Bifunctional Double-Salt Ionic Liquids Containing both 4-Chloro-2-Methylphenoxyacetate and l-Tryptophanate Anions with Herbicidal and Antimicrobial Activity.

The goal of this research was to obtain and characterize ionic liquids based on a bisammonium cation and both 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate (MCPA) and l-tryptophanate anions. The concept of including two structurally different anions was utilized to achieve improved biological activity, while crucial functional traits could be designed by modifying the cation. The synthesis process was efficient and resulted in high yields. Subsequent analyses (nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) confirmed the chemical structure, purity, and molar ratio of ions in the obtained compounds. The described compounds are novel and have not been previously described in the literature. Evaluations of physicochemical properties indicated that the obtained double-salt ionic liquids (DSILs) exhibited high thermal stability, high solubility in water, and surface activity. A biological activity assessment using greenhouse tests revealed that the herbicidal efficiency of the studied DSILs was notably increased compared to the reference commercial herbicide (even by ∼50% in the case of oilseed rape), which could be attributed to their high wettability toward hydrophobic surfaces. The compounds also efficiently inhibited the growth of several microbial species, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values at the level of several µg·mL-1. The length of the spacer and alkyl substituent in the cation notably influenced the physicochemical and biological properties of the DSILs, which allowed us to design the structures of the obtained compounds in accordance with needs. The presented results confirm the high application potential of the described DSILs and provide a new and promising path for obtaining new and efficient plant-protection agents.

Isolation and probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria from swine feces for feed additive composition.

Animal microbiota is becoming an object of interest as a source of beneficial bacteria for commercial use. Moreover, the escalating problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is threatening animals and humans; therefore, in the last decade intensive search for alternative antimicrobials has been observed. In this study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from suckling and weaned pigs feces (376) and characterized to determine their functional properties and usability as pigs additives. Selection of the most promising LAB was made after each stage of research. Isolates were tested for their antimicrobial activity (376) and susceptibility to antibiotics (71). Selected LAB isolates (41) were tested for the production of organic acids, enzymatic activity, cell surface hydrophobicity and survival in gastrointestinal tract. Isolates selected for feed additive (5) were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and partial sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene, represented by Lentilactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus (both previously classified as Lactobacillus) and Pediococcus genus. Feed additive prototype demonstrated high viability after lyophilization and during storage at 4 °C and - 20 °C for 30 days. Finally, feed additive was tested for survival in simulated alimentary tract of pigs, showing viability at the sufficient level to colonize the host. Studies are focused on obtaining beneficial strains of LAB with probiotic properties for pigs feed additive.

Controlled fermentation of curly kale juice with the use of autochthonous starter cultures.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of different indigenous lactic acid bacteria isolates - as a single culture or bacterial consortium - on the functional and physicochemical properties of fermented curly kale juice. All tested variants exhibited good growth parameters, manifested by efficient pH lowering, increases in acidity, and fructose and glucose metabolism, as well as a significant inhibition of pathogens. A slight increase in total phenolic content was observed, while antioxidant activity remained unchanged. L. sakei and MIX A were associated with an increase in riboflavin and pyridoxine content, while L. plantarum only contributed to an increase in vitamin B6 content. Bioconversion of individual phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and glucosinolates strongly depended on the strain-specific metabolism. In the process, the levels of ferulic acid and other hydroxycinnamic acids were maintained, while the content of 9-cis lutein increased. Considering presented results and our previous research regarding probiotic features of LAB strains, among tested starter cultures - L. plantarum seemed to possess the best characteristics as a potential starter culture for controlled fermentation of curly kale juice.

Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria obtained from fermented curly kale juice.

The aim of the paper was to analyse changes in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations during spontaneous fermentation of green curly kale juice (Brasicca oleracea L. var. acephala L.) and to determine the probiotic potential of LAB isolates. The analyses revealed that changes in LAB populations were specific for spontaneously fermented vegetable juices. The initial microbiota, composed mostly of Leuconostoc mesenteroides bacteria, was gradually replaced by Lactobacillus species, mainly Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus sakei, and Lactobacillus coryniformis. Screening tests for the antimicrobial properties and antibiotic susceptibility of isolates allowed for the selection of 12 strains with desirable characteristics. L. plantarum isolates were characterized by the widest spectrum of antimicrobial interactions, both towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Also, L. plantarum strains exhibited the best growth abilities under low pH conditions, and at different NaCl and bile salt concentrations. All strains showed different levels of antibiotic sensitivity, although they were resistant to vancomycin and kanamycin. The present study has shown that bacterial isolates obtained from spontaneously fermented kale juice could constitute valuable probiotic starter cultures, which may be used in fermentation industry.

Spontaneously fermented curly kale juice: Microbiological quality, nutritional composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.

Nondairy fermented products, such as fruit and vegetable juices, are gaining popularity among consumers worldwide for health-related and economic reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in microbiological quality; antimicrobial and antioxidant activity; and phenolic, vitamin C, minerals, and cadmium content occurring during spontaneous fermentation of curly kale juice. The fermentation process contributed to a significant growth of lactic acid bacteria, enterococci, and yeasts, while no pathogens of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. were observed. The antimicrobial properties of the obtained juice improved during fermentation for all indicator microorganisms. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased from 48 to 116 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 mL and from 4.5 to 6.8 mM Trolox/100 mL, respectively, while the content of vitamin C decreased. The results indicated that 100 mL of juice provided a significant contribution to the recommended mineral intake. Moreover, the content of heavy metal Cd was within acceptable limit (6 µg/kg). Overall, our findings indicate that fermented curly kale juice may become popular in the functional food sector, especially among vegetarians and consumers with lactose intolerance or allergy to milk proteins. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: As the market for fermented fruit and vegetable products grows, new plant materials rich in biologically active compounds are being sought. Considering the high demand for sauerkraut, the fermentation of other cruciferous vegetables seems interesting. One example is curly kale, which has been classified as "superfood" due to its numerous beneficial health properties, such as strong antioxidant activity, high vitamins, and minerals content. In addition, a market niche exists due to a lack of fermented green curly kale products on the market, making our study particularly relevant.

Synthesis, Surface and Antimicrobial Activity of New Lactose-Based Surfactants.

This work presents a synthesis method for new surfactants based on lactose. The compounds obtained belong to the homologous series of O-ß-D-Galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-N-alkyl-(3-sulfopropyl)-D-glucosamine hydrochloride, containing 12 and 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, and they may serve as an example of cationic surfactants. The newly synthesized compounds exhibit good surface properties, low value of CMC (Critical Micelle Concentration) and good wetting properties. These surfactants' ability to produce foam is considerably higher than in the commercial surfactants. Moreover, antibacterial and fungistatic activity was carried out by well diffusion assay against the selected bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), yeasts (Candida albicans) and filamentous fungi (Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum, F. oxysporum, F. culmorum, F. equiseti, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea). It was shown that the resulting quaternary salts significantly inhibit the growth of tested microorganisms. Antibacterial and fungistatic activity of the surfactant compounds varied depending on the species of bacteria or fungi. The results of antimicrobial activity of new lactose derivatives indicate that the compounds exhibit larger or similar antagonistic activity against tested bacteria and fungi than typical cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride.

The Efficiency of Deoxynivalenol Degradation by Essential Oils under In Vitro Conditions.

Essential oils (EOs) are complex natural products of plant origin and exhibit different desirable, e.g., antimicrobial properties. Their growth inhibition effect on the pathogenic fungi of the genus, Fusarium, which forms deoxynivalenol (DON), has been documented. DON is the most common contaminant of grains and their products, causing strong emetic effects after their consumption. The aim of the study was to investigate the ability of selected EOs to degrade DON under in vitro conditions, using various incubation terms. The impact of a different temperature, pH, incubation time, mycotoxin, and essential oil concentration was tested. The results indicate that the kind of EO influences the effectiveness of mycotoxin level reduction, and the most effective EOs were palmarosa and lemon oils. A higher reduction of DON content by EOs was achieved after 24 h of the experiment (up to 72%), at a pH range between 3 and 6 and a temperature of 20 °C. Moreover, the effect of various doses of white and pink grapefruit and palmarosa EOs (100 and 200 µL/mL) on toxin level reduction was observed. The experiment confirmed that the selected EOs may be effective in DON reduction, as previously documented in experiments with zearalenone.

Antifungal activity of selected essential oils against Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum and their secondary metabolites in wheat seeds.

Essential oils (EOs) are products of plant origin and include mixtures of different chemical compounds. These volatile substances have many interesting properties, including antifungal properties. Fungi may develop under field conditions on crops such as wheat or corn and are able to synthesize mycotoxins, which adversely affect livestock and human health. In the present study, selected EOs were used to inhibit the growth of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum and reduce the concentrations of mycotoxins in wheat grain. The EOs significantly inhibited the growth of tested Fusarium species (90.99-99.99%), as determined based on ergosterol quantitative analysis. Only the addition of orange oil to F. culmorum exhibits a different inhibition capacity (68.13%). EO application resulted in a large reduction in zearalenone content (99.08-99.99%); only in the case of orange oil application was the reduction estimated at approximately 68.33%. However, all EOs provided a significant reduction in the concentration levels of group B trichothecenes (94.51-100%). It can be concluded that EOs inhibit the growth of fungi of the genus Fusarium and reduce concentration levels of the mycotoxins zearalenone and group B trichothecenes.

The Inhibitory Potential of Selected Essential Oils on Fusarium spp. Growth and Mycotoxins Biosynthesis in Maize Seeds.

Owing to their rich chemical composition, essential oils (EOs) have many interesting properties, including antimicrobial activities. The presence of Fusarium and their secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, in cereal crops is a serious problem in agriculture, which consequently affects food quality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of selected EOs on the growth of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum and the biosynthesis of mycotoxins in maize seeds. Chromatographic analysis of ergosterol as a fungal growth indicator showed a significant inhibition of Fusarium growth (83.24-99.99%) compared to the control samples, which as a consequence resulted in a reduction in mycotoxin concentrations. The addition of cinnamon, palmarosa, orange, and spearmint EOs was shown to be the most effective in reducing zearalenone concentration (99.10-99.92%). Deoxynivalenol analysis confirmed a very high reduction of this compound at the application all tested EOs (90.69-100%). The obtained results indicated that EOs have a great potential to inhibit growth of Fusarium fungi as well as reduce the concentration of mycotoxins in maize seed.

Degradation of Zearalenone by Essential Oils under In vitro Conditions.

Essential oils are volatile compounds, extracted from plants, which have a strong odor. These compounds are known for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. However, data concerning degradation of mycotoxins by these metabolites are very limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of essential oils (cedarwood, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, white grapefruit, pink grapefruit, lemon, eucalyptus, palmarosa, mint, thymic, and rosemary) on zearalenone (ZEA) reduction under various in vitro conditions, including the influence of temperature, pH, incubation time and mycotoxin and essential oil concentrations. The degree of ZEA reduction was determined by HPLC method. It was found that the kind of essential oil influences the effectiveness of toxin level reduction, the highest being observed for lemon, grapefruit, eucalyptus and palmarosa oils, while lavender, thymic and rosemary oils did not degrade the toxin. In addition, the decrease in ZEA content was temperature, pH as well as toxin and essential oil concentration dependent. Generally, higher reduction was observed at higher temperature in a wide range of pH, with clear evidence that the degradation rate increased gradually with time. In some combinations (e.g., palmarosa oil at pH 6 and 4 or 20°C) a toxin degradation rate higher than 99% was observed. It was concluded that some of the tested essential oils may be effective in detoxification of ZEA. We suggested that essential oils should be recognized as an interesting and effective means of ZEA decontamination and/or detoxification.

The impact of polyphenols on Bifidobacterium growth.

Polyphenols are a common group of plant based bioactive compounds, that can affect human health because of their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties as well as free-radical scavenging activity. An increasing interest is observed in the interaction between polyphenols and microbiota occurring in food and the human gut. The aim of the work presented here, was to evaluate the effect of some polyphenolic compounds on the growth of two strains of Bifidobacterium: B. adolescentis and B. bifidum. The influence of some flavonoids: naringinin, hesperidin, rutin, quercetin as well as phenolic acids: gallic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, chlorogenic, vanillic and sinapic was determined by a 96-well microtiter plate assay. In the experiments the effect of three different concentrations of polyphenols: 2, 20 and 100 µg/ml on the growth of Bifidobacterium strains was investigated. All tested compounds influenced the growth of the examined bacteria. Both stimulatory and inhibitory effects were observed in comparison to the positive control. The strongest impact on the growth of bifidobacteria was observed during the first hours of incubation. The constant inhibitory effect was observed for hesperidin and quercetin addition and was dose-dependent. B. bifidum showed a stronger dependence on phenolic acids content in the medium than B. adolescentis during the first hours of incubation.

Effects of Propionibacterium on the growth and mycotoxin production by some species of Fusarium and Alternaria.

The aim of this research was to study the antifungal properties of propionibacteria. Three fractions from cultures of Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii 41 and ssp. freudenreichii 111 (i.e. culture containing viable bacteria, cell-free supernatant and bacteriocin preparation) were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth and mycotoxin production of Alternaria alternata, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides. The growth of the fungi was monitored during cultivation using a plating method. The concentration of toxins produced was measured by HPLC on the 14th day of culture. Altenuene and tenuazonic acid were determined in cultures of A. alternata whilst concentration of nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1 and zearalenone was measured in Fusarium cultures. The strongest inhibition of growth and toxin production was observed in the presence of cultures containing viable cells and supernatants obtained from propionibacteria cultures. The bacteriocin extracts generally had a weak fungistatic effect on the growth of A. alternata, F. culmorum and F. graminearum. Despite the fact that growth was slower in the presence of bacteriocin extracts than in control trials, none of the preparations prepared from the propionibacteria significantly reduced the level of mycotoxin production. The ability of P. freudenreichii ssp. freudenreichii 111 to remove zearalenone from liquid medium was also evaluated. It was shown that both viable and non-viable cells caused a decrease in zearalenone concentration in the medium.