Scombroid syndrome - histamine poisoning

Scombroid syndrome - histamine poisoning is one of the most common form of intoxication caused by seafood consumption. The poisoning incidents are often underestimated due to mild or not-recognized symptoms, making difficult to attribute the responsibility for the outbreak and to improve proper hygienic practices. To help our students in a pragmatic and scientific approach, this article contains: definition and generalities on histamine poisoning; histamine and other biogenic amines formation; symptoms in humans; how to prevent scombroid syndrome; mandatory rules and official sampling in the European Union; biogenic amines as freshness indices; seafood associated in scombroid syndrome; foods, other than seafood, responsible of scombroid syndrome or with high levels of biogenic amines; detection of histamine and other biogenic amines in foods. The article is completed by the enclosure of an illustrated guide to the identification of fish species marketed in Italy most involved in scombroid syndrome (edited by Cristian Bernardi).

Association between Immunosenescence, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Frailty Syndrome in Older Adults

Aging is associated with changes in the immune system, increased inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. The relationship between these phenomena and the clinical phenotype of frailty is unclear. Here, we evaluated the immune phenotypes, T cell functions and mitochondrial functions of immune cells in frail and robust older subjects. We enrolled 20 frail subjects age- and gender-matched with 20 robust controls, and T cell phenotype, response to immune stimulation, cytokine production and immune cell mitochondrial function were assessed. Our results showed that numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were decreased in frail subjects, without impairment to their ratios. Memory and naïve T cells were not significantly affected by frailty, whereas the expression of CD28 but not that of ICOS was decreased in T cells from frail subjects. T cells from robust subjects produced more IL-17 after CD28 stimulation. Levels of serum cytokines were similar in frail subjects and controls. Mitochondrial bioenergetics and ATP levels were significantly lower in immune cells from frail subjects. In conclusion, we suggest that changes in T cell profiles are associated with aging rather than with frailty syndrome; however, changes in T cell response to immune stimuli and reduced mitochondrial activity in immune cells may be considered hallmarks of frailty

Molluschi bivalvi vivi ed echinodermi, tunicati e gasteropodi marini vivi

oai:ojs.riviste.unimi.it:article/529This issue contains: A short account of anatomy and physiology of bivalve molluscs, marine gastropods, echinoderms and tunicates.Economic importance of live bivalve molluscs .Bacterial and viral illness associated with consumption of live bivalve molluscs. Microbiological risk management.Marine biotoxins and chemical contaminants.Bivalve molluscs production.Harvesting of live bivalve molluscs and post harvest treatments.Packaging and labelling of live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropodsReferences.Enclosure: identification sheets of the main commercial species of bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods.Monografia sui molluschi bivalvi, gasteropodi, echinodermi e tunicati; cenni di anatomia e fisiologia, importanza economica, problematiche sanitarie e normativa. Inoltre si tratta la visita ispettiva e le chiavi di riconoscimento di specie delle principali specie commercializzate

The arsenic hyperaccumulating Pteris vittata expresses two arsenate reductases

Enzymatic reduction of arsenate to arsenite is the first known step in arsenate metabolism in all organisms. Although the presence of one mRNA arsenate reductase (PvACR2) has been characterized in gametophytes of P. vittata, no arsenate reductase protein has been directly observed in this arsenic hyperaccumulating fern, yet. In order to assess the possible presence of arsenate reductase in P. vittata, two recombinant proteins, ACR2-His6 and Trx-His6-S-Pv2.5-8 were prepared in Escherichia coli, purified and used to produce polyclonal antibodies. The presence of these two enzymes was evaluated by qRT-PCR, immunoblotting and direct MS analysis. Enzymatic activity was detected in crude extracts. For the first time we detected and identified two arsenate reductase proteins (PvACR2 and Pv2.5-8) in sporophytes and gametophytes of P. vittata. Despite an increase of the mRNA levels for both proteins in roots, no difference was observed at the protein level after arsenic treatment. Overall, our data demonstrate the constitutive protein expression of PvACR2 and Pv2.5-8 in P. vittata tissues and propose their specific role in the complex metabolic network of arsenic reduction

Enhanced features of Dictyoglomus turgidum Cellulase A engineered with carbohydrate binding module 11 from Clostridium thermocellum

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a low-cost and abundant source of fermentable sugars. Enzymatic hydrolysis is one of the main ways to obtain sugars from biomass, but most of the polysaccharide-degrading enzymes are poorly efficient on LCB and cellulases with higher performances are required. In this study, we designed a chimeric protein by adding the carbohydrate binding module (CBM) of the cellulosomal enzyme CtLic26A-Cel5E (endoglucanase H or CelH) from Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum to the C-terminus of Dtur CelA, an interesting hyperthermostable endoglucanase from Dictyoglomus turgidum. The activity and binding rate of both native and chimeric enzyme were evaluated on soluble and insoluble polysaccharides. The addition of a CBM resulted in a cellulase with enhanced stability at extreme pHs, higher affinity and activity on insoluble cellulose

Natural levels of nitrites and nitrates in San Daniele dry cured ham PDO, and in meat, salt and sugna used for its production

The aim of the study was to determine the level of the\u201cnatural\u201dnitrite and nitrate concentration in raw meat,salt andsugna(soft pork fat) used to produce San Daniele dry cured ham (SDDCH) and in SDDCH (PDO) that hasbeen ripened over 14 months under controlled environmental conditions. The average natural nitrite content inmeat, salt,sugnaand dry cured ham was approximately 2, 1, 5 and 1 mg/kg, respectively. The natural nitratecontent was 8, 6 and 8 mg/kg. Data allowed to determine threshold value for both compounds: the nitrite andnitrate concentrations in San Daniele PDO ham must be considered\u201cnatural and not intentional added\u201dwhenthey are less than 4 and 22 mg/kg, respectively.The underlying aim of the research was to enable producers to prove no additives were deliberately addedduring the ham production and to help authorities to identify SDDCH not compliant with the r

FOOD SAFETY IN CATERING INDUSTRY

Catering industry plays a very important role in public health management, because about 30% of total daily meals are consumed in catering industry (restaurants, bar). In this work food safety was evaluated in 20 catering centres throughout microbiological analyses of different categories of meals. Results demonstrate that there was an important decrease of microbial contamination between 2006 and 2007, no pathogens were found in 217 samples examined: this was obtained by improving voluntary controls

Neuroantibodies: Ectopic expression of a recombinant anti-substance P antibody in the central nervous system of transgenic mice

AbstractRecombinant antibodies are efficiently secreted by cells of the nervous system. Thus, their local expression in the CNS of transgenic mice could be used to perturb the function of the corresponding antigen. As a first application of this approach, we have generated transgenic mice that express antibodies against the neuropeptide substance P, under the transcriptional control of the promoter of the neuronal gene vgf. The transgenic antibodies are expressed in a tissue-specific and developmentally regulated manner and are effective in competing with the endogenous substance P, as demonstrated by a marked Inhibition of neurogenic inflammation and by motor deficits. This phenotypic knockout approach may provide a complementary alternative to gene knockout by homologous recombination