Search Results (2,135)

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a major nosocomial pathogen; bacteriophage therapy is a promising alternative, but its principal challenge is the rapid emergence of phage resistance. Cocktails counter this yet they are usually assembled by simply pooling phages active against the bacterium, not designed against the resistant mutants that arise. Methods: Next evolutionary phage typing (NEPT) addresses this by inducing resistance to a primary phage and then selecting secondary phages that lyse the resulting resistant mutant. Because choosing effective secondary phages still relies on qualitative visual reading of plaques (size and clarity), this study aimed to identify a rapid quantitative criterion. Results: Using the clinical strain CRAB 43895 and primary phage ϕ8, we obtained 65 NEPT-derived secondary phages that lyse the ϕ8-resistant mutant (ϕ8R) and combined four quantitative indicators—relative bacterial growth, lytic capability, coverage rate, and plaque morphology—with binary logistic regression to predict effective inhibition by the ϕ8 + secondary-phage cocktail (96-h OD₆₀₀ < 0.1). Of the four, only lytic capability (the titer after 3 h of co-culture) independently predicted effective inhibition (ROC AUC = 0.76; at ≥10⁷ plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL, sensitivity 0.83, specificity 0.69). Conclusions: Lytic capability thus provides a rapid (~8–12 h), quantitative criterion for selecting effective secondary phages within the NEPT framework, improving on conventional qualitative typing. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance is now documented in a substantial proportion of laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide, and although the most extreme extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pandrug-resistant (PDR) phenotypes are concentrated among Gram-negative bacilli, resistance in Gram-positive cocci continues to rise and remains a major determinant of outcomes in severe infection. This structured comprehensive narrative review, based on a documented search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science to June 2026, is confined to the three Gram-positive cocci of greatest clinical importance—Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecium—and summarises current global and European surveillance data for this organisms, describes the principal molecular mechanisms responsible for resistance to β-lactams, glycopeptides, fluoroquinolones, oxazolidinones, lipopeptides, tetracyclines, folate-pathway inhibitors, macrolides–lincosamides–streptogramins and aminoglycosides, and reviews the therapeutic options and investigational agents that may extend the treatment repertoire against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive cocci. Surveillance indicators for the three species are compared side by side, and the agents discussed are separated according to whether they are licensed, clinically evaluated but not widely licensed, or still preclinical. Its scope is deliberately narrower than that of pan-bacterial accounts of antimicrobial resistance: it concentrates on the determinants that routine molecular confirmation does not detect, on the divergent pathogen-specific trajectories visible in recent surveillance, and on the distinction between agents supported by randomised evidence and those still at the discovery stage. Our review is structured rather than systematic; the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram is used as a reporting template only, and no claim of PRISMA compliance is made. Full article

Background: Bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the main etiological agent. The clinical relevance of respiratory pathogen co-infections and the role of emerging preventive strategies, including nirsevimab immunoprophylaxis, remain under investigation. Methods: We conducted two complementary observational analyses within the pediatric healthcare network of Western Sicily. The first was a retrospective study including 580 children younger than 24 months hospitalized for bronchiolitis between 2019 and 2025 at the “Giovanni Di Cristina” Hospital in Palermo, Italy, to investigate respiratory pathogen detection patterns and their clinical correlates. Patients were classified according to microbiological findings as single-virus infections or viral–viral/viral–bacterial co-detections. The second was a separate observational cohort of 458 newborns from two birth centers in Western Sicily during the 2024–2025 RSV season, established to evaluate the implementation, safety, and respiratory outcomes associated with nirsevimab prophylaxis. Results: Viral–viral and/or viral–bacterial co-detections were identified in 45.5% of hospitalized infants and were associated with longer hospital stay (8.86 vs. 6.35 days, p < 0.001) and a higher frequency of complications (18.6% vs. 8.5%, p < 0.001), without differences in age, sex, or respiratory support requirements. RSV remained the predominant pathogen throughout the study period. In the complementary observational subgroup analysis, the observed safety findings were reassuring, with only mild and self-limiting events reported during follow-up; however, the sample size and observational design limit the ability to assess rare or delayed adverse events. Among infants undergoing clinically indicated respiratory testing, RSV was detected in 7/9 (77.8%) non-prophylaxed infants and 5/24 (20.8%) prophylaxed infants. Among hospitalized infants, complications were less frequently observed among those who had received nirsevimab (3.5% vs. 26.9%, p < 0.001), although substantial baseline differences between groups precluded causal interpretation of this finding. Conclusions: Viral–viral and viral–bacterial co-detections are frequent in hospitalized bronchiolitis and are associated with increased clinical complexity, mainly through prolonged hospitalization and higher occurrence of complications. The observational nirsevimab analysis showed a favorable safety profile and a lower proportion of RSV detection among clinically tested prophylaxed infants. However, because respiratory testing was performed according to clinical indication and differed substantially between groups, these findings cannot be interpreted as estimates of RSV incidence or as definitive evidence of nirsevimab effectiveness. The observed difference in complications should also be interpreted cautiously because of substantial baseline differences between prophylaxed and non-prophylaxed infants. Prospective studies with systematic respiratory testing are warranted. Full article

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic widely used in aquaculture for the treatment of bacterial diseases caused by important fish pathogens, including Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Vibrio, and Lactococcus spp. Although OTC remains an important therapeutic agent in fish farming, its use may also induce undesirable physiological effects, including hematological disturbances, immunosuppression, and oxidative stress. This study investigated the protective effects of dietary curcumin against OTC-induced physiological alterations in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish were fed diets supplemented with 0, 10, 50, or 100 mg kg⁻¹ curcumin for eight weeks, followed by exposure to 0, 50, and 75 mg L⁻¹ OTC for 48 h. Hematological variables, innate immune responses, and oxidative stress biomarkers were comprehensively evaluated. OTC exposure significantly disrupted physiological homeostasis by reducing red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). Furthermore, white blood cell (WBC) count, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) activity, phagocytic activity (PA), phagocytic index (PI), total protein (TP), immunoglobulin M (IgM), bactericidal activity (BA), lysozyme activity (LYZ), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were significantly decreased, indicating marked suppression of both cellular and humoral innate immune responses. Oxidative stress was characterized by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations together with reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, whereas glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity increased following OTC exposure. Dietary curcumin supplementation generally improved hematological and immune indices and was associated with reduced lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant status. However, the magnitude and statistical pattern of these responses varied among parameters and tissues, and significant CUR × OTC interactions were not observed for all endpoints. Overall, dietary curcumin supplementation progressively attenuated these alterations, although the response pattern varied among parameters. Increasing dietary curcumin supplementation generally led to greater physiological improvement, although the response varied among endpoints. Notably, at 75 mg/L OTC, supplementation with 100 mg/kg curcumin, compared with 0 mg/kg curcumin, increased RBC count by approximately 14.5%, Ht by 47.8%, WBC count by 32.2%, and NBT activity by 38.9%. In the liver, the same treatment reduced MDA by approximately 14.6% and increased SOD activity and GSH levels by 48.7% and 47.2%, respectively (p < 0.001 for all). The highest dietary curcumin level generally produced the greatest physiological improvement. In conclusion, dietary curcumin effectively mitigated OTC-induced hematological, immunological, and oxidative disturbances in rainbow trout, highlighting its considerable potential as a functional feed additive to improve fish health, enhance physiological resilience under antibiotic-associated stress, and support more sustainable aquaculture practices. Full article

This study investigated the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, virulence determinants, and heat tolerance of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolated from ready-to-eat (RTE) beef luncheon and sausage in Egypt. A total of 150 samples were analyzed, yielding 514 Enterococcus isolates, with contamination detected in all samples. Molecular identification revealed a predominance of E. faecium (71.2%) over E. faecalis (28.8%). High frequencies of virulence genes were detected, particularly gelE (95.7%) and ace (60.7%), indicating strong pathogenic potential. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated widespread multidrug resistance, with high resistance rates to β-lactams, tetracycline (94%), vancomycin (62.5%), and rifampin (91%). Notably, 100% of E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant, with some strains exhibiting extensive or pandrug resistance. Vancomycin resistance genes (vanA and vanB) were detected in the majority of isolates, with vanA being predominant. Heat treatment experiments showed minimal reduction in bacterial counts after microwave heating (8.2 vs. 8.9 log₁₀ CFU/g of the control), although boiling of the cooked RTE sausage for 5 min achieved a significant (p < 0.01) but incomplete reduction in the Enterococcus count by 3.8 logs (5.1 vs. 8.9 log₁₀ CFU/g), indicating notable thermotolerance. Surviving isolates retained resistance and virulence traits. These findings highlight RTE meat products collected from Mansoura city as potential reservoirs of thermotolerant, multidrug-resistant enterococci, raising a potential public health concern and emphasizing the need for improved food safety measures and further nationwide studies. Although direct epidemiological links between foodborne isolates and clinical infections were not established, the presence of such strains raises a potential public health concern and underscores the need for improved food safety measures and further epidemiological investigations. Full article

The skin of Rana amurensis serves as an important defense barrier against microbial challenges, yet the molecular basis of its cutaneous immune defense and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) repertoire remains incompletely understood. Here, we established a skin transcriptomic profile of R. amurensis following Aeromonas hydrophila infection and integrated transcriptomic and bioinformatic approaches to characterize transcriptional responses and identify candidate AMPs. A total of 1669 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the uninfected and infected groups, including 1091 up-regulated and 578 down-regulated genes. Infection with A. hydrophila induced marked transcriptional changes in innate immune-related genes and pathways, including differential expression of genes associated with the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Transcriptome-based screening identified 151 candidate AMP sequences. Based on sequence characteristics, evolutionary conservation, and physicochemical properties (length ≤50 amino acids and net charge ranging from +2 to +9), six candidates were selected and three randomly selected candidates were chemically synthesized and exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacterial pathogens, inducing less than 10% hemolysis and maintaining L929 cell viability above 79% at 64 μg/mL. These findings indicate that A. hydrophila infection induces coordinated transcriptional responses involving innate immune-related pathways and diverse candidate AMPs in R. amurensis. This study supports the utility of transcriptome-guided discovery for identifying candidate AMPs in amphibians and provides insights into the molecular basis of skin defense in R. amurensis. Full article

Background/Objectives: The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance has created an urgent need for new chemotypes with activity against bacterial, fungal, and mycobacterial pathogens. Rhodanine-based compounds are recognized as privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry because of their broad spectrum of biological activities, making them attractive candidates for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Methods: A library of thirty-two novel rhodanine-based hydrazide derivatives (21–52) was synthesized by condensation of 5-ethoxymethylidenerhodanine derivatives with aromatic acid hydrazides and characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Their drug-likeness and pharmacokinetics properties were evaluated using SwissADME, while antimicrobial activity was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, Candida spp., and both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Results: The synthesized compounds demonstrated selective activity against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas only limited activity was observed against Gram-negative species. The most potent derivatives (36, 40, 46, and 50) inhibited Micrococcus luteus with MIC values as low as 31.3 mg/L. Several compounds also demonstrated noteworthy antifungal activity, particularly against Candida parapsilosis (MIC = 15.6–31.3 µg/mL). Pyridyl-containing analogues displayed moderate antitubercular activity and, importantly, compounds 49 and 52 retaining activity against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains. In silico analysis indicated favorable drug-like properties for most compounds, with good compliance with Lipinski’s rule of five and predicted oral bioavailability. Preliminary structure–activity relationship analysis revealed that a 3-phenylrhodanine core combined with para-halogen or para-nitro substituents significantly enhanced antimicrobial potency. Conclusions: The present study identifies rhodanine-based hydrazide derivatives as promising multifunctional antimicrobial scaffolds with activity against Gram-positive bacteria, pathogenic yeasts, and M. tuberculosis. The identified structure–activity relationships provide a rational basis for further lead optimization and support continued development of this chemotype as a potential source of new antimicrobial agents. Full article

As dietary habits evolve, cereal-based foods, such as maize tortillas, are increasingly consumed as ready-to-eat products, yet their physicochemical properties may influence microbial stability during storage. This study characterized the microbiological and physicochemical properties of commercial vacuum-sealed maize tortillas and evaluated Salmonella enterica survival in vacuum-sealed laboratory-prepared maize tortillas. Nine commercial brands were characterized by proximate composition, moisture content, water activity (0.945–0.965), and pH (4.76–5.50), confirming a high-moisture and carbohydrate-rich matrix. Indicator microorganisms revealed moderate contamination levels, with total coliforms exceeding regulatory limits in several samples. Challenge studies demonstrated that S. Typhimurium survival at 4 and 25 °C followed non-linear inactivation kinetics accurately described by the Weibull model (R² > 0.90). Storage temperature significantly affected the shape parameter (p = 0.026), whereas packaging conditions significantly influenced the estimated 5-log reduction time (t₅). Vacuum-sealed tortillas exhibited prolonged pathogen survival, particularly under refrigeration (>60 days), where bacterial populations remained detectable for extended storage periods. These findings challenge the assumption that vacuum-sealing improves microbiological safety in cereal-based foods. Full article

Airborne bacteria exhibit high taxonomic diversity and a well-documented capacity to influence human health through pathogenic infection, allergenic sensitization, and immunomodulatory or commensal exposure. However, characterization of the airborne bacterial community structure, and particularly the seasonal dynamics, size-resolved distribution, and functional potential of predicted potential pathogens in Qingdao, a coastal megacity on the Yellow Sea, remains limited. Results revealed pronounced seasonal variation in community structure: Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, Escherichia–Shigella, and Klebsiella were consistently dominant across all samples. LEfSe analysis identified Staphylococcus as significantly enriched in autumn, supporting its utility as a robust seasonal biomarker (LDA > 3.5, p < 0.05). This genus is predominantly associated with human sources and comprises opportunistic pathogens, thereby posing a potential risk to human health. Significant compositional divergence between summer and autumn communities was observed as a higher beta deviation index, whereas there were no statistically significant differences between particle size groups. The Chao and Shannon indices were consistently higher in PM₁₀ than in PM_2.5 across all seasons; however, this size-associated difference reached statistical significance only for autumn PM₁₀ (p < 0.05), indicating a seasonally amplified effect of coarse particulate matter on microbial richness and evenness. These analyses provide new insight into the total airborne bacterial and potential pathogens in an urban coastal environment. Full article

Background: Developing molecular tools for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is crucial for improving the diagnosis and initiation of prompt treatment of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of cerebrospinal fluid and serum multiplex PCR compared with conventional diagnostic methods for detecting bacterial pathogens among patients clinically suspected of bacterial meningitis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College from August 2023 to February 2024. A total of 202 patients who were suspected of having meningitis were included in the study. Conventional laboratory analysis, including Gram staining and bacterial culture from CSF, was performed. CSF and serum PCR for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were performed. The agreement between tests used to detect etiologic agents of bacterial meningitis was determined by McNemar’s Test and Cohen’s kappa statistic. Results: Of the 202 study participants, 109 (54.0%) were male, and 178 (88.1%) were pediatric, with the majority being infants (mean age: 1.45 ± 0.69 years). Poor feeding was the most common clinical presentation at 151/202 (74.8%), followed by high fever at 144/202 (71.3%), and loss of consciousness at 134/202 (66.3%). Among the 202 CSF samples, nine (4.5%) and 11 (5.4%) tested positive for culture and Gram stain, respectively. Bacterial DNA was detected in 54/202 (26.7%) of the CSF samples and 93/202 (46.0%) of the serum samples. E. coli was detected in 30/54 (55.5%) of CSF samples and 57/93 (61.2%) of serum samples, followed by S. pneumoniae, which was detected in 8/54 (14.8%) of CSF samples and 27/93 (29.0%) of serum samples. The overall agreement between CSF and serum PCR is 60.9% (123/202), with a positive percent agreement of 62.96% (34/54), and a negative percent agreement of 60.14% (89/148). McNemar’s test indicated a significant difference between the two tests (p < 0.0001), and Cohen’s kappa statistic showed slight agreement (κ = 0.188, 95% CI: 0.109–0.293). Conclusions: Bacterial DNA was detected more often in serum multiplex PCR than CSF PCR or culture, suggesting its potential role as a complementary diagnostic tool for epidemiological surveillance, particularly in resource-limited settings where lumbar puncture may not always be feasible. However, serum PCR should not replace CSF analysis for definitive diagnosis; rather, it can serve as a screening or surveillance tool, with positive results requiring clinical correlation and, where possible, CSF confirmation. A relatively small sample size, reliance on conventional PCR, absence of comparison with quantitative PCR, potential blood contamination, lack of sequencing, and lack of long-term outcome data limit the generalizability of our findings. Future investigations should include a large sample size in conjunction with confirmatory culture techniques to enhance the robustness and validity of the findings. Full article

Ready-to-cook Asian moon scallop (RAM) may harbor seafood-associated spoilage and opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, leading to quality deterioration and food safety concerns. This study investigated the microbiological diversity, virulence-associated phenotypes, and antibacterial activity of chitooligosaccharide–epigallocatechin gallate conjugate (CEGC) combined with nisin against seafood-associated bacteria isolated from RAM. A total of 102 bacterial isolates were subjected to identification by MALDI-TOF/MS, with Vibrio, Aeromonas, and Shewanella as the predominant genera. Several isolates exhibited proteolytic and hemolytic activities, indicating spoilage potential and virulence-associated traits. Multivariate analysis showed that bacterial isolates differed widely in their antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence-associated phenotypes. Checkerboard assays demonstrated synergistic effects between CEGC and nisin against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio fluvialis (FICI = 0.50). The additive effects were observed for the remaining strains, except an indifferent effect (FICI = 1.06) was found for A. hydrophila. The combined treatment markedly inhibited bacterial growth and biofilm formation, achieving approximately 95% biofilm reduction in V. parahaemolyticus. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed severe membrane disruption, increased permeability, cellular deformation, and collapse of biofilm architecture. Furthermore, CEGC–nisin effectively suppressed V. parahaemolyticus growth in cold-stored RAM. These findings demonstrate that CEGC combined with nisin is a promising natural antimicrobial strategy for improving seafood safety and reducing microbial spoilage in ready-to-cook seafood products. Full article

Medicinal plants in the Acanthaceae family have long been used in Thai traditional medicine. In this study, ethanolic extracts of four plant species, Andrographis paniculata, Thunbergia laurifolia, Acanthus ebracteatus, and Rhinacanthus nasutus, were prepared and their phytochemical and pharmacological properties were evaluated. Total phenolic and flavonoid content assays were used to investigate phytochemical content and phytochemical profiles were characterized with LC-MS, while antioxidant activities were assessed via colorimetric methods. The extracts were also tested for antibacterial activity against several skin pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cutibacterium acnes, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus, using agar well diffusion and broth dilution methods. Cytotoxic effects on the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell were assessed using the MTT assay. The extracts were further evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity in an LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell. Inflammatory gene expression was assessed by quantifying the mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB genes using RT-qPCR. The results revealed that among the four species, T. laurifolia extract showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid levels, consistent with the greatest antioxidant activity. Moreover, LC-MS profiling annotated a range of secondary metabolites in the extracts. The inhibition zones were observed for all plant extracts when tested against the skin pathogenic bacteria except C. acnes, and A. paniculata did not inhibit P. aeruginosa, indicating the antibacterial activity of the extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values differed across the extracts and bacterial strains. T. laurifolia exhibited the most potent activity against various bacterial pathogens, while A. paniculata was most effective against C. acnes at 0.98 mg/mL. In addition, all plant extracts reduced nitric oxide production and downregulated the expression of inflammatory genes. Among all plant species, A. paniculata showed the most potent activity with the highest NO inhibition of 65.68% at 60 µg/mL. Therefore, these findings support the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory potential of A. paniculata, T. laurifolia, A. ebracteatus and R. nasutus, which are traditionally used in folk medicine. Full article

The presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in fresh produce constitutes a significant public health concern, particularly in rural areas where untreated water is commonly used for irrigation. Certain Enterobacter species have been reported as causal agents of onion bulb rot, with Enterobacter cloacae experimentally demonstrated to cause bulb rot in onions. However, there is poor documentation of its effects in the Vhembe District, South Africa. This study investigated the detection and identification of enteric bacteria in onions, soil, and irrigation water, as well as the characterisation of the identified isolates. Thirty-six samples were analysed, comprising 13 onion samples, 4 irrigation water samples, and 9 soil specimens collected from three farms using selective and differential agar. Identification and enumeration in water and onion samples were performed with the Colilert Quanti-Tray. Physicochemical analysis of irrigation water indicated that Farm 3 had the highest electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS), as well as the lowest pH, while Farm 2 exhibited the greatest diversity of pathogenic Escherichia coli pathotypes, including enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), which was absent in Farm 3. Culture-based methods yielded 72 presumptive bacterial isolates, which were characterized using the VITEK 2 system. Identified species included Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter amalonaticus, Raoultella ornithinolytica, and members of the Enterobacter cloacae complex. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most Enterobacter isolates closely matched reference strains of Enterobacter ludwigii. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against 19 antibiotics demonstrated varied resistance patterns among the isolates. The Enterobacter cloacae complex exhibited the highest resistance (10/19 antibiotics), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (9/19) and Citrobacter amalonaticus (7/19). All isolates were resistant to colistin but remained susceptible to ciprofloxacin, with most also sensitive to gentamicin and amikacin. Future research should include additional farms and investigate antibiotic resistance at the genetic level to elucidate its origins. Full article

The present study reports the green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (α-Fe₂O₃ NPs) using Azadirachta indica leaf extract as a sustainable stabilizing agent and evaluates their antimicrobial and photocatalytic potential. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Visible, FT-IR, XRD, FESEM-EDS and TEM techniques. UV–Visible analysis confirmed nanoparticle formation, while XRD revealed the rhombohedral crystalline phase of α-Fe₂O₃ with high crystallinity. FT-IR analysis indicated the involvement of phytochemicals from A. indica in nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization. FESEM and TEM images showed predominantly irregular agglomerated rod-shaped nanoparticles. EDS analysis confirmed the elemental composition of iron and oxygen. Photocatalytic performance was evaluated through the degradation of Rhodamine B dye under xenon arc lamp irradiation simulating sunlight. The synthesized α-Fe₂O₃ NPs achieved a maximum degradation efficiency of 95.38% at 180 min and followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The effects of pH, catalyst reusability, and stability confirmed the excellent photocatalytic performance and durability of the nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activity of α-Fe₂O₃ NPs was assessed against selected bacterial pathogens (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, and S. aureus) and fungal strains (C. albicans, A. flavus, and A. niger) using the disk diffusion method. The nanoparticles exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with the highest inhibition observed against E. coli. These findings demonstrate that A. indica-mediated α-Fe₂O₃ NPs are effective multifunctional nanomaterials with significant potential for wastewater treatment, environmental remediation, and antimicrobial applications. Full article

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPB27 is a novel probiotic isolated from the intestines of healthy infants and young children. In this study, healthy mice were used as a model to systematically investigate the immune regulatory effects of LPB27 mediated by the microbiota–gut–immune axis, with a focus on evaluating its immune-enhancing potential. The safety evaluation showed that, at a dose of 0.50 g/kg/day, LPB27 caused no observable toxicity or adverse reactions. The evaluation of immune function indicated that in terms of cellular immunity, high-dose LPB27 increased the delayed-type hypersensitivity response and lymphocyte proliferation by 69% and 35%, respectively; in terms of humoral immunity, the number of hemolytic plaques and hemolysin titer increased by 42% and 36%, respectively; in terms of innate immunity, the carbon clearance capacity, CRBC phagocytosis rate, and macrophage phagocytic index increased by 13%, 33%, and 66%, respectively. Serum IgA, IgG, and IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in the high-dose group, whereas TNF-α was significantly reduced. Overall, LPB27 supplementation enhanced multiple immune indicators in mice. By comparing the gut microbiota composition at different time points, the study found that continuous intake of LPB27 was associated with an enrichment of multiple beneficial bacterial genera, including Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, Muribaculum, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, together with a reduction of potentially pathogenic taxa, indicating an overall improvement in the intestinal microbial ecology. Changes in the abundance of these beneficial taxa were positively correlated with the predicted activation of metabolic pathways related to the synthesis of immune-related proteins. These findings support the further development of LPB27 as an immune-regulating ingredient. Full article