Gut microbiota plays a significant role in the maintenance of physiological homeostasis, contributing to human health. Nevertheless, some factors (sex, age, lifestyle, physical activity, drug-based ...therapies, diet, etc.) affect its composition and functionality, linked to pathologies and immunological diseases. Concerning diet, it interacts with microorganisms, leading to beneficial or detrimental outcomes for the health of host. On the other hand, physical activity is known to be useful for preventing and, sometimes, treating several diseases of cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, respiratory, and muscular systems. This paper focuses on diet and physical activity presenting the current knowledge about how different diets (Western, ketogenic, vegan, gluten free, Mediterranean) as well as different types of exercise (intensive, endurance, aerobic) could shape gut microbiota.
Among the innovative trends in the wine sector, the continuous exploration of enological properties associated with wine microbial resources represents a cornerstone driver of quality improvement. ...Since the advent of starter cultures technology, the attention has been focused on intraspecific biodiversity within the primary species responsible for alcoholic fermentation (
) and, subsequently, for the so-called 'malolactic fermentation' (
). However, in the last decade, a relevant number of studies proposed the enological exploitation of an increasing number of species (e.g., non-
yeasts) associated with spontaneous fermentation in wine. These new species/strains may provide technological solutions to specific problems and/or improve sensory characteristics, such as complexity, mouth-feel and flavors. This review offers an overview of the available information on the enological/protechnological significance of microbial resources associated with winemaking, summarizing the opportunities and the benefits associated with the enological exploitation of this microbial potential. We discuss proposed solutions to improve quality and safety of wines (e.g., alternative starter cultures, multistrains starter cultures) and future perspectives.
Many scientific studies reveal a significant connection between human intestinal microbiota, eating habits, and the development of chronic-degenerative diseases; therefore, alterations in the ...composition and function of the microbiota may be accompanied by different chronic inflammatory mechanisms. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), in which autoreactive immune cells attack the myelin sheaths of the neurons. The purpose of this paper was to describe the main changes that occur in the gut microbiota of MS patients, with a focus on both microbiota and its implications for health and disease, as well as the variables that influence it. Another point stressed by this paper is the role of microbiota as a triggering factor to modulate the responses of the innate and adaptive immune systems, both in the intestine and in the brain. In addition, a comprehensive overview of the taxa modified by the disease is presented, with some points on microbiota modulation as a therapeutic approach for MS. Finally, the significance of gastro-intestinal pains (indirectly related to dysbiosis) was assessed using a case study (questionnaire for MS patients), as was the willingness of MS patients to modulate gut microbiota with probiotics.
While probiotics have a wide range of beneficial properties, they can also negatively affect the taste or aroma of foods products by resulting in the phenomenon of post-acidification. Ultrasound (US) ...is a tool to modulate the metabolism of probiotic bacteria, counteracting post-acidification and improving the performance and functional properties of microorganisms without affecting their viability. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the effect of 10 different combinations of power (20 and 40 %) and duration (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min) of US treatment on two functional strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (c16 and c19) isolated from table olives, with the aim of understanding how, some of the main functional and technological traits (viability, acidification, growth profile under different conditions, antibiotic resistance, viability at pH 2.0 and 0.3 % bile salts), were affected. It was found that the effects were strain dependent, and the best results were obtained for strain c19 in the combinations at 20 % for 8 and 10 min and 40 % for 2 min, where an improvement in functional characteristics was found, with some effects on biofilm stability, inhibition of acidification, without adverse results on some technological properties.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The main goal of this research was to study the effect of an Ultrasound (US) treatment on biofilm formation of
(strains c19 and DSM 1055),
subsp.
DSM 10140,
subsp.
DSM 20219, and
subsp.
DSM 20088. ...From a methodological point of view, each microorganism was treated through six US treatments, different for the power (10, 30, or 50% of the net power, 130 W), the duration (2, 6, or 10 min) and the application of pulses (0 or 10 s). After the treatment, a biofilm of the strains was let to form on glass slides and the concentration of sessile cells was analyzed for 16 days. Biofilms formed by untreated microorganisms were used as controls. As a first result, it was found that US significantly increased the concentration of sessile cells of
subsp.
, while for some other strains US treatment could not affect the formation of biofilm while improving its stability, as found for
DSM1055 after 16 days. The variable mainly involved in this positive effect of US was the duration of the treatment, as biofilm formation and stability were improved only for 2 min-treatments; on the other hand, the effect of power and pulses were strain-dependent. In conclusion, the results suggest practical implication of a US pre-treatment for various fields (improvement of adhesion of microorganisms useful in food or in the gut, biomedical and environmental industries), although further investigations are required to elucidate the mode of action.
•Ultrasound were used for a preliminary treatment of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.•Ultrasound increased the extent of acidification of Lactobacillus plantarum c19 in vitro.•The ultrasound effect is ...attributed to an increased permeability of the membrane of treated cells.
This paper focused on the evaluation of Ultrasound effect on the growth patterns (3–6% of salt and 45 °C), acidification (pH-decrease), interactions with microorganisms, and membrane permeability of nine strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Ultrasound treatment was applied at 20% of net power by modulating duration (2–10 min) and pulses (2–10 s).
Viable count (7.15–8.16 log CFU/mL) was never affected by Ultrasound, while the treatment increased the extent of pH decrease of at least three strains (109, 162 and c19). L. plantarum c19 was the best performer, as a low intensity treatment was able to increase its acidification, without affecting its growth. The effects could be attributed to an increased permeability of the cellular membrane, as suggested by the increase of released intracellular components. Other factors should be further assessed (e.g. possible changes in the metabolism) and the performances of Ultrasound-treated strains in real brines.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Fruit and vegetables are considered good natural supports for microorganisms; however, probiotics could cause negative changes on some organoleptic and sensory traits. Thus, the main topic of this ...paper was the design of coated apple chips as carriers for probiotics with a high level of sensory traits. The research was divided into two steps. First, four functional strains (
Limosilactobacillus reuteri
DSM 20016,
Bifidobacterium animalis
subsp.
lactis
DSM 10140, and
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
c16 and c19) were immobilized on apple pieces through dipping of fruit chips in probiotic suspensions for different contact times (from 15 to 30 min) and stored at 4°C for 12 days. Periodically, the viable count was assessed. As a result of this step, a contact time of 15 min was chosen because it assured an optimal deposition of microorganisms. In the second step, apple pieces inoculated with
B. animalis
subsp.
lactis
DSM 10140 were coated with alginate and gelatin and stored at 4 and 8°C for 10 days; pH, microbiological counts, color (browning index), and sensory scores were evaluated.
Bifidobacterium animalis
DSM 10140 exerted a negative effect on apple chips and cause a significant browning; however, the use of coating counteracted this phenomenon. In fact, coated chips showed higher sensory scores and lower browning index. In addition, gelatin showed better performances in terms of probiotic viability, because at 8°C, a significant viability loss of
B. animalis
DSM 10140 (1.2 log cfu/g) was found on alginate-coated chips. Gelatin-coated apple pieces with
B. animalis
subsp.
lactis
DSM 10140 could be an attractive functional food for a wide audience, although further investigations are required on
in vivo
effects of this product after consumption.
There is an increasing trend toward foods with probiotics; the awareness of healthy diet and wellbeing is the leading cause of this increase. As a result, food producers and stakeholders require new ...probiotic products. The increased incidence of lactose intolerance and the new lifestyles (vegan and vegetarian styles) have led to a renewed interest in non-dairy probiotic carriers. The use of biopolymeric matrices to develop active food packaging carrying probiotics has been studied and proposed as an alternative method to design new solutions. The main topic of this paper was the design of fresh-cut fruits (apples and melons) as carriers for a promising
; fruit pieces were coated with either alginate or chitosan. Apple (Granny Smith) and melon pieces (
, var.
) were preliminary treated with an anti-browning solution (citric and ascorbic acids). Then, fruit pieces were dipped in a solution containing
c19 (9 log cfu/ml) and coated with alginate or chitosan. Samples without probiotic and/or coatings were used as controls. All samples were stored at 4°C for 14 days under air or modified atmosphere (65% N
, 30% CO
, and 5% O
); the following analyses were done: pH, color, O
and CO
in the head space, microbiology (mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and molds). The most important results can be summarized as follows: (a) Alginate coating showed better performances than chitosan-coating, as it did not affect the viability of
. (b) The inoculation of probiotics in the controls negatively affected the color, but the coating was able to counteract this effect. This paper supports the combination of edible coatings and probiotic as a promising way to design new fruit-based functional foods; further investigations are required to study the effect of this combination on the sensory scores.
The topic of this paper is the investigation of the antibacterial effect of ultrasound (US) towards
Salmonella enterica
in a rice beverage. The beverage was inoculated at different levels (8 and ...5 log CFU/mL) and US-treated; then, a challenge test under refrigeration was carried out. The maximum net power of the equipment was 130 W; the treatment was carried out at 40–100% of the net power, for 2–10 min; the pulse was set to 2–10 s. For both the inoculum levels, power and time were the most important factors for the antimicrobial effect towards
S. enterica
. The combinations resulting in the highest inactivation of the pathogen were tested during the challenge test at 4 °C, and in some combinations,
S. enterica
remained below the detection limit for 13 days.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This paper reports on the use of ultrasound, combined with either Na–benzoate or citrus extract, to inhibit
Fusarium oxysporum
in orange juice. In a preliminary step, spores of
F. oxysporum
were ...inoculated into distilled water and treated through an ultrasound equipment; the treatments differed for acoustic energy (the maximum power attained by the equipment was 130-W frequency, 20 kHz; the energy was reported as percentage of the maximum power, from 40% to 100%), pulse (2 and 10 s), and duration of the treatment (from 2 to 10 min).Then, the treatment was validated in orange juice, in combination with either benzoate (0–100 ppm) or citrus extract (0–1,800 ppm), using a mixture design called centroid. The most significant effects were time, as single term, and the interaction energy/time/pulse; concerning the possibility of extending juice shelf life, the use of benzoate and citrus extract controlled
F. oxysporum
growth in orange juice and achieved a reduction of 5 log cfu/ml for at least 14 days.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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