Indiscriminate and irrational use of antibiotics has created an unprecedented challenge for human civilization due to microbe’s development of antimicrobial resistance. It is difficult to treat bacterial infection due to bacteria’s ability to develop resistance against antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial agents are categorized according to their mechanism of action, i.e., interference with cell wall synthesis, DNA and RNA synthesis, lysis of the bacterial membrane, inhibition of protein synthesis, inhibition of metabolic pathways, etc. Bacteria may become resistant by antibiotic inactivation, target modification, efflux pump and plasmidic efflux. Currently, the clinically available treatment is not effective against the antibiotic resistance developed by some bacterial species. However, plant-based antimicrobials have immense potential to combat bacterial, fungal, protozoal and viral diseases without any known side effects. Such plant metabolites include quinines, alkaloids, lectins, polypeptides, flavones, flavonoids, flavonols, coumarin, terpenoids, essential oils and tannins. The present review focuses on antibiotic resistance, the resistance mechanism in bacteria against antibiotics and the role of plant-active secondary metabolites against microorganisms, which might be useful as an alternative and effective strategy to break the resistance among microbes.

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The principal sources of water for human use are lakes, rivers, soil moisture and relatively shallow groundwater basins. Water quality in lakes and reservoirs is subjected to the natural degradation, processes of eutrophication and the impacts of human activities. Water quality problems can often be as severe as those of water availability but less attention has been paid to them, particularly in developing countries. Currently additional sustainable ways to mitigate the degradation of water quality are being researched all over the world. Phytoremediation is one of the serious efforts towards the sustainability. Most of the aquatic macrophytes are naturally occurring and well adapted for their surroundings. Aquatic macrophytes have the capability to remove excessive nutrient load from the water that otherwise cause eutrophication of the water body. Aquatic macrophytes absorb nutrient mineral ions from water column and influence metal retention indirectly by acting as traps for particulate matter, by slowing the water current and favoring sedimentation of suspended particles. Aquatic macrophytes also reduce sediment resuspension by offering wind protection. The use of aquatic macrophyte for treatment of wastewater to mitigate variety of pollution level is one of the most researched issues all over the world. Aquatic plant species are very specific for the uptake of nutrients. Owing to this specificity, the selection of the aquatic plant species is one of the skilled tasks prior to the design of a water treatment facility. An effort has been made in this review to cover the most researched aquatic flora for mitigation purposes and their possible use in a mesocosm as the selection of an appropriate aquatic plant specie reduce the time and cost of the treatment processes.

Infectious diseases caused by antimicrobial-resistant microbes (ARMs) and the treatment are the serious problems in the field of medical science today world over. The development of alternative drug line to treat such infectious diseases is urgently required. Researches on ARMs revealed the presence of membrane proteins responsible for effusing the antibiotics from the bacterial cells. Such proteins have successfully been treated by plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAms) synergistically along with the commercially available antibiotics. Such synergistic action usually inhibits the efflux pump. The enhanced activity of plant-derived antimicrobials is being researched and is considered as the future treatment strategy to cure the incurable infections. The present paper reviews the advancement made in the researches on antimicrobial resistance along with the discovery and the development of more active PDAms.

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BackgroundMalaria may be associated with complications which may be avoided by early diagnosis and treatment. Microscopic diagnosis showing presence of malarial parasites is needed for confirmation which at times may be unreliable and requires technical expertise. The present study was conducted to statistically analyze the haematological parameters including platelet indices which can give initial hint for malarial infection and therefore prompt the laboratory physician for active search of the parasite microscopically.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted which included 334 cases of acute malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax, falciparum and dual infection along with 100 cases of control. Routine haematological parameters along with platelet indices (MPV and PDW) which are easily available on automated cell counter were statistically analyzed to assess their role as indicators for malaria.ResultsLeukocyte count and platelet count were significantly lower in cases of acute malaria in comparison to controls (p value <0.001). Platelet count<150×109/l showed 87.2% sensitivity, 65% specificity, 89.3% positive predictive value and 2.49 likelihood ratio for the infection. PDW of 6–10 and MPV>8 fl had 71.9% and 61.5% sensitivity and 78.2% and 77.7% positive predictive value respectively for infection. Platelet count <150×109/l and MPV>8 fl was comparatively more sensitive indicator for vivax (88% and 70.8% respectively) than falciparum (84.8% and 50.4% respectively) and PDW 6–10 was more sensitive indicator for falciparum (82.6%) than vivax (69.5%) infection.ConclusionThrombocytopenia (<150×109/l) and low leukocyte count (<4×109/l) may be used as probable indicator for malaria in endemic countries. Higher MPV (>8 fl) and PDW of 6–10 also show considerable sensitivity for malarial infection. In addition, thrombocytopenia (<150×109/l) and higher MPV (>8 fl) was more sensitive for vivax infection while PDW 6–10 was more sensitive for falciparum infection.

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Microbial assemblage as biofilm around the aquatic plant forms a firm association that largely depends upon the mutual supplies of nutrients, e.g., microbes interact with plants in an aquatic system most likely for organic carbon and oxygen, whereas plants receive defensive immunity and mineral exchange. Apart from the mutual benefits, plant-microbe interactions also influence the water quality especially at rhizosphere providing inherent ability to the aquatic system for the mitigation of pollution from the water column. The review presents and in-depth information along with certain research advancements made in the field of ecological and bio/chemical aspects of plant-microbe interactions and the underlying potential to improve water quality.