Parental Social Isolation during Adolescence Alters Gut Microbiome in Rat Male Offspring.

Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that parental stress, induced by social isolation starting at puberty, leads to behavioral, endocrine, and biochemical changes in the male, but not female, offspring (ISO-O) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, we report alterations in the gut microbiota composition of ISO-O vs. grouped-housed offspring (GH-O), although all animals received the same diet and were housed in the same conditions. Analysis of bacterial communities by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S rRNA gene revealed alterations at family and order levels within the main phyla of Bacteroides, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes, including an almost total deficit in Limosilactobacillus reuteri (formerly Lactobacillus reuteri) and a significant increase in Ligilactobacillus murinus (formerly Lactobacillus murinus). In addition, we found an increase in the relative abundance of Rhodospirillales and Clostridiales in the families of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, and Bacteroidales in the family of Prevotellaceae. Furthermore, we examined plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1-beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which did not differ between the two groups, while corticosterone concentrations were significantly increased in ISO-O rats. Our findings suggest that adverse environmental conditions experienced by parents may have an impact on the likelihood of disease development in the subsequent generations.

Epidemiology and clinical aspect of mushroom poisonings in South Sardinia: A 10-year retrospective analysis (2011-2021).

Mushroom poisoning is a severe problem of public health, however, information about its epidemiology and management is still limited. This is the first study focused on Sardinia that investigates data about mushroom poisoning describing epidemiology, clinical presentation, seasonality, and the most common involved species. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data recovered from the database of Mycological Inspectorates during a 10-year period (2011-2021). Overall, 164 cases of mushroom poisoning have been identified, with significant peaks in autumn. The highest number of episodes of intoxication were recorded in Cagliari (64), followed by Carbonia (55) and Sanluri (45), although the annual distribution of cases among the provinces varied considerably in the study period. Thanks to the expertise of the Mycological Inspectorate service, the implicated species have been identified in 162 cases (98.78%); 81 cases were caused by toxic species, 60 by edible, and 45 by not edible species. Omphalotus olearius and Agaricus xanthodermus were the most represented toxic species (22% and 18%, respectively); Boletus aereus (18%) was the most frequent edible species, while Boletaceae were the prevalent not edible mushrooms. The data collected in South Sardinia over a period of 10-years demonstrate how a correct and rapid recognition of mushroom poisoning is important to improve the prognosis of patients, however, there are still problems of lack of knowledge, on the part of the population, on the existence of the consultancy services. Because most illnesses from poisonous mushroom ingestion are preventable, increased public awareness about the potential dangers of mushroom poisoning is mandatory.

Probiotic lactobacilli attenuate oxysterols-induced alteration of intestinal epithelial cell monolayer permeability: Focus on tight junction modulation.

Oxidative stress and inflammation lead by dietary oxidised lipids, as oxysterols, have been linked to the loss of intestinal barrier integrity, a crucial event in the initiation and progression of intestinal disorders. In the last decade, probiotic lactobacilli have emerged as an interesting tool to improve intestinal health, thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of two commercial probiotic strains of lactobacilli (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v® (DMS 9843) and Lacticaseibacillus casei DG® (CNCMI-1572)), both as live bacteria and intracellular content, to attenuate the oxysterols-induced alteration of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell monolayer permeability. Our investigation was focused on the modulation of tight junctions (TJs) proteins, occludin, ZO-1 and JAM-A, in relation to redox-sensitive MAPK p38 activation. Obtained results provided evidence on the ability of the two probiotics to counteract the alteration of monolayer permeability and loss of TJs proteins, at least in part, through the modulation of p38 pathway. The protective action was exerted by live bacteria, whose adhesion to Caco-2 cells was not altered by oxysterols, and bacterial intracellular components equally able to interact with the signaling pathway.

COVID-19: opinions and behavior of Italian general population during the first epidemic phase.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: On January 9, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Chinese health authorities had identified a new coronavirus strain never before isolated in humans, the 2019-nCoV later redefined SARS-CoV-2, that still today represent a public health problem. The present survey started on 10 February 2020 with the aim of a) assessing the risk perception in healthcare workers and young students, following the evolution of attitudes, perception and knowledge over time, b) provide useful information to the general population during survey. RESULTS: A study sample consisting of 4116 Italian individuals of both sexes was enrolled. High levels of risk perception, low perception of self-efficacy and low levels of knowledge scores (24.55 ± 5.76 SD) were obtained indicating the need for continuous population monitoring as well as further communication strategies carried out at institution levels. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study could help public health authorities in carrying out informative campaigns for general population and could be an important tool in evaluating public knowledge and misperceptions during the management of the COVID-19. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Inhibitory Effect of Lactiplantibacillusplantarum and Lactococcus lactis Autochtonous Strains against Listeria monocytogenes in a Laboratory Cheese Model.

In the present study, six Lactococcus lactis and seven Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from artisanal Sardinian dairy products were evaluated for their efficacy in controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during the storage of miniature fresh cheese manufactured on a laboratory scale to exploit their possible use as biopreservatives. The strains were tested for antimicrobial activity and some technological characteristics before using them in miniature fresh cheese to evaluate their in situ antilisterial effect. Our results showed that five strains (L. lactis 16FS16-9/20234-11FS16 and Lpb. plantarum 1/14537-4A/20045) could be considered suitable candidates for use as protective cultures in fresh cheese manufacture since they significantly lowered the pathogen counts by 3-4 log units compared to the control; however, all strains tested were capable of decreasing L. monocytogenes numbers. Our results suggest that the single and combined action of the acidifying power and the production of bacteriocin of these strains was capable of controlling and/or reducing the growth of L. monocytogenes. Considering their technological characteristics, they might be used as starter/adjunct cultures to increase the safety of the products, perhaps in association with other antimicrobial hurdles.

Alcohol Consumption Is a Modifiable Risk Factor for Breast Cancer: Are Women Aware of This Relationship?

AIMS: Despite alcohol consumption being a dose-dependent risk factor for breast cancer, a recent study conducted in the UK found <20% of women attending breast screening programmes were aware of this relationship and proposed proper information campaigns need to be conducted. We aimed to investigate the awareness of this relationship among a related sample of Italian women to evaluate whether similar information campaigns should also be conducted in Italy. METHODS: The questionnaire used by the UK study was translated into Italian, slightly modified for the Italian context, validated and submitted to a sample of Italian women. RESULTS: Overall 507 women were interviewed. Among them, 160 were classified as breast cancer screening attenders (SG), 44 as symptomatic breast clinic attenders (CAG) and 303 as non-screening group (NSG). Alcohol was correctly identified as a risk factor for breast cancer by 16.9, 11.4 and 14.9% of participants of SG, CAG and NSG, respectively without differences between the three groups. Despite the methodological differences, the rates of participants who correctly identified alcohol as a risk factor among women attending breast screening programmes were surprisingly similar between the study conducted in UK (15.7%) and the present study (16.9%). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirm the limited awareness of the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of developing breast cancer among women and suggest the urgent need to conduct proper awareness-raising campaigns to counter this in the Italian female population.

Moderate Exercise Improves Cognitive Function in Healthy Elderly People: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity in the elderly is recommended by international guidelines to protect against cognitive decline and functional impairment. OBJECTIVE: This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was set up to verify whether medium-intensity physical activity in elderly people living in the community is effective in improving cognitive performance. DESIGN: RCT with parallel and balanced large groups. SETTING: Academic university hospital and Olympic gyms. SUBJECTS: People aged 65 years old and older of both genders living at home holding a medical certificate for suitability in non-competitive physical activity. METHODS: Participants were randomized to a 12-week, 3 sessions per week moderate physical activity program or to a control condition focused on cultural and recreational activities in groups of the same size and timing as the active intervention group. The active phase integrated a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, including drills of "life movements", strength and balance. The primary outcome was: any change in Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R) and its subscales. RESULTS: At the end of the trial, 52 people completed the active intervention, and 53 people completed the control condition. People in the active intervention improved on the ACE-R (ANOVA: F(1;102)=4.32, p=0.040), and also showed better performances on the memory (F(1;102)=5.40 p=0.022) and visual-space skills subscales of the ACE-R (F(1;102)=4.09 p=0.046). CONCLUSION: A moderate-intensity exercise administered for a relatively short period of 12 weeks is capable of improving cognitive performance in a sample of elderly people who live independently in their homes.Clinical Trials Registration No: NCT03858114.

Active elderly and health-can moderate exercise improve health and wellbeing in older adults? Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Aging is marked by a progressive rise in chronic diseases with an impact on social and healthcare costs. Physical activity (PA) may soothe the inconveniences related to chronic diseases, has positive effects on the quality of life and biological rhythms, and can prevent the decline in motor functions and the consequent falls, which are associated with early death and disability in older adults. METHODS: We randomized 120 over-65 males and females into groups of similar size and timing and will give each either moderate physical activity or cultural and recreational activities. Being younger than 65 years, inability to participate in physical activity for any medical reason, and involvement in a massive program of physical exercise are the exclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures are: quality of life, walking speed, and postural sway. Participants are tested at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month (24 weeks) and 12-month (48 weeks) follow-ups. DISCUSSION: This study aims at improving the quality of life, wellness, and cognitive functioning in the elderly through a low-cost affordable program of moderate physical activity. Given the growing aging of the world population and the social and economic burden of disability in the elderly, our results might have a major impact on future practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03858114 . Registered on 28 February 2019.

Testing Surgical Face Masks in an Emergency Context: The Experience of Italian Laboratories during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a broader use of masks by both professionals and the general population. This resulted in a severe worldwide shortage of devices and the need to increase import and activate production of safe and effective surgical masks at the national level. In order to support the demand for testing surgical masks in the Italian context, Universities provided their contribution by setting up laboratories for testing mask performance before releasing products into the national market. This paper reports the effort of seven Italian university laboratories who set up facilities for testing face masks during the emergency period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measurement set-ups were built, adapting the methods specified in the EN 14683:2019+AC. Data on differential pressure (DP) and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of 120 masks, including different materials and designs, were collected over three months. More than 60% of the masks satisfied requirements for DP and BFE set by the standard. Masks made of nonwoven polypropylene with at least three layers (spunbonded-meltblown-spunbonded) showed the best results, ensuring both good breathability and high filtration efficiency. The majority of the masks created with alternative materials and designs did not comply with both standard requirements, resulting in suitability only as community masks. The effective partnering between universities and industries to meet a public need in an emergency context represented a fruitful example of the so-called university "third-mission".

Unravelling the Potential of Lactococcus lactis Strains to Be Used in Cheesemaking Production as Biocontrol Agents.

This research, developed within an exchange program between Italy and Canada, represents the first step of a three-year project intended to evaluate the potential of nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from Italian and Canadian dairy products to select a consortium of strains to be used as biocontrol agents in Crescenza and Cheddar cheese production. In this framework, the acidification and the production of nisin in milk, and the volatile molecule profiles of the fermented milk, were recorded. The strains were further tested for their anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity in milk. The data obtained highlighted good potential for some of the tested strains, which showed production of nisin beginning within 12 h after the inoculation and reaching maximum levels between 24 and 48 h. The highest inactivation levels of L. monocytogenes in milk was reached in the presence of the strains 101877/1, LBG2, 9FS16, 11FS16, 3LC39, FBG1P, UL36, UL720, UL35. The strains generated in milk-specific volatile profiles and differences in the presence of fundamental aromatic molecules of dairy products, such as 2-butanone and diacetyl. The results highlight the interesting potential of some L. lactis strains, the producer of nisin, to be further used as biocontrol agents, although the strains need to be tested for interaction with traditional thermophilic starters and tested in real cheesemaking conditions.

Influence of Autochthonous Putative Probiotic Cultures on Microbiota, Lipid Components and Metabolome of Caciotta Cheese.

The present study was undertaken to produce probiotic Caciotta cheeses from pasteurized ewes' milk by using different combinations of autochthonous microbial cultures, containing putative probiotic strains, and evaluate their influence on gross composition, lipid components, sensory properties and microbiological and metabolite profiles of the cheeses throughout ripening process. A control cheese was produced using commercial starter cultures. The hydrophilic molecular pools (mainly composed by amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates) were characterized by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, while the cholesterol, α-tocopherol and fatty acid composition by HPLC-DAD/ELSD techniques. Conventional culturing and a PCR-DGGE approach using total cheese DNA extracts were used to analyze cheese microbiota and monitor the presence and viability of starters and probiotic strains. Our findings showed no marked differences for gross composition, total lipids, total cholesterol, and fatty acid levels among all cheeses during ripening. Differently, the multivariate statistical analysis of NMR data highlighted significant variations in the cheese' profiles both in terms of maturation time and strains combination. The use of autochthonous cultures and adjunct probiotic strains did not adversely affect acceptability of the cheeses. Higher levels of lactobacilli (viability of 108-109 cfu/g of cheese) were detected in cheeses made with the addition of probiotic autochthonous strains with respect to control cheese during the whole ripening period, suggesting the adequacy of Caciotta cheese as a carrier for probiotic bacteria delivery.

Metal self-assembly mimosine peptides with enhanced antimicrobial activity: towards a new generation of multitasking chelating agents.

Mimosine is a non-protein amino acid with various properties, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-virus among others. Due to its structural similarity with deferiprone (DFP), mimosine is a potential excellent metal chelator. In the present work, we combine experimental and theoretical (DFT) approaches in order to investigate the properties of mimosine peptides. Six different peptides were synthesized and their complex stoichiometry and stability were characterized by means of UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Then, the binding mode and self-assembly features of the peptides were evaluated using a DFT approach, taking into account different number of mimosine amino acids and varying the length of the spacer between the mimosine residues, and there was good agreement between experimental data and computational calculations. Further elucidations of the structural properties of these peptides allowed us to propose improvements in the structure of the mimosine moiety which can lead to enhanced affinity for high-valent metals. Moreover, we demonstrate that these peptides show an anti-microbial activity against Gram positive bacteria that is enhanced by the formation of a complex with iron(iii) ions. The mimosine peptides could be an alternative to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are expensive and susceptible to proteolytic degradation. In summary, in the present work, we propose a new generation of multipurpose mimosine-based peptides as new metal self-assembly chelators which could be a turning point in biomedical and nanotechnological applications.

Antibacterial Activity and Molecular Docking Studies of a Selected Series of Hydroxy-3-arylcoumarins.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the main public health concerns of this century. This resistance is also associated with oxidative stress, which could contribute to the selection of resistant bacterial strains. Bearing this in mind, and considering that flavonoid compounds are well known for displaying both activities, we investigated a series of hydroxy-3-arylcoumarins with structural features of flavonoids for their antibacterial activity against different bacterial strains. Active compounds showed selectivity against the studied Gram-positive bacteria compared to Gram-negative bacteria. 5,7-Dihydroxy-3-phenylcoumarin (compound 8) displayed the best antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 11 g/mL, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strain) and Listeria monocytogenes with MICs of 22 and 44 g/mL, respectively. Moreover, molecular docking studies performed on the most active compounds against Staphylococcus aureus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and topoisomerase II DNA gyrase revealed the potential binding mode of the ligands to the site of the appropriate targets. Preliminary structure-activity relationship studies showed that the antibacterial activity can be modulated by the presence of the 3-phenyl ring and by the position of the hydroxyl groups at the coumarin scaffold.

Microbiota of Sardinian Goat's Milk and Preliminary Characterization of Prevalent LAB Species for Starter or Adjunct Cultures Development.

This work was performed to study the microbiota of raw goat's milk (67 samples) collected in different areas of Sardinia, in order to select autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains for use in goat cheese manufacturing. Total mesophilic bacteria ranged between 105 and 107 cfu/mL; mean counts of Enterobacteriaceae did not exceed 4 log cfu/mL whereas those of E. coli and coagulase-positive staphylococci were lower than 1.5 and 2 log ufc /ml, respectively. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Listeria monocytogenes were recovered. The numbers of total LAB were in the range from 104 to 107 cfu/mL and mean yeasts counts varied between 103 and 105 cfu/mL. The most frequently isolated LAB species were Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus paracasei. The presence of Enterococcus faecium was also noteworthy. The in vitro study of some functional characteristics related to technological properties of the strains belonging to these species allowed to point out some strains possessing good potential for use as adjunct or starter cultures in the production of cheese.

Application of Autochthonous Lactobacillus Strains as Biopreservatives to Control Fungal Spoilage in Caciotta Cheese.

Fungal spoilage is one of the main causes of economic losses worldwide in the food industry. In the last years, consumer's demands for preservative-free processed foods have increased as a result of growing awareness about the health hazards associated with chemicals. Lactic acid bacteria have been extensively studied for their antibacterial and antifungal potential in order to be used as biopreservatives. The first objective of this study was to investigate in vitro the antifungal activity of autochthonous Lactobacillus strains against moulds commonly associated with cheese spoilage. Then, the Lactobacillus strains with the highest inhibitory effect and broadest spectrum were tested in single or mixed cultures against Penicillium chrysogenum ATCC 9179 and Aspergillus flavus ATCC 46283 on miniature Caciotta cheese produced at laboratory scale to evaluate in situ their ability to prevent mould growth and to determine their impact on cheese organoleptic properties and starter culture activity. The growth of the starter lactococcal population exhibited similar trend and values during ripening, suggesting that the addition of lactobacilli did not influence its growth and survival. Inhibition of P. chrysogenum inoculated in the milk was determined in cheeses produced with single or mixed Lactobacillus adjuncts as compared to cheeses without adjunct. The mixed adjunct cultures resulted in more effective, significantly reducing mould counts of more than 2 log units at the end of ripening. The application of the adjunct cultures resulted in a delay in mycelial growth of P. chrysogenum and A. flavus inoculated on the cheese surface as well. Finally, we found no significant differences among samples for the sensory parameters evaluated that received similar ratings. Our results indicate that the selected Lactobacillus strains may have a potential effect in controlling mould contamination on cheeses. Further studies are currently being carried out to identify the molecules responsible for the antifungal activity.

Biological Activities of Aerial Parts Extracts of Euphorbia characias.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-HIV, and cholinesterase inhibitory activities of aqueous and alcoholic extracts from leaves, stems, and flowers of Euphorbia characias. The extracts showed a high antioxidant activity and were a good source of total polyphenols and flavonoids. Ethanolic extracts from leaves and flowers displayed the highest inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, showing potential properties against Alzheimer's disease. Antimicrobial assay showed that leaves and flowers extracts were active against all Gram-positive bacteria tested. The ethanolic leaves extract appeared to have the strongest antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus with MIC value of 312.5 µg/mL followed by Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus that also exhibited good sensitivity with MIC values of 1250 µg/mL. Moreover, all the extracts possessed anti-HIV activity. The ethanolic flower extract was the most potent inhibitor of HIV-1 RT DNA polymerase RNA-dependent and Ribonuclease H with IC50 values of 0.26 and 0.33 µg/mL, respectively. The LC-DAD metabolic profile showed that ethanolic leaves extract contains high levels of quercetin derivatives. This study suggests that Euphorbia characias extracts represent a good source of natural bioactive compounds which could be useful for pharmaceutical application as well as in food system for the prevention of the growth of food-borne bacteria and to extend the shelf-life of processed foods.

Data on the changes of the mussels׳ metabolic profile under different cold storage conditions.

One of the main problems of seafood marketing is the ease with which fish and shellfish undergo deterioration after death. (1)H NMR spectroscopy and microbiological analysis were applied to get in depth insight into the effects of cold storage (4 °C and 0 °C) on the spoilage of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. This data article provides information on the average distribution of the microbial loads in mussels׳ specimens and on the acquisition, processing, and multivariate analysis of the (1)H NMR spectra from the hydrosoluble phase of stored mussels. This data article is referred to the research article entitled "Metabolomics analysis of shucked mussels' freshness" (Aru et al., 2016) [1].

Metabolomics analysis of shucked mussels' freshness.

In this work a NMR metabolomics approach was applied to analyze changes in the metabolic profile of the bivalve mollusk Mytilus galloprovincialis upon storage at 0°C and 4°C for 10 and 6 days, respectively. The most significant microbial groups involved in spoilage of mussels were also investigated. The time-related metabolic signature of mussels was analysed by Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) which revealed a clear discrimination between the fresh samples and those stored at 0°C and 4°C. The results evidenced a noticeable increase in acetate, lactate, succinate, alanine, branched chain amino acids, trimethylamine and a progressive decline of osmolytes like betaine, homarine and taurine during storage. Exploration of the correlations of these metabolites with microbial counts suggested their use as potential biomarkers of spoilage. The results support the use of NMR metabolomics as a valuable tool to provide information on seafood freshness.

Metabolomics and microbiological profile of Italian mozzarella cheese produced with buffalo and cow milk.

Italian buffalo mozzarella (BM) cheese metabolite profile and microbial communities were characterised and compared to cow mozzarella (CM). Polar metabolite profiles were studied by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) and results elaborated by multivariate analysis (MVA). BM produced using natural whey starter cultures (NWS) exhibited a higher microbial diversity with less psychrotrophic bacteria. BM samples were higher in threonine, serine, valine, and lower in orotic acid and urea. CM produced with commercial starters (CMS) had the highest count of Streptococcus thermophilus and higher levels of galactose and phenylalanine. CM obtained by direct acidification (CMA) had lower microbial counts and higher levels of urea and sugars. Orotic acid was the only metabolite linked to milk animal origin. Results indicated that this metabolite pool well reflects the different production protocols and microbial complexity of these dairy products. This approach can help to protect the designation of origin of Italian buffalo mozzarella.

Preliminary evaluation of probiotic properties of Lactobacillus strains isolated from Sardinian dairy products.

Twenty-three Lactobacillus strains of dairy origin were evaluated for some functional properties relevant to their use as probiotics. A preliminary subtractive screening based on the abilities to inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens and hydrolyze conjugated bile salts was applied, and six strains were selected for further characterization including survival under gastrointestinal environmental conditions, adhesion to gut epithelial tissue, enzymatic activity, and some safety properties. All selected strains maintained elevated cell numbers under conditions simulating passage through the human gastrointestinal tract, well comparable to the values obtained for the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and were able to adhere to Caco-2 cells to various extents (from 3 to 20%). All strains exhibited high aminopeptidase, and absent or very low proteolytic and strong ß-galactosidase activities; none was found to be haemolytic or to produce biogenic amines and all were susceptible to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Our results indicate that the Lactobacillus strains analyzed could be considered appropriate probiotic candidates, due to resistance to GIT simulated conditions, antimicrobial activity, adhesion to Caco-2 cell-line, and absence of undesirable properties. They could be used as adjunct cultures for contributing to the quality and health related functional properties of dairy products.