Listeria monocytogenes Contamination in Unpasteurized Traditional Cheese Products in Qazvin, Iran

Background and purpose: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen and a pothential risk to public health. Listeriosis is one of the most serious infectious diseases in most developed countries . Consumption of raw milk and unpasteurized traditional dairy products such as cheese can be a major reason for listeriosis in humans. This reaserch aimed at investigating Listeria monocytogenes contamination in unpasteurized cheese products by using culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in Qazvin, Iran. Materials and methods: In this research, 128 samples of traditional cheese products were collected from different traditional shopping centers in Qazvin, between October 2017 and September 2018. They were transported to the laboratory under controlled conditions. All isolates were analysed to biochemical test. L. monocytogenes strains were further confirmed by PCR amplification. Results: Findings showed that 14 samples (10.9%) were contaminated with L. monocytogenes. The highest prevalence of L. monocytogenes was found in white cheese samples (7%). The highest rate of contamination was reported in spring and winter (3.1%). Conclusion: Listeria contamination in cheese samples studied can pose a serious risk to consumers of non-pasteurized dairy products. Therefore, food safety and health practitioners should apply effective methods and standards

Effect of different stratification durations on increased germination of Allium ursinum seeds

In this study, the optimal stratification duration of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) seeds was examined, in order to shorten the period of physiological dormancy. Collected, cleaned and dried seeds were subjected to the stratification method. Apart of the gathered seeds was placed in Petri dishes on dry filter paper, while the remaining fraction was placed in Petri dishes on wet filter paper. The previously mentioned seed placement had undergone treatments during the stratification period of 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 weeks. Each treatment contained four repetitions of hundred seeds respectively. Seeds in Petri dishes on dry filter paper had a higher percentage of germination (52%) in contrast to others, placed in Petri dishes on wet filter paper (31%). During the stratification period of 12 weeks, the highest percentage of germinated seeds was attained, as well as the shortest length of the average germination time, along with the highest synchronicity

INFLUENCE OF GROWTH BIOREGULATORS ON SEED GERMINATION OF SOME MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS

The research was conducted at the end of February 2021 in the Institute for Medicinal Plant Research "Dr Josif Pančić" in Belgrade, with the aim of analyzing the impact of growth bioregulators on the seed germination potential of some medicinal and aromatic plant species. Germination potential of Ocimum basilicum, Levisticum officinale, Calendula officinalis and Coriandrum sativum were analyzed following the ISTA guidelines. The seeds were treated with liquid growth bioregulators Ekobuster 1 and Slavol S for 10 minutes, while seeds in the control were treated with distilled water. Seeds of Ocimum basilicum, Levisticum officinale, Calendula officinalis and Coriandrum sativum treated with three different treatments: Ekobuster1, SlavolS and distilled water, were sown in three different containers. The seeds were sown in styrofoam containers with 160 cells with a mixture of peat moss substrate. The experiment was performed in the laboratory conditions. Containers were placed inside a polythene tent for plant propagation under artificial lighting and kept under air temperature of 23 oC with occasional wetting of the substrate. During the experiment, seedling emergence and development control as well as their pathogenicity control were performed every seven days. There was no occurrence pathogenicity on the examined plants.Based on the obtained results, germination of Coriandrum sativum seeds treated with Ecobuster 1 was 85%, while in seeds of Ocimum basilicum, Levisticum officinale and Calendula officinalis the highest germination was recorded with the use of Slavol S 82.5%, 90% and 82%, respectively; in relation to control treatmen

WEED INFESTATION OF WINTER WHEAT IN DIFFERENT TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND LEVEL OF NITROGEN IN TOP DRESSING

Growing technology, especially tillage and fertilization of economically important crop species such as wheat, plays a very important role in weed control. Successful weed control in the crop in turn significantly affects the formation of grain yield, both in quantity and quality. The aim of this paper was to investigate the influence of sustainable (mulch - and no- tillage) and conventional farming system on weed infestation of winter wheat. Basic fertilization was uniform (600 kg/ha NPK 15:15:15) while weed infestation differences between three levels of nitrogen fertilization in top dressing (0, 60 and 120 kg/ha) were examined. The variety Pobeda, selected at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, served as the object of investigation. The examination was performed at "Radmilovac" on the experimental school property of the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun within the four- crop rotation (maize-winter wheat-spring barley + red clover-red clover) on leached chernozem soil type in a two-year period. The system of conventional tillage showed the highest efficiency in the weed control (number of weed species and number of weed plants per species) of the two conservation systems. The next is the system of mulch tillage, which may be of interest for practice, while the system of no tillage had the lowest efficiency in the control of weeds, especially perennials. Increasing the amount of nitrogen in the top dressing reduces weeds in all tillage systems, mainly due to the stronger competitiveness of winter wheat. The highest fresh biomass of weeds was measured in the no-tillage system (especially in the second year of investigation) due to the significantly higher presence of perennial broadleaf weeds

Genomic Analysis of Antibiotics Resistance in Pathogens

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens currently represents a serious threat to public health and the economy. Due to antibiotic treatments in humans and veterinary medicine, prophylactic use and environmental contamination, bacteria are today more frequently exposed to unnatural doses of antibiotics and their selective effect.Antibiotic resistance can be encoded on chromosomes, plasmids, or other mobile genetic elements in bacteria. It may also result from mutations that lead to changes in the affinity of antibiotics for their targets or in the ability of antibiotics to act on bacterial growth or death. Exposure of bacteria, bacterial populations, and microbial communities to antibiotics at different concentrations shapes their genomic dynamics, as does the mobilisation and spread of resistance determinants. It is, therefore, essential to understand the dynamics and mobilisation of genes encoding antibiotic resistance, in human, animal, plant, and environmental microbiomes, through genomic and metagenomic approaches and bioinformatics analyses.This Special Issue gathers research publications on the horizontal transfer of antibiotic-resistance genes, their dissemination and epidemiology, their association with bacterial virulence, between bacterial genotypes and their phenotypes, and other related research topics

Isolation and Utilization of Essential Oils: As Antimicrobials and Boosters of Antimicrobial Drug Activity

The main focus of this thematic collection is on the antimicrobial activity of essential oils and their combinations with conventional antimicrobial drugs, including the eradication of the existing biofilms, the explanation of the mechanisms underlying antimicrobial activity, and the preparation of stable formulations with essential oils, which boost their antimicrobial activity and provide greater stability. These issues are addressed in four research papers and three reviews, which present novel advances in the development and application of essential oils as antimicrobial agents via combinatorial and nano-based approaches

Antioxidant effect of Linalool on testicular-injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in male rats

Background: The oxidative stress and generation of free radicals plays an important role in testicular impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of linalool on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced male reproductive system damage. Methods: In this study, 24 male rats were divided into four groups. Two of the groups were normal control group andCCl4 damage control group which received a daily dose of distilled water for 14 days. Two of the other groups were pretreatment groups; the rats in one of them received a daily dose of 25 mg/kg linalool and those in the other were administered with a daily dose of 100 mg/kg silymarin for 14 days. On the 14th day, the damage control group as well as the pretreatment groups was intraperitoneally injected with 1 ml/kg of the mixture of CCl4and olive oil (1:1). The rats in the normal control group were only administered with olive oil. 48 hours after the injection of CCl4, a part of the testis tissue was separated for conducting antioxidant and malondialdehyde (MDA) tests. Results: The injection of CCl4 into the rats caused a significant increase in the concentration of MDA and insignificant decrease in the level of antioxidants in the testicular lysate as compared to the normal control group (P<0.01). Treatment with linalool improved the level of MDA and enhanced antioxidant as compared to the damage control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that linalool has antioxidant properties and can have a therapeutic effect against CCl4-induced testicular injuries

Human milk: microbiota composition and impact of processing on probiotic properties

Preterm birth complications represent a leading cause of mortality in children under five years old. To mitigate these complications, strategies such as the use of donor human milk, fortification with human milk fortifiers (protein supplements), and probiotic administration are employed. This thesis aimed to thoroughly understand the microbiota composition of preterm human milk and the influence of various factors on specific probiotics' properties. The study began with analyzing human milk microbiota from healthy Argentinian women across different gestational ages, focusing on changes in microbiota from birth to term equivalent age. It was found that term milk exhibited greater microbial diversity than preterm milk, and by term equivalent age, the microbiota composition of human milk closely resembled that of term milk, suggesting breastfeeding's role in promoting microbial maturity. The research further assessed the stability of probiotics, specifically Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12, during cold storage of human milk. Results indicated that these probiotics maintained their viability for up to 72 hours. Additionally, this thesis examined the effect of liquid or powdered human milk fortifiers on the adhesion properties of these probiotics in donor human milk, finding that fortification did not adversely affect probiotic adhesion. The final study of the thesis explored the role of polyamines, in modulating the adhesion of probiotics and pathogens with intestinal mucus in infants. The presence of the polyamine spermidine significantly enhanced the adhesion of Bb12 in infant mucus under six months, whereas the polyamine spermine reduced the adhesion of Cronobacter sakazakii. In conclusion, the thesis showed that the microbiota profiles of human milk significantly vary with gestational age. A key finding is that the microbiota composition of preterm human milk undergoes a transformation, eventually resembling that of term milk as the infant reaches term equivalent age. It was also found that probiotic adhesion properties are unaffected by cold storage or the fortification of donor human milk. However, the influence of polyamines on bacterial adhesion to mucus varies based on the bacterial strain and the mucus donor's age employed. These insights should be considered for developing optimized gut colonization strategies for infants, particularly for those born preterm.Äidinmaito: mikrobiston koostumus ja prosessoinnin vaikutus sen probioottisiin ominaisuuksiin Ennenaikaisen synnytyksen komplikaatiot ovat yleisin alle viisivuotiaiden lasten kuolinsyy. Luovutettua äidinmaitoa, äidinmaidon täydentämistä proteiinilisällä sekä probioottien antamista käytetään näiden komplikaatioiden ehkäisemiseksi. Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli selvittää ennenaikaisesti synnyttäneiden äitien rintamaidon mikrobistokoostumusta ja eri tekijöiden vaikutusta tiettyjen probioottien ominaisuuksiin. Tutkimuksessa analysoitiin terveiden argentiinalaisten naisten äidinmaidon mikrobikoostumusta keskittyen mikrobiston muutoksiin ennenaikaisesta synnytyksestä laskettuun aikaan. Huomattiin, että täysiaikaisesti synnyttäneiden naisten äidinmaidon mikrobiston monimuotoisuus oli suurempaa kuin ennenaikaisesti synnyttäille naisilla. Laskettuna aikana ennenaikasesti synnyttäneiden äidinmaidon mikrobikoostumus muistutti läheisesti täysiaikaisen maidon mikrobistoa, mikä viittaa siihen, että imetyksellä on tärkeä rooli mikrobiston kypsymisen edistämisessä. Tutkimuksessa, jossa arvioitiin Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG:n ja Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12 -probioottien stabiiliutta äidinmaidossa kylmävarastoinnin aikana, nämä probiootit säilyttivät elinkykynsä jopa 72 tuntia. Lisäksi havaittiin, että äidinmaidon vahvistaminen nestemäisellä tai jauhemaisella vahvikkeella ei vaikuttanut haitallisesti probioottien tarttumisominaisuuksiin luovutetussa äidinmaidossa. Opinnäytetyön viimeisessä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin polyamiinien roolia bakteerien tarttumisen säätelyssä imäveisen suolistolimassa. Polyamiini spermidiinin läsnäolo paransi merkittävästi Bb12:n kiinnittymistä alle kuuden kuukauden ikäisen imeväisten limaan, kun taas spermiini vähensi Cronobacter sakazakii-bakteerin tarttumista. Opinnäytetyö osoitti, että äidinmaidon mikrobistoprofiilit vaihtelevat merkittävästi raskauden keston mukaan. Ennenaikaisen synnytyksen jälkeen äidinmaidon mikrobistokoostumus muuttuu ja alkaa lopulta muistuttaa täysiaikaisen synnytyksen äidinmaidon mikrobistokoostumusta vauvan saavuttaessa taysiaikaista vastaavan iän. Lisäksi havaittiin, että kylmävarastointi tai luovutetun äidinmaidon vahvistaminen eivät vaikuttaneet probioottien tarttumisominaisuuksiin. Polyamiinien vaikutus bakteerien tarttumiseen limaan vaihtelee bakteerikannan ja limanluovuttajan iän mukaan. Tulokset auttavat kehittämään optimoituja suoliston kolonisaatiostrategioita vastasyntyneille ja erityisesti keskosille

Effects of Irrigation Rate and Planting Density on Maize Yield and Water Use Efficiency in the Temperate Climate of Serbia

Scarce water resources severely limit maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation in the temperate regions of northern Serbia. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of irrigation and planting density on yield and water use efficiency in temperate climate under sprinkler irrigation. The experiment included five irrigation treatments (full irrigated treatment – FIT; 80% FIT, 60% FIT, 40% FIT, and rainfed) and three planting densities (PD1: 54,900 plants ha–1 ; PD2: 64,900 plants ha–1; PD3: 75,200 plants ha–1). There was increase in yield with the irrigation (1.05–80.00%) as compared to the rainfed crop. Results showed that decreasing irrigation rates resulted in a decrease in yield, crop water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Planting density had significant effects on yield, WUE, and IWUE which differed in both years. Increasing planting density gradually increased yield, WUE, and IWUE. For the pooled data, irrigation rate, planting density and their interaction was significant (P < 0.05). The highest two-year average yield, WUE, and IWUE were found for FIT-PD3 (14,612 kg ha–1), rainfed-PD2 (2.764 kg m–3), and 60% FITPD3 (2.356 kg m–3), respectively. The results revealed that irrigation is necessary for maize cultivation because rainfall is insufficient to meet the crop water needs. In addition, if water becomes a limiting factor, 80% FIT-PD3 with average yield loss of 15% would be the best agronomic practices for growing maize with a sprinkler irrigation system in a temperate climate of Serbia