64,668 research outputs found
Influence of packaging on shelf-life and microbiological quality of minimally processed fennels (Foeniculum vulgare)
No full textThe influence of different packaging techniques on microbiology of minimally processed fennels was studied. In the ready-to-use fennels packaged in ordinary atmosphere the most of the microorganisms belonged to Pseudomonadaceoe; on the contrary Vibrionaceae and Enterobacteriaceae are predominant in vacuum packaged samples. The combination of vacuum packaging and refrigeration (+4°C) was able to extend the product "shelf-life"
Tools and Avenues for Nanotechnology-based Vectors Exploitation for Biomarker Signature and Therapeutical Drug Delivery
No full textNanomedicine main goal is to ameliorate biodistribution and side effects of therapeutics. Proper Micro (MP) and Nanoparticles (NP) can i) protect therapeutic molecules from reticuloendothelial clearance, ii) transport them to the site of action minimizing their influence on normal tissues and iii) enhance drug concentration and effects in target tissues and cells, allowing the use of lower doses. However a single component nanovector cannot accomplish all those duties; therefore, our efforts are focused on the optimization and performance evaluation of multi-component drug-delivering nanosystems, made of silica, silicon, polymers, lipids and proteins from synthetic and biological sources. In recent years, the groups in Naples and in Houston in cooperation have studied many different strategies which permit MP and NP to overcome one or more biological barriers (BB) that hamper the delivery of therapeutics to the desired site of action. The two research groups have produced a series of results which will be briefly summarized in this report and then discussed in greater detail in the talk.
1) Diverse types of Multistage vector (MSV) were produced and used to enhance the delivery of free and encapsulated drugs in cellular and mice models of cancer. MSV is constituted by a silicon mesoporous microparticle which protect nanoparticles or free drugs from reticuloendothelial clearance, superbly marginates toward vessel walls and preferentially accumulates on inflamed endothelium [1-3].
2) A Biomimetic drug delivery platform was produced with a nanoporous silicon core and and a shell derived from the leukocyte cell membrane. This Leukolike vector (LLV) and it’s therapeutic potentialities were extensively investigated in vitro and in vivo, from a biological and biochemical point of view. LLV shows the ability to: 1) evade the immune system; 2) circulate longer in the blood stream; 3) communicate with endothelial cells through receptor–ligand interactions increasing endothelium permeability; 4) transport and release a payload across inflamed endothelium; 5) accumulate in a tumour [4-7].
3) Innovative microfluidic systems were developed to mimick blood capillary circulation, in order to study and to predict the in flow dynamics and the margination tendency of different types of MP, also in presence of blood cells, using real human blood as circulating solution [8].
4) Enzyme-functionalized silica NPs were conceived and produced to digest tumor extracellular matrix, in vitro and in vivo achieving a better penetration in the tumoral tissue [9].
5) pH-responsive hybrid nanoparticles (HNP) were conceived, produced, characterized and successfully used to achieve efficient siRNA delivery in cell culture and in mice models of human breast cancer. HNP are constituted by a shell of cationic hydrogel able to electrostatically bind siRNA and by a supporting nanostructured core of silica that provides mechanical stability to the system. HNP are able to escape from endolysosomal compartment through a proton sponge effect [5,10].
In the light of what has been briefly outlined, the following avenues will be pursued in the near future and will be discussed:
(i) Production and evaluation of different types of MSV for cancer therapy
(ii) Protein and peptide functionalization of NPs to enhance tumor recognition and penetration
(iii) Production and evaluation of different types of NP for siRNA delivery
(iv) Production of Organ-on-chip microfluidic devices able to study and predict the fluidic and biological performance of MP and NP.
(v) Characterization of plasma Protein Corona (PC) [11] of MP and NP by proteomic approaches and correlations between PC composition and targeting of specific tissues.
References
[1] Tasciotti E, Liu X, Bhavane R, Plant K, Leonard AD, Price BK, Cheng MM, Decuzzi P, Tour JM, Robertson F, Ferrari M. Mesoporous silicon particles as a multistage delivery system for imaging and therapeutic applications. Nat Nanotechnol 3, 151-7 (2008).
[2] Martinez JO, Evangelopoulos M, Karun V, Shegog E, Wang JA, Boada C, Liu X, Ferrari M, Tasciotti E. The effect of multistage nanovector targeting of VEGFR2 positive tumor endothelia on cell adhesion and local payload accumulation. Biomaterials 35, 9824-32 (2014).
[3] Martinez JO, Evangelopoulos M, Bhavane R, Acciardo S, Salvatore F, Liu X, Ferrari M, Tasciotti E. Multistage Nanovectors Enhance the Delivery of Free and Encapsulated Drugs. Drug Targets [Epub ahead of print] (2014).
[4] Parodi A, Quattrocchi N, van de Ven AL, Chiappini C, Evangelopoulos M, Martinez JO, Brown BS, Khaled SZ, Yazdi IK, Enzo MV, Isenhart L, Ferrari M, Tasciotti E. Synthetic nanoparticles functionalized with biomimetic leukocyte membranes possess cell-like functions. Nat Nanotechnol 8,61-8 (2013).
[5] Parodi A, Corbo C, Cevenini A, Molinaro R, Palomba R, Pandolfi L, Agostini M, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E. Enabling cytoplasmic delivery and organelle targeting by surface modification of nanocarriers. Nanomedicine UK 10,1923-40 (2015).
[6] Corbo C, Parodi A, Evangelopoulos M, Engler DA, Matsunami RK, Engler AC, Molinaro R, Scaria S, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E. Proteomic profiling of a biomimetic drug delivery platform. Curr Drug Targets [Epub ahead of print] (2014).
[7] Palomba R, Parodi A, Evangelopoulos M, Acciardo S, Corbo C, De Rosa E, Yazdi I, Scaria S, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E. A leukolike vector increase the permeability of tumor vasculature. Submitted.
[8] D'Apolito R, Tomaiuolo G, Taraballi F, Minardi S, Kirui D, Liu X, Cevenini A, Palomba R, Ferrari M, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E, Guido S. Red blood cells affect the margination of microparticles in synthetic microcapillaries and intravital microcirculation as a function of their size and shape. J Control Release [Epub ahead of print] (2015).
[9] Parodi A, Haddix SG, Taghipour N, Scaria S, Taraballi F, Cevenini A, Yazdi IK, Corbo C, Palomba R, Khaled SZ, Martinez JO, Brown BS, Isenhart L, Tasciotti E. Bromelain surface modification increases the diffusion of silica nanoparticles in the tumor extracellular matrix. ACS Nano 8,9874-83 (2014).
[10] Khaled SZ, Cevenini A, Yazdi IK, Parodi A, Evangelopoulos M, Corbo C, Scaria S, Hu Y, Chiappini C, Haddix SG, Corradetti B, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E. One-pot synthesis of pH-responsive hybrid nanogel particles for the intracellular delivery of small interfering RNA. Under review for pubblication in Biomaterials.
[11] Corbo C, Molinaro R, Parodi A, Toldeno Furman NE, Salvatore F, Tasciotti E. The impact of the protein corona on nanoparticles and implications for toxicity, immunotoxicity and target drug delivery. Under review for publication in Nanomedicine UK
Effetto di soluzioni riscaldate di glucosio-fruttosio-acido glutammico sullo sviluppo di Bacillus stearothermophilus
No full textDifferential fertility associated with common apolipoprotein E alleles in postreproductive aged subjects.
No full textObjective: To investigate the possible impact of apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphisin on reproductive efficiency. Design: Population study. Setting: University Departments and a Laboratory of National Research Council. Patient(s): One hundred sixty healthy unrelated subjects of postreproductive age. Intervention(s): Peripheral blood collection and questionnaire administration. Main Outcome Measure(s): Apolipoprotem E genotypes were detected after PCR amplification and CfoI digestion; plasma total cholesterol was assayed. Result(s): The mean number of children of e *2 allele carriers (2.4) was lower than that of e *3/e *3 and e *4/e *3 subjects (3.9). The trend was similar (2.8 vs. 4.8) when the number of pregnancies was considered. Moreover, there was a clear inverse relationship between number of children and e*2-carrying genotype proportions (chi(2) for trend = 6.3). Conversely, the e*3/e*3 genotype was associated with the highest number of children and pregnancies (3.9 and 4.9, respectively), and the e*4/e*3 genotype, with intermediate values (3.7 and 4.4). Carriers of e*2 allele also showed the lowest levels of total cholesterol. Conclusion(s): The e*2 allele seems to be associated with the lowest reproductive efficiency and the e*3 allele, with the highest. The different total cholesterol levels associated with APOE genotypes could have an effect on steroidogenesis and determine as a consequence the observed differential fertility
Human placental 17 beta-estradiol dehydrogenase: enzymatic activity in the last weeks of pregnancy and electrophoretic data.
No full textGenetic heterogeneity among the Hindus and their relationships with the other 'Caucasoid' populations: new data on Punjab-Haryana and Rajasthan Indian States
No full textThe genetic structure of Rajasthan Hindus and Punjab-Haryana Hindus and Sikhs has been studied for ABO, RH, APOC2, C6, C7, F13A, F13B, HP, ORM1, ACP1, ADA, AK1, ESD, GLO1, PGD, PGM1 subtyping, and PGP. This is the first genetic survey on Hindus of Rajasthan. Furthermore, many of these markers have never been studied on Hindus before (APOC2, C6, C7, F13A, F13B, ORM1, PGP). These data, together with those previously available for Hindus, have been utilized to analyze the within-Hindus genetic heterogeneity by R(ST) statistic and correspondence analysis. The genetic relationships of Hindus to other Causcasoid populations were also investigated. In the first analysis, two eastern states (Orissa and Andhra Pradesh) were found to be quite separate from each other and clearly distinct from the northwestern and western states. Out of the markers which could not be utilized in this analysis, PGM1 subtyping turned out to discriminate between the Dravidian-speaking and the Indo-Aryan-speaking Hindus. The second analysis shows a clear-cut separation of Hindus from Europeans, with Near Eastern and Middle Eastern populations genetically in an intermediate position. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Effetto di soluzioni riscaldate di glucosio-fruttosio-acido glutammico sullo sviluppo di Bacillus stearothermophilus
No full textUse of microwave processing to reduce the initial contamination by Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in a cream of asparagus and effect of the treatment on the lipid fraction
No full textThe effects of a short-time microwave (MW) treatments on the survival of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores (105 spores/g) inoculated in a cream of asparagus, along with the oxidation of the fat component (olive oil), were investigated. The samples were MW-treated at 60-100% of power (2450 MHz) for 3-7 min; power and processing time changed according to a Central Composite Design at two variables/five levels. The combinations resulting in a 2-fold reduction in the number of alicyclobacilli spores (100% of power-5 min; 80%-6 min; 80%-7 min) were stored at different temperatures and times (25 °C/27 days, 37 °C/18 days and 50 °C/9 days), to determine the decay of the qualitative characteristics of the lipid fraction. Peroxide value, K232, K270 and Rancimat test (induction time) were chosen as indexes of primary and secondary oxidation. MW-effect on the spores depended upon both the power and the treatment time; moreover the interaction [power] × [time] was the most significant variable. As regards the effect of MW on the lipid fraction, the results suggested that MW affected slightly induction time, peroxide values and spectrophotometric determinations, especially at low powers. Industrial relevance: Since the middle of 1990s, MW-processing has been regarded as a convenient approach for the stabilization of vegetable preserves. In Southern Italy, olive oil is an essential ingredient for this kind of food; however, it is well known that a strong thermal processing as well as not-correct storage could affect it significantly and increase the art of oxidation. This research provides some useful information on the effects of MW for a new product, an asparagus cream, focusing on the influence of this approach on olive oil oxidation, thus suggesting that MW could be a convenient preservation technique. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Modellazione matematica degli effetti del pH, temperatura, NaCl ed aw sulle attività proteolitiche e lipolitiche di batteri lattici responsabili della maturazione dei formaggi
No full textModellazione matematica degli effetti del pH, temperatura, NaCl ed aw sulle attività proteolitiche e lipolitiche di batteri lattici responsabili della maturazione dei formaggi
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