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This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of tea polyphenols (TP) against 4 Cronobacter sakazakii strains with different sequence types (ST) isolated from powdered infant formula (PIF). The results showed that in normal saline, 5mg/mL of TP (pH 3.44) could eliminate approximately 7.0 log cfu/mL of C. sakazakii within 1 h; in rehydrated PIF, after acidification with HCl (pH 3.55), TP showed a stronger antibacterial activity compared with the controls (malic acid, ascorbic acid, and citric acid). Further, some differences were obvious in tolerance to TP between C. sakazakii strains with different ST. The tolerance of C. sakazakii CE1 (ST4) to TP was found to be greater than that of the other 3 C. sakazakii strains (ST1, ST8, and ST64). The results of recovered test and transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that the action of TP against C. sakazakii was an irreversible bactericidal process caused by leakage of cytoplasm. Taken together, these results indicated that TP had an effective bactericidal effect against C. sakazakii, and provided a new idea for preventing and inactivating C. sakazakii in PIF., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Most γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB), but the yield of GABA is limited in most of these GABA-producing strains. In this study, the production of GABA was carried out by using Lactobacillus plantarum NDC75017, a strain screened from traditional fermented dairy products in China. Concentrations of substrate (l-monosodium glutamate, L-MSG) and coenzyme (pyridoxal-5-phosphate, PLP) of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and culture temperature were investigated to evaluate their effects on GABA yield of Lb. plantarum NDC75017. The results indicated that GABA production was related to GAD activity and biomass of Lb. plantarum NDC75017. Response surface methodology was used to optimize conditions of GABA production. The optimal factors for GABA production were L-MSG at 80 mM, PLP at 18 μM, and a culture temperature of 36 °C. Under these conditions, production of GABA was maximized at 314.56 mg/100 g. Addition of Lb. plantarum NDC75017 to a commercial starter culture led to higher GABA production in fermented yogurt. Flavor and texture of the prepared yogurt and the control yogurt did not differ significantly. Thus, Lb. plantarum NDC75017 has good potential for manufacture of GABA-enriched fermented milk products., (Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

On the basis of our previous results on potential immunoregulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, the immunoregulatory effects of exopolysaccharides (EPS) isolated from L. acidophilus NCFM and their regulating mechanisms are further investigated in the current research. Stimulated by EPS preparations, four immune-related genes in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 cells, namely, interleukin-1α (IL-1α), chemokine C-C motif 2 (CCL2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and pentraxin 3 (PTX3), first showed an increase at 2-4 h, peaked at 4 h, and then decreased at 4-12 h. Similar trends were observed in vivo: four genes showed transient expression (highest on the 4th day) in the cecum and colon of mice. Meanwhile, the organ coefficient, clearance index and phagocytic index all significantly increased with time extension and dose increase of EPS stimulation. EPS triggered NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathways in Caco-2 cells, and the activated pathways initiated the genes expression. EPS compounds from L. acidophilus NCFM may play an important role in host immunoregulation and might be applied as a new type of immunoregulatory agent in functional foods.

Cronobacter species represent an emerging opportunistic foodborne pathogen associated with meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis in infants. Current evidence indicates that powdered infant formula (PIF) is the main source of Cronobacter contamination. A total of 75 strains of Cronobacter spp. from different geographic regions, as well as from PIF processing environments, were identified and typed with different methods, including biochemical profiling by the API 20E system (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France), protein profiling by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and genotypic profiling by ribotype. Analysis by MALDI-TOF MS and biochemical identification was more accurate compared with ribotype analysis. However, MALDI-TOF MS typing and ribotype analysis showed more discriminatory ability compared with biochemical phenotyping. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and reliable tool to identify Cronobacter spp. in PIF and has the potential to trace dissemination of Chronobacter along the production chain., (Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An orange-coloured bacterium, CCBAU 05354(T), was isolated from the soybean rhizosphere following growth on NA medium. The sample was taken from a field in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. The cells were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, short rods (0.4-0.6 x 0.7-1.7 microm) and non-motile. Growth occurred at 28 degrees C (not at 10 or 37 degrees C), pH 6.0-10.0, and in the presence of 0-1 % NaCl (w/v). Flexirubin pigment was produced and the cells were resistant to some antibiotics. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CCBAU 05354(T) was closely related to Niabella soli KACC 12604(T) (95.1 % sequence similarity). The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 1) G, iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and summed feature 3 (comprising C(16 : 1)omega7c and/or C(16 : 1)omega6c). The DNA G+C content was 42 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain CCBAU 05354(T) represents a novel species of the genus Niabella, for which the name Niabella yanshanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CCBAU 05354(T) (=LMG 24661(T) =HAMBI 3031(T)).

A total of 128 bacterial test strains originated from Astragalus, Caragana, Gueldenstaedtia, Medicago, Melilotus, Oxytropis, Trifolium, and Vicia grown in Tibet were characterized phenotypically and genomically. Based upon the consensus of grouping results, they were identified as 16 putative species. Twenty-five test strains belonging to seven putative species of Agrobacterium, Bradyrhizobium, and Rhizobium might be nonsymbiotic bacteria and the remaining 103 test strains were symbiotic bacteria belonging to Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium, and Sinorhizobium meliloti. Although no novel taxon was detected in the symbiotic bacteria, several characters including the alkaliphilic psychrotolerance revealed that the Tibetan rhizobia could be ecotypes adapted to the local conditions. The results also demonstrated that frequent lateral transfer of symbiotic genes might have happened in the Tibetan rhizobia since nodC genes similar to that of S. meliloti were found in several Rhizobium test strains and all the Mesorhizobium species had very similar nodC genes despite their genomic background. All of these findings demonstrated that the Tibetan rhizobia were an important resource for further studies on rhizobial ecology and application.

Fourteen strains representing 11 Caragana-nodulating Mesorhizobium genomic species were identified as representing Mesorhizobium amorphae, Mesorhizobium huakuii, Mesorhizobium septentrionale and groups related to Mesorhizobium plurifarium, Mesorhizobium temperatum, Mesorhizobium tianshanense and Mesorhizobium mediterraneum by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer, partial housekeeping recA gene, and previously performed sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins and BOX-PCR fingerprinting. Despite their different taxonomic affiliation, highly similar symbiotic genes (>93% similarity for nodC and >91.8% similarity for nifH) were found among the Caragana strains and the three type strains for M. tianshanense, M. temperatum and M. septentrionale. Cross nodulation tests revealed that each of these 14 Caragana mesorhizobia and the three type strains mentioned above could effectively infect each of their original host plants, Caragana microphylla, Glycyrrhiza (host for M. tianshanense type strain) and Astragalus adsurgens (host for M. temperatum and M. septentrionale type strains). These results provide evidence that different Mesorhizobium species can nodulate with Caragana, and they have similar symbiotic genes (probably acquired by a phenomenon of lateral gene transfer) and common host ranges.

A total of 63 bacterial strains were isolated from root nodules of Kummerowia striata and K. stipulacea grown in different geographic regions of China. These bacteria could be divided into fast-growing (FG) rhizobia and slow-growing (SG) rhizobia according to their growth rate. Genetic diversity and taxonomic relationships among these rhizobia were revealed by PCR-based 16 S rDNA RFLP and sequencing, 16 S-IGS RFLP, SDS-PAGE of whole cell soluble proteins, BOX-PCR and symbiotic gene (nifH/nodC) analyses. The symbiotic FG strains were mainly isolated from temperate regions and they were identified as four genomic species in Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium meliloti based on the consensus of grouping results. The SG strains were classified as five genomic species within Bradyrhizobium and they were mainly isolated fron the subtropic and tropical regions. The phylogenetic analyses of nifH and nodC genes showed relationships similar to that of 16 S rDNA but the symbiotic genes of Bradyrhizobium strains isolated from Kummerowia were distinct from those isolated from Arachis and soybean. These results offered evidence for rhizobial biogeography and demonstrated that the Kummerowia-nodulating ability might have evolved independently in different regions in association with distinctive genomic species of rhizobia.