Bacterial biofilms are aggregation or collection of different bacterial cells which are covered by self-produced extracellular matrix and are attached to a substratum. Generally, under stress or in unfavorable conditions, free planktonic bacteria transform themselves into bacterial biofilms and become sessile. Various mechanisms involving interaction between antimicrobial and biofilm matrix components, reduced growth rates, and genes conferring antibiotic resistance have been described to contribute to enhanced resistance. Quorum sensing and multi-drug resistance efflux pumps are known to regulate the internal environment within the biofilm as well as biofilm formation; they also protect cells from antibiotic attack or immune attacks. This review summarizes data supporting the importance of exopolysaccharides during biofilm formation and its role in antibiotic resistance. Involvement of quorum sensing and efflux pumps in antibiotic resistance in association with exopolysaccharides. Also, strategies to overcome or attack biofilms are provided.

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles is emerging as a potential method for nanoparticle synthesis due to its non-toxicity and simplicity. In the present study, a bacterium resistant to heavy metals was isolated from a metal-contaminated site and we aimed to report the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles via co-precipitation using bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) derived from Enterococcus faecalis_RMSN6 strains. A three-variable Box–Behnken design was used for determining the optimal conditions of the Fe₃O₄ NPs synthesis process. The synthesized Fe₃O₄ NPs were thoroughly characterized through multiple analytical techniques such as XRD, UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and finally SEM analysis to understand the surface morphology. Fe₃O₄ NPs were then probed for the Cr(VI) ion adsorption studies. The important parameters such as optimization of initial concentration of Cr(VI) ions, effects of contact time, pH of the solution and contact time on quantity of Cr(VI) adsorbed were studied in detail. The maximum adsorption capacity of the nanoparticles was found to be 98.03 mg/g. The nanoparticles could retain up to 73% of their efficiency of chromium removal for up to 5 cycles. Additionally, prepared Fe₃O₄ NPs in the concentration were subjected to cytotoxicity studies using an MTT assay. The investigations using Fe₃O₄ NPs displayed a substantial dose-dependent effect on the A594 cells. The research elucidates that the Fe₃O₄ NPs synthesized from EPS of E. faecalis_RMSN6 can be used for the removal of heavy metal contaminants from wastewater.

The use of enzymes in various industries has been prevalent for centuries. However, their potency as therapeutics remained latent until the late 1950s, when scientists finally realised the gold min...

Introduction: The state of Kerala in the country of India has been getting on the wrong side of nature over the past few years. From raging floods to massive outbreaks of viral diseases, the state of Kerala has been in turmoil over the past few years. The rains and floods have ceased leaving behind a catastrophic world of copious vector-borne infectious diseases. Moreover, a migrant crisis has been looming over the state for the past few decades resulting in an accumulation of various other dangerous diseases from multiple different parts of the country. Even after taking into consideration the great health care facilities in Kerala there have been multiple reports of infectious disease outbreaks, especially in rural districts. This short review is written with the purpose to review the facts into a single entity that can provide solid proof and hence evoke a stricter sense of awareness among communities to minimize the losses and prevent the exigency of public health that can occur not too far away in the foreseeable future. Methods: Various databases were searched like Scopus and Google scholar and all articles related to reported infections in the state of Kerala and the factors which can lead to the public health crisis were selected and included in the review. Results: A multiple numbers of articles on viral infections were obtained in the various databases. Most of the bacterial infections were reported as urinary and respiratory tract infections. Migrant crisis and 2018 floods were two of the most recent contributing factors that can lead to an emergency in public health in the state. Conclusion: There can be a sudden unexpected outbreak of infectious diseases if the government does not carefully monitor the rural districts like Alappuzha.