Prevalence of Bacillus spp. in different food products collected in Argentina

The prevalence of Bacillus spp. in 279 samples of different food products collected in Argentina was studied. Bacillus spp. was confirmed in 28 out of 70 honey samples, 29 out of 29 flour samples, 15 out of 50 cheese samples, and 30 out of 30 spice samples, while Bacillus spp. was not found in fresh anchovy. Among the 70 honeys studied, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus laterosporus and Paenibacillus larvae subspp. larvae showed an incidence of 23%, 4%, 8% and 38%, respectively. More diversity of Bacillus species was found in rye flours than in white flours, Bacillus subtilis being the predominant species isolated from rye flour. B. cereus had an incidence of 50% in Port Salut Argentino cheeses. Meanwhile, B. pumilus was identified in both Port Salut and Quartirolo cheeses with an incidence of 50% and 25%, respectively. All the spices analysed showed Bacillus mycoides as the sole aerobic spore-forming bacilli isolated. The association of the presence of B. cereus, B. subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis with both the potential spoilage of foods and foodborne outbreaks is well known. In this study, Bacillus spp. had an incidence of 38% among all the samples analysed, therefore the monitoring of those species should be routinely done in microbiological food analyses.     

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Modulates Postoperative Pain by Regulating Biochemical and Molecular Pathways

Treating postoperative (PO) pain is a clinical challenge. Inadequate PO pain management can lead to worse outcomes, for example chronic post-surgical pain. Therefore, acquiring new information on the PO pain mechanism would increase the therapeutic options available. In this paper, we evaluated the role of a natural substance, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on pain and neuroinflammation induced by a surgical procedure in an animal model of PO pain. We performed an incision of the hind paw and EGCG was administered for five days. Mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, and motor dysfunction were assessed 24 h, and three and five days after surgery. At the same time points, animals were sacrificed, and sera and lumbar spinal cord tissues were harvested for molecular analysis. EGCG administration significantly alleviated hyperalgesia and allodynia, and reduced motor disfunction. From the molecular point of view, EGCG reduced the activation of the WNT pathway, reducing WNT3a, cysteine-rich domain frizzled (FZ)1 and FZ8 expressions, and both cytosolic and nuclear β-catenin expression, and the noncanonical β-catenin–independent signaling pathways, reducing the activation of the NMDA receptor subtype NR2B (pNR2B), pPKC and cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) expressions at all time points. Additionally, EGCG reduced spinal astrocytes and microglia activation, cytokines overexpression and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB) pathway, downregulating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activation, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Thus, EGCG administration managing the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways modulates PO pain related neurochemical and inflammatory alterations.     

In vitro fermentability and antioxidant capacity of the indigestible fraction of cooked black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), lentils (Lens culinaris L.) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.)

BACKGROUND: Pulses represent an important source of protein, as well as digestible and indigestible carbohydrates. Little information is available on the indigestible carbohydrates and antioxidant capacity of legume seeds. The cooked seeds of three pulses (black bean, chickpea and lentil) were evaluated for their indigestible fraction (IF), polyphenols content, antioxidant capacity and in vitro fermentability, including short‐chain fatty acid production. RESULTS: The insoluble indigestible fraction (IIF) was higher than the soluble counterpart (soluble indigestible fraction, SIF). The SIF value was highest in black beans, while no difference was observed between chickpeas and lentils. Black beans and lentils had higher polyphenols content than chickpeas. The IF of black beans exhibited the lowest and chickpeas the highest associated polyphenols content. Condensed tannins were retained to some extent in the IF that exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. The total IF of the three pulses produced short chain fatty acids (SCFA) after 24 h of in vitro fermentation by human colonic microflora. IF from black bean and lentil were best substrates for the fermentative production of butyric acid. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the IF of pulses might be an important source of bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide in the Management of Sepsis-Induced Coagulopathy and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a severe condition characterized by the systemic formation of microthrombi complicated with bleeding tendency and organ dysfunction. In the last years, it represents one of the most frequent consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pathogenesis of DIC is complex, with cross-talk between the coagulant and inflammatory pathways. The objective of this study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory action of ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA) in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced DIC model in rats. Experimental DIC was induced by continual infusion of LPS (30 mg/kg) for 4 h through the tail vein. Um-PEA (30 mg/kg) was given orally 30 min before and 1 h after the start of intravenous infusion of LPS. Results showed that um-PEA reduced alteration of coagulation markers, as well as proinflammatory cytokine release in plasma and lung samples, induced by LPS infusion. Furthermore, um-PEA also has the effect of preventing the formation of fibrin deposition and lung damage. Moreover, um-PEA was able to reduce the number of mast cells (MCs) and the release of its serine proteases, which are also necessary for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results suggest that um-PEA could be considered as a potential therapeutic approach in the management of DIC and in clinical implications associated to coagulopathy and lung dysfunction, such as COVID-19.