Due to environmentally friendly and cost‐ effective issues, biological methods for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesis are advantageous over chemical and physical ones. In this study, AgNPs synthesized using Lavandula stoechas extract as a reductant and its antioxidant capacity, antibacterial property and cytotoxicity effect were investigated. The phyto‐synthesized AgNPs were characterized using various analyses such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD) as well as Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR). The prepared nanoparticles were spherical on shape with the size about 20–50 nm. Antibacterial studies through agar disk diffusion method confirmed the antibacterial potential of phyto‐synthesized AgNPs toward two clinical Staphylococus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, although MTT assay demonstrated that S. aureus (MIC = 125 μg/ml) was more susceptible to AgNPs than P. aeruginosa (MIC = 250 μg/ml). Moreover, the cytotoxicity assay of phyto‐synthezied AgNPs showed a low cytotoxic effect on RAW264 cell line at 62.5 μg/ml as an effective concentration. Also the considerable antioxidant capacity of the AgNPs confirmed through DPPH assay. Great antibacterial and antioxidant properties along with biocompatibility make the suggested phyto‐synthesized AgNPs a great candidate for different biomedical applications including wound healing.

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Background: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a frequent infection in females at the reproductive age. Furthermore, the most common causative agent is Candida albicans yet in the recent years, the incidence of non-albicans species has increased. Objectives: The main aim of this study was the isolation and identification of various Candida species from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in Yasuj, Iran. Methods: Three hundred and ten suspected women females vaginitis were sampled and examined. Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh colonies by phenol-chloroform glass bead methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed based on the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA-ITS), and specific electrophoretic patterns of PCR products after digestion with MspI enzyme used for species identification. Results: The cultures were positive for 160 (51.6%) vaginal samples. Candida albicans (86.8%) was the most common species among the isolates, followed by C. glabrata (3.77%) and C. krusei (3%). Multispecies with two Candida were identified in nine patients. Conclusions: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is more prevalent among females in Yasuj and the predominant agent is C. albicans. In addition, correct identification of Candida species could play an important role in management and treatment of VVC.

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Background: Adenoids act as reservoirs for pathogenic bacteria and chronic adenoid infection leads to its hypertrophy. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the frequency of Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in children by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture and to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of the isolates. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 200 adenoid tissues were taken from children with adenoid hypertrophy in the operating room under general anesthesia conditions. The isolation and detection of bacteria were performed by culture and PCR methods. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined by the disc agar diffusion method according to the CLSI guidelines. Results: Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterium (102; 51%) isolated by the culture method, followed by S. pneumoniae (44; 22%), M. catarrhalis (33; 16.5%), and H. influenzae (6; 3%). By multiplex PCR, the detection rate of microorganisms was as follows: S. aureus 40.5% (n = 81), S. pneumoniae 15.5% (n = 31), M. catarrhalis 11% (n = 22), and H. influenzae 4% (n = 8). Haemophilus influenzae strains were sensitive to all of the tested antibiotics. Seven S. aureus isolates were resistant to cefoxitin and identified as MRSA. Conclusions: This study showed the importance of S. aureus in the etiology of adenoid hypertrophy as the most frequent isolate. It may be due to the long-term duration of adenoid hypertrophy in children that helps the colonization of S. aureus in adenoid tissue and leads to chronic infection.