http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63906 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:24:29 GMT 2026-10-12T14:24:29Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63911 Title: Detection of Escherichia fergusonii - an emerging pathogen harbouring drug resistant genes from seafood samples of Tamil Nadu, India Authors: Chrisolite, B; Sugumar, G; Sivakumar, S; Mercy, A Angela Abstract: Escherichia fergusonii harbouring drug resistant genes was isolated from seafood samples of Tamil Nadu, India while attempting to isolate Escherichia coli. Isolation of STEC was done by enrichment and plating on MacConkey agar MUG and sorbitol negative colonies were confirmed by IMViC test and by an automated system (Vitek-2 compact, BioMerieux, France). Antibiotic sensitivity test was performed by disc diffusion method and by PCR for antibiotic resistance genes. A total of 302 presumptive E. coli was isolated, of which 126 isolates were confirmed as E. coli. Few isolates could not ferment sorbitol and produce β-glucuronidase, and these were confirmed as presumptive E. coli O157:H7. However, two isolates were positive for adonitol and therefore confirmed as E. fergusonii (E011 and E060). The two isolates were sorbitol and lactose negative and adonitol, amygdalin and cellobiose positive. The isolates could not produce the enzyme β-glucuronidase. The isolates were then confirmed as E. fergusonii by gene specific PCR assay and 16S rDNA sequencing. ESBL studies showed that both the isolates harbour blaTEM. Presence of drug resistance and ESBL in E. fergusonii isolated from seafood samples is a matter of public health concern, as the resistance could enter the food chain and hinder the effectiveness of drugs used for treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the occurrence of E. fergusonii harbouring drug resistance genes from seafood samples of Tamil Nadu, India. Page(s): 363-370 Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63911 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63910 Title: Antimicrobial activity of the crude peptide extracts from Blackfin sea catfish Arius jella Day, 1877 Authors: Anju, M V; Reshma, C R; Archana, K; Adarsh, P P; Antony, A Abstract: Most Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) reported from fish possess antimicrobial activity. The study reports the antibacterial potential of the crude peptide extract from Arius jella, Blackfin sea catfish. The crude peptide extract was purified by a three-step process, namely acetic acid-acetone precipitation, Sep-pak®C-18 solid-phase purification, and cation exchange chromatography. The disc diffusion assay revealed that the crude extract obtained through the modified acetic acid-acetone precipitation method exhibited antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in all tested cases. The Sep-Pak purification yielded 5, 40, and 80 % fractions of the peptide, and these fractions underwent cation exchange chromatography. The peptide fractions (purified) were further tested for antimicrobial activity by broth microdilution assay. The fractions Aj5-5, Aj40-4, and Aj80-2 showed the highest activity against Bacillus cereus; Aj5-5, Aj40-5, and Aj80-2 against Vibrio alginolyticus; and Aj5-1, Aj40-1, and Aj80-4 showed highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus. All the fractions tested were found to be potent against at least one of the pathogens tested. This is the first report of the isolation of AMPs from Arius jella. Further purification and characterization of the peptides could potentially unveil novel therapeutic agents to combat pathogens and would be a substantial contribution to the field of aquaculture and human health management. Page(s): 371-380 Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63910 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63909 Title: Bactericidal properties of mangrove Bruguiera cylindrica (L.) Blume leaf and Rhizophora mucronata Poir. stilt root extracts on Vibrio cholera, MTCC 435 and Escherichia coli pathogens Authors: Gnanadesigan, M; Dhass, A; Nandagopalan, V; Rajagopalan, V; Saravanan, V Abstract: This research aimed to determine the bactericidal and cytotoxic properties of two mangrove plants commonly used in traditional medicine: Bruguiera cylindrica (leaf) and Rhizophora mucronata (stilt root). The selected plant parts were subjected to solvent polarity-based extraction. Of the solvent extracts, the acetone, ethyl acetate leaf extract of B. cylindrica and acetone stilt root extract of R. mucronata were chosen for further study as they exhibited minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 mg.ml-1 against MTCC 435, Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli. The well and disk diffusion analysis of these mangrove extracts showed inhibition zone between 6 – 16 mm diameter for the bacterial pathogens. Similarly, the mangrove extracts displayed > 98 % reduction of viable counts for MTCC 435, E. coli and V. cholerae at different time intervals between 8 – 16 h. Electron microscope analyses of the bacterial cells treated with mangrove extracts confirmed the bactericidal properties by cellular aggregation and leakage. Further, the cytotoxicity evaluation of mangrove extracts with Henrietta Lacks cell lines did not show any viability interference up to 200 μg.ml-1, indicating their non-toxicity to human cells and biocompatibility for drug development. The research findings suggest that the acetone, ethyl acetate leaf extract of B. cylindrica and the acetone stilt root extract of R. mucronata could be used as a bactericidal resource against V. cholerae, MTCC 435 and E. coli. Page(s): 381-389 Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63909 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63908 Title: Taxonomic studies of marine dinoflagellates and distribution in the coastal waters of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India Authors: Bhowal, A; Purushothaman, J; Siddique, A Abstract: The present study reports an account of dinoflagellates collected during the Bay of Bengal winter monsoon survey in January 2018 from the coastal waters of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Water samples were collected from four stations parallel to the coastline at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. A total of 14 species of dinoflagellates belonging to six families under three orders of class Dinophyceae have been obtained from Kakinada, 10 of which are newly reported from this area. The species obtained have been described in brief, along with their known distribution records, numerical abundance and additional ecological attributes. Page(s): 390-401 Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/63908 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z