Lactic acid bacteria from fresh fruit and vegetables as biocontrol agents of phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi

This study evaluated the efficacy of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from fresh fruits and vegetables as biocontrol agents against the phytopathogenic and spoilage bacteria and fungi, Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia carotovora, Penicillium expansum, Monilinia laxa, and Botrytis cinerea. The antagonistic activity of 496 LAB strains was tested in vitro and all tested microorganisms except P. expansum were inhibited by at least one isolate. The 496 isolates were also analyzed for the inhibition of P. expansum infection in wounds of Golden Delicious apples. Four strains (TC97, AC318, TM319, and FF441) reduced the fungal rot diameter of the apples by 20%; only Weissella cibaria strain TM128 decreased infection levels by 50%. Cell-free supernatants of selected antagonistic bacteria were studied to determine the nature of the antimicrobial compounds produced. Organic acids were the preferred mediators of inhibition but hydrogen peroxide was also detected when strains BC48, TM128, PM141 and FF441 were tested against E. carotovora. While previous reports of antifungal activity by LAB are scarce, our results support the potential of LAB as biocontrol agents against postharvest rot. [Int Microbiol 2008; 11(4):231-236]

Fruit and seed morphology of Euphorbia aggr. flavicoma. Taxonomic implications

Capsula and seed morphology of W. European species of Euphorbia aggr. flavicoma has been studied. A total of 1500 seeds coming from 13 taxa have been investigated under light microscope, scanning electron microscope and binocular stereoscope. Data were processed by multivariate analysis and the corresponding dendrogram is presented. At de end of the paper, a key is presented allowing to the separation of taxa down to the species level.

Análisis empresarial de las cooperativas del sector de la fruta dulce en Cataluña

El cooperativismo agrario ha estado ligado desde sus orígenes al sector de las frutas y hortalizas, sector que arrastra desde hace años una problemática de carácter estructural, incrementada, sobretodo en el caso de la fruta, por las graves crisis de precios, la saturación de los mercados y una competencia creciente de las importaciones de terceros países. En este difícil marco, los productores deben seguir invirtiendo para mantener la competitividad y la rentabilidad de sus explotaciones, y las cooperativas, por su importancia económica, deben acometer políticas que permitan garantizar la viabilidad de dicho sector. En el presente trabajo realizamos un análisis del sector cooperativo frutícola catalán, con el fin de detectar sus puntos fuertes y débiles, así como posibles carencias y demandas. Las conclusiones muestran que las cooperativas son importantes en el sector de la fruticultura, debido sobretodo a su contribución activa a la conservación del territorio y su papel generador de empleo en numerosas zonas rurales. Pero se hace necesario la adopción de firmes decisiones y la implantación de medidas de apoyo que permitan garantizar los intereses de los socios y las necesidades de los consumidores.

The mediterranean diet pattern and its main components are associated with lower plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor receptor 60 in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease

Adherence to aMediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. However, themolecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The aim of this studywas to compare the effects of 2MD with those of a lowfat- diet (LFD) on circulating inflammatory biomarkers related to atherogenesis. A total of 516 participants included in the PreventionwithMediterraneanDiet Studywere randomized into 3 intervention groups [MD supplementedwith virgin olive oil (MD-VOO); MD supplemented with mixed nuts (MD-Nuts); and LFD]. At baseline and after 1 y, participants completed FFQ and adherence to MD questionnaires, and plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers including intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), IL-6, and 2 TNF receptors (TNFR60 and TNFR80) were measured by ELISA. At 1 y, the MD groups had lower plasma concentrations of IL-6, TNFR60, and TNFR80 (P , 0.05), whereas ICAM-1, TNFR60, and TNFR80 concentrations increased in the LFD group (P , 0.002). Due to between-group differences, participants in the 2 MD groups had lower plasma concentrations of ICAM-1, IL-6, TNFR60, and TNFR80 compared to those in the LFD group (P # 0.028). When participants were categorized in tertiles of 1-y changes in the consumption of selected foods, those in the highest tertile of virgin olive oil (VOO) and vegetable consumption had a lower plasma TNFR60 concentration compared with those in tertile 1 (P,0.02).Moreover, the only changes in consumption thatwere associated with 1-y changes in the geometricmean TNFR60 concentrations were those of VOO and vegetables (P = 0.01). This study suggests that a MD reduces TNFR concentrations in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Regional diversity in the fruit sector in the European Union

This article aims to identify the key groups of regions with respectto farms oriented to fruit and citrus production.Twenty variables of fruit and citrus oriented farms corresponding toforty-one regions of the European Union were analyzed. Seven groupsemerged from cluster analysis. Only two of them showed good perspectives. Regions in the South of the Community need an important modernisation and restructuring process, which entails serious social consequences.

Qualitat microbiològica dels productes vegetals frescos mínimament processats i desenvolupament de tecnologies de bioconservació mitjançant bacteris de l'àcid làctic

Food safety today is conditiones by the implementation of new Tecnologies for food preservation based on mild treatments and mínimum process, Novel foods, severe restrictions in the toxicològic profile of chemical preservatives, And the drastic limitation /prohibition of antibiotics, and as a consequence, by the New emergint pathogens or by the increase of classical food-borne pathogens. Biopreservatives appear within this context with strong expectations, because thei are safe microorganisms of ten isolated from foods, chemical compounds of natural origin -antimicrobial peptides and proteins, botanical extracts, enzymes- and sintetic compounds based on natural structures, but less toxic and more eficients, like the amtimicrobial peptides. Among the microbial biopreservatives, lactic acid bacteria have shown great possibilities in the preservation of cured meat products, ready to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as to decrease microbial spoilage in food by products before processing for valorization. Our laboratory has performed an extense survey of the microbiological quality of fresh fruit and vegetables, and of ready-to-eat products, and have detect low levels, but significant of Salmonella sp., E. coli and Listeria spp., including L.monocytogenes, in retail markets and Supermarkets of Catalonia. Due to this reason, we started a project consisting of Developing application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) obtained from these products, as biopreservatives. LAB were abundant in ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables, specially in germinated seeds. From these products we obtained strains of Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus and Weissella, producing bacteriocins and with a Significant activity of control of L.monocytogenes in fresh apple and cut salad. Ather strains were efective in the inhibition of fungal rot during postharvest caused by Penicillium expansum

Caracterización de la actividad antialimentaria de extractos de frutos y semillas de Melia azedarach L. y de Azadirachta indica A. sobre larvas del lepidópteroSesamia nonagrioides Lef.

Los extractos metanólicos de semillas y de frutos de Melia azedarach han mostrado una buena actividad antialimentaria frente a larvas de 2º estadio del lepidóptero noctuido Sesamia nonagrioides, plaga del maíz. Los productos a probar se introdujeron en la dieta artificial del insecto a concentraciones de 1000 y 2000 ppm. Los parámetros utilizados para el seguimiento de la experiencia fueron: evolución del peso medio de las larvas, incremento del peso medio de las larvas entre pesadas sucesivas, duración del periodo larvario, mortalidad acumulada, anormalidades de la muda, cantidad de alimento ingerido, cantidad de excrementos producidos, índice de fagodepresión/fagoestimulación y cantidad de tratamiento ingerido. El extracto de semillas ha mostrado una gran bioactividad a las dos concentraciones utilizadas. Utilizado la dosis alta (2000 ppm), dicha actividad resultó comparable a la mostrada por Azadiractina pura (1,25 ppm) y por un extracto comercial de «neem» de contrastada actividad (75 ppm). El extracto de frutos resultó ser menos activo, y tan solo ha mostrado cierta actividad biológica a la concentración mayor.