The T.O.S.C.A. Project: Research, Education and Care

Despite recent and exponential improvements in diagnostic- therapeutic pathways, an existing “GAP” has been revealed between the “real world care” and the “optimal care” of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We present the T.O.S.CA. Project (Trattamento Ormonale dello Scompenso CArdiaco), an Italian multicenter initiative involving different health care professionals and services aiming to explore the CHF “metabolic pathophysiological model” and to improve the quality of care of HF patients through research and continuing medical education

The swine waste resistome: Spreading and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in Escherichia coli strains and the associated microbial communities

The overuse of antimicrobials in livestock farming has led to the development of resistant bacteria and the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) among animals. When manure containing these antibiotics is applied to agricultural fields, it creates a selective pressure that promotes the acquisition of ARGs by bacteria, primarily through horizontal gene transfer. Most research on ARGs focuses on their role in clinical antibiotic resistance and their transfer from environmental sources to bacteria associated with humans, such as Escherichia coli. . The study investigates the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) through class 1 integrons in 27 Escherichia coli strains from pig manure. It focuses on six common ARGs (ermB, erm B, cml A, flo R, qnr S, tet A, and TEM) and the class 1 integron gene, assessing their prevalence in manure samples from three pig farms. The study found correlations and anticorrelations among these genes, indicating a predisposition of the integron in spreading certain ARGs. Specifically, cmlA A and tetA A genes were positively correlated with each other and negatively with int1, suggesting they are not transferred via Int 1. Farm B had the highest int1 counts and a higher abundance of the TEM gene, but lower levels of cmlA A and tetA A genes. The results underscore the complexity of predicting ARG spread in agricultural environments and the associated health risks to humans through the food chain. The study's results offer valuable insights into the antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) profile in swine livestock, potentially aiding in the development of methods to trace ARGs in the environment

Potential Applications of Essential Oils for Environmental Sanitization and Antimicrobial Treatment of Intensive Livestock Infections

The extensive use of antibiotics has contributed to the current antibiotic resistance crisis. Livestock infections of Salmonella spp, Clostridium spp. and E. coli antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represent a public threat to human and animal health. To reduce the incidence of these zoonoses, essential oils (EOs) could be effective antibiotic alternatives. This study aims at identifying EOs safe for use, effective both in complementary therapy and in the environmental sanitization of intensive farming. Natural products were chemo-characterized by gas chromatography. Three S. Typhimurium, three C. perfringens and four E. coli strains isolated from poultry and swine farms were used to assess the antimicrobial properties of nine EOs and a modified GR-OLI (mGR-OLI). The toxicity of the most effective ones (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cz; Origanum vulgare, Ov) was also evaluated on porcine spermatozoa and Galleria mellonella larvae. Cz, Ov and mGR-OLI showed the strongest antimicrobial activity; their volatile components were also able to significantly inhibit the growth of tested strains. In vitro, Ov toxicity was slightly lower than Cz, while it showed no toxicity on G. mellonella larvae. In conclusion, the study confirms the importance of evaluating natural products to consolidate the idea of safe EO applications in reducing and preventing intensive livestock infections

Bacterial transmission within social groups shapes the underexplored gut microbiome in the lemur Indri indri

The Indri indri is a critically endangered lemur species that has not successfully been maintained or bred under human care. Investigating this lemur's virtually unexplored gut microbiome will deepen our understanding of the species' health determinants and inform conservation efforts. Through metagenomic assembly and integration into an updated reference database, we found the I. indri faecal microbiome remains largely uncultivated (cultivated species representing <0.1% relative abundance) and is largely specific to this primate species. After reconstructing 342 metagenome-assembled genomes encompassing 48 candidate species from a total of 22 samples (18 of which newly sequenced), we substantially improved microbiome mappability to 85% on average and found evidence for a proportionally large core microbiome. Social group membership emerged as the main determinant of both their taxonomic and functional gut microbiome composition. Using strain-level profiling, we detected extensive microbiome transmission within social groups, suggesting physical interaction is key in promoting microbiome acquisition. Strain sharing rates were highest between mothers and their offspring. Intergroup strain sharing was minimal and inversely correlated with geographical distance, aligning with the rare intergroup interactions and stable territory occupancy coupled with ongoing habitat fragmentation. No evidence of microbiome acquisition through geophagy was detected. These findings underscore the profound influence of social structure on microbiome transmission and composition in I. indri, and highlight the importance of considering social dynamics into research and conservation strategies

Antibacterial activity of essential oils against streptococci and staphylococci causing bovine mastitis

Bovine mastitis is a major concern for the dairy cattle community worldwide, leading to high economic loss (Gomes et al., 2016). Mastitis, subclinical or clinical, can be caused by contagious or environmental pathogens. Although the use of antibiotics is still the primary approach for treatment, its efficacy is limited. Moreover, the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) leads to the need for alternatives to antibiotic therapy (Yang et al., 2019). Due to their antibacterial effects, essential oils (EOs) have gained much attention in this field as candidates to fight against bacterial infections and control further development of AMR (Arbab et al., 2022). This research aimed at testing the antibacterial activity of eleven EOs and two EO blends against Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, by evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), using microbroth dilution assay. The MIC values of the EOs tested ranged between <0.001% and >3.125% v/v. The effect was higher against Streptococcus spp than Staphylococcus spp bacteria in general. The EOs of Origanum vulgare, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Thymus vulgaris, and Blend BR were the most effective against S. agalactiae, S. dysgalactiae, and S. uberis showing MIC and MBC values between <0.001% and 0.390% v/v, and <0.001% and 0.780% v/v, respectively. Against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, the lowest MICs occurred with Cinnamomum zeylanicum: 0.098% and 0.195% v/v, respectively. This study highlights the importance of evaluating EOs as effective antibiotic alternatives and complementary resources for treatment of bacterial infections

PHYTATE DEGRADATION IN WHEAT, BUCKWHEAT, SOY, AND RICE FLOURS BY LACTOBACILLI AND YEAST ISOLATED FROM AFRICAN AND ASIAN TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FOOD

Phytic acid (myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate) is a phosphorus reservoir found especially in cereals, legumes, and oilseeds. This compound forms complexes with essential minerals such as K, Mg, P, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mn, thus reducing their bioavailability. Therefore, due to its negative impact on intestinal mineral absorption, phytic acid is considered an antinutritional substance, as it can modify functional characteristics in food proteins. In seeds, the aleurone layer contains approximately 90% of the grain's phytic acid, with the germ holding about 10%. Consequently, flours, especially those from whole grains, are rich in phytic acid. Therefore, increasing the use of bran and whole wheat flour in food formulations may compromise the nutritional quality of end products by limiting mineral bioavailability. Microbial fermentation has been described as a strategy to reduce the adverse effects of phytic acid in food products. The present work aimed to thoroughly investigate the impact of different yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, isolated from Asian and African traditional fermented foods, on different flours (wheat, buckwheat, rye, and soy flours) and doughs prepared with selected cereal meals on the levels of phytate during fermentation and breadmaking. Eleven yeasts belonging to Pichia kudriavzevii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia fermentans, and Kluyveromyces marxianus and two lactobacilli belonging to Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei have been selected. The comparison of selected yeasts and lactobacilli in the degradation of phytic acid with different flours as substrates (wheat, buckwheat, soy, and rice) showed that the degradation ranged from 16 to 77%. The best-performing strain resulted in P. kudriavzevii TY1322 with 77% of phytic acid degradation. The degradation of phytate for bread production using single yeast was 52.06% ± 4.25, while when a mixed inoculum yeast-lactobacilli was used, the degradation improved up to 60,02% ± 0.21. Lactobacilli can achieve a strong phytic acid degradation both by lowering pH and providing more suitable pH conditions for phytate degradation by endogenous phytases and by a direct source of microbial phytases. Since the potential benefits of bread incorporating various grains (e.g., soy, buckwheat, and rye) are increasingly evident, this research could have an important implication for human health

Effetti della nifedipina nel trattamento dell'angina stabile da sforzo. Studio a doppio cieco. [Effects of nifedipine in the treatment of effort stable angina: a double blind study (author's transl)].

The effectiveness of chronic treatment with nifedipine in patients (pts) with a history of stable angina on effort has been evaluated in a double-blind study in 15 subjects of both sexes, aged 45 to 65 years. All pts underwent diagnostic cardiac catheterization and selective coronary angiography, which showed stenosis of one or two main coronary vessels between 50 and 70%. The pts, after 2 weeks of observation, underwent erect bicycle exercise test with increasing workloads. After 4 weeks of treatment with nifedipine or placebo the stress test was repeated. Nifedipine treatment reduced the weekly number of anginal attacks as well as the weekly number of nitroglycerin tablets consumed by the pts, increased maximum workload tolerated and reduced the S-T segment depression for the same workload, meanwhile heart rate and blood pressure did not change significantly either at rest or during exercise. The result of this study indicate that nifedipine is useful in the treatment of pts with stable angina on effort