Synergistic Inactivation Mechanism of Combined Plasma-Activated Water and Mild Heat against Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 1307-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
RONG ZHANG ◽  
YUNFANG MA ◽  
DI WU ◽  
LIUMIN FAN ◽  
YANHONG BAI ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of synergistic inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the combined use of plasma-activated water (PAW) and mild heat (40 to 50°C). A reduction of 4.40 log CFU/mL in S. cerevisiae was observed after the synergistic combination of PAW and mild heat at 50°C for 6 min, whereas the individual treatments of PAW at 25°C and mild heat at 50°C for 6 min resulted in a reduction of 0.27 and 1.92 log CFU/mL, respectively. The simultaneous application of PAW and mild heat caused significant increases in membrane permeability, resulting in the leakage of intracellular components (such as nucleic acids and proteins) and increased uptake of propidium iodide. The combined treatment of PAW and mild heat also resulted in significant increases in the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential in S. cerevisiae cells. In summary, this study illustrates the potential of PAW treatment combined with mild heat to rapidly inactivate microorganisms in food products. HIGHLIGHTS

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1198-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. ZEKI DURAK ◽  
JOHN J. CHUREY ◽  
RANDY W. WOROBO

Produce-associated foodborne illnesses outbreaks have highlighted the need for more effective decontamination methods to ensure the safety of fresh produce. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the individual and combined efficacies of germicidal UV light (12.5 to 500 mJ/cm2), acidified sodium hypochlorite (ASC; 10 to 200 ppm), and mild heat (40 to 50°C) for decontaminating green onions and baby spinach infected with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Samples were inoculated by spot and dip inoculation methods to mimic surface and infiltrated E. coli O157:H7 contamination, respectively. In green onions and baby spinach, the individual efficacies of UV, ASC, and mild-heat treatments varied based on the produce type and contamination method. Following analysis of the efficacies of the single treatments, a combined treatment with 125 mJ/cm2 UV and 200 ppm of ASC at 50°C was selected for spot-inoculated green onions, and a combined treatment with 125 mJ/cm2 UV and 200 ppm of ASC at 20°C was selected for spot- and dip-inoculated baby spinach. While a >5-log reduction was achieved with the combination treatment for spot-inoculated green onions with an initial contamination level of 7.2 log CFU per spot, the same treatment reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations below the detection limit (<1 log) on green onions spot inoculated at a lower contamination level (4.3 log CFU per spot). On spot- and dip-inoculated baby spinach, the combined treatment reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by 2.8 log CFU per spot and 2.6 log CFU/g, respectively. The combined treatment of 500 mJ/cm2 UV and 200 ppm of ASC at 50°C selected for the decontamination of dip-inoculated green onions resulted in a 2.2-log CFU/g reduction. These findings suggest that when foodborne pathogens contaminate produce and subsequently infiltrate, attach to, or become localized into protected areas, the individual or combined applications of UV, ASC, and mild-heat treatments have limited decontamination efficacies on both green onions and baby spinach (<3 log). However, treatments combining UV, ASC, and mild heat could be a promising application for reducing pathogen populations (>5 log) on E. coli O157:H7 surface-contaminated green onions. This study also highlights the importance of developing and optimizing produce-specific decontamination methods to ensure the safety of fresh produce commodities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1313-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjula Devi Ramamoorthy ◽  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
Mahesh Ayyavu ◽  
Kannan Narayanan Dhiraviam

Background: Reserpine, an indole alkaloid commonly used for hypertension, is found in the roots of Rauwolfia serpentina. Although the root extract has been used for the treatment of cancer, the molecular mechanism of its anti-cancer activity on hormonal independent prostate cancer remains elusive. Methods: we evaluated the cytotoxicity of reserpine and other indole alkaloids, yohimbine and ajmaline on Prostate Cancer cells (PC3) using MTT assay. We investigated the mechanism of apoptosis using a combination of techniques including acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, high content imaging of Annexin V-FITC staining, flow cytometric quantification of the mitochondrial membrane potential and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and cell cycle analysis. Results: Our results indicate that reserpine inhibits DNA synthesis by arresting the cells at the G2 phase and showed all standard sequential features of apoptosis including, destabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced production of reactive oxygen species and DNA ladder formation. Our in silico analysis further confirmed that indeed reserpine docks to the catalytic cleft of anti-apoptotic proteins substantiating our results. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings suggest that reserpine can be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olfa Chiboub ◽  
Ines Sifaoui ◽  
Manef Abderrabba ◽  
Mondher Mejri ◽  
José J. Fernández ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The in vitro activity of the brown seaweed Dictyota spiralis against both Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi was evaluated in a previous study. Processing by bio-guided fractionation resulted in the isolation of three active compounds, classified as diterpenes. In the present study, we performed several assays to detect clinical features associated to cell death in L. amazonensis and T. cruzi with the aim to elucidate the mechanism of action of these compounds on parasitic cells. Methods The aims of the experiments were to detect and evaluate specific events involved in apoptosis-like cell death in the kinetoplastid, including DNA condensation, accumulation of reactive oxygen species and changes in ATP concentration, cell permeability and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively, in treated cells. Results The results demonstrated that the three isolated diterpenes could inhibit the tested parasites by inducing an apoptosis-like cell death. Conclusions These results encourage further investigation on the isolated compounds as potential drug candidates against both L. amazonensis and T. cruzi. Graphic abstract


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Lv ◽  
Chenchen Chu ◽  
Ke Liu ◽  
Yusha Ru ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractAn important mechanism involved in dry eye (DE) is the association between tear hyperosmolarity and inflammation severity. Inflammation in DE might be mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome, which activated by exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS). A combination of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) may influence DE through this mechanism, thus avoiding defects of signal drug. In this study, we assessed whether treatment comprising CMC combined with α-MSH could ameliorate ocular surface function; we found that it promoted tear secretion, reduced the density of fluorescein sodium staining, enhanced the number of conjunctival goblet cells, and reduced the number of corneal apoptotic cells. Investigation of the underlying mechanism suggested that the synergistic effect of combined treatment alleviated DE inflammation through reduction of ROS level and inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome in human corneal epithelial cells. These findings indicate that combined CMC + α-MSH treatment could ameliorate lesions and restore ocular surface function in patients with DE through reduction of ROS level and inhibition of NLRP3 signalling.


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