Surface Micro Discharge-Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Processing of Common House Cricket Acheta domesticus Powder: Antimicrobial Potential and Lipid-Quality Preservation.

The growing world population and the need to reduce the environmental impact of food production drive the exploration of novel protein sources. Insects are being cultivated, harvested, and processed to be applied in animal and human nutrition. The inherent microbial contamination of insect matrices requires risk management and decontamination strategies. Thermal sterilization results in unfavorable cooking effects and oxidation of fatty acids. The present study demonstrates the risk management in Acheta domesticus (home cricket) powder with a low-energy (8.7-22.0 mW/cm2, 5 min) semi-direct surface micro discharge (SMD)-cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP). At a plasma power density lower than 22 mW/cm2, no degradation of triglycerides (TG) or increased free fatty acids (FFA) content was detected. For mesophilic bacteria, 1.6 ± 0.1 log10 reductions were achieved, and for Enterobacteriaceae, there were close to 1.9 ± 0.2 log10 reductions in a layer of powder. Colonies of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus megaterium were identified via the mass spectral fingerprint analyzed with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). The spores of these Bacillus strains resisted to a plasma power density of 22 mW/cm2. Additional inactivation effects at non-thermal, practically non-oxidative conditions are supposed for low-intensity plasma treatments combined with the powder's fluidization.

Alimentary and Pharmaceutical Approach to Natural Antimicrobials against Clostridioides difficile Gastrointestinal Infection.

Incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing in recent decades due to different factors, namely (i) extended use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, (ii) transmission within asymptomatic and susceptible patients, and (iii) unbalanced gastrointestinal microbiome and collateral diseases that favor C. difficile gastrointestinal domination and toxin production. Although antibiotic therapies have resulted in successful control of CDI in the last 20 years, the development of novel strategies is urged in order to combat the capability of C. difficile to generate and acquire resistance to conventional treatments and its consequent proliferation. In this regard, vegetable and marine bioactives have emerged as alternative and effective molecules to fight against this concerning pathogen. The present review examines the effectiveness of natural antimicrobials from vegetable and algae origin that have been used experimentally in in vitro and in vivo settings to prevent and combat CDI. The aim of the present work is to contribute to accurately describe the prospective use of emerging antimicrobials as future nutraceuticals and preventive therapies, namely (i) as dietary supplement to prevent CDI and reduce CDI recurrence by means of microbiota modulation and (ii) administering them complementarily to other treatments requiring antibiotics to prevent C. difficile gut invasion and infection progression.

Identification and in silico bioinformatics analysis of PR10 proteins in cashew nut.

Proteins from cashew nut can elicit mild to severe allergic reactions. Three allergenic proteins have already been identified, and it is expected that additional allergens are present in cashew nut. pathogenesis-related protein 10 (PR10) allergens from pollen have been found to elicit similar allergic reactions as those from nuts and seeds. Therefore, we investigated the presence of PR10 genes in cashew nut. Using RNA-seq analysis, we were able to identify several PR10-like transcripts in cashew nut and clone six putative PR10 genes. In addition, PR10 protein expression in raw cashew nuts was confirmed by immunoblotting and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses. An in silico allergenicity assessment suggested that all identified cashew PR10 proteins are potentially allergenic and may represent three different isoallergens.

New Advances in Infant Feeding: New Products and Novel Technologies.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is the best way to provide ideal food for infants. However, there are many situations in which breastfeeding is unviable (maternal illness, hygiene problems, intravenous feeding requirement, storage). Safe, efficient, and nutritious products should be offered by the industry to mothers and healthcare professionals as an alternative. OBJECTIVE: The present review aims to update the state of the art regarding the most innovative developments in infant feeding formulation and, the promising novel technologies that are being investigated to achieve a balance between the microbiological stability, organoleptic and nutritional value of baby food. METHODS: The research lines included in the present systematic review are focused on both, the most innovative ingredients and emergent technologies applied increasing the offer of tailor-made nutritional profiled products with improved quality and safety. RESULTS: According to the reviewed research and recently published patents the current emergence of a new generation of infant products is remarkable, with specific product lines aimed at infants at different stages of development and affected by several disorders (low-weight babies, premature neonates, allergenic patients), with special emphasis on the application of novel technologies (e.g. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) and microencapsulation) as potential techniques to ensure the microbiological safety of developed products, and the improvement of their nutritional value, complementary to the addition of functional ingredients, such as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, amino acids, prebiotics and probiotics, and medicinal herb supplementation (e.g. lemon balm, royal jelly). CONCLUSION: The present research work provides a general view of recent advances in infant products processing and formulation focusing on the technological effects and quality/safety developments.

Antimicrobial potential of cauliflower, broccoli, and okara byproducts against foodborne bacteria.

The antimicrobial potential of cauliflower, broccoli, and okara byproducts was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, and Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b growth behavior was assessed under exposure to 5% vegetable byproducts added to the reference medium, buffered peptone water (0.1% [wt/vol]), at 37°C. Although the byproducts were not effective against L. monocytogenes, they were bactericidal against Salmonella Typhimurium, E. coli O157:H7, and B. cereus. The most promising results were achieved with the cauliflower-Salmonella Typhimurium combination, because the bacterial population was reduced by 3.11 log10 cycles after 10 h of incubation at 37°C as a result of 5% cauliflower addition. Further studies were carried out for this combination, at different cauliflower concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 15%) and at temperatures in the range of 5-37°C. The greatest inactivation level (6.11 log10 cycles) was achieved at refrigeration temperature (5°C) using 15% cauliflower addition. Both temperature and cauliflower concentration significantly (p≤0.05) influenced the Salmonella Typhimurium inactivation level. The kinetic parameters were adjusted to mathematical models. The modified Gompertz mathematical model provided an accurate fit (root-mean-square error (RMSE) [0.00009-0.21] and adjusted-R(2) [0.81-0.99]) to experimental Salmonella Typhimurium survival curves describing inactivation kinetics of the pathogen to the antimicrobial effect of cauliflower byproduct.

Antimicrobial potential of flavoring ingredients against Bacillus cereus in a milk-based beverage.

Natural ingredients--cinnamon, cocoa, vanilla, and anise--were assessed based on Bacillus cereus vegetative cell growth inhibition in a mixed liquid whole egg and skim milk beverage (LWE-SM), under different conditions: ingredient concentration (1, 2.5, and 5% [wt/vol]) and incubation temperature (5, 10, and 22 °C). According to the results obtained, ingredients significantly (p<0.05) reduced bacterial growth when supplementing the LWE-SM beverage. B. cereus behavior was mathematically described for each substrate by means of a modified Gompertz equation. Kinetic parameters, lag time, and maximum specific growth rate were obtained. Cinnamon was the most bacteriostatic ingredient and cocoa the most bactericidal one when they were added at 5% (wt/vol) and beverages were incubated at 5 °C. The bactericidal effect of cocoa 5% (wt/vol) reduced final B. cereus log10 counts (log Nf, log10 (colony-forming units/mL)) by 4.10 ± 0.21 log10 cycles at 5 °C.