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Background: A comprehensive ethnobotanical study was conducted on two Mediterranean regions which crossed over in the past through several cultures. Although the two regions have distinctive geographical and cultural characteristics, the aim of this study was to determine potential ethnobotanical similarities between the two regions. Methods: This desk research involved the thorough examination of the floral species that thrive in these two regions and ethnobotanical information collected from reliable sources. Once the information was collected, the data was sorted and organized into matrices and then analyzed statistically. Results: Following a thorough search for common plants within the two regions, 193 taxa, distributed in 72 plant families, were identified. The three predominant families, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae, were selected according to the popularity of medicinal uses of the taxa within the families (10.4 %, 7.8 % and 5.2 %, respectively). The popular therapeutic ratios for taxa within the Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae families varied between 0.14-1.00, 0.17-0.82 and 0.27-0.60, respectively. It was observed that the most targeted therapeutic system was the gastrointestinal system covering several ailments that included gastric disturbances, liver and biliary conditions, and intestinal problems. Conclusions: It can be concluded that although, these two regions are distinct from each other, the two regional communities share the common understanding that the health status of an individual depends on the maintenance of the health of the digestive system. Today, several studies support this relationship, with scientific evidence and the use of natural products for their medicinal, nutraceutical and functionality in everyday life.

Il progetto “Impact of Nanoparticles in Environmental Sustainability and Ecotoxicity” (INESE), finanziato dall’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), ha studiato gli effetti delle nanoparticelle (NPs) ingegnerizzate su diversi ecosistemi (acquatici e terrestri), proponendo differenti sistemi biologici di studio (piante acquatiche, ricci di mare, organismi del suolo, pomodoro-impollinatore, ecc). In particolare l’UO dell’Università di Bologna ha focalizzato l’attenzione sullo studio dei modelli di interazione tra particelle di suolo, microorganismi (biomassa microbica), invertebrati (Lumbricus rubellus) e pianta (Solanum lycopersicum). In questa sede verranno riportati i risultati ottenuti dall’impatto delle nanoparticelle di argento (Ag-NPs) nell’ecosistema suolo. La crescita esponenziale dell’uso di materiali contenenti Ag-NPs è dovuta alla loro importante azione antimicrobica, sempre più sfruttata in diversi campi: dalla medicina (bendaggi) all’abbigliamento (magliette, calzini etc.), ai prodotti di igiene personale (spazzolini da denti), dalla sanificazione delle acque reflue con conseguente produzione di biosolidi impiegati come ammendanti agricoli, all’utilizzo in agricoltura di prodotti dedicati ("Nano-Argentum 10", Fa Nanosys, Svizzera). Studi basati su monitoraggio registrano l’aumento di Ag-NPs nei diversi comparti ambientali (aria-acqua e suolo) e dimostrano che il suolo è destinato ad esserne il maggior ricettore. Il C contenuto nella biomassa microbica del suolo (Cmic) è significativamente diminuita dopo l'esposizione ad Ag-NPs rispetto al controllo, e ciò viene anche confermato dalla diminuzione del DNA microbico estraibile e dall’analisi PCR-DGGE. Quest’ultima ha mostrato la capacità battericida dell’Ag-NPs, riducendo la comunità microbica di un suolo forestale a solo 5 ceppi di batteri resistenti. Riguardo all’impatto sugli invertebrati, il maggior contenuto di Ag rispetto al controllo trovato nei tessuti dei lombrichi è stato riconfermato dall’analisi ESEM che ha mostrato la presenza di Ag-NPs nell’intestino dei lombrichi, dopo depurazione. Inoltre l’esposizione di questi organismi ad Ag-NPs ha causato significativi cambiamenti nella composizione lipidica dei tessuti, rilevando quindi condizioni di stress. La somministrazione di Ag-NPs alle piante di pomodoro tramite l’acqua di irrigazione ha messo in evidenza come le NPs possano essere traslocate dalle radici alle foglie e infine al frutto edule. I potenziali rischi per la salute umana ed ambientale dovuti all’incontrollata diffusione delle NPs costituiscono motivi di grave preoccupazione per la comunità scientifica internazionale.

Aromatic flavors production via biotechnological routes is of great interest as the products can be labeled as natural according to the EU legislation. Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is one of the most important and widely used flavour in the food industry. Natural vanillin is obtained from Vanilla planifolia, which, however, can supply only less than 1% of the annual market demand (Walton et al. 2003). The majority of vanillin currently on the market is chemically synthesized from guaiacol or lignin, but the product is of lower quality and cannot be defined as natural (Walton et al. 2000). Biotechnological production of vanillin via microbial bioconversion of substrates such as eugenol or ferulic acid is a feasible alternative way of obtaining vanillin (Priefert et al. 2001). In addition, the possibility of employing agro-industrial by-products such as wheat bran as ferulic acid sources (Mathew et al. 2007) may represent an interesting opportunity of valorising them. Previous studies have shown that resting cells of an Escherichia coli recombinant strain carrying the genes involved in the bioconversion of ferulic acid to vanillin of Pseudomonas origin (E.coli JM109/pBB1) can bioconvert the ferulic acid present in crude wheat bran hydrolizates into vanillin (Di Gioia et al. 2007). Vanillin produced, however, is quickly converted into vanillyl alcohol (Di Gioia et al. 2007), thus reducing the vanillin yield of the process. Aim of this work is to try to increase vanillin molar yield from ferulic acid obtained from wheat bran.

An aerobic bacterial consortium (Consortium A) was recently obtained from textile wastewater and was capable of degrading 4-nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs). In the perspective of developing a biotechnological process for the treatment of effluents from activated sludge plants fed with NPnEO contaminated wastewater, the capability of Consortium A of biodegrading an industrial mixture of NPnEOs in the physiological condition of immobilized cells was investigated. Two identically configured packed bed reactors were developed by immobilizing the consortium on silica beads or granular activated carbon. Both reactors were tested in batch and continuous mode by feeding them with water supplemented with NPnEOs. The two reactors were monitored through chemical, microbiological and molecular integrated methodology. Active biofilms were generated on both immobilization supports. Both reactors displayed comparable NPnEO mineralization under batch and continuous conditions. FISH analyses evidenced that the biofilms evolved with time by changing the reactor operation mode and the organic load. Taken together, the data collected in this study provide a preliminary strong indication on the feasibility of Consortium A-based biofilm technology for the decontamination of NPnEO containing effluents.

The possibility of enhancing the intrinsic ex-situ bioremediation of a chronically polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil by using cyclodextrins was studied in this work. The soil, contaminated with a large array of polychlorinated biphenyls and deriving from a dump site where it has been stored for about 10 years, was found to contain indigenous cultivable aerobic bacteria capable of utilising biphenyl and chlorobenzoic acids. The soil was amended with inorganic nutrients and biphenyl, saturated with water, and treated in aerobic batch slurry- and fixed-phase reactors. Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin and gamma-cyclodextrin, added to both reactor systems at the concentration of 10 g/L at the 39th and 100th days of treatment, were found to generally enhance the depletion rate and extent of the soil polychlorobiphenyls. Despite some abiotic losses could have affected the depletion data, experimental evidence, such as the production of metabolites tentatively characterized as chlorobenzoic acids and chloride ion accumulation in the reactors, indicated that cyclodextrins significantly enhanced the biological degradation of the soil polychlorobiphenyls. This result has been ascribed to the capability of cyclodextrins of enhancing the availability of polychlorobiphenyls in the hydrophilic soil environment populated by immobilised and suspended indigenous soil microorganisms. Both cyclodextrins were metabolised by the indigenous soil microorganisms at the concentration at which they were used. Therefore, cyclodextrins, both for their capability of enhancing the biodegradation of soil polychlorobiphenyls and for their biodegradability, can have the potential of being successfully used in the bioremediation of chronically polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soils. Copyright 1998 John WileySons, Inc.

Culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques were applied to investigate the bacterial communities occurring in 5-6 days-old honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera L.), with evident symptoms of disease and healthy-looking ones. Samples were collected by the Bee Emergency Service Team (BeeNet Project) from two apiaries located in different geographical sites (North and South Italy). Observed symptoms were atypical, but very close to those attributed to the European foulbrood (EFB) and to the American foulbrood (AFB), which are severe diseases affecting honey bee larvae worldwide. Isolates from diseased larvae were identified as Enterococcus faecalis Schleifer et Kilpper-Balz and Paenibacillus dendritiformis Tcherpakov et al.. Melissococcus plutonius (ex White) Bailey et Collins corrig. Truper et de Clari, the causative agent of EFB, was detected by polymerase chain reaction in both diseased and healthy-looking larval samples, whereas Paenibacillus larvae White, the causative agent of the AFB, failed to be detected. Microbial profiles obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis did not show relevant differences among samples, thus evidencing that the healthy-looking samples were partially affected. Besides confirming the presence of E. faecalis and P. dendritiformis, as found by plate count, the technique confirmed the presence of M. plutonius in all samples. The study has evidenced that honey bee larvae were affected by the EFB, with the presence of an atypical Paenibacillus species as second invader, which presumably confers a different symptomatology to the diseased brood.

Several categories of physiologically active components from plant and animal sources are described. These include phytochemicals such as terpenes, carotenoids, limonoids, saponins, chromanols, polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, phytosterols, stilbenes and organsulfur compounds. Among zoochemicals the importance of omega-3-fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, probiotics and prebiotics in human diet is also highlighted. The chapter also decribes several dietary supplement categories (vitamins, minerals, hormones, cartilage) and provides a list of most used herbal supplements with health implications.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sector of food production in the world. Despite the encouraging trends, several constraints have had a negative impact on the growth of aquaculture. Diseases are the primary limiting factor in large scale production facilities, where aquatic animals are exposed to stressful conditions. Bacterial diseases are responsible for heavy mortality in both wild and cultured fish and result in serious economic lossess. Prevention and control of diseases have led during recent decades to a substantial increase in the use of veterinary medicines. However, the utility of anti-microbial agents as a preventive measure has been questioned, given the extensive documentation on the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among bacteria. Several mechanisms can be responsible for the acquirement of antibiotic resistances, the main common of which are chromosomal mutation or acquisition of plasmids. Chromosomal mutations cannot be transferred to other bacteria but plasmids can transfer resistance rapidly. Several bacterial pathogens can develop plasmid-mediated resistances: plasmids carrying genes for resistance to antibiotics have been found in marine Vibrio species and they could be laterally exchanged. The concept of biological disease control using probiotics has received widespread attention during the last decade. When looking at probiotics intended for an aquatic usage, it is important to take into account the complex relationship that an aquatic organism has with its direct environment, compared to terrestrial animals. Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacteria are dominant in fish and shellfish digestive tract, but the intestinal microbiota of aquatic animals may change very rapidly with the ingestion of microorganisms coming from water and food. This is probably the reason why a large number of probiotics developed in aquaculture are bacteria directly originating from the aquatic environment. However, more ‘traditional’ bacterial or yeast species marketed for animal nutrition (Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus spp., Bacillus spp., and S. cerevisiae) are also used. They can target fish eggs and larvae, fish juveniles and adults, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs and also live food such as rotifers, artemia, or unicellular algae (Kesarcodi-Watson et al., 2008). Growth-promoting effects, through better feed utilisation and digestion, as well as biological control of pathogen colonisation are the most important expected benefits of probiotic applications. Disease outbreaks caused by Vibrio spp. or Aeromonas spp. have been recognised as the most significant constraint on aquaculture production, particularly in the shrimp subsector, where vibriosis is currently one of the main diseases identified. Whereas in vitro, antagonism to pathogens has been clearly demonstrated for a wide range of probiotic strains, in vivo evidence of efficacy is still very scarce. Most probiotics proposed as biological control agents in aquaculture belong to the lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus spp. and Carnobacterium spp.), to the genus Vibrio (V. alginolyticus), to the genus Bacillus, or to the genus Pseudomonas, although other genera or species have also been mentioned (Aeromonas and Flavobacterium). Few multinational pharmaceutical companies have introduced commercial preparations into the market as probiotics feed/food supplement in various commercial names as Aqualact, Spilac, Protexin (Verschuere et al., 2000). This chapter will give some examples on how probiotics can be applied to reduce the incidence of diseases usually affecting aquatic animals, including fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Moreover, a brief consideration on the recent approach of prebiotic administration will also be provided.