Evaluation of Phenotyping and Genotyping Characteristic of Shigella sonnei after Biofield Treatment

What is it about?

Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) is a non-motile, rod shape, clinically significant, Gram-negative bacterium. It is commonly associated with dysentery (shigellosis). Recently, resistance to third and fourth generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones has been reported in S. sonnei. In the present study, we assessed the effect of biofield treatment on phenotyping and genotyping characteristic of S. sonnei (ATCC 9290). The lyophilized samples of S. sonnei were divided in three groups (G): G-I (control, revived), G-II (treatment, revived), and G-III (treatment, lyophilized). All these groups (control and biofield treated) were analyzed against antimicrobial susceptibility, biochemical reactions, and biotype number. The 16S rDNA sequencing was carried out to establish the phylogenetic relationship of S. sonnei with different bacterial species. The treated cells of S. sonnei exhibited an alteration of 3.33%, 10%, and 23.33% of total 30 tested antimicrobials in susceptibility assay for G-II on day 5 and 10 and G-III on day 10, respectively as compared to control. The treated cells of S. sonnei showed a significant change of about 12.12%, 12.12%, and 57.58% biochemical reactions out of 33 tests in treated groups of G-II on day 5 and 10 and G-III on day 10, respectively. The biotype number was also changed in treated samples of S. sonnei. Based on nucleotide homology sequences and phylogenetic analysis, the nearest homolog species of S. sonnei (GenBank Accession Number: EU009190) was identified as Shigella flexneri (EF643608). These results revealed that biofield treatment can prevent the absolute resistance in microbe against the existing antimicrobials.

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Why is it important?

Development of antimicrobial resistance in several microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi, or in parasites has been reported globally in the recent few decades. Frequent and improper use of antimicrobial further accelerated the incidence of microbial resistance [1]. Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) is a rod shape, non-motile, facultative anaerobic Gram-negative and lactose-fermenting bacterium. S. sonnei is associated with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection disease shigellosis in both developed and developing countries, where the sanitation is insufficient [2,3]. S. sonnei is usually transmitted by fecal-oral route, direct interpersonal contact, contaminated food, water, or uncooked food. Shigella infection is the third most common gastroenteritis after Salmonella and Campylobacter infection in the USA. Recently, S. sonnei has become the most prevalent species in the developed world. It is estimated to cause 80–165 million cases of disease and 600,000 deaths annually, worldwide [4]. The S. sonnei has been acquired resistant to commonly used antimicrobials like streptomycin, tetracycline, sulfonamide, trimethoprim, and ampicillin. Emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in S. sonnei was also detected in Korea [2,5]. Therefore the multidrug therapy required to treat the infection cause by resistant strain of microbes. However, multiple drug therapy shows serious toxicity and associated adverse effects like neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity [6]. Due to associated side effects and failure of drug therapy, an alternate treatment approach is required. Recently, an alternate treatment known as biofield energy is reported that inhibits the growth of bacterial cultures [7]. Biofield is an electromagnetic field that permeates and surrounds living organisms and referred as biologically produced electromagnetic and subtle energy field that provides regulatory and communication functions within the human organism [8]. Various internal physiological processes such as blood flow, brain and heart function etc. generates biofield. Researchers have attempted different biologic studies and effects of biofield on various biomolecules such as proteins, antibiotics [9], conformational change in DNA [10] etc. 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 [11]. Mr. Mahendra Trivedi’s biofield treatment (The Trivedi Effect®) has renowned to alter the various physicochemical characteristics of metals and ceramics [11-17]. Quality and quantity of several agriculture products have been improved by several folds in the biofield treated plants [18-20] and growth and adaptation of the plant were also enhanced with the help of biofield treatment [21,22]. In addition, the biofield treatment has considerably altered the phenotype and biotype of the microbe and subsequently, the susceptibility to antimicrobials was also changed [23-25]. Based on the knowledge of existing literatures and considering the clinical significance of S. sonnei, we evaluated to see the impact of biofield treatment on antimicrobial susceptibility, biochemical reactions pattern, biotype number, and 16S rDNA gene sequencing of the microbe.

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