Graphical abstract

Fungal skin infections are caused by different types of fungi among these Malassezia species is the common cause of the dermatitis in human and animals. In the present study, the skin scraping samples were collected from human and dog. The samples were inoculated into Saboraud and potato dextrose broth to achieve the fungal growth. The fungal species were isolated and characterized by colony morphology, potassium hydroxide (KOH) and lacto phenol cotton blue staining. Genomic DNA was isolated and the 28S rRNA was amplified from fungal species using the universal primers and the amplified PCR products were subjected to sequencing. The sequence analysis of 28S rRNA reveals that two sequences were similar to Malassezia globosa and one sequence is similar to Malassezia pachydermatis which causes dermatitis in human and dog, respectively. Further study was carried out to assess the antifungal activity of the silver nanoparticles synthesized through green synthesis using Azadirachta indica leaf extract and characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer, Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-Ray diffraction spectrophotometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). The characterized silver nanoparticles inhibit the growth of Malassezia species by forming zone of clearance. This study suggests that the silver nanoparticles could be an alternative to treat the fungal infections.

Bioactive peptides have been defined as specific protein fragments that have an impact on body functions or conditions and may ultimately influence health. Fermented milk is a dairy product which has abundance of bioactive peptides. In this study, Casein Phospho peptide (CPP) was isolated by enzymatic hydrolysis of fermented milk using trypsin. The molecular weight of the Casein Phospho peptide was 3.5 KDa. The anti-bacterial activity of Casein Phospho peptide was determined using four pathogens such as, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica. Casein phospho peptide formed a zone of inhibition against the pathogens. The bioactive peptides were characterized using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Casein Phospho peptide had aliphatic amine, acetyl amino I and acetyl amino II functional groups. The HPLC analysis of Casein Phospho peptide revealed that the major amino acid present was L- Glutamic acid and the amino acid present in lesser concentration was Leucine. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) were isolated from human blood and the cells were treated with Casein Phospho peptide to assess the immunomodulatory effect. Casein Phospho peptide was able to produce a higher concentration of IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokines when treated with PBMCs.

Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn is environment-friendly. The present study focuses on the biosynthesis and characterization of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles from Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by using SEM, FTIR, and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. Antibacterial activity was performed by MHA against different bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeroginosa). Anticancer study was performed against liver cancer cell line (HEPA-2). Photocatalytic activity and phtotoxicity tests were also performed by using synthesized nanoparticles.

Johne’s disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is a widespread problem in ruminants worldwide. Diagnosis of the disease during the early stages of infection is difficult. In search of newer proteins with antigenic and immunogenic characters, in silico epitope analysis of the immunogenic proteins was performed which identifies the proteins expressed during the early stages of infection and which could stimulate cell mediated immune response. T cell epitopes were predicted for the six immunogenic proteins and the epitopes were sorted based on the percentile ranking and repetition among MHC Class I alleles. 3D modeling and protein-protein interaction studies revealed that ELPLPQTYVD, DVVGYDRTQD, PDLQSVLGATPGAG, DGLRAQDD, DGLRAQDD and PGHVTDD epitopes interact with the MHC Class I molecule through hydrogen bonding. These epitopes are identified as potent candidates for the immunodiagnostic studies and could be further evaluated using in vitro studies.