Saksham Gupta

The contamination of processed or unprocessed drinking water by pathogenic bacteria has been reported worldwide. Even though a high incidence of waterborne diseases have been well documented, enterobacteriaceae is an under acknowledged pathogen of concern to public health in India. The study was aimed to isolate and biochemically characterize Enterobacteriaceae as well as to determine  antibiotic sensitivity pattern and primer designing specific to their signature gene sequences for rapid detection by PCR methods. Total plate count was determined in potable water sample collected from three different sites of Jaipur city and was found to be nearly equal or more than 105 cfu/ ml. Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated using the most probable number method (MPN index). Enterobacteriaceae (n = 36), randomly isolated from three sites, were identified, biochemically characterized and were screened for sensitivity to 9 antimicrobials by the disk diffusion method. The isolated bacteria had shown variable susceptibility and resistance patterns in response to different antibiotics used in the study. Polymerase chain reaction based methods can be a powerful molecular technique for rapid, sensitive and specific detection. Hence, in the present study primers were also designed specific to virulence signature sequences and their specificity was assessed by BLAST.

Dermatophytosis is currently treated with the commercially available topical and oral antifungal agents in spite of the existing side effects. Treatment of these cutaneous infections with secondary metabolites produced by wild plant is considered as an alternative approach. Exploring the unexplored aspect of the wild plants for developing antidermatophytic drugs is a novel attempt which needs further investigation. Study aims to screen eleven wild medicinal plants possessing antifungal activity against the clinical fungal isolates from dermatophytic patients. The methanolic plant extract were analyzed by well diffusion assay and phytochemical characterization of the active ingredient were determined possessing mycocidal activity. Aspergillus sp. was effectively controlled by the extracts of C.roseus , R.communis, T. cordifolia, J. curcas, C. longa; Curvularia sp. by T. cordifolia, R. communis , T. erectus , C. longa; Cladosporium sp. C. roseus  , R. communis , L. inermis , T. erectus, A. nilotica; Microsporium sp. by C. roseus, R. communis, J. curcas, L. inermis, A. nilotica  and Penicillium sp. by A. nilotica, R. communis, C. longa, T. occidentalis and T. erectus . Maximum Alkaloid was recovered from T. peruviana, Saponin in R. communis and C. roseus, Flavanoid from R. communis, Tannin in T. erectus and C.  roseus and phenols from L. inermis. Methanolic plants extracts of Catherenthus reseus, Riccinus communis, Tagetus erectus, Acacia nilotica, Lawsonia inermis and Thuja occidentalis were found to be significantly controlling the test fungi.  Data revealed that plants possessing higher phenol, tannin and saponin show antifungal activity.

Extended spectrum -lactamases are plasmid mediated. These plasmids produce enzymes that hydrolyze broad spectrum cephalosporins and monobactams. They acquire resistance prevalently through plasmid encoded. Study determines plasmids and their correlation with drug resistance against many antibiotics that limits their therapeutic implications. Bacteriological analysis of 50 samples susceptible for ESBL was conducted. The samples subjected to susceptibility tests and detection of ESBL. Plasmid DNA isolation of all the ESBL positive strains of E. coli was done by alkali-lysis method. Finally the presence of plasmid was correlated with susceptibility to beta lactam drugs. ESBL was detected in 56% (28 out of 50 isolates). Maximum ESBL incidence recorded of E. coli (30 %) followed by Klebseilla pnemoniae (18%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8 %). ESBL exhibited high-level resistance to beta lactam antimicrobial agents like  Amoxiclave (56%), Cefuroxime (54%), Cephotaxime (54%), Ceftriaxon (50%), Ceftazidime (46%) and Cefixime (36%). During plasmid profiling of eight isolates of ESBL E. coli showed one to four definite bands indicating the presence of different plasmids. ESBL’s constitute a growing class of plasmid-mediated -lactamases which confer resistance to broad spectrum β-lactam antibiotics. Incidence of ESBL is continuously increasing globally with limited treatment alternatives and formulates treatment policy. Moreover, restricted use of the third generation cephalosporins lead to withdrawal of selective pressure and use of lactam and -lactamase inhibitor combinations may exert reverse mutation on these enzymes. There is a strong correlation between the number of plasmids harbored by an isolate and drug resistance.