Pomegranate Peel and Olive Leaf Extracts to Optimize the Preservation of Fresh Meat: Natural Food Additives to Extend Shelf-Life.

Quality and safety are one of the main concerns of the European Union in food preservation. Using chemical additives extends the shelf-life of fresh foods but raises consumer's concerns about the potential long-term carcinogenic effects. Using natural substances derived from agro-industrial by-products, which have significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, could extend the shelf-life of fresh foods such as meat.

Modulation of innate immunity related genes resulting in prophylactic antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

Background: The innate immunity acts during the early phases of infection and its failure in response to a multilayer network of co-infections is cause of immune system dysregulation. Epidemiological SARS-CoV-2 infections data, show that Influenza Virus (FLU-A-B-C) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are co-habiting those respiratory traits. These viruses, especially in children (mostly affected by 'multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children' [MIS-C] and the winter pandemic FLU), in the aged population, and in 'fragile' patients are causing alteration in immune response.

Eco-Friendly Sanitization of Indoor Environments: Effectiveness of Thyme Essential Oil in Controlling Bioaerosol Levels and Disinfecting Surfaces.

Bioaerosols and pathogens in indoor workplaces and residential environments are the primary culprits of several infections. Techniques for sanitizing air and surfaces typically involve the use of UV rays or chemical sanitizers, which may release chemical residues harmful to human health. Essential oils, natural substances derived from plants, which exhibit broad antimicrobial properties, could be a viable alternative for air and surface sanitation.

Antimicrobial efficacy of peel extract against pathogens belonging to the ESKAPE group.

The improper use and abuse of antibiotics have led to an increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria resulting in a failure of standard antibiotic therapies. To date, this phenomenon represents a leading public health threat of the 21st century which requires alternative strategies to fight infections such as the identification of new molecules active against MDR strains. In the last 20 years, natural extracts with biological activities attracted scientific interest.

Vine-Winery Byproducts as Precious Resource of Natural Antimicrobials: In Vitro Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Grape Pomace Extracts against Foodborne Pathogens.

Grape pomace is the main by-product of vine-winery chains. It requires adequate treatment and disposal but is also an economically underused source of bioactive plant secondary metabolites. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects of polyphenolic extracts from Aglianico ( L.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficacy of Thyme ( L.) Essential Oil against Foodborne Illness Pathogens, subsp. Serovar Typhimurium and .

Nowadays, the wide spread of foodborne illness and the growing concerns about the use of synthetic food additives have shifted the focus of researchers towards essential oils (EOs) as possible antimicrobials and preservatives of natural origin. Thanks to their antimicrobial properties against pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms, EOs have shown good potential for use as alternative food additives, also to counteract biofilm-forming bacterial strains, the spread of which is considered to be among the main causes of the increase in foodborne illness outbreaks. In this context, the aim of this study has been to define the antibacterial and antibiofilm profile of thyme ( L.

Ambra1 modulates the tumor immune microenvironment and response to PD-1 blockade in melanoma.

Background: Loss of Ambra1 (autophagy and beclin 1 regulator 1), a multifunctional scaffold protein, promotes the formation of nevi and contributes to several phases of melanoma development. The suppressive functions of Ambra1 in melanoma are mediated by negative regulation of cell proliferation and invasion; however, evidence suggests that loss of Ambra1 may also affect the melanoma microenvironment. Here, we investigate the possible impact of Ambra1 on antitumor immunity and response to immunotherapy.

Towards Green Strategies of Food Security: Antibacterial Synergy of Essential Oils from and to Inhibit and Pathogenic Food Isolates.

Foodborne diseases continue to represent an important public health issue. The control of food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms is achieved mainly by synthetic chemicals, unfortunately associated to several undesirable aspects. The growing requirement for new and safe alternative strategies has resulted in the research of agents from natural sources with antimicrobial properties, such as essential oils (EOs).

New Insights into the Phenotype Switching of Melanoma.

Melanoma is considered one of the deadliest skin cancers, partly because of acquired resistance to standard therapies. The most recognized driver of resistance relies on acquired melanoma cell plasticity, or the ability to dynamically switch among differentiation phenotypes. This confers the tumor noticeable advantages.

Molecular Epidemiology of Genital Infections in Campania Region: A Retrospective Study.

This study provides updated information on the prevalence and co-infections caused by genital microorganisms and pathogens: , , , , and , by retrospectively analyzing a cohort of patients living in the Naples metropolitan area, Campania region, Southern Italy. To investigate the genital infections prevalence in clinical specimens (vaginal/endocervical swabs and urines) collected from infertile asymptomatic women and men from November 2018 to December 2020, we used a multiplex real-time PCR assay. Of the 717 specimens collected, 302 (42.

Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) restrains the angiogenic potential of colorectal carcinoma cells by activating a proresolving program via formyl peptide receptor 1.

Formyl peptide receptors (FPR1, FPR2 and FPR3) are innate immune sensors of pathogen and commensal bacteria and have a role in colonic mucosa homeostasis. We identified FPR1 as a tumour suppressor in gastric cancer cells due to its ability to sustain an inflammation resolution response with antiangiogenic potential. Here, we investigate whether FPR1 exerts similar functions in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells.

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers: Does Gelling Agent Really Matter?

Hand hygiene, social distancing, and face covering are considered the first protection against Coronavirus spreading. The high demand during the COVID-19 emergency has driven a frenetic production and marketing of hand sanitizer gels. Nevertheless, the effect of the gelling agent and its amount on the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs) needs to be clarified.

The Unusual Lipid A Structure and Immunoinhibitory Activity of LPS from Marine Bacteria KMM 6172 and KMM 6221.

Gram-negative bacteria experiencing marine habitats are constantly exposed to stressful conditions dictating their survival and proliferation. In response to these selective pressures, marine microorganisms adapt their membrane system to ensure protection and dynamicity in order to face the highly mutable sea environments. As an integral part of the Gram-negative outer membrane, structural modifications are commonly observed in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule; these mainly involve its glycolipid portion, i.

A novel smaller β-defensin-derived peptide is active against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains.

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a severe obstacle in the fight against acute and chronic infectious diseases that accompany most degenerative illnesses from neoplasia to osteo-arthritis and obesity. Currently, the race is on to identify pharmaceutical molecules or combinations of molecules able to prevent or reduce the insurgence and/or progression of infectivity. Attempts to substitute antibiotics with antimicrobial peptides have, thus far, met with little success against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains.

Discovery and SAR Evolution of Pyrazole Azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane Sulfonamides as a Novel Class of Non-Covalent -Acylethanolamine-Hydrolyzing Acid Amidase (NAAA) Inhibitors for Oral Administration.

Inhibition of intracellular -acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA) activity is a promising approach to manage the inflammatory response under disabling conditions. In fact, NAAA inhibition preserves endogenous palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) from degradation, thus increasing and prolonging its anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy at the inflamed site. In the present work, we report the identification of a potent, systemically available, novel class of NAAA inhibitors, featuring a pyrazole azabicyclo[3.

Microbiological Evaluation and Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Semen Samples of Patients Undergoing Fertility Investigation.

Fifteen percent of male infertility is associated with urogenital infections; several pathogens are able to alter the testicular and accessory glands' microenvironment, resulting in the impairment of biofunctional sperm parameters. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of urogenital infections on the quality of 53 human semen samples through standard analysis, microbiological evaluation, and molecular characterization of sperm DNA damage. The results showed a significant correlation between infected status and semen volume, sperm concentration, and motility.

Phytocompounds vs. Dental Plaque Bacteria: Effects of Myrtle and Pomegranate Polyphenolic Extracts Against Single-Species and Multispecies Oral Biofilms.

In the last decades, resistant microbial infection rate has dramatically increased, especially infections due to biofilm-producing strains that require increasingly complex treatments and are responsible for the increased mortality percentages compared with other infectious diseases. Considering that biofilms represent a key factor for a wide range of chronic infections with high drug tolerance, the treatment of biofilm-causing bacterial infections represents a great challenge for the future. Among new alternative strategies to conventional antimicrobial agents, the scientific interest has shifted to the study of biologically active compounds from plant-related extracts with known antimicrobial properties, in order to also evaluate their antibiofilm activity.

Synergy of Polyphenolic Extracts From Honey, Myrtle and Pomegranate Against Oral Pathogens, and .

The increasing incidence rate of oral diseases, the wide spread of antimicrobial resistance, and the adverse effects of conventional antibiotics mean alternative prevention and treatment options are needed to counteract oral pathogens. In this regard, our study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of polyphenolic extracts prepared from acacia honey, myrtle leaves, and pomegranate peel against cariogenic bacteria, such as and . The chemical-physical parameters of acacia honey and the RP-HPLC polyphenolic profile of pomegranate peel extract have been previously described in our studies, while the characterization of myrtle extract, performed by HPLC analysis, is reported here.