Phenotyping and Genotyping Characterization of Proteus vulgaris After Biofield Treatment

What is it about?

Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris) is widespread in nature, mainly found in flora of human gastrointestinal tract. The current study was attempted to investigate the effects of Mr. Trivedi’s biofield treatment on lyophilized as well as revived state of P. vulgaris for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, biochemical characteristics, and biotype. P. vulgaris cells were procured from Micro BioLogics Inc., USA, in sealed pack bearing the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 33420) number and stored according to the recommended storage protocol until needed for experiments. Lyophilized vial of ATCC strain of P. vulgaris were divided in two parts, Gr. I: control and Gr. II: treatment. Group II was further subdivided into two parts, Gr. IIA and Gr. IIB. Gr. IIA was analysed on day 10. Gr. IIB was stored and analysed on day 143. After retreatment on day 143, the sample was divided into three separate tubes. First, second and third tubes were analysed on day 5, 10 and 15 respectively. All experimental parameters were studied using automated Micro Scan Walk-Away® system. The 16S rDNA sequencing of lyophilized treated sample was carried out to correlate the phylogenetic relationship of P. vulgaris with other bacterial species after treatment. The antimicrobial susceptibility and minimum inhibitory concentration showed 10.71% and 15.63% alteration respectively in treated cells of P. vulgaris as compared to control. It was observed that few biochemical reactions (6%) were altered in the treated groups with respect to control. Moreover, biotype number was substantially changed in treated cells, Gr. IIA (62060406, Proteus penneri) on day 10 as compared to control (62070406; Proteus vulgaris). 16S rDNA analysis showed that the identified sample in this experiment was Proteus vulgaris after biofield treatment. However, the nearest homolog genus-species was found to be Proteus hauseri. The results suggested that biofield treatment has impact on P. vulgaris in lyophilized as well as revived state.

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Why is it important?

Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris) is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria widespread in the environment and also found in normal gut flora of the human. Proteus ranked third as the cause of hospital-acquired infections [1]. The organism is short rods shaped, motile, non-sporing and chemoheterotroph bacterium with diverse mode of transmission [2]. It has a number of putative virulence factors such as secreted hemolytic, responsible for host cell invasion and cytotoxicity. Moreover, it induces urease enzymes which lead to overproductions of ammonia that precipitate and formed bladder and kidney stones. It also produce a secreted protease enzymes from fimbriae which promotes digestion of immunoglobulins [3]. Ureido-penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are the drugs of choice to treat P. vulgaris associate infections but it possess high level of resistance against penicillin and other antibiotics [4]. Therefore, an alternative strategy is needed to alter antimicrobial sensitivity profile against P. vulgaris strain. Biofield treatment has been known as an alternative approach that may be useful to alter the resistance pattern in Proteus infected patients. Harold Saxton Burr, had performed the detailed studies on the correlation of electric current with physiological process and concluded that every single process in the human body had an electrical significance [5]. Recently, it was discovered that all electrical process happening in body have strong relationship with magnetic field as mentioned by Ampere’s law, which states that the moving charge produces magnetic fields in surrounding space [6, 7]. Thus, the human body emits the electromagnetic waves in form of bio-photons, which surrounds the body and it is commonly known as biofield. Therefore, the biofield consists of electromagnetic field, being generated by moving electrically charged particles (ions, cell, molecule etc.) inside the human body. According to Rivera-Ruiz et al. 2008, it was reported that electrocardiography has been extensively used to measure the biofield of human body [8]. Thus, human has the ability to harness the energy from environment or universe and can transmit into any living or nonliving object(s) around the Globe. The objects always receive the energy and responding into useful way that is called biofield energy and the process is known as biofield treatment. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield treatment (The Trivedi effect®) has been known to transform the structural, physical and thermal properties of several metals and ceramic in material science [9-11], improved the overall productivity of crops [12, 13], altered characteristics features of microbes [14-16] and improved growth and anatomical characteristics of medicinal plants [17, 18]. Due to the clinical significance of this organism and literature reports on biofield treatment, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the impact of biofield treatment on P. vulgaris in relation to antimicrobials susceptibility and biotyping based on various biochemical characters followed by 16S rDNA sequencing analysis.

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