The effect of caffeine, nap opportunity and their combination on biomarkers of muscle damage and antioxidant defence during repeated sprint exercise.

To investigate the effect of 20 min nap opportunity (N20), 5 mg · kg of caffeine (CAF) and their combination (CAF+N20) on the biochemical response (energetic biomarkers, biomarkers of muscle damage and enzymatic antioxidants) to the running-based anaerobic sprint test. Fourteen highly trained male athletes completed in a double-blind, counterbalanced and randomized order four test sessions: no nap with placebo (PLA), N20, CAF and CAF+N20. Compared to PLA, all treatments enhanced maximum and mean powers.

The effect of post-lunch napping on mood, reaction time, and antioxidant defense during repeated sprint exercice.

To compare the effects of two nap opportunities (20 and 90 min) to countermeasure the transient naturally occurring increased sleepiness and decreased performances during the post-lunch dip (PLD). Fourteen highly trained judokas completed in a counterbalanced and randomized order three test sessions (control (No-nap), 20- (N20) and 90-min (N90) nap opportunities). Test sessions consisted of the running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST), simple and multiple-choice reaction times (MCRT) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS).

Caffeine Use or Napping to Enhance Repeated Sprint Performance After Partial Sleep Deprivation: Why Not Both?

Purpose: To compare the effect of a 20-minute nap opportunity (N20), a moderate dose of caffeine (CAF; 5 mg·kg-1), or a moderate dose of caffeine before N20 (CAF+N) as possible countermeasures to the decreased performance and the partial sleep deprivation-induced muscle damage.

Methods: Nine male, highly trained judokas were randomly assigned to either baseline normal sleep night, placebo, N20, CAF, or CAF+N. Test sessions included the running-based anaerobic sprint test, from which the maximum (Pmax), mean (Pmean), and minimum (Pmin) powers were calculated.

Improved Physical Performance and Decreased Muscular and Oxidative Damage With Postlunch Napping After Partial Sleep Deprivation in Athletes.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of napping after partial sleep deprivation (PSD) on reaction time, mood, and biochemical response to repeated-sprint exercise in athletes.

Methods: Nine male judokas performed 4 test sessions in a counterbalanced and randomized order. Participants accomplished 1 control session after a normal sleep night (NSN) and 3 after PSD with (1) no nap, (2) ∼20-min nap (N20), and (3) ∼90-min nap (N90) opportunities.

Sleep deprivation affects post-lunch dip performances, biomarkers of muscle damage and antioxidant status.

To compare the effects of two types of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) at the beginning (PSDBN) and the end (PSDEN) of the night on mood, cognitive performances, biomarkers of muscle damage, haematological status and antioxidant responses before and after repeated-sprint exercise in the post-lunch dip. Fourteen male athletes performed the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test following: (i) baseline normal sleep night, (ii) PSDBN, or (iii) PSDEN in a randomized and counter-balanced order. During each condition, participants performed simple and choice reaction time tests, the Profile of Mood States, subjective sleepiness, and the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test.

Use of extracellular polysaccharides, secreted by Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus spp., as reducing indole production agents to control biofilm formation and efflux pumps inhibitor in Escherichia coli.

The overuse of antibiotics and biofilm formation ability has led to the emergence of bacterial resistant strains. The combined use of several antibiotics has been found as an efficient strategy to overcome this resistance. In this study, two exopolysaccharides (EPS) obtained from Lactobacillus plantarum (EPS-Lp) and Bacillus spp.

Total Sleep Deprivation and Recovery Sleep Affect the Diurnal Variation of Agility Performance: The Gender Differences.

Romdhani, M, Hammouda, O, Smari, K, Chaabouni, Y, Mahdouani, K, Driss, T, and Souissi, N. Total sleep deprivation and recovery sleep affect the diurnal variation of agility performance: The gender differences. J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 132-140, 2021-This study aimed to investigate the effects of time-of-day, 24 and 36 hours of total sleep deprivation (TSD), and recovery sleep (RS) on repeated-agility performances.

Motility, biofilm formation, apoptotic effect and virulence gene expression of atypical Salmonella Typhimurium outside and inside Caco-2 cells.

Disease outbreaks related to waterborne pathogen contamination throughout the world as well as challenges that lie ahead for addressing persistent infection are of renewed interest. In this research, we studied the effects of prolonged exposure of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to the cues encountered in the extracellular environment particularly in seawater microcosm on bacterial virulence and subsequent infection in Caco-2 cells. Our data show a significant difference in biofilm formation, swimming and swarming motilities between normal and stressed cells of S.

Synergistic effect of eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene on inhibition of drug resistance and biofilm formation of oral bacteria.

Dental caries remains the most prevalent oral infectious disease worldwide. In this study, the antibacterial and the antibiofilm activities of five essential oils (EO's): eugenol (EUG), carvacrol (CAR), thymol (TYH), p-cymene (CYM) and γ-terpinene (TER) were tested (alone or in combinaison with tetracycline) against oral bacteria. In addition, their potential roles to enhance the accumulation of ethidium bromide (EtBr) in bacterial cells were tested.

Extracellular polysaccharide derived from potential probiotic strain with antioxidant and antibacterial activities as a prebiotic agent to control pathogenic bacterial biofilm formation.

Because of their functional diversity, bioactive compounds are becoming a new biocontrol agent to limit biofilm formation by pathogens. In this study, the physico-chemical characterization of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum (EPLB) was characterized and its in vitro effect on biofilm formation was studied. The EPS had a molecular weight of 36 kDa and polydispersity index estimated to be 1.

Use of carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol for biofilm eradication and resistance modifying susceptibility of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains to nalidixic acid.

The Aims of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial susceptibility and the biofilm eradication of three natural compounds carvacrol (CAR), thymol (TH) and eugenol (EUG), alone or in combination with nalidixic acid (NA) against twelve Salmonella Typhimurium strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (BEC) of the tested compounds (CAR, TH and EUG) and their combinations with NA were evaluated. In order to assess whether these bacteria had active efflux pumps, ethidium bromide (EtBr) accumulation assays was achieved using spectrophotometric accumulation assays.

Adhesion, invasion, cytotoxic effect and cytokine production in response to atypical Salmonella Typhimurium infection.

Pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella have the ability to respond to a wide variety of environmental stimuli. These responses allow them to survive and withstand insults both of an external location as well as within the host. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of preadaptation in stressful conditions encountered in seawater microcosms for different periods of time on Salmonella Typhimurium survival, antibiotic susceptibility and interactions with Caco-2 cells.

Use of juglone as antibacterial and potential efflux pump inhibitors in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the oral cavity.

In this study the minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) of tetracycline (Tet), erythromycin (Ery) and benzalkonium chloride (BC) in absence and in presence of a sub-MIC of juglone (Jug) were determined. In addition, the Ethidium bromide (EtBr) efflux assay was performed to assess the effect of Jug on EtBr cells accumulation. Our results showed a selective antimicrobial activity of Jug against the tested strains.

Antibacterial and efflux pump inhibitors of thymol and carvacrol against food-borne pathogens.

In this study thymol (THY) and carvacrol (CAR), two monoterpenic phenol produced by various aromatic plants, was tested for their antibacterial and efflux pump inhibitors potencies against a panel of clinical and foodborne pathogenes. Our results demonstrated a substantial susceptibility of the tested bacteria toward THY and CAR. Especially, THY displayed a strong inhibitory activity (MIC's values ranged from 32 to 64 μg/mL) against the majority of the tested strains compared to CAR.

Correlation of Oxidative Stress Parameters and Inflammatory Markers in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) usually initiates inflammation and oxidative stress leading to neuronal death. Diabetes and impaired fasting glucose are associated with incidence of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: In the present study, we assessed the relationship of fasting glucose with antioxidative parameters (erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and superoxide dismutase [SOD] activities) and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] and fibrinogen) in IS patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity of probiotic bacteria against oral pathogens.

In this study, three lactic acid bacteria (LAB), isolated from barley, traditional dried meat and fermented olive were characterized and tested for their anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activities against oral bacteria. Our results revealed that the tested LAB were γ-hemolytic and were susceptible to four antibiotics. All the strains were resistant to low pH, bile salt, pepsin and pancreatin.

MnSOD and GPx1 polymorphism relationship with coronary heart disease risk and severity.

Background: Disturbance of the equilibrium between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and anti-oxidants (AOX) has been implicated in various diseases, including atherosclerosis, the most common pathologic process underlying coronary heart disease (CHD). Thus, the defense systems against ROS are critical protecting blood vessel walls against oxidative damage. In this study, we investigate whether Ala16Val MnSOD and Pro198Leu GPx polymorphisms are associated with CHD susceptibility and/or severity.

Effect of the PPARγ C161T gene variant on serum lipids in ischemic stroke patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism, diabetes, obesity, atherogenesis and inflammation. PPARγ genetic variation has been associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the relationship between PPARγ C161T polymorphism and the risk of ischemic stroke (IS) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Molecular detection of bacteria associated to dental caries in 4-12-year-old Tunisian children.

The occurrence of several microbial species in the oral cavity of 4-12-year-old Tunisian children was investigated. Samples were taken from 158 children (81 caries actives and 77 caries free). Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed for the presence of 17 microbial species using a polymerase chain reaction assay.

Lack of association of CYP1A1 polymorphism with prostate cancer susceptibility of Tunisian men.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 gene polymorphism has been shown to be associated with several diseases. In this study, we evaluated the association between the polymorphism in the cytochrome P-450 (CYP)1A1 (CYP1A1) gene and genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer (PCa) in Tunisian men. One hundred and thirty eight PCa patients and the same number of controls were enrolled in this study.

Antibiotic resistance and adhesion properties of oral Enterococci associated to dental caries.

Background: Enterococci are increasingly associated with opportunistic infections in Humans but the role of the oral cavity as a reservoir for this species is unclear. This study aimed to explore the carriage rate of Enterococci in the oral cavity of Tunisian children and their antimicrobial susceptibility to a broad range of antibiotics together with their adherence ability to abiotic and biotic surfaces.

Results: In this study, 17 E.

Antibacterial and resistance-modifying activities of thymoquinone against oral pathogens.

Background: The presence of resistant bacteria in the oral cavity can be the major cause of dental antibiotic prophylaxis failure. Multidrug efflux has been described for many organisms, including bacteria and fungi as part of their drugs resistance strategy. The discovery of a new efflux pump inhibitor could extend the useful lifetime of some antibiotics.

Starvation survival of Candida albicans in various water microcosms.

Candida is a major Human pathogen causing a variety of infections and can survive for extended period of time in aquatic environment including marine and fresh water. In this study we compared a colorimetric XTT assay to colony forming units (CFU) count to evaluate the survival potential of Candida albicans incubated in water microcosms. Our results showed that cells maintain cultivability within a long period followed by a decline in cultivability and a drop of plate counts to less than 20 cell ml(-1) after 150 days in tap water, 190 days in rain water and 200 days in seawater.

Antibacterial activity of Thymoquinone, an active principle of Nigella sativa and its potency to prevent bacterial biofilm formation.

Background: Thymoquinone is an active principle of Nigella sativa seed known as "Habbah Al-Sauda" in Arabic countries and "Sinouj" in Tunisia. Bacterial biofilms tend to exhibit significant tolerance to antimicrobials drugs during infections.

Methods: The antibacterial activity of Thymoquinone (TQ) and its biofilm inhibition potencies were investigated on 11 human pathogenic bacteria.

CYP17 gene polymorphism and prostate cancer susceptibility in a Tunisian population.

Prostate cancer (PCa) formation has been reported to be associated with androgen. Two key steps in the sex steroid synthesis are mediated by the enzyme cytochrome P450c 17α which is encoded in the CYP17 gene. The A2 allele of the CYP17 gene has been thought to be associated with increased functional activity of this steroidogenic enzyme.