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Ensuring the safety and stability of minimally processed foods using natural preservatives is of great scientific and commercial interest in modern biotechnology. Berry juice supplementation is increasingly recognized within this field. This study investigated the effectiveness of juices from four berry species Aronia melanocarpa, Ribes nigrum, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Sambucus nigra, against the food pathogen Bacillus cereus. Overall, the antibacterial potency of juice supplements (up to 10% v/v in tryptic soy broth) followed the order of chokeberry > blackcurrant > cranberry > elderberry, with the latter showing no inhibitory effects. Notably, chokeberry and elderberry juices presented lower acidity and significantly greater phenolic contents (p < 0.05) than blackcurrant and cranberry juices did, suggesting that B. cereus susceptibility is not strictly dependent upon low extracellular pH or elevated anthocyanin levels. Instead, it is inferred to correlate with pro-oxidative effects induced directly at the intracellular level. Accordingly, this paper discusses the antioxidative, acidic, and lipophilic attributes of juices and their constituent fractions, including anthocyanins, to elucidate their biopreservative potential. The results of this study increase our understanding of the antibacterial susceptibility of B. cereus., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The biopreservation of beer, using only antimicrobial agents of natural origin to ensure microbiological stability, is of great scientific and commercial interest. This review article highlights progress in the biological preservation of beer. It describes the antimicrobial properties of beer components and microbiological spoilage risks. It discusses novel biological methods for enhancing beer stability, using natural antimicrobials from microorganisms, plants, and animals to preserve beer, including legal restrictions. The future of beer preservation will involve the skilled knowledge-based exploitation of naturally occurring components in beer, supplementation with generally regarded as safe antimicrobial additives, and mild physical treatments., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Replacement of a part of malt with unmalted materials is a common practice in beer production. These materials may differ in chemical composition than barley malt, which in turn can contribute to changes in the final composition of the wort. Consequently, it may affect yeast metabolism and final parameters of the obtained products. In this research, two unmalted pseudocereals were used: quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth ( Amaranthus cruentus L.). Maltose syrup was tested as a reference material due to its commercial usage as a substitute of malt in production of worts. Replacement of a part of the malt with quinoa or amaranth favorably influenced the profiles of amino and fatty acids. Due to the fact that the type and concentration of individual amino acids and fatty acids in the fermented wort significantly affect the flavor compounds synthesized by yeast, differences in the profiles of esters and higher alcohol have been noted in beers produced with pseudocereals.

The quality perception of gluten-free beer was explored using conjoint analysis with a panel of Polish millennials (n = 200; aged 20 to 35), who were given 64 gluten-free beer concepts to evaluate and score on a 9-point scale of interest (1 = not interested at all; 9 = extremely interested). The constituent factors of the beer concepts were alcohol content, color, type of malt, price, drinking location and occasion, bottle size, label claims, type of farming, type of brewer, and bottle closure. Consumers judged price (38.4%) and alcohol (28.8%) five times more important than the other factors. Bottle size (5.3%), claims (4.8%), type of brewer (4.8%), malt type (4.6%), bottle closure (4.0%), beer color (3.6%), drinking location (2.3%), drinking occasion (2.0%), and type of farming (1.3%) were considered of little importance. The interest of Polish Millennials in gluten-free beer resulted moderate and not linked to medical needs. Males were more interested in gluten-free beers and gave more importance to alcohol content and less importance to price, compared to females. However, for both genders, interest and price were inversely correlated, while interest and alcohol content were directly correlated. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The identification of the product factors that are preferred by consumers is paramount to translate consumers' needs and expectations into a beer designed to produce the best possible product in a relatively short period. Including information directly obtained from consumers before final design decisions are taken on the final beer output, helps ensuring development directions are on target and constitutes a cost-competitive approach to product development., (© 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Background: This study provides the first detailed investigation into the effect of partially substituting barley malt with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) on the characteristics of wort and beer. Quinoa seeds and flakes were compared in terms of their suitability for brewing. The benefits of applying a commercial enzyme mixture during beer production with quinoa were also investigated., Results: These findings show that quinoa is a good starchy raw material for brewing. Even without exogenous enzymes, it is possible to substitute barley malt with up to 30% quinoa. The form in which quinoa is used has a negligible influence on the quality of the wort and beer. The foam stability of beer made with quinoa was better than that of all-malt beer, despite there being a lower level of soluble nitrogen in quinoa beer in comparison with all-malt beer and more than twice the amount of fat in quinoa in comparison to barley malt., Conclusion: The addition of unmalted quinoa does not give unpleasant characteristics to the beer and was even found to have a positive effect on its overall sensory quality. This offers brewers an opportunity to develop good beers with new sensory characteristics. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

In this paper, we investigate the effect of different biomass pretreatments on metal ion uptake by various biosorbents. Heat-treated as well as caustic-treated and ground biomass of Saccharomyces pastorianus was used to remove copper, lead and cadmium from various solutions. Untreated yeast was used as the control sample. The effect of yeast modification on sorption capacity depended on the different types of heavy metal ions and whether they were in single- or multi-component solutions. The highest uptake of copper and lead from a single-metal solution was obtained from heat-treated cells. Ground biomass was the most efficient at cadmium removal. However, the sorption capacity of the modified biomass did not improve when metal ions were removed from multi-component solutions. Indeed, the results in this paper show that optimizing metal removal from single-cation solutions can lead to decreased sorption capacity in multi-component solutions. Therefore, while adjusting the procedure of biomass modification, not only the nature of the metal ion being sorbed but also the chemical composition of the metal ion solution should be taken into account.

The phenomenon of population aging has led to a significant rise in the chronic disease rate compared to other human pathologies. Elderly people are usually affected by > or =2 chronic diseases concomitantly, mainly cardiovascular, pulmonary, and central nervous system diseases, metabolic disturbances and cancer. Chronic comorbidities in elderly patients may worsen their clinical status, making both the diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Meanwhile, contemporary medicine is focused on its subspecialties, thus turning away from the tradition of great, academic-based, general internal medicine. Clinical practice is dominated by a specific approach to a single disease rather than a patient with comorbidities. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis, ensuring effective treatment in the case of a complex and ambiguous clinical picture, is based on an attempt to combine multiple expert consultations rather than make a holistic evaluation, so characteristic of traditional internal medicine. For that reason, pathophysiology and clinical picture of a chronic disease in the elderly requires the revival of internal medicine, which is also essential to the development of geriatrics.

Introduction: The patients' acceptance of the treatment scheme and their readiness to stick to the prescribed dosing is considered to be the most important condition on which successful treatment of asthma and COPD depends. With regard to this assumption, a study was designed whose aim was to find out how patients assess a particular powder inhaler, cyclohaler and to what degree they approve of its physical and technical features., Material and Methods: The study consisted in completing an anonymous questionnaire. The study group was recruited from asthmatic and COPD patients treated in outpatient units in Wroclaw and Lublin, Poland. 230 persons passed the recruitment stage, 220 completed the study., Results: 96.4 and 94.5% of the patients ranked small size and low weight of the inhaler, respectively, as its most positive features, ranking the features higher than the device's colour (respectively p = 0.003 and p = 0.02). Other features, like dust protection and comfortable mouthpiece won almost equally high evaluation (respectively 97.3 and 98.2%). Most patients assessed these features as more important than discretion and easy handling and transportation (respectively p = 0.015 and p = 0.028). A high percentage of the study group praised the inhaler's technological efficacy. 94-96% at the least gave positive opinions about such features as: clear instruction, certainty of a dose's intake, the possibility of checking the amount of inhaled doses., Conclusion: The inhaler that was the object of the study enjoyed a high degree of acceptance mostly due to its features facilitating easy and efficient inhalation.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and intermittent asthma are frequently comorbid and share some pathophysiological, clinical and epidemiological bases which has been confirmed by ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) WHO position paper. Therapeutical consequences of H1 receptor antagonists treatment in patients with both SAR and asthma are not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of desloratadine (5 mg daily) on rescue medication use, symptoms of SAR and asthma. One hundred and ninteen patients (59 men), mean age 29.64 +/- 8.34 years, suffering from SAR and asthma were recruited. After 14 days of screening during the pollen season desloratadine in an open manner was introduced. During the treatment phase mean beta2 agonist weekly demand decreased from 11.73 +/- 8.91 (screening) to 4.89 +/- 7.09 (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon test). Mean symptoms score decreased from 13.37 +/- 5.93 to 5.19 +/- 4.7 and from 5.69 +/- 3.83 to 2.09 +/- 2.45 for SAR and asthma respectively (p < 0.001). Eight mild adverse events were reported with the most frequent-sleepiness (6.9% of study group). Desloratadine in the dosis of 5 mg daily confirmed its efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with SAR and asthma. Decrease of beta2-agonist use and reduction of diseases symptoms was documented in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Epidemiology of allergic eye diseases has not been sufficiently studied so far. The first statistical studies regarded the coexistence of allergic conjunctivitis together with allergic rhinitis, as rhinoconjunctivitis. Only in the last 10 years eye allergy has been regarded as a separate epidemiological and clinical problem. According to Bonini, seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) accompanies pollinosis in 95.2%. Buckley's studies revealed symptoms of SAC in 21% of British population and Berdy reported a similar result in 20% of Americans. Weeke estimates that depending on geographical region and age of examined patients, allergic eye diseases occur in 5 to 22% of the population. Among them SAC and perennial allertgic conjunctivitis (PAC) account for up to 50%. A recent Italian study demonstrated an increase of the incidence of allergic eye diseases, which were found in 38% of the studied population, most frequently in young males. Eye allergy presented most frequently as rhinoconjunctivitis (SAC and PAC) (63.7%), and then as atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) (21%) and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) (15.5%). It seems that the incidence of allergic eye diseases demonstrates a rising tendency, similarly as it has been found in recent years in the case of bronchial asthma, rhinitis or atopic dermatitis.

Unlabelled: The ARIA study demonstrates the correlation between bronchial asthma (BA) and perennial rhinitis (PR) with mite or animal fur allergies. There are no reports concerning correlation between BA and PR with mould allergy. The authors of this study estimated the prevalence of BA in patients with PR, allergic to moulds in comparison with patients allergic to other aeroallergens. 460 patients suffering from PR were investigated: 102 were allergic to moulds (mono- or multisensitization type) and 358 were allergic to other allergens. The prevalence of BA in mould-sensitive and insensitive patients was 70.6% and 43.6%, respectively; it was significantly higher in the mould-sensitive group (p = 0.004) regardless of the type of mould hypersensitivity (mono- or multisensitization). The higher prevalence of BA in mould-sensitive patients was found to be valid only for adults. The adult PR patients with diagnosed BA were most frequently allergic to Alternaria (47.1%) and Cladosporium (30.8%)., In Conclusion: mould allergy may be a risk factor for BA development.

Changes in building industry during last 30 years in search of economic technologies and building materials ended in creating airtight and energy-saving constructions with reduced ventilation. As a result, diminish exchange between internal and external air, leads to cumulation of various chemicals and organic substances in our houses. Concentrated oxidation products (CO2, CO, NO2, nicotine smoke), vaporizing substances (formaldehyde, NH3, aromatic hydrocarbons) might irritate mucouses, promote or intense respiratory tract infections, allergic diseases or bronchial asthma. Higher risk of atopic diseases and bronchial asthma also arises from proliferation of fungus, bacteria and mites in modern interiors, which are quite convenient for it. Buildings with microclimate, which is dangerous for human health, are termed "sick buildings". Diseases that develop under their influence are called BRI (building related illnesses). Children are most exposed on them, especially under municipal conditions, because they spend majority of their time at home.

Background: The aim of the study is to prove that Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase, the major allergen of the baker's yeast, induces allergic immediate response in patients with inhalant allergy sensitized to Candida albicans extract., Material and Methods: The study was performed in three groups of patients: I. 20 atopic patients with respiratory allergy sensitized to Candida albicans and inhalant allergens (mite, feather, pollens) II. 30 patients with respiratory allergy, positive skin tests to inhalant allergens but negative skin tests to Candida albicans and other fungi; III. 20 nonatopic, healthy individuals. Skin prick test of purified enolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (bakers yeast) at concentration 1 and 10 mg/ml was performed in all groups. The results were documented planimetrically., Results: 95% of patients sensitized to Candida albicans extract showed positive skin reactions to Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase, 10% of patients of group II and none of the patients of the control group had positive skin responses to enolase. The mean wheal size (mm2) in skin prick test to Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase at concentration 10 mg/ml was x = 15.17 +/- 11.08, 15.76 +/- 19.67 and at concentration 1 mg/ml 10.02 +/- 10.49, respectively., Conclusions: 1. Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase induces an immediate allergic reaction in skin in subjects with respiratory allergy and positive skin prick test results to Candida albicans and other fungi. 2. Enolase can be an important allergenic component of the Candida albicans extract.

SBS--sick building syndrome--is a set multi-organ symptoms related to long-term staying in "sick buildings". These are modern, energy saving, air tight buildings with reduced ventilation. As a result of such construction, harmful, air-borne substances issued by interior decoration materials, air-conditioning systems and working people are cumulated. The study presents three cases of allergic patients whose original allergic illnesses got aggravated as an effect of: 1) staying in a freshly redecorated room, 2) staying in a fully air-conditioned room, 3) long-term exposition to bacteria and fungi allergens developing in old, used up filters of a car air-condition system.

Decongestants have long been used in nose obstruction. On the one hand they seem to be abused in local treatment, on the other they are too rarely used in initial treatment of other pathological states of the nose. Yet, as the knowledge of the nasal mucosa vascular system and its neurological and humoral regulation increases, there appear broader indications for their application. A more frequent use of the drugs could be suggested in infectious and allergic rhinitis and paranasal sinusitis, where their application prevents complications and enhances the efficacy of treatment. The sympathomimetic drugs are recommended in rhinitis because a reduction of nasal congestion permits the introduction of other topical therapy such as nasal corticosteroids. They are also recommended in rhinitis during pregnancy and diagnostic procedures in some cases of structural rhinitis. This article briefly discusses the relationships between the nasal mucosa vascular system, the autonomic nervous system and neuropeptides in the regulation of air flow in the nose. Regarding their use in rhinitis treatment, there were characterized groups of sympathomimetic vasoconstrictor agents, which include sympathicomimetics (e.g. phenylpropandamine, phenoloephedrine) and alpha-receptor agonist medications (e.g. xylometazoline, oxymetazoline, naphazoline). The author discussed the pathomechanism of rhinitis medicamentosa resulting from abuse of nasal drops containing alpha-agonists and suggested a therapy.

One patients with nonatopic aspirin-sensitive asthma and another one with atopic asthma responding favourably to aspirin with a history of hydrocortisone intolerance were examined. The patients were challenged with intravenous, inhaled and oral hydrocortisone and its solvent. They showed significant fall of FEV1 after provocation tests with hydrocortisone but not after the solvent. Intradermal skin testing performed with hydrocortisone and its solvent was negative, what suggests that the intolerance to hydrocortisone was probably nonallergic feature. The patients tolerated well the intravenous challenge with prednisolone and oral challenge with prednisone, prednisolone and betamethasone. We suggest the replacement of intravenous hydrocortisone with these corticosteroids in the treatment of patients with hydrocortisone intolerance.