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Maione A, Imparato M, Buonanno A, Salvatore MM, Carraturo F, de Alteriis E, Guida M, Galdiero E. Evaluation of Potential Probiotic Properties and In Vivo Safety of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeast Strains Isolated from Traditional Home-Made Kefir. Foods 2024; 13:1013. [PMID: 38611319 PMCID: PMC11011881 DOI: 10.3390/foods13071013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Probiotics are known for their health-promoting resources and are considered as beneficial microorganisms. The current study focuses on the isolation, and on a complete in vitro and in vivo characterization, of yeast and lactic acid bacteria acquired from traditional homemade kefir in order to assess their potentiality as probiotic candidates. In particular, the isolates Pichia kudriavzevii Y1, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae LAB1 and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LAB2 were subjected to in vitro characterization to evaluate their suitability as probiotics. Resistance to acid and bile salts, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, hydrophobicity, and biofilm production capability were examined, as well as their antioxidant activity. A safety assessment was also conducted to confirm the non-pathogenic nature of the isolates, with hemolysis assay and antibiotic resistance assessment. Moreover, mortality in the invertebrate model Galleria mellonella was evaluated. Current findings showed that P. kudriavzevii exhibited estimable probiotic properties, placing them as promising candidates for functional foods. Both lactic acid bacteria isolated in this work could be classified as potential probiotics with advantageous traits, including antimicrobial activity against enteric pathogens and good adhesion ability on intestinal cells. This study revealed that homemade kefir could be a beneficial origin of different probiotic microorganisms that may enhance health and wellness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Imparato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Buonanno
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
- BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
- BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
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Carraturo F, Siciliano A, Giordano A, Di Capua F, Barone F, Casaletta E, Cicotti F, Guida M, Adani F. Ecotoxicological assessment of waste-derived organic fertilizers and long-term monitoring of fertilized soils using a multi-matrix and multi-species approach. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:169341. [PMID: 38097080 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigates the ecotoxicity of 7 biofertilizers, including biowaste-derived organic matrices. Real-field tests were conducted to assess the impacts of soil fertilization with sewage sludge digestate from high-solid thermophilic anaerobic digestion (HSTAD) compared to those obtained on non-amended and urea-fertilized soils. The physical-chemical and ecotoxic impact of HSTAD digestate on soil was monitored for 12 months, at 5 time points and 2 soil depths, on a maize field divided in 3 portions (non-treated, fertilized with urea, amended with digestate). The chemical and physical characteristics of the soil were previously analyzed for 3 years to provide a long-term outlook of the impacts of biofertilizer application. Seven bioindicators were utilized for direct (on whole soil) and indirect (on soil elutriates) ecotoxicological tests on fertilizers and amended soils, including plant seeds (Lepidium sativum, Sorghum saccharatum, and Sinapsis alba), the aquatic organism Daphnia magna, the alga Raphidocelis subcapitata, the luminescent bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri, and the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. No serious negative effects on soil fertilized with HSTAD digestate were evidenced. Conversely, bioassays rather showed positive effects, encouraging the utilization of HSTAD digestate in agriculture, considering the proper concentrations of use. The obtained data were interpolated and a test battery integrated index was generated, confirming the absence of ecotoxicological risk for the soils amended with the applied fertilizers. The long-term evolution of the physical-chemical soil characteristics (including the concentrations of potential contaminants) was similar for both HSTAD digestate and urea application as well as for non-fertilized soil, indicating no negative effects due to digestate application on land. On the contrary, digestate application improved the content of stabilized organic matter and nutrients in soil. This study proposes a more correct approach to ecotoxicity assessment of fertilized soils for biofertilizer evaluation and demonstrates the long-term safe application of HSTAD digestate on agricultural soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, NA, Naples 80146, Italy
| | - Antonietta Siciliano
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, NA, Naples 80146, Italy
| | - Andrea Giordano
- Acqua & Sole s.r.l., Via Giulio Natta, Vellezzo Bellini, 27010 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Francesco Di Capua
- School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Federica Barone
- Acqua & Sole s.r.l., Via Giulio Natta, Vellezzo Bellini, 27010 Pavia, Italy
| | - Elisa Casaletta
- Agromatrici s.r.l., Gruppo Fratelli Visconti, Via Vittor Pisani 20, 20124 Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Cicotti
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, NA, Naples 80146, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Adani
- Gruppo Ricicla Lab., DISAA, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
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De Castro O, Avino M, Carraturo F, Di Iorio E, Giovannelli D, Innangi M, Menale B, Mormile N, Troisi J, Guida M. Profiling microbial communities in an extremely acidic environment influenced by a cold natural carbon dioxide spring: A study of the Mefite in Ansanto Valley, Southern Italy. Environ Microbiol Rep 2024; 16:e13241. [PMID: 38407001 PMCID: PMC10895555 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The Ansanto Valley's Mefite, one of the Earth's largest non-volcanic CO2 gas emissions, is distinguished by its cold natural carbon dioxide springs. These emissions originate from the intricate tectonics and geodynamics of the southern Apennines in Italy. Known for over two millennia for its lethal concentration of CO2 and other harmful gases, the Mefite has a reputation for being toxic and dangerous. Despite its historical significance and unique geological features, there is a lack of information on the microbial diversity associated with the Mefite's gas emissions. This study presents an integrated exploration of the microbial diversity in the mud soil, using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA (Prokaryotes) and ITS2 (Fungi), alongside a geochemical site characterisation. Our findings reveal that the Mefite's unique environment imposes a significant bottleneck on microbial diversity, favouring a select few microbial groups such as Actinobacteria and Firmicutes for Prokaryotes, and Basidiomycota for Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga De Castro
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
- Botanical GardenNaplesItaly
| | - Mariano Avino
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional GenomicsSherbrooke UniversitySherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | | | | | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
- National Research CouncilInstitute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies—CNR‐IRBIMAnconaItaly
- Department of Marine and Coastal ScienceRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
- Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry DepartmentWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMassachusettsUSA
- Earth‐Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Michele Innangi
- EnvixLab, Department of Biosciences and TerritoryUniversity of Molise Contrada Fonte LapponePesche (IS)Italy
| | - Bruno Menale
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
- Botanical GardenNaplesItaly
| | - Nicolina Mormile
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
| | - Jacopo Troisi
- European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS)SalernoItaly
- Theoreo srlMontecorvino Pugliano (SA)Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
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Bosso A, Tortora F, Culurciello R, Di Nardo I, Pistorio V, Carraturo F, Colecchia A, Di Girolamo R, Cafaro V, Notomista E, Ingenito R, Pizzo E. Simultaneous Irradiation with UV-A, -B, and -C Lights Promotes Effective Decontamination of Planktonic and Sessile Bacteria: A Pilot Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12951. [PMID: 37629131 PMCID: PMC10454392 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Surfaces in highly anthropized environments are frequently contaminated by both harmless and pathogenic bacteria. Accidental contact between these contaminated surfaces and people could contribute to uncontrolled or even dangerous microbial diffusion. Among all possible solutions useful to achieve effective disinfection, ultraviolet irradiations (UV) emerge as one of the most "Green" technologies since they can inactivate microorganisms via the formation of DNA/RNA dimers, avoiding the environmental pollution associated with the use of chemical sanitizers. To date, mainly UV-C irradiation has been used for decontamination purposes, but in this study, we investigated the cytotoxic potential on contaminated surfaces of combined UV radiations spanning the UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C spectrums, obtained with an innovative UV lamp never conceived so far by analyzing its effect on a large panel of collection and environmental strains, further examining any possible adverse effects on eukaryotic cells. We found that this novel device shows a significant efficacy on different planktonic and sessile bacteria, and, in addition, it is compatible with eukaryotic skin cells for short exposure times. The collected data strongly suggest this new lamp as a useful device for fast and routine decontamination of different environments to ensure appropriate sterilization procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bosso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | - Francesca Tortora
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | - Rosanna Culurciello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | - Ilaria Di Nardo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | - Valeria Pistorio
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Sorbonne University, Inserm, 75012 Paris, France;
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
- Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, 80146 Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Colecchia
- Physics Department “Ettore Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Rocco Di Girolamo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Valeria Cafaro
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | - Eugenio Notomista
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
| | | | - Elio Pizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (F.T.); (R.C.); (I.D.N.); (F.C.); (V.C.); (E.N.)
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
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Marinaro C, Lettieri G, Verrillo M, Morelli M, Carraturo F, Guida M, Piscopo M. Possible Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Decrease in the Antibacterial Activity of Protamine-like Proteins after Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to Chromium and Mercury. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119345. [PMID: 37298297 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural bioactive compounds represent a new frontier of antimicrobial molecules, and the marine ecosystem represents a new challenge in this regard. In the present work, we evaluated the possibility of changes in the antibacterial activity of protamine-like (PL) proteins, the major nuclear basic protein components of Mytilus galloprovincialis sperm chromatin, after the exposure of mussels to subtoxic doses of chromium (VI) (1, 10, and 100 nM) and mercury (1, 10, and 100 pM) HgCl2, since these metals affect some properties of PL. After exposure, we analyzed the electrophoretic pattern of PLs by both acetic acid-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE) and SDS-PAGE and determined the MIC and MBC of these proteins on different gram+ and gram- bacteria. PLs, particularly after mussels were exposed to the highest doses of chromium and mercury, showed significantly reduced antibacterial activity. Just at the highest doses of exposure to the two metals, changes were found in the electrophoretic pattern of PLs, suggesting that there were conformational changes in these proteins, which were confirmed by the fluorescence measurements of PLs. These results provide the first evidence of a reduction in the antibacterial activity of these proteins following the exposure of mussels to these metals. Based on the results, hypothetical molecular mechanisms that could explain the decrease in the antibacterial activity of PLs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Marinaro
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Gennaro Lettieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Interdepartmental Research Centre of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for the Environment, AgriFood and New Materials (CERMANU), University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Michela Morelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marina Piscopo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
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Salvatore MM, Carraturo F, Salbitani G, Rosati L, De Risi A, Andolfi A, Salvatore F, Guida M, Carfagna S. Biological and metabolic effects of the association between the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria and the fungus Penicillium citrinum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1789. [PMID: 36720953 PMCID: PMC9889788 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27827-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Contamination of microalgae cultures can reduce their productivity and affect the quality of biomass and valuable bioproducts. In this article, after having isolated and identified for the first time the filamentous fungus Penicillium citrinum from heterotrophic cultures of the red polyextremophilic microalga Galdieria sulphuraria, we investigated the biological and metabolic significance of this alga-fungus association. In the same medium, both organisms grow better in each other's presence than separately. Both cell density and cell size of G. sulphuraria increase in co-cultures compared to pure alga cultures. In co-cultures, despite very severe growth conditions, the load of P. citrinum increases compared to pure fungus cultures. Optical microscope images have shown physical contact between cells of P. citrinum hyphae and G. sulphuraria which, however, retain their morphology and cell wall intact. GC-MS-based metabolomics analysis of metabolites excreted in the culture medium shows that pure cultures of the fungus and alga and co-cultures of alga plus fungus can be easily differentiated based on their metabolic products. Indeed, a richer assortment of extracellular metabolites (comprising both products of primary and secondary metabolism) is a distinct feature of co-cultures compared to both pure alga and pure fungus cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Michela Salvatore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. .,Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146, Napoli, NA, Italy.
| | | | - Luigi Rosati
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna De Risi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Andolfi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,BAT Center - Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Francesco Salvatore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Hygiene Laboratory, Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146, Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Simona Carfagna
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Maione A, Mileo A, Pugliese S, Siciliano A, Cirillo L, Carraturo F, de Alteriis E, De Falco M, Guida M, Galdiero E. VT-1161-A Tetrazole for Management of Mono- and Dual-Species Biofilms. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020237. [PMID: 36838202 PMCID: PMC9963680 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
VT-1161 is a novel tetrazole antifungal agent with high specificity for fungal CYP51 (compared to human CYP enzymes) which has been proven to have fewer adverse effects and drug-drug interaction profiles due to fewer off-target inhibitors. In this study, we evaluated the anti-biofilm potential of VT-1161 against mono- and dual-species biofilms of Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. VT-1161 inhibited planktonic growth of all three strains, with an MIC value of 2 µg mL-1 for C. albicans and 0.5 µg mL-1 for K. pneumoniae and S. aureus, and killed 99.9% of the microbial populations, indicating a cytocidal action. Additionally, VT-1161 showed an excellent anti-biofilm action, since it inhibited mono-microbial biofilms by 80% at 0.5 µg mL-1, and dual-species biofilms of C. albicans/K. pneumoniae and C. albicans/S. aureus by 90% at the same concentration. Additionally, the eradication of mature biofilms after 24 h of VT-1161 exposure was excellent, reaching 90% at 2 μg mL-1 for both mono- and dual-species biofilms. In such mixed biofilms, the use of VT-1161 was revealed to be an alternative treatment because it was able to reduce the number of cells of each species during both inhibition and eradication. Since long-term therapy is necessary for most fungal biofilm infections due to their recurrence and obstinacy, VT-1161 showed low cytotoxicity against normal human cell lines and also against the invertebrate model Caenorhabditis elegans. Considering the excellent anti-biofilm potential and its GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, VT-1161 may find use in the prevention or therapeutic treatment of mono- or poly-microbial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Aldo Mileo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Pugliese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Siciliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Cirillo
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta de Alteriis
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria De Falco
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), 80055 Portici, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Salvatore MM, Maione A, La Pietra A, Carraturo F, Staropoli A, Vinale F, Andolfi A, Salvatore F, Guida M, Galdiero E. A model for microbial interactions and metabolomic alterations in Candida glabrata-Staphylococcus epidermidis dual-species biofilms. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279069. [PMID: 36512606 PMCID: PMC9746963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus Candida glabrata and the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis are important biofilm-forming microorganisms responsible of nosocomial infections in patients. In addition to causing single-species disease, these microorganisms are also involved in polymicrobial infections leading to an increased antimicrobial resistance. To expand knowledge about polymicrobial biofilms, in this study we investigate the formation of single- and dual-species biofilms of these two opportunistic pathogens employing several complementary approaches. First, biofilm biomass, biofilm metabolic activity and the microbial composition in single- and dual-species biofilms were assessed and compared. Then, the expression of three genes of C. glabrata and three genes of S. epidermidis positively related to the process of biofilm formation was evaluated. Although S. epidermidis is a stronger biofilm producer than C. glabrata, both biological and genetic data indicate that S. epidermidis growth is inhibited by C. glabrata which dominates the dual-species biofilms. To better understand the mechanisms of the interactions between the two microorganisms, a broad GC-MS metabolomic dataset of extracellular metabolites for planktonic, single- and dual-species biofilm cultures of C. glabrata and S. epidermidis was collected. As demonstrated by Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) of GC-MS metabolomic data, planktonic cultures, single- and dual-species biofilms can be sharply differentiated from each other by the nature and levels of an assortment of primary and secondary metabolites secreted in the culture medium. However, according to our data, 2-phenylethanol (secreted by C. glabrata) and the synergistically combined antifungal activity of 3-phenyllactic acid and of the cyclic dipeptide cyclo-(l-Pro-l-Trp) (secreted by S. epidermidis) play a major role in the race of the two microorganisms for predominance and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Michela Salvatore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Portici, Italy
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessia Staropoli
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Portici, Italy
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Francesco Vinale
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Portici, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- BAT Center—Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Anna Andolfi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- BAT Center—Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- BAT Center—Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
- * E-mail: (MG); (EG)
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail: (MG); (EG)
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Corniello A, Guida M, Stellato L, Trifuoggi M, Carraturo F, Del Gaudio E, Del Giudice C, Forte G, Giarra A, Iorio M, Marzaioli F, Toscanesi M. Hydrochemical, isotopic and microbiota characterization of telese mineral waters (Southern Italy). Environ Geochem Health 2022; 44:1949-1970. [PMID: 33438150 PMCID: PMC9177486 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-00806-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The study deals with the analyses of springs and wells at the base of Montepugliano Hill that represents the SE edge of the wide carbonate Matese massif (Campania, southern Italy). At the base of the hill, from west to east and for almost one kilometre, cold springs HCO3-Ca type (Grassano springs, ~ 4.5 m3/s; TDS: about 0.45 g/L) pass to hypothermal, HCO3-Ca type, sulphurous and CO2-rich springs (~ 1 m3/s with TDS > 1 g/L). Some of the latter are widely used in Telese Spa and Centro Relax Spa. Chemical and isotopic analyses carried out for this study support the hypothesis that all these waters (mineral and non-mineral) have the same catchment area, which is located in the Matese massif. As regards the sulphurous springs, they receive both meteoric waters infiltration and uprising of deeper waters rich in endogenous CO2 and H2S gases through important faults systems. Far from these faults, the chemistry of groundwater is scarcely (or not at all) affected by these deep fluid enrichment processes. This scheme is very significant; in fact, when very important groundwater resources are present, it is possible to use both mineral waters in Spa and, in areas far from the faults, those not yet mineralized. Finally, at Montepugliano Hill, in the final stage of the flow path, groundwater is also affected by change in the microbiome: this could provide a basis for comparison between various mineral waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Corniello
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Univ. Federico II, P/le Tecchio 80, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
| | - Luisa Stellato
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, Univ. Vanvitelli, Viale Lincoln, 5, Caserta, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
| | - Elena Del Gaudio
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Univ. Federico II, P/le Tecchio 80, Napoli, Italy
| | - Carmela Del Giudice
- Department of Biology, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Forte
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Univ. Federico II, P/le Tecchio 80, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Antonella Giarra
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marina Iorio
- Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR), Calata Porta di Massa, 80, Napoli, Italy
| | - Fabio Marzaioli
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, Univ. Vanvitelli, Viale Lincoln, 5, Caserta, Italy
| | - Maria Toscanesi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Univ. Federico II, Via Cupa Nuova Cintia, 21, Napoli, Italy
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Allahyari E, Carraturo F, De Risi A, Nappo A, Morelli M, Cajora A, Guida M. A sequential utilization of the UV-A (365 nm) fluence rate for disinfection of water, contaminated with Legionella pneumophila and Legionelladumoffii. Environ Pollut 2022; 304:119224. [PMID: 35351592 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Legionella species are the etiological agent of Legionnaires' disease, a pathology easily contracted from water circuits and by the inhalation of aerosol droplets. This bacterium mainly proliferates in water: Legionella pneumophila is the most commonly isolated specie in water environments and consequently in water system, although further Legionella species have frequently been isolated, including Legionella dumoffii. The simultaneous presence of the two species in the water system can therefore lead to the simultaneous infection of several people, giving rise to harmful outbreaks. Ultraviolet inactivation of waterborne microorganisms offers a rapid and effective treatment technique and recently is getting more attention mostly to eliminate unsafe level of contamination. To tackle the issue, the inactivation of the two species of Legionella spp., namely L. pneumophila and L. dumoffii, by means of UV-A light emitting diodes (UV-A LED) system is explored. We used a commercially available UV-A LED at 365 nm wavelength, and the UV-A dose is given incrementally to the Legionellae with a concentration of 106 CFU/mL in 0.9% NaCl (aq) solution. In this study, with a UV-A-dose of 1700 mJ/cm2, the log-reduction of 3-log (99.9% inactivation) for L. pneumophila and 2.1-log (99.1% inactivation) for L. dumoffii of the contaminated water are achieved. The Electrical Energy per Order (EEO) is evaluated and showed this system is more economic and efficient in comparison with UV-C and UV-B LEDs. Following the support of this preliminary study with additional tests, aiming to validate the technology, we expect this device may be installed in water plants such as cooling systems or any water purification station in either industrial or home scales to reduce the risk of this infectious disease, preventing consumers' health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Allahyari
- PROMETE Srl, CNR Spin off, P.le V. Tecchio, 45, 80125, Naples, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica "Ettore Pancini", Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Hygiene Laboratories: Water, Food, Environment, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy; Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna De Risi
- Hygiene Laboratories: Water, Food, Environment, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Nappo
- Hygiene Laboratories: Water, Food, Environment, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Michela Morelli
- Hygiene Laboratories: Water, Food, Environment, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessia Cajora
- PROMETE Srl, CNR Spin off, P.le V. Tecchio, 45, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Hygiene Laboratories: Water, Food, Environment, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy; Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), University of Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146, Naples, Italy
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11
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Carraturo F, Panico A, Giordano A, Libralato G, Aliberti F, Galdiero E, Guida M. Hygienic assessment of digestate from a high solids anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with biowaste by testing Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli and SARS-CoV-2. Environ Res 2022; 206:112585. [PMID: 34922984 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is a consolidated technology to convert sewage sludge and other organic wastes into biogas and a nutrient-rich fertilizer (i.e. digestate). The origin of sewage sludge does not exclude the potential presence of pathogens (e.g. Salmonella spp. and SARS-CoV-2) in mature digestate that hence could represent a source of sanitary concerns when it is spread on soil for agriculture purpose. Therefore, an experimental study aimed at proving the sanitizing effect of a full scale thermophilic high solids anaerobic digestion process was conducted by monitoring the hygienic characteristics of mature digestate. Although Salmonella spp. was detected in the sewage sludge fed to the full scale plant, the anaerobic digestion treatment demonstrated sanitization capacity since the monitored pathogens were never found in the mature digestate over the entire duration of the monitoring survey. Furthermore, tests on the regrowth of Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli, artificially inoculated on mature digestate, were also conducted under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions with the aim to assess the effectiveness of mature digestate as microbial growth medium. Concentrations of Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli were drastically reduced after a short time of incubation under anaerobic process and the two microorganisms already resulted undetectable after 24-48 h, whereas, under aerobic conditions, two microorganisms' concentrations were stably high for longer than 10 days. The combination of no free oxygen, high temperature, anaerobic metabolites (e.g. total ammonium nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids) production, bacteria competition and lack of nutritional elements in mature digestate considerably reduced in 24-48 h the sanitary risks associated to accidently contaminated digestate. Furthermore, a SARS-CoV-2 monitoring survey on mature digestate during 13 months, resulted in the absence of the virus RNA in the analyzed digestate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Panico
- Department of Engineering, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Real Casa dell'Annunziata, via Roma 29, 81031, Aversa, CE, Italy.
| | - Andrea Giordano
- Acqua & Sole srl, Via Giulio Natta, 27010, Vellezzo Bellini, PV, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Aliberti
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Hygiene Laboratories, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, I, 80126, Naples, Italy
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12
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Maresca V, Salbitani G, Moccia F, Cianciullo P, Carraturo F, Sorbo S, Insolvibile M, Carfagna S, Panzella L, Basile A. Antioxidant response to heavy metal pollution of Regi Lagni freshwater in Conocephalum conicum L. (Dum.). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 234:113365. [PMID: 35259593 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Conocephalum conicum L. is a cosmopolitan liverwort species able to respond to local environmental pollution by changing its biological features. In the present study, we assessed the different biological responses in C. conicum to heavy metal contamination of Regi Lagni channels, a highly polluted freshwater body. As for the in field experiment, we set up moss bags containing collected samples of the local wild growing C. conicum, from the upstream site (non-polluted area), and we exposed them in the three selected sites characterized by different and extreme conditions of heavy metal pollution. In addition, to better understand the contribution of heavy metals to the alterations and response of the liverwort, we performed in vitro tests, using the same concentration of heavy metals measured in the sites at the moment of the exposition. In both experimental settings, bioaccumulation, ultrastructural damage, reactive oxygen species production and localization, antioxidant enzymes activity (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione S-transferases), glutathione (reduced and oxidized) levels, localization of compounds presenting thiol groups and phenolic content were investigated. The results showed that the samples from different sites and conditions (for in vitro tests) showed significant differences. In particular, the ultrastructural alterations show a trend correlated to the different exposure situations; ROS contents, glutathione, antioxidant enzyme activities, and phenolic contents were increased showing an enhancement of the antioxidant defense both by the enzymatic way and by using the synthesis of antioxidant phenolic compounds. This study confirms the ability of C. conicum to respond to heavy metal pollution and the responses studied are, at least partially, correlated to the presence of heavy metals. All the responses considered respond consistently with the pollution trend and they can be proposed as pollution biomarkers. Therefore, we suggest the use of C. conicum to identify local hot spots of pollution in further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Maresca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Federica Moccia
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | | | | | - Sergio Sorbo
- CeSMA, section of Microscopy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Marilena Insolvibile
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Carfagna
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Lucia Panzella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Adriana Basile
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Gambino E, Maione A, Guida M, Albarano L, Carraturo F, Galdiero E, Di Onofrio V. Evaluation of the Pathogenic-Mixed Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa/ Staphylococcus aureus and Treatment with Limonene on Three Different Materials by a Dynamic Model. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19063741. [PMID: 35329426 PMCID: PMC8955688 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19063741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Biofilms have been found growing on implantable medical devices. This can lead to persistent clinical infections. The highly antibiotic-resistant property of biofilms necessitates the search for both potent antimicrobial agents and novel antibiofilm strategies. Natural product-based anti-biofilm agents were found to be as efficient as chemically synthesized counterparts with fewer side effects. In the present study, the effects of limonene as an antibiofilm agent were evaluated on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formed on different surfaces using the CDC model system in continuous flow. The flgK gene and the pilA gene expression in P. aeruginosa, and the icaA gene and eno gene in S. aureus, which could be considered as efficient resistance markers, were studied. Methods: Mono- and dual-species biofilms were grown on polycarbonate, polypropylene, and stainless-steel coupons in a CDC biofilm reactor (Biosurface Technologies, Bozeman, MT, USA). To evaluate the ability of limonene to inhibit and eradicate biofilm, a sub-MIC concentration (10 mL/L) was tested. The gene expression of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was detected by SYBR Green quantitative Real-Time PCR assay (Meridiana Bioline, Brisbane, Australia). Results: The limonene added during the formation of biofilms at sub-MIC concentrations works very well in inhibiting biofilms on all three materials, reducing their growth by about 2 logs. Of the same order of magnitude is the ability of limonene to eradicate both mono- and polymicrobial mature biofilms on all three materials. Greater efficacy was observed in the polymicrobial biofilm on steel coupons. The expression of some genes related to the virulence of the two microorganisms was differently detected in mono- and polymicrobial biofilm. Conclusions: These data showed that the limonene treatment expressed different levels of biofilm-forming genes, especially when both types of strains alone and together grew on different surfaces. Our findings showed that limonene treatment is also very efficient when biofilm has been grown under shear stress causing significant and irreversible damage to the biofilm structure. The effectiveness of the sanitation procedures can be optimized by applying antimicrobial combinations with natural compounds (e.g., limonene).
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Affiliation(s)
- Edvige Gambino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Luisa Albarano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (M.G.); (L.A.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-679182
| | - Valeria Di Onofrio
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80143 Naples, Italy;
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14
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Maresca V, Bellini E, Landi S, Capasso G, Cianciullo P, Carraturo F, Pirintsos S, Sorbo S, Sanità di Toppi L, Esposito S, Basile A. Biological responses to heavy metal stress in the moss Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 229:113078. [PMID: 34929502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Leptodictyum riparium, a widely distributed aquatic moss, can both tolerate and accumulate very high concentrations of toxic heavy metals, with only slight apparent damage. Here we report the effects on photosynthetic yield, glutathione (GSH), phytochelatin (PCn) synthesis, nitrogen metabolism and cellular localization of molecules rich in SH groups in L. riparium exposed in vitro to heavy metals. We simulated the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb detected in Regi Lagni, Italy, one of the most contaminated freshwater sites in Southern Europe, in the laboratory to test how the moss responds to heavy metal contamination. There was a steady decrease of photosynthetic efficiency correlated with the heavy metal concentrations and ultrastructural organization. All PCn levels increased significantly as the concentration of heavy metals increased, while the GSH levels did not appear to be particularly affected. A significant increase of GDH and NADH-GOGAT activities increased with increasing heavy metal concentration. Immunoblotting analysis revealed an increase of the chl-GS2 while no significant increase was detected in the cyt-GS1. These results give insight into the molecular events underlying the metal-tolerance of the aquatic moss L. riparium exposed to environmental heavy metal concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Maresca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Erika Bellini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Landi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Giorgia Capasso
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Stergios Pirintsos
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Greece; Botanical Garden, University of Crete, 741 00 Rethymnon, Greece
| | - Sergio Sorbo
- CeSMA, Microscopy Section, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Sergio Esposito
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Adriana Basile
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy.
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15
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Siciliano A, Guida M, Iesce MR, Libralato G, Temussi F, Galdiero E, Carraturo F, Cermola F, DellaGreca M. Ecotoxicity and photodegradation of Montelukast (a drug to treat asthma) in water. Environ Res 2021; 202:111680. [PMID: 34256078 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The present work focuses on the ecotoxicological effects of montelukast sodium (MTL) and its photoproducts, obtained under environmentally-like conditions. Despite of the potential presence in surface waters and the common use of MTL as asthma drug, limited data has been published for its photodegradation, while no information is available for its ecotoxicity. Light-induced degradation is an effective way for drugs to degrade in aquatic environments, and MTL is highly photosensitive, even by exposure to sunlight. In this study, solar-simulated irradiation of the drug in water was investigated. The drug was quickly converted into a series of photoproducts that were spectroscopically characterized. The possible photoreaction pathways were proposed. Ecotoxicity tests were performed on parent compound and mixture of photoproducts towards two bioindicators (Raphidocelis subcapitata and Daphnia magna). Results evidenced that effects of MTL on D. magna (EC50 = 16.4 mg/L) were greater than effects on R. subcapitata (EC50 = 195.7 mg/L). Microscopy observations revealed that MTL had mainly accumulated in the gut of daphnia. Toxicity data on photolysed solutions highlighted the presence of residual toxicity in all samples, evidencing that no complete mineralization occurred. Future research should focus on monitoring of MTL concentrations in the environment and study its effects in bioaccumulation tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Rosaria Iesce
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Temussi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Flavio Cermola
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina DellaGreca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Policastro G, Carraturo F, Compagnone M, Giugliano M, Guida M, Luongo V, Napolitano R, Fabbricino M. A preliminary study on a novel bioaugmentation technique enhancing lactic acid production by mixed cultures fermentation. Bioresour Technol 2021; 340:125595. [PMID: 34333344 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The paper is a preliminary study on the selection of lactic acid producing microorganisms from a mixed microbial population via bioaugmentation. The bioaugmentation technique is based on pH sudden variations occurring in sequential batch steps of a dark fermentation process applied to simple substrates. Different conditions are tested and compared. The structure of microbial communities and concentrations of metabolic intermediates are analyzed to study the possible substrate conversion routes. Obtained results indicate that the initial mixed culture produced a lactic acid percentage of 5% in terms of CODLA/CODPRODUCTS. In the most favourable conditions, the selected culture produced a lactic acid percentage of 59%. The analysis of the composition of microbial communities before and after the bioaugmentation processes, indicates that lactic acid production mainly results from the population change to bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus. Indeed, the relative abundance of Bacilli increased from 0.67%, to 8.40% during the bioaugmentation cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Policastro
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy.
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, Naples 80126, Italy.
| | - Mariacristina Compagnone
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technologies, Faculty of Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Marco Giugliano
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy.
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, Naples 80126, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Luongo
- Department of Mathematics and Applications Renato Caccioppoli, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples I-80126, Italy.
| | - Raffaele Napolitano
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy.
| | - Massimiliano Fabbricino
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy.
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Prato E, Fabbrocini A, Libralato G, Migliore L, Parlapiano I, D'Adamo R, Rotini A, Manfra L, Lofrano G, Carraturo F, Trifuoggi M, Biandolino F. Comparative toxicity of ionic and nanoparticulate zinc in the species Cymodoce truncata, Gammarus aequicauda and Paracentrotus lividus. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021; 28:42891-42900. [PMID: 33829380 PMCID: PMC8354894 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Due to the continuous development, production and consumption of nanoparticles (NPs), their release, fate and effects in marine coastal environment can represent a major concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and compare it to bulk ZnSO4 on three macroinvertebrates: the isopod Cymodoce truncata (i.e. used for the first time in ecotoxicology), the amphipod Gammarus aequicauda and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. This study showed concentration- and time-dependent relationships for all biological models for both ZnO NPs and ZnSO4. Both Zn forms elicited high toxicity to G. aequicauda and C. truncata juveniles, but ZnO NPs induced comparable responses to both species (96h-LC50 = 0.30 and 0.37 mg/L for G. aequicauda and C. truncata, respectively; p > 0.05), while differences were found after ZnSO4 exposure (96h-LC50 = 0.28 and 0.63 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.05). ZnO NPs generated sub-lethal effects on P. lividus embryos (72h-EC50 = 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) mg/L), not significantly different from ZnSO4 ones (72h-EC50 = 0.06 (0.05, 0.07) mg/L). Effects of ZnO NPs were similar to existing literature data for other testing species. C. truncata can be considered as a promising new biological model in (nano)ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermelinda Prato
- CNR-IRSA National Research Council - Water Research Institute, Taranto, Italy.
| | - Adele Fabbrocini
- CNR-ISMAR (National Research Council - Institute of Marine Sciences, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| | - Luciana Migliore
- Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Parlapiano
- CNR-IRSA National Research Council - Water Research Institute, Taranto, Italy
| | - Raffaele D'Adamo
- CNR-ISMAR (National Research Council - Institute of Marine Sciences, Naples, Italy
| | - Alice Rotini
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
| | - Loredana Manfra
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Giusy Lofrano
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
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Albarano L, Lofrano G, Costantini M, Zupo V, Carraturo F, Guida M, Libralato G. Comparison of in situ sediment remediation amendments: Risk perspectives from species sensitivity distribution. Environ Pollut 2021; 272:115995. [PMID: 33187838 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Contaminated sediment is a major issue for aquatic environments, but attention must be kept even during remediation activities that can negatively affect resident biota especially when applied in situ. For the first time, the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach was applied to amendments used for in situ sediment remediation considering 39 papers including both freshwater (F) and saltwater (S) effect data (i.e. n = 17 only F, n = 19 only S, and n = 3 both F and S). Toxicity data related to the application of activated carbon (AC), nano-Zero-Valent-Iron (nZVI), apatite (A), organoclay (OC) and zeolite (Z) were collected and analyzed. SSD curves were constructed by lognormal model providing comprehensive comparisons of the sensitivities of different species to the relative testing methods. Results indicated that Bacteria were the most sensitive group of testing organisms, while Crustaceans were the less sensitive. The hazardous concentration for 5% of the affected species (HC5) were derived to determine the concentration protecting 95% of the species. OC, A and Z presented both acute and chronic toxicity. The HC5 values in descending order are: AC (4.79 g/L) > nZVI (0.02 g/L) > OC, A and Z (1.77E-04 g/L). AC and nZVI can be considered safer than OC, A and Z in sediment remediation activities, even if in situ long-term effects remained still underexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Albarano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - G Lofrano
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - M Costantini
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - V Zupo
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - F Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - M Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - G Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
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Galdiero E, Salvatore MM, Maione A, Carraturo F, Galdiero S, Falanga A, Andolfi A, Salvatore F, Guida M. Impact of the Peptide WMR-K on Dual-Species Biofilm Candida albicans/Klebsiella pneumoniae and on the Untargeted Metabolomic Profile. Pathogens 2021; 10:214. [PMID: 33669279 PMCID: PMC7920046 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the scientific community has focused on the development of new antibiotics to address the difficulties linked to biofilm-forming microorganisms and drug-resistant infections. In this respect, synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are particularly regarded for their therapeutic potential against a broad spectrum of pathogens. In this work, the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of the peptide WMR-K towards single and dual species cultures of Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae were investigated. We found minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for WMR-K of 10 µM for K. pneumoniae and of 200 µM for C. albicans. Furthermore, sub-MIC concentrations of peptide showed an in vitro inhibition of biofilm formation of mono and polymicrobial systems and also a good biofilm eradication even if higher concentrations of it are needed. In order to provide additional evidence for the effect of the examined peptide, a study of changes in extracellular metabolites excreted and/or uptaken from the culture medium (metabolomic footprinting) in the poly-microbial association of C. albicans and K. pneumoniae in presence and absence of WMR-K was performed. Comparing to the untreated dual species biofilm culture, the metabolomic profile of the WMR-K treated culture appears significantly altered. The differentially expressed compounds are mainly related to the primary metabolic pathways, including amino acids, trehalose, pyruvic acid, glycerol and vitamin B6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Maria Michela Salvatore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.A.); (F.S.)
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via dell’ Università 100, 80055 Naples, Italy;
| | - Anna Andolfi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.A.); (F.S.)
- BAT Center—Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Salvatore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.A.); (F.S.)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (E.G.); (A.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
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Maione A, de Alteriis E, Carraturo F, Galdiero S, Falanga A, Guida M, Di Cosmo A, Maselli V, Galdiero E. The Membranotropic Peptide gH625 to Combat Mixed Candida albicans/ Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilm: Correlation between In Vitro Anti-Biofilm Activity and In Vivo Antimicrobial Protection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7010026. [PMID: 33466540 PMCID: PMC7824901 DOI: 10.3390/jof7010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The antibiofilm activity of a gH625 analogue was investigated to determine the in vitro inhibition and eradication of a dual-species biofilm of Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two leading opportunistic pathogens responsible for several resistant infections. The possibility of effectively exploiting this peptide as an alternative anti-biofilm strategy in vivo was assessed by the investigation of its efficacy on the Galleria mellonella larvae model. Results on larvae survival demonstrate a prophylactic efficacy of the peptide towards the infection of each single microorganism but mainly towards the co-infection. The expression of biofilm-related genes in vivo showed a possible synergy in virulence when these two species co-exist in the host, which was effectively prevented by the peptide. These findings provide novel insights into the treatment of medically relevant bacterial–fungal interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta de Alteriis
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via dell'Università 100, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, Italy
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Cofone R, Carraturo F, Capriello T, Libralato G, Siciliano A, Del Giudice C, Maio N, Guida M, Ferrandino I. Eobania vermiculata as a potential indicator of nitrate contamination in soil. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2020; 204:111082. [PMID: 32795702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The effects of nitrates were analysed on the land snail Eobania vermiculata, a good bioindicator to assess the effects of certain pollutants in soil. It is known that the molluscs are very sensitive to contamination substances and can be used as sentinel organism for environmental pollution assessment. The nitrates are present in fertilizers and in food additives and their excess can not only be harmful to the environment but also dangerous for the humans. Indeed, in the mammals the nitrates are converted into nitrites and can cause a series of complications as the formation of methaemoglobin and cancers. In this study, adult organisms of E. vermiculata were exposed to soil containing 2000 mg/L of nitrates for 30 days to evaluate the stool microbiome and the histological changes at the level of the foot. Eggs of these snails were similarly treated to observe their hatching, survival and development. Histological changes were observed at level of the foot of adult snails exposed to nitrate and in their stools was evident an increase of bacteria, especially those that have a high ability to exploit nitrates and nitrogen as nutrients. Instead, the treated eggs showed changes in hatching, hypopigmentation of newborn snails and a decrease of their survival in time. The overall information obtained from these endpoints can provide important information regarding the quality of the environment. In addition, they also showed that the invertebrate organism E. vermiculata despite being a simple organism is very useful and efficient for ecotoxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Cofone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Capriello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Siciliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmela Del Giudice
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Maio
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Ida Ferrandino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
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22
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Falanga A, Siciliano A, Vitiello M, Franci G, Del Genio V, Galdiero S, Guida M, Carraturo F, Fahmi A, Galdiero E. Ecotoxicity Evaluation of Pristine and Indolicidin-coated Silver Nanoparticles in Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystem. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:8097-8108. [PMID: 33116520 PMCID: PMC7585781 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s260396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are highly exploited in manufacturing and medical processes in a broad spectrum of industrial applications and in the academic sectors. Several studies have suggested that many metallic nanomaterials including those derived by silver (Ag) are entering the ecosystem to cause significant toxic consequences in cell culture and animal models. However, ecotoxicity studies are still receiving limited attention when designing functionalized and non.-functionalized AgNPs. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate different ecotoxicological profiles of AgNPs, which were analyzed in two different states: in pristine form uncoated AgNPs and coated AgNPs with the antimicrobial peptide indolicidin. These two types of AgNPs are exploited for a set of different tests using Daphnia magna and Raphidocelis subcapitata, which are representatives of two different levels of the aquatic trophic chain, and seeds of Lepidium sativum, Cucumis sativus and Lactuca sativa. RESULTS Ecotoxicological studies showed that the most sensitive organism to AgNPs was crustacean D. magna, followed by R. subcapitata and plant seeds, while AgNPs coated with indolicidin (IndAgNPs) showed a dose-dependent decreased toxicity for all three. CONCLUSION The obtained results demonstrate that high ecotoxicity induced by AgNPs is strongly dependent on the surface chemistry, thus the presence of the antimicrobial peptide. This finding opens new avenues to design and fabricate the next generation of metallic nanoparticles to ensure the biosafety and risk of using engineered nanoparticles in consumer products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Portici80055, Italy
| | | | - Mariateresa Vitiello
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Virology Unit, “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona Hospital”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Franci
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana,” University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Valentina Del Genio
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples80134, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples80134, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples80100, Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples80100, Italy
| | - Amir Fahmi
- Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, KleveD-47533, Germany
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples80100, Italy
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23
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Troisi J, Autio R, Beopoulos T, Bravaccio C, Carraturo F, Corrivetti G, Cunningham S, Devane S, Fallin D, Fetissov S, Gea M, Giorgi A, Iris F, Joshi L, Kadzielski S, Kraneveld A, Kumar H, Ladd-Acosta C, Leader G, Mannion A, Maximin E, Mezzelani A, Milanesi L, Naudon L, Peralta Marzal LN, Perez Pardo P, Prince NZ, Rabot S, Roeselers G, Roos C, Roussin L, Scala G, Tuccinardi FP, Fasano A. Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism (GEMMA) Study Design: Biomarkers Identification for Precision Treatment and Primary Prevention of Autism Spectrum Disorders by an Integrated Multi-Omics Systems Biology Approach. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E743. [PMID: 33081368 PMCID: PMC7603049 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 child in 54, with a 35-fold increase since 1960. Selected studies suggest that part of the recent increase in prevalence is likely attributable to an improved awareness and recognition, and changes in clinical practice or service availability. However, this is not sufficient to explain this epidemiological phenomenon. Research points to a possible link between ASD and intestinal microbiota because many children with ASD display gastro-intestinal problems. Current large-scale datasets of ASD are limited in their ability to provide mechanistic insight into ASD because they are predominantly cross-sectional studies that do not allow evaluation of perspective associations between early life microbiota composition/function and later ASD diagnoses. Here we describe GEMMA (Genome, Environment, Microbiome and Metabolome in Autism), a prospective study supported by the European Commission, that follows at-risk infants from birth to identify potential biomarker predictors of ASD development followed by validation on large multi-omics datasets. The project includes clinical (observational and interventional trials) and pre-clinical studies in humanized murine models (fecal transfer from ASD probands) and in vitro colon models. This will support the progress of a microbiome-wide association study (of human participants) to identify prognostic microbiome signatures and metabolic pathways underlying mechanisms for ASD progression and severity and potential treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Troisi
- Theoreo srl spin off company of the University of Salerno, Via degli Ulivi, 3, 84090 Montecorvino Pugliano (SA), Italy;
| | - Reija Autio
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33014 Tampere, Finland;
| | - Thanos Beopoulos
- Bio-Modeling System, 3, Rue De L’arrivee. 75015 Paris, France; (T.B.); (M.G.); (F.I.)
| | - Carmela Bravaccio
- Department of science medicine translational, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | | | - Giulio Corrivetti
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Salerno, Via Nizza, 146, 84125 Salerno (SA), Italy;
| | - Stephen Cunningham
- National University of Ireland Galaway, University Road, Galaway, Ireland; (S.C.); (L.J.); (G.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Samantha Devane
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Fruit Street, 55, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (S.D.); (S.K.)
| | - Daniele Fallin
- John Hopkins School of Public Health and the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (D.F.); (C.L.-A.)
| | - Serguei Fetissov
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Inserm UMR 1239, Rouen University of Normandy, 25 rue Tesnière, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France;
| | - Manuel Gea
- Bio-Modeling System, 3, Rue De L’arrivee. 75015 Paris, France; (T.B.); (M.G.); (F.I.)
| | | | - François Iris
- Bio-Modeling System, 3, Rue De L’arrivee. 75015 Paris, France; (T.B.); (M.G.); (F.I.)
| | - Lokesh Joshi
- National University of Ireland Galaway, University Road, Galaway, Ireland; (S.C.); (L.J.); (G.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Sarah Kadzielski
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Fruit Street, 55, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (S.D.); (S.K.)
| | - Aletta Kraneveld
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.K.); (L.N.P.M.); (P.P.P.); (N.Z.P.)
| | - Himanshu Kumar
- Danone Nutricia Research, Uppsalalaan, 12, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (H.K.); (R.G.)
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- John Hopkins School of Public Health and the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (D.F.); (C.L.-A.)
| | - Geraldine Leader
- National University of Ireland Galaway, University Road, Galaway, Ireland; (S.C.); (L.J.); (G.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Arlene Mannion
- National University of Ireland Galaway, University Road, Galaway, Ireland; (S.C.); (L.J.); (G.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Elise Maximin
- Institut National de Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation et L’environnement (INRAE), AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (E.M.); (L.N.); (S.R.); (L.R.)
| | - Alessandra Mezzelani
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Piazzale Aldo Moro, 7, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Luciano Milanesi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Piazzale Aldo Moro, 7, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Laurent Naudon
- Institut National de Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation et L’environnement (INRAE), AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (E.M.); (L.N.); (S.R.); (L.R.)
| | - Lucia N. Peralta Marzal
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.K.); (L.N.P.M.); (P.P.P.); (N.Z.P.)
| | - Paula Perez Pardo
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.K.); (L.N.P.M.); (P.P.P.); (N.Z.P.)
| | - Naika Z. Prince
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.K.); (L.N.P.M.); (P.P.P.); (N.Z.P.)
| | - Sylvie Rabot
- Institut National de Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation et L’environnement (INRAE), AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (E.M.); (L.N.); (S.R.); (L.R.)
| | - Guus Roeselers
- Danone Nutricia Research, Uppsalalaan, 12, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (H.K.); (R.G.)
| | | | - Lea Roussin
- Institut National de Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation et L’environnement (INRAE), AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (E.M.); (L.N.); (S.R.); (L.R.)
| | - Giovanni Scala
- Theoreo srl spin off company of the University of Salerno, Via degli Ulivi, 3, 84090 Montecorvino Pugliano (SA), Italy;
| | | | - Alessio Fasano
- European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Via S. de Renzi, 3, 84125 Salerno (SA), Italy;
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Carraturo F, Del Giudice C, Morelli M, Cerullo V, Libralato G, Galdiero E, Guida M. Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment and COVID-19 transmission risk from environmental matrices and surfaces. Environ Pollut 2020; 265:115010. [PMID: 32570023 PMCID: PMC7280109 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading around the world, representing a global pandemic, counting, as of June 5th, 2020, over 6,600,000 confirmed cases and more than 390,000 deaths, with exponentially increasing numbers. In the first half of 2020, because of the widespread of the COVID-19, researches were focused on the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in water, wastewater, sludge, air, and on surfaces, in order to assess the risk of contracting the viral infection from contaminated environments. So far, the survival of the novel Coronavirus out of the human body has been reported for short time periods (from hours to few days, in optimized in vitro conditions), mainly because of the need of an host organism which could consent the viral attack, and due to the weak external membrane of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding strategies in the environment, either through animate and unanimate matrices, or exploiting the organic matter in water, wastewater, and waste in general, have been discussed in the present article. We concluded that, besides the high infectuousness of the novel Coronavirus, the transmission of the pathogen may be efficiently contained applying the adequate preventive measures (e.g., personal protection equipments, and disinfecting agents), indicated by national and international health authories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| | - Carmela Del Giudice
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Michela Morelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Cerullo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
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Carraturo F, Libralato G, Esposito R, Galdiero E, Aliberti F, Amoresano A, Fontanarosa C, Trifuoggi M, Guida M. Metabolomic profiling of food matrices: Preliminary identification of potential markers of microbial contamination. J Food Sci 2020; 85:3467-3477. [DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Rodolfo Esposito
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Francesco Aliberti
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Angela Amoresano
- Department of Chemistry University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Carolina Fontanarosa
- Department of Chemistry University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemistry University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Hygiene University of Naples “Federico II” Via Cintia 26 Naples 80126 Italy
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26
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Prato E, Parlapiano I, Biandolino F, Rotini A, Manfra L, Berducci MT, Maggi C, Libralato G, Paduano L, Carraturo F, Trifuoggi M, Carotenuto M, Migliore L. Chronic sublethal effects of ZnO nanoparticles on Tigriopus fulvus (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020; 27:30957-30968. [PMID: 31814077 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07006-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated for the first time the effects of ZnO nanoparticle (NP) chronic exposure (28 days) on Tigriopus fulvus. Acute toxicity (48 h) of three Zn chemical forms was assessed as well including the following: (a) ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), (b) Zn2+ from ZnO NP suspension after centrifugation (supernatant) and (c) ZnSO4 H2O. Physical-chemical and electronic microscopies were used to characterize spiked exposure media. Results showed that the dissolution of ZnO NPs was significant, with a complete dissolution at lowest test concentrations, but nano- and micro-aggregates were always present. Acute test evidenced a significant higher toxicity of Zn2+ and ZnSO4 compared to ZnO NPs. The chronic exposure to ZnO NPs caused negative effects on the reproductive traits, i.e. brood duration, brood size and brood number at much lower concentrations (≥ 100 μg/L). The appearance of ovigerous females was delayed at higher concentrations of ZnO NPs, while the time required for offspring release and the percentage of non-viable eggs per female were significantly increased. ZnO NP subchronic exposure evidenced its ability to reduce T. fulvus individual reproductive fitness, suggesting that ZnO NPs use and release must be carefully monitored. Graphical abstract Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alice Rotini
- Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
| | - Loredana Manfra
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Maggi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy.
| | - Luigi Paduano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
- CSGI - Consorzio interuniversitario per lo sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Maurizio Carotenuto
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
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Liccardo D, Marzano F, Carraturo F, Guida M, Femminella GD, Bencivenga L, Agrimi J, Addonizio A, Melino I, Valletta A, Rengo C, Ferrara N, Rengo G, Cannavo A. Potential Bidirectional Relationship Between Periodontitis and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Physiol 2020; 11:683. [PMID: 32719612 PMCID: PMC7348667 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly population, representing a global public health priority. Despite a large improvement in understanding the pathogenesis of AD, the etiology of this disorder remains still unclear, and no current treatment is able to prevent, slow, or stop its progression. Thus, there is a keen interest in the identification and modification of the risk factors and novel molecular mechanisms associated with the development and progression of AD. In this context, it is worth noting that several findings support the existence of a direct link between neuronal and non-neuronal inflammation/infection and AD progression. Importantly, recent studies are now supporting the existence of a direct relationship between periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory oral disease, and AD. The mechanisms underlying the association remain to be fully elucidated, however, it is generally accepted, although not confirmed, that oral pathogens can penetrate the bloodstream, inducing a low-grade systemic inflammation that negatively affects brain function. Indeed, a recent report demonstrated that oral pathogens and their toxic proteins infect the brain of AD patients. For instance, when AD progresses from the early to the more advanced stages, patients could no longer be able to adequately adhere to proper oral hygiene practices, thus leading to oral dysbiosis that, in turn, fuels infection, such as periodontitis. Therefore, in this review, we will provide an update on the emerging (preclinical and clinical) evidence that supports the relationship existing between periodontitis and AD. More in detail, we will discuss data attesting that periodontitis and AD share common risk factors and a similar hyper-inflammatory phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Liccardo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Federica Marzano
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Bencivenga
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Jacopo Agrimi
- Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Armida Addonizio
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Imma Melino
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Valletta
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Rengo
- Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Materials, School of Dental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferrara
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici ICS Maugeri - S.p.A.-Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto Scientifico di Telese Terme, Telese, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rengo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici ICS Maugeri - S.p.A.-Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto Scientifico di Telese Terme, Telese, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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28
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Gallo A, Guida M, Armiento G, Siciliano A, Mormile N, Carraturo F, Pellegrini D, Morroni L, Tosti E, Ferrante MI, Montresor M, Molisso F, Sacchi M, Danovaro R, Lofrano G, Libralato G. Species-specific sensitivity of three microalgae to sediment elutriates. Mar Environ Res 2020; 156:104901. [PMID: 32056796 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae are considered good bioindicators of marine environmental quality. Frequently, they are used to investigate the toxicity of sediment elutriates, but their sensitivity is disputed. This paper compared the sensitivity of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (diatom), Skeletonema costatum (diatom), and Dunaliella tertiolecta (green alga), analyzing 257 samples of elutriates (1:4 sediment: water ratio), considering growth inhibition (72 h) as the reference endpoint and sediment chemical (metals, metalloids and polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and grain size. Results of the toxicity tests showed that the microalgae sensitivity was not correlated. The integration of chemical data did not allow to discriminate toxicity effects but contributed to highlight that D. tertiolecta was the most sensitive microalgae (no cell wall) followed by P. tricornutum and S. costatum. Further analysis, including lines of evidence and weight of evidence approaches to calculate risk quotients of elutriate samples, confirmed these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - G Armiento
- ENEA, Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301, 00123, Roma, Italy
| | - A Siciliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - N Mormile
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - F Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - D Pellegrini
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via del Cedro (c/o Dogana d'Acqua), 57122, Livorno, Italy
| | - L Morroni
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via del Cedro (c/o Dogana d'Acqua), 57122, Livorno, Italy
| | - E Tosti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M I Ferrante
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M Montresor
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - F Molisso
- Istituto per le Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Napoli, Italy
| | - M Sacchi
- Istituto per le Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Napoli, Italy
| | - R Danovaro
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - G Lofrano
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - G Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
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Galdiero E, Di Onofrio V, Maione A, Gambino E, Gesuele R, Menale B, Ciaravolo M, Carraturo F, Guida M. Allium ursinum and Allium oschaninii against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans Mono- and Polymicrobic Biofilms in In Vitro Static and Dynamic Models. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8030336. [PMID: 32120894 PMCID: PMC7143215 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study assesses the in vitro antibiofilm potential activity of extracts of wild Allium ursinum and Allium oschaninii. The active ingredients of the extracts were obtained with a technique named Naviglio (rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction, RSLDE) which is based on an innovative and green solid-liquid extraction methodology. The extracts were tested against models of mono- and polymicrobial biofilm structures of clinically antibiotic-resistant pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 10031 and Candida albicans ATCC 90028. Biofilms were studied using a static and a dynamic model (microtiter plates and a CDC reactor) on three different surfaces reproducing what happens on implantable medical devices. Antimicrobic activities were determined through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), while antibiofilm activity was assessed by minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) using a crystal violet (CV) biofilm assay and colony forming unit (CFU) counts. Results showed that both Allium extracts eradicated biofilms of the tested microorganisms well; biofilms on Teflon were more susceptible to extracts than those on polypropylene and polycarbonate, suggesting that when grown on a complex substrate, biofilms may be more tolerant to antibiotics. Our data provide significant advances on antibiotic susceptibility testing of biofilms grown on biologically relevant materials for future in vitro and in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
- Correspondence: (E.G.); (V.D.O.)
| | - Valeria Di Onofrio
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Naples Parthenope, Business District, Block C4, 80143 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: (E.G.); (V.D.O.)
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Edvige Gambino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Renato Gesuele
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Bruno Menale
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Martina Ciaravolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia; 80100 Naples, Italy;
| | - Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80100 Naples, Italy; (A.M.); (R.G.); (B.M.); (F.C.); (M.G.)
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Carraturo F, De Castro O, Troisi J, De Luca A, Masucci A, Cennamo P, Trifuoggi M, Aliberti F, Guida M. Comparative assessment of the quality of commercial black and green tea using microbiology analyses. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:4. [PMID: 29433447 PMCID: PMC5809811 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-1142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drinking tea constitutes a tradition which is deeply rooted in the culture of several countries. Moreover, in recent years, tea consumption is growing all over the world. Improper herbal tea storage (long periods, humid environments) represents a relevant health hazard for consumers because of the growth of bacteria and molds. RESULTS This study analyzed 32 samples of commercially available black and green teas - purchased from southern Italy markets and online-shops - and the monitoring of microbiological quality of the tea bag content was performed. Evaluations were conducted with the aim of characterizing pathogens indicated by the European and American guidelines (total bacterial count, fungi and Escherichia coli) and on the research of Pseudomonas spp. and Clostridium perfringens. The presence of ochratoxin A in tea matrix-leaves and infusions was further assessed, using a validated and accredited HPLC-FLD method. Microbial loads, for over 80% samples, ranged from 1.0 × 102 to 2.8 × 105 CFU/g tea: most of identified microorganisms were classified as Bacillaceae. The utilization of rapid detection and identification methods (PCR and sequencing), allowed the characterization of strains of Pseudomonas psychrotolerans, Staphylococcus warneri, Pantoea gaviniae and the isolation of one strain of Clostridium perfringens, whose ability to produce toxins can result in harmful outcomes for consumers. Fungi were isolated from 70% samples: the most prevalent molds were Aspergillus niger strains, followed by Aspergillus tubingensis. Ochratoxin A was detected in 22 of 32 tea solid samples investigated: concentrations resulted over the indicated limits for food products for 50% samples. CONCLUSIONS Results obtained demonstrated the need to develop targeted regulations for the safety of herbal teas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Olga De Castro
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Foria 223 - Orto Botanico, 80139, Naples, Italy.
| | - Jacopo Troisi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Salerno, Italy
| | - Adriana De Luca
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137, Naples, Italy
| | - Armando Masucci
- S.G. Moscati Hospital, Contrada Amoretta, 83100, Avellino, Italy
| | - Paola Cennamo
- Faculty of Humanities, University of Suor Orsola Benincasa, Santa Caterina da Siena 37, 80135, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Aliberti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126, Naples, Italy
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Carraturo F, Giorgio A, Aliberti F, De Bonis S, Libralato G, Morra M, Guida M. Characterization of microflora composition and antimicrobial activity of algal extracts from italian thermal muds. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2018. [DOI: 10.4103/jnsbm.jnsbm_237_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Carraturo F, Gargiulo G, Giorgio A, Aliberti F, Guida M. Prevalence, Distribution, and Diversity of Salmonella spp. in Meat Samples Collected from Italian Slaughterhouses. J Food Sci 2016; 81:M2545-M2551. [PMID: 27626599 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recently worldwide food safety authorities indicated the rise of foodborne outbreaks linked to Salmonella: this highlighted the need to intensify monitoring and apply more targeted controls to help manage the spread of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of Salmonella serotypes in 7 slaughterhouses, located in different areas of Naples province (Regione Campania, Italy). Meat samples collected from the slaughterhouses were submitted for standardized microbiological analysis in 2015. Results of routine testing for Salmonella spp. were analyzed and then compared to biochemical and molecular evaluations. Salmonella spp. were detected in 12% of 320 samples examined (39/320) and the isolation rates ranged from 87% (32 samples) for raw poultry meat to 13% (7 samples) for pork meat. Biochemical serotyping showed that approximately 50% of the isolates belonged to Salmonella enterica serotype Choleraesuis. Rapid detection methods, such as molecular analysis (polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis), able to confirm food matrices contamination, represent a valid support to the fast identification of Salmonella species. A further aspect of the study consisted, indeed, on analyzing isolated strains through molecular evaluations. By amplifying bacterial DNA-using invA primers, selective for Salmonella-it was possible, in less than 3 h, to classify the isolates as Salmonella spp., confirming the results of microbiological outcomes. Results of distribution analysis, supported by rapid molecular approaches, showed the difficulty of reducing Salmonella risk on food chain. This emphasized the importance of periodic surveillance to prevent outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Carraturo
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Naples "Federico II,", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy. ,
| | - Giuseppe Gargiulo
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Naples "Federico II,", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Giorgio
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Naples "Federico II,", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Aliberti
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Naples "Federico II,", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Laboratory of Hygiene, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Naples "Federico II,", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
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Peluso R, Caso F, Costa L, Sorbo D, Carraturo N, Di Minno MND, Carraturo F, Oriente A, Balestrieri U, Minicucci A, Del Puente A, Scarpa R. Mud-bath therapy and oral glucosamine sulfate in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, controlled, crossover study. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2016; 34:618-624. [PMID: 27050908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined treatment of mud-bath therapy and glucosamine crystalline sulfate (GlcN-S) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS This study was a randomised, controlled, crossover investigation. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by the investigators to two groups, named group 1 and 2. Group 1 included twenty-three patients receiving oral GlcN-S treatment from the beginning of the study (T0) to the end of the 3rd month of treatment (T3) and a combined treatment of both mud-bath therapy and GlcN-S from T3 to the end of the study at six months (T6). Group 2 included twenty-two patients receiving a combined treatment of both mud-bath therapy and GlcN-S from T0 to T3 and that discontinued mud-bath therapy, receiving GlcN-S treatment alone, from T3 to T6. Primary endpoints of the study consisted of evaluating OA severity and activity at baseline and at follow-up visits. RESULTS All 45 patients, eligible for the study, completed the period of the crossover. In group 1, no significant difference was shown in the comparison from T0 to T3, while from T3 to T6 most variables were significantly improved. In group 2, instead, the comparison between T0 and T3 showed a significant difference in different parameters. When comparing T3 and T6, despite an improvement of all the variables, no significant difference was shown. CONCLUSIONS The association of GlcN-S and mud-bath therapy has a positive and safe role in improving pain, function and quality of life in knee OA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Peluso
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Caso
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples; and Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Luisa Costa
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples; and Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Dario Sorbo
- Orthopedic Unit, Rizzoli Hospital, Ischia, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alfonso Oriente
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonio Del Puente
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Scarpa
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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