Mechanism Of Inactivation Research Articles

Targeting the Spike Receptor Binding Domain Class V Cryptic Epitope by an Antibody with Pan-Sarbecovirus Activity.

Novel therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) must accommodate comprehensive breadth of activity against diverse sarbecoviruses and high neutralization potency to overcome emerging variants. Here, we report the crystal structure of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor binding domain (RBD) in complex with MAb WRAIR-2063, a moderate-potency neutralizing antibody with exceptional sarbecovirus breadth, that targets the highly conserved cryptic class V epitope. This epitope overlaps substantially with the spike protein N-terminal domain (NTD) -interacting region and is exposed only when the spike is in the open conformation, with one or more RBDs accessible. WRAIR-2063 binds the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 WA-1, all variants of concern (VoCs), and clade 1 to 4 sarbecoviruses with high affinity, demonstrating the conservation of this epitope and potential resiliency against variation. We compare structural features of additional class V antibodies with their reported neutralization capacity to further explore the utility of the class V epitope as a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine and therapeutic target. IMPORTANCE Characterization of MAbs against SARS-CoV-2, elicited through vaccination or natural infection, has provided vital immunotherapeutic options for curbing the COVID-19 pandemic and has supplied critical insights into SARS-CoV-2 escape, transmissibility, and mechanisms of viral inactivation. Neutralizing MAbs that target the RBD but do not block ACE2 binding are of particular interest because the epitopes are well conserved within sarbecoviruses and MAbs targeting this area demonstrate cross-reactivity. The class V RBD-targeted MAbs localize to an invariant site of vulnerability, provide a range of neutralization potency, and exhibit considerable breadth against divergent sarbecoviruses, with implications for vaccine and therapeutic development.

Repurposing of rabeprazole as an anti-Trypanosoma cruzi drug that targets cellular triosephosphate isomerase

Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis, which mainly affects populations in Latin America. Benznidazole is used to control the disease, with severe effects in patients receiving this chemotherapy. Previous studies have demonstrated the inhibition of triosephosphate isomerase from T. cruzi, but cellular enzyme inhibition has yet to be established. This study demonstrates that rabeprazole inhibits both cell viability and triosephosphate isomerase activity in T. cruzi epimastigotes. Our results show that rabeprazole has an IC50 of 0.4 µM, which is 14.5 times more effective than benznidazole. Additionally, we observed increased levels of methyl-glyoxal and advanced glycation end products after the inhibition of cellular triosephosphate isomerase by rabeprazole. Finally, we demonstrate that the inactivation mechanisms of rabeprazole on triosephosphate isomerase of T. cruzi can be achieved through the derivatization of three of its four cysteine residues. These results indicate that rabeprazole is a promising candidate against American trypanosomiasis.

Graphene oxide/gallium nanoderivative as a multifunctional modulator of osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis for the synergistic therapy of implant-related bone infection.

Currently, implant-associated bacterial infections account for most hospital-acquired infections in patients suffering from bone fractures or defects. Poor osseointegration and aggravated osteolysis remain great challenges for the success of implants in infectious scenarios. Consequently, developing an effective surface modification strategy for implants is urgently needed. Here, a novel nanoplatform (GO/Ga) consisting of graphene oxide (GO) and gallium nanoparticles (GaNPs) was reported, followed by investigations of its in vitro antibacterial activity and potential bacterium inactivation mechanisms, cytocompatibility and regulatory actions on osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. In addition, the possible molecular mechanisms underlying the regulatory effects of GO/Ga nanocomposites on osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast formation were clarified. Moreover, an in vivo infectious microenvironment was established in a rat model of implant-related femoral osteomyelitis to determine the therapeutic efficacy and biosafety of GO/Ga nanocomposites. Our results indicate that GO/Ga nanocomposites with excellent antibacterial potency have evident osteogenic potential and inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation by modulating the BMP/Smad, MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. The in vivo experiments revealed that the administration of GO/Ga nanocomposites significantly inhibited bone infections, reduced osteolysis, promoted osseointegration located in implant-bone interfaces, and resulted in satisfactory biocompatibility. In summary, this synergistic therapeutic system could accelerate the bone healing process in implant-associated infections and can significantly guide the future surface modification of implants used in bacteria-infected environments.

Bactericidal efficacy difference between air and nitrogen cold atmospheric plasma on Bacillus cereus: Inactivation mechanism of Gram-positive bacteria at the cellular and molecular level

As an emerging food processing technology, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has attracted great attention in the field of microbial inactivation. Although CAP has been proven to effectively inactivate a variety of foodborne pathogens, there is less research on the inactivation of Bacillus cereus, and the exact inactivation mechanism is still unclear. Elucidating the inactivation mechanism will help to develop and optimize this sterilization method, with the prospective application in industrialized food production. This study aims to explore the bactericidal efficacy difference between air and nitrogen CAP on B. cereus, a typical Gram-positive bacterium, and reveals the inactivation mechanism of CAP at the cellular and molecular level, by observing the change of the cell membrane, cell morphological damage, intracellular antioxidant enzyme activity and cellular biomacromolecules changes. The results showed that both air CAP and nitrogen CAP could effectively inactivate B. cereus, which was due to the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generated by the plasma causing bacterial death. The damage pathways of CAP on Gram-positive bacteria could be explained by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane and cell morphology, disturbing the intracellular redox homeostasis, and destroying biomacromolecules in the cells. The differences in active species generated by the plasma were the main reason for the different bactericidal efficiencies of air CAP and nitrogen CAP, where air CAP producing RONS with stronger oxidative capacity in a shorter time. This study indicates that air CAP is an effective, inexpensive and green technology for B. cereus inactivation, providing a basis for industrial application in food processing.

Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism

Candida albicans is a highly drug-resistant fungus for which new treatments are urgently needed due to the lack of clinically effective options. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity and mechanism of plasma-activated Ezhangfeng Cuji (PAEC) against Candida albicans and compared it with physiological saline (PS), plasma-activated physiological saline (PAPS) and Ezhangfeng Cuji (EC). After dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment with EC for 20 min followed by a 10 min immersion of Candida albicans, the fungus was reduced by approximately 3 orders of magnitude. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed an increase of 41.18% and 129.88% in the concentration of oxymatrine and rhein, respectively, after plasma-treated EC. The concentrations of reactive species (RS), such as H2O2, {text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }, and O3, were found to be higher and the pH value was getting lower in PS after plasma treatment. Detailed analysis of intracellular material leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis for Candida albicans and observation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that PAPS, EC and PAEC disrupt the morphological structure of Candida albicans to varying degrees.Additionally, specific analyses on Candida albicans virulence factors, such as adhesion to tissue surfaces, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), the transition of yeast-phase cells to mycelium-phase cells, and the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes for Candida albicans were conducted and found to be inhibited after PAPS/EC/PAEC treatment. In our investigation, the inhibitory effects on Candida albicans were ranked from strong to weak as follows: PAEC, EC, PAPS, and PS.

Pharmacokinetic Drug-Drug Interactions: A Systematic Review of the Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Isoenzyme 3A4

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzyme 3A4 or CYP3A4 is a major drug-metabolizing enzyme that has the potential to cause pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions. Primary research studies have demonstrated CYP3A4-mediated drug-drug interactions through a variety of mechanisms. However, there has been no review during the last 10 years of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions mediated by CYP3A4 isoenzymes. It is necessary to systematically review the pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions mediated by CYP3A4. Source review of articles were retrieved from the PubMed and Scopus databases. The preparation of keywords through the population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes (PICO) method written based on the Boolean operator. Reporting the results of the paper search is presented in the Prisma version 1 2020 flowchart. The risk of bias assessment used COHORT tools and Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) tools. Data was analyzed narratively. Pharmacokinetic drug interactions are mediated by CYP3A4 through the mechanism of induction, activation, inhibition, and inactivation. Induction or activation of CYP3A4 can cause an increase in CYP3A4 expression, so that the drug is metabolized more quickly and has the potential to lose drug efficacy. Inhibition and inactivation of CYP3A4 causes plasma drug levels to increase and drug elimination time to last longer. CYP3A4 plays a major role in the bioactivation of drugs that cause hepatotoxicity through the formation of reactive metabolites. The use of drugs needs to be monitored to avoid pharmacokinetic drug interactions.

Antiviral Effect of Propylene Glycol against Envelope Viruses in Spray and Volatilized Forms.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious and continues to spread worldwide. To avoid the spread of infection, it is important to control its transmission routes. However, as methods to prevent airborne infections are lacking, people are forced to take measures such as keeping distance from others or wearing masks. Here, we evaluate the antiviral activity of propylene glycol (PG), which is safe, odorless, and volatile. PG showed pronounced antiviral activity against the influenza virus (IAV) at concentrations above 55% in the liquid phase. Given its IAV inactivation mechanism, which involves increasing the fluidity of the viral membrane, PG is expected to have a broad effect on enveloped viruses. PG showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. We also developed a system to evaluate the antiviral effect of PG in spray and volatilized forms. PG was found to be effective against aerosol IAV in both forms; the effective PG concentration against IAV in the vapor phase was 87 ppmv (0.27 mg/L). These results demonstrate that PG is an effective means for viral inactivation in various situations for infection control. This technology is expected to control the spread of current and future infectious diseases capable of causing outbreaks and pandemics.

Dose-Response Behavior of Pathogens and Surrogate Microorganisms across the Ultraviolet-C Spectrum: Inactivation Efficiencies, Action Spectra, and Mechanisms.

The dose-response behavior of pathogens and inactivation mechanisms by UV-LEDs and excimer lamps remains unclear. This study used low-pressure (LP) UV lamps, UV-LEDs with different peak wavelengths, and a 222 nm krypton chlorine (KrCl) excimer lamp to inactivate six microorganisms and to investigate their UV sensitivities and electrical energy efficiencies. The 265 nm UV-LED had the highest inactivation rates (0.47-0.61 cm2/mJ) for all tested bacteria. The bacterial sensitivity strongly fitted the absorption curve of nucleic acids at wavelengths of 200-300 nm; however, indirect damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) was the leading cause of bacterial inactivation under 222 nm UV irradiation. In addition, the guanine and cytosine (GC) content and cell wall constituents of bacteria affect inactivation efficiency. The inactivation rate constant of Phi6 (0.13 ± 0.002 cm2/mJ) at 222 nm due to lipid envelope damage was significantly higher than other UVC (0.006-0.035 cm2/mJ). To achieve 2log reduction, the LP UV lamp had the best electrical energy efficiency (required less energy, average 0.02 kWh/m3) followed by 222 nm KrCl excimer lamp (0.14 kWh/m3) and 285 nm UV-LED (0.49 kWh/m3).

The Effect of Xevinapant Combined with Ionizing Radiation on HNSCC and Normal Tissue Cells and the Impact of Xevinapant on Its Targeted Proteins cIAP1 and XIAP

The poor prognosis of HNSCC is partly due to treatment resistance. The SMAC mimetic Xevinapant is a promising new approach to targeted cancer therapy. Xevinapant inhibits cIAP1/2 and XIAP, leading to apoptosis, necroptosis and inhibition of prosurvival signaling. Combining Xevinapant with IR could improve therapeutic potential. The effect of Xevinapant in combination with IR on HNSCC and healthy tissue cells was investigated. Cell growth, cell death, clonogenic survival and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were studied, and intracellular cIAP1 and XIAP levels were evaluated. Xevinapant had cytostatic and cytotoxic, as well as radiosensitizing, effects on the malignant cells, while healthy tissue cells were less affected. Apoptotic and necrotic cell death was particularly affected, but the increase in residual DSBs and the reduced survival implied an additional effect of Xevinapant on DNA damage repair and other cell inactivation mechanisms. cIAP1 and XIAP levels varied for each cell line and were affected by Xevinapant and IR treatment. There was an association between higher IAP levels and increased cell death. Xevinapant appears to be a potent new drug for HNSCC therapy, especially in combination with IR. IAP levels could be an indicator for impaired DNA damage repair and increased susceptibility to cellular stress.

Inactivation of Alicyclobacillus contaminans spores by dielectric barrier discharge plasma and its biological mechanism

Over the years, as an emerging technology, cold plasma (CP) has been widely used in the preservation of agricultural products. Alicyclobacillus spp. are spore-forming bacteria and difficult to inactivate. They adversely affect the economic value of agricultural products. Nevertheless, there are still few studies related to the inactivation of spores using CP. Herein, the inactivation effect and mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) on Alicyclobacillus contaminans (A. contaminans) spores in phosphate-buffered saline and clarified apple juice were investigated. Plasma treatment at 75 V for 9 min achieved 99% inactivation of spores with the initial inocula of 7.13 and 5.72-log in PBS and apple juice, respectively. And the cell structure of the spores was severely disrupted leading to the leakage of the entocyte. Moreover, the surface properties of the spores were altered, making the adhesion of the spores to the hydrophobic surfaces and the stability of the bacterial suspension decreased leading to more agglomeration of the spores. Further results confirmed the intracellular homeostasis of the spores was also disrupted. Therefore, the inactivation mechanism of DBDP on spores was revealed from different perspectives, and our discoveries promote the theoretical progress in the use of plasma in food sterilization. Industrial relevanceAs an emerging nonthermal preservation technology, cold plasma has been used in food processing. In this study, we confirmed the feasibility of the inactivation of Alicyclobacillus contaminans spores in apple juice by dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) and investigated the mechanism of plasma inactivation of spores at the molecular biology level. This paper provides preliminary support for the application of low-temperature plasma in food processing such as apple juice.

Sequencing and Characterization of M. morganii Strain UM869: A Comprehensive Comparative Genomic Analysis of Virulence, Antibiotic Resistance, and Functional Pathways.

Morganella morganii is a Gram-negative opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae pathogen inherently resistant to colistin. This species causes various clinical and community-acquired infections. This study investigated the virulence factors, resistance mechanisms, functional pathways, and comparative genomic analysis of M. morganii strain UM869 with 79 publicly available genomes. The multidrug resistance strain UM869 harbored 65 genes associated with 30 virulence factors, including efflux pump, hemolysin, urease, adherence, toxin, and endotoxin. Additionally, this strain contained 11 genes related to target alteration, antibiotic inactivation, and efflux resistance mechanisms. Further, the comparative genomic study revealed a high genetic relatedness (98.37%) among the genomes, possibly due to the dissemination of genes between adjoining countries. The core proteome of 79 genomes contains the 2692 core, including 2447 single-copy orthologues. Among them, six were associated with resistance to major antibiotic classes manifested through antibiotic target alteration (PBP3, gyrB) and antibiotic efflux (kpnH, rsmA, qacG; rsmA; CRP). Similarly, 47 core orthologues were annotated to 27 virulence factors. Moreover, mostly core orthologues were mapped to transporters (n = 576), two-component systems (n = 148), transcription factors (n = 117), ribosomes (n = 114), and quorum sensing (n = 77). The presence of diversity in serotypes (type 2, 3, 6, 8, and 11) and variation in gene content adds to the pathogenicity, making them more difficult to treat. This study highlights the genetic similarity among the genomes of M. morganii and their restricted emergence, mostly in Asian countries, in addition to their growing pathogenicity and resistance. However, steps must be taken to undertake large-scale molecular surveillance and to direct suitable therapeutic interventions.

Research Progress and Future Trends of Low Temperature Plasma Application in Food Industry: A Review.

Food nutrition, function, sensory quality and safety became major concerns to the food industry. As a novel technology application in food industry, low temperature plasma was commonly used in the sterilization of heat sensitive materials and is now widely used. This review provides a detailed study of the latest advancements and applications of plasma technology in the food industry, especially the sterilization field; influencing factors and the latest research progress in recent years are outlined and upgraded. It explores the parameters that influence its efficiency and effectiveness in the sterilization process. Further research trends include optimizing plasma parameters for different food types, investigating the effects on nutritional quality and sensory attributes, understanding microbial inactivation mechanisms, and developing efficient and scalable plasma-based sterilization systems. Additionally, there is growing interest in assessing the overall quality and safety of processed foods and evaluating the environmental sustainability of plasma technology. The present paper highlights recent developments and provides new perspectives for the application of low temperature plasma in various areas, especially sterilization field of the food industry. Low temperature plasma holds great promise for the food industry's sterilization needs. Further research and technological advancements are required to fully harness its potential and ensure safe implementation across various food sectors.

Evaluation of plasma-activated water: Efficacy, stability, physicochemical properties, and mechanism of inactivation against Escherichia coli

In this study, plasma-activated water (PAW) was prepared by discharge below the surface of sterile distilled water. In addition to physicochemical properties, the bactericidal effect and mechanism of action of PAW were studied using Escherichia coli as the target microorganism. The plasma treatment would cause an increase in the redox potential (ORP), electrical conductivity (EC), NO3− and NO2− content, and a decrease in the pH of the water. At the same time, the sterilization effect of PAW on E. coli was progressively stronger with both discharge and immersion time, up to a maximum of 4.25 log CFU/mL. In addition, the EC, NO3− and NO2− content, as well as the bactericidal efficacy of PAW decreased with increasing storage time. The properties and bactericidal effects did not change significantly after PAW thawing (p > 0.05). Finally, proteomics techniques were used to identify and classify the differential proteins before and after PAW treatment. PAW treatment induced a stress response in E. coli. Differential expression proteins of biological processes including the metabolism of phosphorus-containing compounds and the cellular response to stimuli, as well as various binding-related and membrane structure-related, were induced.

Process and formulation parameters influencing the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during spray drying and tableting

Probiotic microorganisms provide health benefits to the patient when administered in a viable form and in sufficient doses. To ensure this, dry dosage forms are preferred, with tablets in particular being favored due to several advantages. However, the microorganisms must first be dried as gently as possible. Here, the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae was dried by spray drying. Various additives were tested for their ability to improve yeast cell survival during drying. In addition, the influence of various process parameters such as inlet temperature, outlet temperature, spray rate, spray pressure and nozzle diameter was investigated. It was possible to dry the yeast cells in such a way that a substantial proportion of living microorganisms was recovered after reconstitution. Systematic variation of formulation and process parameters showed that the use of protective additives is essential and that the outlet temperature determines the survival rate. The subsequent compression of the spray-dried yeast reduced viability and survival could hardly be improved by the addition of excipients, but the tabletability of spray-dried yeast protectant particles was quite good. For the first time, loss of viability during compaction of spray-dried microorganisms was correlated with the specific densification, allowing a deeper understanding of the mechanism of cell inactivation during tableting.

Ultraviolet-radiation technology for preservation of meat and meat products: Recent advances and future trends

Meat is nutrient-dense and susceptible to microorganism contamination during manufacturing, processing, and storage, leading to spoilage and even food poisoning. Traditional food processing techniques have limitations in inactivating microorganisms in food, which usually result in diminished food quality, low consumer acceptance and the growth of some potentially toxic substances (carcinogens). In recent years, the emergence of non-thermal technologies (ultraviolet (UV) treatment, cold plasma, high pressure technology, pulsed electric field, ultrasonic treatment, etc.) has attracted the interest of a large number of researchers. UV radiation is a promising non-thermal technology for microbial inactivation in foods, and its great efficiency and environmental friendliness enables researchers to employ UV light to circumvent the limits of conventional procedures. However, a comprehensive review of recent applications of UV technology in meat and meat products is still absent. This review discusses the classification, pathogen inactivation effect and mechanism of UV radiation on meat products, and also the induced quality changes of meat products. It was concluded that UV radiation has a high bactericidal effect on various microorganisms in meat processing primarily by stimulating DNA or RNA to form pyrimidine dimers and causing cell death, but has little or no significant influence on the quality of meat and meat products, depending on the selection of different treatment parameters. This review provides important information for the application and development of UV radiation in meat products, which will be beneficial for the meat safety and quality control in future.

Insights into inactivation and response mechanisms of sublethal Listeria monocytogenes treated by cold plasma with joint transcriptomics and metabolomics

The aim of the current study is to elucidate the inactivation and molecular response pattern of sublethal Listeria monocytogenes to cold plasma mediated two-pronged oxidative microenvironments from a high-throughput multi-omics perspective. First joint transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses revealed that significantly expressed genes and metabolites were mainly involved in enhanced transmembrane transport and Fe2+/Cu+ efflux, amino acids limitation, cytoplasmic pH homeostasis, reconfiguration of central carbon metabolism flux and energy conservation strategy, which triggered the surge of intracellular endogenous oxidative stress and finally mediated bacterial ferroptosis and pathogenicity attenuation. Typical antioxidant systems such as the TrxR-Trx system and common antioxidant genes (e.g. sodA, katA, ahpC, trxA, spxA) were inhibited, and the more prominent antioxidant pathways include methionine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway and glutathione metabolism as well as the DNA repair systems. Therefore, our work confirmed from the transcriptional and metabolic as well as physiological levels that cold plasma-mediated intracellular oxidative stress induced big perturbations in pathways as a driving force for the inactivation and pathogenicity attenuation of L. monocytogenes.

KINETICS OF THERMOINACTIVATION OF D-AMINO ACID OXIDASE OPADAAO1 FROM THE OGATAEA PARAPOLYMORPHA DL-1 YEAST

Our earlier annotation of genome of the yeast Ogataea parapolymorpha DL-1 made it possible to identify ve genes of potential D-amino acids oxidases. All opadaao1 - opadaao5 genes were cloned and expressed in E. coli. Four OpaDAAO1- OpaDAAO4 enzymes were obtained in highly puri ed form and their catalytic properties were studied. It was found that among all DAAOs described in the literature so far, the enzyme OpaDAAO1 has the highest catalytic constant kcat with D-Ala, which makes it promising for practical applications. However, in addition to good catalytic parameters, effective application of the enzyme in practice requires high stability and knowledge of the inactivation mechanism, including at elevated temperatures. In this work we studied the effect of elevated temperatures on the stability of OpaDAAO1. The enzyme was shown to have high thermal stability in comparison with majority of other D-amino acid oxidases. The kinetics of OpaDAAO1 inactivation at different temperatures, initial concentrations of the enzyme, and in the presence of exogenous FAD were studied. A possible kinetic scheme of inactivation was proposed based on the data obtained.

Inactivation mechanism of Alternaria alternata by dielectric barrier discharge plasma and its quality control on fresh wolfberries

Inactivation mechanism of Alternaria alternata by dielectric barrier discharge plasma and its quality control on fresh wolfberries

Innovative electrochemical synthesis of highly defective Ta2O5/Cu2O nanotubes inactivating bacteria under low-intensity solar irradiation

This study presents an innovative electrochemical preparation of Ta2O5 nanotubes (NTs) decorated with Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs). The Ta2O5/Cu2O nanotubes led to fast bacterial inactivation under low-intensity solar irradiation. The Cu2O decoration on Ta2O5 nanotubes accelerated the E. coli inactivation kinetics by several orders of magnitude compared to bare Ta2O5 nanotubes. Systematic characterization of the surface properties of Ta2O5/Cu2O nanotubes is reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), XPS-spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to understand the structural, morphological and chemical composition of the decorated nanotubes. UV–VIS spectroscopy, photoluminescence (LP), and surface reflectivity further allowed to understand the effect of photons on the nanotube interfaces giving insight into the role of structural defects, oxygen vacancies and Cu2O decoration. The oxygen vacancies formation and contribution to the bacterial inactivation have been highlighted. The bandgap of Ta2O5/Cu2O decreased upon increasing the Cu2O addition to Ta2O5 NTs. A differentiated mechanism for bacterial inactivation is suggested under low-intensity solar light (50 mW/cm2) for Ta2O5 NTs and Ta2O5/Cu2O NTs. The high photocatalytic activity of Ta2O5 possibly involved the surface and bulk electron diffusion steps, leading to the generation of the observed surface catalytic sites. A mechanism has been proposed for the antibacterial activity of the prepared nanotubes.

The Impact of Pulsed Electric Fields on Milk's Macro- and Micronutrient Profile: A Comprehensive Review.

Consumers around the world are attracted to products with beneficial effects on health. The stability, functionality, and integrity of milk constituents are crucial determinants of product quality in the dairy industry. Milk contains macronutrients and micronutrients that aid in a wide range of physiological functions in the human body. Deficiencies of these two types of nutrients can confine growth in children and increase the risk of several diseases in adults. The influence of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on milk has been extensively reviewed, mostly concentrating on the inactivation of microbes and enzymes for preservation purposes. Therefore, the information on the variations of milk macro- and micronutrients treated by PEF has yet to be elucidated and it is imperative as it may affect the functionality, stability, and integrity of the milk and dairy products. In this review, we describe in detail the introduction, types, and components of PEF, the inactivation mechanism of biological cells by PEF, as well as the effects of PEF on macro- and micronutrients in milk. In addition, we also cover the limitations that hinder the commercialization and integration of PEF in the food industry and the future outlook for PEF. The present review consolidates the latest research findings investigating the impact of PEF on the nutritional composition of milk. The assimilation of this valuable information aims to empower both industry professionals and consumers, facilitating a thorough understanding and meticulous assessment of the prospective adoption of PEF as an alternative technique for milk pasteurization.