Search

In the present study, the antimicrobial effect of Cannabis sativa Futura 75 was evaluated both in vitro against foodborne bacterial pathogens, and on food against naturally occurring microbial groups of minced meat stored for 8 days at 4°C. Ethanol extraction was performed on the grind of the inflorescence. After extraction, ethanol was completely evaporated and substituted by water. Serial dilutions of the extract, the grind and cannabidiol 99% were added to Nutrient Agar and spotted with Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. Regarding the evaluation on food, 50 mL of extract, characterised by CBD at concentration of 322,70 μg/mL, were added to 2.5 kg of minced beef meat. Meat was divided into aliquots and stored for 8 days at 4°C. At 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 days, aerobic bacteria, enterobacteria, coliforms and E. coli were enumerated. All tested products were efficient against Gram +. In particular, extract corresponding to CBD concentration of 0.017 and 0.3 mg/mL were effective against L. monocytogenes and Staphylococcus spp. respectively. After 8 days of storage at 4°C, treated minced meat showed a bright red colour in comparison to a brownish control meat. Moreover, Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms were significantly reduced of 2.3 log CFU/g and 1.6 log CFU/g respectively in treated meat in comparison to the control. Although preliminary, the present study suggests the antimicrobial properties of the extract of Cannabis sativa both in vitro and in minced meat.

The authors would like to correct the authorship in this publication, for the below-mentioned reason. Four co-authors (Johanna Pamp Sünje, Hanne Mordhorst, Claudia Wylezich, Casper Poulsen) have not been listed in the original version of the paper, due to an underestimation of the time needed to publish the results of PT as a whole, for which the dataset selected as described in the manuscript has been sub-mitted. As a consequence, part of the mock community used in the PT has been described in the paper published in Italian Journal of Food Safety for the first time. Therefore, these authors involved in the design and preparation of the mock community, as well as spiking of the samples, should be added. Their contribution is detailed below:-Pamp Sünje Johanna, designed mock community, contribution to design of ring trial.-Mordhorst Hanne, preparation of the spiked samples, shipping ring trial samples.-Wylezich Claudia, conceptualization and addition of the virus in the mock community.-Poulsen Casper, preparation of the mock community.

According to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological crite-ria for foodstuff , the analytical reference method for the detection of Salmonella in food is ISO 6579:2004. However this long and labor-intensive method is not in line with the short production times of the food industry. In the last years, Real-Time PCR is used more and more by scientists for the relia-ble, fast and specific detection of bacterial pathogens in food. The aim of the present study was to eval-uate the Salmonella detection capability of a validated Real-Time PCR assay on naturally contaminated pork cuts in comparison with the reference method ISO 6579:2004. Three sampling were performed and included 16 pork cut packaging. From each packaging, three aliquots of 10 g each were tested separate-ly by ISO 6579:2004 method and by Real-Time PCR. In particular this molecular method was applied on DNA samples extracted from pre-enrichment broth after 1 and 18 hours of incubation. Within the three sampling periods, Real-Time PCR detected Salmonella in 81%, 100% e 62,5% of pork cut samples respectively, whereas the corresponding percentages of detection of the reference method were 56%, 81% e 62,5% respectively. In conclusion the Real-Time PCR assay used in the present study might be a reliable tool for a fast detection of Salmonella on pork cuts, especially when large number of samples needs to be tested. The reference method might be applied only on positive samples for isolation purpos-es mandatory in epidemiological investigations.

Hot air pasteurisation was investigated in the RESCAPE project as innovative treatment for surface bacterial decontamination of table eggs. Possible side effects of the treatment on egg quality traits were also studied. Each egg was submitted simultaneously to two flows of hot air generated by two electric heathers (above the eggs) and one flow of air at room temperature (below the egg). The selected thermal cycle was characterised by two shots of hot air at 600°C for 8 sec, each shot, with a cooling interval of 32 sec between the two shots. The decontamination power of the selected thermal treatment was evaluated over one month on shell eggs experimentally inoculated with either Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and on shell eggs containing only the indigenous microflora. The S. Enteritidis load on treated eggs was lower than the positive control until day 21 with a mean of 1,3 log reduction. A similar log reduction of 1,2 log was observed on L. monocytogenes load of eggs immediately after the treatment. No statistically significant results were obtained comparing E. coli on treated and untreated eggs as well as indigenous microflora on treated and untreated eggs. No detrimental effects on quality traits immediately after the treatment as well as after 28 days of storage at 20°C were recorded.

Hot air pasteurisation was investigated in the EU funded project named RESCAPE as innovative treatment for surface bacterial decontamination of table eggs. Possible side effects of the treatment on egg quality traits were also studied. The decontamination power of hot air was evaluated over one month on shell eggs experimentally inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli or Listeria monocytogenes. The S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes populations on the surface of treated eggs showed a significant reduction in comparison to untreated ones. No statistically significant results were obtained comparing E. coli loads on treated and untreated eggs. No detrimental effects on quality traits immediately after the treatment as well as after 28 days of storage at 20°C were recorded.

vedi allegato

Scopo della presente sperimentazione è stato quello di confrontare, durante la stagione vegeto-produttiva, l’accumulo di acidi grassi nel gheriglio delle seguenti varietà di noce da agricoltura biologica: Serr, Pedro, Franquette e Sorrento, coltivate a Bologna e Chandler coltivata a Forlì. Alla raccolta, oltre ai lipidi anche la composizione in ceneri, proteine, carboidrati, acidi organici ed elementi minerali, di queste noci è stata confrontata con quelle di una varietà californiana (Serr) e una campana (Sorrento) reperite sul mercato al dettaglio. Il peso secco del gheriglio è aumentato in tutte le cv da luglio ad ottobre, con sviluppo più rapido negli ultimi 40 giorni prima della raccolta, quando Pedro e Serr hanno mostrato il gheriglio maggiore (5.7 g) e Sorrento il minore (4.3 g). Serr e Sorrento reperite al dettaglio hanno presentato una concentrazione lipidica maggiore rispetto alle cv provenienti da biologico, tra le quali Serr ha mostrato i risultati maggiori seguita da Sorrento, Franquette e infine Chandler e Pedro. Alla raccolta l’acido linoleico (C18:2) è risultato quello maggiormente rappresentato. L’acido linolenico (C18:3) è risultato maggiore in Sorrento reperita al mercato, seguita da Serr (indipendentemente dalla provenienza) e Chandler, che hanno mostrato concentrazioni maggiori di Pedro, Sorrento e Franquette. Alla raccolta le proteine del gheriglio hanno oscillato tra il 17.5% s.s. (in Serr al dettaglio) e il 15.6% s.s. (in Franquette e Sorrento dal noceto biologico). Le ceneri sono risultate maggiori in Pedro e minori in Sorrento reperita sul mercato. Chandler ha mostrato la maggiore concentrazione di saccarosio, fruttosio e acido malico.

Because of environmental hazards related to the use of synthetic Fe-chelates in Fe-chlorosis control of plants, and with the purpose of using plant extract treatments as an alternative strategy, the effect of Amaranthus retroflexus L extracts on Actinidia deliciosa Liang et Ferguson shoot cultures was investigated, and the possibility of using in vitro cultures for fast evaluation of the effect of such extracts on growth and Fe-chlorosis control in fruit plants is discussed. The extract was obtained by macerating for a week 100 g plant fresh weigth in 1 liter distilled water, filter-sterilizing and adjusting the pH to 5.65; the extract was added at 0 (control), 20, 2, 0.2 and 0.02 ml to 100 ml of previously autoclave-sterilized modified Murashige and Skoog, MS, medium (PM), and salt-deficient PM/3 (third MS salt strenght) and rooting RM (lacking growth regulators, half MS salt strenght) media. The addition of 20 ml water extract to 100 ml PM/3 strongly reduced shoot and basal callus development, while 0.02 ml/100 ml increased both with respect to the control. Rooting was hastened with 0.02 ml extract/100 ml RM with respect to other concentrations. Moreover, roots produced with 0.02 and 0.2 ml extract/100 ml RM were longer than with other treatments and in control. The addition of 0.02 ml extract/100 ml PM/3 medium and of 0.02 to 2 ml extract/100 ml RM improved photosynthetic activity of cultures after five and four weeks in the proliferation and rooting phase, respectively.