The incorporation of essential oils and nanotechnology into edible films has the potential to improve the microbiological safety of foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ...pullulan films containing essential oils and nanoparticles against 4 foodborne pathogens. Initial experiments using plate overlay assays demonstrated that 2% oregano essential oil was active against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium, whereas Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were not inhibited. Two percent rosemary essential oil was active against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. Typhimurium, when compared with 1%. Zinc oxide nanoparticles at 110 nm were active against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. Typhimurium, when compared with 100 or 130 nm. Conversely, 100 nm silver (Ag) nanoparticles were more active against S. aureus than L. monocytogenes. Using the results from these experiments, the compounds exhibiting the greatest activity were incorporated into pullulan films and found to inhibit all or some of the 4 pathogens in plate overlay assays. In challenge studies, pullulan films containing the compounds effectively inhibited the pathogens associated with vacuum packaged meat and poultry products stored at 4 °C for up to 3 wk, as compared to control films. Additionally, the structure and cross‐section of the films were evaluated using electron microscopy. The results from this study demonstrate that edible films made from pullulan and incorporated with essential oils or nanoparticles may improve the safety of refrigerated, fresh or further processed meat and poultry products.
Summary
The prevalence of multidrug‐resistant microbial pathogens due to the continued misuse and overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and medicine is raising the prospect of a return to the ...preantibiotic days of medicine at the time of diminishing numbers of drug leads. The good news is that an increased understanding of the nature and extent of microbial diversity in natural habitats coupled with the application of new technologies in microbiology and chemistry is opening up new strategies in the search for new specialized products with therapeutic properties. This review explores the premise that harsh environmental conditions in extreme biomes, notably in deserts, permafrost soils and deep‐sea sediments select for micro‐organisms, especially actinobacteria, cyanobacteria and fungi, with the potential to synthesize new druggable molecules. There is evidence over the past decade that micro‐organisms adapted to life in extreme habitats are a rich source of new specialized metabolites. Extreme habitats by their very nature tend to be fragile hence there is a need to conserve those known to be hot‐spots of novel gifted micro‐organisms needed to drive drug discovery campaigns and innovative biotechnology. This review also provides an overview of microbial‐derived molecules and their biological activities focusing on the period from 2010 until 2018, over this time 186 novel structures were isolated from 129 representatives of microbial taxa recovered from extreme habitats.
There has been a growing interest in the use of natural materials as a delivery mechanism for antimicrobials and coatings in foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ...pullulan coatings to improve internal quality and shelf‐life of fresh eggs during 10 wk of storage at 25 and 4 °C. Three treatments of eggs were evaluated as follows; non‐coated (control; C), coated with pullulan (P), and coated with pullulan containing nisin (N). The effects of the pullulan coatings on microbiological qualities, physical properties, and freshness parameters were investigated and compared with non‐coated eggs. For non‐coated eggs, as storage time increased, yolk index, albumen index, and Haugh unit value decreased and weight loss increased. However, pullulan coatings (P or N) minimized weight loss (<1.5%) and preserved the albumen and yolk quality of eggs (with a final B grade) 3 wk longer than non‐coated eggs at 25 °C. At 4 °C, both P‐ and N‐coated eggs went from AA to A grade after 9 wk and maintained the grade for 10 wk (4 wk longer than that of non‐coated eggs). This study is the first to demonstrate that pullulan coatings can preserve the internal quality, prolong the shelf‐life, and minimize weight loss of fresh eggs.
Practical Applications
Fresh eggs were uncoated or coated with an edible film (pullulan), alone or in combination with an antimicrobial peptide (nisin). The effects of the coatings on the microbiological qualities, physical properties, and freshness of eggs were investigated at room and refrigeration temperatures. Pullulan coatings, combined with refrigeration, reduced microbial levels, minimized weight loss, and improved the albumen and yolk quality of eggs longer than non‐coated eggs stored at room temperature. This is the first study to demonstrate that pullulan coatings can preserve the internal quality, prolong the shelf‐life, and minimize weight loss of fresh eggs.
The maturity and growth of social media have empowered online customers to generate electronic word of mouth (eWOM), on various online websites and platforms, which may influence an individual’s ...decision-making process. This paper explores eWOM information’s impact on social media users’ purchase intention by applying the information adoption model (IAM) and the technology acceptance model (TAM). PLS-SEM (SmartPLS V.3.3) has been utilized to test the hypotheses using data of 432 respondents. The research findings evinced that eWOM information quality, credibility, usefulness, and ease of use have been critical in determining online consumers’ intention to adopt eWOM and form purchase behavior on social media. The study’s outcomes offer the marketing managers a viewpoint to realize the significance of the effect of eWOM information on online purchase intention among social media users. Furthermore, the study findings will also enlighten marketing and business managers to utilize social media websites by gauging consumer behavior and focusing on characteristics of eWOM information on social media for better consumer insights.
The detection of glucose is crucial in the management of diabetes and other medical conditions but also crucial in a wide range of industries such as food and beverages. The development of glucose ...sensors in the past century has allowed diabetic patients to effectively manage their disease and has saved lives. First-generation glucose sensors have considerable limitations in sensitivity and selectivity which has spurred the development of more advanced approaches for both the medical and industrial sectors. The wide range of application areas has resulted in a range of materials and fabrication techniques to produce novel glucose sensors that have higher sensitivity and selectivity, lower cost, and are simpler to use. A major focus has been on the development of enzymatic electrochemical sensors, typically using glucose oxidase. However, non-enzymatic approaches using direct electrochemistry of glucose on noble metals are now a viable approach in glucose biosensor design. This review discusses the mechanisms of electrochemical glucose sensing with a focus on the different generations of enzymatic-based sensors, their recent advances, and provides an overview of the next generation of non-enzymatic sensors. Advancements in manufacturing techniques and materials are key in propelling the field of glucose sensing, however, significant limitations remain which are highlighted in this review and requires addressing to obtain a more stable, sensitive, selective, cost efficient, and real-time glucose sensor.
This article presents the nano-architecturing of highly sensitive SnO2–based gas sensors prepared by molecular imprinting technique with the presence of acetone and/or ammonia solvents to develop a ...sensor that has the ability to detect both gases which is being developed for the first time. Nanoparticles are prepared via hydrothermal method and then they have been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and N2 adsorption-desorption analyzer (BET) to determine their morphology, crystal structure, optical properties and surface area properties respectively. Four SnO2 films are fabricated using spin coating under different conditions of introducing ammonium hydroxide or acetone during the hydrothermal synthesis. Regular microsheets of about 5 μm in length and 500 nm thickness have been built up from nanoparticles of sizes ranged from 20 to 50 nm depending on the preparation conditions. The sensing properties of the fabricated sensors are tested against (ammonium hydroxide, acetone, LPG, oxygen and benzene), where the results showed that when the participation of the solvent during the synthesis process, it increases the response for these gaseous. The performance of the gas sensor devices is demonstrated and got higher values (about 90%) for Ammonia gas when the device is template with ammonium hydroxide and water and washed with water (SD) and limit of detection (600 ppb). Also, high sensitivity (about 77%) for Acetone is recorded for the device is template with ammonium hydroxide and acetone and washed with acetone (SA) and limit of detection (280 ppb).
Extract of natural plants is one of the most important metallic corrosion inhibitors. They are readily available, nontoxic, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, highly efficient, and renewable. ...The present project focuses on the corrosion inhibition effects of Peganum Harmala leaf extract. The equivalent circuit with two time constants with film and charge transfer components gave the best fitting of impedance data. Extraction of active species by sonication proved to be an effective new method to extract the inhibitors. High percent inhibition efficacy IE% of 98% for 283.4 ppm solutions was attained using impedance spectroscopy EIS measurements. The values of charge transfer
increases while the double layer capacitance
values decrease with increasing Harmal extract concentration. This indicates the formation of protective film. The polarization curves show that the Harmal extract acts as a cathodic-type inhibitor. It is found that the adsorption of Harmal molecules onto the steel surface followed Langmuir isotherm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR was used to determine the electron-rich functional groups in Harmal extract, which contribute to corrosion inhibition effect. Scanning electron microscopy SEM measurement of a steel surface clearly proves the anticorrosion effect of Harmal leaves.
The COVID-19 pandemic is due to infection caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus that impacts the lower respiratory tract. The spectrum of symptoms ranges from asymptomatic infections to mild ...respiratory symptoms to the lethal form of COVID-19 which is associated with severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and fatality. To address this global crisis, up-to-date information on viral genomics and transcriptomics is crucial for understanding the origins and global dispersion of the virus, providing insights into viral pathogenicity, transmission, and epidemiology, and enabling strategies for therapeutic interventions, drug discovery, and vaccine development. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 epidemiology, genomic etiology, findings from recent transcriptomic map analysis, viral-human protein interactions, molecular diagnostics, and the current status of vaccine and novel therapeutic intervention development. Moreover, we provide an extensive list of resources that will help the scientific community access numerous types of databases related to SARS-CoV-2 OMICs and approaches to therapeutics related to COVID-19 treatment.
Physicians' poor mental health not only hinders their professional performance and affects the quality of healthcare provided but also adversely affects patients' health outcomes. Few studies in ...China have evaluated the mental health of physicians. The purposes of this study are to quantify Chinese physicians' anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as evaluate associated risk factors.
In our study, 2641 physicians working in public hospitals in Shenzhen in southern China were recruited and interviewed by using a structured questionnaire along with validated scales testing anxiety and depressive symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for anxiety and depressive symptoms.
An estimated 25.67% of physicians had anxiety symptoms, 28.13% had depressive symptoms, and 19.01% had both anxiety and depressive symptoms. More than 10% of the participants often experienced workplace violence and 63.17% sometimes encountered it. Among our study population, anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with poor self-reported physical health, frequent workplace violence, lengthy working hours (more than 60 hours a week), frequent night shifts (twice or more per week), and lack of regular physical exercise.
Our study demonstrates that anxiety and depressive symptoms are common among physicians in China, and the doctor-patient relationship issue is particularly stressful. Interventions implemented to minimize workload, improve doctor-patient relationships, and assist physicians in developing healthier lifestyles are essential to combat anxiety and depressive symptoms among physicians, which may improve their professional performance.
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