Elimination of detached Listeria monocytogenes from the biofilm on stainless steel surfaces during milk and cheese processing using natural plant extracts.

Bacterial cells can form biofilm on food contact surfaces, becoming a source of food contamination with profound health implications. The current study aimed to determine some Egyptian medicinal plants antibacterial and antibiofilm effects against foodborne bacterial strains in milk plants. Results indicated that four ethanolic plant extracts, Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Marigold (Calendula officinalis), and Sage (Salvia officinalis), had antibacterial (12.0-26.5 mm of inhibition zone diameter) and antibiofilm (10-99%) activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium. The tested extracts had minimum inhibitory concentration values between 0.14 and 2.50 mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration values between 0.14 and 12.50 mg/ml. L. monocytogenes was more sensitive for all tested ethanolic extracts; Sage and Cinnamon showed a bacteriocidal effect, while Chamomile and Marigold were bacteriostatic. The ethanolic extracts mixture from Chamomile, Sage, and Cinnamon was chosen for its antibiofilm activity against L. monocytogenes using L-optimal mixture design. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis showed that this mixture contained 12 chemical compounds, where 2-Propenal,3-phenyl- had the maximum area % (34.82%). At concentrations up to 500 µg/ml, it had no cytotoxicity in the normal Vero cell line, and the IC50 value was 671.76 ± 9.03 µg/ml. Also, this mixture showed the most significant antibacterial effect against detached L. monocytogenes cells from formed biofilm in stainless steel milk tanks. At the same time, white soft cheese fortified with this mixture was significantly accepted overall for the panelist (92.2 ± 2.7) than other cheese samples, including the control group.

Investigation of the influence of xanthan on mozzarella cheese characteristics focusing on its antimicrobial effect.

Objective: This study was designed to show the effect of adding different levels of microbial (lab-produced) and commercial xanthan (CX) for 30 days on the sensory, chemical, and microbiological parameters of mozzarella cheese (MC). Materials and Methods: The production of xanthan was done in Garcia-Ochoa's medium. The sensory evaluation of the examined MC was achieved through a tabulated scorecard. The Gerber method was used for the determination of MC fat%. The mean counts of staphylococci [colony forming unit (CFU)/gm], coliforms (most probable number/gm), fungi (CFU/gm), and mesophilic bacteria (CFU/gm) were estimated in different fortified cheeses. Also, mean counts of Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus in artificially contaminated MC were determined. Results: The microbial xanthan (MX) had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the sensory parameters of the examined samples with its concentration (0.0007%) after 20 days of storage. The MX (0.0005%) and CX (0.0002%) had a significant effect on moisture, fat in dry matter, and protein percentage of MC throughout the storage period. The high meltability degree of MC was observed in samples with both types of xanthan (0.0002%) at the end of storage. Conclusion: Both types of xanthan at all concentrations had a significant reducing effect on E. coli O157 and S. aureus in all samples from 10 to 30 days of storage. Xanthan has accepted attentiveness and offers beneficial and safe characteristics that improve its adaptability in MC. In the Middle East, this survival trial of E. coli O157 and S. aureus in the MC supplemented by xanthan is considered a scarce exploratory investigation.

Optimizing the synthesis of yeast Beta-glucan via response surface methodology for nanotechnology application.

BACKGROUND: The production of biopolymers from waste resources is a growing trend, especially in high-population countries like Egypt. Beta-glucan (ß-glucan) belongs to natural polysaccharides that are derived from plant and microbial origins. In this study, following increasing demands for ß-glucan owing to its bioactive properties, a statistical model to enhance microbial ß-glucan production was evaluated for its usefulness to the food and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, a trial to convert ß-glucan polymer to nanostructure form was done to increase its bioactivity. RESULTS: Ingredients of low-cost media based on agro-industrial wastes were described using Plackett-Burman and central composite design of response surface methodology for optimizing yeast ß-glucan. Minerals and vitamin concentrations significantly influenced ß-glucan yield for Kluyveromyces lactis and nitrogen and phosphate sources for Meyerozyma guilliermondii. The maximum predicted yields of ß-glucan recovered from K. lactis and M. guilliermondii after optimizing the medium ingredients were 407 and 1188 mg/100 ml; respectively. For the first time, yeast ß-glucan nanoparticles (ßGN) were synthesized from the ß-glucan polymer using N-dimethylformamide as a stabilizer and characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The average size of ßGN was about 300 nm as determined by DLS. The quantitative variation of functional groups between ß-glucan polymer and ßGN was evaluated by FT-IR for explaining the difference in their biological activity against Normal Homo sapiens-Hela contaminant and Hepatic cancer cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Enriching the low-cost media based on agro-industrial wastes with nutritional ingredients improves the yield of yeast ß-glucan. The present study succeeds to form ß-glucan nanoparticles by a simple method.

Curcumin-resveratrol nano-formulation counteracting hyperammonemia in rats.

Malnutrition and low dietary protein intake could be risk factors for developing peripheral and central hyperammonemia, especially in pediatrics. Both curcumin and resveratrol proved to be effective against several hepatic and cerebral injuries. They were reported to be beneficial in lowering circulating ammonia levels, yet both are known for their low bioavailability. The use of pharmaceutical nano-formulations as delivery systems for these two nutraceuticals could solve the aforementioned problem. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the valuable outcome of using a combination of curcumin and resveratrol in a nanoemulsion formulation, to counteract protein-deficient diet (PDD)-induced hyperammonemia and the consequent complications in male albino rats. Results revealed that using a nanoemulsion containing both curcumin and resveratrol at a dose of (5 + 5 mg/kg) effectively reduced hepatic and brain ammonia levels, serum ALT and AST levels, hepatic and brain nitric oxide levels, oxidative DNA damage as well as disrupted cellular energy performance. In addition, there was a substantial increase in brain levels of monoamines, and a decrease in glutamate content. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of combined curcumin and resveratrol nanoemulsion is an effective means of ameliorating the hepatic and cerebral adverse effects resulting from PDD-induced hyperammonemia in rats.

Intranasal ondansetron microemulsion counteracting the adverse effects of cisplatin: animal study.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is considered one of the most effective and commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs, but despite its high therapeutic effectiveness, most patients treated with cisplatin suffer from nausea and vomiting, neurotoxic side effects, and cerebral psychiatric disorders such as depression. Therefore, the aim of the current work was to explore whether a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (Ondansetron) administered via the oral route or intranasally in microemulsion form would alleviate cisplatin's adverse effects. METHODS: The selected ondansetron microemulsion was characterized in vitro for particle size, polydispersity, zeta potential, morphology, and nasal permeation, and in vivo in terms of anti-emetic and antidepressant activity, with the assessment of biochemical markers in brain homogenates. RESULTS: Results revealed that both orally administered ondansetron and intranasally administered microemulsion were able to counteract the pica effect by increasing food consumption, water intake, and decreasing kaolin intake. They were also able to increase BDNF, normalize IL-6, increase serotonin, and normalize NOx, MDA, GSSH/GSH as well as 8OHdG levels in rats' brain homogenates. The intranasal ondansetron microemulsion displayed superiority compared to oral conventional ondansetron in terms of increasing food intake, reduction of stomach content, and normalization of serotonin turnover. CONCLUSION: Ondansetron microemulsion can be administered by an alternative route of administration (intranasal) rather than oral, for patients on cisplatin chemotherapy.

Combating hematopoietic and hepatocellular abnormalities resulting from administration of cisplatin: role of liver targeted glycyrrhetinic acid nanoliposomes loaded with amino acids.

The effectiveness of cisplatin in cancer treatment renders its use vital to clinicians. However, the accompanying side effects as cachexia, emesis and liver damage necessitate the use of a dietary supplement which is capable of hindering such undesirable complications. The branched chain amino acids as well as glutamine and arginine have been proven to be effective nutritional co-adjuvant therapeutic agents. Furthermore, new pharmaceutical approaches encompass designing organ-targeted nanoformulations to increase the medicinal efficacy. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the beneficial effects of liver-targeted amino acids-loaded nanoliposomes in counteracting the adverse hematopoietic and hepatic complications associated with cisplatin. Results revealed the use of the combination of two nanoliposomal formulations (one loading leucine + isolecuine + valine, and the other loading glutamine and arginine) given orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg for twelve days was effective against cisplatin-induced toxicities represented by improvement in the complete blood picture parameters, decrease in the serum hepatic enzymes levels, amelioration of the hepatic oxidative stress and cellular energy imbalance along with reduction in the histopathological abnormalities. It can be concluded that amino acids loaded nanoliposomes could be considered a new strategy in preventing cisplatin's adverse effects.

Curcumin nanoemulsion counteracts hepatic and cardiac complications associated with high-fat/high-fructose diet in rats.

The relationship between the incidence of cardiovascular abnormalities and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has long been postulated. Curcumin (CUR) is a potential anti-atherosclerotic agent but its poor water solubility hinders its pharmacological use. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of formulation of CUR nanoemulsion prepared using the spontaneous emulsification technique on high fat high fructose (HFHF)-induced hepatic and cardiac complications. Fifty Wistar rats were divided into five groups. CUR nanoemulsion at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg and conventional powdered CUR at a dose of 50 mg/kg were orally administered daily to rats for two weeks, and compared with normal control and HFHF control. Results revealed that the high dose level of CUR nanoemulsion was superior to conventional CUR in ameliorating the HFHF-induced insulin resistance status and hyperlipidemia, with beneficial impact on rats' recorded electrocardiogram (ECG), serum aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) and alanine aminotransferase (AST) levels, leptin, adiponectin, creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase and cardiac troponin-I. In addition, hepatic and cardiac oxidative and nitrosative stresses, oxidative DNA damage and disrupted cellular energy statuses were counteracted. Results were also confirmed by histopathological examination. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The use of curcumin nanoemulsion could be beneficial in combating hepatic and cardiac complications resulting from HFHF diets.

Gastro-protective effect of Artemisia Sieberi essential oil against ethanol-induced ulcer in rats as revealed via biochemical, histopathological and metabolomics analysis.

CONTEXT: Gastric ulcer is regarded as one of the main clinical ailments with high morbidity and mortality rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gastro-protective effect of Artemisia sieberi essential oil (AS-EO) in ethanol-induced rats was evaluated via biochemical, histopathological and large-scale metabolomics analyses. Glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), prostaglandin (PGE2) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) alongside with histopathological examination of gastric mucosa were analysed. Metabolites profiling coupled to Global Natural Products Social molecular networking platform (GNPS) and multivariate data analyses to reveal for changes in rats metabolome with treatments and involved action mechanisms. RESULTS: Pre-treatment with 100 and 200 mg/kg of AS-EO in EtOH-treated rats restored all parameters towards normal status compared to disease model. AS-EO alleviated the histological and pathological damage of gastric tissue caused by ethanol. Metabolites profiling revealed an increase in uracil, cholesterol and fatty acids/fatty acyl amides levels in ulcer rats and restored to normal levels post AS-EO intervention. These results indicated the efficacy of AS-EO in a dose-dependent manner, and to exert protective effects in ulcer rat model by targeting several metabolic pathways viz. lipid, energy, and nucleotide metabolisms. CONCLUSION: AS-EO adds to the known uses of genus Artemisia as anti-ulcerogenic agent by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses associated with an ulcer. Several novel biomarkers for ulcer progression in rats were identified and have yet to be confirmed in human models.

A comparative study between curcumin and curcumin nanoemulsion on high-fat, high-fructose diet-induced impaired spermatogenesis in rats.

OBJECTIVES: Curcumin is a promising nutraceutical with reported diverse therapeutic properties, but of limited oral bioavailability. The current manuscript investigates the role of encapsulation of curcumin in nanoemulsion form in counteracting the adverse effect of chronic ingestion of a high-fat high-fructose diet (HFHF) by juvenile male rats regarding testicular abnormalities and declined spermatogenesis. METHODS: Curcumin nanoemulsion was administered orally to Wistar rats at a dose of 5 or 10 mg/kg and compared with curcumin powder, followed by a pharmacological and histological assessment. KEY FINDINGS: Results demonstrated that curcumin nanoemulsion was superior to curcumin powder, particularly in enhancing the percentage progressive motility of spermatozoa, normalization of essential and non-essential amino acids in semen, normalization of serum leptin and testosterone levels, as well as normalization of oxidative and nitrosative parameters. It was also proven to reduce testicular DNA fragmentation, while elevating testicular cellular energy. In addition, curcumin nanoemulsion administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg induced the highest level of spermatogenesis, delineated by histological examination of the seminiferous tubules. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that curcumin nanoemulsion administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg successfully ameliorates the adverse effects of a HFHF on spermatogenesis.

Oral and Topical Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Potentialities of Araucaria bidiwillii Shoot Essential Oil and Its Nanoemulsion in Relation to Chemical Composition.

Different parts of Araucaria bidiwillii (bunya pin) trees, such as nuts, seeds, bark, and shoots, are widely used in cooking, tea, and traditional medicines around the world. The shoots essential oil (EO) has not yet been studied. Herein, the chemical profile of A. bidiwillii shoots EO (ABSEO) was created by GC-MS analysis. Additionally, the in vivo oral and topical anti-inflammatory effect against carrageenan-induced models, as well as antipyretic potentiality of ABSEO and its nanoemulsion were evaluated. Forty-three terpenoid components were identified and categorized as mono- (42.94%), sesqui- (31.66%), and diterpenes (23.74%). The main compounds of the ABSEO were beyerene (20.81%), α-pinene (16.21%), D-limonene (14.22%), germacrene D (6.69%), ß-humulene (4.14%), and sabinene (4.12%). The ABSEO and its nanoemulsion exhibited significant inflammation suppression in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, in both oral (50 and 100 mg/kg) and topical (5% in soyabean oil) routes, compared to the control and reference drugs groups. All the results demonstrated the significant inflammation reduction via the inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß and IL8), nitrosative (NO), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) supported by the histopathological studies and immunohistochemical assessment of MMP-9 and NF-κß levels in paw tissues. Moreover, the oral administration of ABSEO and its nanoemulsion (50 and 100 mg/kg) exhibited antipyretic activity in rats, demonstrated by the inhibition of hyperthermia induced by intramuscular injection of brewer's yeast. These findings advised that the use of ABSEO and its nanoemulsion against numerous inflammatory and hyperthermia ailments that could be attributed to its active constituents.