Exploring biological agents to control biofilm is a vital alternative in combating pathogenic bacteria that cause dental plaque. This study was focused on antimicrobial, biofilm formation and biofilm dispersal efficacy of Gallic acid (GA) against bacteria, including Proteus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., Streptococcus mutans, and Staphylococcus aureus and multispecies bacteria. Biofilm was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by crystal violet assay, florescence microscopy (bacterial biomass (µm²), surface coverage (%)) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). It was exhibited that GA (1–200 mg/L) can reduce bacterial growth. However, higher concentrations (100–200 mg/L) markedly reduced (86%) bacterial growth and biofilm formation (85.5%), while GA did not exhibit any substantial dispersal effects on pre-formed biofilm. Further, GA (20–200 mg/L) exhibited 93.43% biomass reduction and 88.6% (p < 0.05) EPS (polysaccharide) reduction. Microscopic images were processed with BioImageL software. It was revealed that biomass surface coverage was reduced to 2% at 200 mg/L of GA and that 13,612 (µm²) biomass was present for control, while it was reduced to 894 (µm²) at 200 mg/L of GA. Thus, this data suggest that GA have antimicrobial and biofilm control potential against single and multispecies bacteria causing dental plaque.

Streptococcus mutans, the primary cause of dental caries, relies on its ability to create and sustain a biofilm (dental plaque) for survival and pathogenicity in the oral cavity. This study was focused on the antimicrobial biofilm formation control and biofilm dispersal potential of Coumaric acid (CA) against Streptococcus mutans on the dentin surface. The biofilm was analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) viability assay, microtiter plate assay, production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), florescence microscopy (surface coverage and biomass μm²) and three-dimensional (3D) surface plots. It was observed that CA at 0.01 mg/mL reduced bacterial growth by 5.51%, whereases at 1 mg/mL, a significant (p < 0.05) reduction (98.37%) was observed. However, at 1 mg/mL of CA, a 95.48% biofilm formation reduction was achieved, while a 73.45% biofilm dispersal (after 24 h. treatment) was achieved against the preformed biofilm. The MTT assay showed that at 1 mg/mL of CA, the viability of bacteria in the biofilm was markedly (p < 0.05) reduced to 73.44%. Moreover, polysaccharide (EPS) was reduced to 24.80 μg/mL and protein (EPS) to 41.47 μg/mL. ImageJ software (version 1.54 g) was used to process florescence images, and it was observed that the biofilm mass was reduced to 213 (μm²); the surface coverage was reduced to 0.079%. Furthermore, the 3D surface plots showed that the untreated biofilm was highly dense, with more fibril-like projections. Additionally, molecular docking predicted a possible interaction pattern of CA (ligand) with the receptor Competence Stimulating Peptide (UA159sp, PDB ID: 2I2J). Our findings suggest that CA has antibacterial and biofilm control efficacy against S. mutans associated with dental plaque under tested conditions.

Use of silver nanoparticles is increasing in different packaging material as disinfectant to protect food and pharmaceutical products. Its use has raised the contamination risk of fresh water and human exposure can cause serious problems. The coagulation/flocculation process can be an attractive option for silver nanoparticles removal at small-scale treatment just after its use. Four coagulants, aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride, Ocimum basilicum, and Hibiscus esculentus (synthetic and natural) were applied. For coagulation/flocculation activity, a series of jar test experiments were conducted to treat silver nanoparticles at concentration of 1 mg L⁻¹ from wastewater. H. esculentus efficiently removed silver nanoparticles (98.7%) from aqueous solution at a dose of 150 mg L⁻¹, whereas at same coagulant dose, ferric chloride, O. basilicum, and aluminum sulfate successfully removed silver nanoparticles at 96, 69, and 50%, respectively. No broad change in pH was observed and it remained between 6.5 and 7.5 during all the experiments at room temperature.

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of different stages of dengue infection on immune cell counts among dengue patients and to compare them with cases of non-dengue febrile illness. The recruited patients were divided into two groups: the first group served as a control (n = 55), representing non-dengue febrile illness, and the second group was identified as dengue febrile illness (n = 149), which was further divided into three groups based on infection stage. Blood samples were collected from the selected patients and subjected to blood cell component analysis. To find IgG and IgM as well as the dengue virus non-structural antigen-1 (NS1), an immunochromatographic test (ICT) kit was utilized. Additionally, a hematological analyzer was used to determine complete blood cell counts (CBC). Data was thoroughly analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 6 software. The differences in means of different groups were calculated by applying the student's t-test. The findings revealed the presence of severe leucopenia and thrombocytopenia at stages 1 and 2, accompanied by lymphopenia at stage 1. Group comparisons indicated that only teenagers exhibited a significantly lower white blood cell count compared to older individuals, while no significant differences were observed in lymphocytes, platelets, and monocytes across all age groups. Comparing different age groups of normal individuals to dengue-infected patients, the results unveiled that leucopenia was most severe in adults, followed by teenagers and children, with no significant difference in the elderly. Furthermore, adults showed the greatest degree of thrombocytopenia, followed by teens and kids, with the elderly showing the greatest degree of thrombocytopenia. Adults and teens showed extreme neutrophilia, whereas young children and the elderly showed no discernible abnormalities. Elderly patients experienced a marked decrease in monocyte count, a phenomenon not observed in other age groups. In conclusion both, leucopenia & thrombocytopenia, are most severe in stages 1 and 2, whereas neutrophilia & lymphopenia are predominantly severe in stage 1. These results imply that the consequences associated with dengue infection are more severe in the early stages and tend to ameliorate as the patient progresses toward recovery.

Finding new biological ways to control biofouling of the membrane in reverse osmosis (RO) is an important substitute for synthetic chemicals in the water industry. Here, the study was focused on the antimicrobial, biofilm formation, and biofilm dispersal potential of rhamnolipids (RLs) (biosurfactants). The MTT assay was also carried out to evaluate the effect of RLs on biofilm viability. Biofilm was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by crystal violet assay, light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy (bacterial biomass (µm²), surface coverage (%)), and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). It was exhibited that RLs can reduce bacterial growth. The higher concentrations (≥100 mg/L) markedly reduced bacterial growth and biofilm formation, while RLs exhibited substantial dispersal effects (89.10% reduction) on preformed biofilms. Further, RLs exhibited 79.24% biomass reduction while polysaccharide was reduced to 60.55 µg/mL (p < 0.05) and protein to 4.67 µg/mL (p < 0.05). Light microscopy revealed biofilm reduction, which was confirmed using fluorescence microscopy. Microscopic images were processed with BioImageL software. It was revealed that biomass surface coverage was reduced to 1.1% at 1000 mg/L of RLs and that 43,245 µm² of biomass was present for control, while biomass was reduced to 493 µm² at 1000 mg/L of RLs. Thus, these data suggest that RLs have antimicrobial, biofilm control, and dispersal potential against membrane biofouling.

This study explored the antibacterial efficacy of Pistacia integerrima gall, leaf and bark in different solvents. Extracts of these parts prepared in ethanol, methanol and distilled water by using rotary evaporator. To check the antibacterial potential of this plant, minimal inhibitory concentrations of each extract analysed by agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For anticancer activity, hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of P. integerrima gall, leaf and bark used against human cervical cancer (HeLa) and baby hamster kidney (BHK–21) cell lines. Results showed that maximum zone of inhibition 25mm formed with ethanolic gall extract in 200µL concentration against B. subtilis. P. vulgaris shows resistance to methanol and aqueous extracts but inhibited with ethanolic leaf extract. Among different parts of P. integerrima, n-hexane leaf fraction shown to be most effective against HeLa cell lines with IC₅₀ of 7.45 µg/mL. In case of BHK-21, highest cell inhibition of 46.8% observed with crude leaf extract than ethyl-acetate bark extract (44.9%) of P. integerrima. It is concluded that the effective inhibitor was hexane leaf fraction against HeLa cell lines in which Heneicosane was found (39.7%) which might be responsible for anticancer activity.