Anti-bacterial prenylated phenols from the Kurdish medicinal plant Onobrychis carduchorum (Fabaceae)

Onobrychis carduchorum C.C. Towns. is a plant widely employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, to cure inflammations and other skin diseases. We isolated ten different phenolic metabolites from an acetone extract of leaves and flowers. The phenolic compounds belong to three different classes, i.e.: 1. iso-flavones, having a genistein skeleton; 2. flavanones, bearing a naringenin skeleton; 3. dihydro-stilbenes. Many of them have a prenyl unit on an aromatic ring. The above compounds have been found to date mostly in other Fabaceae, as Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (liquorice)1. However, their bioactivities are largely unknown. In this work we reported a strong inhibition activity on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a well-known human pathogen. In particular, compound (Fig. 1) shows an inhibitory activity on growth, comparable to that of vancomycin, using the agar-diffusion standard method

Intrauterine Blood Plasma Platelet-Therapy Mitigates Persistent Breeding-Induced Endometritis, Reduces Uterine Infections, and Improves Embryo Recovery in Mares

Microorganisms, including pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria and fungi, may gain access to the uterus during breeding, and infectious endometritis plays a major role in equine subfertility. This study aimed to assess the post-breeding inflammatory response, endometrial culture, and embryo recovery of mares susceptible to persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) treated with plasma-rich (PRP) or -poor (PPP) plasma. Mares (n = 12) susceptible to PBIE had three cycles randomly assigned to receive intrauterine infusions of lactate ringer solution (LRS, control), or autologous PRP or PPP pre- (−48 and −24 h) and post-breeding (6 and 24 h). Mares were bred with fresh semen from one stallion. Intrauterine fluid accumulation (IUF) and endometrial neutrophils were assessed every 24 h up to 96 h post-breeding. Uterine cytokines (Ilβ, IL6, CXCL8, and IL10) were evaluated before (0 h), 6, and 24 h post-breeding, and endometrial culture three and nine days after breed. Embryo flushing was performed 8 days post-ovulation. Data were analyzed with mixed model, Tukey’s post-hoc test, and multivariate regression. PRP treatment reduced endometrial neutrophils, post-breeding IUF, and pro-inflammatory cytokines when compared to control-assigned cycles, but not significantly different than PPP. Controls had a significantly higher percentage of positive bacterial cultures (33%) in comparison to PRP-assigned cycles (0%), whereas cycles treated with PPP were not significantly different from the other groups (25%). The PRP-assigned cycles had significantly greater embryo recovery rates (83%) than the control (33%), though not significantly different than PPP (60%). Plasma infusion reduced the duration and intensity of the post-breeding inflammatory response and improved embryo recovery in mares susceptible to PBIE. Platelets incrementally downregulate PBIE and appear to have a dose-dependent antimicrobial property

Standardization and traceability of the quality control process: the Omis Spa case

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Aging hampers neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) efficacy

Background: NETosis is a neutrophil-mediated defense mechanism during which DNA and enzymes are extruded forming a network (NETs) trapping and killing different pathogens. NETosis is reduced in both mice and humans during aging. Aims: We explored the difference in the efficacy of NETs released in elderly (>65 years) versus adults (20-50 years) subjects in inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus growth and activating the growth of keratinocytes. Methods: Neutrophil granulocytes, obtained from venous blood both in healthy elderly and adult subjects, were stimulated by LPS (0-250 μg / ml) to induce the formation of NET. NETs were quantified by SYBR Green staining and growth inhibition of S. aureus was evaluated by disk diffusion test. Furthermore, NETs (0-500 ng / ml) were added to immortalised human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and their proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay after 24 h. Finally, the DNA size of NETs was evaluated by flow cytometry after SYBR green staining. Results: Greater production of NETs was observed in elderly subjects than in adults, but these NETs showed reduced bactericidal capacity and HaCaT cells proliferation stimulation. The activities of the NETs are related to the size of the extruded DNA threads and when NETs size was analyzed, DNA from elderly showed a higher size compared to that obtained by adults. Discussion: Unexpected results showed aging-related NETs structural modification resulting in both a lower antimicrobial activity and keratinocyte proliferation stimulation compared to NETs obtained from adults. Conclusions: The NETs DNA size observed in elderly subjects has not been previously reported andcould be part of other pathogenic mechanisms observed in aging

Impact of Plant-Beneficial Bacterial Inocula on the Resident Bacteriome: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

The inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as biofertilizers is one of the most efficient and sustainable strategies of rhizosphere manipulation leading to increased plant biomass and yield and improved plant health, as well as the ameliorated nutritional value of fruits and edible seeds. During the last decades, exciting, but heterogeneous, results have been obtained growing PGPB inoculated plants under controlled, stressful, and open field conditions. On the other hand, the possible impact of the PGPB deliberate release on the resident microbiota has been less explored and the little available information is contradictory. This review aims at filling this gap: after a brief description of the main mechanisms used by PGPB, we focus our attention on the process of PGPB selection and formulation and we provide some information on the EU regulation for microbial inocula. Then, the concept of PGPB inocula as a tool for rhizosphere engineering is introduced and the possible impact of bacterial inoculant on native bacterial communities is discussed, focusing on those bacterial species that are included in the EU regulation and on other promising bacterial species that are not yet included in the EU regulation