Folia Microbiologica[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Multifunctional bioactivity of Echinops niveus: Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic evaluation.
Zahra SA, Dawood S, Iqbal J … +3 more , Abbasi BA, Majeed S, Mahmood T
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jul · PMID 42400852 · Publisher ↗
Medicinal plants remain a vital source of new therapeutic agents, yet many species remain underexplored. Echinops niveus Wall. ex Royle, a member of the Asteraceae family, has not been comprehensively evaluated for multi...
Medicinal plants remain a vital source of new therapeutic agents, yet many species remain underexplored. Echinops niveus Wall. ex Royle, a member of the Asteraceae family, has not been comprehensively evaluated for multifunctional bioactivity. This study aimed to assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-leishmanial, and cytotoxic properties of E. niveus extracts.The aerial parts of E. niveus were extracted with six different solvents: aqueous, methanolic, ethanolic, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-hexane. They were characterized by phytochemical profiling and FT-IR spectroscopy. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae) and some fungal strains. The anti-leishmanial activity was assessed by the MTT assay and the cytotoxic activity was explored in the brine shrimp lethality assay and prostate cancer cell lines (PC3). The n-hexane extract showed the strongest DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 104.76 ± 1.2 µg/mL). The chloroform extract demonstrated the highest reducing power (73.14 ± 1.47 mg AAE/g) and total antioxidant capacity (63.49 ± 1.46 mg AAE/g). The aqueous extract exhibited the best antibacterial potential against tested strains. Anti-leishmanial activity exceeded 50% inhibition for all extracts, with the aqueous extract showing 64% inhibition. The n-hexane extract was most cytotoxic against brine shrimp (LD₅₀ = 56.15 µg/mL) and PC3 cells.Echinops niveus possesses significant multifunctional pharmacological potential, supporting further investigation into its bioactive compounds and mechanisms as a candidate for drug discovery.
Molecular epidemiology and clinical course of PVL-positive MRSA CC398 infections.
Brodíková K, Koláčková I, Sedláková MH … +3 more , Hricová K, Fišerová K, Karpíšková R
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jul · PMID 42384296 · Publisher ↗
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal complex 398 (CC398) carrying the lukS-PV/lukF-PV genes encoding the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) production is emerging as a concerning pathogen in the Czech...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal complex 398 (CC398) carrying the lukS-PV/lukF-PV genes encoding the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) production is emerging as a concerning pathogen in the Czech Republic and Europe. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance, epidemiology, and genetic characteristics of MRSA CC398 strains carrying the PVL genes. A total of 24 MRSA CC398 isolates were obtained from patients with skin and soft tissue infections. DNA was extracted from all isolates, and PCR amplification was used to confirm the presence of the mecA gene for methicillin resistance and the SA442 fragment for S. aureus identification. The affiliation to CC398 and the presence of the lukS-PV/lukF-PV genes were also confirmed by PCR. Sequencing was performed for all isolates to further characterize their genetic composition, including antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles. The isolates exhibited a multi-drug resistance profile, including resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines. Virulence factors such as immune evasion cluster genes and biofilm-forming genes were present in all isolates. These findings highlight the growing prevalence and spread of MRSA CC398 in community and healthcare settings and its ability to cause recurrent and difficult-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections. Clinicians should be aware of its presence, particularly in patients from regions where it is endemic, to enable appropriate antibiotic therapy and infection control measures.
Proline treatment improves salinity tolerance in the green microalga Dunaliella sp. by altering carbon partitioning and inducing metabolites accumulation.
Sargolzaei F, Einali A
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42377787 · Publisher ↗
The role of proline (Pro) in salinity tolerance of Dunaliella sp. cells was investigated by studying biochemical responses and antioxidant enzyme activities. Algal cells grown in 1, 2, and 3 M NaCl concentrations in the...
The role of proline (Pro) in salinity tolerance of Dunaliella sp. cells was investigated by studying biochemical responses and antioxidant enzyme activities. Algal cells grown in 1, 2, and 3 M NaCl concentrations in the exponential growth phase were exposed to 0 and 5 mM Pro concentrations. While cell number, soluble sugars, starch, amino acids, endogenous Pro, soluble protein, hydrogen peroxide, and protein carbonylation decreased with increasing salinity in Pro-untreated cells, fresh weight, pigments, total protein, lipid, glycerol, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activity significantly increased. The progressive depletion of Pro from algal suspensions confirms its uptake by the cells. This uptake was accompanied by excessive metabolites accumulation and decreased antioxidant enzyme activity following Pro treatment. Increased protein carbonylation without significant changes in lipid peroxidation was also found in Pro-treated cells. These data suggest that Dunaliella sp. cells tolerate long-term salinity well. Still, exogenous Pro can improve salinity tolerance by diverting carbon flux towards the biosynthesis of metabolites rather than antioxidant enzymes. Therefore, Pro treatment alters the salinity tolerance strategy by changing carbon partitioning and has high biotechnological potential due to the induction of metabolites accumulation.
Czechoslovak/Prague School of Immunology.
Říhová B
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42377786 · Publisher ↗
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Anti-Candida albicans and anti-virulence activities of vaginal Lactobacillus strains from asymptomatic women: phenotypic characterization and prediction of antimicrobial peptide gene clusters.
Campos CDL, Dos Santos CI, Costa EPS … +10 more , Mendes AGG, Monteiro CRAV, Bogéa EG, de Castro Moreira PX, Conceição PCR, Marques SG, Dos Santos JRA, da Silva MCP, de Andrade Monteiro C, Monteiro-Neto V
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42371250 · Publisher ↗
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent mucosal infection primarily caused by Candida albicans, affecting up to 75% of women of reproductive age. VVC therapeutic management is increasingly challenged by antifungal...
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent mucosal infection primarily caused by Candida albicans, affecting up to 75% of women of reproductive age. VVC therapeutic management is increasingly challenged by antifungal resistance, host toxicity, and high recurrence rates. Lactobacillus species, the dominant members of healthy vaginal microbiota, are known to antagonize pathogens and maintain mucosal homeostasis by producing antimicrobial metabolites and modulating epithelial responses. However, few studies have explored the antagonistic and anti-virulence properties of Lactobacillus strains isolated from asymptomatic women, particularly their activity against clinical C. albicans isolates. This study aimed to characterize vaginal Lactobacillus strains and their cell-free supernatants (CFS) isolated from asymptomatic women and evaluate their antifungal and anti-virulence activities against clinical isolates of C. albicans. Forty-two clinical Lactobacillus isolates were identified, of which eight inhibited the growth of the tested pathogens. However, among the clinical isolates, only L. fermentum JAC 231 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MDBL 269 inhibited all the fungal isolates tested. Based on these results, L. fermentum ATCC 23271 (positive control) and the clinical strains L. fermentum JAC 231 and L. plantarum MDBL 269 were selected for detailed analyses of their ability to interfere with key virulence factors of C. albicans, including hyphal morphogenesis, biofilm formation and disruption, adhesion, and the secretion of extracellular enzymes. The selected strains and their CFS displayed antagonistic activity: they reduced pathogen adhesion, co-aggregated with yeast cells, impaired biofilm formation, and destabilized preformed biofilms. In addition, whole-genome sequencing combined with antimicrobial peptide gene-cluster prediction using BAGEL4 and antiSMASH revealed two biosynthetic gene clusters in L. fermentum JAC 231 and seven in L. plantarum MDBL 269, providing a plausible genetic basis for the antimicrobial effects observed.
The integrative role of the microbiome in systemic immuno-inflammatory aberrations.
Liu Y, Liu C, Yin X … +1 more , Yuan X
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42371249 · Publisher ↗
The human immune system maintains a delicate balance between protective immunity and self-tolerance. Disruption of this equilibrium leads to immune-mediated diseases (IMDs), a heterogeneous group of disorders including a...
The human immune system maintains a delicate balance between protective immunity and self-tolerance. Disruption of this equilibrium leads to immune-mediated diseases (IMDs), a heterogeneous group of disorders including autoimmune, allergy, and autoinflammatory conditions [examples include familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS)]. Traditionally viewed as organ-specific pathologies, IMDs are now recognized as systemic disorders driven by chronic, self-sustaining low-grade inflammation. The microbiome, a key regulator of immune development and barrier function, acts as a central driver of this systemic inflammatory circuit. Dysbiosis impairs epithelial integrity, promotes microbial translocation, and triggers aberrant activation of pattern-recognition receptors, inflammasomes, and inflammatory signaling pathways. It skews cytokine networks toward pro-inflammatory phenotypes and disrupts the differentiation and function of critical immune cell populations, establishing a vicious cycle that propagates systemic inflammation and multi-organ comorbidities via gut-skin, gut-joint, and gut-lung axes. This review summarizes the roles of microbiome dysbiosis in IMD pathogenesis, highlights related biomarkers, and evaluates emerging therapeutic strategies targeting the host-microbiota axis. We advocate a systems immunology paradigm that integrates the microbiome as a core therapeutic target to restore immune homeostasis, achieve durable remission, and reduce the systemic comorbidity burden in patients with IMDs.
Gnotobiology: from 19th-century global foundations to 21st-century omics - six decades of Czech contribution to microbiome research.
Tlaskalová-Hogenová H, Hrnčíř T, Štěpánková R … +15 more , Trebichavský I, Hudcovic T, Šplíchal I, Šplíchalová A, Šinkora M, Funda D, Sánchez D, Kverka M, Jirásková Zákostelská Z, Kostovčíková K, Coufal Š, Procházková P, Roubalová R, Vannucci L, Miler I
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42371248 · Publisher ↗
Gnotobiology, from the Greek gnotos (meaning 'known') and bios (meaning 'life'), is a research discipline that uses organisms with a defined microbiological status to study the interaction between hosts and microbes. Thi...
Gnotobiology, from the Greek gnotos (meaning 'known') and bios (meaning 'life'), is a research discipline that uses organisms with a defined microbiological status to study the interaction between hosts and microbes. This review traces six decades of Czech gnotobiology, beginning with the launch of a dedicated gnotobiology programme at Nový Hrádek in 1962 by Jaroslav Šterzl, whose visionary aims anticipated by decades the current recognition of the microbiota as a central determinant of immune and broader physiological function. The site - originally established in 1953 as the Biological Station - was thereby transformed into one of only four gnotobiological laboratories worldwide at that time and the first in Central and Eastern Europe. The facility pioneered the rearing of germ-free piglets, rats, rabbits, and mice, establishing the experimental foundation for the laboratory's work on immune ontogeny, mucosal immunity and tolerance, and microbiota-host interactions in immune development and regulation. This review discusses the key discoveries made using these models. Among them, work at the Institute of Microbiology (Prague and Nový Hrádek) demonstrated that germ-free animals have underdeveloped lymphoid tissue and impaired adaptive immunity. The review also describes the subsequent development of gnotobiotic models of human metabolic, immune-mediated, neoplastic, and neuropsychiatric diseases. The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2001 and the emergence of microbial metagenomics in the early 2000s sparked renewed interest in host-microbe interactions and led to a rediscovery of gnotobiotic approaches as essential tools for establishing causation in microbiome research. We examine how integrating these approaches with high-throughput sequencing, metabolomics, and other omics technologies has shifted the focus from cataloguing the microbiome to mechanistically dissecting host-microbe interactions. Finally, we outline future directions, including humanized gnotobiotic models, microbiota-based therapeutics, and the convergence of gnotobiology with personalized medicine and synthetic biology.
Bioactivity and biosynthetic insights into Penicillium brefeldianum BPSRJ7, an endophyte associated with the ethnomedicinal orchid Dendrobium chrysotoxum lindl.
Pun B, Joshi SR
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42329346 · Publisher ↗
Endophytic fungi are recognized as prolific sources of bioactive secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential, often complementing the pharmacological properties of their host plants. Dendrobium chrysotoxum, an ethno...
Endophytic fungi are recognized as prolific sources of bioactive secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential, often complementing the pharmacological properties of their host plants. Dendrobium chrysotoxum, an ethnomedicinal orchid, has long been used in traditional healthcare practices for treating fever, infections, and general weakness; however, the contribution of their endophytic microbiota to these bioactivities remains largely unexplored. In this study, thirty endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from roots, stems, and leaves of D. chrysotoxum, representing seven morphologically distinct taxa. Comprehensive phytochemical profiling revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids, with Penicillium brefeldianum BPSRJ7 consistently exhibiting the highest metabolite abundance across the tested isolates. Functional assays demonstrated that P. brefeldianum BPSRJ7 possessed strong antioxidant capacity, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and A549 cancer cells, while sparing non-malignant HEK-293 cells. FTIR and GC-MS analyses indicated the chemical complexity of P. brefeldianum BPSRJ7 metabolites, suggesting the presence of aromatic acids, phenolic derivatives, terpenoids, and lipophilic compounds. Biosynthetic gene analysis targeting the ketosynthase domain of Type I polyketide synthase (pks) genes predicted clusters associated with naphthopyrones, mitorubrinol, brefeldin A, and 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene, underscoring its genetic potential for producing pharmacologically significant polyketides. Cell membrane disruption, evidenced by leakage of nucleic acids, proteins, and LDH in treated cells, suggested a preliminary mechanism underlying the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. This study highlights P. brefeldianum BPSRJ7 as a promising candidate for natural product discovery and underscores the importance of endophytic fungi in the pharmacological potential of traditional medicinal plants.
Correction to: Diversity of wild Morchella (Ascomycota) revealed by integrated morphological and molecular analyses.
Shoukat S, Mehmood N, Ghuffar S … +11 more , Bibi S, Rauf M, Irshad G, Khan GE, Maqsood S, Anwar T, Qureshi H, Rebouh NY, Yunusov S, Ziyadov S, Muminov MM
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42319722 · Publisher ↗
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Host-virus miRNA crosstalk in ebola virus disease.
Doghish AS, El-Sayyad GS, Bendif H … +10 more , Abulsoud AI, Salman A, Mohamed HH, Salah AN, Sayed GA, Elshami NH, Moustafa HAM, Zaki MB, Mohammed OA, Mansour RM
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42319721 · Publisher ↗
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal illness characterized by aggressive viral replication, dysregulated immunity, and multi-organ dysfunction. Emerging evidence demonstrates that microRNAs (miRNAs), bot...
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal illness characterized by aggressive viral replication, dysregulated immunity, and multi-organ dysfunction. Emerging evidence demonstrates that microRNAs (miRNAs), both host-derived and virus-encoded, play essential regulatory roles throughout the course of Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. Host miRNAs are widely dysregulated across different tissues and cell types during infection and contribute to antiviral defense, viral persistence, immune suppression, endothelial dysfunction, and hemorrhagic pathology. In parallel, EBOV generates its own miRNA-like molecules that target key host signaling pathways, including nuclear transport, interferon responses, apoptosis regulation, and inflammatory cascades. These dual layers of miRNA crosstalk shape infection outcomes by modulating viral replication, immune evasion, cellular adhesion, and vascular leakage. Additionally, several host and viral miRNAs show strong potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and recent work suggests that therapeutic modulation through miRNA mimics or inhibitors may offer new antiviral strategies. This review synthesizes current evidence on miRNA interactions during EBOV infection and outlines their implications for disease pathogenesis, clinical outcomes, and translational applications.
The effect of monomers number in peptides on Escherichia coli strain productivity and inclusion bodies-associated target protein accumulation.
Kornakov IA, Mukhina TV, Buslaeva EA … +4 more , Khasanshina ZR, Bochkareva MD, Filipenko AA, Drai RV
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42319720 · Publisher ↗
This study aimed to determine the optimal cultivation conditions for four Escherichia coli strains producing recombinant glucagon-like peptide-1 tandems. Validation experiments confirmed that scale-up from shake flasks t...
This study aimed to determine the optimal cultivation conditions for four Escherichia coli strains producing recombinant glucagon-like peptide-1 tandems. Validation experiments confirmed that scale-up from shake flasks to a bioreactor is feasible without a significant loss in specific productivity. We also demonstrated that the optimal cultivation conditions were identical for all tested strains. However, the number of glucagon-like peptide-1 monomers in the tandem affected the final yield in both shake flasks and the bioreactor. We also evaluated the target protein fraction in the wet inclusion bodies obtained. The amount of inclusion bodies per gram of biomass was found to correlate with specific productivity, while the target protein fraction in wet inclusion bodies varied among the different tandems. A correlation was identified between the titer of the glucagon-like peptide-1 tandems and the number of monomers. The results indicate that selecting an appropriate number of monomers during strain development can enhance productivity, improve the target protein fraction in wet inclusion bodies, and increase the final product titer after downstream processing.
First report of render MA120-assisted identification of dual-species urinary tract coinfection by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: molecular characterization of qseC, galU, and acrD resistance and virulence determinants.
Kalo RH, Alkhafaji MH
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42307703 · Publisher ↗
Polymicrobial urinary tract infections (UTIs) involving the concurrent presence of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a single urine specimen represent a clinically under-recognised entity associated with elev...
Polymicrobial urinary tract infections (UTIs) involving the concurrent presence of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a single urine specimen represent a clinically under-recognised entity associated with elevated multidrug resistance (MDR) rates and complicated therapeutic outcomes. Automated cassette-based platforms capable of resolving dual-species infections within a single analytical run have not been specifically evaluated for this diagnostic application. To determine the prevalence of E. coli-K. pneumoniae coinfections among UTI patients in Baghdad, Iraq, and to characterise the distribution and phenotypic associations of the resistance gene acrD, the virulence gene galU, and the quorum-sensing regulator qseC in confirmed coinfection isolates, using the Render MA120 automated system as the primary diagnostic platform. Two hundred midstream urine samples were collected from patients with suspected UTIs in Baghdad hospitals. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) were performed simultaneously on the Render MA120 cassette-based system (CLSI 2022). Confirmed dual-species isolates were subjected to PCR-based detection of qseC, galU, and acrD. Statistical analyses used SPSS version 26 (p ≤ 0.05). Dual-species coinfection was confirmed in 9 of 200 specimens (4.5%), with 66.7% of coinfected isolates classified as MDR. K. pneumoniae showed significantly higher resistance than E. coli for ampicillin/sulbactam (p = 0.045), cefepime (p = 0.022), and aztreonam (p = 0.048). The acrD gene was detected in 92.8% of isolates, galU in 71.4%, and qseC in 35.7% (overall p = 0.003). Preliminary gene-phenotype associations were observed for all three determinants (p = 0.042), though these require validation in larger cohorts. To our knowledge, this study represents one of the first applications of the Render MA120 system to E. coli-K. pneumoniae dual-species UTI detection, and provides preliminary data on the co-occurrence of qseC, galU, and acrD in this polymicrobial context. All findings are hypothesis-generating and require replication in larger multicentre studies.
Phenotypic and genomic characterization of lead tolerance and Pb(II) removal by Klebsiella pneumoniae ST86 EP-L-21.
Kala VDP, Tripathi AR, Chavan KJ … +2 more , Ghorpade RP, Nayak SS
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42301562 · Publisher ↗
Industrial effluent and common effluent treatment plant (CETP)-associated samples from Navi Mumbai, India, were screened for indigenous lead-tolerant bacteria. Among 32 isolates, EP-L-21 showed the highest Pb tolerance,...
Industrial effluent and common effluent treatment plant (CETP)-associated samples from Navi Mumbai, India, were screened for indigenous lead-tolerant bacteria. Among 32 isolates, EP-L-21 showed the highest Pb tolerance, with growth at the highest tested concentration (>2,000 mg/L) Pb, broad pH tolerance (pH 4-10), and robust growth across 20-37 [Formula: see text]C, with consistent optical density at 600 nm (OD[Formula: see text]) values indicating broad temperature tolerance under Pb stress. VITEK 2 identification and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) assigned EP-L-21 to Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) sequence type 86 (ST86). The draft genome (5.38 Mb; 57.3 mol% GC; 46 contigs) encoded metal-resistance and stress-response determinants, including resistance-nodulation-division (RND)-family efflux systems, P-type ATPases, oxidative stress-associated genes. In addition, enterobactin- and aerobactin-associated siderophore biosynthetic clusters were identified, which may contribute indirectly to metal-stress adaptation under iron-limited and metal-stressed conditions; no canonical czcCBA operon was detected. In Luria-Bertani (LB) broth containing a measured initial supernatant-associated Pb concentration of 88.40 ± 0.43 mg/L, residual supernatant-associated Pb decreased to 0.58 ± 0.43 mg/L after 72 h, corresponding to 99.34% removal, whereas abiotic controls showed negligible Pb loss. Pb reduction over time was statistically significant ([Formula: see text]). Mass-balance analysis indicated that >99% of removed Pb was associated with non-supernatant fractions, although surface-bound, intracellular, and precipitated pools were not independently resolved. EP-L-21 also exhibited tolerance to Ni, with intermediate resistance to Cr, Cd, and sensitivity to Hg at lower concentrations. Genome analysis predicted the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence-associated determinants, therefore, the strain should be considered an environmental opportunist and is suitable only for contained bioreactor-based applications, with environmental release not recommended. These findings link high-level Pb tolerance with a predicted multimetal resistome and support further mechanistic validation in contained bioprocess systems.
Synthesis and characterization of Ag-loaded zirconia nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial and antibiofilm applications.
El-Sayyad GS, Al-Hazmi NE, Abdel Maksoud MIA … +1 more , Mabrouk SS
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42295580 · Publisher ↗
Worldwide efforts to address pathogenic bacteria and fungi have been motivated by rising resistance to conventional antimicrobial drugs. In this work, zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO NPs), silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and...
Worldwide efforts to address pathogenic bacteria and fungi have been motivated by rising resistance to conventional antimicrobial drugs. In this work, zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO NPs), silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and silver-loaded zirconia nanoparticles (Ag@ZrO NPs) were successfully synthesized to investigate their structural, functional, antibiofilm, and antimicrobial properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential characteristics were used to characterize the prepared samples. The crystallite size of ZrONPs, Ag NPs, and Ag@ZrO NPs was found to be 38.59, 40.96, and 33.35 nm, respectively. The Zeta potential value of - 20.7 mV strongly suggests that the Ag@ZrO NPs exhibit substantial stability. The prepared Ag@ZrO NPs exhibit a better inhibitory action against Candida albicans (C. albicans (35.0 mm Zone of Inhibition (ZOI)), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis (29.0 mm ZOI)), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (A. calcoaceticus (22.0 mm ZOI)), Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens (21.0 mm ZOI)), and Escherichia coli (E. coli (18.0 mm ZOI)), at 125 µg/mL. The measured MIC rates of Ag@ZrO NPs against all pathogenic microbes ranged from 31.25 to 125.0 µg/mL. The MICs of Ag@ZrO NPs were 31.25 µg/mL for C. albicans and 62.50 µg/mL for both A. calcoaceticus and S. epidermidis. Whilst the MIC of Ag@ZrO NPs was 125.0 µg/mL for both P. fluorescens and E. coli. In addition, the biofilm growth was also successfully prevented by applying Ag@ZrO NPs as 85.37% against C. albicans treated with 31.25 µg/mL Ag@ZrO NPs, followed by 67.21% against E. coli with 125.0 µg/mL Ag@ZrO NPs and 48.83% S. epidermidis with 62.50 µg/mL Ag@ZrO NPs. Finally, in the growth curve assay, C. albicans in the control sample grew rapidly and reached the highest optical density at λ = 600 nm (OD) of around 0.9750. Adding Ag@ZrO NPs dropped that to 0.487, clearly showing their inhibitory effect on growth.
Microbial biobanking: safeguarding the tiny treasures for sustainable human welfare.
Lagashetti AC, Teotia AK, Thota P … +2 more , Pandey MK, Kalaiselvan V
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42283968 · Publisher ↗
Microbial biodiversity is essential for the proper functioning and balance in the ecosystem, and they possess numerous biotechnological and industrial applications. Microbial biobanks serve as a major resource for conser...
Microbial biodiversity is essential for the proper functioning and balance in the ecosystem, and they possess numerous biotechnological and industrial applications. Microbial biobanks serve as a major resource for conserving valuable microbial diversity, providing access for education, research, and industrial applications. The present comprehensive review article discusses the history, responsibilities, and applications of microbial biobanks, covering different regulatory ecosystem and their guidelines for the governance of biobanks. It specifically provides the current global status of MCCs and precisely sheds light on MCCs in India. This review critically highlights a stark disparity in the bio-resources management, showing dominance of Asia with substantial investment in bio-infrastructure. In India, a significant geographical disparity was observed with a heavy concentration of culture collections in states with established research infrastructure. Despite the immense commercial potential of microbes, very few MCCs are held by the private sector globally, leaving the burden of conservation on the public sector and raising concerns about long-term survival and financial instability. Furthermore, there is a critical need for emerging advanced preservation strategies, AI-assisted tools for biobanking operations, and stringent quality control procedures in biobanks meeting international standards. In addition, the findings underscore the necessity of the digitalization of culture collections to facilitate global data sharing and robust policies for access and benefit sharing of microbial resources. In conclusion, addressing these regional disparities, mitigating financial and infrastructure gaps, using emerging and advanced strategies, and digitalization of CCs are imperative for the sustainability and applicability of the microbial biobanks.
Virtual screening and molecular dynamics analysis of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors targeting pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway.
Alzahrani AR, Alhuthali HM, Alzahrani S … +5 more , Hawsawi NM, Alzahrani AYA, Rehman ZU, Almohammed KH, Khan A
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42262655 · Publisher ↗
Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a major global health challenge, exacerbated by the emergence of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH), an essential...
Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a major global health challenge, exacerbated by the emergence of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH), an essential enzyme in parasite pyrimidine biosynthesis, represents a validated and selective antimalarial drug target. In this study, an integrated multilevel computational strategy was employed to identify novel PfDHODH inhibitors from a structurally diverse chemical library. Structure-based virtual screening yielded 1,500 initial hits, from which three top-ranking compounds (17507474, 24348860, and 17433008) were shortlisted based on binding affinity and active-site complementarity. Density functional theory analyses indicated favorable HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, suggesting chemical stability and reactivity conducive to biological activity. Redocking confirmed stable accommodation of optimized ligands within the PfDHODH catalytic pocket. Long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations (500 ns) demonstrated persistent binding stability of all complexes, with compound 24348860 exhibiting minimal structural deviation and compound 17433008 forming adaptive hydrogen-bonding networks. Principal component and free energy landscape analyses revealed well-defined low-energy conformational basins. MM/GBSA binding free energy calculations identified compounds 17433008 (- 86.46 kcal/mol) and 17507474 (- 85.91 kcal/mol) as the most thermodynamically favorable. Overall, these findings highlight the druggability of PfDHODH and propose compounds 17433008 and 17507474 as promising lead candidates for further experimental validation and antimalarial drug development.
Carboxymethylated β-glucan from Pichia kudriavzevii M16: structural characterization and multifunctional bioactivity.
Guldeste B, Yuksekdag Z, Cinar-Acar B … +1 more , Dolanbay SN
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42250072 · Publisher ↗
In this study, β-glucan (β-gluM16) was obtained from the cell wall of the probiotic yeast strain Pichia kudriavzevii M16 and chemically altered through carboxymethylation (CMβ-gluM16) to improve its solubility in water....
In this study, β-glucan (β-gluM16) was obtained from the cell wall of the probiotic yeast strain Pichia kudriavzevii M16 and chemically altered through carboxymethylation (CMβ-gluM16) to improve its solubility in water. Using gel permeation chromatography, the molecular weight of CMβ-gluM16 was found to be 232 kDa. Structural modification was confirmed by FTIR, with shifts linked to carboxymethyl functional groups. The 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion scavenging assays were used to measure antioxidant activity. DPPH activity reached 96% at 100 mg/mL, while hydroxyl radical scavenging reached 69.65% at the same concentration. At 100 mg/mL, the superoxide anion scavenging gradually reached 76%. CMβ-gluM16 effectively reduced biofilm formation in all tested pathogens. The strongest inhibition was observed for Escherichia coli (80% at 1 mg/mL), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (71% at 0.5 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (67% at 10 mg/mL), depending on the applied concentration. Cytotoxicity tests showed that L929 fibroblast cells stayed alive at 500 µg/mL after 36 h (≥ 64% viability), demonstrating a nontoxic effect. However, at the same concentration and hour, HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cell viability decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner, reaching 60%. CMβ-gluM16 enhanced the adhesion of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP1 to intestinal epithelial cells and increased adhesion from 83% (probiotic alone) to 92% (synbiotic application) at 500 mg/mL. Cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) were assessed for immunomodulatory activity; these levels changed with dose and application time. IL-1β ranged from 1341 to 3371 pg/mL, IL-6 from 169 to 280 pg/mL, IL-10 from 220 to 859 pg/mL, and TNF-α from 126 to 263 pg/mL across the tested conditions. This study is a preliminary investigation into the potential biotechnological applications of CMβ-gluM16, indicating its promise for further research.
Functional redundancy of translation-associated factors masks the role of YebC2 in Enterococcus faecalis.
Taborra ME, Magni C, Blancato VS
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42250071 · Publisher ↗
Enterococcus faecalis has two YebC paralogs, yebC1 (EF0663) and yebC2 (EF2866), with distinct roles. While yebC1 encodes a transcriptional regulator, yebC2 was recently implicated in resolving ribosome stalling. Our info...
Enterococcus faecalis has two YebC paralogs, yebC1 (EF0663) and yebC2 (EF2866), with distinct roles. While yebC1 encodes a transcriptional regulator, yebC2 was recently implicated in resolving ribosome stalling. Our informatic analysis of transcriptomic data revealed yebC2 as a potential virulence-associated candidate in E. faecalis. This gene is transcribed from a putative consensus vegetative promoter with conserved - 10 (TATAAT) and - 35 (TTaACA) boxes separated by 17 nucleotides, and ends at a Rho-independent terminator. To examine the role of yebC2, an insertion mutant strain (JH2866) was constructed using the thermosensitive plasmid pGhost9. Phenotypic analysis showed no significant differences in growth or survival between wild-type and yebC2-defective strains under standard or stressful conditions. Similarly, virulence assays in Galleria mellonella larvae showed no attenuation, suggesting that yebC2 does not play a major role in virulence under the tested conditions. In addition, in this study, we found orthologs of YebC2 in all Enterococcus species, while yebC1 is lost in 20% of them. This fact suggests a major role of yebC2 in this genus. Even though inactivation of yebC2 had no discernible impact on the physiology or virulence of E. faecalis, this may be due to functional redundancy with other translation factors such as EF-P (translation elongation factor P, EF0287) and YfmR (ABCF ATPase YfmR/Uup, EF1575). As in the related microorganisms Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pyogenes, these factors can compensate for the loss of YebC2.
Silver nanoparticles in biomedicine: green synthesis, precision theranostics, and future clinical translation.
Asif N, Fatma T
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42240937 · Publisher ↗
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely explored in biomedical sciences due to their unique physicochemical properties and high surface reactivity, enabling diverse applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. This revi...
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely explored in biomedical sciences due to their unique physicochemical properties and high surface reactivity, enabling diverse applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. This review highlights recent advances in the green synthesis of AgNPs and their biomedical relevance, with emphasis on translational potential. Biogenic synthesis of AgNPs using natural resources such as plant extracts offer eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives, where bioactive phytochemicals contribute to the nanoparticle stabilization and functional properties. AgNPs have demonstrated potent antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing activities, and their integration into targeted drug delivery and bioimaging platforms enhances therapeutic efficiency and disease monitoring. Advanced characterization techniques, have facilitated the understanding of AgNPs structure, morphology, and surface chemistry, enabling the design of application-specific AgNPs. Despite these advances, challenges including variability in synthesis, limited reproducibility, cytotoxicity, and uncertain biodistribution remain key barriers to clinical application. Addressing these limitations with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning could optimize their synthesis, predict biological interactions, and accelerate their translation to clinical applications. Overall, this review highlights that while green-synthesized AgNPs offer significant biomedical potential, improved standardization, safety evaluation, and translational strategies are essential for their successful clinical implementation.
Gut microbiome-blood cholesterol crosstalk: towards personalized strategies for dyslipidemia.
Ncir WB, Abdelhedi F, Keskes LA
Folia Microbiol (Praha) · 2026 Jun · PMID 42234243 · Publisher ↗
Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, influenced by both genetic predisposition and multifactorial acquired factors, including diet, lifestyle, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and gut microbi...
Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, influenced by both genetic predisposition and multifactorial acquired factors, including diet, lifestyle, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a causal role in cholesterol metabolism through multiple complementary mechanisms, including bile acid transformation, modulation of hepatic and intestinal receptors (FXR, TGR5), production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that inhibit hepatic cholesterol synthesis and microbiol conversion of cholesterol into poorly absorbed coprostanol. Host genetic, dietary habits, and lifestyle shape gut microbiol composition, contributing to interindividual variability in lipid profiles and responses to lipid-lowering interventions.Dietary interventions, including polyphenols, phytosterols, L-theanine, and probiotics, can beneficially modulate gut microbial composition, enrich SCFA-producing taxa, and improve cholesterol homeostasis. Pharmacological agents, including statins and berberine, also interact with the gut microbiome, underscoring the bidirectional nature of host-microbiome-drug interactions. Human, animal and in vitro studies collectively support the importance of baseline microbial composition, host genetics, and lifestyle in determining treatment response.This review synthesizes current knowledge on gut microbiome alterations in hypercholesterolemia, their causal role in cholesterol metabolism, and the influence of host and environmental factors on interindividual variability in therapeutic responses. It further discusses dietary and pharmacological strategies targeting the gut microbiome to modulate lipid metabolism. A better understanding these complex interactions may enable the development of personalized, microbiome-based strategies for the prevention and management of hypercholesterolemia.
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