An indigenous microalgal pool containing Klebsormidium sp. K39 as a stable and efficacious biotechnological strategy for Escherichia coli removal in urban wastewater treatment.

Background: In recent decades the demand for freshwater has drastically increased as a consequence of population growth, economic development, climate change and pollution. Therefore, any strategy for wastewater treatment can play a role in alleviating the pressure on freshwater sources.

Results: In the present study an autochthonous microalgal pool (MP), isolated from a constructed wetland, was proposed as an alternative to the secondary treatment of an urban wastewater treatment system.

Current challenges of microalgae applications: exploiting the potential of non-conventional microalgae species.

The intensified attention to health, the growth of an elderly population, the changing lifestyles, and the medical discoveries have increased demand for natural and nutrient-rich foods, shaping the popularity of microalgae products. Microalgae thanks to their metabolic versatility represent a promising solution for a 'green' economy, exploiting non-arable land, non-potable water, capturing carbon dioxide (CO) and solar energy. The interest in microalgae is justified by their high content of bioactive molecules, such as amino acids, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, polysaccharides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (as ω-3 fatty acids), pigments (as β-carotene, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, phycocyanin, zeaxanthin and lutein), or mineral elements.

Effect of olive cake supplementation on faecal microbiota profile of Holstein and Modicana dairy cattle.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of olive cake supplementation on faecal microbiota of Holstein (n = 16) and Modicana (n = 16) dairy cows. Although no difference in richness was detected, within breeds and between the two dietary treatment, the PERMANOVA analysis applied to the beta diversity allowed to discriminate samples according to breeds (p < 0.001) and treatment (p < 0.

Inside Current Winemaking Challenges: Exploiting the Potential of Conventional and Unconventional Yeasts.

Wine represents a complex matrix in which microbial interactions can strongly impact the quality of the final product. Numerous studies have focused on optimizing microbial approaches for addressing new challenges to enhance quality, typicity, and food safety. However, few studies have investigated yeasts of different genera as resources for obtaining wines with new, specific traits.

Influence of olive cake dietary supplementation on fecal microbiota of dairy cows.

Olive by-products represent a valuable low-price feed supplement for animal nutrition. In the present study, the effect of the dietary destoned olive cake supplementation, on both composition and dynamics of the fecal bacterial biota of cow, was assessed by Illumina MiSeq analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. In addition, metabolic pathways were predicted by using the PICRUSt2 bioinformatic tool.

Effect of olive by-products feed supplementation on physicochemical and microbiological profile of Provola cheese.

Introduction: With the purpose to evaluate the effects of dietary olive cake, a source of bioactive phenolic compounds, as feed supplementation of lactating dairy cows on fatty acid composition, volatile organic compounds, and microbiological profiles of Provola cheese, we performed a two-arm study where control and experimental administered cows derived dairy have been compared.

Methods: Our panel of analyses include metabolomics, physicochemical detected variables, culture dependent and independent analyses, and a stringent statistical approach aimful at disclosing only statistically significant results.

Results And Discussion: Looking at the physicochemical variable's profiles, a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and conjugated linoleic acids as well of proteins were observed in experimental cheese samples, indicating the beneficial effect of dietary supplementation.

Olive Mill Wastewater Fermented with Microbial Pools as a New Potential Functional Beverage.

Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) represents a by-product but also a source of biologically active compounds, and their recycling is a relevant strategy to recover income and to reduce environmental impact. The objective of the present study was to obtain a new functional beverage with a health-promoting effect starting from OMWW. Fresh OMWW were pre-treated through filtration and/or microfiltration and subjected to fermentation using strains belonging to , and .

Oral Intake of the Commercial Probiotic Blend Synbio for the Management of Vaginal Dysbiosis.

A healthy vaginal microbiota is Lactobacillus-dominated. Several factors can interfere with the state of balance leading to dysbiosis, such as vaginal infections caused by bacteria and Candida species. The present single-arm, uncontrolled open-label study aimed to evaluate the ability of the SYNBIO probiotic combination, taken as an oral formulation, to contribute to vaginal health.

Multi-Functional Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains and Antimicrobial Effects in Minimally Processed Pomegranate ( L. cv Jolly Red) Arils.

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of both cells, and cell-free supernatants (CFS) of 7 selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains belonging to (4 strains), (1 strain), (1 strain), and (1 strain) species, against , Typhimurium, and , by both the agar-well diffusion and co-culture methods. In addition, probiotic and safety traits were also detected. Great variability was detected on antimicrobial effects, whereas all tested strains were found sensitive to most of the tested antibiotics, and without any DNase, gelatinase, or hemolytic activity.

Melatonin loaded hybrid nanomedicine: DoE approach, optimization and in vitro study on diabetic retinopathy model.

Melatonin (MEL) is a pleiotropic neurohormone of increasing interest as a neuroprotective agent in ocular diseases. Improving the mucoadhesiveness is a proposed strategy to increase the bioavailability of topical formulations. Herein, the design and optimization of MEL-loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (mel-LPHNs) using Design of Experiment (DoE) was performed.

Characterization of Isolates.

Bifidobacteria have long been recognized as bacteria with probiotic and therapeutic features. The aim of this work is to characterize the BA15 and BA17 strains, isolated from honeybee gut, to evaluate its safety for human use. An in-depth assessment was carried out on safety properties (antibiotic resistance profiling, β-hemolytic, DNase and gelatinase activities and virulence factor presence) and other properties (antimicrobial activity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation and hydrophobicity).

Microbial Consortia Involved in Traditional Sicilian Sourdough: Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeast Populations.

Sourdough is one of the oldest starters traditionally used for making baked goods, offering several advantages to the sensory, rheology, and shelf life of final products. The present study investigated, for the first time, the microbiota of spontaneously fermented Maiorca dough samples collected from bakeries located in Sicily (Italy). Four sourdough samples (M1, M2, M3, and M4), were produced using Host.

Coating Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG in Alginate Systems: an Emerging Strategy Towards Improved Viability in Orange Juice.

Fruit juices are successfully proposed as suitable probiotic vehicles, but researchers' efforts should be developed to avoid effects of bacteria overgrowing on sensory and nutritional cues of final products and to preserve viability of probiotic bacteria during storage. In the present study, encapsulation of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG strain in alginate systems was performed through ionotropic gelation technology. The alginate systems were optimized by using Box-Behnken Design to investigate the influence of three independent variables at three different levels: particle mean size and polydispersity index.

Adjunct Culture of Non-Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria for the Production of Provola Dei Nebrodi PDO Cheese: In Vitro Screening and Pilot-Scale Cheese-Making.

The present study aimed at selecting non-starter lactic acid bacteria strains, with desirable technological and enzymatic activities, suitable as adjunct culture for the Provola dei Nebrodi cheese production. One hundred and twenty-one lactic acid bacteria, isolated from traditional Provola dei Nebrodi cheese samples, were genetically identified by Rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting, using the (GTG)-primer, and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Twenty-seven strains, included in the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) list, were tested for technological and proteinase/peptidase activities.

The Wide Range of Antibiotic Resistance and Variability of Genotypic Profiles in from Domestic Animals in Eastern Sicily.

The emergence of multidrug resistance among Enterobacteriaceae in livestock poses a serious public health threat. , a usual host of intestinal microbiota, is recognized also as etiological agent of numerous infections widespread in both humans and animals. The colibacillosis is one of the most reported zoonoses worldwide, typically treated with antibiotics in the primary stages.

FoodOmics as a new frontier to reveal microbial community and metabolic processes occurring on table olives fermentation.

Table olives are considered the most widespread fermented food in the Mediterranean area and their consumption is expanding all over the world. This fermented vegetable can be considered as a natural functional food thanks to their high nutritional value and high content of bioactive compounds that contribute to the health and well-being of consumers. The presence of bioactive compounds is strongly influenced by a complex microbial consortium, traditionally exploited through culture-dependent approaches.

Employ of Citrus By-product as Fat Replacer Ingredient for Bakery Confectionery Products.

Citrus fruits processing is one of the foremost industrial activities in Sicily and the main residual by-product consists in peels and seeds (known as "pastazzo"). Traditionally this by-product has been used for different purposes, and only most recently, it has been described as source of a wide range of healthy bioactive compounds and dietary fibers. In the present work, a debittered food grade orange fiber (DOF), extracted from orange juice by-product, was experimentally obtained and tested as fat-replacer at different percentages (30, 50, and 70%) in bakery confectionery products (brioches).

Effects of Microencapsulated Blend of Organic Acids and Essential Oils as a Feed Additive on Quality of Chicken Breast Meat.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation based on a blend of microencapsulated organic acids (sorbic and citric) and essential oils (thymol and vanillin) on chicken meat quality. A total of 420 male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: the control group was fed with conventional diet (CON), while the other group received the control diet supplemented with 0.5% of a microencapsulated blend of organic acids and essential oils (AVI).

Dietary Supplementation of Tannin-Extracts to Lambs: Effects on Meat Fatty Acids Composition and Stability and on Microbial Characteristics.

Two extracts derived from plant material rich in hydrolysable (Tara, T; ) or condensed (Mimosa, M; ) tannins were added to lamb's diet and their effects on meat quality and on microbial population were evaluated; a diet without tannins represented the Control (C). Meat pH, vitamin E, intramuscular fat content and muscle fatty acid composition were determined. Oxidative stability and microbiological analyses were performed on meat samples after 0, 4 and 7 days of refrigerated storage.

Piacentinu Ennese PDO Cheese as Reservoir of Promising Probiotic Bacteria.

Piacentinu Ennese is a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese produced in the surrounding area of Enna (Sicily, Italy), using raw ewe's milk without the addition of any starter cultures. In the present study, the population of Piacentinu Ennese PDO cheese was in vitro screened in order to select promising probiotic strains to be further used in humans. One hundred and sixty-nine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 90 days ripened cheeses and identified by Rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting, using the (GTG)-primer, and by MALDI-TOF MS.

Effect of Molasses and Dried Orange Pulp as Sheep Dietary Supplementation on Physico-Chemical, Microbiological and Fatty Acid Profile of Comisana Ewe's Milk and Cheese.

The use of agro-industrial by-products for ruminant feed represents both an economical and environmental convenient way for reducing waste discharge and waste management costs for food industries. Large amounts of waste from citrus processing industries are available in Sicily, Italy. In the present study, the effect of dried citrus pulp as sheep dietary supplementation was evaluated on physico-chemical, microbiological and fatty acid composition of resulting milk and cheese.

Occurrence, diversity, and persistence of antibiotic resistant enterococci in full-scale constructed wetlands treating urban wastewater in Sicily.

Enterococci isolated from different sites of an urban wastewater treatment plant (consisting of three horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands) were investigated. One-hundred-thirty isolates were identified at species level and tested for resistance to eleven antibiotics, by microdilution method, and their clonal relatedness was established by SmaI-PFGE analysis. Results highlighted the persistence of enterococcal population in all effluents and the dominance of E.

Constructed wetlands combined with disinfection systems for removal of urban wastewater contaminants.

The removal efficiency of an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to obtain an effluent suitable for agriculture reuse was evaluated in a one-year period, taking into account the Italian wastewater limits and the recent European proposal for the minimum requirements water quality for agricultural irrigation. The secondary effluent of WWTP was treated by three full-scale horizontal sub-surface flow (H-SSF) constructed wetlands (CWs), working in parallel, planted with different macrophytes species, and combined with a UV device and a lagooning system running in series. The H-SSF CW system effectively reduced physico-chemical pollutants and its efficiency was steady over the investigation period, while, Escherichia coli densities always exceed the Italian limits required for wastewater reuse in agriculture.