The Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for Postgraduate Studies / University of Baghdad discussed the master’s thesis of the student Ahmed Hassan Najm, entitled:
“The Role of Class A and Class B Carbapenemase Genes in Antibiotic Resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections”, supervised by Dr. Wasan Abdul-Razzaq Gharbi.
The study aimed to investigate Klebsiella pneumoniae as the main causative agent of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). It is traditionally regarded as an opportunistic pathogen, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals, especially in cases of urinary tract infections.
The results of the study showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of black mulberry extract was 16 mg/ml for isolates (K1, K3, K4, K5, K6, and K7), 32 mg/ml for isolates (K2, K8, K9), and 64 mg/ml for K10 (Table 2 and Figure 2). In contrast, blueberry extract exhibited excellent inhibitory effects at 16 mg/ml for isolates (K1, K3, K4, K5, and K6), while the MICs for isolates (K2, K8, K9, and K10) were 32 mg/ml, 32 mg/ml, 32 mg/ml, and 64 mg/ml, respectively.
The study also revealed the detection of the 16S rRNA gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for each extracted DNA sample, with specific primers designed to detect the presence of the K. pneumoniae 16S rRNA gene (95 bp), which is commonly used for bacterial identification.
The study recommended that cranberry extract possesses significant antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates compared to meropenem. Moreover, carbapenem-resistant isolates were found to belong to class A and class B carbapenemase genes, characterized by their high gene expression levels.
