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Bacterial antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, seriously affecting the treatment of infections. The biggest danger is that current antibiotics are not able to eradicate the resistant strains. In recent years, alternative antibacterial substances are being sought, which can help in these cases. Fatty acids and monoglycerides are known among the natural substances for their antimicrobial properties and, important detail, bacteria do not develop resistance to them. In this work, we studied the antimicrobial effects of a monoglyceride blend against some multi-resistant Enterococci and Escherichia coli strains. Based on literature data, a blend of fatty acids and their monoglycerides was created and its antimicrobial activity was evaluated against 37 strains of E. coli and 17 Enterococci presenting resistance to at least two antibiotics. A different behavior was observed in the two groups of bacteria, proving that alternative substances can be considerate for the potential treatment of multidrug-resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study compared the faecal microbial composition of formula-fed infants who did and did not have colic.Methods: Faecal samples from formula-fed infants under 16 weeks of age with (n = 38) and without (n = 39) colic were collected at Department of Pediatrics in Turin, Italy, between February 2014 and October 2015. The pH and faecal ammonia were determined and total bacteria, bifidobacteria, lactic acid bacteria and coliforms were quantified by fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH).Results: Faecal ammonia was significantly higher in the colicky infants than in the controls (483 vs. 216 μg/g, p < 0.05). The FISH counts of total bacteria were lower in colicky infants (1.8E10 ± 1.5E10) than in the controls (3.4E10 ± 3.0E10) (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of coliform bacteria was significantly higher in colicky infants (p < 0.05). No differences were observed for the bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria counts between the two groups.Conclusion: Our comparison of formula-fed infants with and without colic revealed significant differences in total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and faecal ammonia. This study provides the stimulus for further studies of the gut microbiome, using new methods of analysis such as 16S metagenomics sequencing in order to lead to more tailored dietary approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant colic is a common gastrointestinal disorder of newborns, mostly related to imbalances in the composition of gut microbiota and particularly to the presence of gas-producing coliforms and to lower levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Probiotics could help to contain this disturbance, with formulations consisting of Lactobacillus strains being the most utilized. In this work, the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve B632 that was specifically selected for its ability to inhibit gas-producing coliforms, was challenged against the Enterobacteriaceae within continuous cultures of microbiota from a 2-month-old colicky infant. As confirmed by RAPD-PCR fingerprinting, B. breve B632 persisted in probiotic-supplemented microbiota cultures, accounting for the 64% of Bifidobacteria at the steady state. The probiotic succeeded in inhibiting coliforms, since FISH and qPCR revealed that the amount of Enterobacteriaceae after 18 h of cultivation was 0.42 and 0.44 magnitude orders lower (ρ < 0.05) in probioticsupplemented microbiota cultures than in the control ones. These results support the possibility to move to another level of study, that is, the administration of B. breve B632 to a cohort of colicky newborns, in order to observe the behavior of this strain in vivo and to validate its effect in colic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel pectin-based edible coating (PBEC), alone or added with the antagonistic yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus BS91 (PBECY), in reducing postharvest rots of Tarocco orange fruit. Their antifungal efficacy was assessed in vitro and in vivo , as well as their ability to preserve fruit quality under refrigerated conditions on three different cultivars, comparing a commercial wax amended with a fungicide. For all the treatments, the decay incidence, physiological disorders, weight loss and physical-chemical parameters were evaluated. The in vivo test results indicated that PBECY enhanced the antifungal effect compared to PBEC, given the significant reduction (p ≤ 0.01) of Penicillium digitatum (PD) decay incidence (up to 90%). After 30 d of cold storage, both PBEC and PBECY reduced fruit decay (p ≤ 0.05) in all cultivars, with values between 0 and 1.2%, relatively to the untreated control (up to 10%). Pectin-coated fruit showed a cultivar-dependent weight loss, with values comparable or higher to the other treatments, respectively for T. Lempso and T. Messina, whereas weight loss in T. Sciara was higher only when coated with PBEC. Fruit physical and chemical parameters were preserved until 30 d of storage, thus demonstrating the potential of this edible coating for future industrial application. • Pectin-based coating was tested alone (PBEC) or with a biocontrol yeast (PBECY). • Postharvest Penicillium rot during cold storage was determined on 'Tarocco' orange • Physiological disorders, weight loss and physico-chemical parameters were evaluated. • PBECY significantly reduced Penicillium digitatum growth with respect to PBEC. • Fruit physical and chemical parameters were preserved until 30 days of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]