogens in thalassemia major patients presenting with fever in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at –removed for blind review---from November 2020 to October 2021 in which 102 patients of thalassemia major who presented with fever and were suspicious of having septicemia were enrolled. Their demographic characteristics and pathological findings were noted in this study. A standardized approach was followed for blood withdrawal and sample collection required for performing blood cultures. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 21. Results: Females were in majority. A total of 57 (56.0%) patients had positive blood cultures. The most frequent bacterial pathogen was Klebsiella pneumonia 13 (12.7%), followed by E-coli 11 (10.7%), staphylococcus aureus 7 (6.8%), pseudomonas 8 (7.8%) and streptococcus type pathogens 6 (5.8%). Conclusion: Positive culture findings were high in the thalassemia major patients who presented with fever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the recent antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella species in children in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Bhara Kahu, from 18th March 2020 to 31st January 2021. A total of one hundred and seventy-eight (n=178) patients of either gender having age between 1 month to 12 years who had signs and symptoms of enteric fever and positive blood culture report of Salmonella species were enrolled in this study through non-probability, consecutive sampling. The demographic characteristics of patients along with the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the Salmonella species were recorded on the predesigned proforma and analyzed through SPSS version 25. Results: Out of the total of 178 patients, reports of blood cultures of 164(92.1%) patients showed Salmonella Typhi while those of 14(7.9%) patients showed Salmonella Paratyphi. Out of the total of 178 Salmonella cases, 11(6.2%) were extensively drugresistant and 58(32.6%) were multidrug-resistant. All XDR cases were of Salmonella Typhi. Out of 14 Salmonella Paratyphi, 2(14%) were MDR but no XDR Salmonella Paratyphi was found. Nalidixic acid had the highest resistance (96.4%) followed by sulphamethoxazole (65.5%). Azithromycin had the least resistance (0%) followed by imipenem (1.8%), piperacillintazobactam (1.9%), and meropenem (2%). Resistance of ceftriaxone was 20.8% and that of ciprofloxacin was 28.2%. Conclusion: No resistance of Salmonella species against azithromycin was found in our study. The presence of XDR typhoid fever cases and the rising resistance of Salmonella species to ceftriaxone and carbapenems are very alarming. To prevent this resistance, we should reserve carbapenems for complicated cases of resistant typhoid fever only. Minocycline and piperacillin-tazobactam are two other good cost-effective drugs in resistant typhoid fever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]