Viticulture has been an important economic sector for centuries. In recent decades, global wine production has fluctuated between 250 and almost 300 million hectoliters, and in 2022, the value of ...wine exports reached EUR 37.6 billion. Climate change and the associated higher temperatures could favor the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine. OTA is a mycotoxin produced by some species of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium and has nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, teratogenic, hepatotoxic, and carcinogenic effects on animals and humans. The presence of this toxin in wine is related to the type of wine—red wines are more frequently contaminated with OTA—and the geographical location of the vineyard. In Europe, the lower the latitude, the greater the risk of OTA contamination in wine. However, climate change could increase the risk of OTA contamination in wine in other regions. Due to their toxic effects, the development of effective and environmentally friendly methods to prevent, decontaminate, and degrade OTA is essential. This review summarises the available research on biological aspects of OTA prevention, removal, and degradation.
Climate change, especially in the form of temperature increase and sea acidification, poses a serious challenge to the sustainability of aquaculture and shellfish farming. In this context, lactic ...acid bacteria (LAB) of marine origin have attracted attention due to their ability to improve water quality, stimulate the growth and immunity of organisms, and reduce the impact of stress caused by environmental changes. Through a review of relevant research, this paper summarizes previous knowledge on this group of bacteria, their application as protective probiotic cultures in mollusks, and also highlights their potential in reducing the negative impacts of climate change during shellfish farming. Furthermore, opportunities for further research and implementation of LAB as a sustainable and effective solution for adapting mariculture to changing climate conditions were identified.
This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation of queen scallop
with an indigenous strain of lactic acid bacteria (LAB),
I, previously isolated from its digestive tract, on gut microbial ...populations and growth rates during cultivation under simulated climate change conditions (pH 7.8, T = 16 ± 2 °C). After one month of feeding, the results showed a noticeable reduction in aquaculture diseases causing pathogens while maintaining sufficient viable
I cells. A higher pH and temperature resulted in higher growth rates, measured by the weight and length of scallops, compared to the control group. The results obtained shed light on the influence of the addition of lactic acid bacteria on the growth of bivalve mollusks under normal and climate change conditions, and provide control of pathogenic microorganisms. In the context of climate change, host-pathogen interactions need to be recognized and put under control by applying natural solutions to minimize the environmental footprint.
The search for unexplored plant resources that would provide a good basis for the development of novel probiotic functional foods is rapidly increasing. In this context, the strawberry tree fruit (
...L.) is particularly interesting, as it is rich in numerous antioxidant bioactive compounds that have been shown to be beneficial to health, but have not yet found industrial applications. In this work, the probiotic characterization of lactic acid bacteria strain
DB2, isolated from strawberries (
× Duch.), was performed. The tested strain proved to be safe to use, displaying no antibiotic resistance or hemolytic activity. Due to its proven probiotic potential during simulated gastrointestinal transit, its antimicrobial activity, and its coaggregation with pathogens, it was selected for fermentation of an aqueous
L. extract, which was subsequently microencapsulated and freeze-dried to extend its shelf life and preserve its functional properties. The antioxidant activity of the ferment obtained was maintained (80%), while after microencapsulation and freeze-drying, about 50% and 20% of the antioxidant activity was retained, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time the application of probiotics isolated from strawberries in the fermentation of strawberry tree extract and monitors the antioxidant activity during post-fermentation formulation, paving the way for a potential industrial application of this underutilized plant.
The objective of this research was to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria living in the digestive tract of the queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis and further test it as a probiotic culture ...on the growth of the bivalve during one month in captivity. Classic microbiological techniques (API and MALDI TOF) were used and four different strains of Lactiplantibacillus and one Lactococcus were identified and further analyzed, namely: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum I, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 2, Lactococcus lactis, and Lactiplantibacillus brevis. The isolated cultures were further tested for the highest antimicrobial activity towards the most common marine pathogens and survival at different temperatures and pH levels. The strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum I had the best results, with the highest antimicrobial activity (77–85% pathogen growth inhibition) and the best safety standards showing no antibiotic resistance, and no ability to synthesize biogenic amine and degrade red blood cells. Considering all the abovementioned characteristics, the strain Lpb. plantarum I was further tested on the growth and health status of the bivalve Aequipecten opercularis during a month of cultivation in captivity. The results showed that the incorporation of Lpb. plantarum I led to a decrease in the quantity of test microorganisms in the bivalve and an increase in both the growth rate weight and growth rate length of the queen scallop A. opercularis. Furthermore, the scallops fed with the algae culture + Lpb. plantarum I gained significantly higher meat yield (33.15 ± 2.63%) compared with the control scallops fed only with the algae culture (29.66 ± 2.87%). To conclude, the results from this research indicate that including Lpb. plantarum I as a dietary supplement could enhance growth performance and serve as a feasible approach to reduce pathogen levels while cultivating A. opercularis in captivity.
In this paper the effect of aflatoxin B
1
, ochratoxin A and zearalenon on morphology, growth parameters and metabolic activity of yeasts
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
,
Saccharomyces uvarum
,
Candida ...utilis
and
Kluyveromyces marxianus
was determined. The results showed that the three mycotoxins affected the morphology of all these yeasts, primarily the cell diameter, but not their final cell count. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the yeast membranes bound the mycotoxins,
C. utilis
in particular. The cell membranes of most yeasts underwent denaturation, except
S. uvarum
exposed to ochratoxin A and zearalenone. In the early stage of fermentation, all mycotoxin-exposed yeasts had lower metabolic activity and biomass growth than controls, but fermentation products and biomass concentrations reached the control levels by the end of the fermentation, except for
C. utilis
exposed to 20 µg/mL of zearalenone. The adaptive response to mycotoxins suggests that certain yeasts could be used to control mycotoxin concentrations in the production of fermented food and beverages.
Cheese in a sack is a traditional cheese produced in Croatia. Types of cheese with similar production technology are made in other countries but chemical and microbiological composition varies ...between regions. Traditionally, cheese in a sack is produced without the addition of starter cultures. Addition of beneficial probiotic cultures to numerous dairy products has documented advantages. Effects that the addition of probiotic bacteria to traditional cheese have on aroma compounds and sensory properties have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to determine the sensory properties and differences in the aromatic profiles between cheese samples ripened in a lambskin sack, produced traditionally without the addition of any starter culture, or with the addition of probiotic bacteria.
In this study, cheese in a sack was produced with the addition of probiotic cultures
B and
ssp.
S1. During ripening volatile aroma compounds were analysed with a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sensory properties were evaluated by trained tasters who are familiar with the traditional taste of the cheese from a sack. The results of aroma composition and taste scores were then compared using factorial and principal component analyses.
Chromatography showed differences in the composition of aroma compounds and the sensory properties between the cheese produced with
starter cultures and the control cheese, traditionally produced without a starter culture. The addition of probiotic cultures
B and
ssp.
S1 resulted in products with better sensory properties and chemical profile of volatile aromatic compounds.
This study investigates the usage of naturally present probiotic cultures as starter cultures in cheese in a sack production. Their effects on aroma profiles and sensory characteristics have been compared for the first time using factorial and principal component analyses.
Mycotoxins in food and feed Pleadin, Jelka; Frece, Jadranka; Markov, Ksenija
Advances in food and nutrition research,
2019, Volume:
89
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Mycotoxins represent secondary fungal metabolites not essential to the normal growth and reproduction of a fungus, but capable of causing biochemical, physiological and pathological changes in many ...species. Harmful effects of mycotoxins observed in humans and animals include carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, immune toxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, indigestion and so forth. These substances can be found in a variety of very important agricultural and food products, primarily dependent of product moisture content, and its water activity, relative air humidity, temperature, pH value, composition of the food matrix, the degree of its physical damage, and the presence of mold spores. Given that industrial processing has no significant effect on their reduction and in order to be able to vouch for the absence of mycotoxins, it is necessary to process foodstuffs under standardized and well-controlled conditions and to control each and every loop of the food production and storage chain. Preventative measures capable of reducing the contamination to the minimum must be in place and should be exercised by all means. In case that contamination does happen, methods for mycotoxin reduction or elimination should be implemented in dependence on a number of parameters such as properties of food or feed. Further research is needed in order to identify conditions that facilitate the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi and develop effective preventative measures that can reduce contamination of food and feed as also to recognize possible synergistic effects of different mycotoxins in organism.
3D printing technology (3DP) as additive manufacturing is an innovative design technology that can meet the individual nutritional and sensory needs of consumers. Therefore, the aim of this work was ...to apply 3DP in the production of a strawberry-based functional product with the addition of two hydrocolloids (corn and wheat starch) in three proportions (10, 15 and 20%) and to investigate the influence of 3DP process parameters on physico-chemical and textural properties, as well as the bioactive and antioxidant potential and microbiological stability, with(out) the addition of natural antimicrobial agents. Starch type had a significant effect on all tested bioactive compounds, as well as on starch content, except for total phenolic and hydroxycinnamic acid contents. Considering the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity, program 2 proved to be more suitable than program 1. All samples exhibited good textural properties, a high degree of stability and minimal geometric deviations. Regarding microbiological safety, no pathogenic bacteria were found in the 3DP samples during storage. The 3DP sample with added citral at a concentration of 75 mg L
showed the best microbiological quality. Ultimately, 3DP can be successfully used for the production of new strawberry-based functional products.
Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency (LSCD) is a very serious and painful disease that often results in impaired vision. Cultivation of limbal stem cells for clinical application is usually performed on ...carriers such as amniotic membrane or surgical fibrin gel. Transplantation of these grafts is associated with the risk of local postoperative infection that can destroy the graft and devoid therapeutic benefit. For this reason, electrospun scaffolds are good alternatives, as proven to mimic the natural cells surroundings, while their fabrication technique is versatile with regard to polymer functionalization and scaffolds architecture. This study considers the development of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) immune-compatible and biodegradable electrospun scaffolds, comprising cefuroxime (CF) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) active components, that provide both bactericidal activity against eye infections and support of limbal stem cells growth in vitro. The PCL/CF scaffolds were prepared by blend electrospinning, while functionalization with the TiO2 particles was performed by ultrasonic post-processing treatment. The fabricated scaffolds were evaluated in regard to their physical structure, wetting ability, static and dynamic mechanical behaviour, antimicrobial efficiency and drug release, through scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle measurement, tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis, antimicrobial tests and UV-Vis spectroscopy, respectively. Human limbal stem cells, isolated from surgical remains of human cadaveric cornea, were cultured on the PCL/CF and PCL/TiO2 scaffolds and further identified through immunocytochemistry in terms of cell type thus were stained against p63 marker for limbal stem cells, a nuclear transcription factor and cytokeratin 3 (CK3), a corneal epithelial differentiation marker. The electrospun PCL/CF and PCL/TiO2 successfully supported the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of the cultivated limbal cells and provided the antimicrobial effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
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