Kavitha Dhandapani

Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality, particularly affecting immunocompromised individuals. Despite its growing clinical significance, its true global prevalence remains unclear. This systematic review identifies the key risk factors, epidemiological trends, and clinical challenges associated with mucormycosis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to analyze global case reports, underlying predisposing conditions, and regional variations in disease manifestation. The leading risk factor in developed nations is hematological malignancies, while uncontrolled diabetes mellitus dominates in regions like India. Environmental and climatic factors influence fungal exposure and disease progression. Diagnosis remains challenging due to nonspecific symptoms, contributing to delayed treatment and poor outcomes. Early recognition of risk factors and improved diagnostic strategies are critical to reducing mucormycosis-related mortality. Public health initiatives must prioritise awareness, especially in high-risk populations. Further research is needed to address gaps in treatment and prevention.

In our study, the functional and biological properties of the developed probiotic formulations containing Lactobacillus plantarum and isatin (Couroupita guianensis) have been evaluated. The developed probiotic formulations have demonstrated remarkable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cholesterol-lowering properties (67.3 ± 0.57%). In addition, they exhibit high survivability in simulated oral fluid (98.8%). Furthermore, extracellular enzyme production iterates other health attributes of probiotic formulations to the human system by improving the utilization of nutrients in the intestine. In sum, the developed probiotic formulations have unveiled probiotic functions and safer applications, which could pave the way to develop functional foods or lead compounds for drug discovery.

Fungal infections represent a worldwide risk to the health of animals, humans, and wildlife. Among the pathogenic fungal strains, Aspergillus flavus plays a key role in the onset of invasive aspergillosis (IA). Over a while, pathogenic fungi develop resistance to all licensed systemic antifungal drugs. The resistance development in fungal pathogens is attributed to the improper usage of drugs and the inference of the pathogen's cellular mechanisms. This concern could be resolved by the use of antifungal metabolites. Antifungal metabolites derived from Aspergillus giganteus are of profound interest in recent times due to their therapeutic potential. This particular antifungal protein (AFP) holds substantial promise in breaking the virulence mechanism in pathogenic fungi. In light of these circumstances, the study examined how AFP from A. giganteus affects A. flavus, the pathogen responsible for aspergillosis. The co-culturing technique firmly drew the potential of antifungal metabolites to counteract the effects of fungal agonists. A reduction of approximately 91% in the growth of pathogenic A. flavus treated with culture filtrates of antagonist fungi confirms the antagonistic effect of the culture filtrate metabolites on A. flavus viability and indicates that these metabolites are extracellular. The presence of shrunken and damaged spores in the SEM images of A. flavus treated with culture filtrates is evident in supporting its impact on the cellular membrane of the pathogenic bacteria. The MIC and MFC of culture filtrates were found to be 125 μg/ml and 250 μg/ml. Furthermore, the free radical scavenging activity of antifungal metabolites emphasizes its significant antioxidant potential. Finally, the findings of cytotoxicity studies confirmed the druggability of antifungal metabolites of A. giganteus. Thus, the study strongly endorses the antagonistic potential of AFP against A. flavus, suggesting that this metabolite could be developed into a novel treatment for invasive aspergillosis caused by A. flavus.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an ESKAPE pathogen and threatens human health by generating infections with high fatality rates. A. baumannii leads to a spectrum of infections such as skin and wound infections, endocarditis, meningitis pneumonia, septicaemia and urinary tract infections. Recently, strains of A. baumannii have emerged as multidrug-resistant (MDR), meaning they are resistant to at least three different classes of antibiotics. MDR development is primarily intensified by widespread antibiotic misuse and inadequate stewardship. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared A. baumannii a precarious MDR species. A. baumannii maintains the MDR phenotype via a diverse array of antimicrobial metabolite-hydrolysing enzymes, efflux of antibiotics, impermeability and antibiotic target modification, thereby complicating treatment. Hence, a deeper understanding of the resistance mechanisms employed by MDR A. baumannii can give possible approaches to treat antimicrobial resistance. Resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) efflux pumps have been identified as the key contributors to MDR determinants, owing to their capacity to force a broad spectrum of chemical substances out of the bacterial cell. Though synthetic inhibitors have been reported previously, their efficacy and safety are of debate. As resistance-modifying agents, phytochemicals are ideal choices. These natural compounds could eliminate the bacteria or interact with pathogenicity events and reduce the bacteria’s ability to evolve resistance. This review aims to highlight the mechanism behind the multidrug resistance in A. baumannii and elucidate the utility of natural compounds as efflux pump inhibitors to deal with the infections caused by A. baumannii.

The global surge in bacterial infections, compounded by the alarming escalation of drug-resistant strains, has evolved into a critical public health crisis. Among the challenges posed, biofilms stand out due to their formidable resistance to conventional antibiotics. This review delves into the burgeoning potential of pillar[n]arenes, distinctive macrocyclic host molecules, as promising anti-biofilm agents. The review is structured into two main sections, each dedicated to exploring distinct facets of pillar[n]arene applications. The first section scrutinizes functionalized pillar[n]arenes with a particular emphasis on cationic derivatives. This analysis reveals their significant efficacy in inhibiting biofilm formation, underscoring the pivotal role of specific chemical attributes in combating microbial communities. The second section of the review shifts its focus to inclusion complexes, elucidating how pillar[n]arenes serve as encapsulation platforms for antibiotics. This encapsulation enhances the stability of antibiotics and enables a controlled release, thereby amplifying their antibacterial activity. The examination of inclusion complexes provides valuable insights into the potential synergy between pillar[n]arenes and traditional antibiotics, offering a novel avenue for overcoming biofilm resistance. This comprehensive review highlights the escalating global threat of bacterial infections and the urgent need for innovative strategies to counteract drug-resistant biofilms. The unique properties of pillar[n]arenes, both as functionalized molecules and as inclusion complex hosts, position them as promising candidates in the quest for effective anti-biofilm agents. The exploration of their distinct mechanisms opens new avenues for research and development in the ongoing battle against bacterial infections and biofilm-related health challenges.

Listeria monocytogenes, the third most deleterious zoonotic pathogen, is a major causative agent of animal and human listeriosis, an infection related to the consumption of contaminated food products. Even though, this pathogen has been responsible for the outbreaks of foodborne infections in the early 1980s, the major outbreaks have been reported during the past two decades. Listeriosis infection in the host is a rare but life-threatening disease with major public health and economic implications. Extensive reports on listeriosis outbreaks are associated with milk and milk products, meat and meat products, and fresh produce. This bacterium can adapt to any environmental and stress conditions, making it a prime causative agent for major foodborne diseases. The pathogen could survive an antibiotic treatment and persist in the host cell, thereby escaping the standard diagnostic practices. The current review strives to provide concise information on the epidemiology, serotypes, and pathogenesis of the L. monocytogenes to decipher the knowledge on the endurance of the pathogen inside the host and food products as a vehicle for Listeria contaminations. In addition, various detection methods for Listeria species from food samples and frontline regimens of L. monocytogenes treatment have also been discussed. Graphical Abstract

Fungal infections are more predominant in agricultural and clinical fields. Aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus leads to respiratory failure in patients along with various illnesses. Due to the limitation of antifungal therapy and antifungal drugs, there is an emergence to develop efficient antifungal compounds (AFCs) from natural sources to cure and prevent fungal infections. The present study deals with the investigation of the mechanism of the active compounds from Aspergillus giganteus against aspergillosis. Primarily, the bioavailability and toxicological properties of antifungal proteins such as, sarcin, thionin, chitinase and their derivatives have proved the efficiency of pharmacokinetic properties of selected compounds. Molecular interactions of selected compounds from A. giganteus with the virulence proteins of A. fumigatus (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase, N-myristoyl transferase and Chitinase) have exhibited a good glide score and druggable nature of the AFCs. The antagonistic potential of AFCs on the pathogen was confirmed by SEM analysis where the shrunken and damaged spores of AFCs treated pathogen were observed. The integrity of A. fumigatus cell membrane and nuclear membrane treated with AFCs were analyzed by determining the release of cellular materials. The effective concentration of AFCs was found to be 250 µg/ml (PA. giganteus. Further, interaction studies might provide more information on the synergism activity with the non-volatile metabolites which leads to the development of novel drugs for the treatment of aspergillosis.