In the present work, the fruits of four Morus species, namely Morus alba (white mulberry), Morus nigra (black mulberry), Morus laevigata (large white fruit), and Morus laevigata (large black fruit), were analyzed for proximate composition, essential minerals, and antioxidant potentials. For this purpose, the ripe fruits were collected from the northern regions of Pakistan. The major nutritional components (moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, fibres, carbohydrates, and total sugar) were found to be in the suitable range along with good computed energy. Total dry weight, pH, and titratable acidity (percent citric acid) were (17.60±1.94)-(21.97±2.34) mg/100 g, (3.20±0.07)-(4.78±0.15), and (0.84±0.40)%-(2.00±0.08)%, respectively. Low riboflavin (vitamin B(2)) and niacin (vitamin B(3)) contents were recorded in all the fruits, while ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was in the range from (15.20±1.25) to (17.03±1.71) mg/100 g fresh weight (FW). The mulberry fruits were rich with regard to the total phenol and alkaloid contents, having values of (880±7.20)-(1650±12.25) mg/100 g FW and (390±3.22)-(660±5.25) mg/100 g FW, respectively. Sufficient quantities of essential macro-(K, Ca, Mg, and Na) and micro-(Fe, Zn, and Ni) elements were found in all the fruits. K was the predominant element with concentration ranging from (1270±9.36) to (1731±11.50) mg/100 g, while Ca, Na, and Mg contents were (440±3.21)-(576±7.37), (260±3.86)-(280±3.50), and (240±3.51)-(360±4.20) mg/100 g, respectivly. The decreasing order of micro-minerals was Fe>Zn>Ni. The radical scavenging activity of methanolic extract of fruits was concentration-dependent and showed a correlation with total phenolic constituents of the respective fruits. Based on the results obtained, mulberry fruits were found to serve as a potential source of food diet and natural antioxidants.

Abstract:We report physicochemical characteristics of various kinds of liquid milk commercially available in Pakistan in comparison with those of fresh natural milk from animals. Milk samples were collected from local markets at Peshawar, Pakistan, and analyzed for their physical features, including moisture, total solids, specific gravity, conductivity, viscosity and titratable acidity (lactic acid equivalent), and chemical components and macro-minerals, including total protein, casein, lactose, ash and minerals (Na, K and Mg). These items were compared with the physicochemical characteristics of the fresh natural milk samples from buffalo, cow and goat. The results were also compared with reported nutritional quality of milk from various countries and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. We found that all the physical features and chemical components of commercially available milk in Pakistan markets meet WHO's requirements, except for Na, K, Ca and Mg, which are below the standards.

Bacterial–fungal interactions are presumed to be mediated chiefly by small-molecule signals; however, little is known about the signaling networks that regulate antagonistic relationships between pathogens. Here, we show that the ralstonins, lipopeptides produced by the plant pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum, interfere with germination of the plant-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus by down-regulating expression of a cryptic biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC), named imq. Comparative metabolomic analysis of overexpression strains of the transcription factor ImqK revealed imq-dependent production of a family of tripeptide-derived alkaloids, the imizoquins. These alkaloids are produced via a nonribosomal peptide synthetase- (NRPS-)derived tripeptide and contain an unprecedented tricyclic imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline ring system. We show that the imizoquins serve a protective role against oxidative stress that is essential for normal A. flavus germination. Supplementation of purified imizoquins restored wildtype germination to a ΔimqK A. flavus strain and protected the fungus from ROS damage. Whereas the bacterial ralstonins retarded A. flavus germination and suppressed expression of the imq cluster, the fungal imizoquins in turn suppressed growth of R. solanacearum. We suggest such reciprocal small-molecule-mediated antagonism is a common feature in microbial encounters affecting pathogenicity and survival of the involved species.

Enterococci are distinct lactic acid bacteria, and also natural inhabitants of human and animal intestinal tracts. They may enter food products during processing through direct or indirect contamination and are mostly present in fermented food products, such as cheese, sausages, olives, etc. Nowadays, they are extensively studied for the production of bacteriocins (enterocins), which prevent the growth of many food-borne and spoilage-causing pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. Enterocins belong to class I, class IIa, class IIc, and class III of bacteriocins. Enterocins can be used in different food products in order to enhance their shelf life because they are heat stable and show activity over wide pH range. Enterocins are effective as well as safe to be used in the food system because they are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are the predominant bacteriocin-producing species of Enterococcus in food products. The following review is focused on the bacteriocin-producing strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from different traditional fermented food products.The aim of this review is to cover general features of the enterocins of Enterococcus faecium, the attempts made to purify them, and their potential application in different food products to improve their overall safety.

Escalating resistance to almost every class of antibiotics is reducing the utility of currently available antimicrobial drugs. A part of this menace is attributed to poor pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug. Improvement in drug delivery is the most challenging task encountered by the pharmaceutical industries; however nanotechnology can bring a revolution in drug delivery design. Nano-antimicrobials (NAMs) have their own intrinsic antimicrobial activity (nanoparticles) or augment overall efficacy of enclosed antibiotics (nano-carriers), thus contribute in mitigating or reversing the resistance phenomenon. Nano-particles (NPs) having their own intrinsic antimicrobial activity kill microbes by mimicking natural course of killing by phagocytic cells i.e., by producing large quantity of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS). It is believed that NPs kill microbes by simultaneously acting on many essential life processes or metabolic routes of microbes; that as many genetic mutations to develop resistance against them seems to be impossible. Nano carriers improve the pharmacokinetics of the enclosed drug. Moreover, one of the major techniques by which NAMs can overcome resistance is targeted drug delivery to the site of disease. In this review, a comprehensive detail about the mechanism of action of NAMs are presented in context to multi drug resistance phenomenon.