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Maternal diet plays a significant role in the fatty acid composition of breast milk. Dietary products such as milk and meat are the primary sources of natural TFAs for humans. These peculiar fatty acids hold nutritional significance as they not only lack the detrimental effects of industrially produced trans fats on the endothelium characteristic, but they also exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. The relationship between the presence of eight fatty acids in breast milk (including natural TFAs trans-vaccenic and conjugated linoleic acid) and the maternal diet has been explored, and their abundance has been compared to that of infant formulas. Two cohorts of lactating women, originating from a Spanish region, participated in this study; they adhered to the Southern European Atlantic diet or the Atlantic diet. While the consumption of conventional meat or dairy products does not seem to increase the abundance of TFAs in breast milk, trans-vaccenic and oleic acid are among the most distinctive features of breast milk fat in mothers consuming naturally improved dairy products with an improved fatty acid profile. The most significant differences between natural breastfeeding and formula feeding lie in natural TFAs, since formulas are notably deficient in natural TFAs while being overfortified in alpha-linolenic acid in comparison to breast milk. We suggest an improvement in the formulation of these products through using cow’s milk with an optimal fatty acid profile that better mimics the fatty acid composition found in human milk.

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the independent or combined use of nutritional ergogenic aids belonging to Group A of the ABCD classification by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in the context of cycling (caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, nitrates, and glycerol). A comprehensive search was carried out using three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. All the databases were searched for Randomized Controlled Trials or crossover design studies assessing the effects of supplementation on cycling performance in comparison with placebos in healthy adults. The methodological quality of each study was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Thirty-six articles involving 701 participants were included in this review, examining supplementation with caffeine (n = 5), creatine (n = 2), sodium bicarbonate (n = 6), beta-alanine (n = 3), and nitrates (n = 8). Additionally, supplemental combinations of caffeine and creatine (n = 3), caffeine and sodium bicarbonate (n = 3), caffeine and nitrates (n = 1), creatine and sodium bicarbonate (n = 1), and sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine (n = 4) were analyzed. A benefit for cyclists’ athletic performnce was found when consuming a caffeine supplement, and a potential positive effect was noted after the consumption of sodium bicarbonate, as well as after the combination of caffeine and creatine. However, no statistically significant effects were identified for the remaining supplements, whether administered individually or in combination.

IntroductionWhole Genome Sequencing (WGS) implementation in food safety laboratories is a significant advancement in food pathogen control and outbreak tracking. However, the initial investment for acquiring next-generation sequencing platforms and the need for bioinformatic skills represented an obstacle for the widespread use of WGS. Long-reading technologies, such as the one developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, can be easily implemented with a minor initial investment and with simple protocols that can be performed with basic laboratory equipment.MethodsHerein, we report a simple MinION Galaxy-based workflow with analysis parameters that allow its implementation in food safety laboratories with limited computer resources and without previous knowledge in bioinformatics for rapid Salmonella serotyping, virulence, and identification of antimicrobial resistance genes. For that purpose, the single use Flongle flow cells, along with the MinION Mk1B for WGS, and the community-driven web-based analysis platform Galaxy for bioinformatic analysis was used. Three strains belonging to three different serotypes, monophasic S. Typhimurium, S. Grancanaria, and S. Senftenberg, were sequenced.ResultsAfter 24 h of sequencing, enough coverage was achieved in order to perform de novo assembly in all three strains. After evaluating different tools, Flye de novo assemblies with medaka polishing were shown to be optimal for in silico Salmonella spp. serotyping with SISRT tool followed by antimicrobial and virulence gene identification with ABRicate.DiscussionThe implementation of the present workflow in food safety laboratories with limited computer resources allows a rapid characterization of Salmonella spp. isolates.

The objective of this work was to carry out a preliminary study of the fractionation by supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) extraction of two varieties of Peruvian beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), white (WB) and red (RB), to obtain two novel products: an oil rich in essential fatty acids and tocopherols and a defatted flour with high nutritional value and amino acids. The extraction temperature and pressure were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) and the extraction kinetics were optimized using the Spline equation. The results revealed that the best extraction conditions for WB and RB were 396.36 Bar, 40.46 °C, with an efficiency of 1.65%; and 391.995 Bar, 44.00 °C, with an efficiency of 1.12%, respectively. The WB and RB oils presented a high degree of polyunsaturation (63.2 and 52.8%, respectively), with oleic, linoleic, and linolenic fatty acids prevailing. Gamma-tocopherol was the predominant antioxidant in both oils. The residual flours (WB and RB) obtained after extraction with sc-CO2 had a high average content of proteins (23%), carbohydrates (61%), and minerals (3%). The limiting amino acids of WB were: Fen + Tyr, Leu, Lys, and in RB, only Leu was limiting. The viscosity of the solutions (20%) of the WB and RB flours mainly adjusted to the Waele’s Ostwald model (r = 0.988). It is concluded that both products (oil and bean flour) obtained in an optimized manner using an eco-friendly technology with sc-CO2 have high nutrient and bioactive component content and can be used in the development of new ingredients and healthy foods of plant origin.

Two brown seaweeds (Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida) were characterized in terms of their nutritional and mineral composition, as well as their potential to modify the human gut microbiota. Nutritional analysis of these seaweeds showed that they comply with the criteria set out in European legislation to be labeled “low fat,” “low sugar,” and “high fiber.” Mineral content analysis showed that 100 g of seaweed provided more than 100% of the daily Ca requirements, as well as 33–42% of Fe, 10–17% of Cu, and 14–17% of Zn requirements. An in vitro human digest simulator system was used to analyze the effect of each seaweed on the human colonic microbiota. The gut microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and short-chain fatty-acid analysis. Seaweed digestion and fermentation showed beneficial effects, such as a decrease in the phylum Firmicutes and an increase in the phyla Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. At the species level, seaweed fermentation increased the proportion of beneficial bacteria such as Parabacteroides distasonis and Bifidobacterium. Regarding of metabolic pathways, no significant differences were found between the two seaweeds, but there were significant differences concerning to the baseline. An increase in short-chain fatty-acid content was observed for both seaweeds with respect to the negative control, especially for acetic acid. Given of the obtained results, S. japonica and U. pinnatifida intake are promising and could open new opportunities for research and application in the fields of nutrition and human health.

The proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in strengthening the immune system. It is an undeniable fact that lactic acid microorganisms are necessary for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the source of which are mainly dairy products. However, there is a problem with the digestibility of lactose; therefore, alternative sources and carriers of probiotics are of particular interest. Due to its dietary and natural properties, protein marshmallow can serve as such a carrier. Therefore, the direction of this study is to identify the dependence of technological factors on the rheological properties of the product and the growth of lactic acid microorganisms in confectionery products enriched with lyophilised strains. According to the results of the study, the following was determined: the optimal technology to produce enriched Belevskaya pastille with a mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus makes it possible to obtain a product with the necessary rheological properties, utilising a mass drying mode in a dehydrator at 50 °C for 16 h. The strains L. acidophilus M3 and L. acidophilus M4 were the most resistant to a high concentration of bile (40%) in the substrate. Based on the analysis of variance and the obtained regression equations, it was revealed that the growth of lactic acid microorganisms in the product was strongly influenced by the amount of ferment introduced (R² = 0.96). The level of penetration is influenced by factors such as the amount of probiotic starter introduced, the drying time and the interaction of drying time factors on the amount of starter added. The higher the level of penetration, the crumblier the product. The resulting functional product can be characterized as symbiotic since the main raw material of plant origin contains a large amount of fibre, which acts as a prebiotic, and the strain of microorganism, which acts as a probiotic. The data described in the article can be applied in the technological processes of similar products to regulate the structure of the product and vary the dosage of enrichment with probiotic starter cultures.

In this study, an undervalued marine crustacean (Talitrus saltator) was characterized in terms of nutritional and heavy metal composition and its potential to affect human gut microbiota. Nutritional analysis of this crustacean revealed that it complies with the criteria established in European legislation to include nutritional claims in their labeling, such as “source of fiber,” “low in fat,” “low in sugars” and “high in protein.” The analysis of the heavy metal content did not reveal any risk derived from the presence of Cd, Hg, or Pb, whereas essential metals contained in 100 g exceeded the minimum daily requirements recommended in Europe for Zn (19.78 mg/kg), Cu (2.28 mg/kg), and Fe (32.96 mg/kg). Using an in vitro system, the effect of T. saltator on the human colonic microbiota shows some beneficial effects, such as fermentation-maintained populations of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus, did not increase Firmicutes phylum counts, decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and stimulated 11 metabolic pathways with respect to baseline. These results are unusual in a high protein content-food. However, negative effects were also found in gut microbiota relative proportions, such as an increase in the Proteobacteria phylum and especially some opportunistic bacteria from this phylum, probably due to the antimicrobial effect of chitin on other groups more sensitive to its effect. This work shows for the first time the effect of T. saltator on human colonic microbiota using and in vitro system. The presence of chitin in its composition could provide some beneficial effects by modulating the microbiota, but as T. saltator is a high-protein food, more studies should be carried out showing these benefits.

Different research studies have identified specific groups or certain dietary compounds as the onset and progression of obesity and suggested that gut microbiota is a mediator between these compounds and the inflammation associated with pathology. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the dietary intake of 108 overweight (OW), obese (OB), and normal-weight (NW) individuals and to analyze their gut microbiota profile to determine changes and associations with Body Mass Index (BMI) and diet. When individuals were compared by BMI, significant differences in fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) intake were observed, showing higher adequacy for the NW group. The analysis of gut microbiota showed statistical differences for 18 ASVs; Anaerostipes and Faecalibacterium decreased in the OW/OB group, whereas the genus Oscillospira increased; the genus was also found in the LEFSe analysis as a biomarker for OW/OB. Roseburia faecis was found in a significantly higher proportion of NW individuals and identified as a biomarker for the NW group. Correlation analysis showed that adequation to nutritional recommendation for fiber indicated a higher abundance of Prevotella copri, linearly correlated with F. prausnitzii, Bacteroides caccae, and R. faecis. The same correlation was found for the adequation for MUFAs, with these bacteria being more abundant when the intake was adjusted to or below the recommendations.

The work environment is a factor that can significantly influence the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota of workers, in many cases leading to gut dysbiosis that will result in serious health problems. The aim of this paper was to provide a compilation of the different studies that have examined the influence of jobs with unconventional work schedules and environments on the gut microbiota of workers performing such work. As a possible solution, probiotic supplements, via modulation of the gut microbiota, can moderate the effects of sleep disturbance on the immune system, as well as restore the dysbiosis produced. Rotating shift work has been found to be associated with an increase in the risk of various metabolic diseases, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Sleep disturbance or lack of sleep due to night work is also associated with metabolic diseases. In addition, sleep disturbance induces a stress response, both physiologically and psychologically, and disrupts the healthy functioning of the gut microbiota, thus triggering an inflammatory state. Other workers, including military, healthcare, or metallurgy workers, as well as livestock farmers or long-travel seamen, work in environments and schedules that can significantly affect their gut microbiota.

Salmonella spp. is one of the main foodborne pathogens around the world. It has a cyclic lifestyle that combines host colonization with survival outside the host, implying that Salmonella has to adapt to different conditions rapidly in order to survive. One of these environments outside the host is the food production chain. In this environment, this foodborne pathogen has to adapt to different stress conditions such as acidic environments, nutrient limitation, desiccation, or biocides. One of the mechanisms used by Salmonella to survive under such conditions is biofilm formation. Quorum sensing plays an important role in the production of biofilms composed of cells from the same microorganism or from different species. It is also important in terms of food spoilage and regulates the pathogenicity and invasiveness of Salmonella by regulating Salmonella pathogenicity islands and flagella. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss the genetic mechanism involved in Salmonella quorum sensing, paying special attention to small RNAs and their post-regulatory activity in quorum sensing. We will further discuss the importance of this cell-to-cell communication mechanism in the persistence and spoilage of Salmonella in the food chain environment and the importance in the communication with microorganisms from different species. Subsequently, we will focus on the role of quorum sensing to regulate the virulence and invasion of host cells by Salmonella and on the interaction between Salmonella and other microbial species. This review offers an overview of the importance of quorum sensing in the Salmonella lifestyle.

Veterinary drugs are frequently employed to treat and prevent diseases in food-producing animals to improve animal health and to avoid the introduction of microorganisms into the food chain. The analysis of the presence of pharmaceutical residues in animal manure could help to evaluate the legal and illegal practices during food production without harming the animals and to correctly manage manure when it is going to be applied as a fertilizer. This article describes a method for the simultaneous analysis of 29 active substances, mostly antibiotics and antiparasitic agents. Substances were extracted from lyophilized manure with a methanol:McIlvaine solution and analyzed with HPLC–ESI-MS/MS and a C18 HPLC column. The method was validated following European guidelines, the achieved trueness was between 63 and 128% (depending on the analytes), and the linearity was between 100 and 1500 µg/kg. The applicability of the method was demonstrated in 40 manure samples collected from pig farms where tetracycline was quantified in 7.5% of the samples. These results show the viability of this non-invasive method for the control of the legal and illegal administration of pharmaceuticals in food-producing animals.

Somatotropin is a species-specific polypeptide hormone produced in the pituitary gland of vertebrates. When administered exogenously to cattle, it can increase milk yield. However, the trade and administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) to farm animals have been banned in the European Union (EU). Aside from food safety issues, very little is known about the effects of this hormone on milk composition and quality. In this work, a wide profile of fatty acids (the so-called fatty acidome) was determined by GC-FID in raw milk collected from control and rbST-treated lactating cows in a multidose longitudinal study. Milk composition (lactose, protein, fat, dry matter), including minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P), was also determined, and milk yield was recorded. A tendency toward a less saturated profile was observed in the milk collected from animals treated with rbST, with higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids. In addition, less calcium and potassium and more lactose and protein content were observed in milk from treated animals than in regular milk. As a result of this multicomponent profiling of milk, a clear impact of somatotropin treatment on milk quality was observed. The obtained results should be particularly interesting for those countries that permit the use of this hormone in dairy production.

Poultry meat is a valuable source of protein for human consumption. It plays an important role in countries with poor ungulate meat production, including the Republic of Kazakhstan. The intake of fibre by the Kazakh population also remains low, while the intake of saturated fatty acids is excessive. Therefore, it is recommended to combine meat with plant products, e.g. soya flour. In the present research, we developed and evaluated a new meatball product containing different amounts of soya flour. The meatballs proved to be a semi-finished high-protein product. They also demonstrated a good fatty acid and mineral profile. The product with 30% of soya flour showed the best results: 27% of protein, low content of saturated fatty acid, and shelf life of 48 h. To extend the shelf life of the meatballs under refrigerator conditions, new disinfection methods should be developed.

El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido realizar una recopilación de la última evidencia científica acerca de las vías de comunicación entre el sistema nervioso y el intestino, así como la influencia de la microbiota intestinal en la ansiedad. Posteriormente se ha recopilado información acerca de los ensayos preclínicos y clínicos con prebióticos y probióticos para el manejo de la ansiedad y se ha discutido su eficacia y seguridad. También se mencionan las ventajas de la administración de prebióticos y probióticos mediante presentaciones farmacéuticas con respecto a la suplementación por vía alimentaria. Para la realización del mismo se ha realizado una búsqueda en bases de datos científicas, empleando sólo artículos publicados en revistas de prestigio internacional y priorizando los artículos publicados en los últimos años. La microbiota intestinal y el sistema nervioso central se encuentran conectados mediante varios mecanismos, que de manera colectiva se denominan “eje intestino-cerebro”. Según evidencias recientes, la vía de comunicación más importante entre ambos órganos la constituye el nervio vago. Los pacientes suelen ser muy reticentes a cambiar de manera importante sus hábitos alimentarios. Así, la administración de prebióticos y probióticos mediante presentaciones farmacéuticas puede facilitar este proceso, controlando mejor la dosis administrada y disminuyendo las tasas de abandono precoz de los tratamientos. Si bien no en todos los casos los prebióticos y probióticos han mostrado efectos positivos, en ninguno se han demostrado efectos adversos en respuesta al empleo de los mismos, por lo que se puede concluir que su administración es segura.

Although milk consumption is increasing worldwide, in some geographical regions, its consumption has persistently declined in recent decades. This fact, together with the increase in milk production prices, has caused both milk producers and the dairy industry to be immersed in a major crisis. Some possible solutions to this problem are to get people who do not currently consume milk to start drinking it again, or to market milk and dairy products with a higher added value. In this context, a type of milk called A2 has recently received attention from the industry. This type of milk, characterized by a difference in an amino acid at position 67 of the β-casein polypeptide chain, releases much smaller amounts of bioactive opioid peptide β-casomorphin 7 upon digestion, which has been linked to harmful effects on human health. Additionally, A2 milk has been attributed worse technological properties in the production of some dairy products. Thus, doubts exist about the convenience for the dairy industry to bet on this product. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the effects on human health of A2 milk, as well as its different technological properties to produce dairy products.

The functionality of breast milk in terms of immunity is well-known. Despite this, a significant proportion of breastfed infants exhibit sensitization to different potentially allergenic proteins and clinical reactivity (including anaphylaxis) early in life and before the introduction of complementary feeding for the first time. The potential induction of early oral tolerance to overcome early allergic sensitization through exposure to allergens in breast milk also remains controversial and not yet well-established. The objective of this scoping review is to provide a critical appraisal of knowledge about the content of cow’s milk antigens in human milk. The amount of dietary derived milk antigens found in human milk and the analytical methodologies used to detect and quantify these antigens, the allergic status of the mother, the stage of lactation, the time of sampling (before or after ingestion of food), and the impact of human milk allergen on the infant were the outcomes that were assessed. Allergy risk was explored in all reviewed studies and could help to better elucidate its role in the context of allergic disease development. According to the included literature, we can conclude that there are mainly fragments derived from bovine proteins in human milk, and the presence of potentially allergenic molecules is greater in the milk of mothers with an allergic tendency. A clear relationship between maternal diet and allergen content in breast milk could not be firmly concluded though. Also, infants receiving milk from human milk banks, where donor milk is pasteurized for preservation, may be subject to greater risk of allergy development, especially for β-lactoglobulin.

The use of veterinary drugs in animal production is a common practice to secure animal and human health. However, residues of administrated drugs could be present in animal food products. Levels of drugs in food of animal origin are regulated within the European Union. In recent years, residues have been detected not only in food, but also in the environmental elements such as water or soil, meaning that humans are involuntarily exposed to these substances. This article presents a multiclass method for the analysis of various therapeutic groups of pharmaceuticals in human feces. Pharmaceuticals are extracted from feces with an acid extraction solvent, and after filtration the extract was analyzed by HPLC–MS/MS. A limit of detection of 10 ng/g was achieved for 9 pharmaceuticals, with linearity over 0.99 and repeatability and reproducibility lower than 20%. The method was satisfactorily applied in 25 feces samples of individuals that had declared not to be under medical treatment for the last two months. Results indicate the presence of six different compounds at concentration between 10 and 456 ng/g. This preliminary study showed the involuntary exposure of human gut microbiota to active substances such as pharmaceuticals

The proportion of different microbial populations in gut microbiota (GM) is an important factor that in recent years has been linked to obesity and numerous metabolic diseases. Antibiotics are one of the factors that can dramatically alter GM at therapeutic dosages, but their effects at subtherapeutic doses have been less investigated. Here, a mouse model using a total of 60 C57BL/6J mice was used to compare the evolution of total microbiota, four phyla and two genera considered as probiotics in control mice, and mice exposed to 50 µg/kg of ampicillin, 100 µg/kg of tetracycline or 100 µg/kg of sulphadiazine. The results obtained found that the presence of antibiotics in foods, even at trace concentrations, can disturb mouse GM, causing in all antibiotics significant increases of Proteobacteria (about 2 log CFU/g) or decreases of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (about 1 log CFU/g) for the cases of ampicillin and sulphadiazine.

The objective of this work was to characterize the microbiota of breast milk in healthy Spanish mothers and to investigate the effects of lactation time on its diversity. A total of ninety-nine human milk samples were collected from healthy Spanish women and were assessed by means of next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons and by qPCR. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Accordingly, Streptococcus was the most abundant genus. Lactation time showed a strong influence in milk microbiota, positively correlating with Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while Firmicutes was relatively constant over lactation. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing showed that the highest alpha-diversity was found in samples of prolonged lactation, along with wider differences between individuals. As for milk nutrients, calcium, magnesium, and selenium levels were potentially associated with Streptococcus and Staphylococcus abundance. Additionally, Proteobacteria was positively correlated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels in breast milk, and Staphylococcus with conjugated linoleic acid. Conversely, Streptococcus and trans-palmitoleic acid showed a negative association. Other factors such as maternal body mass index or diet also showed an influence on the structure of these microbial communities. Overall, human milk in Spanish mothers appeared to be a complex niche shaped by host factors and by its own nutrients, increasing in diversity over time.

Antimicrobial resistance has become one of the major global public health concerns, and it is indispensable to search for alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Recently, antimicrobial peptides have received great attention because of their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity at relatively low concentrations, even against pathogens such as Salmonella enterica, which is responsible for most food-borne illnesses. This work aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of the innate defense peptide, named 1018-K6, against S. enterica. A total of 42 strains, belonging to three different subspecies and 32 serotypes, were included in this study. The antibiotic resistance profile of all the strains and the cytotoxic effects of 1018-K6 on mammalian fibroblast cells were also investigated. Results revealed that MIC (minimum inhibitory concentrations) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentrations) values were in the ranges of 8–64 μg/mL and 16–128 μg/mL, respectively, although most strains (97%) showed MICs between 16 and 32 μg/mL. Moreover, sub-inhibitory concentrations of 1018-K6 strongly reduced the biofilm formation in several S. enterica strains, whatever the initial inoculum size. Our results demonstrated that 1018-K6 is able to control and manage S. enterica growth with a large potential for applications in the fields of active packaging and water disinfectants.

Se ha elaborado la primera guía clínica española que permitirá a los farmacéuticos comunitarios y demás profesionales de la salud seleccionar, para cada indicación específica, el producto con probióticos adecuado, la dosis y la vía de administración. Con ello se pretende lograr que la práctica diaria de indicación farmacéutica de los suplementos probióticos esté basada en las mejores evidencias científicas disponibles.

Breast milk is an unbeatable food that covers all the nutritional requirements of an infant in its different stages of growth up to six months after birth. In addition, breastfeeding benefits both maternal and child health. Increasing knowledge has been acquired regarding the composition of breast milk. Epidemiological studies and epigenetics allow us to understand the possible lifelong effects of breastfeeding. In this review we have compiled some of the components with clear functional activity that are present in human milk and the processes through which they promote infant development and maturation as well as modulate immunity. Milk fat globule membrane, proteins, oligosaccharides, growth factors, milk exosomes, or microorganisms are functional components to use in infant formulas, any other food products, nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals, or even for the development of new clinical therapies. The clinical evaluation of these compounds and their commercial exploitation are limited by the difficulty of isolating and producing them on an adequate scale. In this work we focus on the compounds produced using milk components from other species such as bovine, transgenic cattle capable of expressing components of human breast milk or microbial culture engineering.

This review aimed to gather the available literature investigating the effects of probiotics against the most common viral infections using in vitro trials in cell lines and in vivo clinical trials in both experimental animals and humans. Probiotics were employed to prevent and reduce symptoms of infections caused by common viruses, especially respiratory tract viruses, but also for viral digestive infections (such as rotavirus, coronavirus, or norovirus) and other viral infections (such as viruses that cause hepatitis, human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, and herpes simplex virus). Different probiotics have been studied to see their possible effect against the abovementioned viruses, among which different Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus can be highlighted. In many cases, mixtures of various probiotic strains were used. Although the results obtained did not show similar results, in most cases, probiotic supplementation improved both barrier and biochemical immune responses, decreased susceptibility to viral infections, and enhanced the effects of concomitant vaccines. Works collected in this review show a beneficial effect of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of different viral infections. We found interesting results related to the prevention of viral infections, reduction of the duration of diseases, and decrease of symptoms.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of today’s major public health challenges. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have been responsible for an increasing number of deaths in recent decades. These resistant bacteria are also a concern in the food chain, as bacteria can resist common biocides used in the food industry and reach consumers. As a consequence, the search for alternatives to common antimicrobials by the scientific community has intensified. Substances obtained from nature have shown great potential as new sources of antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of five bee venoms, also called apitoxins, against two common foodborne pathogens. A total of 50 strains of the Gram-negative pathogen Salmonella enterica and 8 strains of the Gram-positive pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were tested. The results show that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were highly influenced by the bacterial genus. The MIC values ranged from 256 to 1024 µg/mL in S. enterica and from 16 to 32 µg/mL in L. monocytogenes. The results of this study demonstrate that apitoxin is a potential alternative agent against common foodborne pathogens, and it can be included in the development of new models to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the food chain.

The human gut microbiota has been revealed in recent years as a factor that plays a decisive role in the maintenance of human health, as well as in the development of many non-communicable diseases. This microbiota can be modulated by various dietary factors, among which complex carbohydrates have a great influence. Although most complex carbohydrates included in the human diet come from vegetables, there are also options to include complex carbohydrates from non-vegetable sources, such as chitin and its derivatives. Chitin, and its derivatives such as chitosan can be obtained from non-vegetable sources, the best being insects, crustacean exoskeletons and fungi. The present review offers a broad perspective of the current knowledge surrounding the impacts of chitin and its derived polysaccharides on the human gut microbiota and the profound need for more in-depth investigations into this topic. Overall, the effects of whole insects or meal on the gut microbiota have contradictory results, possibly due to their high protein content. Better results are obtained for the case of chitin derivatives, regarding both metabolic effects and effects on the gut microbiota composition.

The composition of breast milk is influenced by many factors, some of which dependent on the mother and others on the child. Changes in lactation and other factors depending on the mother’s physiology and anthropometric characteristics, as well as her nutritional status and diet, are of key importance. Breast milk minerals have been extensively studied with highly uneven results. In this work, a comparison will made with data across the world. To understand the factors that might explain the disparity, several minerals (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Se and I) have been analyzed using ICP-MS in a set of human milk samples (n = 75). The samples had an identical geographical origin (Galicia, in northwestern Spain) but different lactation circumstances, including maternal anthropometric data, lactating time, newborn sex and maternal adherence to healthy dietary patterns (Mediterranean Diet, MD, or Atlantic Diet, AD). The required concentrations of essential elements reported in the literature are similar to those found in these Spanish women. A univariate approach revealed that factors such as lactating time, body mass index (BMI) and newborn sex have a significant influence in breastmilk mineral content. According to multivariate linear regression analysis, minerals in milk are particularly associated with lactating time, but also with newborn sex, maternal BMI, age and diet pattern in some cases. More precisely, these results suggest that the iron and selenium concentrations in the milk of Galician donors may be positively influenced by maternal adherence to AD and MD, respectively.

Human gut microbiota plays an important role in several metabolic processes and human diseases. Various dietary factors, including complex carbohydrates, such as polysaccharides, provide abundant nutrients and substrates for microbial metabolism in the gut, affecting the members and their functionality. Nowadays, the main sources of complex carbohydrates destined for human consumption are terrestrial plants. However, fresh water is an increasingly scarce commodity and world agricultural productivity is in a persistent decline, thus demanding the exploration of other sources of complex carbohydrates. As an interesting option, marine seaweeds show rapid growth and do not require arable land, fresh water or fertilizers. The present review offers an objective perspective of the current knowledge surrounding the impacts of seaweeds and their derived polysaccharides on the human microbiome and the profound need for more in-depth investigations into this topic. Animal experiments and in vitro colonic-simulating trials investigating the effects of seaweed ingestion on human gut microbiota are discussed.

Bivalves are filter feeders that can accumulate and concentrate waterborne contaminants present in the water in which they live. Biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals present in the aquaculture environment constitute the main hazards for human health. The most common method employed for combating waterborne pollutants in bivalves is depuration with purified seawater. Although this method is effective at increasing the microbiological quality of bivalves, in most cases, it is ineffective at eliminating other risks, such as, for example, viruses or heavy metals. Biological (bacteriocins and bacteriophages), physical (UV light, ozone, and gamma-irradiation), chemical (metallothioneins and chitosan), and other industrial processing methods have been found to be useful for eliminating some contaminants from seawater. The aim of this work was to provide a review of academic articles concerning the use of treatments complementary to conventional depuration, aiming to improve depuration process efficiency by reducing depuration times and decreasing the levels of the most difficult-to-erase contaminants. We conclude that there are different lab-tested strategies that can reduce depuration times and increase the food safety of bivalve produce, with possible short- and long-term industrial applications that could improve the competitivity of the aquaculture industry.

Milk is a natural fluid and as such contains small amounts of naturally occurring steroids. Human milk is recommended as the optimal source of nutrients for infants and young children, and it has been associated to several short- and long-term benefits. For this reason, its composition is used as a reference for designing infant formulas. However, the available information on the hormonal levels of these dairy products is scarce, and it is usually limited to estradiol and estrone. In the present study, six natural sex hormones (pregnenolone, progesterone, estrone, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone and androstenedione) have been extracted from sixteen milk-based infant formulas and analyzed with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The purpose of this research was to quantify natural steroid hormones in various infant formulas, to provide food and nutrition practitioners with information to estimate intakes in children. In addition, data found in the literature was used for comparison. The findings suggest that there are certain similarities between bovine milk and dairy products for infants. Furthermore, the detected levels were in general lower than those observed in human milk and/or colostrum. The reported results represent a valuable addition to the current knowledge on natural hormone content of infant foods.

Children are very vulnerable to bacterial infections and they are sometimes subject to antimicrobials for healing. The presence of resistance genes may counteract effects of antimicrobials. This work has thereby compared the amount of tetracycline resistance genes, tet(A) and tet(B), between conventional and organic meat-based or vegetable-based baby foods and used the quantification of these genes to assess the presence of tetracycline residues in these samples. Counts of bacteria harboring the tet(A) gene were higher than those containing tet(B), and there was no difference between the organic and the conventional samples. Samples with detectable amounts of tetracycline residues were also positive for the presence of tet genes, and when the presence of the genes was not detected, the samples were also negative for the presence of residues. The percentages of tetracycline residues were higher in organic samples than in conventional ones. It cannot be concluded that organic formulas are safer than conventional ones for the studied parameters.

Eggs are sources of protein, fats and micronutrients that play an important role in basic nutrition. However, eggs are traditionally associated with adverse factors in human health, mainly due to their cholesterol content. Nowadays, however, it is known that the response of cholesterol in human serum levels to dietary cholesterol consumption depends on several factors, such as ethnicity, genetic makeup, hormonal factors and the nutritional status of the consumer. Additionally, in recent decades, there has been an increasing demand for functional foods, which is expected to continue to increase in the future, owing to their capacity to decrease the risks of some diseases and socio-demographic factors such as the increase in life expectancy. This work offers a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of egg consumption and the potential market of functional eggs, and it explores the possibilities of the development of functional eggs by technological methods.

To achieve analytical success, it is necessary to develop thorough clean-up procedures to extract analytes from the matrix. Dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) has been used as a pretreatment technique for the analysis of several compounds. This technique is based on the dispersion of a solid sorbent in liquid samples in the extraction isolation and clean-up of different analytes from complex matrices. DSPE has found a wide range of applications in several fields, and it is considered to be a selective, robust, and versatile technique. The applications of dispersive techniques in the analysis of veterinary drugs in different matrices involve magnetic sorbents, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, and the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method. Techniques based on DSPE permit minimization of additional steps such as precipitation, centrifugation, and filtration, which decreases the manipulation of the sample. In this review, we describe the main procedures used for synthesis, characterization, and application of this pretreatment technique and how it has been applied to food analysis.

Amaranthus hypochondriacus spp. is a commonly grown cereal in Latin America, known for its high protein content. The objective of this study was to separate and identify bioactive peptides found in amaranth seeds through enzymatically-assisted hydrolysis using alcalase and flavourzyme. Hydrolysis was carried out for each enzyme separately and compared to two-step continuous process where both enzymes were combined. The biological activity of the resulting three hydrolysates was analyzed, finding, in general, higher bioactive potential of the hydrolysate obtained in a continuous process (combined enzymes). Its fractions were separated by RP-HPLC, and their bioactivity was analyzed. In particular, two fractions showed the highest biological activity as ACE inhibitors with IC50 at 0.158 and 0.134, thrombin inhibitors with IC50 of 167 and 155, and antioxidants in ABTS assay with SC50 at 1.375 and 0.992 mg/L, respectively. Further sequence analysis of the bioactive peptides was carried out using MALDI-TOF, which identified amino acid chains that have not been reported as bioactive so far. Bibliographic survey allowed identification of similarities between peptides reported in amaranth and other proteins. In conclusion, amaranth proteins are a potential source of peptides with multifunctional activity.

Administration of florfenicol and thiamfenicol through medicated feed is permitted within the European Union, always following veterinary prescription and respecting the withdrawal periods. However, the presence of low levels of florfenicol, thiamfenicol, and chloramfenicol in non-target feed is prohibited. Since cross-contamination can occur during the production of medicated feed and according to Annex II of the European Regulation 2019/4/EC, the control of residue levels of florfenicol and thiamfenicol in non-target feed should be monitored and avoided. Based on all the above, a sensitive and reliable method using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous detection of chloramfenicol, florfenicol, and thiamfenicol at trace levels in animal feed. Analytes were extracted from minced feed with ethyl acetate. Then, the ethyl acetate was evaporated, the residue was resuspended in Milli-Q water and the extract filtered. The method was in-house validated at carryover levels, with concentration ranging from 100 to 1000 µg/kg. The validation was conducted following the European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and all performance characteristics were successfully satisfied. The capability of the method to detect amfenicols at lower levels than any prior perspective regulation literature guarantees its applicability in official control activities. The developed method has been applied to non-compliant feed samples with satisfactory results.

Due to the continuous release of antimicrobials into the environment, the aim of this study was to compare the frequency of detection of sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine and trimethoprim in surface water collected from urban and rural areas in Northwestern Spain. A monitoring study was conducted with 314 river water samples analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicated that 37% of the samples contained residues of at least one of the investigated antimicrobials, and every sampling site yielded positive samples. At sites located near the discharge points of wastewater treatment plants and near the collection point of a drinking-water treatment plant, more than 6% of the samples were positive for the presence of antimicrobial residues.

The Commission Regulation 574/2011/EC set up maximum levels of coccidiostats and histomonostats in nonmedicated feed as a consequence of carry-over during manufacturing. Carry-over takes place from medicated to nonmedicated feed during feed production. Similar contamination could also occur for other pharmaceuticals such as tetracyclines, a group of antibiotics commonly employed in food production animal. The objective of this work is to present a simple and fast method for the simultaneous detection of four tetracyclines (chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline) in nontarget feed at a μg/kg level. Validation of the method was performed according to the guideline included in the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC for official method. The validated method was successfully applied to 50 feed samples collected from different milk farms and 25 samples obtained from feed manufacturers. While oxytetracycline was the tetracycline most frequently detected, chlortetracycline was the analyte measured at the highest concentration 15.14 mg/Kg. From 75 nonmedicated feed analysed 15% resulted to be positive for the presence of one tetracycline.

The use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) in dairy cattle is forbidden in the European Union. Due to the very low circulating concentration of rbST in treated animals, its direct detection is still a challenge. Therefore, the use of indirect methods to detect the ab(use) of rbST in dairy cattle appears as a good alternative. In the past few years, gene expression demonstrated its utility in screening the use of illicit substances in both humans and animals. In this study, a comparison of three types of matrices (milk somatic cells, blood, and hair follicles) was carried out to evaluate their potential use for routine control of rbST using 15 gene-expression profiles. A total of six rbST-treated cows and three control cows were included in the study. A subcutaneous injection containing 500 mg of rbST was administered to the treated group. Samples of the three matrices were collected before rbST administration, and at three and nine days after treatment. The quality of RNA extracted was higher in the blood and hair-follicle samples than in the milk somatic cells. In the three matrices, there were significant differences in the expression of some genes, with milk somatic cells and blood presenting the the best matrices. On this note, the cyclin D1 (CCND1), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) genes showed potential as biomarkers of rbST treatment. Therefore, blood, somatic cells, and follicle hair should be considered as promising sources of RNA, and can be used in gene-expression assays to routinely control the illicit use of rbST.

Magnetic solid phase extraction has been used as pretreatment technique for the analysis of several compounds because of its advantages when it is compared with classic methods. This methodology is based on the use of magnetic solids as adsorbents for preconcentration of different analytes from complex matrices. Magnetic solid phase extraction minimizes the use of additional steps such as precipitation, centrifugation, and filtration which decreases the manipulation of the sample. In this review, we describe the main procedures used for synthesis, characterization, and application of this pretreatment technique which were applied in food analysis.

The dairy cattle may suffer from different infections relatively often, but the inflammation of the mammary gland is very important to the farmer. These infections are frequently treated with penicillin antimicrobial drugs. However, their use may result in the presence of residues in animal products, such as milk powder and/or infant formulas, and it represents a potential risk for consumers. To monitor this, the EU has defined safe maximum residue limits (MRLs) through Commission Regulation (EU) number 37/2010. Although LC-MS is a trustful option for confirmation and quantification of antibiotics, the analysis of real samples with complex matrices frequently implies previous clean-up steps. In this work, precipitation polymerization has been used and different molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sorbents were tested and optimized for the fast and simultaneous solid-phase extraction (MISPE) of eight common penicillins (ampicillin, amoxicillin, oxacillin, penicillin G, penicillin V, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, and nafcillin). The extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the applicability of these polymers as sorbents for the extraction of penicillins at MRL levels in milk powder (infant formulas) was proved. The limits of detection and quantification were below the legal tolerances, except for LOQ for oxacillin and cloxacillin.

Salmonella spp. is a major food-borne pathogen around the world. The ability of Salmonella to produce biofilm is one of the main obstacles in reducing the prevalence of these bacteria in the food chain. Most of Salmonella biofilm studies found in the literature used laboratory growth media. However, in the food chain, food residues are the principal source of nutrients of Salmonella. In this study, the biofilm formation, morphotype, and motility of 13 Salmonella strains belonging to three different subspecies and isolated from poultry houses was evaluated. To simulate food chain conditions, four different growth media (Tryptic Soy Broth at 1/20 dilution, milk at 1/20 dilution, tomato juice, and chicken meat juice), two different surfaces (stainless steel and polystyrene) and two temperatures (6 °C and 22 °C) were used to evaluate the biofilm formation. The morphotype, motility, and biofilm formation of Salmonella was temperature-dependent. Biofilm formation was significantly higher with 1/20 Tryptic Soy Broth in all the surfaces and temperatures tested, in comparison with the other growth media. The laboratory growth medium 1/20 Tryptic Soy Broth enhanced biofilm formation in Salmonella. This could explain the great differences in biofilm formation found between this growth medium and food residues. However, Salmonella strains were able to produce biofilm on the presence of food residues in all the conditions tested. Therefore, the Salmonella strain can use food residues to produce biofilm on common surfaces of the food chain. More studies combining more strains and food residues are necessary to fully understand the mechanism used by Salmonella to produce biofilm on the presence of these sources of nutrients.

In recent years, the use of nitrites and sulfites as food preservatives has been a cause for concern due to the health problems that these additives can cause in humans. Natural products have been studied as an alternative, but most of them have hardly been applied in the food industry for technological and economic reasons. In this sense, organic salts such as sodium acetate are a good alternative due to their affordability. Thus, this study evaluated the capacity of sodium nitrite, sodium sulfite, a sodium acetate product (TQI C-6000), and chitosan to inhibit two important foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. The MIC of each chemical was in vitro evaluated and their antibacterial action was subsequently checked in situ using minced meat as a food model. MIC values of sodium nitrite (10,000 mg/L) and sodium sulfite (50,000 mg/L) for Salmonella enterica were higher than the values allowed by legislation (450 mg/L for sulfites and 150 mg/L for nitrites). Additionally, the sodium acetate product caused the inhibition of Salmonella enterica and Listeria at a relative low quantity. The two foodborne pathogens were inhibited in the food model with 1% of the sodium acetate product. Additionally, there were no significant differences between sodium nitrite, sodium sulfite, and sodium acetate products in the inhibition of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in the food model. Thus, products based on sodium acetate can be an alternative to traditional preservatives in food products.

The use of medicated feed is a common practice in animal food production to improve animal health. Tetracyclines and β-Lactams are the groups that are most frequently added to this type of feed. The measurement of the concentration of the analytes in these types of samples is sometimes due to the matrix characteristic, and manufacturers are demanding fast, precise and reproducible methods. A rapid confirmatory method based on a simple extraction protocol using acidified methanol and followed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer for the quantification of four tetracyclines in feed is presented. Validation was performed following the guidelines of Decision 2002/657/EC. Results indicated that the four tetracyclines can be identified and quantified in a concentration range between 50 and 500 mg/kg with recoveries between 84% and 109% and RSD for precision under reproducible conditions between 12% and 16%. Satisfactory results were also obtained with interlaboratory studies and by comparing the method with an HPLC-Fluorescent method.