Many species are resistant to heavy metals in their surrounding polluted environment and Staphylococcus sp. is an example. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteria resistant to heavy metals in the Shatt Al-Arab River in southern Basra, Iraq. Based on the morphology and using Vitek II system, and due to their high resistance to heavy metals (mercury and chromium), two species of Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus lentus and Staphylococcus lugdunensis) were chosen and isolated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolates against Hg and Cr was determined after 72 h. of incubation in solid media. All isolates were resistant to Hg (2000 mgL-1) and Cr (4000mgL-1). Living biomass of S. lentus and S. lugdunensis was used to remove the heavy metal ions in various concentrations (5, 10 and 25 mgL-1) of the solutions of aqueous metals. After 72 hours incubation, the removal percentage of S. lugdunensis was 98.91 and 78.78% for Hg and Cr respectively. That for S. lentus it was 77.83% for Cr after 72 hours, and 98.84% for Hg after 24 h. of incubation. The scanning electron microscope approved that the removal of these metals causes morphological changes in bacteria.
In this study, Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the causative agent of furunculosis in 64 (27.5%) out of 233 Iraqi patients presented with furunculosis. 16SrRNA gene was located in all isolates. Nevertheless, mecA and lukS-lukF genes were located in 60% and 4% of S. aureus isolates, respectively. Interestingly, the lukS-lukF carrying S. aureus isolates were mecA positive as well.
ABSTRACT
The effect of adding raw bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus bulgaricus to cheese curd at an amount of (5 and 10 and 15) mL/kg cheese as a biological preservative to prolong the shelf life of soft cheese, in addition to the control treatment, knowing that each 1 mL of bacteriocin filter contains 15 units/ mL of bacteriocin. The results of the physicochemical, microbial and sensory tests for cheese stored at refrigerator temperature for a period (zero) to (21) d of adding bacteriocin showed the superiority of the treatment of cheese added to 15 mL/kg cheese of bacteriocin over the rest of the other treatments during the storage period, wh
... Show MoreA new species, Hottentotta pooyani sp. nov. is described and illustrated using two female specimens collected from the Khuzestan Province in Iran. This species is compared with the closely species including H. khoozestanus Navidpour, Kovařík, Soleglad & Fet, 2008; H. pellucidus Lowe, 2010 and H. saxinatans Lowe, 2010 that were previously described in Iran and Oman.
In this study, depleted uranium concentrations were calculated in sediments Diyala River samples , where 14 samples of sediment along the Diyala River were collected , starting from the Rustumiya area and ending with the Tuwaitha area after its confluence with the River Tigris , using the solid - state nuclear track detectors technique (SSNTDs). We found that the highest concentration of depleted uranium was in the sample (A-13), and was taken from the Tuwaitha area with the specific activity of the amount (78.1 ± 8.5 Bq/kg ) and the lowest concentration of the depleted uranium was in the sample (A-7), and was taken from the Azwaip area with the
... Show MoreBiologically active natural compounds are molecules produced by plants or plant-related microbes, such as endophytes. Many of these metabolites have a wide range of antimicrobial activities and other pharmaceutical properties. This study aimed to evaluate (in vitro) the antifungal activities of the secondary metabolites obtained from Paecilomyces sp. against the pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. The endophytic fungus Paecilomyces was isolated from Moringa oleifera leaves and cultured on potato dextrose broth for the production of the fungal metabolites. The activity of Paecilomyces filtrate against the radial growth of Rhizoctonia solani was tested by mixing the filtrate with potato dextrose agar medium at concentrations of 15%,
... Show MoreAbstract The League of Arab States took many procedures against the Syrian political system, like suspended Syria's membership in the League of Arab States and sent a team of Arab observers headed by Dabi to discuss the situation there and issued some decisions and statements that called the Syrian regime to stop the use of violence and repression against the Syrian opposition.Through these steps, the Arab League has tried to help the Syrian parties to resolve the crisis. However, the role of the league in the Syrian crisis was characterized by weakness in general, and lack of seriousness, which contributed in the aggravation of the situation in Syria, and the intervention of major powers in the internal affairs of Syria.
Tigris River is the lifeline that supplies a great part of Iraq with water from north to south. Throughout its entire length, the river is battered by various types of pollutants such as wastewater effluents from municipal, industrial, agricultural activities, and others. Hence, the water quality assessment of the Tigris River is crucial in ensuring that appropriate and adequate measures are taken to save the river from as much pollution as possible. In this study, six water treatment plants (WTPs) situated on the two-banks of the Tigris within Baghdad City were Al Karkh; Sharq Dijla; Al Wathba; Al Karama; Al Doura, and Al Wahda from northern Baghdad to its south, that selected to determine the removal efficiency of turbidity and
... Show MoreThe current study aimed to detect the effect of gentamicin stress on the expression of hla (encodes hemolysin) and nuc (encodes nuclease) genes of Staphylococcus aureus. Fifty-eight isolates identified as S. aureus were isolated locally from different clinical specimens. Disk diffusion method was used to detect the resistance to S. aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin was estimated by broth microdilution method. hla and nuc genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction technique. The biofilm was evaluated using the microtiter plate method in the presence and absence of gentamicin at sub-MIC. The results showed that 18 (31%) and 40 (69%) S. aureus isolates were sensitive and resistant to gentamicin, respectiv
... Show MoreOne hundred and six S. aureus were isolated from 250 Nasal swabs of
Healthcare workers and patients at Al- Kadhamia teaching Hospital and Al-
Numan hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. The study was undertaken over a period of
ten months between August 2011 and June 2012. S. aureus isolates were
diagnosed based on phenotypic traits and biochemical tests. Antibiotics
sensitivity to 11 antibiotics, revealed that S.aureus is totally resistant to
Pencillin G (100%), highly resistant to Cefoxitin (alternative to Methicillin)
(94.3%) While there are varied resistance percentage for the rest of
antibiotics: Erythromycin (37.7%), Tetracycline (34.9%), Gentamicin
(29.3%), Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50%), Ciprofloxacin (29.2%),<