Sara Bonetta

Detection of Biogenic Amine Producer Bacteria in a Typical Italian Goat Cheese

The aim of this study was to research decarboxylating bacterial strains and biogenic amine content in a typical Italian goat cheese (Robiola di Roccaverano). The study was performed on fresh and ripened samples of goat cheese manufactured from industrial and artisanal producers. Sixty-seven bacterial strains isolated showed decarboxylating activity, and Enterococcus faecalis was the most widespread decarboxylating species in all artisanal and industrial products. Pediococcus acidilactici and Enterococcus malodoratus were also identified as biogenic amine producers in Robiola di Roccaverano cheese. All the E. faecalis strains isolated in this study were able to decarboxylate tyrosine. Tyramine was the most abundant biogenic amine in cheese samples, while histamine was the most widespread. High amounts of these two biogenic amines were found in ripened samples (up to 2,067 mg/kg for tyramine and 1,786 mg/kg for histamine), whereas 2-phenylethylamine and tryptamine were present in almost all ripened cheeses at low concentrations. The detection of strains producing biogenic amines and the high concentrations of tyramine and histamine found in ripened Robiola di Roccaverano could represent a potential risk to the consumer.

Photocatalytic bacterial inactivation by TiO2-coated surfaces

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the photoactivated antibacterial activity of titanium dioxide (TiO2)-coated surfaces. Bacterial inactivation was evaluated using TiO2-coated Petri dishes. The experimental conditions optimized with Petri dishes were used to test the antibacterial effect of TiO2-coated ceramic tiles. The best antibacterial effect with Petri dishes was observed at 180, 60, 30 and 20 min of exposure for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas putida and Listeria innocua, respectively. The ceramic tiles demonstrated a photoactivated bactericidal effect at the same exposure time. In general, no differences were observed between the antibacterial effect obtained with Petri dishes and tiles. However, the photochemical activity of Petri dishes was greater than the activity of the tiles.Results obtained indicates that the TiO2-coated surfaces showed a photoactivated bactericidal effect with all bacteria tested highlighting that the titania could be used in the ceramic and building industry for the production of coated surfaces to be placed in microbiologically sensitive environments, such as the hospital and food industry.

Agricultural Reuse of the Digestate from Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Organic Waste: Microbiological Contamination, Metal Hazards and Fertilizing Performance

The aim of this study was to evaluate the agricultural reuse of the digestate products (DPs) obtained from mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of different organic wastes (sludge, cattle slurries and organic fraction of municipal solid wastes). At this scope, the content of faecal indicators and pathogens as well as the heavy metal concentration of DPs was monitored. The fertilizing performance of the DPs was also investigated. Co-digestion trials were performed using laboratory-scale (LRs) and pilot-scale reactors (PRs). The microbiological analysis of DPs showed the common presence of Salmonella and an inadequate reduction of indicator organisms during the digestion process, both in the LRs and the PRs. Moreover, the presence of pathogens (e.g. Listeria monocytogenes) in some DP samples highlighted the importance of the microbiological quality evaluation of the DPs to study the possible health risks for consumer. In several samples of DPs, the Cu, Ni and Zn contents exceeded the maximum admissible concentration for fertilizer, as specified by Italian law, suggesting possible environmental contamination if the DPs are used for agricultural purposes. Considering the fertilizing performance, significant differences of growth parameters were observed only for the DPs that were produced by LRs. In conclusion, this work can be considered as a preliminary study to evaluate the possible agricultural reuse of the digestate obtained from different organic wastes.

Microbiological and chemical characterization of a typical Italian cheese: Robiola di Roccaverano

Robiola di Roccaverano is a traditional Italian goats milk cheese carrying a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The present work studied both cheese microflora and cheese physicochemical characteristics to obtain a more accurate description of this PDO product. Multivariate statistical analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate the influence of cheesemaking (artisanal and industrial), ripening time, and season of production on cheese characteristics. Multiplex PCR and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were used to identify the kind of milk employed by Robiola di Roccaverano producers. The results obtained highlight some product differences between the artisanal and industrial products. These differences were most evident in the microbiological data. The use of PCA allowed cheese samples to cluster on the basis of their age (fresh or ripened), the origin of production (artisanal and industrial), and even the season of production. Gross composition, microbiological parameters, and gas chromatographic analyses of FAMEs provided the most important parameters for Robiola di Roccaverano cheese characterization.

Socio-economic and environmental factors associated with overweight and obesity in children aged 6–8 years living in five Italian cities (The MAPEC_LIFE cohort)

The prevalence of obesity among Italian children has reached such alarming levels as to require detailed studies of the causes of the phenomenon. A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to assess the weight status of 1164 Italian children aged 6–8 years (the Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for Supporting Public Health Policy (MAPEC_LIFE) cohort) and to identify any associations between selected socio-economic and environmental factors and overweight/obesity. The data were obtained by means of a questionnaire given to parents, and any associations were examined by binomial logistic regression analyses. Overweight was found to be positively associated with male gender, parents of non-Italian origin, and parents who smoke, and negatively associated with the parents’ level of education and employment. In addition, the frequency of overweight varied in relation to the geographical area of residence, with a greater prevalence of overweight children in the cities of central-southern Italy. This study highlights the need to implement appropriate obesity prevention programs in Italy, which should include educational measures concerning lifestyle for parents from the earliest stages of their child’s life.

Lifestyles and socio-cultural factors among children aged 6–8 years from five Italian towns: the MAPEC_LIFE study cohort

BackgroundLifestyles profoundly determine the quality of an individual’s health and life since his childhood. Many diseases in adulthood are avoidable if health-risk behaviors are identified and improved at an early stage of life. The aim of the present research was to characterize a cohort of children aged 6–8 years selected in order to perform an epidemiological molecular study (the MAPEC_LIFE study), investigate lifestyles of the children that could have effect on their health status, and assess possible association between lifestyles and socio-cultural factors.MethodsA questionnaire composed of 148 questions was administered in two different seasons to parents of children attending 18 primary schools in five Italian cities (Torino, Brescia, Pisa, Perugia and Lecce) to obtain information regarding the criteria for exclusion from the study, demographic, anthropometric and health information on the children, as well as some aspects on their lifestyles and parental characteristics. The results were analyzed in order to assess the frequency of specific conditions among the different seasons and cities and the association between lifestyles and socio-economic factors.ResultsThe final cohort was composed of 1,164 children (50.9 boys, 95.4% born in Italy). Frequency of some factors appeared different in terms of the survey season (physical activity in the open air, the ways of cooking certain foods) and among the various cities (parents’ level of education and rate of employment, sport, traffic near the home, type of heating, exposure to passive smoking, ways of cooking certain foods). Exposure to passive smoking and cooking fumes, obesity, residence in areas with heavy traffic, frequency of outdoor play and consumption of barbecued and fried foods were higher among children living in families with low educational and/or occupational level while children doing sports and consuming toasted bread were more frequent in families with high socio-economic level.ConclusionsThe socio-economic level seems to affect the lifestyles of children enrolled in the study including those that could cause health effects. Many factors are linked to the geographical area and may depend on environmental, cultural and social aspects of the city of residence.

Buccal micronucleus cytome assay in primary school children: A descriptive analysis of the MAPEC_LIFE multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND Recent data support the hypothesis that genetic damage occurring early in life during childhood can play an important role in the development of chronic diseases in adulthood, including cancer. OBJECTIVES The objective of this paper, part of the MAPEC_LIFE project, is to describe the frequency of micronuclei and meta-nuclear alterations in exfoliated buccal cells of 6-8year-old Italian children recruited in five Italian towns (i.e., Brescia, Torino, Pisa, Perugia and Lecce) with different air pollution levels. METHODS About 200 children per town were recruited from primary schools. Biological samples were collected twice from the same children, in two different seasons (winter 2014-15 and late spring 2015). Cytogenetic damage was evaluated by the buccal micronucleus cytome assay. RESULTS Overall,n = 1046 children represent the final cohort of the MAPEC_LIFE study. On the whole, the results showed a higher mean MN frequency in winter (0.42 ± 0.54‰) than late-spring (0.22 ± 0.34‰). MN frequency observed among the five Italian towns showed a trend that follows broadly the levels of air pollution in Italy: the highest MN frequency was observed in Brescia during both seasons, the lowest in Lecce (winter) and Perugia (late-spring). CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, the number of recruited children included in the analysis (n = 1046) is the highest compared to previous studies evaluating the frequency of MN in exfoliated buccal cells so far. MN frequency was associated with winter season and living in towns at various levels of air pollution, suggesting an important role of this exposure in determining early cytogenetic effects.

Inflammation response and cytotoxic effects in human THP-1 cells of size-fractionated PM10 extracts in a polluted urban site.

To contribute to a greater characterization of the airborne particulate matters toxicity, size-fractionated PM10 was sampled during different seasons in a polluted urban site in Torino, a northern Italian city. Three main size fractions (PM10 - 3 μm; PM3 - 0.95 μm; PM < 0.95 μm) extracts (organic and aqueous) were assayed with THP-1 cells to evaluate their effects on cell proliferation, LDH activity, TNFα, IL-8 and CYP1A1 expression. The mean PM10 concentrations were statistically different in summer and in winter and the finest fraction PM<0.95 was always higher than the others. Size-fractionated PM10 extracts, sampled in an urban traffic meteorological-chemical station produced size-related toxicological effects in relation to season and particles extraction. The PM summer extracts induced a significant release of LDH compared to winter and produced a size-related effect, with higher values measured with PM10-3. Exposure to size-fractionated PM10 extracts did not induce significant expression of TNFα. IL-8 expression was influenced by exposure to size-fractionated PM10 extracts and statistically significant differences were found between kind of extracts for both seasons. The mean fold increases in CYP1A1 expression were statistically different in summer and in winter; winter fraction extracts produced a size-related effect, in particular for organic samples with higher values measured with PM<0.95 extracts. Our results confirm that the only measure of PM can be misleading for the assessment of air quality moreover we support efforts toward identifying potential effect-based tools (e.g. in vitro test) that could be used in the context of the different monitoring programs.

Improving Awareness of Health Hazards Associated with Air Pollution in Primary School Children: Design and Test of Didactic Tools.

ABSTRACT One of the objectives of the MAPEC-Life project is raising childrens awareness on air quality and its health effects. To achieve this goal, we designed didactic tools for primary school students, including leaflets with more information for teachers, a cartoon, and three educational videogames. The tools were then tested with 266 children who attended six primary schools in four Italian cities. A control group of 51 children received only explanations from teachers. An improvement in knowledge after using the audiovisual package was demonstrated, with higher efficacy compared with the control group. In addition, the use of videogames was greatly appreciated.

Green job bio-aerosol exposure during anaerobic digestion for biomass energetic valorisation

The continued expansion of the green economy increases the risk profile for green occupational jobs. One of the broadest green sectors in terms of growth is the anaerobic digestion of biomasses. In recent years, this development has also interested Italian regions. The management of biomass includes biological risk and the risk of particulate and endotoxin exposure. In the present study, we evaluated airborne exposure for anaerobic digestion workers at two real-scale plants. Digested biomass has different origins, ranging from cattle sludge and manure to poultry manure to agricultural harvesting or processing residues, particularly from maize and fruits. Two sampling points were chosen: at the first, the input biomasses were stored, and the hopper was loaded; at the second, the digested sludge exited the digester. The microbiological parameters, assessed using an active sampler and cultural method, were the total bacteria counts (at 22, 37, and 55°C), yeasts, fungi, Pseudomonaceae, Clostridia spp., Enterobacteriaceae and Actinomycetes. Moreover, at the same sampling points, we evaluated six PM10 fraction levels (10.0-7.2, 7.2-3.0, 3.0-1.5, 1.5-0.95, 0.95-0.49, and <0.49µm) and the endotoxin content of each fraction. In this investigation, the microbe contamination of the air varied from low to high levels, while the PM10 and endotoxin levels were limited, reaching rural environmental levels (61.40µg/m(3) and 18.88EU/m(3), respectively). However, contamination and occupational risk must be evaluated individually for each plant because numerous variables influence the risk magnitude, particularly digested sludge treatments, such as input biomass nature, storage, movement conditions, building configuration and technological processes.