Response of microbial organisms (aquatic and terrestrial) to pesticides

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Effects of Fermented Goat Milk on Adiposity and Gut Microbiota in a Diet-Induced Obesity Murine Model

The administration of goat milk fermented (FGM) with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus CRL1447 and supplemented with different mixes of lactobacilli strains (Mix1: Limosilactobacillus fermentum CRL1446 + Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum CRL1449 + Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum CRL1472; Mix2: CRL1446 + CRL1449; Mix3: CRL1446 + CRL1472; and Mix4: CRL1449 + CRL1472) was investigated regarding body weight, metabolic and inflammatory parameters, and gut microbiota (GM) composition in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Body weight gain, adipocyte size, fasting blood glucose, serum triglyceride, and leptin levels were significantly reduced in the group fed FGM+Mix3 compared with the obese mice fed FGM. FGM+Mix2 and FGM+Mix3 modified the GM composition, reversing the dysbiosis caused by the HFD. Although there were no significant changes at the phylum level, the GM composition was significantly changed at the family and genus levels. Results suggest that the administration of FGM+Mix3 improves metabolic and immune profiles in obese mice while positively modulating the GM, therefore attenuating the risk factors associated with obesity

The treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as a possible source of micro- and nano-plastics and bioplastics in agroecosystems: a review

AbstractPlastics fragmentation into smaller debris, namely, micro- and nano-plastics (MPs and NPs), is a matter of global concern because of their wide distribution in terrestrial and marine environments. The latest research has focused mainly on aquatic ecosystems, and fragmentation of bioplastics into micro- and nano-particles (MBPs and NBPs) is not considered. The distribution, concentration, fate and major source of MPs, NPS, MBPs and NBPs in agroecosystems still need to be understood. The use of composts and sewage sludge from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) treatment plants as soil amendments is likely to represent a major input of these debris. The present review provides insights into the current evidence of pollution from micro- and nano-particles of both fossil- and bio-origin in the OFMSW treatment, and aims at evaluating if the recycling of organic waste and its application as a soil fertilizer outweigh the risk of pollution in terrestrial environments. Huge unpredictability exists due to the limited numbers of data on their quantification in each source of possible solution. Indeed, the major hurdles arise from the difficult to quantify the micro-, especially the nano-, particles and subsequently assess the concentrations in the environments, as well as bioaccumulation risks, and toxic effects on organisms. Graphical Abstrac

Genome sequence of Azospirillum brasilense REC3, isolated from strawberry plants

The genome sequence of a plant growth-promoting bacterium and biocontrol agent, Azospirillum brasilense REC3, isolated from strawberry roots, is reported here. The A. brasilense REC3 total genome contains 7,229,924 bp and has a G C content of 68.7 mol%.EEA FamailláFil: Fontana, Cecilia Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Salazar, Sergio Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Bassi, Daniela. Università Cattolica del Saco Cuore. Istituto di Microbiologia; ItaliaFil: Puglisi, Edoardo. Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Centro Ricerche Biotecnologiche. Istituto di Microbiologia; ItaliaFil: Lovaisa, Nadia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia; ArgentinaFil: Toffoli, Lucia Mercedes. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Pedraza, Raúl Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia; ArgentinaFil: Cocconcelli, Pier Sandro. Università Cattolica del Saco Cuore. Istituto di Microbiologia; Itali

PROMET&O: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Monitor Indoor Environmental Quality

Recent studies have explored the influence of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) on the occupants’ perception, behavior and productivity at work [1]. Also, it has been proved that a poor IEQ may turn in negative further consequences on occupants also affecting mental comfort and health [2]. The assessment of IEQ is thus a complex task due to its nature that considers the thermal, air quality, lighting and acoustics domains at the same time. Alongside with these aspects, there is no evidence of the extent to which exposure to day-to-day low-frequency electromagnetic fields may arise long term health issues, although international guidelines specify exposure limits for work places. Recent works, such as [3], have also investigated the use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WNSs) for air pollution monitoring, however, they typically refer to urban environment. To sum up, multi-domain investigations are therefore needed, and the use of accurate devices for the acquisition of objective IEQ metrics is mandatory. This research aims at developing an innovative, accurate and low-cost system for the in-field monitoring of IEQ, i.e., the so called PROMET&O system. With respect to the current state of the art, PROMET&O will provide the integration of the measured IEQ metrics with feedback of the perceived Indoor Environmental Comfort (IEC) from occupants, encouraging best practices for energy saving. The proposed system architecture is shown in Fig. 1 and consists in several Multi-Sensors (MSs) collecting data related to the IEQ metrics to be monitored, which are sent to an open-access platform for further processing. Each MS is provided with a set of sensors, whose outputs are periodically sampled by a controller, shown in Fig. 2. Sensors have been selected being low-cost, low-power and small-sized. The respective measurement range and accuracy are reported in Tab. 1 and agree with the specific IEQ standards. To avoid self-heating or cross-sensitivity issues, a first placement of the MS layout is proposed as shown in Fig. 3. Based on the sampled data, statistics of the measured quantities are evaluated and transferred to the server to be stored in a database. Future work will focus on further development and experimental validation of such system in an open space offices to correlate IEQ measured metrics with occupants’ feedback

Selective bacterial colonization processes on polyethylene waste samples in an abandoned landfill site

The microbial colonization of plastic wastes has been extensively studied in marine environments, while studies on aged terrestrial wastes are scarce, and mostly limited to the isolation of plastic-degrading microorganisms. Here we have applied a multidisciplinary approach involving culturomics, next-generation sequencing analyses and fine-scale physico-chemical measurements to characterize plastic wastes retrieved in landfill abandoned for more than 35 years, and to assess the composition of bacterial communities thriving as biofilms on the films’ surfaces. All samples were characterized by different colors but were all of polyethylene; IR and DSC analyses identified different level of degradation, while FT-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence further assessed the degradation level and the presence of pigments. Each plastic type harbored distinct bacterial communities from the others, in agreement with the differences highlighted by the physico-chemical analyses. Furthermore, the most degraded polyethylene films were found to host a bacterial community more similar to the surrounding soil as revealed by both α- and β-diversity NGS analyses. This work confirms the novel hypothesis that different polyethylene terrestrial waste samples select for different bacterial communities, and that structure of these communities can be correlated with physico-chemical properties of the plastics, including the degradation degree

Copper toxicity on Eisenia fetida in a vineyard soil: a combined study with standard tests, genotoxicity assessment, and gut metagenomic analysis

Copper (Cu) toxicity is a pressing concern for several soils, especially in organic viticulture. The objective of this work was to assess Cu toxicity on the non-target organism Eisenia fetida, employing both traditional and novel tools for early identification of Cu-induced damages. In addition to traditional tests like avoidance and reproductive toxicity experiments, other tests such as the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and gut microbiome analysis were evaluated to identify early and more sensitive pollution biomarkers. Four sub-lethal Cu concentrations were studied, and the results showed strong dosedependent responses by the earthworm avoidance test and the exceeding of habitat threshold limit at the higher Cu doses. An inverse proportionality was observed between reproductive output and soil Cu concentration. Bioaccumulation was not detected in earthworms; soil concentrations of potentially bioavailable Cu were not affected by E. fetida presence or by time. On the contrary, the SCGE test revealed dose-dependent genotoxicity for the ‘tail length’ parameter already at the second day of Cu exposition. Gut microbiome analysis a modulation of microbial composition, with the most aboundant families being Pectobateriaceae, Comamonadaceae and Microscillaceae. Bacillaceae increased over time and showed adaptability to copper up to 165 mg/kg, while at the highest dose even the sensitive Acetobacteriaceae family was affected. The research provided new insights into the ecotoxicity of Cu sub-lethal doses highlighting both alterations at earthworms’ cellular level and changes in their gut microbiota

Infant Early Gut Colonization by Lachnospiraceae: High Frequency of Ruminococcus gnavus

Lachnospiraceae is a bacterial family usually isolated from human and mammalian intestinal microbiota. However, its presence and role in the infant microbiota is not fully elucidated. This may be due to the strictly anaerobic behavior of its members that hampers the possibility of culture-dependent enumeration. Here, we report on the presence of this bacterial group, using biomolecular techniques, in stool samples from 25 babies aged between 1 and 24\u2009months. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used as a first detection step, and data were confirmed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The DGGE showed the presence of Lachnospiraceae in infant fecal specimens and indicated the prevalence of Ruminococcus gnavus (R. gnavus). The qPCR confirmed the presence of the Clostridium XVIa group, Blautia genus, and R. gnavus, which are the main members of this family. We detected R. gnavus in 22 of 25 (88%) samples with a qPCR probe assay. Despite the difficulties associated with their detection and enumeration, Lachnospiraceae, and in particular R. gnavus, should be included in future studies on the infant microbiota composition

Administration of probiotic lactic acid bacteria to modulate fecal microbiome in feedlot cattle

Modulation of animal gut microbiota is a prominent function of probiotics to improve the health and performance of livestock. In this study, a large-scale survey to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria probiotics on shaping the fecal bacterial community structure of feedlot cattle during three experimental periods of the fattening cycle (163 days) was performed. A commercial feedlot located in northwestern Argentina was enrolled with cattle fed mixed rations (forage and increasing grain diet) and a convenience-experimental design was conducted. A pen (n = 21 animals) was assigned to each experimental group that received probiotics during three different periods. Groups of n = 7 animals were sampled at 40, 104 and 163 days and these samples were then pooled to one, thus giving a total of 34 samples that were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The microbial diversity of fecal samples was significantly affected (p < 0.05) by the administration period compared with probiotic group supplementation. Even though, the three experimental periods of probiotic administration induced changes in the relative abundance of the most representative bacterial communities, the fecal microbiome of samples was dominated by the Firmicutes (72-98%) and Actinobacteria (0.8-27%) phyla, while a lower abundance of Bacteroidetes (0.08-4.2%) was present. Probiotics were able to modulate the fecal microbiota with a convergence of Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae associated with health and growth benefits as core microbiome members. Metabolic functional prediction comparing three experimental administration periods (40, 104 and 163 days) showed an enrichment of metabolic pathways related to complex plant-derived polysaccharide digestion as well as amino acids and derivatives during the first 40 days of probiotic supplementation. Genomic-based knowledge on the benefits of autochthonous probiotics on cattle gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota composition and functions will contribute to their selection as antibiotic alternatives for commercial feedlot