Salmonella is one of the most common zoonotic foodborne pathogens and a worldwide public health threat. Salmonella enterica is the most pathogenic among Salmonella species, comprising over 2500 serovars. It causes typhoid fever and gastroenteritis, and the serovars responsible for the later disease are known as non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). Salmonella transmission to humans happens along the farm-to-fork continuum via contaminated animal- and plant-derived foods, including poultry, eggs, fish, pork, beef, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and flour. Several virulence factors have been recognized to play a vital role in attaching, invading, and evading the host defense system. These factors include capsule, adhesion proteins, flagella, plasmids, and type III secretion systems that are encoded on the Salmonella pathogenicity islands. The increased global prevalence of NTS serovars in recent years indicates that the control approaches centered on alleviating the food animals’ contamination along the food chain have been unsuccessful. Moreover, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella variants suggests a potential food safety crisis. This review summarizes the current state of the knowledge on the nomenclature, microbiological features, virulence factors, and the mechanism of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella. Furthermore, it provides insights into the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Salmonella infections. The recent outbreaks of salmonellosis reported in different clinical settings and geographical regions, including Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the USA in the farm-to-fork continuum, are also highlighted.

Increasing antimicrobial resistance to the action of existing antibiotics has prompted researchers to identify new natural molecules with antimicrobial potential. In this study, a green system was developed for biosynthesizing gold nanoparticles (BAuNPs) using sage (Salvia officinalis L.) leaf extract bioconjugated with non-toxic, eco-friendly, and biodegradable chitosan, forming chitosan/gold bioconjugates (Chi/BAuNPs). Characterization of the BAuNPs and Chi/BAuNPs conjugates takes place using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and zeta potential (Z-potential). The chemical composition of S. officinalis extract was evaluated via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This study evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of human pathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) and multisensitive (MS) bacterial isolates using the agar diffusion method. Chi/BAuNPs showed inhibition of the MDR strains more effectively than BAuNPs alone as compared with a positive standard antibiotic. The cytotoxicity assay revealed that the human breast adenocarcinoma cancer cells (MCF7) were more sensitive toward the toxicity of 5-Fu + BAuNPs and 5-Fu + Chi/BAuNPs composites compared to non-malignant human fibroblast cells (HFs). The study shows that BAuNPs and Chi/BAuNPs, combined with 5-FU NPs, can effectively treat cancer at concentrations where the free chemical drug (5-Fu) is ineffective, with a noted reduction in the required dosage for noticeable antitumor action.

Polymer networks were synthesized using the condensation method between PMMA and melamine as cross-linkers. CuO nanoparticles (NPs) and activated carbon (AC) were used as a filler. The final products PMMA/Mel, PMMA/Mel-CuO, and PMMA/Mel-AC were tested for antibacterial activities against E.coli and S. aureus. The chemical structure and composition, thermal properties, and surface morphology of the new PMMA/Mel-based nanocomposites were investigated by various techniques. The XRD and EDX results showed the successful incorporation of CuO NPs and AC into the polymer matrix. Also, the thermal stability of the PMMA/Mel polymer was significantly enhanced after adding CuO nanoparticles. This finding showed that the PMMA/Mel-CuO and PMMA/Mel-AC nanocomposites have greater activity against both bacteria than PMMA/Mel. The PMMA/Mel-CuO and PMMA/Mel-AC polymers showed high activity against S. aureus bacteria, with inhibition zones of 22.6 mm and 11.3 mm, respectively. This confirms that small-sized nanoparticles have an effective role in killing bacterial cells.

The Middle Eastern prevalence of sickle cell anemia, a genetic disorder that affects red blood cells, necessitates additional research. On a molecular level, we sought to identify and sort the oral microbiota of healthy individuals and those with sickle cell anemia. Furthermore, it is crucial to comprehend how changes in the genetic makeup of the oral microbiota impact the state of sickle cell anemia. Using next-generation sequencing, the 16S rRNA amplicon was examined using saliva samples from 36 individuals with sickle cell anemia and healthy individuals. These samples were obtained from sickle cell anemia patients (18 samples) and healthy control participants (controls, 18 samples). Various analyses are conducted using bioinformatic techniques to identify distinct species and their relative abundance. Streptococcus, followed by Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella, and Veillonella were the most prevalent genera of bacteria in the saliva of the SCA and non-SCA individuals according to our findings. Rothia mucilaginosa, Prevotella scoposa, and Veillonella dispar species were the dominant species in both sickle cell anemia and non-sickle cell anemia subjects. Streptococcus salivarius, Actinomyces graevenitzii, Actinomyces odontolyticus, and Actinomyces georgiae spp. were the most prevalent bacterial spp. in the studied SCA cases. The sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene yielded relative abundance values that were visualized through a heatmap analysis. Alterations in the oral microflora’s constitution can significantly affect the susceptibility of sickle cell anemia patients to develop more severe health complications. Salivary diagnosis is a potential tool for predicting and preventing oral microbiome-related diseases in the future.

Purpose: There is an immense need to develop new antiviral compounds that are effective and have little side effects. Natural compounds provide a good candidate that is gaining popularity. Probiotics as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and plant-derived medicines as star anise extract have been investigated to treat viral diseases, cancer, and inflammation. This work aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of probiotics ( Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ) and (star anise) against Herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Patients and methods: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and star anise extract had been prepared and tested against vero cell lines for cytotoxicity assay. The antiviral effect of L. plantarum and star anise against HSV-1 and VSV was evaluated by titration calculation (TCID50). The expression of MX genes were measured in infected cells before and after treatment with L. plantarum and star anise. Results: We found that L. planterum is more effective against HSV-1 and caused 2.5 log reduction in virus titre while star anise extract is more effective against VSV and caused 1.25 log reduction in virus titre. Evaluation of MX genes expression revealed higher expression in HSV-1 infected cell treated with L. planterum and VSV infected cells treated with star anise extract. Conclusion: L. planterum and star anise could be useful antiviral natural compounds that have minimal side effects Plain language Summary: Both Herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) caused infection characterized by lytic lesions. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and star anise had shown promising antiviral effects. So, we investigated the antiproliferative effect of L. plantarum and star anise against HSV-1 and VSV by assessment of virus titre before and after treatment and assessment of MX gene coding for antiviral proteins. We found that L. plantarum and star anise could inhibit proliferation of HSV-1 and VSV and increase expression of MX gene. L. plantarum and star anise could be good antiviral candidate.