These days instead of chemical pesticides, various natural alternatives have been used for the management of post-harvest diseases. This research was carried out to evaluate the antifungal potential of different chitosan concentrations viz., 5, 10, and 15 mg/µl against Rhizopus stolonifer by the agar dilution and well diffusion methods. The evaluation was carried out after seven days of incubation by measuring the inhibition of R. stolonifer mycelial growth. Results of the study revealed that the chitosan had a significant inhibitory effect on mycelial growth and maximum mycelial growth inhibition was reported at the 10 and 15 mg/µl concentrations and these two treatments are not significantly different. Based on these results, the best concentration (15 mg/µl) was further evaluated by the well diffusion technique. The average inhibition zones formed by the higher concentration was 25mm. Results of the study suggested that chitosan can be used for the management of post-harvesting diseases of tomatoes.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of thyme has been well established against various microorganisms. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of aqueous and alcoholic extract of thyme on beef mincemeat quality. Three differential concentrations (0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 mg/ml) of both thyme extracts were used for the beef mincemeat preservation. Untreated meat samples were considered as the control group while the extracts treated beef mincemeat are stored at 4°C for 7 to 14 days. To validate the extract's ability to prolong the storage period at 4 °C, various bacteriological indicators like total plate count, presence of total coliform, Salmonella, Shigella, and Staphylococcus aureus count were assessed. The results of the antimicrobial assay of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of thyme at different concentrations showed that the aqueous extract had significant inhibitory action on the growth of a wide range of bacteria compared to the alcoholic extract. Thus, the thyme aqueous extracts can be efficient and promising as preservatives for meat and its products, especially at high concentrations to inhibit bacterial growth.

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Background: In addition to human cells, healthy gums contain a variety of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa that may contribute to unhealthy sites. The effect of pathogens lysis or other immune cell lysis needs to be clarified in order to expand the current pathophysiological pattern of periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to survey the prevalence of E. gingivalis among patients with periodontitis and healthy individuals in order to support public health action. In addition, we investigated the relationship between the incidence rate and some parameters, such as patient age and gender. Methods and Results: This study enrolled 51 subjects divided into two groups: The case group involved 31 patients (15 females and 16 males) with periodontal disease; the control group included 20 people (10 females and 10 males) with healthy oral cavities. Biofilm and saliva samples were collected and examined for the presence of E. gingivalis. A total of 22(71.0%) patients of various ages with periodontal disease were infected with E. gingivalis. Male patients were more likely to have the amoeba than female patients. E. gingivalis was also found in the control group, albeit at a lower frequency (P=0.005). Conclusion: Infections with E. gingivalis should be considered as a potential pathological factor associated with the development of periodontal diseases. More research should be conducted to determine whether E. gingivalis is the primary cause of tissue destruction and disease progression, or if it is acting synergistically with the current pathogenic bacteria that should be investigated further.

Several natural compounds have recently been discovered to be effective in the management of numerous pathogenic microorganisms. Kojic acid is an example of such a compound (KA). It is a byproduct of the fungal fermentation process that is commonly used in the production of food and cosmetics. The well diffusion method was used to determine the antifungal activity of various KA concentrations, viz., 20, 25, and 30 mg/μl, against the bread mold. On the seventh day of incubation, an evaluation was performed. The factors detected were the inhibition of bread mold growth with an enumerated size of diameter mycelial growth. The study’s findings showed that KA inhibited mycelial growth, with the highest inhibition found at 25 and 30 mg/μl concentrations, with no significant difference between the two treatments. Based on these findings, the best concentration (30 mg/μl) was tested further using the well diffusion technique. A concentration of 30 mg/μl was found to be more effective than the others in preventing fungal growth. This concentration produced inhibitory zones with an average diameter of 23.3 mm, which was larger than the other concentrations. The results of this study showed that KA has a potential impact for preserving bread from mold.