We endeavored to develop a method for viability determination of solventogenic clostridia and to apply it for monitoring acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. Six fluorescent probes (propidium iodide [PI], ethidium bromide, fluorescein diacetate, carboxyfluorescein diacetate [cFDA], rhodamine 123, bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)trimethine oxonol [BOX]) were tested in order to distinguish two subpopulations of live and dead clostridial cells in suspension. Three of them were found to be appropriate (PI, BOX and cFDA) for this purpose. Developed fluorescent staining methods were applied to batch fermentation processes of Clostridium pasteurianum and C. beijerinckii carried out in a laboratory bioreactor under anaerobic conditions. Whereas PI was found to be applicable to both strains, BOX was convenient only for viability determination of C. pasteurianum. Although cFDA can distinguish two cell subpopulations in suspension, it was found to be unsuitable for viability determination under tested conditions, since it reflected more variable esterase activity during sporulation cell cycle than viability. Flow cytometry in combination with convenient fluorescent probe has been proved to be a valuable tool for viability determination. We assume this rapid and simple method can help to obtain more complex and precise information about ABE fermentation.

• MeSH
• aceton metabolismus   MeSH
• barvení a značení MeSH
• butanoly metabolismus   MeSH
• Clostridium chemie   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• ethanol metabolismus   MeSH
• fermentace MeSH
• fluorescenční barviva chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita * MeSH
• průtoková cytometrie metody   MeSH
• rozpouštědla metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aceton MeSH
• butanoly MeSH
• ethanol MeSH
• fluorescenční barviva MeSH
• rozpouštědla MeSH

Two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (2D-FS) has been used as a new method for determining the viability of tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Both horizontal beam geometry and a vertical set-up achieved with bifurcated fibres were tested. The latter arrangement enabled us to avoid the negative effect of cell sedimentation. Incubation of a tobacco BY-2 cell suspension with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (0-10% v/v) resulted in cell samples differing in their viability - from fully viable (0-2% DMSO) to totally non-viable (8-10%DMSO). The validity of determining viability by means of measuring cell esterase activity by 2D-FS using fluorescein diacetate as a fluorogenic substrate was verified by comparison with microscopic evaluation of fluorescein fluorescence as well as with the routinely adopted trypan blue exclusion test.

• Klíčová slova
• Fluorescein diacetate, Keywords Plant cell viability, Two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Limited treatment options in infectious diseases caused by resistant microorganisms created the need to search new approaches. Several herbal extracts are studied for their enormous therapeutic potential. Silymarin extract, from Silybum marianum (milk thistle), is an old and a new remedy for this goal. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antibacterial and antiadherent effects of silymarin besides biofilm viability activity on standard bacterial strains. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), antiadherent/antibiofilm activity, and effects on biofilm viability of silymarin were evaluated against standard bacterial strains. MIC values were observed between 60 and >241 μg/mL (0.25->1 mmol/L). Gram-positive bacteria were inhibited at concentrations between 60 and 120 μg/mL. Gram-negative bacteria were not inhibited by the silymarin concentrations included in this study. MBC values for Gram-positive bacteria were greater than 241 μg/mL. Adherence/biofilm formations were decreased to 15 μg/mL silymarin concentration when compared with silymarin-untreated group. Silymarin reduced the biofilm viabilities to 13 and 46 % at 1 and 0.5 mmol/L concentrations, respectively. We demonstrated that silymarin shows antibacterial and antiadherent/antibiofilm activity against certain standard bacterial strains which may be beneficial when used as a dietary supplement or a drug.

• MeSH
• antibakteriální látky izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• bakteriální adheze účinky léků   MeSH
• biofilmy účinky léků   MeSH
• gramnegativní bakterie účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• grampozitivní bakterie účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita účinky léků   MeSH
• ostropestřec mariánský chemie   MeSH
• silymarin izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antibakteriální látky MeSH
• silymarin MeSH

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is known to be a very slow-growing organism. The fact that cells typically need several weeks to form visible colonies severely compromises the suitability of plate counting for assessment of viable cell counts. This problem might be overcome by the application of fast molecular methods containing a viability component. We have evaluated a promising technology combining sample treatment with propidium monoazide (PMA) prior to DNA extraction for selective detection of cells with intact cell membranes with detection of sequence element F57 by quantitative PCR (F57 qPCR). Element F57 is unique for MAP and is not known to exist in any other bacterial species. Conditions of PMA treatment were optimised for MAP isolate 7082 using live and heat-killed cells and comparing different DNA extraction procedures. The subsequent successful application of the optimised protocol to four other MAP isolates of different origins suggested that the optimised protocol might be broadly applicable to different MAP strains. Furthermore, different equations were compared to use the data resulting from this technology to optimally predict the percentage of live MAP cells in mixtures containing both live and dead cells. The presented protocol holds promise to be used routinely for detecting MAP with intact cell membranes in research applications.

• MeSH
• azidy * MeSH
• bakteriální nálož MeSH
• bezpečnost potravin metody   MeSH
• buněčná membrána MeSH
• DNA bakterií izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita * MeSH
• Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce metody   MeSH
• potravinářská mikrobiologie * MeSH
• propidium analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• vaječný žloutek mikrobiologie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• azidy * MeSH
• DNA bakterií MeSH
• propidium monoazide MeSH Prohlížeč
• propidium MeSH

BACKGROUND: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an established treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection and is under investigation for other conditions. The availability of suitable donors and the logistics of fresh stool preparation present challenges, making frozen, biobanked stools an attractive alternative. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term viability of bacterial populations in faecal samples stored at -80°C for up to 12 months, supporting the feasibility of using frozen grafts for FMT. METHODS: Fifteen faecal samples from nine healthy donors were processed, mixed with cryoprotectants and stored at -80°C. Samples were assessed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months using quantitative culturing methods to determine the concentration of live bacteria. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis showed no significant decrease in bacterial viability over the 12-month period for both aerobic and anaerobic cultures (p = 0.09). At all timepoints, the coefficients of variability in colony-forming unit (CFU) counts were greater between samples (102 ± 21% and 100 ± 13% for aerobic and anaerobic cultures, respectively) than the variability between measurements of the same sample (30 ± 22% and 30 ± 19%). CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed that faecal microbiota can be preserved with high viability in deep-freeze storage for up to a year, making allogenic FMT from biobanked samples a viable and safer option for patients. However, a multidonor approach may be beneficial to mitigate the risk of viability loss in any single donor sample.

• Klíčová slova
• bacterial viability, cryopreservation, deep‐freeze storage, faecal microbiota transplantation, long‐term stability,
• MeSH
• feces * mikrobiologie   MeSH
• fekální transplantace * metody   MeSH
• kryoprezervace metody   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita * MeSH
• zmrazování MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) represents a slow-growing bacterium causing paratuberculosis, especially in domestic and wild ruminants. Until recently, the assessment of MAP viability relied mainly on cultivation, which is very time consuming and is unable to detect viable but non-culturable cells. Subsequently, viability PCR, a method combining sample treatment with the DNA-modifying agent ethidium monoazide (EMA) or propidium monoazide (PMA) and quantitative PCR (qPCR), was developed, enabling the selective detection of MAP cells with an intact cell membrane. However, this technology requires a laborious procedure involving the need to work in the dark and on ice. In our study, a method based on a combination of platinum compound treatment and qPCR, which does not require such a demanding procedure, was investigated to determine mycobacterial cell viability. The conditions of platinum compound treatment were optimized for the fast-growing mycobacterium M. smegmatis using live and heat-killed cells. The optimal conditions consisting of a single treatment with 100 μM cis-dichlorodiammine platinum(II) for 60 min at 5°C resulted in a difference in quantification cycle (Cq) values between live and dead membrane-compromised mycobacterial cells of about 6 Cq corresponding to about 2 log10 units. This optimized viability assay was eventually applied to MAP cells and demonstrated a better ability to distinguish between live and heat-killed mycobacteria as compared to PMA. The viability assay combining the Pt treatment with qPCR thereby proved to be a promising method for the enumeration of viable MAP cells in foodstuffs, environmental, and clinical samples which could replace the time-consuming cultivation or laborious procedures required when using PMA.

• Klíčová slova
• Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, live-dead discrimination, mycobacteria, platinum, propidium monoazide, qPCR, viability,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The assay employing firefly luciferase as the end-point reporter is one of the most popular gene reporter systems. However, the physiological conditions of cells may affect the reporter gene expression, which makes an assessment of cell viability desirable. Estimates of cell viability may be based on different principles. We tested for correlations between various cell viability assessments, including luminescent determination of adenosine triphosphate in whole-cell lysate, and the reporter luciferase activity in pluripotent embryonic and colon adenocarcinoma cells. Luciferase activity in cell lysate from both cell lines cultured under different conditions correlated with the amount of viable cells assessed by all of the methods employed. Importantly, it was also possible to carry out adenosine triphosphate determination in cell lysates prepared in the buffer originally designed for determining luciferase activity; it correlated significantly with adenosine triphosphate determination in cells lysed in the buffer originally designed for adenosine triphosphate determination. The results suggest that the assessment of live cells by determining adenosine triphosphate can be multiplexed with a luciferase reporter gene assay, which allows independent monitoring of both reporter expression and cell viability.

• MeSH
• adenosintrifosfát metabolismus   MeSH
• biotest metody   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• luciferasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• luminiscenční měření metody   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• reportérové geny * MeSH
• viabilita buněk * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosintrifosfát MeSH
• luciferasy MeSH

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has a high degree of resistance to chemical and physical procedures frequently used for the elimination of other bacteria. Recently, a method for the determination of viability by exposure of MAP to propidium monoazide (PMA) and subsequent real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was established and found to be comparable with culture. The aim of this study was to apply the PMA qPCR method to determine the impact of increasing concentration or time and repeated cycles of the application of selected disinfectants on MAP viability. Different MAP isolates responded to the same type of stress in different ways. The laboratory strain CAPM 6381 had the highest tolerance, while the 8819 low-passage field isolate was the most sensitive. Ultraviolet exposure caused only a partial reduction in MAP viability; all MAP isolates were relatively resistant to chlorine. Only the application of peracetic acid led to the total elimination of MAP. Repeated application of the treatments resulted in more significant decreases in MAP viability compared to single increases in the concentration or time of exposure to the disinfectant.

• Klíčová slova
• Disinfection, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Propidium monoazide quantitative PCR, Viability,
• MeSH
• azidy * MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• chlor farmakologie   MeSH
• dezinficiencia farmakologie   MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce veterinární   MeSH
• kyselina peroctová farmakologie   MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita účinky léků   MeSH
• Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis účinky léků   MeSH
• propidium analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• ultrafialové záření MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• azidy * MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny MeSH
• chlor MeSH
• dezinficiencia MeSH
• kyselina peroctová MeSH
• propidium monoazide MeSH Prohlížeč
• propidium MeSH

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of model (alcohol, sugar, salt, protein and acid) and real foods and beverages on the viability of probiotics during incubation and artificial digestion. Viability of monocultures Lactobacillus acidophilus CCM4833 and Bifidobacterium breve CCM7825T, and a commercial mixture of 9 probiotic bacterial strains, was tested by cultivation assay and flow cytometry. In model foods, the best viability was determined in the presence of 0.2 g/L glucose, 10% albumin and 10% ethanol. As the most suitable real food for probiotic survival, complex protein and carbohydrate substrates were found, such as beef broth, potato salad with pork, chicken with rice, chocolate spread, porridge and yoghurt. The best liquid was milk and meat broth, followed by Coca-Cola, beer and coffee. Viability of probiotics was higher when consumed with meals than with beverages only. Addition of prebiotics increased the viability of probiotics, especially in presence of instant and fast foods. Generally, the highest viability of probiotics during artificial digestion was observed in mixed culture in the presence of protein, sugar and fat, or their combination. The increase of cell viability observed in such foods during model digestion may further contribute to the positive effect of probiotics on human health.

• Klíčová slova
• cell viability, food matrices, food stress, model digestion, probiotics,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Seed viability testing is essential in plant conservation and research. Seed viability testing determines the success of ex-situ conservation efforts, such as seed banking but commonly testing protocols of orchids lack consistency and accuracy, therefore, there is a need to select an appropriate and reliable viability test, especially when conducting comparative studies. Here, we evaluated the suitability of three seed viability tests, Evans blue test (EB), Fluorescein diacetate test (FDA) and Tetrazolium test (TTC), with and without sterilization, on seeds of 20 orchid species, which included five epiphytes and fifteen terrestrials, using both fresh seeds and seeds stored at - 18 ºC for 6 to 8 years. RESULTS: We found that sterilization and lifeform of seeds affected seed viability across all tests but the storage time was not an influential factor. Sterilization negatively affected seed viability under EB and FDA test conditions but increased the detection of viable seeds in the TTC test in both epiphytic and terrestrial species. The EB test, when administered without sterilization provided the highest viability results. Being non-enzymatic unlike TTC and FDA tests, as expected, the EB test was the most reliable with similar results between sterilized and not sterilized seeds for most epiphytic and terrestrial species as well as when compared between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The lifeform of the species and seed sterilization prior to testing are important influential factors in orchid seed viability testing. Since EB test was found to be reliable we recommend the EB test for seed viability assessment in orchids rather than the less reliable but commonly used TTC test, or the FDA test, which require more expensive and sophisticated instrumentation. Since storage time was not an influential factor in orchid seed viability testing, the recommendations of this study can be used for both fresh as well as long-term stored orchid seeds. This is helpful for research and especially for conservation measures such as seed banking. However, due to the species specificity of the bio-physiology of orchids, we call for comprehensive viability test assessment in the hyper diverse orchid family to be extended to a greater number of species to facilitate efficient conservation and research.

• Klíčová slova
• Epiphytic orchids, Lifeform, Orchid seeds, Plant conservation, Seed banking, Seed sterilization, Seed viability test, Terrestrial orchids,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH