A sonotrode ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from olive leaves has been developed using a Box-Behnken design to optimize the effects of solvent composition and ultrasound ...parameters. The determination of single phenolic compounds was performed by HPLC-MS and the highest recovery in total compounds, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol was achieved using EtOH/H
O (55:45,
/
), 8 min and 100% of amplitude. The optimal conditions were applied on leaves from seven olive cultivars grown under the same conditions and the results were compared with those found by using a conventional ultrasonic bath, obtaining no statistical differences. Moreover, antioxidant activity by FRAP, DPPH and ABTS in these olive leaf extracts was evaluated and they exhibited a significant correlation with oleuropein and total phenolic content. All cultivars of olive leaf extracts were found to be active against
and methicillin-resistant
with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values) that ranged from 5.5 to 22.5 mg mL
. No extracts showed antimicrobial activity against
. The percentages of mycelium reduction in
ranged from 2.2 and 18.1%. Therefore, sonotrode could be considered as an efficient and fast extraction technique that could be easily scaled-up at industrial level, thus allowing for olive leaves to be revalorized.
Objectives
Analyse alternative methods of intrathecal antibody detection by comparing chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques to determine if CLIA ...can replace ELISA in the diagnosis of CNS infections.
Methods
A panel of 280 paired samples—cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum—with known antibody reactivities (
Varicella
,
n
= 60;
Measles
,
n
= 120) and negative samples (
n
= 100) were used to evaluate the performance of six serological test kits (Enzygnost, VirClia®, and Serion ELISA (Measles and Variella).
Results
For
Measles virus
IgG, the VirClia® IgG monotest revealed 97% and 94% positive and negative agreement to the Enzygnost as reference test, respectively. In contrast, Serion ELISA kits yielded values of 18% and 90%. For the
Varicella Zoster virus
(VZV) IgG, the VirClia® IgG monotest showed 97% and 90% positive and negative agreement compared to Enzygnost. The Serion ELISA kits showed values of 55% and 86%, respectively. ROC analysis revealed that the areas under the curve for
Measles
and VZV IgGs were 0.7 and 0.852, respectively, using the Serion kit, and 0.963 and 0.955, for Vircell S.L CLIA technique. VirClia® monotest values were calculated using an antibody index cut-off of 1.3.
Conclusion
The findings indicate that CLIA testing can improve antibody detection in CSF samples, aiding the diagnosis of infectious neurological impairments.
The growing global consumption of avocados, associated with contents including bioactive compounds with numerous health-promoting properties, is producing a large amount of agro wastes around the ...world. Different management approaches are available for the recovery of bioactive compounds from wastes as potential ingredients for use in the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals. Lactic acid fermentation can be used to exploit nutritional potential and add value to agro wastes. In this study, fermentations with lactic acid bacteria were carried out in avocado leaves, and the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity were determined by DPPH and FRAP assays from hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from fermented avocado leaves. Fifteen new phenolic compounds were identified for the first time in avocado leaves by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS.
CECT 748T and
CECT 4695T showed the highest antioxidant activity. The sum of phenolic compounds was increased by 71, 62, 55 and 21% in fermentations with
CECT 4695T,
CECT 5354,
CECT 5765T and
CECT 9567, respectively, while it was reduced in the fermentation with
748T by 21% as demonstrated by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. Biotransformations induced by bacterial metabolism modified the phenolic compound profile of avocado leaves in a strain-specific-dependent manner.
CECT 4695T significantly increased kaempferol,
4695T,
5354 and
9567 increased rutin, and dihydro-
-coumaric acid was increased by the five selected lactic acid bacteria. Total flavonoids were highly increased after fermentations with the five selected lactic acid bacteria but flavonoid glucosides were decreased by
748T, which was related to its higher antioxidant activity. Our results suggest that lactic acid bacteria led the hydrolysis of compounds by enzymatic activity such as glycosidases or decarboxylase and the release of phenolics bound to the plant cell wall, thus improving their bioavailability.
The quantification of exogenous lactobacilli in faecal samples is frequently required for the evaluation of the intestinal colonization by probiotic bacteria. In this study, a selective and ...differential medium, designated LPSM, was developed for the culture of exogenous
Lactobacillus plantarum. In quantitative assays, LPSM showed a sensitivity similar to those of enriched and
Lactobacillus-adapted media. The presence of ciprofloxacin made LPSM inhibitory to most intestinal bacteria, including endogenous acid lactic bacteria, whereas exogenous
L. plantarum strains grew producing a yellow color caused by acid production from sorbitol in the presence of bromocresol purple. The results showed that LPSM is suitable for detection and enumeration of
L. plantarum in faecal samples.
Irrigated almond orchards in Spain are increasing in acreage, and it is pertinent to study the effect of deficit irrigation on the presence of pests, plant damage, and other arthropod communities. In ...an orchard examined from 2017 to 2020, arthropods and diseases were studied by visual sampling under two irrigation treatments (T1, control and T2, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)). Univariate analysis showed no influence of irrigation on the aphid Hyalopterus amygdali (Blanchard) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) population and damage, but Tetranychus urticae Koch (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) damage on leaves was significantly less (50–60% reduction in damaged leaf area) in the T2 RDI treatment compared to the full irrigation T1 control in 2019 and 2020. Typhlocybinae (principal species Asymmetrasca decedens (Paoli) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)) population was also significantly lower under T2 RDI treatment. Chrysopidae and Phytoseiidae, important groups in the biological control of pests, were not affected by irrigation treatment. The most important diseases observed in the orchard were not, in general, affected by irrigation treatment. The multivariate principal response curves show significant differences between irrigation strategies in 2019 and 2020. In conclusion, irrigation schemes with restricted water use (such as T2 RDI) can help reduce the foliar damage of important pests and the abundance of other secondary pests in almond orchards.
Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are present in the gastrointestinal tract of mice from weaning until the maturation of the immune system. Probiotic bacteria also have an effect on host immunity. ...To study the relationships established between these bacteria, samples from a mouse model fed with Lactobacillus plantarum under different immunological conditions were analysed. SFB populations were measured by a newly designed group-specific quantitative PCR assay. The results confirmed the presence of the probiotic in the intestine and an expansion of SFB in the ileum of immunocompromised mice, which was abolished upon administration of L. plantarum, an effect not described to date.
The ketolide antibiotic telithromycin (TEL) exerts immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory effects in vitro and in a mouse model of septic shock. We studied the antiinflammatory activity of TEL in in ...vitro and in vivo models of airway inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
We measured the effects of TEL on the response of RAW 264.7 macrophages to LPS and of murine lung epithelial (MLE)-12 cells to supernatants of LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production, nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, and apoptosis were determined. Acute airway inflammation was induced in untreated and TEL-treated BALB/c mice by nebulization with LPS. Total number of leukocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils, the protein concentration, and nitrite and cytokine levels were determined in the BAL fluid.
TEL inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the production of MIP-2 and TNF-α by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and the production of MIP-2 by MLE-12 epithelial cells to supernatants of LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. NF-κB activation was inhibited and apoptosis was increased in both cell lines by TEL. The LPS-induced influx of neutrophils in BAL fluid was decreased by TEL pretreatment. TEL also reduced protein, nitrite, MIP-2, and TNF-α levels in the BAL fluid of LPS-nebulized animals.
We have provided evidence that TEL exerts potent antiinflammatory effects in LPS-induced airways injury. We propose that TEL acts in the early phase of inflammation by reducing the release of inflammatory mediators through NF-κB inhibition, and in the later phase through enhancement of inflammatory cell apoptosis.
We have previously reported that administration of Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-4034, Bifidobacterium breve CNCM I-4035 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-4036 to obese Zucker-Lepr
rats attenuates ...liver steatosis and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. The goal of the present work was to investigate the modulation of gene expression in intestinal mucosa samples of obese Zucker-Lepr
rats fed the probiotic strains using a DNA microarray and postgenomic techniques. We also measured secretory IgA content in the gut and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) in serum. Expression of three genes (Adamdec1, Ednrb and Ptgs1/Cox1) was up-regulated in the intestinal mucosa of the obese rats compared with that in the rats when they were still lean. Probiotic administration down-regulated expression of Adamdec1 and Ednrb at the mRNA and protein levels and that of Ptgs1/Cox1 at the mRNA level, and this effect was in part mediated by a decrease in both macrophage and dendritic cell populations. Probiotic treatment also increased secretory IgA content and diminished the LBP concentration. Based on results reported in this work and else where, we propose a possible mechanism of action for these bacterial strains.
Multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) interventions that promote healthy lifestyles may be an efficient approach in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases in primary care. This study aims ...to evaluate the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of the health promotion EIRA intervention in terms of MHBC and cardiovascular reduction. An economic evaluation alongside a 12-month cluster-randomised (1:1) controlled trial conducted between 2017 and 2018 in 25 primary healthcare centres from seven Spanish regions. The study took societal and healthcare provider perspectives. Patients included were between 45 and 75 years old and had any two of these three behaviours: smoking, insufficient physical activity or low adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern. Intervention duration was 12 months and combined three action levels (individual, group and community). MHBC, defined as a change in at least two health risk behaviours, and cardiovascular risk (expressed in % points) were the outcomes used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated and used to calculate incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR). Missing data was imputed and bootstrapping with 1000 replications was used to handle uncertainty in the modelling results. The study included 3062 participants. Intervention costs were euro295 higher than usual care costs. Five per-cent additional patients in the intervention group did a MHBC compared to usual care patients. Differences in QALYS or cardiovascular risk between-group were close to 0 (- 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). The ICER was euro5598 per extra health behaviour change in one patient and euro6926 per one-point reduction in cardiovascular risk from a societal perspective. The cost-utility analysis showed that the intervention increased costs and has no effect, in terms of QALYs, compared to usual care from a societal perspective. Cost-utility planes showed high uncertainty surrounding the ICUR. Sensitivity analysis showed results in line with the main analysis. The efficiency of EIRA intervention cannot be fully established and its recommendation should be conditioned by results on medium-long term effects.
Health promotion is a key process of current health systems. Primary Health Care (PHC) is the ideal setting for health promotion but multifaceted barriers make its integration difficult in the usual ...care. The majority of the adult population engages two or more risk behaviours, that is why a multiple intervention might be more effective and efficient. The primary objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness, the cost-effectiveness and an implementation strategy of a complex multiple risk intervention to promote healthy behaviours in people between 45 to 75 years attended in PHC.
This study is a cluster randomised controlled hybrid type 2 trial with two parallel groups comparing a complex multiple risk behaviour intervention with usual care. It will be carried out in 26 PHC centres in Spain. The study focuses on people between 45 and 75 years who carry out two or more of the following unhealthy behaviours: tobacco use, low adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern or insufficient physical activity level. The intervention is based on the Transtheoretical Model and it will be made by physicians and nurses in the routine care of PHC practices according to the conceptual framework of the "5A's". It will have a maximum duration of 12 months and it will be carried out to three different levels (individual, group and community). Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained measured by the tariffs of the EuroQol-5D questionnaire will be estimated. The implementation strategy is based on the "Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research", a set of discrete implementation strategies and an evaluation framework.
EIRA study will determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex multiple risk intervention and will provide a better understanding of implementation processes of health promotion interventions in PHC setting. It may contribute to increase knowledge about the individual and structural barriers that affect implementation of these interventions and to quantify the contextual factors that moderate the effectiveness of implementation.
ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03136211 .Retrospectively registered on May 2, 2017.