Mechanisms and Applications of Citral's Antimicrobial Properties in Food Preservation and Pharmaceuticals Formulations

Citral is a monoterpene constituted by two isomers known as neral and geranial. It is present in different plant sources and recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In recent years, investigations have demonstrated that this compound exhibited several biological activities, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antibiofilm, antiparasitic, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, by in vitro and in vivo assays. Additionally, when incorporated into different food matrices, citral can reduce the microbial load of pathogenic microorganisms and extend the shelf life. This compound has acceptable drug-likeness properties and does not present any violations of Lipinski's rules, which could be used for drug development. The above shows that citral could be a compound of interest for developing food additives to extend the shelf life of animal and vegetable origin foods and develop pharmaceutical products.

Changes in biofilm in chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media in children following the application of sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNA)

BACKGROUND

Pediatric cholesteatoma is a clinically challenging disease entity. Its biological behavior in the pediatric population differs from its behavior in adult population in terms of aggressiveness and recurrence. Several studies have shown the presence of biofilms associated with cholesteatoma that hinder the management and eradication of the infection. This led is to study the use of non-antimicrobial treatments impacting on the structure or composition of biofilms.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the changes that occur in the biofilm of cholesteatoma in pediatric patients after the application of sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNA).

METHODS

A pilot study of 10 pediatric patients, with a median age of 10 years and a diagnosis of cholesteatomatous chronic otitis media, who underwent surgery for primary or revision mastoidectomy in the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez between January 2016 and May 2017. During the surgery, basal samples of cholesteatoma and tissue were taken after topical application of 4% MESNA for 10 min. The samples were then processed for confocal laser microscopy.

RESULTS

In all samples structures compatible with bacterial biofilms were identified. The most relevant finding was the changes in the structure of the biofilm after the application of MESNA, such as disintegration and separation of the underlying tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study that showing changes associated with cholesteatoma in the structure of the bacterial biofilm after the application of MESNA. The observed disintegration of cholesteatoma biofilm ultrastructure could aid in the management of the chronic infection associated with cholesteatoma.

Resistance to the quorum-quenching compounds brominated furanone C-30 and 5-fluorouracil in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates

The quorum-quenching compounds brominated furanone C-30 and 5-fluorouracil inhibit the pathogenicity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa laboratory strains PA01 and PA14; however, there is no report studying the effectiveness of these compounds for clinical isolates. Therefore, the effect of both quorum quenchers on the production of pyocyanin, elastase and alkaline protease of eight clinical strains from children was evaluated. Although both compounds were in general effective for the attenuation of these factors, three strains resistant to C-30 were found. For 5-fluorouracil, PA01 and some clinical isolates showed resistance for at least one phenotype.

Haploidentical bone marrow transplantation in Mexico

Haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation using CD34(+) cells depleted of T lymphocytes by the CliniMACS is a treatment for hematological malignancy. We report on four Mexican children, three with acute lymphocytic leukemia and one with chronic myelocytic leukemia, who was transplanted with 12 × 10(6) CD34(+) stem cells/kg body weight (98% of purity) with a follow-up of 9½ years. The engraftment was successful in three of the four children. All showed cytomegalovirus reactivation, and one died because of graft rejection and infectious complication. The risk of infections was a major problem.