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Aims: Probiotics have the ability to enhance the immune system, produce anti-inflammatory action and promote wound healing process. The first aim of the study was to isolate pathogenic micro-organisms from sites of chronic ulcerative lesion. The second aim was to evaluate probiotic efficacy of SYNBIO ® (1:1 combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 ® and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502 ® ) in counteracting wound infections., Methods and Results: Several bacterial pathogens were isolated from chronic ulcerative lesions and identified by morphological, biochemical and molecular techniques. SYNBIO ® probiotic formulation was investigated for its antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration, co-aggregation and adherence capacity against the isolated pathogens. Moreover, SYNBIO was also tested in combination with some medical devices, using an in vitro model, in order to simulate a real ulcerative wound infection. Probiotic formulation demonstrated an inhibitory action against all the tested pathogens and their mixture (MIX), with an increased ability of co-aggregation during time. In addition, the adhesion percentage of probiotic micro-organisms to human keratinocyte (HaCaT cells) and human fibroblasts (NHF), calculated by an in vitro model, was 19% and 17% respectively, highlighting the possibility to create a protective environment preventing pathogens' biofilm formation in order to contrast infections., Conclusions: SYNBIO ® probiotics showed a very good antimicrobial capacity and adhesion percentage to HaCaT cells and fibroblasts, giving the opportunity to be successfully used as complement to conventional therapies in the treatment of chronic ulcerative lesions., Significance and Impact of the Study: A new therapeutic approach with probiotics (supplemented in topical applications, excluding side effects) able to eliminate pathogenic micro-organisms and improve healing of chronic ulcerative lesions., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

The types and methods of use of antibiotics in poultry farms in Cameroon, residual levels and potential microbial resistance were determined. A questionnaire-based survey identified the different antibiotics used and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine residual levels of antibiotics. Pathogens were isolated, identified by use of commercial API kits and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was determined. Oxytetracyclin, tylocip and TCN (oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol and neomycin) were the most frequently used antibiotics. Antibiotics screened by HPLC were chloramphenicol, tetracycline and vancomycin. All of them except vancomycin were detected, and the concentration of these antibiotics was higher than the maximum residual limits (MRL) set by regulatory authorities. No residues of various antibiotics were found in egg albumen or yolk. The concentration of tetracycline was significantly higher in liver (150 ± 30 µg/g) than in other tissues. Foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Listeria spp., Clostridium spp. and Escherichia spp., were identified. Most of the pathogens were resistant to these various antibiotics tested. These findings imply the need for better management of antibiotic use to control sources of food contamination and reduce health risks associated with the presence of residues and the development of resistant pathogens by further legislation and enforcement of regulations on food hygiene and use of antibiotics.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study assessed in healthy adults how daily consumption of the probiotic combination SYNBIO®, administered in probiotic-enriched foods or in a dietary supplement, affected bowel habits. Primary and secondary outcomes gave the overall assessment of bowel well-being, while a Psychological General Well-Being Index compiled by participants estimated the health-related quality of life as well as the gastrointestinal tolerance determined with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. Support Vector Machine models for classification problems were used to validate the total outcomes on bowel well-being. SYNBIO® consumption improved bowel habits of volunteers consuming the probiotic foods or capsules, while the same effects were not registered in the control groups. The recovery of probiotic bacteria from the faeces of a cohort of 100 subjects for each supplemented group showed the persistence of strains in the gastrointestinal tract.

Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered as an important indicator of freshness and quality of food. In this work, a new active packaging (AP) system for meat that, incorporating essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis at 4% (w/w), inhibits the increase of BAs and the bacteria involved into their production was developed. BAs were analyzed by a SPE-HPLC-DAD method during the storage time of meat (0-7 d, 4 °C). Results showed that, in each monitored day, Biogenic Amine Index (BAI) expressed in mg kg(-1) is lower in meat wrapped in AP with respect to that packed in polycoupled packaging (PP) (from 19% to 62%). A strong correlation was found between the inhibition of increase of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and their bacteria producers such as Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp. and Brocothrix thermospacta. By exploiting antimicrobial and antioxidant action of essential oil of R. officinalis, the new APs contribute to increase the shelf life of fresh meat and to preserve its important nutrients.

The essential oil obtained from different parts of Ferula glauca L. (formerly considered as a subspecies of F. communis) growing in Marche (central Italy), was analyzed for the first time by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major volatiles were (E)-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide in leaves, alpha-pinene, myrcene and germacrene D in flowers, alpha- and beta-pinene in fruits, (E)-beta-farnesene, myristicin and elemicin in roots, respectively. The differences in composition detected with respect to F. communis, made the volatile fraction a reliable marker to distinguish between them, and confirm the botanical data at the base of their discrimination. Furthermore, the oil was assayed for its antimicrobial activity by the broth microdilution method. B. subtilis was found to be the most sensitive microorganism, with the lowest MIC values.