Association between chronotype, sleep pattern, and eating behaviours in a group of Italian adults.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the possible relationship between chronotype, sleeping, and eating patterns in 74 Italian adults (71.6% women). Based on Morningness-Eveningness Questionnare (MEQ) score, participants were classified as morning (n = 24), intermediate (n = 25), and evening (n = 25) chronotypes. From analysis, no significant differences among chronotypes emerged for sleep habits. As to eating behaviours, the evening subjects showed a significant (p < 0.05) shift towards later hours of the day in the consumption of all meals, except dinner. In addition, the evening subjects had a later midpoint of energy intake (EI) of about 35 min and 1 h (p < 0.001), respectively, than the intermediate and morning subjects. Analysing the diet quality, morning subjects reported significantly (p = 0.030) lower consumption of sweets and sweeteners, and significantly (p = 0.035) lower intake of ultra-processed fats and seasonings. Evening subjects showed a significant delay in EI during the day, while morning subjects reported a better-quality diet.

Reproducibility and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (NFFQ) to assess food consumption based on the NOVA classification in adults.

NOVA is a classification that divides foods into four groups according to processing. Since no questionnaires have been validated to assess the consumption of foods with different levels of processing in the general adult population, we tested the reliability and validity of a 94-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (NFFQ) designed to estimate the intake (g/day) and the weight ratio (%) of the NOVA food groups in Italian adults. Time reliability and validity were tested by administrating the NFFQ to 110 subjects on two different occasions and comparing it with a weighed dietary record (WDR). Strong correlations between NFFQs (r > 0.7, p < 0.001) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.851-0.940 indicated good test-retest reliability. Moderate correlations between the NFFQ and the WDR (0.6

Antimicrobial activity of six essential oils against Burkholderia cepacia complex: insights into mechanism(s) of action.

AIM: To investigate the activity and mechanisms of action of six essential oils (EOs) against Burkholderia cepacia complex, opportunistic human pathogens highly resistant to antibiotics. MATERIALS & METHODS: Minimal inhibitory concentration of EOs alone, plus antibiotics or efflux pump inhibitors was determined. RESULTS: Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris and Eugenia caryophyllata EOs resulted to be more active than the other EOs. EOs did not enhance antibiotic activity against the model strain B. cenocepacia J2315. EOs resulted more active in the presence of an efflux pump inhibitor acting on Resistance-Nodulation Cell Division efflux pumps and against B. cenocepacia J2315 Resistance-Nodulation Cell Division knocked-out mutants. CONCLUSION: EOs showed intracellular mechanisms of action and, thus, the efflux pumps inhibitor addition could boost their activity.