The aim of this study was to assess the hygienic status of raw milk cheese and determine the trends of virulence and antimicrobial resistance in thermotolerant Escherichia coli. Two hundred samples of karish, a popular Egyptian fresh raw milk cheese, were analyzed for coliforms and fecal coliforms using a standard most probable number (MPN) technique. Overall, 85% of samples were unsuitable for consumption, as they exceeded Egyptian standards for coliforms (10 MPN/g), and 65% of samples exhibited coliforms at 44.5 °C. Of 150 recovered thermotolerant strains, 140 (93.3%) were identified as E. coli. Importantly, one Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strain carrying a striking virulence pattern, stx1−, stx2+, eae−, was detected. Eleven strains (7.8%, 11/140) showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. Antibiotic resistance genes included bla_SHV, bla_CTX-M, qnrS, tet(A), and tet(B), which were present in 4.3%, 2.8%, 0.71%, 2.1%, and 0.71% of isolates, respectively. In conclusion, this study indicated that hygienic-sanitary failures occurred throughout the production process of most retail karish cheese. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the need for adopting third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli as an indicator for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in raw milk cheese to identify the potential public health burden associated with its consumption.

Feed additives are used frequently in variable combinations to maximize broiler productivity and consumer safety. Therefore, we evaluated the efficiency of feed additives used in four different diets: a basal diet, a probiotic (PRO-PAC^®) supplement diet, an egg yolk purified immunoglobulin Y (IgY) supplemented diet, and a combination of IgY and PRO-PAC^® supplement (n = 15 for each group). We assessed the improvement of behavioral and hematological parameters of Ross broilers before and after an immune stress challenge using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Behavioral as well as physiological parameters were analyzed. The standing frequency was the highest (P < 0.05) in broilers supplemented with a combination of probiotics and IgY. Likewise, latency approach score to a novel object improved (P < 0.01) in the combination group at week-3. After intraperitoneal injection of LPS, this combination group achieved the best gait score at week-3, followed by week-5, compared to birds fed the basal diet. The heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, heterophil differential count, and eosinophil differential count in the basal diet group that was challenged with LPS were significantly increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.05, respectively) compared to the combination groups. Therefore, we concluded that the combination of IgY and probiotics can significantly improve the behavior and the underlying physiological parameters of Ross broilers. Consequently, this combination can improve the broilers′ health, welfare and produce a safe meat free from harmful chemical residues.

In this paper, we report on the chemical preparation, crystal details, vibrational, optical, and thermal behavior, and antibacterial activity of a new non-centrosymmetric compound: 4-tert-butyl-pyridinium tetrachloridocuprate. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the structure has a 3D network made up of C–H…Cl and N–H…Cl H-bonds, and [CuCl₄]²⁻ anions have a shape halfway between a tetrahedron and a square planar structure in this compound’s monoclinic system. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to explain the nature and extent of intermolecular interactions, highlighting the importance of the H-bonds and the C–H⋯π interactions in the structure’s stabilization. Additionally, SEM/EDX experiments were conducted. The powder X-ray diffraction investigation at room temperature validated the material purity. Moreover, the different functional groups were identified using FT-IR spectroscopy. In addition, the optical properties were investigated using UV-Vis absorption. The thermal stability of (C₉H₁₄N)₂[CuCl₄] was performed by TGA-DTA. The bactericidal potency of the title compound was surveyed.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are persistence in the contaminated sites as a result of lacking PCBs-degrading microorganisms. Cultivation-independent technique called single-strand-conformation polymorphism (SSCP) based on 16SrRNA genes was chosen to characterize the diversity of bacterial communities in PCBs polluted soil samples. The bacterial communities showed an increasing diversity from the genetic profiles using SSCP technique. 51 single products were identified from the profiles using PCR reamplification and cloning. DNA sequencing of the 51 products, it showed similarities to Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Betaproteobateria, Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria, the range of similarities were 92.3 to 100%. Pure 23 isolates were identified from PCBs contaminated sites. The identified isolates belonged to genus Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Burkholderia, Pandoraea, Pseudomonas, and Rhodococcus. The new strains have the capability to use PCBs as a source of sole carbon and harbor 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase (DHBDO) which could be used as molecular marker for detection PCBs-degrading bacteria in the PCBs contaminated sites. This finding may enhance the PCBs bioremediation by monitoring and characterization of the PCBs degraders using DHBDO in PCBs contaminated sites.