Three hundred and ten enterococcal isolates (178 Enterococcus faecium, 68 E. durans, 49 E. faecalis, 8 E. italicus, 3 E. gallinarum, 3 E. casseliflavus, and 1 E. hirae) from Slovak Bryndza cheese were evaluated for susceptibility to nine antimicrobial agents (vancomycin, teicoplanin, ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, and ciprofloxacin). All enterococcal isolates from Bryndza cheese were susceptible to ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin as determined by the disk diffusion method. Vancomycin resistance genes vanA and vanB were not detected. Resistance rates of enterococcal isolates to rifampicin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin were 24, 26, 2, and 1 %, respectively. Thirty-six % of E. faecium isolates and 22 % of the E. faecalis isolates were resistant to erythromycin. Resistance to rifampicin was similar in E. faecium (31 %) and E. faecalis (29 %). Both E. faecium and E. faecalis strains showed the same resistance to ciprofloxacin (2 %). E. durans isolates showed low levels of resistance to rifampicin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin (1-4 %). Forty-eight (30 %) of the E. faecium isolates, two (3 %) of the E. durans isolates, and six (12 %) of the E. faecalis isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. The highest frequency of resistant enterococci was observed in Bryndza produced in winter season.

• MeSH
• Anti-Infective Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Enterococcus classification   drug effects   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Drug Resistance MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Food Microbiology * MeSH
• Seasons MeSH
• Cheese microbiology   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Slovakia MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Infective Agents MeSH

The resistance to antibiotics and the distribution of virulence factors in enterococci isolated from traditional Slovak sheep cheese bryndza was compared with strains from human infections. The occurrence of 4 enterococcal species was observed in 117 bryndza-cheese isolates. The majority of strains were identified as E. faecium (76 %) and E. faecalis (23 %). Several strains of E. durans and 1 strain of E. hirae were also present. More than 90 % of strains isolated from 109 clinical enterococci were E. faecalis, the rest belonged to E. faecium. The resistance to 6 antimicrobial substances (ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, higher concentration of gentamicin, nitrofurantoin, tetracycline and vancomycin) was tested in clinical and food enterococci. A higher level of resistance was found in clinical than in food strains and E. faecium had a higher resistance than E. faecalis; no resistance to vancomycin was detected. The occurrence of 3 virulence-associated genes, cylA (coding for hemolysin), gelE (coding for gelatinase) and esp (coding for surface protein) was monitored. Differences were found in the distribution of cylA gene between clinical and bryndza-cheese E. faecalis strains; in contrast to clinical strains (45 %), cylA gene was detected in 22 % of food isolates. The distribution of 2 other virulence factors, gelE and esp, was not significantly different in the two groups of E. faecalis strains. cylA and gelE genes were not detected in E. faecium but more than 70 % of clinical E. faecium were positive for esp, even thought none of the 79 E. faecium cheese isolates contained this gene.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial * MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Enterococcus faecalis drug effects   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Enterococcus faecium drug effects   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Enterococcus classification   drug effects   isolation & purification   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Virulence Factors genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Sheep MeSH
• Cheese microbiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Slovakia MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins MeSH
• Virulence Factors MeSH

Using an overlay test the production of bacteriocin-like activity and resistance was found in 6 of the total of 7 isolates (5 enterococcal and 2 streptococcal). The majority of strains were sensitive to all bacteriocin producers tested. After acetone precipitation, bacteriocin precipitates were tested for thermal stability. They exhibited high stability at 37 degrees C and some of them were active even after a treatment at 95 degrees C.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents biosynthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Bacteriocins biosynthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Chemical Precipitation MeSH
• Endopeptidase K metabolism   MeSH
• Enterococcus drug effects   growth & development   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Streptococcus drug effects   growth & development   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• Bacteriocins MeSH
• Endopeptidase K MeSH

Concentrated extracts of MRS (De Man-Rogosa-Sharpe) media in which probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium strain M-74 was grown exerted different antimutagenic activity against ofloxacin-, N-methyl, N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine- and sodium 5-nitro-2-furylacrylate-induced mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium assay depending on the presence (+Se) or absence of disodium selenite pentahydrate (-Se). The antimutagenicity of MRS(+Se) extract was higher than that of MRS(-Se) extract. Selenium enhanced also the antimutagenic effect of both live and killed cells of E. faecium M-74, respectively. The live bacteria decreased the mutagenicity of selected substances more than killed cells. Synergic activity of selenium with the bacterium was also manifested.

• MeSH
• Antimutagenic Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Enterococcus faecium metabolism   physiology   MeSH
• Mutagenesis drug effects   MeSH
• Mutagens toxicity   MeSH
• Probiotics pharmacology   MeSH
• Salmonella typhimurium drug effects   genetics   MeSH
• Selenium pharmacology   MeSH
• Drug Synergism MeSH
• Mutagenicity Tests MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antimutagenic Agents MeSH
• Mutagens MeSH
• Selenium MeSH

The majority of antibiotics and substances with diverse biological activity used in medicine are produced by actinomycetes, nonfilamentous bacteria and fungi. Other microorganisms, such as myxobacteria, pseudomonads, nocardias, basidiomycetes, marine microorganisms, enterobacteria, halobacteria, hyperthermophiles etc. are investigated for new biologically active metabolites.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents chemistry   MeSH
• Bacteria chemistry   MeSH
• Biological Products chemistry   MeSH
• Fungi chemistry   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• Biological Products MeSH