Extremophilic bacteria restrict the growth of Macrophomina phaseolina by combined secretion of polyamines and lytic enzymes

[EN] Extremophilic microorganisms were screened as biocontrol agents against two strains of Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp02 and 06). Stenotrophomonas sp. AG3 and Exiguobacterium sp. S58 exhibited a potential in vitro antifungal effect on Mp02 growth, corresponding to 52.2% and 40.7% inhibition, respectively. This effect was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, where images revealed marked morphological alterations in fungus hyphae. The bacteria were found to secrete lytic enzymes and polyamines. Exiguobacterium sp. S56a was the only strain able to reduce the growth of the two strains of M. phaseolina through their supernatant. Antifungal supernatant activity was correlated with the ability of bacteria to synthesize and excrete putrescine, and the exogenous application of this polyamine to the medium phenocopied the bacterial antifungal effects. We propose that the combined secretion of putrescine, spermidine, and lytic enzymes by extremophilic microorganism predispose these microorganisms to reduce the disease severity occasioned by M. phaseolina in soybean seedlings.The authors acknowledge the generous financial support by the PICT V Bicentenario 2010 1788 Project (FONCyT, Argentina). This work was performed in the context of a project called ¿Análisis de Adaptación al Cambio Climático en Humedales Andinos¿. ID: 6188775¿8-LP13. Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Región de Antofagasta. We are also grateful to Lic. C. Pérez Brandan for providing us with the M. phaseolina strains used in this study.Santos, AP.; Nieva Muratore, L.; Sole-Gil, A.; Farías, ME.; Ferrando Monleón, AR.; Blazquez Rodriguez, MA.; Belfiore, C. (2021). Extremophilic bacteria restrict the growth of Macrophomina phaseolina by combined secretion of polyamines and lytic enzymes. Plant Biotechnology Reports. 32:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2021.e00674S193

Microbial Phenolic Metabolites: Which Molecules Actually Have an Effect on Human Health?

The role of gut microbiota in human health has been investigated extensively in recent years. The association of dysbiosis, detrimental changes in the colonic population, with several health conditions has led to the development of pro-, pre- and symbiotic foods. If not absorbed in the small intestine or secreted in bile, polyphenols and other food components can reach the large intestine where they are susceptible to modification by the microbial population, resulting in molecules with potentially beneficial health effects. This review provides an overview of studies that have detected and/or quantified microbial phenolic metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography as the separation technique, followed by detection through mass spectrometry. Both in vitro experimental studies and human clinical trials are covered. Although many of the microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) reported in in vitro studies were identified in human samples, further research is needed to associate them with clinical health outcomes

Cognitive tests used in chronic adult human randomised controlled trial micronutrient and phytochemical intervention studies

In recent years there has been a rapid growth of interest in exploring the relationship between nutritional therapies and the maintenance of cognitive function in adulthood. Emerging evidence reveals an increasingly complex picture with respect to the benefits of various food constituents on learning, memory and psychomotor function in adults. However, to date, there has been little consensus in human studies on the range of cognitive domains to be tested or the particular tests to be employed. To illustrate the potential difficulties that this poses, we conducted a systematic review of existing human adult randomised controlled trial (RCT) studies that have investigated the effects of 24 d to 36 months of supplementation with flavonoids and micronutrients on cognitive performance. There were thirty-nine studies employing a total of 121 different cognitive tasks that met the criteria for inclusion. Results showed that less than half of these studies reported positive effects of treatment, with some important cognitive domains either under-represented or not explored at all. Although there was some evidence of sensitivity to nutritional supplementation in a number of domains (for example, executive function, spatial working memory), interpretation is currently difficult given the prevailing 'scattergun approach' for selecting cognitive tests. Specifically, the practice means that it is often difficult to distinguish between a boundary condition for a particular nutrient and a lack of task sensitivity. We argue that for significant future progress to be made, researchers need to pay much closer attention to existing human RCT and animal data, as well as to more basic issues surrounding task sensitivity, statistical power and type I error

Health Effects of Resveratrol: Results from Human Intervention Trials

The effect of resveratrol (RV) intake has been reviewed in several studies performed in humans with different health status. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of clinical trials of the last decade, in which RV was determined in biological samples such as human plasma, urine, and feces. The topics covered include RV bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, effects on cardiovascular diseases, cognitive diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes (T2D), oxidative stress, and inflammation states. The overview of the recent research reveals a clear tendency to identify RV in plasma, showing that its supplementation is safe. Furthermore, RV bioavailability depends on several factors such as dose, associated food matrix, or time of ingestion. Notably, enterohepatic recirculation of RV has been observed, and RV is largely excreted in the urine within the first four hours after consumption. Much of the research on RV in the last 10 years has focused on its effects on pathologies related to oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, T2D, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disease

Intra-hospital transport of neonatal intensive care patients: risk factors for complications

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate factors associated with hypothermia and increased need of oxygen and/or ventilatory support during intra-hospital transport of neonatal intensive care patients. METHODS: Prospective study of infants admitted to a single neonatal unit in need of at least one intra-hospital transport during weekdays, from 8:00AM to 05:00PM, from January 1997 to December 2000. Factors associated with hypothermia and increased need of oxygen and/or need of ventilatory support during and up to two hours after transport were studied by regression analyses. RESULTS: During the study period, 502 transports were analyzed. At the time of transport, the neonates had a mean weight and gestational age of, respectively, 2,000g and 35 weeks, and they were 22 days old. The main reasons for transport were: surgery and image exams. Hypothermia occurred in 17% of the transported infants and increased need of oxygen and/or ventilatory support in 7%. Factors associated with hypothermia were: duration of transportation >3h (OR=2.1; 95%CI=1.2-3.6), neurologic malformation (OR=1.7; 95%CI=1.1-2.5), transport performed in 1997 (OR=1.7; 95%CI=1.1-2.6) and weight at time of transport >3,500g (OR=0.3; 95%CI=0.16-0.68). Factors associated with increased need of oxygen and/or ventilation support were: gestational age at birth in weeks (OR=0.9; 95%CI=0.8-0.9), age in days at transportation (OR=1.0; 95%CI=1.0-1.1) and presence of gastrointestinal and genitourinary malformation (OR=3.1; 95%CI=1.6-6.2). CONCLUSIONS: Complications related to neonatal intra-hospital transports are frequent and associated with the patients characteristics and transport conditions.OBJETIVO: Estudar os fatores associados à hipotermia e ao aumento da necessidade de oxigênio e/ou suporte ventilatório durante o transporte intra-hospitalar de pacientes internados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva neonatal. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo de todos os pacientes internados na unidade neonatal que necessitaram de transporte intra-hospitalar de janeiro de 1997 a dezembro de 2000, entre segundas-feiras e sextas-feiras, das 8h às 17h. Fatores associados à hipotermia e ao aumento da necessidade de oxigênio e/ou de suporte ventilatório durante e até duas horas após o transporte foram estudados por meio de regressão logística. RESULTADOS: Foram realizados 502 transportes no período. Os pacientes tinham em média 2.000g, 35 semanas de idade gestacional ao nascer e 22 dias de vida. As principais indicações do transporte foram: cirurgia e realização de exames de imagem. A hipotermia ocorreu em 17% dos transportes e o aumento da necessidade de oxigênio e/ou de suporte ventilatório em 7%. Fatores associados à hipotermia foram: duração do transporte >3h (OR=2,1; IC95%=1,2-3,6), presença de malformações neurológicas (OR=1,7; IC95%=1,1-2,5), transporte realizado em 1997 (OR=1,7; IC95%=1,1-2,6) e peso no transporte >3.500g (OR=0,3; IC95%=0,16-0,68). Fatores de risco para o aumento da necessidade de oxigênio e/ou de suporte ventilatório foram: idade gestacional ao nascimento em semanas (OR=0,9; IC95%=0,8-0,9), idade em dias no transporte (OR=1,0; IC95%=1,0-1,1) e presença de malformações gastrintestinais e geniturinárias (OR=3,1; IC95%=1,6-6,2). CONCLUSÕES: As intercorrências relativas ao transporte intra-hospitalar são freqüentes nos neonatos em UTI e estão associadas às condições dos pacientes e dos transportes.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP-EPM Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP-EPM Departamento de Medicina PreventivaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de PediatriaUNIFESP, EPM Depto. de PediatriaUNIFESP, EPM Depto. de Medicina PreventivaSciEL

Antimicrobial Action of 1,10-Phenanthroline-Based Compoundson Carbapenemase-Producing Acinetobacter Baumannii Clinical Strains: Efficacy Against Planktonic- and Biofilm-Growing Cells

Therapeutic options are limited for patients infected with Acinetobacter baumannii due to its multidrug-resistance profile. So, the search for new antimicrobials against this gram-negative bacterial pathogen has become a worldwide priority. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendione), [Ag(phendione)2]ClO4 (Ag-phendione) and [Cu(phendione)3](ClO4)2.4H2O (Cu-phendione) on 26 carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii strains. The susceptibility to carbapenems was performed by detecting the metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) genes by PCR and by determining the MIC. Also, disk diffusion method was applied to evaluate the susceptibility to other antimicrobial classes. The test compounds were evaluated on both planktonic- and biofilm-growing bacterial cells. The results revealed that all A. baumannii strains had the intrinsic blaOXA-51 gene, and at least one of the blaOXA-23 or blaOXA-24 genes. The geometric mean MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values, respectively, were as follows: Cu-phendione (1.56 and 2.30 μM), Ag-phendione (2.48 and 3.63 μM), phendione (9.44 and 9.70 μM) and phen (70.46 and 184.28 μM). The test compounds (at 0.5×MIC) affected the biofilm formation and disrupted the mature biofilm, in a typically dose-dependent manner, reducing biomass and viability parameters. Collectively, silver- and copper-phendione derivatives presented potent antimicrobial action against planktonic- and biofilm-forming cells of carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii

Rice straw as a valuable source of cellulose and polyphenols: Applications in the food industry

Background: Rice plants generate a large amount of straw after harvesting, which is currently managed mainly by incineration or used as animal bedding, animal fodder or wrapping of materials during transport. Other technological uses, such as the production of energy and biofuels, pulp and paper production or construction materials have also been described. However, due to the current European Union (EU) restrictions, alternatives for waste management must be sought. Valorisation of rice straw is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals agenda set by the EU, since interesting biocompounds have been described in their composition and, after a successful extraction and purification, they can be used in various sectors. Scope and approach: This review gathers the most relevant works related to the valorisation of rice straw. It focuses on polyphenolic extracts and cellulose derivatives obtained by different extraction techniques, either conventional or innovative. In addition, the different applications that these compounds have in the field of food and nutrition sciences are summarized. Key findings and conclusions: Polyphenols and cellulose fractions have shown their viability to be extracted from rice straw, showing great potential as antioxidants in the food sector or as nutritional components in the development of new food or packaging materials, respectively. In conclusion, the valorisation of rice straw as a rich source of valuable compounds has been demonstrated, which currently generates serious environmental and human problems due to difficulties in its management and incineration, adding value to these underutilized residues and contributing to the circular bioeconomy concept

Exploring the Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion in the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic-Rich Chestnut Shells: A Preliminary Study

Chestnut shells (CS), the principal by-product of the chestnut processing industry, contain high concentrations of flavonoids and other polyphenols with huge interest for the nutraceuticals field. Nonetheless, the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of phytochemicals can be influenced by their digestibility, making it imperative to evaluate these activities prior to application of CS as a nutraceutical ingredient. This work aims to appraise the effects of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profiling of CS. An increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant/antiradical properties, radical scavenging capacity, and inhibition on acetylcholinesterase activity was evidenced during in vitro simulated digestion. Metabolomic profiling by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS revealed changes during the simulated digestion, particularly in phenolic compounds (46% of total compounds annotated), lipids (22%), phenylpropanoids (9%), organic acids (7%), carbohydrates (5%), nucleosides (5%), amino acids (4%), and alcohols (1%). Phenolic acids (gallic acid, syringic acid, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid) and flavonoids (epicatechin) were the major polyphenolic classes identified. The heatmap-positive correlations highlighted that the bioactivity of CS is closely related to the phenolic compounds and their bioaccessibility. These findings suggest the reuse of CS as a potential nutraceutical ingredient with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, encouraging the use of appropriate extraction and/or encapsulation techniques to enhance the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. © 2023 by the authors.</p

Nova estimativa da prevalência da infecção pelo vírus "TT" (TTV) em populações de baixo e alto risco de São Paulo, Brasil

A prevalência da infecção pelo vírus "TT" (TTV) foi investigada pela técnica da Reação da Polimerase em Cadeia (PCR) em grupos considerados de baixo risco (doadores de sangue e crianças/adolescentes saudáveis) e de alto risco de exposição parenteral (hemofílicos); todos provenientes da cidade de São Paulo. Oligonucleotídeos empregados como primers, homólogos à região não traduzível (UTR) do genoma viral, mostraram-se muito mais universais, revelando frequências muito mais altas em ambos os grupos ( >; ou = 81%) do que os primers anteriormente utilizados, baseados na região genômica traduzível "N22" (doadores de sangue, 5,5%, e hemofílicos, 42,3%). O "PCR-UTR" também revelou um perfil interessante em crianças/adolescentes saudáveis: alta prevalência nos primeiros anos de vida e queda significativa em meninos adolescentes. O "PCR-N22", por sua vez, apresentou alta frequência em hemofílicos que receberam derivados de sangue fresco (58%) relativa àqueles que foram tratados com fatores de coagulação submetidos à inativação viral (9,4%) e doadores de sangue (5,5%).The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in low- (blood donors and healthy children/adolescents) and high-risk (hemophiliacs) groups from São Paulo, Brazil. Primers based on the untranslated region (UTR) of the viral genome proved to be much more ubiquitous, leading to much higher frequencies for both groups ( >; or = 81%) than the earlier N22-PCR directed to the open reading frame 1 (blood donors, 5.5%, and hemophiliacs, 42.3%). The UTR-PCR also revealed an interesting profile for healthy children/adolescents: very high prevalence at the early years and significant decrease in male teenagers. The N22-PCR, in turn, demonstrated higher frequency in hemophiliacs treated with fresh blood products (58%), than in those treated with virus-inactivated clotting factors (9.4%) and blood donors (5.5%)

Sweet Potato Is Not Simply an Abundant Food Crop: A Comprehensive Review of Its Phytochemical Constituents, Biological Activities, and the Effects of Processing

Nowadays, sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L.; Lam.) is considered a very interesting nutritive food because it is rich in complex carbohydrates, but as a tubercle, contains high amounts of healthpromoting secondary metabolites. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recently published information on this root vegetable, focusing on its bioactive phytochemical constituents, potential effects on health, and the impact of processing technologies. Sweet potato is considered an excellent source of dietary carotenoids, and polysaccharides, whose health benefits include antioxidant, antiinflammatory and hepatoprotective activity, cardiovascular protection, anticancer properties and improvement in neurological and memory capacity, metabolic disorders, and intestinal barrier function. Moreover, the purple sweet potato, due to its high anthocyanin content, represents a unique food option for consumers, as well as a potential source of functional ingredients for healthy food products. In this context, the effects of commercial processing and domestic cooking techniques on sweet potato bioactive compounds require further study to understand how to minimize their loss