Application of pre-adaptation strategies to improve the growth of probiotic lactobacilli under food-relevant stressful conditions

While formulating a probiotic food, it is mandatory to make sure that the viability of probiotics is adequate at the point of consumption, which can be strongly compromised by stressful conditions due to low pH and high osmolarity. In this study, three probiotic lactobacilli were subjected to different pre-adaptation conditions, and the turbidimetric growth kinetics in challenging conditions (pH 4.0–6.5, NaCl 1–7%, sucrose 0.1–0.7 M) were evaluated. Different effects were observed for Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lacticaseibacillus casei, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Indeed, pre-exposition to sub-optimal conditions in terms of pH and % NaCl significantly improved the ability of L. acidophilus and L. casei to overcome the osmotic stress due to salt or sucrose, and similar effects were observed for acidic stress. L. plantarum showed to be more tolerant to the challenging conditions applied in this study. Anyway, the pre-adaptation at conditions SUB_1 (pH 4.5 and NaCl 4%) and SUB_2 (pH 5 and NaCl 2%) speeded-up its growth kinetics by reducing the length of the lag phase under sucrose stress and enhancing the maximum growth rate at the highest pH tested. Moreover, an improvement in biomass amount was observed under sucrose stress. The whole data evidenced that the application of the appropriate pre-adaptation condition could contribute to making probiotics more robust towards challenging conditions due to food matrix, processing, and storage as well as gastrointestinal transit. Further studies will be necessary to gain insight into the proteomics and metabolomics responsible for increased tolerance to stressful conditions

Natural Antioxidant Compounds as Potential Pharmaceutical Tools against Neurodegenerative Diseases

Natural antioxidants are a very large diversified family of molecules classified by activity (enzymatic or nonenzymatic), chemical-physical properties (e.g., hydrophilic or lipophilic), and chemical structure (e.g., vitamins, polyphenols, etc.). Research on natural antioxidants in various fields, such as pharmaceutics, nutraceutics, and cosmetics, is among the biggest challenges for industry and science. From a biomedical point of view, the scavenging activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) makes them a potential tool for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition to the purified phytochemical compounds, a variety of natural extracts characterized by a complex mixture of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules have been successfully exploited to rescue preclinical models of these diseases. Extracts derived from Ginkgo biloba, grape, oregano, curcumin, tea, and ginseng show multitherapeutic effects by synergically acting on different biochemical pathways. Furthermore, the reduced toxicity associated with many of these compounds limits the occurrence of side effects. The support of nanotechnology for improving brain delivery, controlling release, and preventing rapid degradation and excretion of these compounds is of fundamental importance. This review reports on the most promising results obtained on in vitro systems, in vivo models, and in clinical trials, by exploiting natural-derived antioxidant compounds and extracts, in their free form or encapsulated in nanocarriers

Inactivation of Foodborne Bacteria Biofilms by Aqueous and Gaseous Ozone

In this study, the efficacy of treatments with ozone in water and gaseous ozone against attached cells and microbial biofilms of three foodborne species, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes, was investigated. Biofilms formed on AISI 304 stainless steel coupons from a mixture of three strains (one reference and two wild strains) of each microbial species were subjected to three types of treatment for increasing times: (i) ozonized water (0.5 ppm) by immersion in static condition, (ii) ozonized water under flow conditions, and (iii) gaseous ozone at different concentrations (0.1\u201320 ppm). The Excel add-in GinaFit tool allowed to estimate the survival curves of attached cells and microbial biofilms, highlighting that, regardless of the treatment, the antimicrobial effect occurred in the first minutes of treatment, while by increasing contact times probably the residual biofilm population acquired greater resistance to ozonation. Treatment with aqueous ozone under static conditions resulted in an estimated viability reduction of 1.61\u20132.14 Log CFU/cm2 after 20 min, while reduction values were higher (3.26\u20135.23 Log CFU/cm2 ) for biofilms treated in dynamic conditions. S. aureus was the most sensitive species to aqueous ozone under dynamic conditions. With regard to the use of gaseous ozone, at low concentrations (up to 0.2 ppm), estimated inactivations of 2.01\u20132.46 Log CFU/cm2 were obtained after 60 min, while at the highest concentrations a complete inactivation (<10 CFU/cm2 ) of the biofilms of L. monocytogenes and the reduction of 5.51 and 4.72 Log CFU/cm2 of P. fluorescens and S. aureus respectively after 60 and 20 min were achieved. Considering the results, ozone in water form might be used in daily sanitation protocols at the end of the day or during process downtime, while gaseous ozone might be used for the treatment of confined spaces for longer times (e.g., overnight) and in the absence of personnel, to allow an eco-friendly control of microbial biofilms and consequently reduce the risk of cross-contamination in the food industry

[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]−: a new bis-oxalato building block for metal assembling. Crystal structures and magnetic properties of XPh4[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]·5H2O (X = P and As), {Ba(H2O)2[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]2}n·17/2nH2O and {Ag(H2O)[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]}n·3nH2O

The synthesis, X-ray structure and variable-temperature magnetic study of new compounds of formula PPh4 [Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2 ]$5H2O (1), AsPh4 [Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2 ]$5H2O (2), {Ba(H2O)2[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]2}n$17/2nH2O (3) and {Ag(H2O)[Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2]}n$3nH2O (4) (PPh4 + ¼ tetraphenylphosphonium cation; AsPh4 + ¼ tetraphenylarsonium cation; dmbipy ¼ 4,4 0 -dimethyl- 2,2 0 -bipyridine; ox 2 ¼ oxalate dianion) are reported herein. The isomorphous compounds 1 and 2 are made up of discrete [Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2] anions, XPh4 + cations [X ¼ P (1) and As (2)] and uncoordinated water molecules. The chromium environment in 1 and 2 is distorted octahedral with Cr–O and Cr–N bond distances varying in the ranges 1.950(2)–1.9782(12) and 2.047(3)–2.0567(14) A˚ , respectively. The angles subtended at the chromium atom by the two bidentate oxalate ligands cover the range 82.58(10)– 83.11(5) , and they are somewhat greater than those concerning the chelating dmbipy [79.04(10) (1) and 79.24(5) (2)]. The [Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2] unit of 1 and 2 also occurs in 3 and 4 but it adopts different coordination modes. It acts as a chelating ligand through its two oxalate groups towards the divalent barium cations in 3 affording neutral chains with diamond-shaped units sharing the barium atoms, while the two other corners are occupied by two crystallographically independent chromium atoms. The barium atom in 3 is coordinated by eight oxygen atoms from four oxalate groups and two aqua ligands. The structure of 4 consists of neutral bimetallic layers where the [Cr(dmbipy)(ox)2] unit acts as a ligand towards the univalent silver(I) cation through its two oxalate groups, one of them being bidentate and the other bidentate/monodentate (outer). Each silver atom is six-coordinated with a water molecule and five oxygen atoms from three oxalate groups building a highly distorted octahedral environment. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 1–4 in the temperature range 1.9– 300 K show the occurrence of weak ferro- (1 and 2) and antiferromagnetic (3 and 4) interactions which are mediated by p–p stacking between dmbipy ligands through the spin polarization mechanism. A comparative study of the potentiality of the [Cr(AA)(ox)2] unit (AA ¼ bidentate nitrogen donor) as a building bl

Design of GEMSTAR tidal current fixed pitch rotor controlled through a Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG) de‐fluxing technique

n/

Lesser rheas monitoring

Dentro del Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés la ubicación de la Reserva de Vida Silvestre San Pablo de Valdés (RVSSPV) coincide con las zonas de mayor presencia de choiques constituyendo, por lo tanto, un sitio clave para su conservación. La especie está catalogada como amenazada a nivel local y sus poblaciones naturales se encuentran fragmentadas y en disminución. La densidad estimada para la Reserva fue de 0.8 (+-0.18) individuos/Km2 lo cual representa el mayor valor de abundancia para la especie en Península Valdés. La presencia del choique en la RVSSPV no sugiere una relación directa con la disponibilidad forrajera y parece estar principalmente influenciada por un bajo impacto de actividades antropogénicas. Esta información refuerza la importancia del desarrollo de programas de monitoreo continuos para conocer el estado de las poblaciones naturales, identificar los impactos provocados por diversas actividades y establecer las bases de una gestión adecuada para la protección de los hábitats que garanticen su conservación.In Península Valdés (PV), the Reserva de Vida Silvestre San Pablo de Valdés is located within the area of the highest occurrence of lesser rheas (Rhea pennata pennata), constituting a key site for its conservation. The species is listed as threatened in Argentina and their natural populations are fragmented and declining. The monitoring of lesser rheas in the RSPV was started in 2010 in order to obtain basic data that allows knowing the activity of the species in the area and to estimate its abundance. The estimated total density in RSPV for the 2010-2014 monitoring period was 0.8 individuals/km2 (SE: 0.18), which represents the highest value of abundance for the species in PV. The presence of lesser rheas in the RSPV does not suggest a direct relationship with the availability of feeding resources and seems to be mainly influenced by a low impact of anthropogenic activities. This information reinforces the importance of developing continuous monitoring programs to know the condition of natural populations, identify the impacts of different activities, and establish the basis for a proper management for habitat protection to ensure their conservation.Fil: Fernández, Cynthia. Universidad de Vigo; EspañaFil: Geremias Toscano, Nadia Belén. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Sede Puerto Madryn; ArgentinaFil: Marino, Andrea Ivana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; Argentin

Comparative analyses of holder pasteurization vs. HTST pasteurization for donor milk: a cost-minimization study applicable to human milk banks

BACKGROUND: High-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization (72-75 °C, 15 s) is an alternative treatment to traditional Holder pasteurization (HoP) (62ºC, 30 min) for donor milk. HTST pasteurization guarantees the milk's microbiological safety and retains more of its biologically and nutritionally active compounds, but the cost of implementing this technology for a human milk bank is unknown. METHODS: A cost-minimization study was carried out on the facilities of a regional human milk bank in a public hospital. Total production costs (fixed plus variables) were quantified using HTST pasteurization and HoP in three hypothetical scenarios: (1) costs of the first 10 L of pasteurized milk in a newly opened milk bank; (2) costs of the first 10 L of pasteurized milk in an active milk bank; and (3) costs using the maximum production capacity of both technologies in the first two years of operation. The following costs were analyzed: health care professionals, equipment and software, external services, and consumables. RESULTS: In scenario 1, the total production costs were 228,097.00 for the HTST method versus 154,064.00 for the HoP method. In scenario 2, these costs were similar ( 6,594.00 for HTST pasteurization versus 5,912.00 for HoP). The cost of healthcare professionals was reduced by more than half when pasteurization was carried out by the HTST method versus the Holder method ( 84.00 and 191.00, respectively). In scenario 3, the unit cost of milk pasteurized by the HTST method decreased from the first to the second year by 43.5%, while for the HoP method, it decreased by 30%. CONCLUSIONS: HTST pasteurization requires a high initial investment in equipment; however, it provides a significant minimization of production costs in the long term, pasteurizes large quantities of donor milk per working day and achieves a more efficient management of the time of the health care professionals in charge of the bank's operation compared to HoP

Metagenomic profiles of different types of Italian high-moisture Mozzarella cheese

The microbiota of different types of Italian high-moisture Mozzarella cheese produced using cow or buffalo milk, acidified with natural or selected cultures, and sampled at the dairy or at the mass market, was evaluated using a Next Generation Sequencing approach, in order to identify possible drivers of the bacterial diversity. Cow Mozzarella and buffalo Mozzarella acidified with commercial cultures were dominated by Streptococcus thermophilus, while buffalo samples acidified with natural whey cultures showed similar prevalence of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, L. helveticus and S. thermophilus. Moreover, several species of non-starter lactic acid bacteria were frequently detected. The diversity in cow Mozzarella microbiota was much higher than that of water buffalo samples. Cluster analysis clearly separated cow's cheeses from buffalo's ones, the former having a higher prevalence of psychrophilic taxa, and the latter of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. A higher prevalence of psychrophilic species and potential spoilers was observed in samples collected at the mass retail, suggesting that longer exposures to cooling temperatures and longer production-to-consumption times could significantly affect microbiota diversity. Our results could help in detecting some kind of thermal abuse during the production or storage of mozzarella cheese

Diversity within Italian Cheesemaking Brine-Associated Bacterial Communities Evidenced by Massive Parallel 16S rRNA Gene Tag Sequencing

This study explored the bacterial diversity of brines used for cheesemaking in Italy, as well as their physicochemical characteristics. In this context, 19 brines used to salt soft, semi-hard, and hard Italian cheeses were collected in 14 commercial cheese plants and analyzed using a culture-independent amplicon sequencing approach in order to describe their bacterial microbiota. Large NaCl concentration variations were observed among the selected brines, with hard cheese brines exhibiting the highest values. Acidity values showed a great variability too, probably in relation to the brine use prior to sampling. Despite their high salt content, brine microbial loads ranged from 2.11 to 6.51 log CFU/mL for the total mesophilic count. Microbial community profiling assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that these ecosystems were dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Cheese type and brine salinity seem to be the main parameters accountable for brine microbial diversity. On the contrary, brine pH, acidity and protein concentration, correlated to cheese brine age, did not have any selective effect on the microbiota composition. Nine major genera were present in all analyzed brines, indicating that they might compose the core microbiome of cheese brines. Staphylococcus aureus was occasionally detected in brines using selective culture media. Interestingly, bacterial genera associated with a functional and technological use were frequently detected. Indeed Bifidobacteriaceae, which might be valuable probiotic candidates, and specific microbial genera such as Tetragenococcus, Corynebacterium and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus, which can contribute to sensorial properties of ripened cheeses, were widespread within brines. \ua9 2017 Marino, Innocente, Maifreni, Mounier, Cobo-D\uedaz, Coton, Carraro and Cardazzo