Effect of medium composition on lipstatin production by Streptomyces toxytricini ATCC 19813 was investigated in shake flasks. The nutritional components of the medium was optimized by using Plackett-Burman, three factorial and one variable-at-a-time approach. Among the five factors studied, soya oil, soya lecithin and soya bean flour had significant effects on lipstatin production. The optimum levels of these key variables were further determined using a three factorial design and one variable-at-a-time. The highest lipstatin production was obtained in the medium consisting of glycerol 22.5 g/l, Soya flour 35 g/l, soya oil 15 g/l, soya lecithin 25 g/l and PPG 0.5 g/l at pH 7.20, 28oC and 220 rpm. The whole optimization strategy enhanced the lipstatin production from 0.097 g/l to 0.885 g/l. Here we report 8 fold enhancements in lipstatin production following Plackett-Burman, three factorial and one variable-at-a-time approach from Streptomyces toxytricini ATCC 19813.

Introduction- Infection is a commonly encountered problem for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and Multidrug-resistant bacterial infection is predominant. In intensive care unit (ICU) isolation, identification and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of microbiological isolate is important because of increased rate of mortality and morbidity and their economic burden which constitutes serious problem around the globe. Materials and Methods- This study was conducted over a period of one year in the different ICUs of a tertiary care, teaching Hospital in Western India. Different clinical samples were collected and analyzed by routine conventional methods in a Microbiology laboratory. Antibiotic susceptibility (ABS) test was done using modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines. Results- Total 1145 clinical samples were processed, out of which 554 showed evidence of infection, 469 were gram-negative, 64 were gram-positive and 21 were fungal infection specially candida species. Urinary tract infections and Skin and soft tissue infections were most common infection in MICU/PICU and SICU respectively. Among the isolates, the most commonly found microorganism was Pseudomonas spp. in skin lesions, soft tissue wounds & in blood. However E. coli was predominant in urinary tract infection and Klebsiella pneumoniae in respiratory tract infection. The majority of the Gram-negative isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics while 59.46% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusion- Outcomes of this study is highlighting the significance of microbial isolation & identification in patients in Intensive care Units (ICU) and shall improve antibiotic choices for number of patients admitted each year. Regular surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility pattern is important clue to clinicians in choosing antibiotics for the patients in ICU.

Background- Tuberculous Lymphadenitis is the commonest form of extra pulmonary tuberculosis and tissue diagnosis is the main stay in the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. This study was conducted to compare cytology, ZN staining and culture findings of clinically suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis cases. Methods- In the Present Study, clinically suspected cases of lymphadenopathy were undergone fine needle aspiration. The aspirates were examined cytologically followed by ZN staining and BACTEC culture. Results- The cytology suggestive of tuberculous lymphadenitis was found in 46 (76.6%) cases out of total 61 cases. Ziehl Neelsen stain demonstrated positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) in 14 (22.9%) cases and mycobacteria isolated from BACTEC in36 (59%) cases. Out of 61 cases 15(24.5%) cases showed pus formation and in cytological examination 13 of those cases reported as tuberculous lymphadenitis. Aspiration mixed with blood demonstrated AFB positive in 2 (5.88%) and mycobacteria were isolated in 16 (48.48%) cases and cytology suggest tuberculous lymphadenitis in 21 (63.63%) cases. Seven out of Nine cases of necrosis with or without neutrophils show presence of AFB. Samples having epithelioid cell granuloma with or without necrosis show AFB positive in 5 (16.66%) and 2 (25%) cases and mycobacteria isolated in 22 (73.73%) and 5 (62.5%) cases respectively. Conclusion- In spite of the diagnostic pitfalls, the outcomes of this study reinforce the importance of opinion i.e. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology serves as a potent and accurate diagnostic tool forpatients presenting with Lymphadenopathy due to tuberculosis.

Hydatid disease is a rare zoonotic disease. Rarely the hydatid cyst can become infected with mycotic organisms, such as Aspergillus. We describe a young male who presents with clinical features of suppurative lung abscess whose workup diagnosed hydatid cyst complicated by Aspergillus co-infection. A 32-year-old male farm labourer hospitalized with complaints of fever, chills, and productive cough with chest pain since four months duration Significant findings included leukocytosis with eosinophilia. Chestx-ray showing cystic lesion with air fluid level in Left lung suggestive of Hydatid cyst. CECT imaging of thorax and abdomen showed encysted left hydro pneumothoraxwith hypo dense cystic lesion in right lobe of liver,suggesting possibility of hydatid. The patient underwent decortication of the pulmonary cyst. Histopathologicalexamination of surgical specimen revealed cyst of 10 cm in its largest diameter showing cyst wall with thin branching septate hyphae with spores along with pink laminated wall like structure suggestive of hydatid cyst with aspergilloma. Aspergillosis and Hydatid cyst coexistance should be considered in presence of pulmonary cavitary lesion particularly in endemic areas. Detection of such association is important for planning adequate management.

The streptomycete strain SCY114 was isolated from a soil sample of Xuchang in Henan province, China. It possessed smooth grey spores borne in rectiflexible and spiral chains and was capable of using all of the International Streptomyces Project sugars. The melting temperature and G+C content were 81.8℃ and 61.6 mol%, respectively. The level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain SCY114 and S. scabies ATCC49173 was 99.8%. However, the values of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain SCY114 and S. scabies ATCC49173 was 65.2%, and the strain SCY114 did not exhibit pathogenicity towards potato plants. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic evidence, strain SCY114 was identified as a subspecies of the Streptomyces scabiei, for which the name Streptomyces scabiei subsp. xuchangensis is proposed. Strain SCY114 strongly inhibited the in vitro mycelial growth of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici as well as various other plant pathogenic fungi. The filtered culture broth of strain SCY114 was substantially more effective at controlling wheat take-all compared to the silthiofam, and the disease was reduced by 78.2%. An antifungal antibiotic was isolated from the fermentation broth of strain SCY114 using a series of chromatographic procedures. The molecular formula of the antibiotic was determined to be C28H26N4O3, and on the basis of the NMR data, the antibiotic was confirmed to be staurosporine.

The toxinotyping and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from chicken with necrotic enteritis were determined. All the 22 C. perfringens belonged to toxinotype A and the MIC values to 14 antimicrobial agents showed that all strains were susceptible to amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, metronidazole and penicillinstreptomycin. Most strains showed high rates of resistance to erythromycin, cephalexin and bacitracin and sulfaquinolaxin. Our results suggest an important role of the α-toxin in the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis and new strategies for preventing and controlling the Clostridium perfringens infection in poultry need to be investigated.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalised patients. The prevalence of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains including resistance to Carbapenems has been an increasing cause of concern. Hence this study was undertaken to know the resistance pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to various anti-pseudomonal antibiotics and also to detect Metallo β lactamase production in them. Methodology: Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from various clinical samples were tested. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was carried out by Kirby- Bauer method according to CLSI guidelines and detection of Metallo-β-lactamase production was carried out by Imipenem EDTA combined disc method. Results: 125 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested. The resistance pattern to various antibiotics were- Amikacin (18.4%), Gentamycin (63.2%), Netilmycin (32.8%), Ceftazidime (74.4%), Ciprofloxacin (60%), Imipenem (21.6%), Piperacillin (54.4%), Piperacillin+tazobactum (45.6%), Polymyxin-B (20%), Colistin (15.2%), Tobramycin (55.2%), Levofloxacin (41.6%), Carbenicillin (51.2%). 21.6% of the isolates were resistant to Imipenem and 6 out of 27 i.e 22.2% were positive for Metallo β lactamase production. Conclusions: Amikacin, Carbapenems, Colistin and Polymyxin are the main drugs to treat multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Metallo β lactamase detection has to be done to identify resistance to Carbapenems.