Objective(s): Chitosan based composite fine fibers were successfully produced via a centrifugal spinning technology. This study evaluates the ability of the composites to function as scaffolds for cell growth while maintaining an antibacterial activity. Materials and methods: Two sets of chitosan fiber composites were prepared, one filled with anti-microbial silver nanoparticles and another on...

A lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Bacillus natto TK-1 has a strong surface activity. The biosurfactant was found to be an anti-adhesive agent against several bacterial strains, and also showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The biosurfactant induced a significant reduction in tumor cells viability in a dose-dependent manner.

Infection of cultured HEp-2 cells with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli causes substantial actin accretion at points of bacterial contact and cell death. Loss of viability was delayed by chelating intracellular free calcium. Actin accretion was partially inhibited by preventing elevation of free cytosolic calcium and prevented by treatment with a calmodulin inhibitor.

Ratiometric pre-rRNA analysis (RPA) detects the replenishment of rRNA precursors that occurs rapidly upon nutritional stimulation of bacterial cells. In contrast to DNA detection by PCR, RPA distinguishes viable from inactivated bacteria. It exhibits promise as a molecular viability test for pathogens in water and other environmental samples.

The efficacy of UV treatment to control bacterial adhesion onto hard surfaces was investigated in laboratory conditions. The major characteristics necessary for biofilm formation like extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, carbohydrate and protein concentration in EPS, and adhesion ability onto hard surface were studied using two bacterial strains isolated from marine biofilms. The...

Formation of bacterial biofilms on dental implant material surfaces (titanium) may lead to the development of peri-implant diseases influencing the long term success of dental implants. In this study, a novel Cu-bearing titanium alloy (Ti-Cu) was designed and fabricated in order to efficiently kill bacteria and discourage formation of biofilms, and then inhibit bacterial infection and prevent i...

The fraction in which direct contact occurs between micellar-phase phenanthrene and the bacterial cell surface was estimated by measuring the toxicity of nonionic surfactant (Tween 80 and Triton X-100) solutions to the phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas putida P2. Cell viability of completely dissolved phenanthrene decreased by 30% at concentrations greater than 0.3 mg L(-1), which i...

Macrophages undergo apoptosis after infected by Mycobacterium tuber- culosis (M.tb), which is regulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and has a direct correlation with killing of intracellular bacilli. In order to clarify the role of isoniazid (INH) in the modulation of macrophages apoptosis and intracellular bacilli replication, we performed the following studies using an INH-resi...

Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial properties and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) cytotoxicity of synthesized carboxymethyl cellulose-silver nanoparticles impregnated on titanium plates. Material and methods: The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles in a carboxymethyl cellulose matrix impregnated on titanium plates (Ti-AgNPs) in three concentrations: 16%, 50% and 100% was determine...

Resazurin (or Alamar Blue) is a poorly fluorescent dye. During the cellular reduction of resazurin, its highly fluorescent product resorufin is formed. Resazurin assay is a commonly applied method to investigate viability of bacterial and mammalian cells. In this study, the interaction of resazurin and resorufin with β-cyclodextrins was investigated employing spectroscopic and molecular modelin...