Food Poisoning Caused by Bacteria (Food Toxins)

In the environment, there are polluting substances that can cause adverse reactions in human beings when entering the body through different ways (ingestion, inhalation, injection, or absorption). The main pollutants can be poisons, chemical compounds, toxic gases, and bacterial toxins. These can be found in different places and their effects depend on the dose and exposure time. Furthermore, foodborne diseases (FBDs) can cause disability; these diseases can be caused by toxins produced by bacteria or other toxic substances in the food, which can cause severe diarrhea, toxic shock syndrome, debilitating infections such as meningitis and even death. FBDs are transmitted through food contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms that have multiple factors of virulence, which gives them the ability to cause an infection; some bacterial genres can produce toxins directly in the food, but other genres can produce them once they have colonized the intestine. Among the pathogens involved in FBDs that are also considered to be toxigenic are Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes. Foodborne diseases can be prevented and acute diarrhea syndromes, fever and even death from dehydration can be avoided, especially in children under the age of 5 and in immunocompromised people

Fantastic voyage: the journey of intestinal microbiota-derived microvesicles through the body

As part of their life cycle, Gram-negative bacteria produce and release microvesicles (outer membrane vesicles, OMVs) consisting of spherical protrusions of the outer membrane that encapsulate periplasmic contents. OMVs produced by commensal bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals are dispersed within the gut lumen with their cargo and enzymes being distributed across and throughout the GI tract. Their ultimate destination and fate is unclear although they can interact with and cross the intestinal epithelium using different entry pathways and access underlying immune cells in the lamina propria. OMVs have also been found in the bloodstream from which they can access various tissues and possibly the brain. The nanosize and non-replicative status of OMVs together with their resistance to enzyme degradation and low pH, alongside their ability to interact with the host, make them ideal candidates for delivering biologics to mucosal sites, such as the GI and the respiratory tract. In this mini-review, we discuss the fate of OMVs produced in the GI tract of animals with a focus on vesicles released by Bacteroides species and the use of OMVs as vaccine delivery vehicles and other potential applications

The reproductive traits that contribute to the invasive success of Mediterranean onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus)

Background and aims – Understanding the traits that lead to the invasion potential of invasive alien species (IAS) provides insight for their management. The reproductive traits of IAS help us understand the mechanisms that allow for their invasive potential, and colonization into new ranges. Asphodelus fistulosus is a native Mediterranean species commonly found invading Australia, South-East Asia, South Africa, and North America. Materials and methods – Two populations of A. fistulosus in the Chihuahuan Desert were monitored for reproductive phenology. Floral visitors and their behaviour were described, and we assessed the breeding system through floral morphological characters and the mating system in controlled pollination experiments. Key results – Reproductive phenology showed continuous reproduction throughout the year. Floral morphology suggested a facultative autogamous breeding system, but the mating system was mixed with autonomous selfing. Flowers lasted one day, with anthesis lasting 11 h. Floral visitors of A. fistulosus consisted of a variety of taxa including species of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, the exotic Apis mellifera being the most frequent visitor. Conclusions – The reproductive traits of A. fistulosus in the invaded range provide the biological potential for further invasion. The continuous production of reproductive structures attracts many diverse pollinators, and the autonomous self-pollination implies that a single plant has the potential to develop a new population, which makes the control of this IAS a global challenge

The reproductive traits that contribute to the invasive success of Mediterranean onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus)

Background and aims - Understanding the traits that lead to the invasion potential of alien invasive species (AIS) provides insight for their management.  The reproductive traits of AIS help us to understand the mechanisms that allow for their invasive potential, and colonization into new ranges. Asphodelus fistulosus is a native Mediterranean species commonly found invading Australia, South-East Asia and North America.Materials and methods - Two populations in the Chihuahuan Desert of A. fistulosus were followed for reproductive phenology. Floral visitors and their behavior were described, and we assessed the breeding system through floral morphological characters and the mating system in controlled pollination experiments.Key results - Reproductive phenology shows a continuous reproduction throughout the year. Floral morphology suggests a facultative autogamous breeding system, but the mating system is mixed with autonomous selfing. Flowers longevity was one day, with anthesis lasting 11 h. Floral visitors of A. fistulosus consisted of a variety of taxa including species of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera, the exotic Apis mellifera being the most frequent visitor.Conclusions - The reproductive traits of A. fistulosus in the invaded range provide the biological potential for further invasion. The continuous production of reproductive structures attracts many pollinators, and the autonomous self- pollination implies that a single plant has the potential to develop new populations, posing the control of this AIS as a global challenge

The reproductive traits that contribute to the invasive success of Mediterranean onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus)

Background and aims – Understanding the traits that lead to the invasion potential of invasive alien species (IAS) provides insight for their management. The reproductive traits of IAS help us understand the mechanisms that allow for their invasive potential, and colonization into new ranges. Asphodelus fistulosus is a native Mediterranean species commonly found invading Australia, South-East Asia, South Africa, and North America. Materials and methods – Two populations of A. fistulosus in the Chihuahuan Desert were monitored for reproductive phenology. Floral visitors and their behaviour were described, and we assessed the breeding system through floral morphological characters and the mating system in controlled pollination experiments. Key results – Reproductive phenology showed continuous reproduction throughout the year. Floral morphology suggested a facultative autogamous breeding system, but the mating system was mixed with autonomous selfing. Flowers lasted one day, with anthesis lasting 11 h. Floral visitors of A. fistulosus consisted of a variety of taxa including species of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, the exotic Apis mellifera being the most frequent visitor. Conclusions – The reproductive traits of A. fistulosus in the invaded range provide the biological potential for further invasion. The continuous production of reproductive structures attracts many diverse pollinators, and the autonomous self-pollination implies that a single plant has the potential to develop a new population, which makes the control of this IAS a global challenge

The reproductive traits that contribute to the invasive success of Mediterranean onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus)

Background and aims – Understanding the traits that lead to the invasion potential of invasive alien species (IAS) provides insight for their management. The reproductive traits of IAS help us understand the mechanisms that allow for their invasive potential, and colonization into new ranges. Asphodelus fistulosus is a native Mediterranean species commonly found invading Australia, South-East Asia, South Africa, and North America. Materials and methods – Two populations of A. fistulosus in the Chihuahuan Desert were monitored for reproductive phenology. Floral visitors and their behaviour were described, and we assessed the breeding system through floral morphological characters and the mating system in controlled pollination experiments. Key results – Reproductive phenology showed continuous reproduction throughout the year. Floral morphology suggested a facultative autogamous breeding system, but the mating system was mixed with autonomous selfing. Flowers lasted one day, with anthesis lasting 11 h. Floral visitors of A. fistulosus consisted of a variety of taxa including species of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, the exotic Apis mellifera being the most frequent visitor. Conclusions – The reproductive traits of A. fistulosus in the invaded range provide the biological potential for further invasion. The continuous production of reproductive structures attracts many diverse pollinators, and the autonomous self-pollination implies that a single plant has the potential to develop a new population, which makes the control of this IAS a global challenge

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A new species of nematode, Pterygodermatites (Pterygodermatites) mexicana n. sp., is described based on specimens recovered from the intestine of the gray sac-winged bat, Balantiopteryx plicata (Chiroptera, Emballonuridae), from the Biosphere Reserve “Sierra de Huautla” in the state of Morelos, Mexico. This is the second species in the genus described from bats in the New World, since most of the rictaluriids reported in these hosts belong to the closely related genus Rictularia Froelich, 1802. However, members of Rictularia possess only a single oesophageal tooth at the base of the buccal capsule, whereas in the current nematodes three conspicuous oesophageal teeth are present. They are therefore included in Pterygodermatites Wedl, 1861. The new species is characterized by the presence of 23 small denticles on the periphery of the buccal capsule and by the presence of 40 and 66 pairs of cuticular processes in males and females, respectively. Additionally, males possess 3–4 ventral precloacal fan-like processes, and the cuticular processes of females are divided into 40 pairs of comb-like and 26 pairs of spine-like processes; the vulva opens on the level of approximately pair 40. The dorsally directed stoma and the 40 prevulvar cuticular processes makes it difficult to place the species in any of the subgenera present in the New World, yet characters correspond with the diagnosis of Pterygodermatites (Pterygodermatites) in the Mediterranean region and North Africa