The association of food ingredients in breakfast cereal products and fumonisins production: risks identification and predictions.

Breakfast processed products are remarkably at risk of fungal contamination. This research surveyed the fumonisins concentration in different breakfast products and carried out in vitro experiments measuring fumonisins content in different substrates inoculated with Fusarium verticillioides. The pipeline started with the identification of combinations of ingredients for 58 breakfast products. Twenty-three core ingredients, seven nutritional components and production types were analyzed using a Pearson correlation, k-means clustering, and principal component analysis to show that no single factor is responsible for high fumonisins detection in processed cereals products. Consequently, decision tree regression was used as a means of determining and visualizing complex logical interactions between the same factors. We clustered the association of ingredients in low, medium, and high risk of fumonisin detection. The analysis showed that high fumonisins concentration is associated with those products that have high maize concentrations coupled especially with high sodium or rice. In an in vitro experiment, different media were prepared by mixing the ingredients in the proportion found in the first survey and by measuring fumonisins production by Fusarium verticillioides. Results showed that (1) fumonisins production by F. verticillioides is boosted by the synergistic effect of maize and highly ready carbohydrate content such as white flour; (2) a combination of maize > 26% (w/w), rice > 2.5% (w/w), and NaCl > 2.2% (w/w) led to high fumonisins production, while mono-ingredient products were more protective against fumonisins production. The observations in the in vitro experiments appeared to align with the decision tree model that an increase in ingredient complexity can lead to fumonisins production by Fusarium. However, more research is urgently needed to develop the area of predictive mycology based on the association of processing, ingredients, fungal development, and mycotoxins production.

Promising Nanocarriers to Enhance Solubility and Bioavailability of Cannabidiol for a Plethora of Therapeutic Opportunities.

In recent years, the interest in cannabidiol (CBD) has increased because of the lack of psychoactive properties. However, CBD has low solubility and bioavailability, variable pharmacokinetics profiles, poor stability, and a pronounced presystemic metabolism. CBD nanoformulations include nanosuspensions, polymeric micelles and nanoparticles, hybrid nanoparticles jelled in cross-linked chitosan, and numerous nanosized lipid formulations, including nanostructured lipid carriers, vesicles, SNEEDS, nanoemulsions, and microemulsions. Nanoformulations have resulted in high CBD solubility, encapsulation efficiency, and stability, and sustained CBD release. Some studies assessed the increased Cmax and AUC and decreased Tmax. A rational evaluation of the studies reported in this review evidences how some of them are very preliminary and should be completed before performing clinical trials. Almost all the developed nanoparticles have simple architectures, are well-known and safe nanocarriers, or are even simple nanosuspensions. In addition, the conventional routes of administration are generally investigated. As a consequence, many of these studies are almost ready for forthcoming clinical translations. Some of the developed nanosystems are very promising for a plethora of therapeutic opportunities because of the versatility in terms of the release, the crossing of physiological barriers, and the number of possible routes of administration.

Mycotoxins and flours: Effect of type of crop, organic production, packaging type on the recovery of fungal genus and mycotoxins.

Heat-stable mycotoxins are widely detected in flour and produced by Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. Forty different flours purchased in Italy are used to assess potential risk factors via a systematically screening of a number of variables: the type of flour, organic, whole and white wheat, types of packaging (paper, plastic and weight). Fungal recovery and co-occurrence of specific mycotoxins was also assessed. The results showed that flour originated from fruits had a significant higher recovery of fungi, while seed/pseudocereals had the highest mycotoxins detection. Flours originating from organic agriculture are more prone to higher fungal recovery and mycotoxins detection when compared with not-organic flours. Packaging is also important: packaging weighting less than 376 g supports significantly more fungal recovery and the plastic packages was observed to retain more fungi and mycotoxins detection when compared with paper. Recovery measured as Log (CFU/g) of fungal genera is not directly proportional to the amount of mycotoxins. Finally, linear regression and mixed logit regression models show that the mean level of aflatoxins B1 (ng/g on the logarithmic scale) reduces by 0.485 when moving from an organic to a non-organic flour, while a significant increase of 0.369 when moving from paper to a plastic packaging.

Antifungal activity of different essential oils against Malassezia pathogenic species.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Plants produce essential oils in response to physiological stresses, pathogen attacks and ecological factors. Nowadays, they are recognized as defence compounds and attractors of pollinators. Essential oils have been traditionally used in the past years in various cultures for medicinal and health purposes. In recent times due to their well-documented antimicrobial activities, essential oils have consolidated their use in raw and processed food preservation, health and clinical uses. AIMS OF THE REVIEW: The potential activity of essential oils against the largely diffused Malassezia species on the human skin, which can cause common infections or exacerbate multiple skin disorders, such as P. versicolor, folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information on essential oils activity against Malassezia species was obtained from published materials, including books and electronic databases, such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, ACS, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor, J-STAGE and Google Scholar. Search was conducted covering the period from January 2013 to December 2018. RESULTS: In the in vitro studies diverse methods were used to test the essential oils activity, namely broth microdilution method, which resulted the most used one, followed by agar disk diffusion and vapour phase methods. Essential oils obtained by steam distillation were from different plant genera, Thymus, Artemisia, Malaleuca, Cinnamomun, Ocimum, Zataria, Rosmarinus, Origanum, Syzigium, Foenicolum, Thapsia, Tachyspermum, Myrtus. MIC values were expressed as µg/mL, µL/mL and by inhibition zone (mm) or µL/cm3. All the investigated essential oils were active at the tested conditions. In addition, two clinical studies used essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and C. flexuosus formulated in shampoo, cream or lotion for the successful treatment of dandruff and P. versicolor. CONCLUSIONS: Results of these studies indicate worthy prospects for clinical application of essential oils and there is an urgent need to conduct further in vivo studies with large number of patients in order to verify the clinical potential of essential oils against Malassezia species.

Liquid and Vapor-Phase Activity of Artemisia annua Essential Oil against Pathogenic Malassezia spp.

Artemisia annua essential oil has given us many encouraging results for its numerous antimicrobial properties. In this study, the essential oil, both in liquid and in vapor phases, was tested against various Malassezia species closely related to many skin disorders in humans and animals. Malassezia treatment and eradication are mainly based on old azole drugs, which are characterized by poor compliance, unpredictable clinical efficacy, emerging resistance, and several side effects. Monoterpenes (ca. 88%) represent the most abundant group of compounds in the essential oil, mainly the oxygenated derivatives (ca. 74%) with camphor (25.2%), 1,8-cineole (20%), and artemisia ketone (12.5%). In vapor phase, monoterpenes represent more than 98% of the constituents, α-pinene being the main constituent (22.8%), followed by 1,8-cineole (22.1%) and camphene (12.9%). Essential oil of A. annua, both in vapor phase and liquid, showed strong antimicrobial activity towards almost the tested twenty strains of Malassezia analyzed. The minimum fungicidal concentrations from most of the strains tested were from 0.78 µL/mL to 1.56 µL/mL, and only three strains of Malassezia sympodialis required a higher concentration of 3.125 µL/mL. Overall, the minimal inhibitor concentrations obtained by vapor diffusion assay were lower than those obtained by the liquid method. The average values of minimal inhibitor concentrations obtained by the two methods at 72 h are 1.3 - 8.0 times higher in liquid compared to those in the vapor phase.

The antimicrobial effects of three phenolic extracts from Rosmarinus officinalis L., Vitis vinifera L. and Polygonum cuspidatum L. on food pathogens.

In this study three phenolic extracts were examined, without volatile fraction, against common food pathogens. The samples, all suitable for food application, were from the leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Vitis vinifera L., and the root of Polygonum cuspidatum L. The microorganisms tested were Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhi, Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes, well-known as important food pathogens. The results demonstrated a microbicidal activity of all the tested compounds at different concentrations; the rosemary extract showed greater efficacy than the other compounds against the tested microorganisms. In particular, the best results were obtained with rosemary extract against E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes with values of 200 and 270 µg/mL, respectively. Our results show that rosemary extract, often present as a natural antioxidant in food, can also be proposed as a natural disinfectant in the food field.

Vapour and Liquid-Phase Artemisia annua Essential Oil Activities against Several Clinical Strains of Candida.

Candida spp. are often the cause of infection in immune-compromised individuals. They are characterized by a strong resistance to antimicrobial drugs and disinfectants. The activity of Artemisia annua essential oil against Candida spp. was determined by vapour contact and microdilution assay. The oil was characterized by the presence of oxygenated monoterpenes (more than 75 % of the constituents), mainly represented by the irregular monoterpene artemisia ketone (ca. 22 %), and the widespread monoterpenes 1,8 cineole (ca. 19 %) and camphor (ca. 17 %). Other representative constituents were artemisia alcohol (5.9 %), α-pinene (5.7 %), and pinocarvone (3.0 %). Thujone, a typical toxic constituent of the Artemisia species, was not detected. The results are reported as minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum fungicidal concentration, and diameter of inhibition zone obtained by the vapour diffusion assay. We tested 10 clinical Candida strains, coming from both clinical samples and international collections. The results show that the antifungal activity of A. annua is influenced by the type of method adopted. The inhibitory action of the essential oil was, in fact, higher in the vapour than in the liquid phase. Our results show an average minimum inhibitory concentration in the liquid phase of 11.88 µL/mL, while in the vapour phase, the growth of all Candida strains tested at a concentration of 2.13 µL/cm(3) was inhibited. A strain of Candida glabrata was found to be less susceptible to the liquid medium than the vapour assay (50 µL/mL vs. 0.64 µL/cm(3), respectively). Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis were the most susceptible to the vapour test, while Candida parapsilosis was the most resistant.

Human papilloma virus vaccination: impact and recommendations across the world.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination has been implemented in several countries for about the past 7 years, mainly in the adolescent female population, with varying coverage results. Although the impact of immunization on cervical and other HPV-related cancers will be evident in the next decades, a marked decrease of prevalent HPV infections, precancerous lesions and genital warts is already dramatic in the vaccinated cohorts, and also in their sexual partners, thus providing clear evidence of the effectiveness of HPV vaccination, including a herd-protection effect. Today, recommendations and implementation of universal HPV vaccination for adolescent girls are a public-health priority in all countries of the world. Countries with limited resources are presently involved in demonstration projects and, in some cases, have launched national programmes with the help of international agencies and alliances. Extension of immunization offer to young women and to adolescent male subjects has become an important additional opportunity for several countries, with a special focus needed on homosexual men with HIV infection who are at particularly increased risk of HPV-related diseases. Public-health authorities are confronted with the need to enlarge HPV-vaccination offer to all target groups, especially pre-adolescent girls, so that they can be saved from dreadful cancers by reaching high immunization coverage.

Essential Oil of Artemisia annua L.: An Extraordinary Component with Numerous Antimicrobial Properties.

Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae) is native to China, now naturalised in many other countries, well known as the source of the unique sesquiterpene endoperoxide lactone artemisinin, and used in the treatment of the chloroquine-resistant and cerebral malaria. The essential oil is rich in mono- and sesquiterpenes and represents a by-product with medicinal properties. Besides significant variations in its percentage and composition have been reported (major constituents can be camphor (up to 48%), germacrene D (up to 18.9%), artemisia ketone (up to 68%), and 1,8 cineole (up to 51.5%)), the oil has been subjected to numerous studies supporting exciting antibacterial and antifungal activities. Both gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Listeria spp.), and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia, Shigella, Salmonella, Haemophilus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas spp.) and other microorganisms (Candida, Saccharomyces, and Aspergillus spp.) have been investigated. However, the experimental studies performed to date used different methods and diverse microorganisms; as a consequence, a comparative analysis on a quantitative basis is very difficult. The aim of this review is to sum up data on antimicrobial activity of A. annua essential oil and its major components to facilitate future approach of microbiological studies in this field.

[Methicillin and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a hematology ward]. / Diffusione di stafilococchi meticillino e vancomicino-resistenti ed enterococchi vancomicino-resistenti in un reparto ospedaliero di ematologia.

Microbiological sampling of surfaces and air was performed in a hematology department, to monitor the presence of methicillin and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci and of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. The hematology department was divided in two areas, one of which with controlled access.Staphylococci were detected equally in the two areas while vancomycin-resistant enterococci were isolated only occasionally. The results show that the implementation of strict protocols for accessing hospital wards is not justified if effective cleaning and disinfection practices are not adopted.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients and the influence of hospital renovation.

To evaluate the effects of airborne Aspergillus contamination during and after the renovation work of a Florentine haematology unit, we conducted (November 2003-January 2005) a strict programme of environmental fungal surveillance. Air samples were taken from patients' rooms, along the corridors inside the wards, along the corridor between wards and outside the building. The concentration of Aspergillus fumigatus was high along the corridor between the two haematology wards (2.98 CFU m(-3)), lower in the non-neutropenic patients' rooms and outside the hospital building (1.53 and 1.42 CFU m(-3), respectively), very low in the neutropenic patients' rooms (0.09 CFU m(-3)). During this period, three proven cases (A. fumigatus), two probable ones and two possible cases of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were documented in 97 patients with acute leukaemia (7%). The three cases of proven aspergillosis coincided with the period of renovation work and with the period in which we have found the maximum concentration of A. fumigatus along the corridor. These data suggest a possible relationship between environmental fungal contamination and the incidence of invasive aspergillosis, and underline the importance of environmental surveillance.

Alkylphenol polyethoxylate removal in a pilot-scale reed bed and phenotypic characterization of the aerobic heterotrophic community.

The removal of the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100, dosed at 30 and 300 mg/L in a pilot-scale subsurface horizontal flow reed bed, and the aerobic heterotrophic cultivable community associated with the roots and with the substrate gravel in both absence and presence of Triton X-100 were investigated. t-Octylphenol (OP) and its mono-, di- and tri-ethoxyl derivatives, among others, were found in the outlet. A mass balance allowed us to calculate that approximately 40% of the Triton X-100 metabolites OP and octylphenol polyethoxylate derivatives flowed out of the reed bed during the dosage and postdosage experiments. More aerobic heterotrophic microorganisms adhered to the roots than to the gravel. The appearance of new strains (Aeromonas, Flavobacterium, and Aquaspirillum) and the increased presence of others (Pseudomonas) during the dosage of Triton may be linked to the capacity of these bacteria to adapt to the presence of the surfactant or to use it as a nourishment.

[Contamination by disinfection byproducts (DPBs) and microbiological quality of dialysis water: a study in an Italian hospital dialysis service]. / Contaminazione da by-products della disinfezione (DPB) e qualità microbiologica dell'acqua di dialisi: indagine su di un centro dialitico ospedaliero aretino.

Maintaining a high standard of quality of dialysis fluid has been shown to be difficult. For this reason, an evaluation of the microbiological quality (total bacterial count at 22 degrees C and 37 degrees C, pyrogenic Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriaceae) and contamination by disinfection byproducts, of dialysis fluids was carried out in a hospital dialysis service in Arezzo (Italy). The analysis was carried out in different points of the water treatment system used for the preparation of dialysis fluids. Results show diffuse microbiological contamination especially at the point of entry of the dialyzer monitor; Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas were found to be the most frequent contaminants due to the presence of biofilms in the water system, while pyrogenic bacteria were found to be within regulatory limits. Trichloroethane and trichloroethylene were absent but traces of carbon tetrachloride, percloroethylene and bromoform were found; these were outnumbered by trialomethanes (chloroform at point of entry decalcifier: mean 90.14 microg/L). Contamination by trialomethanes decreased at the end of the distribution system (mean chloroform 8.55 microg/L). The yearly level of exposure of a dialysis patient to low molecular weight volatile halogenated organics (VHOs) that are able to pass the dialyser membrane, was therefore estimated to be approximately 100 mg.