29 research outputs found
Implication of Sodium Hypochlorite as a Sanitizer in Ready-to-Eat Salad Processing and Advantages of the Use of Alternative Rapid Bacterial Detection Methods
The use of disinfection agents in the washing processing of ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables,
especially sodium hypochlorite, is a common industrial practice performed to enhance microbiological quality. However, some studies have reported a restart of bacterial growth and a substantial
increase in bacterial load during early storage associated with the use of disinfection agents, which
might represent a risk for consumers. We evaluated the effect of sodium hypochlorite on bacterial
growth trends during the shelf-life in Lactuca sativa, simulating the industrial procedures for RTE
vegetable packaging. Immediately after sodium hypochlorite treatment, an effective abatement of
the bacterial load was observed, followed by a restart of growth throughout storage. After 5 days,
the bacterial load was close to that reached by the control samples, indicating that the net increase
in bacterial load was significantly higher in the treated samples. This might be ascribed to the
reduction in competitive microflora and/or to the induction of adaptive responses by resting bacteria,
which might select disinfectant-resistant bacteria. These findings elicit some concerns about the
actual duration of the shelf-life; products might decrease their microbiological quality earlier during
storage, pointing out the need to better clarify the impact of sodium hypochlorite as a sanitizer to
closer consider its use in RTE vegetable processing. Furthermore, due to the importance of the rapid
estimation of bacterial load and the early detection of foodborne pathogens throughout the food
chain, the accuracy of the rapid bacteria detection method, the Micro Biological Survey (MBS), and
its effectiveness for microbiological analyses of RTE vegetables were evaluated
A narrative review of alternative transmission routes of COVID 19: what we know so far,
The Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemics, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2, represent an unprecedented public health challenge. Beside person-to-person contagion via airborne droplets and aerosol, which is the main SARSCoV-2’s route of transmission, alternative modes, including transmission via fomites, food and food packaging, have been investigated for their potential impact on SARS-CoV-2 diffsion. In this context, several studies have demonstrated the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and, in some cases, of infectious particles on exposed fomites, food and water samples, confiming their possible role as sources of contamination and transmission. Indeed, fomite-to-human transmission has been demonstrated in a few cases where person-to-person transmission had been excluded. In addition, recent studies supported the possibility of acquiring COVID-19 through the fecal-oro route; the occurrence of COVID-19 gastrointestinal infections, in the absence of respiratory symptoms, also opens the intriguing possibility that these cases could be directly related to the ingestion of contaminated food and water. Overall, most of the studies considered these alternative routes of transmission of low epidemiological relevance; however, it should be considered that they could play an important role, or even be prevalent, in settings characterized by diffrent environmental and socio-economic conditions. In this review, we discuss the most recent fidings regarding SARS-CoV-2 alternative transmission routes, with the aim to disclose what is known about their impact on COVID-19 spread and to stimulate research in this field, which could potentially have a great impact, especially in lowresource contexts
Management of Urinary Tract Infections: Problems and Possible Solutions
In clinically suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs), empirical antibiotic treatment is usually started long before the laboratory results of urine culture and antibiogram are available. Although molecular diagnostic approaches are being applied to the diagnosis of many infections, UTIs are generally diagnosed by traditional culture methods. Patient care could greatly benefit from the development of a rapid, accurate, inexpensive test that could be done at patient’s bedside, allowing the practitioner to plan targeted, more effective therapy. Such a test would potentially reduce incorrect or unnecessary use of antibacterial drugs and reduce the emergence of bacterial resistance. In response to this pressing and unmet clinical need, several methods have been developed in the last few years. Among these, the new point-of-care test (POCT) for detecting UTIs named Micro Biological Survey (MBS) UTI CHECK holds promise, as it allows semi-quantitative determination of bacterial load in urine leading to a fast detection of UTIs and to evaluation of bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. This new technology operates through a colorimetric survey performed in low-cost, ready-to-use, disposable vials, in which 1 ml of urine is inoculated without any preliminary treatment and requiring neither specialized personnel nor a specialized equipment
A new point-of-care test for the rapid antimicrobial susceptibility assessment of uropathogens.
Bacterial resistance to antimicrobials is considered a major issue worldwide. This condition may account for treatment failure of urinary tract infections, which are among the most common infections both in community and healthcare settings. Therapy against uropathogens is generally administered empirically, possibly leading to unsuccessful therapy, recurrence and development of antibiotic resistance. The reduction in analytical time to obtain antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) results could play a key role in reducing the cost of healthcare, providing information about antibiotic efficacy and thus preventing from either exploiting new and expensive antibiotics unnecessarily or using obsolete and ineffective ones. A more rational choice among treatment options would hence lead to more effective treatment and faster resolution. In this paper we evaluated the performance of a new Point Of Care Test (POCT) for the rapid prediction of antimicrobial susceptibility in urine samples performed without the need of a laboratory or specialized technicians. 349 patients were enrolled in two open-label, monocentric, non-interventional clinical trials in partnership with an Emergency Medicine ward and the Day Hospital of two large healthcare facilities in Rome. Antibiogram was carried out on 97 patients. Results from analysis of urine samples
with the POCT were compared with those from routine AST performed on culture-positive samples, displaying high accuracy (>90%) for all tested antimicrobial drugs and yielding reliable results in less than 12 hours from urine collection thus reducing analytical and management costs
La sicurezza microbiologica degli alimenti
Una questione centrale per la tutela della salute umana e la protezione dagli agenti patogen
Introduction to the Special Issue: Microbiological Safety and Quality of Foods
Recent shifts in food production, processing and distribution, linked to the globalization of the food trade and the need to meet new consumers habits, are continuously challenging global food systems. Every effort is being made to ensure healthy and safe,
food that is crucial to guarantee public health and wellbeing
Antiviral properties of whey proteins and their activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection
Native and chemically modified whey proteins and their peptide derivatives are encountering the interest of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, due to the numerous properties, ranging from antimicrobial to immunological and antitumorigenic, that result in the possibility to employ milk and its protein components in a wide range of treatment and prevention strategies. Importantly, whey proteins were found to exert antiviral actions against different enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Recently, the scientific community is focusing on these proteins, especially lactoferrin, since in vitro studies have demonstrated that they exert an important antiviral activity also against SARS-CoV-2. Up-to date, several studies are investigating the efficacy of lactoferrin and other whey proteins in vivo. Aim of this review is to shed light on the most relevant findings concerning the antiviral properties of whey proteins and their potential applications in human health, focussing on their application in prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Nutraceutical Peptides from Lactoferrin
Lactoferrin belongs to the transferrin protein superfamily and is a major component of the mammalian innate
immune system. Proteolytic cleavage of either human or bovine lactoferrin results in the generation of several
peptides, most of which manifest the protective activities of Lactoferrin. It is worth noting that these peptides may be
naturally produced in the human intestine after milk ingestion. Interestingly, peptides deriving from proteolytic
cleavage of Ovotransferrin, a Lactoferrin homologous protein present in reptiles and birds, displays the same
protective activities. This mini-review summarizes the most relevant protective activities of peptides deriving from
Lactoferrin and Ovotransferrin
Microbiological Quality of Ready-to-Eat Leafy Green Salads during Shelf-Life and Home-Refrigeration
The market of ready-to-eat leafy green salads is experiencing a noticeable growth in Europe.
Since they are intended to be consumed without additional treatments, these ready-to-eat products are
associated with a high microbiological risk. The aim of this work was to evaluate the microbiological
quality and safety of ready-to-eat leafy green salads sold in widespread supermarket chains in Lazio,
Italy, on the packaging date during shelf-life and during home-refrigeration. The study also aimed
to determine the differences between low-, medium-, and high-cost products. Salmonella spp. and
L. monocytogenes were chosen as safety indicators as specified by European regulations while total
aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Escherichia coli were chosen as quality indicators as suggested by
national guidelines. Analyses were performed following the ISO standards and in parallel for the
evaluation of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, with an alternative colorimetric system, the Micro
Biological Survey method, in order to propose a simple, affordable and accurate alternative for testing
the microbiological quality of products, especially suitable for small and medium enterprises and
on-site analyses. The study revealed high, unsatisfactory, total bacterial loads in all analyzed samples
on the packaging date and expiry date and a very high prevalence of Salmonella spp. (67%) regardless
of the selected varieties and cost categories; L. monocytogenes was not recovered aligning with the
results obtained in other studies
Coumarin-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Narrative Review
Coumarin is an effective treatment for primary lymphoedema, as well as lymphoedema
related to breast cancer radiotherapy or surgery. However, its clinical use is limited in several
countries due to the possible occurrence of hepatotoxicity, mainly in the form of mild to moderate
transaminase elevation. It is worth noting that only a few cases of severe hepatotoxicity have been
described in the literature, with no reported cases of liver failure. Data available on coumarin
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion have been reviewed, focusing on hepatotoxicity
studies carried out in vitro and in vivo. Finally, safety and tolerability data from clinical trials have
been thoroughly discussed. Based on these data, coumarin-induced hepatotoxicity is restricted to a
small subset of patients, probably due to the activation in these individuals of alternative metabolic
pathways involving specific CYP450s isoforms. The aim of this work is to stimulate research to
clearly identify patients at risk of developing hepatotoxicity following coumarin treatment. Early
identification of this subset of patients could open the possibility of more safely exploiting the
therapeutical properties of coumarin, allowing patients suffering from lymphoedema to benefit
from the anti-oedematous activity of the treatment