Asma Ashraf

By Sumreen Hayat, Asma Ashraf, Bilal Aslam, Rizwan Asif, Saima Muzammil, Muhammad Asif Zahoor, Muhammad Waseem, Imran Riaz Malik, Mohsin Khurshid, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Saqalein, Muhammad Hussnain Siddique, Aqsa Muzammil and Sumera Sabir

Plant growth enhancement using plant beneficial bacteria has been viewed in the sustainable agriculture as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. Actinobacteria, among the group of important plant-associated bacteria, have been widely studied for its plant growth promotion activities. Actinobacteria are considered as a limelight among agriculturists for their beneficial aspects toward plants. They are naturally occurring spore-forming bacteria inhabiting the soil and known for their plant growth-promoting and biocontrol properties. The mechanisms behind these activities include nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and other attributes such as antifungal production of metabolites, phytohormones, and volatile organic compound. All these activities not only enhance the plant growth but also provide resistance in plants to withstand unfavorable conditions of the environment. Hence, this chapter emphasizes on the plant growth traits of actinobacteria and how far it was studied for enhanced growth and bio-fortification.

Part of the book: Plant Stress Physiology

By Iqra Farzeen, Saima Muzammil, Azhar Rafique, Razia Noreen, Muhammad Waseem, Rahat Andleeb, Muhammad Umar Ijaz and Asma Ashraf

Cutaneous candidiasis is a multipicture infection of the skin, generally caused by yeast like fungus c.albicans or other species of genus candida such as candida parapsilosis, candida tropicalis, candida glabrata but these species are unusual, secondary to skin diseases. Candida is flora of gut microbiota, rather than skin, although it is present on skin at some instances. Certain factor of candida species such as ability to evade host defense by biofilm formation, filamentous form and presence of tissue damaging enzyme phospholipase are attributed to pathogenicity. Cutaneous candida infection may occur in patient HIV/AIDS, cancer receiving chemotherapy, antibiotics, steroids therapy and in organ transplantation. Vesicles, pustules, maceration and fissuring are common symptoms on perineum, axilla and interriginous areas. Systemic and topical therapies are common treatment with different drugs. Single drug therapy as combination of anti-fungal, antibacterial and topical corticosteroid has marvelous results. Nystatin, Clotrimaziole and miconazole are efficiently reviewed topical drugs with 73–100% cure.

Part of the book: Candida and Candidiasis