Pilot-scale Production and Viability Analysis of Freeze-Dried Probiotic Bacteria Using Different Protective Agents

The functional food industry requires an improvement of probiotic strain stability during storage, especially when they are stored at room temperature. In this study, the viability of freeze-dried Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501® and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502® using different protective agents (i.e., glycerine, mannitol, sorbitol, inulin, dextrin, Crystalean®) was determined and compared with semi skimmed milk (SSM) control. No significant differences were observed between the tested protectants and the control (SSM) during storage at refrigerated conditions. During storage at room temperature, only glycerine was found to stabilize viability better than other tested substances

Loggerhead Sea Turtle as Possible Source of Transmission for Zoonotic Listeriosis in the Marine Environment

Listeria monocytogenes is an ubiquitous pathogen isolated from different host species including fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, but it is rarely a pathogenic microorganism to marine reptiles. In particular, only two cases of fatal disseminated listeriosis have been described in the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). In this study, we describe a lethal case of L. monocytogenes infection in a loggerhead sea turtle. The turtle was found alive, stranded on a beach in North-eastern Italy, but perished soon after being rescued. The autoptic examination revealed that heart, lung, liver, spleen, and urinary bladder were disseminated with multiple, firm, 0.1–0.5 mm sized, nodular, white-green lesions. Microscopically, these lesions corresponded with heterophilic granulomas with Gram+ bacteria within the necrotic center. Furthermore, the Ziehl–Neelsen stain was negative for acid-fast organisms. Colonies isolated from heart and liver were tested through MALDI-TOF for species identification, revealing the presence of L. monocytogenes. Whole Genome Sequencing on L. monocytogenes isolates was performed and the subsequent in silico genotyping revealed the belonging to Sequence Type 6 (ST 6); the virulence profile was evaluated, showing the presence of pathogenicity islands commonly observed in ST 6. Our results further confirm that L. monocytogenes should be posed in differential diagnosis in case of nodular lesions of loggerhead sea turtles; thus, given the zoonotic potential of the microorganism, animals should be treated with particular caution. In addition, wildlife animals can play an active role as carriers of possibly pathogenetic and virulent strains and contribute to the distribution of L. monocytogenes in the environment

Drug Choices and Advancements for Managing Depression in Parkinson`s Disease

Depression is a frequent non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), and may even precede the onset of motor symptoms of parkinsonism. Beyond its negative influence on mood and affection, depression in PD is frequently associated with other neuropsychiatric symptoms and with late- stage complications such as dementia. Despite its profound impact on quality of life and cognitive functioning in PD, depression in PD is often under-recognized and poorly treated. Pathophysiological studies demonstrated that depression in PD is associated with global dysfunction of interactions between discrete brain areas rather than focal structural or functional abnormalities, and that it is sustained by pathological changs of several neurotransmitter/receptor complexes. In general, all traditional antidepressants and some dopamine agonists have been found to be safe and well tolerated to treat depressive symptoms in PD, despite of initial warning on worsening of parkinsonism. Available data suggest that time-course of response differs among antidepressants. Efficacy results from clinical trials with antidepressant in PD are, however, rather uncertain, although pooled analysis suggests a moderate benefit. Several issues may critically impact the results of clinical trials with antidepressants in PD, including the correct psychiatric diagnosis, the overlap of symptoms between depression and PD, and the selection of appropriate end-points and rating scales

Anti-Inflammatory and Active Biological Properties of the Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds Luteolin and Luteolin 7-Glucoside

: Flavonoids are interesting molecules synthetized by plants. They can be found abundantly in seeds and fruits, determining the color, flavor, and other organoleptic characteristics, as well as contributing to important nutritional aspects. Beyond these characteristics, due to their biochemical properties and characteristics, they can be considered bioactive compounds. Several interesting studies have demonstrated their biological activity in different cellular and physiological processes in high-order organisms including humans. The flavonoid molecular structure confers the capability of reacting with and neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS), behaving as scavengers in all processes generating this class of molecules, such as UV irradiation, a process widely present in plant physiology. Importantly, the recent scientific literature has demonstrated that flavonoids, in human physiology, are active compounds acting not only as scavengers but also with the important role of counteracting the inflammation process. Among the wide variety of flavonoid molecules, significant results have been shown by investigating the role of the flavones luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside (LUT-7G). For these compounds, experimental results demonstrated an interesting anti-inflammatory action, both in vitro and in vivo, in the interaction with JAK/STAT3, NF-κB, and other pathways described in this review. We also describe the effects in metabolic pathways connected with inflammation, such as cellular glycolysis, diabetes, lipid peroxidation, and effects in cancer cells. Moreover, the inhibition of inflammatory pathway in endothelial tissue, as well as the NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, demonstrates a key role in the progression of such phenomena. Since these micronutrient molecules can be obtained from food, their biochemical properties open new perspectives with respect to the long-term health status of healthy individuals, as well as their use as a coadjutant treatment in specific diseases

Alexithymia and anhedonia in early Richardson's syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy with predominant parkinsonism

Phenotypic variants of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are all characterized by the combination of motor symptoms of parkinsonism with a number of neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders. Despite the strong effort in characterizing these features in PSP, alexithymia and anhedonia have not been investigated at present. Here, we aimed at investigating the qualitative and quantitative differences of alexithymia and anhedonia in the two more frequent variants of PSP, Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) and PSP with predominant parkinsonism (PSP-P) compared to Parkinson's disease (PD) patients recruited within 24 months after the onset of motor symptoms

Recapture of the Sapien-3 Delivery System After Transversal Balloon Rupture Using a Whole Percutaneous Femoral Approach

A 57-year-old man with severe aortic valve stenosis at high surgical risk underwent transcatheter valve replacement with a 29-mm Edwards Sapien-3 valve (Edwards Lifesciences). The valve was successfully implanted using the right femoral access, but at the end of the deployment the balloon ruptured (Videos 1 and 2) and could not be retrieved from the e-Sheath. The Commander delivery system was then readvanced in the aorta over the wire (Video 3), which was snared and externalized using a 25-mm AndraSnare (Andramed GmbH) inserted through the left femoral artery using a 25-cm-long 22-F Cook sheath (Cook Medical) (Figure 1). Then, the Commander was pushed over the wire, across the aortic bifurcation, making the ruptured balloon get into the Cook sheath (Figure 2). The Commander was then truncated (Figure 3), and the ruptured balloon proximal part attached to the pusher/balloon catheter unit was retrieved through the eSheath (Figure 4). Then, the ruptured balloon distal part attached to the inner balloon shaft was pushed forward such that it could be externalized through the left femoral sheath, cut (Figure 5), and finally pulled back with the wire through the eSheath (Figure 6)

[Cognitive and quality of life trajectory after either surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement in high-risk patients]

Rationale. The impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) on cognitive status and quality of life in high-risk patients has been incompletely investigated. Methods. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study including all patients treated with TAVI and high-risk patients undergoing AVR (age 6580 years or logistic EuroSCORE 6515%) at participating centers. Multidimensional geriatric evaluation including Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), EuroQol 5D (EQ5D) and Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) were performed at baseline and at 3- and 12-month follow-up. Results. A total of 518 patients (151 AVR and 367 TAVI) were enrolled in 10 Italian institutions. Patients receiving AVR were older (82.7 \ub1 2.4 years), with a lower logistic EuroSCORE (12.5 \ub1 7.1%) as compared with TAVI patients (81.5 \ub1 6.2 years and 19.6 \ub1 14.0%, respectively, p=0.001 and p<0.001). Overall, 35.5% of patients showed some degree of cognitive impairment at baseline, with no differences between groups. No significant changes in the cognitive status were observed between baseline and follow-up and between groups at any time point. TAVI patients had a lower quality of life at baseline as compared with AVR patients. Generic and heart failure-related quality of life improved significantly after either procedure. Conclusions. In high-risk patients, both TAVI and AVR are associated with a significant improvement of quality of life up to 1 year without a detrimental effect on cognitive function