Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is found in various environmental sources, including animal intestinal tracts, soil, and sewage. LM can contaminate various food products, including meat, seafood, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. Individuals with underlying medical conditions, the elderly, pregnant women, and infants, may develop meningitis and sepsis upon consuming LM-contaminated food. A rapid and standardized quantification method for evaluating initial contamination levels of LM in food remains to be established. This study aimed to develop a rapid quantification method to monitor LM contamination in food handling facilities. A regression equation was developed to determine the concentrations of LM cells before and after enrichment. Regression equations developed to estimate LM cell concentrations in food samples (ground poultry and green salad) were evaluated. The concentrations of LM cells in ground poultry and green salad before enrichment were 2.44 and 2.92 log₁₀ CFU/g, respectively, and the concentrations obtained using a rapid qPCR-based detection and quantification method were 2.05 and 3.27 log₁₀ CFU/g, respectively. The proposed method can semi-quantitatively estimate LM contamination at approximately 10² CFU/g of food, which is the maximum allowable level of LM contamination in foods. This study may serve as a basis for establishing and improving hygiene management systems and preventing listeriosis.

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Acanthamoeba is widely distributed in various habitats such as soil, water and can cause fatal infections in humans. With the global incidence of Acanthamoeba infections increasing and no specific treatment currently available, research into novel anti-Acanthamoeba agents remains essential. Similarly, cancer cases are also rising worldwide, and effective treatments continue to be a major challenge. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the anti-Acanthamoeba and anticancer activities of marine Actinomycetes isolated from Türkiye. Fifteen Actinomycetes cell-free supernatants were prepared and used in this study. To evaluate anti-Acanthamoeba effects, Acanthamoeba strains isolated from swimming pools in our previous research as well as standard Acanthamoeba castellanii (A. castellanii ) strains, were employed. The MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and the HaCaT human keratinocyte cell line served as models for assessing cytotoxic activity. Three Actinomycetes supernatants (20%) demonstrated strong inhibitory activity against all tested Acanthamoeba strains. MCF-7 cells were found to be more sensitive to one supernatant across all tested dilutions. These findings suggest that marine-derived Actinomycetes, are promising candidates for Acanthamoeba trophozoites. Moreover, the results may guide future research on cytotoxic bacterial metabolites produced by marine Actinomycetes.

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Rigidoporus microporus, the causal agent of white root rot, remains a persistent threat in tropical plantations, and sustainable control methods are needed. In this study, fifty Trichoderma isolates collected in Japan were first screened for antagonistic activity against a Japanese R. microporus isolate. The top 20% (ten isolates) showing strong inhibition were subjected to a second evaluation in which the pathogen had already established substantial growth, resulting in the selection of six robust strains. Molecular identification (ITS+TEF) revealed three species: T. longibrachiatum, T. asperellum, and T. lixii. Representative isolates of each species were further tested against three additional R. microporus isolates from Indonesia. Among all strains examined, WT2415 (T. longibrachiatum) consistently exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity across all pathogen isolates. These results provide the first evidence that T. longibrachiatum can act as an effective antagonist against R. microporus, highlighting its potential as a biological control agent.

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This study demonstrates that high-purity hypochlorous acid water (HP-HAW) produced via reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration exhibits rapid, broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antiviral activity, comparable to that of hypochlorous acid water (HAW) prepared without RO membrane treatment. Common vegetative bacteria, dermatophytes, and Candida albicans were completely inactivated within 10 s, indicating excellent performance for routine disinfection. HP-HAW also showed moderate efficacy against Mycobacterium abscessus but limited activity against M. avium, M. kansasii, and spore-forming bacteria. Filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus niger were more resistant than the other fungal species tested, requiring longer exposure. Strong antiviral activity was observed against adenoviruses, influenza virus, norovirus, and others, although some enteroviruses (e.g., coxsackievirus A6 and B5) were resistant. Overall, HP-HAW demonstrates promising disinfectant properties comparable to those of HAW without RO membrane filtration; however, its limited efficacy against certain pathogens should be considered for practical applications.

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