Grape Microbiome: Potential and Opportunities as a Source of Starter Cultures

Grape microbiome is the source of a vastly diverse pool of filamentous fungi, yeast and bacteria that will play a coordinated role for the quality of the produced wines. In recent times, the significance of this pool of microorganisms with a long list of studies of the microbial ecology of grape berries of different geographical origin, cultural practices, grape varieties and climatic conditions has been acknowledged. Similarly, the ongoing microbial evolution of must fermentations has been fully uncovered. All these ecology studies, along with detailed metabolic studies and sensorial characterisations of the produced wines, led to the suggestion of the microbial terroir. These new concepts are today leading worldwide research efforts to the production of unique wines, preserving their historical identity and verifying their quality and geographical origin. This chapter is a quick but thorough and up-to-date review of how autochthonous microbiota highlight the terroir in wines, a comparison of commercial and wild yeast strains and how this biodiversity has been explored. Moreover, technological, physiological and oenological selection criteria will be under consideration. At the end, the positive and negative aspects of wild vinifications, the technological problems of wild strains and some suggestions for the future in starter cultures will be presented

Molecular Diagnostic Tools for Nematodes

The phylum of Nematoda is a species‐rich taxonomic group in abundant numbers across a wide range of habitats, including plant and animal pathogens, as well as good environmental health indicators. Morphological observations are of low throughput and more importantly have problems with their discriminatory capacity, particularly at the species level. For these reasons, diagnostic tools are of paramount importance for all fields of human, animal and plant nematology as well as for environmental studies in water and soil. Accurate, fast and low‐cost methodologies are required in order to identify and quantify the population of nematodes in samples from various sources. Scientists in basic research as well as in routine application fields need to have tools for resolving these identification obstacles. Their decisions can be human‐, animal‐ or plant‐health related, while many times legally committing. As a result, applicable and accredited methods are required and should be readily available in a common routine lab or in the field of battle or at border control agencies. This chapter aims to inform with the most current information on the available tools for nematode diagnostics, their positives and negatives and hints about the trends in the field and suggestions for those who would like to pursue further this field of biotechnology as researchers or simple users

Microbiological Characteristics of Trachanas, a Traditional Fermented Dairy Product from Cyprus

The purpose of this study was to characterize the autochthonous microbiota of Cypriot Trachanas, a traditional fermented ewes’ milk product. For this reason, 12 samples of raw and fermented milk as well as natural starter culture were collected in order to count, isolate, and identify the main species present during Trachanas fermentation. In total, 198 colonies were retrieved and 163 were identified by sequencing analysis at species level. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were the predominant group, followed by yeasts. Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus were frequently isolated from raw milk, and Lactobacillus casei/paracasei predominated in the starter culture. Lactococcus lactis was isolated in high frequency (27.9% of the isolates) at the beginning, while Lactobacillus spp. (20%) and Saccharomyces unisporus (17.9%) were isolated at the end of fermentation. After assessing their technological potential, selected strains could be used as starters to ferment milk for artisanal Trachanas production

Lithium and cognitive enhancement: leave it or take it?

Lithium is established as an effective treatment of acute mania, bipolar and unipolar depression and as prophylaxis against bipolar disorder. Accumulating evidence is also delineating a neuroprotective and neurotrophic role for lithium. However, its primary effects on cognitive functioning remain ambiguous. The aim of this paper is to review and combine the relevant translational studies, focusing on the putative cognitive enhancement properties of lithium, specifically on learning, memory, and attention. These properties are also discussed in reference to research demonstrating a protective action of lithium against cognitive deficits induced by various challenges to the nervous system, such as stress, trauma, neurodegenerative disorders, and psychiatric disorders. It is suggested on the basis of the evidence that the cognitive effects of lithium are best expressed and should, therefore, be sought under conditions of functional or biological challenge to the nervous system

Dopaminergic and serotonergic modulation of persistent behaviour in the reinforced spatial alternation model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Rationale We have proposed rewarded T-maze alternation as a model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): the serotonin agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) increments persistence therein, while chronic pretreatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI fluoxetine) but not benzodiazepine or desipramine abolishes mCPP effects. However, we noted that acute SSRI administration also causes transient persistence increase, counteracted by mCPP pretreatment. Objectives This study (a) further explores the cross-tolerance between fluoxetine and mCPP and (b) extends the model by investigating its sensitivity to dopaminergic manipulations (D-2,D- 3 agonism-quinpirole). Materials and methods In both experiments, baseline and drug testing were carried out under daily T-maze alternation training. Exp. 1: Matched group (n = 8) pairs of rats received one of the following 20-day pretreatments (daily intraperitoneal administration): (1) saline, (2) low-dose fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg), (3) low-dose mCPP (0.5 mg/kg) or (4) combined fluoxetine + mCPP. One group per pretreatment then received a 4-day challenge with high-dose fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), the other with high-dose mCPP (2.5 mg/kg). Exp. 2: One group (n = 12) of rats received 20-day treatment with saline, another with quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg). Results Exp. 1: Saline and low-dose mCPP- or fluoxetine-pretreated animals showed significant persistence increases under both challenges, while combined low-dose fluoxetine + mCPP pretreatment afforded full protection from either challenge. Exp. 2: Quinpirole significantly increased directional persistence after 13 administration days. Conclusions These results establish the sensitivity of the rewarded alternation OCD model to D-2,D- 3 receptor activation, thereby extending its profile of pharmacological isomorphism with OCD. Furthermore, they suggest a common mechanism of action of an SSRI and a serotonin agonist in the control of directional persistence

5-HT2C receptor involvement in the control of persistence in the Reinforced Spatial Alternation animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective: The serotonergic system is implicated in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the distinct role of serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes remains unclear. This study investigates the contribution of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors in the modulation of persistence in the reinforced spatial alternation model of OCD. Methods: Male Wistar rats were assessed for spontaneous and pharmacologically induced (by m-chlorophenylpiperazine: mCPP) directional persistence in the reinforced alternation OCD model. Systemic administration of mCPP (non-specific 5-HT agonist, 2.5 mg/kg), M100907 (selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, 0.08 mg/kg), SB242084 (selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, 0.5 mg/kg) and vehicle was used. Experiment 1 investigated M100907 and SB242084 effects in animals spontaneously exhibiting high and low persistence during the early stages of alternation training. Experiment 2 investigated M100900 and SB242084 effects on mCPP-induced persistence. Results: Under the regime used in Experiment 1, 5-HT2A or 5-HT2C receptor antagonism did not affect spontaneous directional persistence in either high or low persistence groups. In Experiment 2, 5-HT2C but not 5-HT2A receptor antagonism significantly reduced, but did not abolish, mCPP-induced directional persistence. Conclusions: These findings suggest that 5-HT2C but not 5-HT2A receptors contribute to the modulation of mCPP-induced persistent behaviour, raising the possibility that the use of 5-HT2C antagonists may have a therapeutic value in OCD. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved