Determination of the combined effect of grape seed extract and cold atmospheric plasma on foodborne pathogens and their environmental stress knockout mutants.

The study aimed to explore the antimicrobial efficacy of grape seed extract (GSE) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) individually or in combination against L. monocytogenes and E. coli wild type (WT) and their isogenic mutants in environmental stress genes. More specifically, we examined the effects of 1% (wt/vol) GSE, 4 min of CAP treatment, and their combined effect on L. monocytogenes 10403S WT and its isogenic mutants ΔsigB, ΔgadD1, ΔgadD2, ΔgadD3, as well as E. coli K12 and its isogenic mutants ΔrpoS, ΔoxyR, and ΔdnaK. In addition, the sequence of the combined treatments was tested. A synergistic effect was achieved for all L. monocytogenes strains when exposure to GSE was followed by CAP treatment. However, the same effect was observed against E. coli strains, only for the reversed treatment sequence. Additionally, L. monocytogenes ΔsigB was more sensitive to the individual GSE and the combined GSE/CAP treatment, whereas ΔgadD2 was more sensitive to CAP, as compared to the rest of the mutants under study. Individual GSE exposure was unable to inhibit E. coli strains, and individual CAP treatment resulted in higher inactivation of E. coli in comparison to L. monocytogenes with the strain ΔrpoS appearing the most sensitive among all studied strains. Our findings provide a step toward a better understanding of the mechanisms playing a role in the tolerance/sensitivity of our model Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria toward GSE, CAP, and their combination. Therefore, our results contribute to the development of more effective and targeted antimicrobial strategies for sustainable decontamination.IMPORTANCEAlternative approaches to conventional sterilization are gaining interest from the food industry, driven by (i) the consumer demand for minimally processed products and (ii) the need for sustainable, environmentally friendly processing interventions. However, as such alternative approaches are milder than conventional heat sterilization, bacterial pathogens might not be entirely killed by them, which means that they could survive and grow, causing food contamination and health hazards. In this manuscript, we performed a systematic study of the impact of antimicrobials derived from fruit industry waste (grape seed extract) and cold atmospheric plasma on the inactivation/killing as well as the damage of bacterial pathogens and their genetically modified counterparts, for genes linked to the response to environmental stress. Our work provides insights into genes that could be responsible for the bacterial capability to resist/survive those novel treatments, therefore, contributing to the development of more effective and targeted antimicrobial strategies for sustainable decontamination.

Double Imprinted Nanoparticles for Sequential Membrane-to-Nuclear Drug Delivery.

Efficient and site-specific delivery of therapeutics drugs remains a critical challenge in cancer treatment. Traditional drug nanocarriers such as antibody-drug conjugates are not generally accessible due to their high cost and can lead to serious side effects including life-threatening allergic reactions. Here, these problems are overcome via the engineering of supramolecular agents that are manufactured with an innovative double imprinting approach. The developed molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) are targeted toward a linear epitope of estrogen receptor alfa (ERα) and loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. These nanoMIPs are cost-effective and rival the affinity of commercial antibodies for ERα. Upon specific binding of the materials to ERα, which is overexpressed in most breast cancers (BCs), nuclear drug delivery is achieved via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Consequentially, significantly enhanced cytotoxicity is elicited in BC cell lines overexpressing ERα, paving the way for precision treatment of BC. Proof-of-concept for the clinical use of the nanoMIPs is provided by evaluating their drug efficacy in sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) cancer models, which capture the complexity of the tumor microenvironment in vivo without requiring animal models. Thus, these findings highlight the potential of nanoMIPs as a promising class of novel drug compounds for use in cancer treatment.

The microbial composition of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A systematic review of 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer, specifically pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), continues to pose a significant clinical and scientific challenge. The most significant finding of recent years is that PDAC tumours harbour their specific microbiome, which differs amongst tumour entities and is distinct from healthy tissue. This review aims to evaluate and summarise all PDAC studies that have used the next-generation technique, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing within each bodily compartment. As well as establishing a causal relationship between PDAC and the microbiome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy was designed, and 1727 studies were analysed. RESULTS: In total, 38 studies were selected for qualitative analysis and summarised significant PDAC bacterial signatures. Despite the growing amount of data provided, we are not able to state a universal 16S rRNA gene microbial signature that can be used for PDAC screening. This is most certainly due to the heterogeneity of the presentation of results, lack of available datasets and the intrinsic selection bias between studies. CONCLUSION: Several key studies have begun to shed light on causality and the influence the microbiome constituents and their produced metabolites could play in tumorigenesis and influencing outcomes. The challenge in this field is to shape the available microbial data into targetable signatures. Making sequenced data readily available is critical, coupled with the coordinated standardisation of data and the need for consensus guidelines in studies investigating the microbiome in PDAC.

Τ cell-mediated adaptive immunity in the transition from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the progressed version of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) characterized by inflammation and fibrosis, but also a pathophysiological "hub" that favors the emergence of liver malignancies. Current research efforts aim to identify risk factors, discover disease biomarkers, and aid patient stratification in the context of MASH-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent cancer among MASLD patients. To investigate the tumorigenic transition in MASH-induced HCC, researchers predominantly exploit preclinical animal-based MASH models and studies based on archived human biopsies and clinical trials. Recapitulating the immune response during tumor development and progression is vital to obtain mechanistic insights into MASH-induced HCC. Notably, the advanced complexity behind MASLD and MASH pathogenesis shifted the research focus towards innate immunity, a fundamental element of the hepatic immune niche that is usually altered robustly in the course of liver disease. During the last few years, however, there has been an increasing interest for deciphering the role of adaptive immunity in MASH-induced HCC, particularly regarding the functions of the various T cell populations. To effectively understand the specific role of T cells in MASH-induced HCC development, scientists should urgently fill the current knowledge gaps in this field. Pinpointing the metabolic signature, sketching the immune landscape, and characterizing the cellular interactions and dynamics of the specific T cells within the MASH-HCC liver are essential to unravel the mechanisms that adaptive immunity exploits to enable the emergence and progression of this cancer. To this end, our review aims to summarize the current state of research regarding the T cell functions linked to MASH-induced HCC.

Single-Cell Untargeted Lipidomics Using Liquid Chromatography and Data-Dependent Acquisition after Live Cell Selection.

We report the development and validation of an untargeted single-cell lipidomics method based on microflow chromatography coupled to a data-dependent mass spectrometry method for fragmentation-based identification of lipids. Given the absence of single-cell lipid standards, we show how the methodology should be optimized and validated using a dilute cell extract. The methodology is applied to dilute pancreatic cancer and macrophage cell extracts and standards to demonstrate the sensitivity requirements for confident assignment of lipids and classification of the cell type at the single-cell level. The method is then coupled to a system that can provide automated sampling of live, single cells into capillaries under microscope observation. This workflow retains the spatial information and morphology of cells during sampling and highlights the heterogeneity in lipid profiles observed at the single-cell level. The workflow is applied to show changes in single-cell lipid profiles as a response to oxidative stress, coinciding with expanded lipid droplets. This demonstrates that the workflow is sufficiently sensitive to observing changes in lipid profiles in response to a biological stimulus. Understanding how lipids vary in single cells will inform future research into a multitude of biological processes as lipids play important roles in structural, biophysical, energy storage, and signaling functions.

Chemotherapy Assessment in Advanced Multicellular 3D Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Unravelling the Importance of Spatiotemporal Mimicry of the Tumor Microenvironment.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenge for global health with very low survival rate and high therapeutic resistance. Hence, advanced preclinical models for treatment screening are of paramount importance. Herein, chemotherapeutic (gemcitabine) assessment on novel (polyurethane) scaffold-based spatially advanced 3D multicellular PDAC models is carried out. Through comprehensive image-based analysis at the protein level, and expression analysis at the mRNA level, the importance of stromal cells is confirmed, primarily activated stellate cells in the chemoresistance of PDAC cells within the models. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that, in addition to the presence of activated stellate cells, the spatial architecture of the scaffolds, i.e., segregation/compartmentalization of the cancer and stromal zones, affect the cellular evolution and is necessary for the development of chemoresistance. These results highlight that, further to multicellularity, mapping the tumor structure/architecture and zonal complexity in 3D cancer models is important for better mimicry of the in vivo therapeutic response.

Unravelling the impact of fat content on the microbial dynamics and spatial distribution of foodborne bacteria in tri-phasic viscoelastic 3D models.

The aim of the current study is to develop and characterise novel complex multi-phase in vitro 3D models, for advanced microbiological studies. More specifically, we enriched our previously developed bi-phasic polysaccharide (Xanthan Gum)/protein (Whey Protein) 3D model with a fat phase (Sunflower Oil) at various concentrations, i.e., 10%, 20%, 40% and 60% (v/v), for better mimicry of the structural and biochemical composition of real food products. Rheological, textural, and physicochemical analysis as well as advanced microscopy imaging (including spatial mapping of the fat droplet distribution) of the new tri-phasic 3D models revealed their similarity to industrial food products (especially cheese products). Furthermore, microbial growth experiments of foodborne bacteria, i.e., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Lactococcus lactis on the surface of the 3D models revealed very interesting results, regarding the growth dynamics and distribution of cells at colony level. More specifically, the size of the colonies formed on the surface of the 3D models, increased substantially for increasing fat concentrations, especially in mid- and late-exponential growth phases. Furthermore, colonies formed in proximity to fat were substantially larger as compared to the ones that were located far from the fat phase of the models. In terms of growth location, the majority of colonies were located on the protein/polysaccharide phase of the 3D models. All those differences at microscopic level, that can directly affect the bacterial response to decontamination treatments, were not captured by the macroscopic kinetics (growth dynamics), which were unaffected from changes in fat concentration. Our findings demonstrate the importance of developing structurally and biochemically complex 3D in vitro models (for closer proximity to industrial products), as well as the necessity of conducting multi-level microbial analyses, to better understand and predict the bacterial behaviour in relation to their biochemical and structural environment. Such studies in advanced 3D environments can assist a better/more accurate design of industrial antimicrobial processes, ultimately, improving food safety.

Bile Microbiome Signatures Associated with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Compared to Benign Disease: A UK Pilot Study.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a very poor survival. The intra-tumoural microbiome can influence pancreatic tumourigenesis and chemoresistance and, therefore, patient survival. The role played by bile microbiota in PDAC is unknown. We aimed to define bile microbiome signatures that can effectively distinguish malignant from benign tumours in patients presenting with obstructive jaundice caused by benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary disease. Prospective bile samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent either Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram (PTC). Variable regions (V3-V4) of the 16S rRNA genes of microorganisms present in the samples were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The cohort consisted of 12 PDAC, 10 choledocholithiasis, seven gallstone pancreatitis and two primary sclerosing cholangitis patients. Using the 16S rRNA method, we identified a total of 135 genera from 29 individuals (12 PDAC and 17 benign). The bile microbial beta diversity significantly differed between patients with PDAC vs. benign disease (Permanova p = 0.0173). The separation of PDAC from benign samples is clearly seen through unsupervised clustering of Aitchison distance. We found three genera to be of significantly lower abundance among PDAC samples vs. benign, adjusting for false discovery rate (FDR). These were Escherichia (FDR = 0.002) and two unclassified genera, one from Proteobacteria (FDR = 0.002) and one from Enterobacteriaceae (FDR = 0.011). In the same samples, the genus Streptococcus (FDR = 0.033) was found to be of increased abundance in the PDAC group. We show that patients with obstructive jaundice caused by PDAC have an altered microbiome composition in the bile compared to those with benign disease. These bile-based microbes could be developed into potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PDAC and warrant further investigation.

The Optimal Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute heart failure (AHF) are two closely interrelated conditions that frequently coexist in a manifold manner, with AF serving either as the causative factor or as the consequence or even as an innocent bystander. The interplay between these two clinical conditions is complex, given that they share common pathophysiological pathways and they can reciprocally exacerbate each other, thus triggering a vicious cycle that worsens the prognosis and increases the thromboembolic risk. The optimal management of AF in the context of AHF in the emergency department remains a challenge depending on the time onset, as well as the nature and the severity of the associated symptoms. Acute rate control, along with early rhythm control, when indicated, and anticoagulation represent the main pillars of the therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the pathophysiological link between AF and AHF and accordingly present a stepwise algorithmic approach for the management of AF in AHF patients in the emergency setting.

Liver endothelial cells in NAFLD and transition to NASH and HCC.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, which is characterised by obesity, insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. NAFLD is the most frequent liver disease worldwide and more than 10% of NAFLD patients progress to the inflammatory and fibrotic stage of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to end-stage liver disease including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent primary malignant liver tumor. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) are strategically positioned at the interface between blood and hepatic parenchyma. LSECs are highly specialized cells, characterised by the presence of transcellular pores, called fenestrae, and exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic characteristics under physiological conditions. However, during NAFLD development they undergo capillarisation and acquire a phenotype similar to vascular endothelial cells, actively promoting all pathophysiological aspects of NAFLD, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. LSEC dysfunction is critical for the progression to NASH and HCC while restoring LSEC homeostasis appears to be a promising approach to prevent NAFLD progression and its complications and even reverse tissue damage. In this review we present current information on the role of LSEC throughout the progressive phases of NAFLD, summarising in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence and data from human studies.

Single-Cell Lipidomics Using Analytical Flow LC-MS Characterizes the Response to Chemotherapy in Cultured Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

In this work, we demonstrate the development and first application of nanocapillary sampling followed by analytical flow liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for single-cell lipidomics. Around 260 lipids were tentatively identified in a single cell, demonstrating remarkable sensitivity. Human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (PANC-1) treated with the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine can be distinguished from controls solely on the basis of their single-cell lipid profiles. Notably, the relative abundance of LPC(0:0/16:0) was significantly affected in gemcitabine-treated cells, in agreement with previous work in bulk. This work serves as a proof of concept that live cells can be sampled selectively and then characterized using automated and widely available analytical workflows, providing biologically relevant outputs.

On the evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of grape seed extract and cold atmospheric plasma on the dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes in novel multiphase 3D viscoelastic models.

The demand for products that are minimally processed and produced in a sustainable way, without the use of chemical preservatives or antibiotics have increased over the last years. Novel non-thermal technologies such as cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and natural antimicrobials such as grape seed extract (GSE) are attractive alternatives to conventional food decontamination methods as they can meet the above demands. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial inactivation potential of GSE, CAP (in this case, a remote air plasma with an ozone-dominated RONS output) and their combination against L. monocytogenes on five different 3D in vitro models of varying rheological, structural, and biochemical composition. More specifically, we studied the microbial dynamics, as affected by 1 % (w/v) GSE, CAP or their combination, in three monophasic Xanthan Gum (XG) based 3D models of relatively low viscosity (1.5 %, 2.5 % and 5 % w/v XG) and in a biphasic XG/Whey Protein (WPI) and a triphasic XG/WPI/fat model. A significant microbial inactivation (comparable to liquid broth) was achieved in presence of GSE on the surface of all monophasic models regardless of their viscosity. In contrast, the GSE antimicrobial effect was diminished in the multiphasic systems, resulting to only a slight disturbance of the microbial growth. In contrast, CAP showed better antimicrobial potential on the surface of the complex multiphasic models as compared to the monophasic models. When combined, in a hurdle approach, GSE/CAP showed promising microbial inactivation potential in all our 3D models, but less microbial inactivation in the structurally and biochemically complex multiphasic models, with respect to the monophasic models. The level of inactivation also depended on the duration of the exposure to GSE. Our results contribute towards understanding the antimicrobial efficacy of GSE, CAP and their combination as affected by robustly controlled changes of rheological and structural properties and of the biochemical composition of the environment in which bacteria grow. Therefore, our results contribute to the development of sustainable food safety strategies.

Impact of Cold Storage Temperature and Shelf Life on Ripening Physiology, Quality Attributes, and Nutritional Value in Apricots-Implication of Cultivar.

This work aimed to investigate the storability potential of Orange Red and Orange Rubis apricots harvested at commercial maturity stage during cold storage (CS) at 1 or 5 °C for up to 28 days, followed by shelf life (SL) at 20 °C for 2 days. The variables evaluated included total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH only at harvest, weight loss (WL), ethylene production rates, peel color, firmness, chilling injury incidence (CI), concentrations of total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, total antioxidant capacity, b-carotene, b-cryptoxantine, and lutein. The main results showed that storage at 5 °C resulted in higher WL and CI symptoms than at 1 °C during both CS and SL, increased ethylene production during CS, whereas there was limited or no effect of CS temperatures on changes in firmness, color, and all antioxidants during CS. Firmness decreased abruptly soon after harvest in Orange Rubis, but progressively in the remaining samples of both cultivars during CS and SL. SL advanced fruit deterioration according to WL, CI, and softening. During SL, ethylene production increased in all samples. Orange Red exhibited higher ethylene rates during SL and antioxidant concentrations throughout CS and SL, by comparison. Conclusively, storage temperature at 1 °C retained WL, CI, and ethylene production, and both cultivars were marketable up to 21 days CS without SL or up to 14 days CS followed by SL, although Orange Rubis exhibited CI after 14 days, while Orange Red exhibited CI after 21 days of CS.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Multimodal Tool for the Management of Sepsis in the Emergency Department.

Sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening emergencies associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Hence, early diagnosis and management of both conditions is of paramount importance. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a cost-effective and safe imaging modality performed at the bedside, which has rapidly emerged as an excellent multimodal tool and has been gradually incorporated as an adjunct to physical examination in order to facilitate evaluation, diagnosis and management. In sepsis, POCUS can assist in the evaluation of undifferentiated sepsis, while, in cases of shock, it can contribute to the differential diagnosis of other types of shock, thus facilitating the decision-making process. Other potential benefits of POCUS include prompt identification and control of the source of infection, as well as close haemodynamic and treatment monitoring. The aim of this review is to determine and highlight the role of POCUS in the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of the septic patient. Future research should focus on developing and implementing a well-defined algorithmic approach for the POCUS-guided management of sepsis in the emergency department setting given its unequivocal utility as a multimodal tool for the overall evaluation and management of the septic patient.

A Step-by-Step Methodological Guide for Developing Zonal Multicellular Scaffold-Based Pancreatic Cancer Models.

The tumor microenvironment (TME), a complex heterogeneous mixture of various cellular, physical, and biochemical components and signals, is a major player in the process of tumor growth and its response to therapeutic methods. In vitro 2D monocellular cancer models are unable to mimic the complex in vivo characteristics of cancer TME involving cellular heterogeneity, presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, as well as spatial orientation and organization of different cell types forming the TME. In vivo animal-based studies have ethical concerns, are expensive and time-consuming, and involve models of non-human species. In vitro 3D models are capable of tiding over several issues associated with both 2D in vitro and in vivo animal models. We have recently developed a novel zonal multicellular 3D in vitro model for pancreatic cancer involving cancer cells, endothelial cells, and pancreatic stellate cells. Our model (i) can provide long-term culture (up to 4 weeks), (ii) can control the ECM biochemical configuration in a cell specific manner, (iii) shows large amounts of collagen secretion by the stellate cells mimicking desmoplasia, and (iv) expresses cell-specific markers throughout the whole culture period. This chapter describes the experimental methodology to form our hybrid multicellular 3D model for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, including the immunofluorescence staining on the cell culture.

Novel In Vivo Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging Techniques for Assessing the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing global health issue, and the impact of NAFLD is compounded by the current lack of effective treatments. Considerable limiting factors hindering the timely and accurate diagnosis (including grading) and monitoring of NAFLD, as well as the development of potential therapies, are the current inadequacies in the characterization of the hepatic microenvironment structure and the scoring of the disease stage in a spatiotemporal and non-invasive manner. Using a diet-induced NAFLD mouse model, we investigated the use of in vivo micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques as a non-invasive method to assess the progression stages of NAFLD, focusing predominantly on the hepatic vascular network due to its significant involvement in NAFLD-related hepatic dysregulation. This imaging methodology allows for longitudinal analysis of liver steatosis and functional tissue uptake, as well as the evaluation of the relative blood volume, portal vein diameter, and density of the vascular network. Understanding the adaptations of the hepatic vascular network during NAFLD progression and correlating this with other ways of characterizing the disease progression (steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis) using the proposed method can pave the way toward the establishment of new, more efficient, and reproducible approaches for NAFLD research in mice. This protocol is also expected to upgrade the value of preclinical animal models for investigating the development of novel therapies against disease progression.

Infection as an under-recognized precipitant of acute heart failure: prognostic and therapeutic implications.

As the prevalence of heart failure (HF) continues to rise, prompt diagnosis and management of various medical conditions, which may lead to HF exacerbation and result in poor patient outcomes, are of paramount importance. Infection has been identified as a common, though under-recognized, precipitating factor of acute heart failure (AHF), which can cause rapid development or deterioration of HF signs and symptoms. Available evidence indicates that infection-related hospitalizations of patients with AHF are associated with higher mortality, protracted length of stay, and increased readmission rates. Understanding the intricate interaction of both clinical entities may provide further therapeutic strategies to prevent the occurrence of cardiac complications and improve prognosis of patients with AHF triggered by infection. The purpose of this review is to investigate the incidence of infection as a causative factor in AHF, explore its prognostic implications, elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, and highlight the basic principles of the initial diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in the emergency department.

Deodorants and antiperspirants: New trends in their active agents and testing methods.

Sweating is the human body's thermoregulation system but also results in unpleasant body odour which can diminish the self-confidence of people. There has been continued research in finding solutions to reduce both sweating and body odour. Sweating is a result of increased sweat flow and malodour results from certain bacteria and ecological factors such as eating habits. Research on deodorant development focuses on inhibiting the growth of malodour-forming bacteria using antimicrobial agents, whereas research on antiperspirant synthesis focuses on technologies reducing the sweat flow, which not only reduces body odour but also improves people's appearance. Antiperspirant's technology is based on the use of aluminium salts which can form a gel plug at sweat pores, obstructing the sweat fluid from arising onto the skin surface. In this paper, we perform a systematic review on the recent progress in the development of novel antiperspirant and deodorant active ingredients that are alcohol-free, paraben-free, and naturally derived. Several studies have been reported on the alternative class of actives that can potentially be used for antiperspirant and body odour treatment including deodorizing fabric, bacterial, and plant extracts. However, a significant challenge is to understand how the gel-plugs of antiperspirant actives are formed in sweat pores and how to deliver long-lasting antiperspirant and deodorant benefits.

La transpiration est le système de thermorégulation de l'organisme, mais elle entraîne également une odeur corporelle désagréable qui peut diminuer la confiance en soi. Des nombreuses recherches ont été menées afin de trouver des solutions pour réduire à la fois la transpiration et l'odeur corporelle. La transpiration est le résultat de l'augmentation du flux de sueur, et les mauvaises odeurs sont dues à certaines bactéries et à certains facteurs écologiques tels que les habitudes alimentaires. Les recherches sur le développement des déodorants se concentrent sur l'inhibition de la croissance des bactéries responsables des mauvaises odeurs à l'aide d'agents antimicrobiens, tandis que les recherches sur la synthèse des anti-transpirants se concentrent sur les technologies diminuant le flux de sueur, ce qui réduire non seulement les odeurs corporelles, mais améliore également l'apparence des personnes. La technologie des anti-transpirants repose sur l'utilisation de sels d'aluminium qui peuvent former un bouchon de gel au niveau des pores sudoripares, empêchant le liquide sudoral d'apparaître à la surface de la peau. Dans cet article, nous effectuons une revue systématique des progrès récents réalisés dans le développement de nouveaux principes actifs anti-transpirants et déodorants qui sont sans alcool, sans parabène et d'origine naturelle. Plusieurs études ont été rapportées sur la classe alternative de principes actifs qui peuvent potentiellement être utilisés pour le traitement anti-transpirant et des odeurs corporelles, y compris les tissus désodorisants, les bactéries et les extraits végétaux. Cependant, un défi important consiste à comprendre comment les bouchons de gel des actifs anti-transpirants se forment au niveau des pores sudoripares, et comment offrir des effets anti-transpirants et déodorants durables.

A Systematic Quantitative Determination of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Grape Seed Extract against Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens.

Concerns regarding the role of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in disease outbreaks are growing due to the excessive use of antibiotics. Moreover, consumers are demanding food products that are minimally processed and produced in a sustainable way, without the use of chemical preservatives or antibiotics. Grape seed extract (GSE) is isolated from wine industry waste and is an interesting source of natural antimicrobials, especially when aiming to increase sustainable processing. The aim of this study was to obtain a systematic understanding of the microbial inactivation efficacy/potential of GSE against Listeria monocytogenes (Gram-positive), Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium (Gram-negative) in an in vitro model system. More specifically, for L. monocytogenes, the effects of the initial inoculum concentration, bacterial growth phase and absence of the environmental stress response regulon (SigB) on the GSE microbial inactivation potential were investigated. In general, GSE was found to be highly effective at inactivating L. monocytogenes, with higher inactivation achieved for higher GSE concentrations and lower initial inoculum levels. Generally, stationary phase cells were more resistant/tolerant to GSE as compared to exponential phase cells (for the same inoculum level). Additionally, SigB appears to play an important role in the resistance of L. monocytogenes to GSE. The Gram-negative bacteria under study (E. coli and S. Typhimurium) were less susceptible to GSE as compared to L. monocytogenes. Our findings provide a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the impact of GSE on the microbial dynamics of foodborne pathogens, assisting in the more systematic design of natural antimicrobial-based strategies for sustainable food safety.

Nanocapillary sampling coupled to liquid chromatography mass spectrometry delivers single cell drug measurement and lipid fingerprints.

This work describes the development of a new approach to measure drug levels and lipid fingerprints in single living mammalian cells. Nanocapillary sampling is an approach that enables the selection and isolation of single living cells under microscope observation. Here, live single cell nanocapillary sampling is coupled to liquid chromatography for the first time. This allows molecular species to be separated prior to ionisation and improves measurement precision of drug analytes. The efficiency of transferring analytes from the sampling capillary into a vial was optimised in this work. The analysis was carried out using standard flow liquid chromatography coupled to widely available mass spectrometry instrumentation, highlighting opportunities for widespread adoption. The method was applied to 30 living cells, revealing cell-to-cell heterogeneity in the uptake of different drug molecules. Using this system, we detected 14-158 lipid features per single cell, revealing the association between bedaquiline uptake and lipid fingerprints.