Recent Advances in the Discovery of Novel Drugs on Natural Molecules.

Natural products (NPs) are always a promising source of novel drugs for tackling unsolved diseases [...

Postharvest Quality of L. (cv Liscia-Diamante) Fruit Stored at Different Temperatures: Volatile Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils.

Citron ( L. cv. Liscia-diamante), cultivated in the "Riviera dei Cedri" (southern Italy), is mainly utilized in the production of candied fruit and essential oils (EOs).

Milk and Its Derivatives as Sources of Components and Microorganisms with Health-Promoting Properties: Probiotics and Bioactive Peptides.

Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and proteins, with an important role in adult health. Milk and dairy products naturally containing or with added probiotics have healthy functional food properties. Indeed, probiotic microorganisms, which beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance, are recognized to affect the immune response and other important biological functions.

Alternative Protein Sources and Novel Foods: Benefits, Food Applications and Safety Issues.

The increasing size of the human population and the shortage of highly valuable proteinaceous ingredients has prompted the international community to scout for new, sustainable, and natural protein resources from invertebrates (e.g., insects) and underutilized legume crops, unexploited terrestrial and aquatic weeds, and fungi.

Effect of Gaseous Citral on Table Grapes Contaminated by ITEM 18876.

is responsible for rapidly producing a deliquescent appearance in grape berries, generally favoured by cold chain interruptions. To counteract fruit spoilage and to meet consumer acceptance, innovative strategies based on the application of natural compounds are ongoing. Due to their biological activities, including antimicrobial ones, natural flavour compounds extend the shelf life and improve the nutritional value as well as the organoleptic properties of foods.

Rational Discovery of Antiviral Whey Protein-Derived Small Peptides Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease.

In the present work, and for the first time, three whey protein-derived peptides (IAEK, IPAVF, MHI), endowed with ACE inhibitory activity, were examined for their antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CL) and Human Rhinovirus 3C protease (3C) by employing molecular docking. Computational studies showed reliable binding poses within 3CL for the three investigated small peptides, considering docking scores as well as the binding free energy values. Validation by in vitro experiments confirmed these results.

Recent Advances in the Mechanisms and Regulation of QS in Dairy Spoilage by spp.

Food spoilage is a serious issue dramatically impacting the worldwide need to counteract food insecurity. Despite the very expensive application of low temperatures, the proper conservation of fresh dairy products is continuously threatened at different stages of production and commercialization by psychrotrophic populations mainly belonging to the genus. These bacteria cause discolouration, loss of structure, and off-flavours, with fatal implications on the quality and shelf-life of products.

Densely Functionalized 2-Methylideneazetidines: Evaluation as Antibacterials.

Twenty-two novel, variously substituted nitroazetidines were designed as both sulfonamide and urethane vinylogs possibly endowed with antimicrobial activity. The compounds under study were obtained following a general procedure recently developed, starting from 4-nitropentadienoates deriving from a common β-nitrothiophenic precursor. While being devoid of any activity against fungi and Gram-negative bacteria, most of the title compounds performed as potent antibacterial agents on Gram-positive bacteria ( and three strains of ), with the most potent congener being the 1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-nitro-4-(-tolyl)azetidine , which displayed potency close to that of norfloxacin, the reference antibiotic (minimum inhibitory concentration values 4 and 1-2 μg/mL, respectively).

Molecular Simplification of Natural Products: Synthesis, Antibacterial Activity, and Molecular Docking Studies of Berberine Open Models.

Berberine, the main bioactive component of many medicinal plants belonging to various genera such as , , and is a multifunctional compound. Among the numerous interesting biological properties of berberine is broad antimicrobial activity including a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. With the aim of identifying berberine analogues possibly endowed with higher lead-likeness and easier synthetic access, the molecular simplification approach was applied to the secondary metabolite and a series of analogues were prepared and screened for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial test species.

Mycotoxin Removal by spp. and Their Application in Animal Liquid Feed.

The removal of mycotoxins from contaminated feed using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been proposed as an inexpensive, safe, and promising mycotoxin decontamination strategy. In this study, viable and heat-inactivated CIP 76.13T and subsp.

Phenotypic and genomic characterization of ITEM 17297 spoiler of fresh vegetables: Focus on biofilm and antibiotic resistance interaction.

is widely recognized as a spoiler of fresh foods under cold storage, and recently associated also with infections in clinical settings. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) could be acquired and transmitted by horizontal genetic transfer and further increase the risk associated with its persistence in food and the need to be deeper investigated. Thus, in this work we presented a genomic and phenotypic analysis of the psychrotrophic ITEM 17297 to provide new insight into AR mechanisms by this species until now widely studied only for its spoilage traits.

Combined Effect of Active Packaging of Polyethylene Filled with a Nano-Carrier of Salicylate and Modified Atmosphere to Improve the Shelf Life of Fresh Blueberries.

Blueberries are popular among consumers for their high nutritional value but are highly perishable due to the microbial decay. The use of active packaging that is able to interact with the food through releasing or absorbing substances can be a valid approach to preserve the quality and increase the fruit's shelf-life. In this paper, an active packaging based on polyethylene (PE) filled with a nano-carrier of salicylate was prepared and characterized.

Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides as a Control Strategy against Skinborne Staphylococcal Biofilms.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) widely colonize the human skin and play an active role in host defense. However, these bacteria may cause malodours and increase infection incidence rate in immune-compromised patients and individuals with catheters and implants. CoNS spreading is favored by biofilm formation that also promotes the release of virulence factors and drug resistance.

Genomic Analysis of Three Cheese-Borne with Biofilm and Spoilage-Associated Behavior.

Psychrotrophic pseudomonads cause spoilage of cold fresh cheeses and their shelf-life reduction. Three cheese-borne sp., ITEM 17295, ITEM 17298, and ITEM 17299 strains, previously isolated from mozzarella cheese, revealed distinctive spoilage traits based on molecular determinants requiring further investigations.

Biofilm and Pathogenesis-Related Proteins in the Foodborne ITEM 17298 With Distinctive Phenotypes During Cold Storage.

In food chain, spp. cause spoilage by reducing shelf life of fresh products, especially during cold storage, with a high economic burden for industries. However, recent studies have shed new light on health risks occurring when they colonize immunocompromised patient tissues.

Structure-Based Identification and Design of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-Inhibitory Peptides from Whey Proteins.

Besides their nutritional value, whey protein (WP) peptides are food components retaining important pharmacological properties for controlling hypertension. We herein report how the use of complementary experimental and theoretical investigations allowed the identification of novel angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) peptides obtained from a WP hydrolysate and addressed the rational design of even shorter sequences based on molecular pruning. Thus, after bromelain digestion followed by a 5 kDa cutoff ultrafiltration, WP hydrolysate with ACEI activity was fractioned by RP-HPLC; 2 out of 23 collected fractions retained ACEI activity and were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Antibiotic Resistant Spp. Spoilers in Fresh Dairy Products: An Underestimated Risk and the Control Strategies.

Microbial multidrug resistance (MDR) is a growing threat to public health mostly because it makes the fight against microorganisms that cause lethal infections ever less effective. Thus, the surveillance on MDR microorganisms has recently been strengthened, taking into account the control of antibiotic abuse as well as the mechanisms underlying the transfer of antibiotic genes (ARGs) among microbiota naturally occurring in the environment. Indeed, ARGs are not only confined to pathogenic bacteria, whose diffusion in the clinical field has aroused serious concerns, but are widespread in saprophytic bacterial communities such as those dominating the food industry.

Proteomic analysis of the food spoiler Pseudomonas fluorescens ITEM 17298 reveals the antibiofilm activity of the pepsin-digested bovine lactoferrin.

Pseudomonas fluorescens is implicated in food spoilage especially under cold storage. Due to its ability to form biofilm P. fluorescens resists to common disinfection strategies increasing its persistance especially across fresh food chain.

Proteome Response of DSM 20266T to Anaerobiosis and Nitrite Exposure.

The viability and competitiveness of in meat mostly depend on the ability to adapt itself to rapid oxygen and nutrients depletion during meat fermentation. The utilization of nitrite instead of oxygen becomes a successful strategy for this strain to improve its performance in anaerobiosis; however, metabolic pathways of this strain underlying this adaptation, are partially known. The aim of this study was to provide an overview on proteomic changes of DSM 20266T cultured under anaerobiosis and nitrite exposure.

Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Citrus Water-Extracts Obtained by Microwave-Assisted and Conventional Methods.

Citrus pomace is a huge agro-food industrial waste mostly composed of peels and traditionally used as compost or animal feed. Owing to its high content of compounds beneficial to humans (e.g.

Draft Genome Sequence of Strain ITEM 17298, Associated with Cheese Spoilage.

is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous species that is often reported as a spoiler of fresh foods, but it has recently been implicated in clinical infection. In this study, we sequenced the genome of strain ITEM 17298, isolated from mozzarella cheese and able to cause several alterations under cold storage.

Reduction of whey protein concentrate antigenicity by using a combined enzymatic digestion and ultrafiltration approach.

The global interest in saving food resources is leading to recycle wasted-food materials to extract useful nutrients. In dairy industry, the recycling of whey proteins determines their utilization in the healthy-addressed foods, which, however, can cause immunological responses in allergic subjects. In this work, a whey protein concentrate (WPC) was alternatively hydrolyzed with pepsin, papain, trypsin and rennin in order to attenuate or abolish the β-lactoglobulin (BLG) antigenicity.