Papers by maria rosaria corbo
Frontiers in Nutrition
Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem, strictly linked to health and disease, as a balanced compo... more Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem, strictly linked to health and disease, as a balanced composition (referred as eubiosis) is necessary for several physiological functions, while an unbalanced composition (dysbiosis) is often associated to pathological conditions and/or diseases. An altered microbiota could be positively affected and partially restored through probiotic supplementation, among others. This review addresses the effects of probiotics in several conditions, used as case-studies (colorectal cancer, neuro-psychiatric diseases, intestinal diseases, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, immune system, and musculoskeletal system disorders) by pointing out the clinical outcomes, the mode of action, mainly related to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA), the impact of probiotic dose and mode of supplementation, as well as trying to highlight a hit of the most used genera.
Microorganisms
Thymol and carvacrol are some of the most important and used components of Essential oils (EOs); ... more Thymol and carvacrol are some of the most important and used components of Essential oils (EOs); they are widely studied, and there are much data available in the literature. Their Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values found in the literature from 2005 to present were used to assess the bioactivity toward yeasts, molds, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as on some bacterial species/serotypes (Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, lactic acid bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, etc.) to find possible common trends or differences between the two compounds and among the tested species. The results were quite interesting and pointed out that there is a common range for the MIC of thymol and carvacrol for some bacterial species (150–400 mg/L), with some exceptions to this generalized statement. In addition, the statistics pointed out that bacteria could experience homogeneous (S. epidermidis, E. coli O157...
Agronomy
Peanut is a staple crop suitable for mechanized harvest and a source of plant proteins and fatty ... more Peanut is a staple crop suitable for mechanized harvest and a source of plant proteins and fatty acids. It is widespread in Asia and North America, while there is limited cultivation in Europe despite potentially favorable climatic conditions. To test the adaptability of peanut in the Mediterranean area, a two-year field trial was carried out with one Spanish-type and one Virginia-type genotype cultivated under two water regimes (full irrigation and half irrigation supply). In order to test the response to fertilization management, three treatments were carried out, including an unfertilized control, a N-fertilized treatment, and a N-fertilized treatment inoculated with a commercial mixture of plant-growth promoting microorganisms, including two Bacillus species, Trichoderma and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Microbiological soil analysis assessed the robustness of bacilli and their viability in soil. The Virginia-type genotype showed a better adaptability, with a positive resp...
Frontiers in Microbiology
The main goal of this research was to study the effect of an Ultrasound (US) treatment on biofilm... more The main goal of this research was to study the effect of an Ultrasound (US) treatment on biofilm formation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (strains c19 and DSM 1055), Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DSM 10140, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum DSM 20219, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis DSM 20088. From a methodological point of view, each microorganism was treated through six US treatments, different for the power (10, 30, or 50% of the net power, 130 W), the duration (2, 6, or 10 min) and the application of pulses (0 or 10 s). After the treatment, a biofilm of the strains was let to form on glass slides and the concentration of sessile cells was analyzed for 16 days. Biofilms formed by untreated microorganisms were used as controls. As a first result, it was found that US significantly increased the concentration of sessile cells of B. longum subsp. infantis, while for some other strains US treatment could not affect the formation of biofilm while improving it...
Nutrients
Many scientific studies reveal a significant connection between human intestinal microbiota, eati... more Many scientific studies reveal a significant connection between human intestinal microbiota, eating habits, and the development of chronic-degenerative diseases; therefore, alterations in the composition and function of the microbiota may be accompanied by different chronic inflammatory mechanisms. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), in which autoreactive immune cells attack the myelin sheaths of the neurons. The purpose of this paper was to describe the main changes that occur in the gut microbiota of MS patients, with a focus on both microbiota and its implications for health and disease, as well as the variables that influence it. Another point stressed by this paper is the role of microbiota as a triggering factor to modulate the responses of the innate and adaptive immune systems, both in the intestine and in the brain. In addition, a comprehensive overview of the taxa modified by the disease is presented, with s...
Foods
The type and quantity of precursor amino acids present in grape must that are used by wine yeasts... more The type and quantity of precursor amino acids present in grape must that are used by wine yeasts affect the organoleptic and health properties of wine. The aim of this work was to conduct a preliminary screening among Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces indigenous strains, which were previously isolated from different Italian regional grape varieties. This was performed in order to evaluate their decarboxylase activity on certain important amino acids—such as arginine, proline, serine, and tyrosine—that are present in grape must. In particular, a qualitative test on 122 wine yeasts was performed on a decarboxylase medium using arginine, proline, serine, and tyrosine as precursor amino acids. Our results showed a considerable variability among the microbial species tested for this parameter. Indeed, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains exhibited a high decarboxylase capability of the four amino acids tested; moreover, only 10% of the total (i.e., a total of 81) did not show this trait. ...
Foods
Fish products are highly perishable, requiring proper processing to maintain their quality and sa... more Fish products are highly perishable, requiring proper processing to maintain their quality and safety during the entire storage. Different from traditional methods used to extend the shelf-life of these products (smoking, salting, marinating, icing, chilling, freezing, drying, boiling, steaming, etc.), in recent years, some alternative methods have been proposed as innovative processing technologies able to guarantee the extension of their shelf-life while minimally affecting their organoleptic properties. The present review aims to describe the primary mechanisms of some of these innovative methods applied to preserve quality and safety of fish products; namely, non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed light (PL), ultrasounds (US) and electrolyzed water (EW) are analysed, focusing on the main results of the studies published over the last 10 years. The limits and the benefits of each method are addressed in order to provide a global overview about...
Foods, 2022
This study aimed at developing a model for evaluating the survival of various Campylobacter jejun... more This study aimed at developing a model for evaluating the survival of various Campylobacter jejuni strains under different conditions in culture media and poultry data from ComBase. Campylobacter data of culture media (116) and poultry (19) were collected from Microbial Responses Viewer, an additional tool of ComBase. The Weibull equation was selected as a suitable model for the analysis of survival data because of the nonlinearity of survival curves. Then, the fitting parameters (first reduction time and shape parameter) were analysed through a Kruskall–Wallis test and box-whisker plots, thus pointing out the existence of two classes of temperature (0–12 °C and 15–25 °C) and pH (4–6.5 and 7–7.5) acting on the viability of C. jejuni. Finally, a general regression model was used to build a comprehensive function; all factors were significant, but temperature was the most significant variable, followed by pH and water activity. In addition, desirability and prediction profiles highlig...
Food Microbiology, 2020
Four wild strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the collection strain S. cerevisiae var. boular... more Four wild strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the collection strain S. cerevisiae var. boulardii ATCC MYA-796 were used as test organisms to study the effect of some environmental conditions on the formation of biofilm by potentially probiotic yeasts. In a first step, the formation of biofilm was studied in four different media (YPD-Yeast Peptone Glucose; diluted YPD; 2% BP, a medium containing only bacteriological peptone; 2% GLC, a medium containing only glucose). Then, the dilution of YPD was combined with pH and temperature through a mixture design to assess the weight of the interaction of the variables; the experiments were done on S. boulardii and on S. cerevisiae strain 4. The dilution of nutrients generally determined an increased biofilm formation, whereas the effect of pH relied upon the strain. For S. cerevisiae strain 4, the highest level of sessile cells was found at pH 4-5, while S. boulardii experienced an enhanced biofilm formation at pH 6.0. Concerning temperature, the highest biofilm formation was found at 25-30°C for both strains. The importance of this work lies in its extension of our knowledge of the effect of different environmental conditions on biofilm formation by potentially probiotic S. cerevisiae strains, as a better understanding of this trait could be an important screening tool into the selection of new multifunctional yeasts.
Food and Bioprocess Technology, 2018
The topic of this paper is the investigation of the antibacterial effect of ultrasound (US) towar... more The topic of this paper is the investigation of the antibacterial effect of ultrasound (US) towards Salmonella enterica in a rice beverage. The beverage was inoculated at different levels (8 and 5 log CFU/mL) and US-treated; then, a challenge test under refrigeration was carried out. The maximum net power of the equipment was 130 W; the treatment was carried out at 40-100% of the net power, for 2-10 min; the pulse was set to 2-10 s. For both the inoculum levels, power and time were the most important factors for the antimicrobial effect towards S. enterica. The combinations resulting in the highest inactivation of the pathogen were tested during the challenge test at 4°C, and in some combinations, S. enterica remained below the detection limit for 13 days.
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 2018
The interest towards not-dairy beverages is increasing and almond milk is widespread diffused. Th... more The interest towards not-dairy beverages is increasing and almond milk is widespread diffused. The main topic of this paper was a focus on Ultrasound (US) to inhibit Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The variables of the treatment (power, duration, and pulse) were combined through a randomized design; the use of DoE theory (Design of Experiments) and its outputs (Pareto chart, 3D plots, desirability profiles) pointed out that the effect of the treatment relies upon the total energy distributed into the system on E. coli O157:H7, as suggested by the significance of interactions of power, pulse and time, while power was the most important factor for L. monocytogenes. A final challenge test was done by using two combinations (H-80% of power, 8 min and pulse at 6 s-for E. coli and F-80%; 2 min; 6 s-for L. monocytogenes) and storing the samples at 4°C for 2 weeks. This experiment suggests that the treatment could exert a sub-lethal injury on the pathogens, which, combined with the storage under refrigeration, could contribute to increase the shelf life.
LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2017
The main topic of this paper was the combination of statistic tools, technological, and functiona... more The main topic of this paper was the combination of statistic tools, technological, and functional properties to select starter cultures for fermented sausages. One-hundred sixty-four isolates were recovered from pork meat, and studied for their enzymatic patterns, growth as a function of temperature, pH, NaCl, nitrites and nitrates, and acidification. The growth was assessed through a spectrophotometric approach to evaluate the Growth Index; then, the data were used as input variables to run Cluster and Principal Component Analyses. Fifty-three promising isolates were selected for their Growth Index in presence of salt, nitrites, at low temperatures, or acidification. These isolates were studied for some functional properties (survival at pH 2.0/2.5, and in presence of bile salts, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial activity towards some foodborne pathogens). The results of these experiments were used to select 4 best candidates, using the statistical distribution of each trait (median and quartiles). As a final step, the isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum and studied for their ability to inhibit foodborne pathogens, a mould (Mucor spp.) or for the lacking of negative interactions with an adjunct starter of fermented sausages (Staphylococcus xylosus).
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2017
Recently, an innovative gluten detoxification method called Gluten Friendly TM (GF) has been deve... more Recently, an innovative gluten detoxification method called Gluten Friendly TM (GF) has been developed. It induces structural modifications, which abolish the antigenic capacity of gluten and reduce the in vitro immunogenicity of the most common epitopes involved in celiac disease, without compromising the nutritional and technological properties. This study investigated the in vitro effects of GF bread (GFB) on the fecal microbiota from healthy and celiac individuals by a three-stage continuous fermentative system, which simulates the colon (vessel 1, proximal colon; vessel 2, transverse colon; and vessel 3, distal colon), as well as on the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA, acetate, propionate, butyrate). The system was fed with GFB and the changes in microbiota through fluorescence in situ hybridization and in SCFA content were assessed. GFB exerted beneficial modulations such as bifidogenic effects in each compartment of the model both with healthy-and celiac-derived samples, as well as growth in Clostridium clusters XIVa+b in celiac-derived samples. Furthermore, increased levels of acetic acid were found in vessel 1 inoculated with the fecal microbiota of healthy individuals, as well as acetic and propionic in vessel 1 and 2 with celiac-derived samples. In addition, the use of multivariate approaches showed that the supplementation of GFB could result in a different modulation of the fecal microbiota and SCFA, as a function of initial equilibrium.
Frontiers in microbiology, 2017
Among the innovative trends in the wine sector, the continuous exploration of enological properti... more Among the innovative trends in the wine sector, the continuous exploration of enological properties associated with wine microbial resources represents a cornerstone driver of quality improvement. Since the advent of starter cultures technology, the attention has been focused on intraspecific biodiversity within the primary species responsible for alcoholic fermentation (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and, subsequently, for the so-called 'malolactic fermentation' (Oenococcus oeni). However, in the last decade, a relevant number of studies proposed the enological exploitation of an increasing number of species (e.g., non-Saccharomyces yeasts) associated with spontaneous fermentation in wine. These new species/strains may provide technological solutions to specific problems and/or improve sensory characteristics, such as complexity, mouth-feel and flavors. This review offers an overview of the available information on the enological/protechnological significance of microbial resour...
PloS one, 2016
The main aim of this paper was to assess the in vitro response of healthy and coeliac human faeca... more The main aim of this paper was to assess the in vitro response of healthy and coeliac human faecal microbiota to gluten-friendly bread (GFB). Thus, GFB and control bread (CB) were fermented with faecal microbiota in pH-controlled batch cultures. The effects on the major groups of microbiota were monitored over 48 h incubations by fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, the death kinetics of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium in a saline solution supplemented with GFB or CB were also assessed. The experiments in saline solution pinpointed that GFB prolonged the survival of L. acidophilus and exerted an antibacterial effect towards S. aureus and S. Typhimurium. Moreover, GFB modulated the intestinal microbiota in vitro, promoting changes in lactobacilli and bifidobacteria members in coeliac subjects. ...
Effects of inulin, fructooligosaccharides/glucose and pH on the shape of the death kinetic ofLactobacillus reuteriDSM 20016
International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2016
Summary The viability of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lb. paracas... more Summary The viability of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lb. paracasei was assessed in a laboratory medium containing inulin (5 g L−1) or glucose + FOS (fructooligosaccharides) (2.5 + 2.5 g L−1). Data were modelled through the Weibull equation pinpointing that prebiotics determined a decrease in the shape parameter. In the 2nd step, L. reuteri was used as the test microorganism; pH, storage temperature and the amounts of FOS + glucose and inulin were combined through a 4-variable/5-level central composite design. Temperature, pH and glucose + FOS affected the microbiological shelf life; inulin was not significant. The maximum value of shelf life was found at pH 8.5 and with 5.0 g L−1 of glucose + FOS. The combination of pH and prebiotics affected the shape parameter with a shift from a convex to a concave trend and vice versa: their effect was different depending on the use of a single prebiotic or a mix.
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2016
Safety and quality are significant challenges for food; namely, safety represents a big threat al... more Safety and quality are significant challenges for food; namely, safety represents a big threat all over the world and is one of the most important goal to be achieved in both Western Society and Developing Countries. Wine safety mainly relies upon some metabolites and many of them are of microbial origin. The main goal of this review is a focus on two kinds of compounds (biogenic amines and mycotoxins, mainly Ochratoxin A) for their deleterious effects on health. For each class of compounds, we will focus on two different traits: (a) synthesis of the compounds in wine, with a brief description of the most important microorganisms and factors leading this phenomenon; (b) prevention and/or correction strategies and new trends. In addition, there is a focus on a recent predictive tool able to predict toxin contamination of grape, in order to perform some prevention approaches and achieve safe wine.
Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2015
Over the last years, some innovative cereal-based beverages were designed using beneficial lactic... more Over the last years, some innovative cereal-based beverages were designed using beneficial lactic acid bacteria; however, few data are available on the potential role of yeasts. The main topic of this research was to investigate the suitability of four promising yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, Kluyveromyces lactis, Saccharomyces pastorianus and Kazachstania exigua) as potential starter cultures for rice-based beverages. This aim was achieved through some intermediate scientific aims, i.e., by assessing cell viability and acidification in different cereal substrates (malt extract, soft wheat, rice and kamut flours); thereafter by studying acidification and persistence in an organic rice drink during a prolonged storage at 25 and 4°C. Rice flour provided appropriate growth for all the strains. K. exigua and S. pastorianus experienced a relatively fast acidification within 24 h. After 40 d the yeasts showed similar cell counts (ca. 7 log cfu/mL) and acidification (∆pH of ca. 2.7 at 25°C and ca. 1.2-1.4 at 4°C) in the organic rice drink. The evaluation of viability and acidification by promising candidates should be a simple procedure to screen yeast strains for potential use as starter cultures to design new rice-fermented functional beverages.
Microorganisms, 2015
Alicyclobacillus spp. includes spore-forming and thermo-acidophilic microorganisms, usually recov... more Alicyclobacillus spp. includes spore-forming and thermo-acidophilic microorganisms, usually recovered from soil, acidic drinks, orchards and equipment from juice producers. The description of the genus is generally based on the presence of ω-fatty acids in the membrane, although some newly described species do not possess them. The genus includes different species and sub-species, but A. acidoterrestris is generally regarded as the most important spoiler for acidic drinks and juices. The main goal of this review is a focus on the ecology of the genus, mainly on the species A. acidoterrestris, with a special emphasis on the different phenotypic properties and genetic traits, along with the correlation among them and with the primary source of isolation. Finally, the last section of the review reports on some alternative approaches to heat treatments (natural compounds and other chemical treatments) to control and/or reduce the contamination of food by Alicyclobacillus.
Toxins, 2015
The adsorption of ochratoxin A (OTA) by yeasts is a promising approach for the decontamination of... more The adsorption of ochratoxin A (OTA) by yeasts is a promising approach for the decontamination of musts and wines, but some potential competitive or interactive phenomena between mycotoxin, yeast cells, and anthocyanins might modify the intensity of the phenomenon. The aim of this study was to examine OTA adsorption by two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (the wild strain W13, and the commercial isolate BM45), previously inactivated by heat, and a yeast cell wall preparation. Experiments were conducted using Nero di Troia red wine contaminated with 2 μg/L OTA and supplemented with yeast biomass (20 g/L). The samples were analyzed periodically to assess mycotoxin concentration, chromatic characteristics, and total anthocyanins over 84 days of aging. Yeast cell walls revealed the highest OTA-adsorption in comparison to thermally-inactivated cells (50% vs. 43% toxin reduction), whilst no significant differences were found for the amount of adsorbed anthocyanins in OTA-contaminated and control wines. OTA and anthocyanins adsorption were not competitive phenomena. Unfortunately, the addition of yeast cells to wine could cause color loss; therefore, yeast selection should also focus on this trait to select the best strain.
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Papers by maria rosaria corbo