Development and characterization of fermented soy beverages containing encapsulated or non-encapsulated vaginal probiotics

Human microbial niches such as the healthy vagina, are recently emerging as “unconventional” sources of candidate probiotics capable of preventing from different vaginal diseases. These microorganisms could be provided as oral preparations since they can reach the vaginal niche passing through the gastrointestinal tract. However, their use in food would be challenging. The aim of this work was to develop and characterize fermented soy beverages with encapsulated and non-encapsulated vaginal lactobacilli, namely Lactobacillus crispatus BC4 and Lactobacillus gasseri BC9, as future dietary strategies for vaginal dysbiosis. The viability of vaginal strains remained stable at 7 log CFU/mL of product during the entire 28 days of storage, despite the use of encapsulated or non-encapsulated bacteria. Samples containing encapsulated bacteria, especially E-BC4+BC9, showed higher Water Holding Capacity (62.29%), lactic acid content (1.43%), and a remarkable antagonistic activity against enteropathogens. Moreover, encapsulation protected the strains from simulated GIT conditions (>1 Log) but reduced the acceptability of the final products. Overall, strain BC4 and BC9, alone or in mix, demonstrated to be promising co-starter cultures providing a characteristic flavor (pleasant smell and taste) and aroma (lower hexanal, benzaldehyde and higher diacetyl, and 2,3-pentanedione, compared to control) to the fermented soy beverages

Unravelling the Potential of Lactococcus lactis Strains to Be Used in Cheesemaking Production as Biocontrol Agents

This research, developed within an exchange program between Italy and Canada, represents the first step of a three-year project intended to evaluate the potential of nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from Italian and Canadian dairy products to select a consortium of strains to be used as biocontrol agents in Crescenza and Cheddar cheese production. In this framework, the acidification and the production of nisin in milk, and the volatile molecule profiles of the fermented milk, were recorded. The strains were further tested for their anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity in milk. The data obtained highlighted good potential for some of the tested strains, which showed production of nisin beginning within 12 h after the inoculation and reaching maximum levels between 24 and 48 h. The highest inactivation levels of L. monocytogenes in milk was reached in the presence of the strains 101877/1, LBG2, 9FS16, 11FS16, 3LC39, FBG1P, UL36, UL720, UL35. The strains generated in milk-specific volatile profiles and differences in the presence of fundamental aromatic molecules of dairy products, such as 2-butanone and diacetyl. The results highlight the interesting potential of some L. lactis strains, the producer of nisin, to be further used as biocontrol agents, although the strains need to be tested for interaction with traditional thermophilic starters and tested in real cheesemaking conditions

REST/NRSF governs the expression of dense-core vesicle gliosecretion in astrocytes

The REST/NRSF transcriptional repressor prevents cultured astrocytes from forming DCVs, and its variable expression in human brain cortex astrocytes may account for their functional heterogeneity

Inflammatory Mechanisms of HCC Development

HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with several etiologic causes, mostly inflammation-associated. Different inflammatory responses in the liver can be triggered by different etiological agents. The inflammatory process can be resolved or be persistent, depending on the etiology and multiple other factors. Chronic inflammation, tissue remodeling, genetic alterations, and modifications in cellular signaling are considered to be key processes promoting immunosuppression. The progressive immunosuppression leads to the inactivation of anti-tumor immunity involved in HCC carcinogenesis and progression. Tumor cellular processes including DNA damage, necrosis, and ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress can affect both immune-surveillance and cancer-promoting inflammation, supporting a mutual interdependence. Here, we review the current understanding of how chronic liver injury and inflammation is triggered and sustained, and how inflammation is linked to HCC. The identification of many hepatic microenvironmental inflammatory processes and their effector molecules, has resulted in extensive translational work and promising clinical trials of new immunomodulatory agents

Impact of process conditions on probiotic survival and physicochemical characteristics of fermented milk containing functional vaginal strains

Functional foods are considered a promising dietary strategy to reduce incidence of human illness thanks to their active components. The project FUNPRO-L wants to develop a probiotic fermented milk designed to be good, from a sensory perspective, healthy and functional since made with exopolysaccharides-producing lactic acid bacteria and vaginal probiotics. First, acidification kinetics were determined by applying 1 or 3U of the commercial starter Lyofast ST440 (Sacco) in skimmed milk incubated at 45°C for up to 24h. 4.5 and 7h of fermentation already dropped the pH to around 5 and 4.5, respectively. Therefore, these two incubation times and 1U of the starter culture were independently tested with 5 different vaginal probiotics (Lactobacillus crispatus BC1, BC4 and BC5; Lactobacillus gasseri BC9 and BC12), previously characterized for their functional properties, supplemented at 7 and 8 Log CFU/ml. pH, starter culture and probiotics viability, water holding capacity (WHC), and volatile molecule profiles of the fermented products were evaluated after 0 and 28 days of storage at 5°C. After 28 days of storage, control samples which underwent to 7 and 4.5h of fermentation showed a pH of 4.0 and 4.5, respectively. Addition of vaginal strains, especially at 8 Log CFU/ml, determined a further reduction of the pH up to 3.84 (7h) and 4.07 (4.5h) with BC5 and BC9, respectively. A drop of about 1 and 0.5 Log CFU/ml of the probiotics and the starter culture were observed in all the samples fermented for 7h and 4.5h, respectively. WHC increased after fermentation with vaginal strains, while it was maintained or reduced upon 28 days of storage, depending on the probiotic applied. The analyses of the volatile compounds showed specific fingerprints for each strain and concentration used. This preliminary screening provided the basis for the production and formulation of a fermented milk, containing functional probiotics, intended to promote female well-being

Chlorogenic Acid Improves the Regorafenib Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol present in many human dietary foods. Several studies indicated a beneficial role of CGA in the prevention of cancer and an enhancement of chemotherapy when combined with CGA in the treatment of human hepatocarcinoma (HCC). Drug toxicity, resistance and subsequent disease progression represent a problem in HCC management, although treatment with the multikinase inhibitor Regorafenib improved overall survival. This study focused on the evaluation of the effects of combined treatment using both low Regorafenib concentrations and CGA as natural compound in HCC cells. The analysis of cell proliferation by Ki67 staining and cell cycle progression showed that CGA enhanced Regorafenib-mediated cell growth inhibition. Moreover, CGA potentiated the apoptotic effect of Regorafenib by the activation of the pro-apoptotic Annexin V, Bax and Caspase 3/7 and the inhibition of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 and Bcl-xL. Combined treatments were also effective in inhibiting cell motility. The mechanisms underlying the positive effects of combining CGA and Regorafenib were also addressed and an increased inhibition of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)and PI3K/Akt/mTORC (phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling was observed. Overall, these data demonstrated that co-treatment with Regorafenib and CGA enhanced Regorafenib action, reducing its cytotoxicity in HCC cells. In conclusion, this drug combination could be considered as a safe and more effective approach in HCC therapy

Human Breast Milk: A Source of Potential Probiotic Candidates

This study focuses on the isolation of lactobacilli/bifidobacteria from human breast milk and their first characterization, in the perspective to find new probiotic candidates to be included in food products. More specifically, breast-milk-isolated strains demonstrated a very good aptitude to adhere to intestinal cells, in comparison with L. rhamnosus GG strain, taken as reference. The same behavior has been found for hydrophobicity/auto-aggregation properties. A remarkable antagonistic activity was detected for these isolates not only against spoilage and pathogenic species of food interest, but also against the principal etiological agents of intestinal infections. Indeed, isolated strains impaired spoilage and pathogenic species growth, as well as biofilm formation by gut pathogens. In addition, breast milk strains were characterized for their antibiotic susceptibility, displaying species-specific and strain-specific susceptibility patterns. Finally, to assess their technological potential, the fermentation kinetics and viability of breast milk strains in pasteurized milk were investigated, also including the study of the volatile molecule profiles. In this regard, all the strains pointed out the release of aroma compounds frequently associated with the sensory quality of several dairy products such as acetic acid, diacetyl, acetoin, acetaldehyde. Data here reported point up the high potential of breast-milk-isolated strains as probiotics

VAGINAL MICROBIOME FOR THE PRESERVATION OF WOMEN’S HEALTH USING FOOD STRATEGY

Probiotics as functional microorganisms, with a corresponding positive impact on human health, have usually isolated from the gut. Nevertheless, the research has pointed out the functional role of microorganisms isolated from other human sources such as genital tract, highlighting the key role of vaginal microbiome for the preservation of women’s health and the development of healthy pregnancies. Therefore, main aim of this work was to verify the metabolic and technological aptitude of a group of functional vaginal lactobacilli in order to set up the conditions for their inclusion in a fermented food conceived to promote women’s well-being. More specifically, Biolog approach was performed on these vaginal strains in order to characterize their metabolic pathways. In fact, the use of probiotic strains in a functional food without considering a metabolic characterization of the strains could negatively affect the final product. In addition, also the synergistic and functional interactions between these selected strains were evaluated. Following this preliminary characterization, three mixed cultures of vaginal lactobacilli were subjected to spray-drying process, considering their further inclusion as microencapsulated in functional fermented foods. In fact, the microencapsulation of probiotic strains through spray-drying methodology could improve their vitality in foods or in the gastrointestinal tract. As regards to the maintenance of viability over time, for the microorganisms subjected to the microencapsulation process, it should be emphasized not only the role of process conditions adopted (for spray-drying: inlet and outlet temperature), but also the choice of carrier. Furthermore, following the choice of the carrier and the process conditions, the quality and morphology of microencapsulates were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, in order to evaluate the effect of adopted spray-drying process on the selected mixed microbial cultures hydrophobicity after treatment, and over time viability and resistance to simulated gastro-duodenal, also in relation to the different storage conditions (room temperature, + 4 ° C, - 20 ° C) were investigated. The data obtained showed how all the tested associations were able to withstand the spray-drying process in terms of cell viability, immediately after treatment and during storage. All microbial associations also demonstrated high hydrophobicity and good resistance to simulated gastro-duodenal stress, suggesting a good chance for their inclusion as adjunct cultures in fermented products. In addition, the results obtained by SEM also showed the quality of these functional microcapsules, suitable for their further use in food. In conclusion, these data could represent a first step for the developing of a fermented food aimed to reduce various vaginal dysbiosis in order to enhance women’s well-being