North Eastern Hill University

About: North Eastern Hill University is a education organization based out in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 2318 authors who have published 4476 publications receiving 48894 citations.

Allelopathic effects of Eupatorium riparium on population regulation of two species of Galinsoga and soil microbes

Abstract: Allelopathic effect ofEupatorium riparium Regel, a dominant ruderal weed at higher altitudes in Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, was studied on two common sympatric annual weeds,Galinsoga ciliata (Raf.) andG. parviflora Cav. and on soil microbes. Seed germination and radicle and plumule growth of both species ofGalinsoga were suppressed by the aqueous extract and leachate ofE. riparium. Although the leaf leachate, leaf and litter extracts and litter bed caused considerable reduction in leaf area and seed and dry matter production in both species ofGalinsoga, the effect was much more pronounced onG. parviflora. The inhibitory effect was directly correlated with the concentration of the extract and leachate. The soil microbial population and growth of theGalinsoga spp. declined considerably in the experimental pots where the soil had earlier received leachate of different plant parts ofE. riparium growing in it. The presence of the partly decomposed litter ofE. riparium in the pots reduced soil microbial population and growth of the two weeds much more strongly as compared to the litter in the advanced stages of decomposition. The study also revealed that the abundance and colony growth of the two test fungiviz. Trichoderma viride andAspergillus flavus were differentially affected by the allelopathy ofE. riparium; T. viride being favoured andA. flavus inhibited.

Antibacterial and synergistic activity against β-lactamase-producing nosocomial bacteria by bacteriocin of LAB isolated from lesser known traditionally fermented products of India.

Abstract: There is an ever-growing need to control antibiotic-resistance owing to alarming resistance to commonly available antimicrobial agents for which contemporary and alternative approaches are being explored. The present study assessed the antibacterial activity of bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from lesser known traditionally fermented products of India for their synergistic potential with common antibiotics against clinical β-lactamases producing pathogens. A total of 84 isolates of LAB were screened for their antibacterial efficacy against Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus as well as against clinical pathogens harbouring β-lactamase genes such as bla CTX-M, bla VIM, bla IMP , bla SHV and bla NDM . Synergistic activity of bacteriocins were determined in combination with antibiotics namely, cefotaxime , polymyxin B, imipenem and tigecycline. Purified bacteriocins from Lactobacillus , Pediococcus and Enterococcus inhibited the growth of β-lactamase harbouring clinical pathogens which significantly higher inhibitions when compared with antibiotics alone. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts ranged from 6.66 to 26.66 mg/ml and 10 to 33.33 mg/ml for Pediococcus pentosaceus LU11 and Lactobacillus plantarum LS6. The bacteriocinogenic activity of LAB opens scope for bioprospection of antibacterial components in the current struggle against increasing pandrug resistance and slowing down the expansion of multi-drug resistance.