Short communication: Jenny milk as an inhibitor of late blowing in cheese: A preliminary report

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Mechanisms Underlying Neurodegenerative Disorders and Potential Neuroprotective Activity of Agrifood By-Products

Neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by progressive loss in selected areas of the nervous system, are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide due to an aging population. Despite their diverse clinical manifestations, neurodegenerative diseases are multifactorial disorders with standard features and mechanisms such as abnormal protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation. As there are no effective treatments to counteract neurodegenerative diseases, increasing interest has been directed to the potential neuroprotective activities of plant-derived compounds found abundantly in food and in agrifood by-products. Food waste has an extremely negative impact on the environment, and recycling is needed to promote their disposal and overcome this problem. Many studies have been carried out to develop green and effective strategies to extract bioactive compounds from food by-products, such as peel, leaves, seeds, bran, kernel, pomace, and oil cake, and to investigate their biological activity. In this review, we focused on the potential neuroprotective activity of agrifood wastes obtained by common products widely produced and consumed in Italy, such as grapes, coffee, tomatoes, olives, chestnuts, onions, apples, and pomegranates

Effect of different enrichment media and DNA extraction techniques on Salmonella detection by PCR in SWINE feces

The aim of this study was to evaluate different selective enrichment broths and DNA extraction techniques on the detection of Salmonella Typhimurium in swine feces by PCR. Feces samples (n=10) were inoculated with approximately 102 Salmonella Typhimurium organisms, first enriched in GN-Hajna broth and secondly enriched in Rappaport-Vassiliadis, Muller-Kaufmann tetrathionate and selenite-cystine broths. In order to produce DNA-templates for PCR, aliquots from the broths were subjected to three DNA extraction methods: boiling-centrifugation, salting-out and phenol-chloroform. Detection of Salmonella was significant lower when phenol-chloroform was applied to selenite-cystine and Muller-Kaufmann tetrathionate (P\u3c0.05). The boiling-centrifugation technique had best cost/benefit ratio and can be successfully used as a rapid DNA template preparation from the three enriched broths tested

Stool processing-methods for Salmonella enterica isolation and PCR detection

The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of three protocols for bacteriological isolation of Salmonella enterica and detection by PCR in swine feces samples. Pool of feces (n=62) were processed by three different methods. Method 1: samples (10g) were pre-enriched in BPW (1:10) and enriched in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth (1:100). Method 2: samples (1g) were first enriched in GN-Hajna broth (1:10) and secondly enriched in Muller-Kaufmann tetrathionate broth (1`:10). Method 3: Single step enrichment of feces (1g) in selenite-cystine broth (1:10). PCR was performed using DNA extracted from the last enrichment broth of each bacteriological method. Salmonella enterica was cultured from 13 out of 62 samples (20.9%) and seven different serotypes were isolated. The methods 1, 2 and 3 resulted in 9 (14.5%), 6 (9.6%) and 2 (3.2%) positive samples, respectively. PCR was significantly superior than conventional bacteriology for Salmonella detection only when Rappaport-Vassiliadis was used for DNA-template preparation

Genomics of antibiotic-resistance prediction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide health issue spreading quickly among human and animal pathogens, as well as environmental bacteria. Misuse of antibiotics has an impact on the selection of resistant bacteria, thus contributing to an increase in the occurrence of resistant genotypes that emerge via spontaneous mutation or are acquired by horizontal gene transfer. There is a specific and urgent need not only to detect antimicrobial resistance but also to predict antibiotic resistance in silico. We now have the capability to sequence hundreds of bacterial genomes per week, including assembly and annotation. Novel and forthcoming bioinformatics tools can predict the resistome and the mobilome with a level of sophistication not previously possible. Coupled with bacterial strain collections and databases containing strain metadata, prediction of antibiotic resistance and the potential for virulence are moving rapidly toward a novel approach in molecular epidemiology. Here, we present a model system in antibiotic-resistance prediction, along with its promises and limitations. As it is commonly multidrug resistant, Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes infections that are often difficult to eradicate. We review novel approaches for genotype prediction of antibiotic resistance. We discuss the generation of microbial sequence data for real-time patient management and the prediction of antimicrobial resistance

Effects of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed and oregano in autochthonous goat breeds on the fatty acid profile of milk and quality of Padraccio cheese

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of linseed and oregano supplementation to the diet of goats on fatty acid profile and sensory properties of Padraccio, a typical cheese produced during spring through summer in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Extruded linseed and dried oregano inflorescences were integrated in the pelleted concentrate supplementation (500 g/head per day) in 21 grazing goats that were randomly assigned, 7 per group, to the following experimental treatments: concentrate, concentrate with addition of linseed, and concentrate with addition of linseed and oregano. Pooled milk from each group was used in cheesemaking. From a nutritional perspective, integration of extruded linseed in the goat diet improved the fatty acid profile of Padraccio cheese. Moreover, the cheese from this group evidenced the highest scoring on color, flavor, texture, and overall liking

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Profiles of Spent Coffee Ground Extracts for the Treatment of Neurodegeneration

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), waste products of coffee beverage production, are rich in organic compounds such as phenols. Different studies have demonstrated phenol beneficial effects in counteracting neurodegenerative diseases. These diseases are associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which initiates the degeneration of neurons by overactivating microglia. Unfortunately, to date, there are no pharmacological therapies to treat these pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolic content of 4 different SCG extracts and their ability to counteract oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Caffeine and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid were the most abundant compounds in all extracts, followed by 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid. The four extracts demonstrated a different ability to counteract oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in vitro. In particular, the methanol extract was the most effective in protecting neuron-like SH-SY5Y cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by upregulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as thioredoxin reductase, heme oxygenase 1, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase, and glutathione reductase. The water extract was the most effective in counteracting lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation in microglial BV-2 cells by strongly reducing the expression of proinflammatory mediators through the modulation of the TLR4/NF-kappa B pathway. On these bases, SCG extracts could represent valuable nutraceutical sources for the treatment of neurodegeneratio