Environmental impact of nurdle spill from MSC ELSA 3 on the Kanyakumari Coast, Southern India.

A technical malfunction in the ballast tank caused the Liberia-flagged cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 to capsize on May 25, 2025, while traveling from Vizhinjam to Kochi. As a result of the incident, a large amount of plastic pellets (nurdles, <1-5 mm) spilled and started washing up on the coasts of Kerala and Kanyakumari. About 858 bags (about 22 tons) were collected after the disaster.

Characterization and Antibacterial Potential of Phage CMSTMSU Isolated from Shrimp Farm Effluent Water.

phage CMSTMSU was isolated from a semi-intensive shrimp farm, and it demonstrated strong lytic activity against . Further, the phage was purified, determined the titer value, and, expressed as plaque-forming units per milliliter (pfu/mL). A biofilm inhibition study was performed in high-density polyethylene against cells by applying phages at different concentrations.

Utilizing actinobacteria for glyphosate biodegradation: innovative solutions for sustainable agricultural soil remediation.

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides globally, yet its extensive application has raised significant ecological concerns. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of actinobacteria to degrade glyphosate under various environmental conditions. Four strains of actinobacteria were selected for their ability to thrive in a minimal medium containing 50 mg/L of glyphosate.

Optimization and characterization of bioactive secondary metabolites from Streptomyces sp CMSTAAHL-4 isolated from mangrove sediment.

Background: Ten morphologically different actinomycetes were isolated from mangrove sediments of Manakudy, Kanyakumari District, India. The potent strain was selected based on their primary screening against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Gram negative Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi bacterial pathogens. The selected strain was identified as Streptomyces sp CMSTAAHL-4 by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Isolation and screening of antimicrobial biosurfactants obtained from mangrove plant root-associated bacteria.

The unique properties of biosurfactants obtained from microbes, including their activity at extreme temperatures, make them more attractive than synthetic alternatives. Henceforth, the principle objective is to isolate and detect the antibacterial and antifungal activities of the biosurfactants produced from bacteria of the economically competitive mangrove ecosystem. Using the serial dilution method, 53 bacterial strains were recovered from the Manakudy mangrove forest in Kanyakumari, India, for the investigation.

DNA vaccine incorporated poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres offer enhanced protection against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Encapsulation of DNA vaccines onto carriers enhances the immunogenicity of an antigen. Specifically, biodegradable polymers offer sustained release of vaccines which is crucial for any targeted delivery approach. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres were used to load a DNA vaccine having a targeted gene of outer membrane protein (OMP) of Aeromonas hydrophila to clone and construct a DNA vaccine using a eukaryotic expression vector system (pVAX1-OMP DNA) and delivery in Carassius auratus against A.

Efficacy of recombinant subunit OMP and hly vaccines against Aeromonas hydrophila in Rohu (Labeo rohita).

The main aim of the current study was to clone and express a new outer membrane protein (OMP) and haemolysin (hly) from a pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila and to investigate their potential as a vaccine candidate against A. hydrophila infection in Rohu (Labeo rohita). The OMP and hly genes were cloned in pET-30b vector and recombinant plasmids pET-30b-OMP and pET-30b-hly were constructed, which were then transferred into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3).

Oral delivery of pVAX-OMP and pVAX-hly DNA vaccine using chitosan-tripolyphosphate (Cs-TPP) nanoparticles in Rohu, (Labeo rohita) for protection against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

The present study examines the effectiveness of DNA vaccine against Aeromonas hydrophila through oral route using chitosan-tripolyphosphate (Cs-TPP) nanoparticles encapsulation. The virulent gene of outer membrane protein (OMP) and hemolysin (hly) related to pathogenicity of A. hydrophila was used to construct a DNA vaccine using pVAX1, and the construct was named as pVAX-OMP and pVAX-hly DNA vaccines.

Nature and bioprospecting of haloalkaliphilics: a review.

The haloalkaliphilics are an important subset of extremophiles that grow in salt [upto 33% (wt/vol) NaCl] and alkaline pH (> 9). They are found in hypersaline environments especially in the brines in arid, coastal and deep sea locations, and in alkaline environments, such as soda soils, lakes and deserts. Some authors have described haloalkaliphilic bacteria as moderate halophilic bacteria, but the molecular and classical studies revealed that they belong to moderately to extremely halophilic bacteria and archaea.

Antimicrobial potential of haloalkaliphilic Nocardiopsis sp. AJ1 isolated from solar salterns in India.

Antagonistic haloalkaliphilic Nocardiopsis sp. AJ1 (GenBank JX575136.1), isolated and identified from the saline soil of Kovalam solar salterns was able to produce antimicrobial secondary metabolites and effectively suppressed several bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Oral vaccination of Macrobrachium rosenbergii with baculovirus-expressed M. rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) capsid protein induces protective immunity against MrNV challenge.

White Tail Disease (WTD) is one of the important viral diseases of fresh water giant prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, which is caused by Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV). In the present study, the capsid protein gene of MrNV containing a His-tag was cloned into a baculovirus vector pVL1393 and expressed the recombinant MrNV protein in insect cells, using a baculovirus expression system. A band corresponding to the MrNV protein of 43 kDa was characterized after fractionating the proteins of baculovirus-infected cell lysates by SDS-polyacrylamide gel, and immunostaining with His-tag monoclonal antibody.

Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Phage CMSTMSU, Isolated from Shrimp Farm Effluent Water.

The Escherichia coli phage CMSTMSU was isolated from shrimp farm effluent water in Ramanathapuram, India. The phage exhibited lytic activity against both E. coli and the fish pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV)-CP-RNA-2 DNA vaccine confers protective immunity in giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii against MrNV infection.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii Nodavirus (MrNV) causes white tail disease (WTD) in Giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii which leads to immense economic losses in hatcheries and farms. In the present study, we cloned the capsid protein gene of MrNV-CP-RNA-2 (1146 bp) into a DNA vaccine vector pVAX1 to form MrNV-CP-RNA-2- pVAX1. The bacterial transformant, containing the MrNV-CP gene, was coated on the fish diet pellets and fed to juvenile M.

Haererehalobacter sp. JS1, a bioemulsifier producing halophilic bacterium isolated from Indian solar salt works.

Bioemulsifier (BE)-producing Haererehalobacter sp. JS1 was isolated and identified from the solar salt works in India. The BE was extracted, purified, and characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.

Oxidative stress evoked damages leading to attenuated memory and inhibition of NMDAR-CaMKII-ERK/CREB signalling on consumption of aspartame in rat model.

Many controversial reports are available on the use of aspartame as it releases methanol as one of its metabolite during metabolism. The present study proposes to investigate whether long term (90 days) aspartame (40 mg/kg b.wt) administration could induce oxidative stress and alter the memory in Wistar strain male albino rats.

Effect of Argemone mexicana active principles on inhibiting viral multiplication and stimulating immune system in Pacific white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei against white spot syndrome virus.

Argemone mexicana called as Mexican prickly poppy is a species of poppy found in Mexico and now widely naturalized in many parts of the world with broad range of bioactivities including anthelmintic, cures lepsory, skin-diseases, inflammations and bilious fevers. Plant parts of A. mexicana were serially extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and performed antiviral and immunostimulant screening against WSSV and Vibrio harveyi respectively.

Physicochemical properties of anti Vibrio harveyi egg yolk antibody (IgY) and its immunological influence in Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus.

Edible antibodies specific to host pathogens is an attractive approach to establish protective immunity, especially against gastrointestinal pathogens both in humans and animals. The edible antibody of anti-Vibrio harveyi IgY (anti-V. h IgY) was produced by antigen mixed with immunoadjuvant Asparagus racemosus and Glycine max.

Partial characterization of a biosurfactant extracted from Pseudomonas sp. B0406 that enhances the solubility of pesticides.

Biodegradation of some organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides is difficult because of their low solubility in water and, therefore, their low bioavailability. To overcome the hydrophobicity problem and the limited pesticide availability, biosurfactants play a major role. In this study, we evaluated the effect of an extract from Pseudomonas sp.

Haloalkaliphilic Streptomyces spp. AJ8 isolated from solar salt works and its' pharmacological potential.

Antagonistic Streptomyces spp. AJ8 was isolated and identified from the Kovalam solar salt works in India. The antimicrobial NRPS cluster gene was characterized by PCR, sequencing and predict the secondary structure analysis.

Studies on the antimicrobial potential and structural characterization of fatty acids extracted from Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata.

Background: The marine environment having vast resources of natural products with potential bioactivities. Among the marine natural products, fatty acids obtained from marine mollusks have broad range of biological activities including antimicrobial and antitumor activities. The present study aims to characterize the fatty acid derivatives from the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata and its pharmacological activities.

Influence of Agathi grandiflora active principles inhibit viral multiplication and stimulate immune system in Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus against white spot syndrome virus infection.

Five herbs including Adathoda vasica, Agathi grandiflora, Leucas aspera, Psoralea corylifolia, and Quercus infectoria were selected to screen the antiviral and immunostimulant activity against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and Vibrio harveyi respectively using different organic polar and non-polar solvents. Based on the initial screening results, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of A. grandiflora had strong antiviral and immunostimulant activities.

Bacillus aequororis sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment.

The taxonomic position of a bacterium isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the Bay of Bengal, Kanyakumari coast, India, was analyzed by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The isolated strain, designated as M-8(T), had phenotypic characteristics that matched those of the genus Bacillus and it represents a novel species. The diagnostic cell wall amino acid is meso-DAP.

Protection of ornamental gold fish Carassius auratus against Aeromonas hydrophila by treating Ixora coccinea active principles.

Herbals such as Ixora coccinea, Daemia extensa and Tridax procumbens were selected to screen in vitro antibacterial and immunostimulant activity against the freshwater fish pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila using different organic polar and non-polar solvents. Initial screening results revealed that, ethyl acetate extracts and its purified fraction of I. coccinea was able to suppress the A.