Extraction and Characterization of Cocoa Bean Shell Cell Wall Polysaccharides.

Cocoa bean shells (CBS), a by-product of the cocoa industry, from two cacao varieties and obtained after selected processing conditions (fermentation, drying, roasting) were characterized in terms of their chemical composition, where they were found to be a great source of carbohydrates, specifically dietary fiber, protein, ash, and polyphenols, namely quercetin, epicatechin, and catechin. Cell wall polysaccharides were isolated by alkaline extraction (0.5 M or 4 M KOH) and were found to be enriched primarily in pectic polysaccharides (80.

Coating polypropylene surfaces with protease weakens the adhesion and increases the dispersion of Candida albicans cells.

Objectives: To investigate the ability of the proteases, subtilisin and α-chymotrypsin (aCT), to inhibit the adhesion of Candida albicans biofilm to a polypropylene surface.

Results: The proteases were immobilized on plasma-treated polypropylene by covalently linking them with either glutaraldehyde (GA) or N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The immobilization did not negatively affect the enzyme activity and in the case of subtilisin, the activity was up to 640% higher than that of the free enzyme when using N-acetyl phenylalanine ethyl ester as the substrate.

Seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in domestic and wild animals from central Italy.

From January 2004 to July 2007, 2455 sera were collected from domestic and wild animals living in central Italy and tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Considering sera with 1:40 antibody titers as positive, 336 (13.68%) animals scored positive.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in a fallow deer (Dama dama) population in a preserve of central Italy.

From autumn 2004 to spring 2005, 70 fallow deer (Dama dama), 27 female and 43 male, living in a natural preserve of central Italy were examined by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to detect specific antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Thirty-one (44.28%) sera scored positive: in particular 10 fallow deer (8 male and 2 female) scored positive at 40 antibody titer, 21 deer (8 male and 13 female) at > or = 80 titer.