AbstractINTRODUCTION:Chamomile ( Chamaemelum nobile ) is widely used throughout the world, and has anti-inflammatory, deodorant, bacteriostatic, antimicrobial, carminative, sedative, antiseptic, anti-catarrhal, and spasmolytic properties. Because of the increasing incidence of drug-resistant bacteria, the development of natural antibacterial sources such as medical herbs for the treatment of infectious diseases is necessary. Extracts from different plant parts such as the leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark of Combretum albiflorum, Laurus nobilis , and Sonchus oleraceus were found to possess anti-quorum sensing (QS) activities. In this study, we evaluated the effect of C. nobile against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formationMETHODS:The P. aeruginosa samples were isolated from patients with different types of infection, including wound infection, septicemia, and urinary tract infection. The flowers of C. nobile were dried and the extract was removed using a rotary device and then dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide at pH 7.4. The microdilution method was used to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of this extract on P. aeruginosa , and biofilm inhibition was assayed.RESULTS:Eighty percent of the isolated samples (16/20) could form a biofilm, and most of these were isolated from wound infections. The biofilm inhibitory concentration of the C. nobile extract was 6.25-25mg/ml, whereas the MIC was 12.5-50mg/ml.CONCLUSIONS:The anti-QS property of C. nobile may play an important role in its antibacterial activity, thus offering an additional strategy in the fight against bacterial infections. However, molecular investigation is required to explore the exact mechanisms of the antibacterial action and functions of this phytocompound.

Although analysis of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems can be instructive, to date, there is no information on the prevalence and identity of TA systems based on a large panel of Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates. The aim of the current study was to screen for functional TA systems among clinical isolates of A. baumannii and to identify the systems’ locations. For this purpose, we screened 85 A. baumannii isolates collected from different clinical sources for the presence of the mazEF, relBE and higBA TA genes. The results revealed that the genes coding for the mazEF TA system were commonly present in all clinical isolates of A. baumannii. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that transcripts were produced in the clinical isolates. Our findings showed that TA genes are prevalent, harboured by chromosomes and transcribed within A. baumannii. Hence, activation of the toxin proteins in the mazEF TA system should be investigated further as an effective antibacterial strategy against this bacterium.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVOS: As bactérias resistentes estão surgindo em todo o mundo como uma ameaça ao resultado favorável no tratamento de infecções comuns em ambientes comunitários e hospitalares. O presente estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a incidência de Klebsiella pneumoniae produtoras de beta-lactamases de espectro estendido (BLEEs) em pacientes com infecção do trato urinário em diferentes estações do ano, para verificar a prevalência dos genes blaTEM, blaSHV e blaCTX-M responsáveis para a produção de BLEEs em K. pneumoniae productoras de BLEEs, em três cidades do Irã, e investigar o perfil de sensibilidade antimicrobiana de K. pneumoniae em diferentes estações. DESENHO E LOCAL: Estudo retrospectivo realizado em pacientes com infecções do trato urinário em cinco hospitais no Irã. MÉTODO: Duzentos e oitenta e oito isolados clínicos de K. penumoniae foram coletados entre março de 2007 e abril de 2008 em cinco hospitais de três cidades no Irã. BLEEs foram identificados por métodos fenotípicos e genotípicos. K. pneumoniae produtoras de BLEEs foram avaliadas contra antibióticos não beta-lactâmicos. Os genes codificadores de BLEEs (blaSHV, TEM e CTX-M) foram investigados. RESULTADOS: Entre os 288 isolados clínicos de K. pneumoniae, 37,7%, 46,7% e 15,6% eram provenientes dos hospitais em Ilam, Tehran e Tabriz, respectivamente, dos quais 39,4%, 50,7% e 45,8% eram K. pneumoniae produtoras de BLEEs nos hospitais em Ilam, Milad e Eman Reza, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: De acordo com os resultados deste estudo, a resistência às cefalosporinas de terceira geração é maior nos meses frios do que nos meses quentes.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: Resistant bacteria are emerging worldwide as a threat to favorable outcomes from treating common infections in community and hospital settings. The present investigation was carried out to study the incidence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients with urinary tract infection in different seasons of the year, in order to determine the prevalence of the genes blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M, which are responsible for ESBL production among ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, in three cities in Iran, and to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of K. pneumoniae in different seasons. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study carried out among patients with urinary tract infections in five hospitals in Iran. METHOD: Two hundred and eighty-eight clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae were collected between March 2007 and April 2008 from five hospitals in three cities in Iran. ESBLs were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae were evaluated against non-beta-lactam antibiotics. Genes coding for ESBLs (blaSHV, TEM and CTX-M) were screened. RESULTS: Among the 288 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae, 37.7%, 46.7% and 15.6% were obtained from hospitals in Ilam, Tehran and Tabriz, respectively, of which 39.4%, 50.7% and 45.8% were ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in Ilam, Milad and Emam Reza hospitals, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the results from this study, resistance to third-generation cephalosporins is higher during the cold months than during the warm months.