Biogenic nanosilver against multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB)

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOMultidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) are extremely dangerous and bring a serious threat to health care systems as they can survive an attack from almost any drug. The bacteria’s adaptive way of living with the use of antimicrobials and antibiotics caused t73FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO2015/12534-52014/50867-3465389/20140

Senzorni kvalitet fermentisanih kobasica sa dodatkom lanenog ulja tokom skladištenja

The study examined the impact of the replacement of backfat with linseed oil on the sensory characteristics of fermented sausages. The oil was added as alginate gel and as emulsion with soy protein isolate. The content of the oil replacing backfat was around 5%, 7% and 9% of the batter. Increase the oil content and the manner of preparation did not influence the appearance and surface color. As for cut appearance, color, odor and taste grades declined progressively with the increase in the oil content. During storage, changes were mostly of the same intensity as in control. Content of linseed oil higher than 5% can negatively impact the acceptability of fermented sausages.U ovom ogledu ispitivan je uticaj zamene čvrstog masnog tkiva (ČMT) lanenim uljem na senzorna svojstva fermentisanih kobasica. Ulje je dodato kao alginatni gel i kao emulzija sa izolatom proteina soje. ČTM je zamenjen tako da u nadevu sadržaj ulja bude oko 5%, 7% i 9%. Povećanje zamenjenog dela ČMT-a i način pripreme generano nisu uticali na izgled na preseku i boju površine. Međutim, u pogledu izgleda na preseku, boje na preseku, mirisa i ukusa ocene su sa povećanjem sadržaja ulja progresivno bile manje. Tokom skladištenja promene uglavnom nisu bile većeg intnziteta od kontrole. Veći sadržaj lanenog ulja od 5% u nadevu feremnisanih kobasica može negativno da utiče njihovu prihvatljivost

Review paper Being a vegetarian: health benefits and hazards

Although their anatomical features disclose the herbivorous nature of humans, an omnivorous diet can be considered an evolutionary advantage that has supported human survival. Over recent decades, vegetarianism has significantly increased in developed countries due to the support of scientific research, emerging supermarkets and restaurants, and easy-to-access soy products and healthy foods. According to current knowledge, vegetarian diets are associated with significantly lower prevalence of obesity and lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. However, while the overall risk of cancer is slightly lower in vegetarians, the findings regarding the location and type of cancer that can be prevented by vegetarian diets are inconclusive. In addition to this, it remains unclear whether health benefits of vegetarian diets can be attributed to the avoidance of meat, or to the increased intake of dietary fibre, n-6 fatty acids, vitamins C, B9 and E, potassium, magnesium and phyto-chemicals, or to both of these factors. As a vegetarian diet becomes more restrictive, intake of adequate daily energy and of n-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and iron becomes more difficult to achieve, which is particularly challenging in children who have higher nutrient requirements relative to body weight than adults

Multi-target drug with potential applications: violacein in the spotlight

The aim of the current review is to address updated research on a natural pigment called violacein, with emphasis on its production, biological activity and applications. New information about violacein’s action mechanisms as antitumor agent and about its synergistic action in drug delivery systems has brought new alternatives for anticancer therapy. Thus, violacein is introduced as reliable drug capable of overcoming at least three cancer hallmarks, namely: proliferative signaling, cell death resistance and metastasis. In addition, antimicrobial effects on several microorganisms affecting humans and other animals turn violacein into an attractive drug to combat resistant pathogens. Emphasis is given to effects of violacein combined with different agents, such as antibiotics, anticancer agents and nanoparticles. Although violacein is well-known for many decades, it remains an attractive compound. Thus, research groups have been making continuous effort to help improving its production in recent years, which can surely enable its pharmaceutical and chemical application as multi-task compound, even in the cosmetics and food industries.Fil: Durán, Nelson. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Nakazato, Gerson. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; BrasilFil: Durán, Marcela. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Rivero Berti, Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Guillermo Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Stanisic, Danijela. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Brocchi, Marcelo. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Fávaro, Wagner J.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Ferreira Halder, Carmen V.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Justo, Giselle Z.. Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo.; BrasilFil: Tasic, Ljubica. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

High-Resolution Magic-Angle-Spinning NMR in Revealing Hepatoblastoma Hallmarks

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in children and adolescents worldwide; among the types of liver cancer, hepatoblastoma (HBL) is the most common in childhood. Although it affects only two to three individuals in a million, it is mostly asymptomatic at diagnosis, so by the time it is detected it has already advanced. There are specific recommendations regarding HBL treatment, and ongoing studies to stratify the risks of HBL, understand the pathology, and predict prognostics and survival rates. Although magnetic resonance imaging spectroscopy is frequently used in diagnostics of HBL, high-resolution magic-angle-spinning (HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy of HBL tissues is scarce. Using this technique, we studied the alterations among tissue metabolites of ex vivo samples from (a) HBL and non-cancer liver tissues (NCL), (b) HBL and adjacent non-tumor samples, and (c) two regions of the same HBL samples, one more centralized and the other at the edge of the tumor. It was possible to identify metabolites in HBL, then metabolites from the HBL center and the border samples, and link them to altered metabolisms in tumor tissues, highlighting their potential as biochemical markers. Metabolites closely related to liver metabolisms such as some phospholipids, triacylglycerides, fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids showed differences between the tissues

Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles as a Post-surgical Treatment for Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Infection in Small Ruminants

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is an infectious and zoonotic disease characterized by the development of granulomas in the lymph nodes and internal organs of small ruminants. The etiological agent of this disease is Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, a Gram-positive and facultative intracellular bacterium. The conventional treatment for CL consists of drainage and chemical cauterization of the lesions using a 10% iodine solution. However, this type of treatment is not effective, due to iodine’s cytotoxic profile and low antibacterial activity. Currently, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be seen as an alternative treatment for CL due to their antimicrobial activity and wound healing effects. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate AgNPs as a post-surgical treatment for CL. Twenty-nine goats and sheep with clinical signs of CL were selected. Surgical intervention was performed to excise the caseous lesions. To treat the lesions, an ointment formulation based on AgNP mixed with natural waxes and oils was used in the experimental group, and the conventional treatment with 10% iodine was used in the control group. Bacteria were isolated from the excised caseous material. The animals were observed for 8 weeks after the surgical treatment, and blood samples were taken weekly. The surgical wounds of sheep treated with AgNP healed faster, and the surgical wound area was smaller during the observation period; the latter effect was also observed in goats. AgNP-treated animals also had less purulent discharge and less moisture in the surgical wounds. The AgNP-treated animals had lower leukocyte counts and lower titers of anti-C. pseudotuberculosis antibodies. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with regard to the hemogram results. The results of the susceptibility testing of C. pseudotuberculosis strains (T1, 1002, FRC41, and VD57 strains) and clinical isolates to AgNPs showed growth inhibition, even at low concentrations. It can be concluded that post-surgical treatment of CL using the AgNP-based ointment may be a promising tool in the control of CL, through faster healing, decreased wound contamination, and no apparent toxic effects

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Analyses of Biological Samples

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used for the analysis of almost all biological samples regardless of their complexity and physical state, sometimes requiring minimal sample preparation and handling prior analysis. The variety of molecules for NMR analyses is great from those with very small molecular masses, like metabolites, up to ones with great molecular masses such as proteins and nucleic acids. Nevertheless, for structural analysis of proteins, DNA and RNA or even low molecular mass molecules, there are special requirements for sample preparation with isotope enrichment-common for protein-NMR, samples' purity and many multidimensional experiments. Far more interesting from the bioanalytical applications point of view are NMR applications for complex mixtures studies such as extracts, cells or cell cultures, tissues, and bio-fluids, which require minimal preparations of a sample, dilution, or concentration. Among the most used techniques for lipidomics and metabolomics analyses, we can cite some semisolid and liquid-state NMR mainly based on 1H NMR but also on other spin-active nuclei present in biomolecules, such as 31P, 15N, 13C. This chapter brings some key steps that must be followed when targeting analyses of complex samples by NMR such as sample pretreatment and preparation, correct choice and execution of the most appropriate NMR experiments, then, data and spectral processing, statistical analysis, and identification of key molecules and fingerprints of analyzed samples

Biogenic Nanosilver against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria (MDRB)

Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) are extremely dangerous and bring a serious threat to health care systems as they can survive an attack from almost any drug. The bacteria’s adaptive way of living with the use of antimicrobials and antibiotics caused them to modify and prevail in hostile conditions by creating resistance to known antibiotics or their combinations. The emergence of nanomaterials as new antimicrobials introduces a new paradigm for antibiotic use in various fields. For example, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the oldest nanomaterial used for bactericide and bacteriostatic purposes. However, for just a few decades these have been produced in a biogenic or bio-based fashion. This review brings the latest reports on biogenic AgNPs in the combat against MDRB. Some antimicrobial mechanisms and possible silver resistance traits acquired by bacteria are also presented. Hopefully, novel AgNPs-containing products might be designed against MDR bacterial infections

Nanotoxicity and dermal application of nanostructured lipid carrier loaded with hesperidin from orange residue

Flavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds that can be extracted from citrus fruits. Because of their features, they have been considered as new bullets in cancer therapy. Flavonoids present anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and some studies are pointing that their higher intake involves lower risks of cancer. The nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are drug delivery systems composed from a mixture of solid and liquid lipids that increase physical stability and promote the sustained release of the drug. So, the main aim of this research was to combine the potential of the flavonoid as a natural anti-oxidant compound with the nanostructured lipid carriers to form an efficient system for flavonoid delivery into the cells. These NLC were prepared through high pressure homogenization technique and were evaluated in function of several standard properties. The samples exhibited good stability through time and temperature, with sizes of around 215 nm and zeta potentials of -35 mV during a period of 105 days. The encapsulation and the loading efficiency were respectively 96% and 2.25% up to 105 days of storage. In vitro release assays showed a burst process for NLC-L pointing to their shell structure with flavonoid situated in the contour of the particles. The cell viability tests showed that flavonoid, either free or loaded into NLC, did not present in vitro toxicity to the melanoma cells tested: A375, CHL01 and SKMEL147 through 3-(4,5-dimethyiltiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), neutral red and crystal violet assays. Hesperidin at 45 μmol L−1 was able to reduce significantly the radical forming up to 92.58 ± 0.82% in DPPH assay. On the other hand, the produced NLC were applied in a skin lotion formulation, which showed a good stability and opened up a new application for the produced nanoparticles as in anti-aging and moisturizing cosmetics. Finally, the in vitro cytotoxicity tests were carried out using several human culture cells. The flavonoid loaded and empty nanocarriers have been used to treat the cells. All data suggested that, at the level studied, non-significant toxicities on cells were observed1323CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCAPES, CNPq, FAEPEX, FAPESP, LNNano and NanoBioss are kindly acknowledged. Thanks to Prof. R. Chammas (ICESP) for help with the initial cytotoxicity assay

Inactivation of <i>Escherichia coli</i> Using Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles and Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation in Water Disinfection Processes

This work tested the antimicrobial activity of three different biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) for water disinfection processes. The influence of different AgNP capping or stabilizing agents (e.g., protein or carbohydrate capped) and the use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the disinfection process were also assessed. The use of UV radiation was found to enhance the antimicrobial effects of AgNPs on E. coli. The antibacterial effects of AgNPs depended on the type of the capping biomolecules. Protein-capped nanoparticles showed greater antimicrobial effects compared with carbohydrate-capped (cellulose nanofibers, CNF) nanoparticles. Those capped with the fungal secretome proteins were the most active in E. coli inactivation. The least E. coli inactivation was observed for CNF-capped AgNPs. The size of the tested AgNPs also showed an expected effect on their anti-E. coli activity, with the smallest particles being the most active. The antimicrobial effects of biogenic AgNPs on E. coli make them an effective, innovative, and eco-friendly alternative for water disinfection processes, which supports further research into their use in developing sustainable water treatment processes