Prevalence and correlates of depressive disorders in people with Type 2 diabetes: results from the International Prevalence and Treatment of Diabetes and Depression (INTERPRET‐DD) study, a collaborative study carried out in 14 countries

Aims To assess the prevalence and management of depressive disorders in people with Type 2 diabetes in different countries. Methods People with diabetes aged 18–65 years and treated in outpatient settings were recruited in 14 countries and underwent a psychiatric interview. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale. Demographic and medical record data were collected. Results A total of 2783 people with Type 2 diabetes (45.3% men, mean duration of diabetes 8.8 years) participated. Overall, 10.6% were diagnosed with current major depressive disorder and 17.0% reported moderate to severe levels of depressive symptomatology (Patient Health Questionnaire scores >9). Multivariable analyses showed that, after controlling for country, current major depressive disorder was significantly associated with gender (women) (PPPPP<0.0001). The proportion of those with either current major depressive disorder or moderate to severe levels of depressive symptomatology who had a diagnosis or any treatment for their depression recorded in their medical records was extremely low and non-existent in many countries (0–29.6%). Conclusions Our international study, the largest of this type ever undertaken, shows that people with diabetes frequently have depressive disorders and also significant levels of depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate that the identification and appropriate care for psychological and psychiatric problems is not the norm and suggest a lack of the comprehensive approach to diabetes management that is needed to improve clinical outcomes

Streptomycetes against Colletotrichum circinans: a new way to control anthracnose in onion?

Colletotrichum circinans is an important plant pathogenic fungus that causes anthracnose, or “smudge”, in onion. Bulbs for pickle production have very high standards for the aesthetic quality of the products. Anthracnose causes symptoms that are not compatible with industrial processing, leading to significant losses to producers. The number of available chemical molecules for its control is limited, and hardly would give acceptable results in the control of soil-borne diseases. Additionally, their use is restricted by the need to consume the product at early stages of growth reducing the interval from treatment to consumption. The use of alternative and environmentally friendly soil treatments is therefore necessary to control the disease. A set of Streptomyces spp. strains (n= 30) was tested for their activity against four strains of Colletotrichum circinans. In vitro antibiosis assays were coupled with in vivo greenhouse and field trials with natural disease occurrence. Overall, four strains showed promising growth-inhibitory activity against C. circinans, reducing its growth by up to 56%. In in vivo controlled conditions, streptomycetes applied in the soil showed the ability to reduce the incidence of the disease by more than 70%. In field trials, the disease incidence was reduced by up to 57%, and disease severity decreased from 31.33% to 12.33% when using the DEF48, DEF39, and DEF58 strains compared to the untreated control. Influence on plant growth was also observed on onion plants treated especially with Streptomyces spp. DEF19 and DEF58. Overall, the use of streptomycetes to control soil-borne diseases is promising. Optimization of the delivery methods for the strains may further improve their efficacy

In vitro evaluation of caseinophosphopeptides from different genetic variants on bone mineralization

Casein phosphopeptides (CPPs) have been shown to enhance calcium solubility and to increase the calcification by in vitro analyses. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of four selected casein peptides, which differ in the number of phosphorylated serines, on osteoblast mineralization in vitro. The chosen peptides, related to different casein genetic variants, were obtained by chemical synthesis and tested on murine osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1). Our results suggest that the distinct peptides in protein hydrolysates may differentially affect calcium deposition in the extracellular matrix and that the genetic variation within the considered peptides is involved in their differential effect

Optimization of Esterase Production in Solid-State Fermentation of Agricultural Digestate

The continuous increase in biogas production poses the need for innovative applications for its by-products. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has regained attention in the development of several products because of the possibility to use low-cost and easily available substrates, such as organic wastes. SSF represents a valuable process for agricultural digestate valorization in terms of enzyme production. In the present study, cellulase and esterase were produced by Trichoderma asperellum R on a digestate-based substrate in SSF, with esterase as the highest obtained activity. After assessing the effect of light on it, the esterase production in SSF was optimized using response surface methodology. The influence of substrate composition, temperature and humidity on the enzyme production was evaluated on two sets of data generated based on digestate concentration (50% and 70% w/w). The statistical analyses revealed that these parameters affected esterase production only when Trichoderma asperellum grew on substrate containing 50% w/w of digestate. The best esterase activity (264.6 mU/mg total protein) was achieved with the following optimized SSF parameters: 50% digestate, 50% fruits, 10% sawdust, 30 & DEG;C. The current finding of esterase production on digestate-based substrates makes the SSF method presented here a sustainable and completely circular technology

Genome mining approaches reveal secondary metabolites in Streptomyces sp. related to biocontrol activity

Streptomyces are a large and valuable resource of biocontrol agents, bioactive and complex secondary metab olites with a wide range of applications. Genomic information can critically guide functional studies to under stand phenotypic characters and to propose valid hypotheses on the related mechanisms. Phylogenetic and functional genome analysis was carried out to explain the endophytic lifestyle, the biocontrol activity of Strep tomyces sp. DEF48 in reducing Fusarium graminearum infection and deoxynivalenol contamination in wheat. The genome of DEF48 was sequenced using Illumina technology. The complete genome of the strain DEF48 consists of 9,147,966 bp (71.26 mol% GC content). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Streptomyces sp. DEF48 was closely related to Streptomyces griseoviridis. Interestingly, functional annotation highlighted the presence of genes involved in plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity. The presented approach aids to explain the capability of DEF48 to directly antagonize Fusarium graminearum, confirming the effectiveness of genomics studies

Streptomyces sp. IPV2742: solid-state fermentation on defatted wheat bran and application as candidate biocontrol agent

Fungal pathogens represent a major threat to global crop production. Generally, they are controlled by fungicides. However, fungicides can have negative effects on the biosphere, posing risks for environment and human health. The sustainability of the agricultural sector is strongly bound with development of new biological approaches as an alternative to chemicals. Streptomyces species play a key role in the biocontrol of phytopathogens thanks to the high number of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity produced. Moreover, growing Streptomyces spp. on unconventional substrates like agri-food waste can both re-valorise agricultural waste and, at the same time, reduce crop loss. In this study, the spore morphology of Streptomyces sp. IPV2742, isolated from Vitis vinifera, was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was observed that IPV2742 strain produces rugose ornamented spores. Moreover, the growth in solid-state fermentation (SSF) strain was evaluated. Streptomyces sp. IPV2742 grew well on defatted wheat bran, reaching the maximum concentration of 108 CFU/g seven days after the inoculation. The crude extracts obtained from fermented substrates were tested against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium culmorum, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. basilici. The crude extract showed stronger antimicrobial activity against F. culmorum (35%), while the activity against F. oxysporum f.sp. basilici was less significant (10%). These results suggest that IPV2742 can be considered a possible biocontrol agent against phytopathogens and as a source of new bioactive molecules

Effect of Preharvest Abiotic Stresses on the Accumulation of Bioactive Compounds in Horticultural Produce

The quality of horticultural products is the result of the interaction of different factors, including grower\u2019s crop management ability, genotype, and environment. Sub-optimal environmental conditions during plant growth can induce abiotic stresses and reduce the crop performance with yield reduction and quality losses. However, abiotic stresses can induce several physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses in plants, aiming to cope with the stressful conditions. It is well known that these abiotic stresses are also elicitors of the biosynthesis of many metabolites in plants, including a wide range of bioactive compounds, which firstly serve as functional molecules for crop adaptation, but they have also a great interest for their beneficial effects on human health. Nowadays, the consumer is oriented to low-energy foods with low fat content, but at the same time, growing attention is paid to the presence of bioactive molecules, which are recognized as health-related compounds and concur to the nutraceutical value of plant-derived foods. In this context, fruit and vegetables play an important role as sources of bioactive ingredients in the diet. At the cultivation level, the understanding of crop responses to abiotic stresses and how they act in the biosynthesis/accumulation of these bioactive compounds is crucial. In fact, controlled abiotic stresses can be used as tools for improving the nutraceutical value of fruit and vegetables. This review focuses on the quality of vegetables and fruits as affected by preharvest abiotic stressors, with particular attention to the effect on the nutraceutical aspects

Green Technology: Bacteria-Based Approach Could Lead to Unsuspected Microbe&#8211;Plant&#8211;Animal Interactions

The recent and massive revival of green strategies to control plant diseases, mainly as a consequence of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) rules issued in 2009 by the European Community and the increased consumer awareness of organic products, poses new challenges for human health and food security that need to be addressed in the near future. One of the most important green technologies is biocontrol. This approach is based on living organisms and how these biocontrol agents (BCAs) directly or indirectly interact as a community to control plant pathogens and pest. Although most BCAs have been isolated from plant microbiomes, they share some genomic features, virulence factors, and trans-kingdom infection abilities with human pathogenic microorganisms, thus, their potential impact on human health should be addressed. This evidence, in combination with the outbreaks of human infections associated with consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, opens new questions regarding the role of plants in the human pathogen infection cycle. Moreover, whether BCAs could alter the endophytic bacterial community, thereby leading to the development of new potential human pathogens, is still unclear. In this review, all these issues are debated, highlighting that the research on BCAs and their formulation should include these possible long-lasting consequences of their massive spread in the environment

Rumen-protected methionine compared with rumen-protected choline improves immunometabolic status in dairy cows during the peripartal period.

The immunometabolic status of peripartal cows is altered due to changes in liver function, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Nutritional management during this physiological state can affect the biological components of immunometabolism. The objectives of this study were to measure concentrations of biomarkers in plasma, liver tissue, and milk, and also polymorphonuclear leukocyte function to assess the immunometabolic status of cows supplemented with rumen-protected methionine (Met) or choline (CHOL). Forty-eight multiparous Holstein cows were used in a randomized complete block design with 2×2 factorial arrangement of Met (Smartamine M, Adisseo NA, Alpharetta, GA) and CHOL (ReaShure, Balchem Inc., New Hampton, NY) level (with or without). Treatments (12 cows each) were control (CON), no Met or CHOL; CON and Met (SMA); CON and CHOL (REA); and CON and Met and CHOL (MIX). From -50 to -21d before expected calving, all cows received the same diet [1.40Mcal of net energy for lactation (NEL)/kg of DM] with no Met or CHOL. From -21d to calving, cows received the same close-up diet (1.52Mcal of NEL/kg of DM) and were assigned randomly to each treatment. From calving to 30d, cows were on the same postpartal diet (1.71Mcal of NEL/kg of DM) and continued to receive the same treatments until 30d. The Met supplementation was adjusted daily at 0.08% DM of diet, and CHOL was supplemented at 60g/cow per day. Liver (-10, 7, 21, and 30d) and blood (-10, 4, 8, 20, and 30d) samples were harvested for biomarker analyses. Neutrophil and monocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst were assessed at d 1, 4, 14, and 28d. The Met-supplemented cows tended to have greater plasma paraoxonase. Greater plasma albumin and IL-6 as well as a tendency for lower haptoglobin were detected in Met- but not CHOL-supplemented cows. Similarly, cows fed Met compared with CHOL had greater concentrations of total and reduced glutathione (a potent intracellular antioxidant) in liver tissue. Upon a pathogen challenge in vitro, blood polymorphonuclear leukocyte phagocytosis capacity and oxidative burst activity were greater in Met-supplemented cows. Overall, liver and blood biomarker analyses revealed favorable changes in liver function, inflammation status, and immune response in Met-supplemented cows

Use of beneficial bacteria and their secondary metabolites to control grapevine pathogen diseases

Grapevine is one of the most important economic crops yielding berries, wine products as well as derivates. However, due to the large array of pathogens inducing diseases on this plant, considerable amounts of pesticides—with possible negative impact on the environment and health—have been used and are currently used in viticulture. To avoid negative impacts of such products and to ensure product quality, a substantial fraction of pesticides needs to be replaced in the near future. One solution can be related to the use of beneficial bacteria inhabiting the rhizo- and/or the endosphere of plants. These biocontrol bacteria and their secondary metabolites can reduce directly or indirectly pathogen diseases by affecting pathogen performance by antibiosis, competition for niches and nutrients, interference with pathogen signaling or by stimulation of host plant defenses. Due to the large demand for biocontrol of grapevine diseases, such biopesticides, their modes of actions and putative consequences of their uses need to be described. Moreover, the current knowledge on new strains from the rhizo- and endosphere and their metabolites that can be used on grapevine plants to counteract pathogen attack needs to be discussed. This is in particular with regard to the control of root rot, grey mould, trunk diseases, powdery and downy mildews, pierce’s disease, grapevine yellows as well as crown gall. Future prospects on specific beneficial microbes and their secondary metabolites that can be used as elicitors of plant defenses and/or as biocontrol agents with potential use in a more sustainable viticulture will be further discussed