Antimicrobial coatings for controlling Listeria monocytogenes based on polylactide modified with titanium dioxide and illuminated with UV-A

The anti-listerial properties of biodegradable polylactide coatings modified with titanium dioxide have been studied. Free standing films were prepared by casting solutions prepared from titanium dioxide and previously extruded polylactide. It was demonstrated that polylactide alone could support 2.84 ± 0.10 log CFU reduction of Listeria monocytogenes when incubated at 23 °C for 2 h. However, the log reduction for Listeria could be increased to >4 log CFU with titanium dioxide:polylactide composites illuminated with UV-A. The inactivation kinetics of L. monocytogenes followed a diphasic die-off with an initial 30 min lag period then a progressive decline in bacterial levels over a further 90 min period. The anti-listeria effect of polylactide:titanium dioxide films was dependent on illumination with UV-A but independent on the concentration of TiO₂ incorporated in the film within the range of 1–5% w/w. The mode of L. monocytogenes inactivation was via direct contact of the pathogen with the polylactide, in addition to the generation of oxygen radicals produced by excitation of the titanium dioxide. The composite film illuminated with UV-A was equally effective against Salmonella Typhimurium and Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli. The coating was stable to 5 repeated sanitation cycles consisting of detergent and sodium hypochlorite rinses. The polylactide-titanium dioxide coating shows potential as an antimicrobial coating although further work is required to assess if the protective film can function under commercial conditions.     

Antimicrobial effects of modified chitosan based coating containing nanoemulsion of essential oils,modified atmosphere packaging and gamma irradiation against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium on green beans

The antibacterial activity of modified chitosan-based coatings containing nanoemulsion of essential oils (EOs), gamma irradiation, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), alone or in combinations, against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium was evaluated on inoculated green bean samples. Firstly, four different nanoemulsions, made of carvacrol, mandarin, bergamot and lemon Eos, respectively, were compared in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the two bacteria evaluated in vitro using the micro-broth dilution method. Carvacrol nanoemulsion resulted to be the most effective antibacterial agent and was therefore selected to be incorporated into modified chitosan (MC) to form a bioactive coating. Secondly, the radiosensitivity of E. coli and S. Typhimurium to gamma irradiation was evaluated on inoculated green beans after coating deposition and MAP. Results showed that, without MAP, MC-based coating containing carvacrol nanoemulsion significantly increased the radiosensitization of E. coli and S. Typhimurium by 1.32-fold and 1.30-fold, respectively. Remarkably, the use of bioactive coating under MAP caused a synergistic effect with an increase in radiosensitivity by 1.80-fold and 1.89-fold for E. coli and S. Typhimurium, respectively. Thirdly, the antibacterial effects of the antimicrobial coating, gamma irradiation, MAP alone and their combinations were evaluated against these two bacteria during a 13-days storage of green beans at 4 °C. Bioactive coating deposition or gamma irradiation treatment resulted effective in controlling the growth of the two bacteria during the entire shelf-life. Moreover, it was also found that the combined treatment of antimicrobial coating, gamma irradiation and MAP caused the reduction of microbial population to undetectable levels during the whole storage period for E. coli and from day 7 to the end of storage for S. Typhimurium. The obtained results can be interested to food companies aiming to ensure the food safety with a prolonged shelf life.     

Preparation and Safety of Well-Dispersed RDX Particles Coated with Cured HTPB

HTPB/IPDI (hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene & Isophorone diisocyanate) and TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) were successively coated on RDX (hexogen) particles by solvent evaporation and aqueous slurry melting, respectively. When HTPB coated on RDX particles cured completely, TNT was removed by solvent dissolution and the well-dispersed RDX particles coated with cured HTPB were obtained successfully. SEM (scanning electron microscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectrometry), and laser granularity measurement were employed to characterize the coated samples, and the mechanical sensitivity and thermal stability were measured and analyzed. Results show that TNT on the outer layer effectively hinders the adhesion among the particles resulting from the curing of inner layer (i.e., HTPB and IPDI). The final coating particles disperse well and their mechanical sensitivity decreases significantly. When the covering amount of HTPB is 2 wt.%, drop height (H₅₀) of RDX increases from 37.2 to 66.5 cm and explosion probability (P) decreases from 92 to 16%. Compared with that of uncoated samples, the activation energy and self-ignition temperature of coated samples do not vary.     

道路石油沥青热稳定性能物化分析

通过对三种道路石油沥青老化前后试样进行元素分析、四组分分析、热重(TG)分析和红外光谱(FT-IR)分析,试验结果表明,沥青的热稳定性能主要体现在老化前后沥青中主要元素含量、组分组成及特征基团含量的变化,说明沥青的热稳定性能不仅与油源的资源属性密切相关,而且可通过干预沥青中主要元素的含量、化学组分的分布及特征基团的含量等生产出符合沥青宏观技术性能指标需求的合格产品.     

High Temperature Thermal Stability Investigation of Paraffinic Oil

The physical and thermal properties of paraffinic oil were investigated at 250-360°C to determine its suitability for use as a heat-transfer fluid. Thermal stability test was conducted at 360°C for a period of 480 hr in a stainless steel high-pressure autoclave. The paraffinic oil offered sufficient thermal stability for a period of about 300 hr and then became unstable resulting in thermal break down or cracking of the oil. Degradation of the oil led to the formation of gases, liquid components, and solid coke of about 5 wt.% of the starting material. The distillation test performed on the liquid components showed that the composition varied from light naphtha to heavy bituminous material.

The paraffinic oil compared favorably with synthetic organic fluids and the typical properties revealed its suitability as a heating fluid in a system with maximum usage temperature of 310°C as indicated by the thermal stability test. Comparative evaluation of the general properties of the tested paraffinic oil with other paraffinic and mineral oils of different product formulations showed excellent agreement. From these results, it is concluded that the paraffin oil sample produced by the local refinery is suitable for use as a potential thermal fluid at temperatures below 315°C, which is quite adequate for many industrial applications.     

On the physical and chemical stability of shales

The stability of clay-rich shales is profoundly affected by their complex physical and chemical interactions with drilling fluids. In this paper, an attempt is made to clarify the intricate links between transport processes (e.g. hydraulic flow, osmosis, diffusion of ions and pressure), physical change (e.g. loss of hydraulic overbalance due to mud pressure penetration) and chemical change (e.g. ion exchange, alteration of shale water content, changes in swelling pressure) that govern shale stability. It is shown that shale–fluid interactions can be manipulated to enhance cuttings and wellbore stabilization as well as improving hole-making ability in shale formations. The mode of shale-stabilizing action of a wide variety of water-based fluid additives is discussed and the merits of various mud systems are ranked. It is shown that shale stabilization normally achieved using oil-based/synthetic-based muds is now becoming achievable with economical and environmentally friendly water-based drilling fluids.     

Selection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for biosurfactant production and studies of its antimicrobial activity

Biosurfactants are generally microbial metabolites with the typical amphiphilic structure of a surfactant. This study investigated potential biosurfactants production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-10145 and Bacillus subtilis NCTC-1040 using glucose and n-hexadecane as substrates separately and compared it with the production in conventional medium. Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in BHMS (Bushnell hass mineral salt) medium with glucose as substrate decreased the surface tension from 72 of distilled water to 32 mN/m, this strain had higher reduction than Bacillus subtilis among all the substrates tested. The selection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the separation of biosurfactant was determined. The crude biosurfactant was extracted from the supernatant and the yield of the crude biosurfactant was about 1 g/l. Some surface properties of rhamnolipids biosurfactant were evaluated. It also showed antimicrobial activity against different bacteria and fungi strains. The crude biosurfactant showed good action as antimicrobial activity against different bacterial and fungal species.     

Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat products in Poland in 2007–2011

The aim of the study was to characterize strains of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready to eat (RTE) products collected as part of official food control and monitoring in Poland. A total of 105 L. monocytogenes isolates from RTE products: 54- cakes and 51 – delicatessen products were examined. The presence L. monocytogenes in cakes and delicatessen products was 0.4% and 0.7% respectively suggesting the level of contamination of RTE products with L. monocytogenes is very low.