Biopreservative and Anti-Mycotoxigenic Potentials of Lactobacillus paracasei MG847589 and Its Bacteriocin in Soft White Cheese.

Probiotics and their bacteriocins have increasingly attracted interest for their use as safe food preservatives. This study aimed to produce soft white cheese fortified with Lacticaseibacillus MG847589 (Lb. paracasei MG847589) and/or its bacteriocin; cheese with Lacticaseibacillus (CP), cheese with bacteriocin (CB), and cheese with both Lacticaseibacillus and bacteriocin (CPB) were compared to control cheese (CS) to evaluate their biopreservative and anti-mycotoxigenic potentials for prolonged shelf life and safe food applications. The effects of these fortifications on physiochemical, microbial, texture, microstructure, and sensory properties were studied. Fortification with Lacticaseibacillus (CP) increased acidity (0.61%) and microbial counts, which may make the microstructure porous, while CPB showed intact microstructure. The CPB showed the highest hardness value (3988.03 g), while the lowest was observed with CB (2525.73 g). Consequently, the sensory assessment reflected the panelists' preference for CPB, which gained higher scores than the control (CS). Fortification with Lb. paracasei MG847589 and bacteriocin (CPB) showed inhibition effects against S. aureus from 6.52 log10 CFU/g at time zero to 2.10 log10 CFU/g at the end of storage, A. parasiticus (from 5.06 to 3.03 log10 CFU/g), and P. chrysogenum counts (from 5.11 to 2.86 log10 CFU/g). Additionally, CPB showed an anti-mycotoxigenic effect against aflatoxins AFB1 and AFM1, causing them to be decreased (69.63 ± 0.44% and 71.38 ± 0.75%, respectively). These potentials can extend shelf life and pave the way for more suggested food applications of safe food production by fortification with both Lb. paracasei MG847589 and its bacteriocin as biopreservatives and anti-mycotoxigenic.

Neoteric Biofilms Applied to Enhance the Safety Characteristics of Ras Cheese during Ripening.

The milk's natural flora, or the starter, can preserve cheesemaking and allow for microbial competition. This investigation aimed to improve cheese safety and assess its characteristics using probiotic cell pellets (LCP) or cell-free extracts (CFS). Cheese samples were collected from different areas to investigate the current contamination situation. Six CFSs of probiotics were assessed as antifungal against toxigenic fungi using liquid and solid media and their aflatoxin reduction impact. The most effective CFS was chosen for cheese coating in nanoemulsion. Coated cheese with CFS, LCP, and LCP-CFS was assessed against control for changes in chemical composition, ripening indications, rheological properties, and microbiology. Results showed significant contamination levels in the collected samples, and toxic fungi were present. Lactobacillus rhamnosus CFS has aflatoxins reducibility in liquid media. During cheese ripening, uncoated cheese showed higher fat, protein, salt content, soluble nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, tyrosine, and tryptophan contents than coated samples, except for LCP-coating treatment. Cheese rheology indicated that coating treatments had the lowest hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness compared to uncoated cheese. Uncoated cheese had the highest yeast and mold counts compared to the treated ones. The LCP-CFS-coated cheese showed no Aspergillus cells for up to 40 days. Uncoated Ras cheese recorded slightly lower flavor, body, texture, and appearance scores than coated cheeses. In conclusion, coating cheese with L. rhamnosus nanoemulsion has antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic properties, even for LCP, CFS, and CFS-LCP, which could extend cheese shelf life.

Microfluidizing Technique Application for Algerian Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf Effects Enhanced Volatile Content, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Mycotoxigenic Properties.

Medicinal plant extracts are a promising source of bioactive minor contents. The present study aimed to evaluate the distinguished volatile content of Algerian Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf before and after the microfluidization process and their related antimicrobial and anti-mycotoxigenic impacts and changes. The GC-MS apparatus was utilized for a comparative examination of Algerian lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) with its microfluidization nanoemulsion (MF-LGEO) volatile content. The MF-LGEO was characterized using Zetasizer and an electron microscope. Cytotoxicity, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were determined for the LGEO and MF-LGEO. The result reflected changes in the content of volatiles for the MF-LGEO. The microfluidizing process enhanced the presence of compounds known for their exceptional antifungal and antibacterial properties in MF-LGEO, namely, neral, geranial, and carvacrol. However, certain terpenes, such as camphor and citronellal, were absent, while decanal, not found in the raw LGEO, was detected. The droplet diameter was 20.76 ± 0.36 nm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.179 ± 0.03. In cytotoxicity studies, LGEO showed higher activity against the HepG2 cell line than MF-LGEO. Antibacterial LGEO activity against Gram-positive bacteria recorded an inhibitory zone from 41.82 ± 2.84 mm to 58.74 ± 2.64 mm, while the zone ranged from 12.71 ± 1.38 mm to 16.54 ± 1.42 mm for Gram-negative bacteria. Antibacterial activity was enhanced to be up to 71.43 ± 2.54 nm and 31.54 ± 1.01 nm for MF-LGEO impact against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. The antifungal effect was considerable, particularly against Fusarium fungi. It reached 17.56 ± 1.01 mm and 13.04 ± 1.37 mm for LGEO and MF-LGEO application of a well-diffusion assay, respectively. The MF-LGEO was more promising in reducing mycotoxin production in simulated fungal growth media due to the changes linked to essential compounds content. The reduction ratio was 54.3% and 74.57% for total aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OCA) contents, respectively. These results reflect the microfluidizing improvement impact regarding the LGEO antibacterial, antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic properties.

Prevalence of Aflatoxins in Camel Milk from the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa: A Reduction Approach Using Probiotic Strains.

Camel milk is known as a source of nutritional and health supplements. It is known to be rich in peptides and functional proteins. One main issue facing it is related to its contamination, mainly with aflatoxins. The present study aimed to evaluate camel milk samples from different regions while trying to reduce its toxicity using safe approaches based on probiotic bacteria. Collected samples of camel milk were sourced from two main regions: the Arabic peninsula and North Africa. Samples were tested for their contents of aflatoxins (B1 and M1) using two techniques to ensure desired contamination levels. Additionally, feed materials used in camel foods were evaluated. Applied techniques were also tested for their validation. The antioxidant activity of camel milk samples was determined through total phenolic content and antioxidant activity assays. Two strains of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus NRC06 and Lactobacillus plantarum NRC21) were investigated for their activity against toxigenic fungi. The result revealed high contamination of aflatoxin M1 for all samples investigated. Furthermore, cross-contamination with aflatoxin B1 was recorded. Investigated bacteria were recorded according to their significant inhibition zones against fungal growth (11 to 40 mm). The antagonistic impacts were between 40% and 70% against toxigenic fungi. Anti-aflatoxigenic properties of bacterial strains in liquid media were recorded according to mycelia inhibition levels between 41 to 52.83% against Aspergillus parasiticus ITEM11 with an ability to reduce aflatoxin production between 84.39% ± 2.59 and 90.4% ± 1.32 from media. Bacteria removed aflatoxins from the spiked camel milk in cases involving individual toxin contamination.

In-Vitro and In-Silico Investigation for the Spent-Coffee Bioactive Phenolics as a Promising Aflatoxins Production Inhibitor.

Aflatoxin, is a naturally occurring polyketide generated by Aspergillus flavus via biosynthetic pathways, including polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal enzymes. The in vitro analysis supported by molecular dynamics (MD) techniques was used to examine the antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic activity of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) methanol extract. The High-Performance Liquid Chromatography results revealed the presence of 15 phenolic acids and five flavonoids. (R)-(+)-Rosmarinic acid (176.43 ± 2.41 µg/g) was the predominant of the detected acids, followed by gallic acid (34.83 ± 1.05 µg/g). At the same time, apigenin-7-glucoside is the dominant flavonoid in the SCGs extract by 1717.05 ± 5.76 µg/g, and naringin (97.27 ± 1.97 µg/g) comes next. The antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic activity of the SCGs extracts was 380 µL/mL and 460 µL/mL, respectively. The SGGs' effect of inhibiting five Aspergillus strains' growth on the agar media ranged between 12.81 ± 1.71 to 15.64 ± 1.08 mm by two diffusion assays. Molecular docking results confirmed the inhibitory action of different phenolics and flavonoids on the PKS and NPS key enzymes of the aflatoxin biosynthetic mechanism. The SCGs extract components with the highest free binding energy, naringin (-9.1 kcal/mL) and apigenin 7-glucoside (-9.1 kcal/mol), were subjected to an MD simulation study. The computational results infer the stabilizing effects on the enzymes upon ligand binding led to the impairment in its functionality. The current study represents a novel attempt to assess the anti aflatoxins mechanism of phenolics and flavonoids targeting PKS and NPS via computational approaches compared to in-vitro assays.

Spent Coffee Grounds Valorization as Bioactive Phenolic Source Acquired Antifungal, Anti-Mycotoxigenic, and Anti-Cytotoxic Activities.

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), which constitute 75% of original coffee beans, represent an integral part of sustainability. Contamination by toxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins is a hazard that threatens food production. This investigation aimed to examine SCGs extract as antimycotic and anti-ochratoxigenic material. The SCGs were extracted in an eco-friendly way using isopropanol. Bioactive molecules of the extract were determined using the UPLC apparatus. The cytotoxicity on liver cancer cells (Hep-G2) showed moderate activity with selectivity compared with human healthy oral epithelial (OEC) cell lines but still lower than the positive control (Cisplatin). The antibacterial properties were examined against pathogenic strains, and the antifungal was examined against toxigenic fungi using two diffusion assays. Extract potency was investigated by two simulated models, a liquid medium and a food model. The results of the extract showed 15 phenolic acids and 8 flavonoids. Rosmarinic and syringic acids were the most abundant phenolic acids, while apigenin-7-glucoside, naringin, epicatechin, and catechin were the predominant flavonoids in the SCGs extract. The results reflected the degradation efficiency of the extract against the growth of Aspergillus strains. The SCGs recorded detoxification in liquid media for aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OCA). The incubation time of the extract within dough spiked with OCA was affected up to 2 h, where cooking was not affected. Therefore, SCGs in food products could be applied to reduce the mycotoxin contamination of raw materials to the acceptable regulated limits.

Chemical Composition and Quality Characteristics of Meat in Three One-Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Breeds as Affected by Muscle Type and Post-Mortem Storage Period.

The influence of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels (Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali) were investigated in this study. Crude fat and ash content were significantly higher in the Pakistani than in the Baladi Saudi and Somali breeds, except for higher moisture content observed in the Somali breed. The longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles had a greater crude protein than the biceps femoris (BF) muscle. Storage period exhibited a significant reduction in pH values and improvement in color components of meat. The Somali breed produced higher cooking loss % and shear force, with a lower water holding capacity than the Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds. The LL muscle had better cooking loss %, water holding capacity, and shear force, whereas storage period (7 days) exhibited a significant reduction in the myofibrillar fragmentation index. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds and LL muscle samples presented better meat sensory attributes, while storage period had no significant influence on the overall sensory characters of meat. In conclusion, there were significant differences between the chemical and structural characteristics of the LL, BF, and SM muscle samples among the three breeds of camel. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better meat quality traits than the Somali breed. In addition, LL muscles had better nutritional values and meat quality parameters than BF and SM muscles. Improvement in meat quality attributes were achieved with the storage process of 7 days. It is observed that, the Saudi Baladi camels have a merit of low fat content over both Somali and Pakistani camel breeds. It is also concluded that no significant effects were observed between the treatments as a result of storage when sensory attributes were considered. Moreover, breed, muscle and storage period were interacted significantly only with regard to lightness color space and shear force. This is useful knowledge for the meat industry for optimizing processing and storage procedures for various camel muscles.

Some pyrazole and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives: synthesis and anticancer evaluation.

5-Amino-1-p-tolyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (1) was used for the preparation of some novel pyrazoles and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines 2-10. Moreover, the cytotoxicity and in vitro anticancer activities of the prepared compounds were also assessed against the MCF-7 breast cancer, HepG2 liver cancer, and A549 lung carcinoma cell lines, along with investigation of the effect of the synthesized compounds on the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). The tested compounds exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cells. Among the tested compounds, 2 and 9 revealed promising anticancer activity compared to the activity of the commonly used anticancer drug, doxorubicin, by inhibiting the expression of uPA.

Synthesis and isomerization of some novel pyrazolopyrimidine and pyrazolotriazolopyrimidine derivatives.

4-Imino-1-p-tolyl-1,4-dihydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-5-ylamine (2) and (1-p-tolyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-yl)-hydrazine (3) were prepared starting from ethyl 4-cyano-1-p-tolyl-1H-pyrazol-5-ylimidoformate (1). The structure of compound 3 was confirmed through preparation of the pyrazole derivatives 4 and 5. Also, the synthesis and structural characterization of pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidine derivatives 7 and 9 and their isomerization to pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives 6 and 8, respectively, under different suitable reaction conditions were reported. Moreover, the syntheses of 2-substituted-pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives 10 and 11 was described.

Anticancer evaluation of some newly synthesized N-nicotinonitrile derivative.

Some novel N-nicotinonitrile derivatives 3-14 have been synthesized starting with compound 1. The key step of this work is the coupling between compound 1 and activated sugars to afford the corresponding cyclic nucleosides 3-6. Moreover, the cytotoxicity and in vitro anticancer evaluation of the prepared compounds have also been assessed against breast MCF-7 cancer, liver HepG2 cancer and lung A549 carcinoma cell lines with investigation the effect of the synthesized compounds on the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). The results revealed that, although all the compounds showed no anticancer activity against A549 cells without showing any effect on the expression of uPA, the tested compounds exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines. Among the tested compounds, compounds 11 and 12 revealed promising anticancer activity compared to the activity of the commonly used anticancer drug, doxorubicin with inhibiting the expression of uPA.

New pyrimidinone and fused pyrimidinone derivatives as potential anticancer chemotherapeutics.

A series of novel substituted pyrimidinones and fused pyrimidinones (compounds 3-18) were synthesized starting with oxiranylmethanone 2. The in vitro cytotoxicity against a human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line was investigated and most of the tested compounds showed potent cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 cell line comparable to the activity of the commonly used anticancer drug cisplatin. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with increasing doses (2, 5, 10, and 20 µg/mL) of the tested compounds revealed that the activity of superoxide dismutase and the level of hydrogen peroxide were significantly increased, while the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase and the levels of reduced glutathione were significantly lowered compared with control MCF-7 cells. In general, derivatives 11 and 16 revealed the highest anticancer activity among the tested compounds.