Microbiological interactions with cold plasma

There is a diverse range of microbiological challenges facing the food, healthcare and clinical sectors. The increasing and pervasive resistance to broad‐spectrum antibiotics and health‐related concerns with many biocidal agents drives research for novel and complementary antimicrobial approaches. Biofilms display increased mechanical and antimicrobial stability and are the subject of extensive research. Cold plasmas (CP) have rapidly evolved as a technology for microbial decontamination, wound healing and cancer treatment, owing to the chemical and bio‐active radicals generated known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This review outlines the basics of CP technology and discusses the interactions with a range of microbiological targets. Advances in mechanistic insights are presented and applications to food and clinical issues are discussed. The possibility of tailoring CP to control specific microbiological challenges is apparent. This review focuses on microbiological issues in relation to food‐ and healthcare‐associated human infections, the role of CP in their elimination and the current status of plasma mechanisms of action.     

Investigating a flower-insect forager network in a mountain grassland community using pollen DNA barcoding

Faced with the decline of pollinators, it is relevant to strengthen our understanding of the whole plant-pollinator web in semi-natural grasslands that serve as refuges for pollinator populations. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of flower-foraging insects involved in pollen transfer in mountain semi-natural grasslands. Insects actively collecting pollen and/or nectar were caught in spring in six mountain semi-natural grasslands displaying a floristic richness gradient. Individual determinations of insects were made at the finest possible taxonomic scale and pollen loads were removed from the insect body. Using next-generation DNA sequencing, pollens were identified through the ribosomal DNA cistron using the ITS2 database and the ITS plant rDNA cistron sequences from Genbank. A total of 236 flower-foraging insects were collected. Diptera represented 82% of the total catches distantly followed by Hymenoptera (15%) and Apoidea (bees) (11%). Visual observations revealed that Diptera foraged on 16 of the 21 flower species visited by insects. DNA metabarcoding showed that 82% (191) of all of the collected insects were carrying pollen and 44% (104) were carrying two genera of plants or more. Our results demonstrate that Diptera are potential key-pollinators in mountain semi-natural grasslands that cannot be overlooked by the scientific community. However difficulties of taxonomic determination due to severe shortage of experts for Diptera have to be urgently overcome. Further studies on the link between pollen transfer and actual pollination in a global change context are also required. Moreover, our results support the idea that DNA metabarcoding provides accurate information about the plants-insects networks but it also pointed out sensitive issues, especially the necessity to build reliable national barcode databases.     

Pectinase production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus giganteus</Emphasis> in solid-state fermentation: optimization,scale-up,biochemical characterization and its application in olive-oil extraction

The application of pectinases in industrial olive-oil processes is restricted by its production cost. Consequently, new fungal strains able to produce higher pectinase titers are required. The aim of this work was to study the capability of Aspergillus giganteus NRRL10 to produce pectinolytic enzymes by SSF and evaluate the application of these in olive-oil extraction. A. giganteus was selected among 12 strains on the basis of high pectinolytic activity and stability. A mixture composed by wheat bran, orange, and lemon peels was selected as the best substrate for enzyme production. Statistical analyses of the experimental design indicated that pH, temperature, and CaCl₂ are the main factors that affect the production. Subsequently, different aeration flows were tested in a tray reactor; the highest activity was achieved at 20 L min^?1 per kilogram of dry substrate (kgds). Finally, the pectinolytic enzymes from A. giganteus improved the oil yield and rheological characteristics without affecting oil chemical properties.     

Different responses in the expression of alginases,alginate polymerase and acetylation genes during alginate production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Azotobacter vinelandii</Emphasis> under oxygen-controlled conditions

Alginate production and gene expression of genes involved in alginate biosynthesis were evaluated in continuous cultures under dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) controlled conditions. Chemostat at 8% DOT showed an increase in the specific oxygen uptake rate \((q_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }} )\) from 10.9 to 45.3 mmol g^?1 h^?1 by changes in the dilution rate (D) from 0.06 to 0.10 h^?1, whereas under 1% DOT the \(q_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}\) was not affected. Alginate molecular weight was not affected by DOT. However, chemostat at 1% DOT showed a downregulation up to 20-fold in genes encoding both the alginate polymerase (alg8, alg44), alginate acetylases (algV, algI) and alginate lyase AlgL. alyA1 and algE7 lyases gene expressions presented an opposite behavior by changing the DOT, suggesting that A. vinelandii can use specific depolymerases depending on the oxygen level. Overall, the DOT level have a differential effect on genes involved in alginate synthesis, thus a gene expression equilibrium determines the production of alginates of similar molecular weight under DOT controlled.