Determination of the combined effect of grape seed extract and cold atmospheric plasma on foodborne pathogens and their environmental stress knockout mutants.

The study aimed to explore the antimicrobial efficacy of grape seed extract (GSE) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) individually or in combination against and wild type (WT) and their isogenic mutants in environmental stress genes. More specifically, we examined the effects of 1% (wt/vol) GSE, 4 min of CAP treatment, and their combined effect on 10403S WT and its isogenic mutants Δ, Δ, Δ, Δ as well as K12 and its isogenic mutants Δ, Δ, and Δ. In addition, the sequence of the combined treatments was tested.

Self-Assembly and Antimicrobial Activity of Lipopeptides Containing Lysine-Rich Tripeptides.

The conformation and self-assembly of two pairs of model lipidated tripeptides in aqueous solution are probed using a combination of spectroscopic methods along with cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The palmitoylated lipopeptides comprise C-YKK or C-WKK (with two l-lysine residues) or their respective derivatives containing d-lysine (k), i.e.

K-12 Transcriptomics for Assessing the Mechanism of Action of High-Power Ultrasound.

An investigation into the mechanisms of action on bacteria involving exposure to stress factors was conducted in this study. The effects of ultrasound on K-12 MG1655 and its isogenic mutant, ∆, under high power ultrasound treatments (26 kHz) were screened and identified by analysing their transcriptome differences between primary and secondary sequential treatments using RNA-Seq. This also helped to assess any developed protection for cells between different generations.

A Systematic Quantitative Determination of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Grape Seed Extract against Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens.

Concerns regarding the role of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in disease outbreaks are growing due to the excessive use of antibiotics. Moreover, consumers are demanding food products that are minimally processed and produced in a sustainable way, without the use of chemical preservatives or antibiotics. Grape seed extract (GSE) is isolated from wine industry waste and is an interesting source of natural antimicrobials, especially when aiming to increase sustainable processing.

Gamma aminobutyric acid production by commercially available probiotic strains.

Aims: Certain bacteria can produce gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) from glutamate in the human intestinal tract, leading to the possibility of altering GABA levels through diet. To this end, we assessed the ability of seven commercially available probiotic supplements to produce GABA.

Method And Results: Probiotic strains were compared for GABA production in pure culture.

Machine learning for groundwater pollution source identification and monitoring network optimization.

Unlabelled: The identification of the source in groundwater pollution is the only way to drastically deal with resulting environmental problems. This can only be achieved by an appropriate monitoring network, the optimization of which is prerequisite for the solution of the inverse modeling problem, i.e.

A Conceptual Model of Measurement Uncertainty in IoT Sensor Networks.

The growing popularity of inexpensive IoT (Internet of Things) sensor networks makes their uncertainty an important aspect of their adoption. The uncertainty determines their fitness for purpose, their perceived quality and the usefulness of information they provide. Nevertheless, neither the theory nor the industrial practice of uncertainty offer a coherent answer on how to address uncertainty of networks of this type and their components.

Antimicrobial Activity of Lipopeptide Biosurfactants Against Foodborne Pathogen and Food Spoilage Microorganisms and Their Cytotoxicity.

Lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by sp. were assessed regarding their antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were found not to be susceptible to these lipopeptides.

Molecular characterization of piezotolerant and stress-resistant mutants of Staphylococcus aureus.

Aims: In the previous work, following a pressure treatment with wild-type Staphylococcus aureus, we obtained piezotolerant isolates showing altered phenotypic characteristics. This work focuses on understanding the genetic background of their altered phenotype.

Methods And Results: AK23, a representative piezotolerant isolate was subjected to DNA microarrays, corroborated by PCR product sequencing and revealed 10-gene deletion.

Sulforaphane-enriched extracts from glucoraphanin-rich broccoli exert antimicrobial activity against gut pathogens in vitro and innovative cooking methods increase in vivo intestinal delivery of sulforaphane.

Purpose: Studies on broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) indicate beneficial effects against a range of chronic diseases, commonly attributed to their bioactive phytochemicals. Sulforaphane, the bioactive form of glucoraphanin, is formed by the action of the indigenous enzyme myrosinase.

The Three Lipocalins of Egg-White: Only Ex-FABP Inhibits Siderophore-Dependent Iron Sequestration by Enteritidis.

Enteritidis is the most prevalent food-borne pathogen associated with egg-related outbreaks in the European Union. During egg colonization, Enteritidis must resist the powerful anti-bacterial activities of egg white (EW) and overcome ovotransferrin-imposed iron-restriction (the most important anti-bacterial mechanism of EW). Many pathogens respond to iron restriction by secreting iron-chelating chemicals called siderophores but EW contains a siderophore-sequestering "lipocalin" protein (Ex-FABP) that is predicted to limit the usefulness of siderophores in EW.

Investigation into the antimicrobial activity of fumarate against Listeria monocytogenes and its mode of action under acidic conditions.

Organic acids such as fumarate are commonly used as antimicrobials in foods. Apart from the classical mechanism of intracellular dissociation, weak acids are active through important additional mechanisms which are not well-defined. Fumarate, based on its low dissociation constants is expected to have a low antimicrobial activity which is not the case, suggesting additional antimicrobial effects.

Amino acids other than glutamate affect the expression of the GAD system in Listeria monocytogenes enhancing acid resistance.

The Glutamate Decarboxylase (GAD) system is important for survival of L. monocytogenes and other microorganisms under acidic conditions. Environmental conditions influence the function of the GAD system.

Ιn Vitro Screening of γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Autoinducer-2 Signalling in Lactic Acid Bacteria Exhibiting Probiotic Potential Isolated from Natural Black Conservolea Olives.

In the present study, 33 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) previously isolated from natural black Conservolea olives were assessed for their probiotic potential in vitro, as well as for their autoinducer-2 (AI-2) activity under standard growth conditions and the production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The probiotic tests included the in vitro resistance to low pH and resistance to bile salts, the evaluation of bile salt hydrolase activity, as well as safety tests regarding their possible haemolytic activity and their antimicrobial activity against pathogens. The results indicated that 17 strains were able to survive in low pH and in the presence of bile, with 15 of them also exhibiting partial bile salt hydrolase activity.

Pollen season is reflected on symptom load for grass and birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in different geographic areas-An EAACI Task Force Report.

Background: The effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) in seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) depends on the definition of pollen exposure intensity or time period. We recently evaluated pollen and symptom data from Germany to examine the new definitions of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) on pollen season and peak pollen period start and end. Now, we aim to confirm the feasibility of these definitions to properly mirror symptom loads for grass and birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in other European geographical areas such as Austria, Finland and France, and therefore their suitability for AIT and clinical practice support.

A novel role for the glutamate decarboxylase system in Listeria monocytogenes; protection against oxidative stress.

The GAD system is widely present in several types of organisms and is known to play an important role in bacterial acid tolerance. There is only one account of this system playing a role in oxidative stress in bacteria and one in yeasts. Here we show for first time that it affects the oxidative stress resistance of a Gram-positive bacterium, (L.

The evaluation of pollen concentrations with statistical and computational methods on rooftop and on ground level in Vienna - How to include daily crowd-sourced symptom data.

Background: It is recommended to position pollen monitoring stations on rooftop level to assure a large catchment area and to gain data that are representative for a regional scale. Herein, an investigation of the representativeness of pollen concentrations was performed for 20 pollen types in the pollen seasons 2015-2016 in Vienna for rooftop and ground level and was compared with weather data and for the first time with symptom data.

Methods: The complete data set was analyzed with various statistical methods including Spearmen correlation, ANOVA, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and logistic regression calculation: Odds ratio and Yule's Q values.

Supplemental Vitamin B-12 Enhances the Neural Response to Sensory Stimulation in the Barrel Cortex of Healthy Rats but Does Not Affect Spontaneous Neural Activity.

Background: Although vitamin B-12 (B-12) is known to contribute to the structural and functional development of the brain, it is unclear if B-12 supplementation has any beneficial effect in healthy populations in terms of enhanced neurologic status of the brain or improved cognitive function.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of B-12 on the cortical neural activity of well-nourished young adult rats and tested the hypothesis that B-12 supplementation in healthy rats may reduce sensory-evoked neural activity due to enhanced inhibition.

Methods: Female Lister Hooded rats weighing 190-265 g (2-4 mo old) were included in the study.

Restructuring of Lipid Membranes by an Arginine-Capped Peptide Bolaamphiphile.

We study the self-assembly of arginine-capped bolaamphiphile peptide RAR (A: alanine, R: arginine) together with its binding to model membranes and its cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity. Anionic 2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) sodium salt/2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPG/POPE) vesicles and zwitterionic 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC/DOPC) vesicles are used as model membranes to mimic bacterial and mammalian cell membranes, respectively. We show that RAR adopts a polyproline-II collagen-like conformation in water.

Study on the effect of citric acid adaptation toward the subsequent survival of Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 in low pH fruit juices during refrigerated storage.

Pre-treatment of stationary phase cells of Lactobacillus plantarum NCMIB 8826 with citric acid (pH 3 to 6) for a short period of time significantly improved subsequent cell survival in several highly acidic fruit juices namely cranberry (pH 2.7), pomegranate (pH 3.5), and lemon & lime juices (pH 2.

New European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology definition on pollen season mirrors symptom load for grass and birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis.

Background: The use of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for allergic rhinitis and its clinical efficacy in clinical trials depends on the effective determination of pollen allergen exposure time periods. We evaluate pollen data from Germany to examine the new definitions on pollen season and peak pollen period start and end as proposed by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) in a recently published Position Paper. The aim was to demonstrate the ability of these definitions to mirror symptom loads for grass and birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis based on real-life data.