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Bioactive Compounds in Microbial Communities and Non-target Organisms

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Dear Colleagues,

According to the WHO, resistance to commercial antibiotics is one of the great challenges facing humanity in this century. Therefore, the search for new antimicrobial products and strategies that minimize the impacts of antibiotics on the environment and, as a result, their toxicity and dispersion of resistance genes is of great interest.

This Special Issue focuses on molecules and compounds with antimicrobial activity on microbial communities with clinical, veterinary, or agri-food applications and/or their ability to generate resistance. Also of interest is the study of the environmental impact of these compounds on water and soil communities, as well as on other non-target bioindicator organisms.

We welcome submissions of original research and review articles about the following topics:

Molecules and compounds (or combinations of both) with antimicrobial activity in microbial communities of clinical, veterinary, or agri-food interest.
Ecotoxicity studies of molecules, compounds, or combinations of both with antimicrobial bioactivity in microbial communities of water and soil.
Resistance studies in microbial communities of new molecules, products, or combinations of both with antimicrobial properties.

Dr. María Rosa Pino-Otín
Dr. Elisa Langa
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

antimicrobial
environmental microbial communities
ecotoxicity
antibiotic resistance

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Municipal Biosolids on the Growth, Physiology and Synthesis of Phenolic Compounds in Ocimum basilicum L.

by Andrei Lobiuc, Vasile Stoleru, Roxana Gheorghiţă and Marian Burducea

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010448 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 569

Abstract

The continuous development of drinking water networks is leading to the production of increasing amounts of waste water and sewage sludge. Secondary-treated sewage sludge is called biosolids and can be used as fertilizers in agriculture due to its rich nutrient content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biosolids mixed with an eroded soil on the morphology, physiology and synthesis of bioactive compounds in basil. The study was performed in pots under laboratory-controlled conditions. In total, four substrates were tested: S1 biosolids 100%, S2 biosolids 15% + eroded soil 85%, S3 eroded soil 100% and S4 control (commercial growing substrate). At the morphological level, a significant increase in plant height, number of branches, fresh biomass and dry biomass was found in the S2 variant. At the physiological level, photosynthesis and chlorophyll content did not vary significantly, but the quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) was significantly higher at S1 and S2. The oxidative status evaluated by determining the activity of SOD, POD and CAT enzymes was better in S2 and S3 compared to S3. Regarding the synthesis of bioactive compounds (rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and gallic acid), it was stimulated in S1 and S2. In conclusion, biosolids application stimulated the stress response mechanisms in basil plants by increasing the quantum yield chlorophyll fluorescence and catalase activity, alleviating the negative effects of eroded soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Microbial Communities and Non-target Organisms)

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26 pages, 3684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Ecotoxicity of Eight Widely Used Antibiotics on River Microbial Communities

by María Rosa Pino-Otín, Guillermo Lorca, Elisa Langa, Francisco Roig, Eva M. Terrado and Diego Ballestero

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316960 - 30 Nov 2023

Viewed by 849

Abstract

Global prevalence of antibiotic residues (ABX) in rivers requires ecotoxicological impact assessment. River microbial communities serve as effective bioindicators for this purpose. We quantified the effects of eight commonly used ABXs on a freshwater river microbial community using Biolog EcoPlates™, enabling the assessment of growth and physiological profile changes. Microbial community characterization involved 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The river community structure was representative of aquatic ecosystems, with the prevalence of Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Our findings reveal that all ABXs at 100 µg/mL reduced microbial community growth and metabolic capacity, particularly for polymers, carbohydrates, carboxylic, and ketonic acids. Chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and gentamicin exhibited the highest toxicity, with chloramphenicol notably impairing the metabolism of all studied metabolite groups. At lower concentrations (1 µg/mL), some ABXs slightly enhanced growth and the capacity to metabolize substrates, such as carbohydrates, carboxylic, and ketonic acids, and amines, except for amoxicillin, which decreased the metabolic capacity across all metabolites. We explored potential correlations between physicochemical parameters and drug mechanisms to understand drug bioavailability. Acute toxicity effects at the river-detected low concentrations (ng/L) are unlikely. However, they may disrupt microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems. The utilization of a wide array of genetically characterized microbial communities, as opposed to a single species, enables a better understanding of the impact of ABXs on complex river ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Microbial Communities and Non-target Organisms)

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