Min Of Treatment Research Articles

Synergistic effects of oxidized konjac glucomannan on rheological, thermal and structural properties of gluten protein

Oxidation is an effective way to prepare depolymerized konjac glucomannan (KGM). The oxidized KGM (OKGM) differed from native KGM in physicochemical properties due to different molecular structure. In this study, the effects of OKGM on the properties of gluten protein were investigated and compared with native KGM (NKGM) and enzymatic hydrolysis KGM (EKGM). Results showed that the OKGM with a low molecular weight and viscosity could improve rheological properties and enhance thermal stability. Compared to native gluten protein (NGP), OKGM stabilized the protein secondary structure by increasing the contents of β-sheet and α-helix, and improved the tertiary structure through increasing the disulfide bonds. The compact holes with shrunk pore size confirmed a stronger interaction between OKGM and gluten protein through scanning electron microscopy, forming a highly networked gluten structure. Furthermore, OKGM depolymerized by the moderate ozone-microwave treatment of 40 min had a higher effect on gluten proteins than that by the 100 min treatment, demonstrating that the excessive degradation of KGM weakened the interaction between the gluten protein and OKGM. These findings demonstrated that incorporating moderately oxidized KGM into gluten protein was an effective strategy to improve the properties of gluten protein.

Ethanol and caffeine age-dependently alter brain and retinal neurochemical levels without affecting morphology of juvenile and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Adolescent alcohol exposure in humans is predictive of adult development of alcoholism. In rodents, caffeine pre-exposure enhances adult responsiveness to ethanol via a pathway targeted by both compounds. Embryonic exposure to either compound adversely affects development, and both compounds can alter zebrafish behaviors. Here, we evaluate whether co-exposure to caffeine and/or alcohol in adolescence exerts neurochemical changes in retina and brain. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were given daily 20 min treatments to ethanol (1.5% v/v), caffeine (25-100 mg/L), or caffeine + ethanol for 1 week during mid-late adolescence (53-92 days post fertilization (dpf)) or early adulthood (93-142 dpf). Immediately after exposure, anatomical measurements were taken, including weight, heart rate, pigment density, length, girth, gill width, inner and outer eye distance. Brain and retinal tissue were subsequently collected either (1) immediately, (2) after a short interval (2-4d) following exposure, or (3) after a longer interval that included an acute 1.5% ethanol challenge. Chronic ethanol and/or caffeine exposure did not alter anatomical parameters. However, retinal and brain levels of tyrosine hydroxylase were elevated in fish sacrificed after the long interval following exposure. Protein levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase were also increased, with the highest levels observed in 70-79 dpf fish exposed to caffeine. The influence of ethanol and caffeine exposure on neurochemistry demonstrates specificity of their effects during postembryonic development. Using the zebrafish model to assess neurochemistry relevant to reward and anxiety may inform understanding of the mechanisms that reinforce co-addiction to alcohol and stimulants.

Effects of peripheral electromagnetic stimulation after an eccentric exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness protocol in professional soccer players: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: To examine the effects of peripheral electromagnetic stimulation in male professional soccer players on markers of Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS), induced by a protocol of exercise (60min of eccentric and plyometric). Methods: A randomized controlled trial with fourty-five professional soccer players aged 22.33 ± 4.82 years participated in the study. Twenty-three participants were assigned to the experimental group with peripheral electromagnetic stimulation (5 stimulations of 5s at 100HZ with 55s of rest for a total of 5min of treatment) and the remaining 22 participants were assigned to the control group. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) of the vastus medialis, the Visual Analogue Scale-Fatigue (VAS-F), half squat (HS) test and the maximum voluntary contraction of the quadriceps were assessed. All evaluations were performed before and after 1h of the eccentric exercise induced DOMS, as well as at post 24-48, and 72h. Results: Group-by-time interaction was observed in PPT of the vastus medialis (p = 0.040) with a medium effect size (η2 p = 0.069). From 48 to 72h the experimental group showed an increase of PPT compared to control group (p = 0.015). There was no group-by-time interaction for HS, quadriceps strength and VAS-F (p > 0.05). Discussion: Peripheral electromagnetic stimulation in male professional soccer players did not produce significant improvements in the power and strength of the lower limbs but decreased the peripheral sensitization of the vastus medialis after eccentric exercise protocol. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384050&isReview=true, Identifier: ACTRN12622000841774.

A systematic study on modulation of plasma electrolytic oxidation parameters for optimizing photocatalytic coatings on titanium substrates

In this work, we investigated the preparation of porous titanium dioxide (TiO2) coatings via plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) for its use as a photocatalytic surface in water treatment. A fractional factorial design (FFD) was used to optimize various coating parameters such as electrolyte composition, electrical parameters, and treatment time. The impact of PEO parameters on the wettability, crystalline phase, and surface morphology of coatings was also investigated. The optimal PEO parameters were found to be the electrolyte composition (5 g.L−1 Na3PO4 and 4 g.L−1 KOH), electrical current density (6 A.dm−2), (80%) duty cycle, and (1000 Hz) frequency, as well as (10 min) treatment time. The photocatalytic behavior of the optimal coating was assessed under different experimental conditions, such as pollutant concentration, light intensity, and pH. The photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the results of Tauc plot, Mott–Schottky analysis, and scavenging experiments. Additionally, the efficiency of photocatalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by a PEO-treated TiO2 coating was evaluated for the first time. A synergistic effect between PMS and TiO2 was observed, and the total organic carbon (TOC) test showed notable mineralization at low [PMS]. The results suggest that this simple, environmentally-friendly, low-cost, and robust process is a promising coating method for the field of water treatment.

In vitro cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of hypochlorous acid antimicrobial agent

Background/purposeBacteria-associated oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis are widespread epidemics that cause oral pain and loss of function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of different concentrations of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Materials and methodsFive different concentrations (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm) of HOCl were evaluated for their antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-negative (A. actinomycetcmcomitans and P. gingivalis) and Gram-positive bacteria (S. mutans and S. sanguinis) after treatment for 1 and 10 min. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorhexidine (CHX) were used as positive controls. In addition, HOCl was examined for L929 cytotoxicity and RAW 264.7 growth. ResultsThe bacteriostatic ratio of NaOCl was comparable to that of CHX and significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of all HOCl solutions. Higher HOCl concentration had significantly (P < 0.05) higher antibacterial effect, and the bacteriostatic ratio of 10 min treatment was slightly higher than that of 1 min treatment. CHX and NaOCl seeded into L929 cells resulted in low cell viability with only 30–39%, much significantly (P < 0.05) lower than all HOCl groups (greater than 80%). All HOCl solutions met the recommendations of ISO 10993–5 and showed no cytotoxicity, although there was a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability. All antimicrobial agents showed the same trend of response to RAW 264.7 as L929. ConclusionWithin the limit of this study, 400 ppm HOCl disinfectant may be a potential antimicrobial candidate for mouthwash, endodontic irrigants, and periodontitis treatment.

Effect of atmospheric cold plasma treatment on acid gelation properties of skim milk: Rheology and textural studies

Cold plasma processing is a non-thermal food processing technique that has been shown to improve the gelling properties of plant proteins by altering their structure through oxidation and crosslinking. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cold plasma treatment on the rheological properties of skim milk under different conditions, focusing on the impact of feed gas and treatment time on skim milk's sulfhydryl content, flow properties, and acid gelling behavior. Results showed that free sulfhydryl content decreased with treatment time, with a notable reduction observed after 2 min of N2-O2 plasma treatment. Skim milk treated with N2 plasma experienced a more gradual decrease in free SH content. Cold plasma increased skim milk viscosity over time. N2-O2 plasma treatment significantly affected G′40 and G′4 storage moduli, with an increase observed after 2 min of exposure but no change beyond that time. Acid gels' greenness (a* value) decreased with increasing treatment time compared to the control. Acid gel firmness of milk treated with N2-O2 plasma for 1 min significantly increased from 1.804 N to 1.912 N, and further to 2.072 N after 2 min of treatment. However, longer exposure times led to lower firmness in gels. N2 plasma treatment also significantly impacted acid gel firmness. Syneresis in acid gels decreased from 63.4 % to 57.7 % and 58.7 % after 1 and 2 min of N2-O2 plasma treatment, respectively, but increased to about 70 % after 4 min. Acid gels made from milk treated with N2 plasma experienced considerably less syneresis. The cold plasma treatment under different conditions significantly affected the properties of skim milk, with various impacts on sulfhydryl content, flow properties, and acid gelling behavior. These findings demonstrate the potential applications of cold plasma processing in the food industry to improve product properties.

Mechanism of acid and alkali electrolyzed water on the elimination of Listeria monocytogenes biofilm based on proteomic analysis

Acidic electrolyzed water is a relatively mature bactericide, which has a certain inhibitory effect on a variety of microorganisms, and is widely used in the field of food processing for cleaning, sterilization and disinfection. This study investigated the deactivation mechanisms of Listeria monocytogenes by Tandem Mass Tags quantitative proteomics analysis. Samples were treated through A1S4 (Alkaline electrolytic water treatment for 1 min and Acid electrolytic water treatment for 4 min), S3A1S1 (Acid electrolyzed water treatment 3 min, Alkaline electrolyzed water treatment 1 min and Acid electrolyzed water treatment 1 min), S5 (Acid electrolytic water treatment for 5 min). Proteomic analysis showed that the mechanism of acid alkaline electrolyzed water treatment to eliminate the inactivation of the biofilm of L. monocytogenes was related to protein transcription and extension, RNA processing and synthesis, gene regulation, sugar and amino acid transport and metabolism, signal transduction and ATP binding. The study on the influence mechanism and action mechanism of the combination of acidic and alkaline electrolyzed water to remove L. monocytogenes biofilm is helpful to understand the development of the process of removing biofilm by electrolyzed water, and provides theoretical support for the treatment of other microbial contamination problems in food processing by electrolyzed water.

Assessment of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) Treatment for Degradation of Antibiotic Residues in Water.

The presence of antibiotic residues in water is linked to the emergence of antibiotic resistance globally and necessitates novel decontamination strategies to minimize antibiotic residue exposure in both the environment and food. A holistic assessment of cold atmospheric pressure plasma technology (CAPP) for β-lactam antibiotic residue removal is described in this study. CAPP operating parameters including plasma jet voltage, gas composition and treatment time were optimized, with highest β-lactam degradation efficiencies obtained for a helium jet operated at 6 kV. Main by-products detected indicate pH-driven peroxidation as a main mechanism of CAPP-induced decomposition of β-lactams. No in vitro hepatocytotoxicity was observed in HepG2 cells following exposure to treated samples, and E. coli exposed to CAPP-degraded β-lactams did not exhibit resistance development. In surface water, over 50% decrease in antibiotic levels was achieved after only 5 min of treatment. However, high dependence of treatment efficiency on residue concentration, pH and presence of polar macromolecules was observed.

Exploring the potential of alternative current electric field treatment for preservation and the tissue softening mechanism in Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) is one of the common edible fungi; however, enzyme reactions during the storage period destroys its texture, resulting in a short shelf life (<10 days) and eventually resulting in wastes. Previous studies have demonstrated that the application of high electrostatic field treatment effectively suppresses the browning of P. ostreatus during storage by inhibiting oxidase activity. In the present study, P. ostreatus was employed as a model to explore cell wall decomposition alleviation by treatment with direct current electric field (DCEF) and alternative current electric field (ACEF). The results indicated that ACEF (400 kV m−1, 90–120 min) led to lower weight loss, lower firmness loss (400 kV m−1, 120 min), and reduced moisture migration during storage. Further research confirmed that ACEF (600 kV m−1, 120 min) treatment inhibited chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities by 72% ± 6% and 53% ± 3%, respectively, thereby delaying the disintegration of P. ostreatus during storage. In addition, as a noncompetitive inhibitor, ACEF reduced the Km and Vmax of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in P. ostreatus. In conclusion, ACEF treatment significantly alleviated texture loss in P. ostreatus, with a preservation rate of 9.3% ± 0.3%. These findings highlight the potential of ACEF treatment as a promising strategy for enhancing the preservation and commercialization of edible fungi.

F-enhanced anti-bonding activation effect of FeO on catalytic degradation of chloramphenicol by dielectric barrier discharge plasma

In this study, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and F/FeO catalyst were utilized to degrade chloramphenicol (CAP) in water. The operation conditions, catalyst properties and catalytic mechanisms were systematically studied, and the anti-bonding activation effect was highlighted as the key for the catalytic effect. The results show that CAP was 100% degraded by DBD and F/FeO after 8 min treatment under optimal operating conditions, and F/FeO catalyst increased the degradation efficiency of CAP by 34.1%. FeO transferred electrons into the π* anti-bonding orbital of O3 and the σ* anti-bonding orbitals of H2O2 and O2, leading to an anti-bonding activation effect and weakening their bonding. Additionally, F facilitated the electron transfer of FeO and changed the stable adsorption of O3 and H2O2 on FeO to dissociated adsorption on F/FeO. The –OH groups generated by the H2O2 dissociation could induce a non-Fenton catalytic pathway. The intensive electron transfer of F/FeO converted O2 into ·O2−. The ant-bonding activation of O3, H2O2 and O2 on F/FeO facilitated the production of ·OH. A degradation pathway for CAP was proposed based on the findings of experiments and simulation. The developmental toxicity of CAP was weakened after F/FeO/DBD treatment. This study proposes an efficient plasma catalyst for purifying antibiotic wastewater, and provides a new insight into the mechanism of the plasma/catalysis process.

Nonspecific eddy current heating in magnetic field hyperthermia

In this Perspective article, we explore the definition and use of clinical tolerability metrics associated with nonspecific eddy current heating in magnetic field hyperthermia (MFH). We revisit the origins of the “Brezovich criterion,” Hof ≤ 485 MA m−1s−1, as it is applied to axial time-varying magnetic fields H (t) = Ho sin(2πft) and the human torso. We then consider alternative metrics, including the “maximal specific absorption rate” (SARmax) of eddy-current-induced power absorbed per unit mass of tissue. With reference to previously published clinical data and the results of two volunteer studies in our laboratory, we show that the SARmax metric is both suitable and reliable. We also show how it may be extracted from in silico finite element models to cope with confounding effects such as anatomical hot spots and non-axial-field geometries. We note a parallel with a standardized metric, the “local SAR” used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We suggest that the limits established in clinical MRI (that the local SAR, averaged over 10 g of tissue and 6 min of treatment, should not exceed 20 mW g−1 in the torso or head, and 40 mW g−1 in the limbs) might be regarded as a good starting point for the design of MFH interventions. We conclude with the recommendation that the SARmax metric is adopted for future use in the development of clinically safe and tolerable MFH equipment.

Studies on the efficiency of fish scale adsorbents for treatment of fish processing effluent

AbstractPollution of water by organic and inorganic contaminants is a serious environmental issue. The primary emphasis of this present investigation was to reduce wastewater pollution and environmental burden related to fish waste disposal. Prime pollutant parameters such as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in fish processing effluent were treated by adsorbents produced from waste fish scales viz., dried fish scale adsorbent and fish scale biochar. A control was used and the entire study was carried out in batch mode to assess the influence of adsorbent dosage levels, contact time, and pH conditions. The experiments revealed that prepared fish scale biochar was as effective as control in achieving a significant (p &lt; 0.05) reduction of BOD (87%) and COD (84%) at 150 min treatment time with 0.24 and 0.48 g dosage level. The optimum pH range was found to be 6–8. The experimental data fitted well with pseudo‐second‐order and Langmuir isotherm models (R2 &gt; 0.911). The influence of intraparticle diffusion in adsorption treatment was tested with Weber–Morris plot. The experiments were done in triplicate and all data were statistically tested using MS Excel, IBM SPSS (version 26), and OriginPro software packages.

Effect of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma on chicken eggs quality during refrigerated storage

Salmonellosis outbreaks caused by Salmonella Enteritidis are usually linked to the consumption of eggs and egg products. To assure egg safety, High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma (HVACP) has demonstrated its efficacy in achieving higher than 105 CFU/egg reduction of this bacteria on the egg's surface. Although no quality changes were found immediately after treatment, there was a lack of knowledge on how the quality of HVACP-treated eggs could evolve during their shelf life, and a six-week quality study was performed in this work. Eggs were treated under two sets of conditions, 0.5 min of treatment within 24 h post treatment and 8.5 min of treatment and no post treatment time were the selected ones. No significant differences were found between untreated and treated eggs regarding albumen and yolk pH, Haugh unit, yolk color, vitelline membrane strength or shell strength. The changes detected during the six weeks of storage at 4 °C were attributed to the natural aging of the eggs and not to the effect of HVACP treatments. These results prove HVACP technology as an effective alternative to current techniques to assure both the safety and quality of eggs during their shelf life.

Effect of high pressure processing on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens in egg salad.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of high pressure processing (HPP) on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Escherichia coli O157: H7 in egg salad, and to evaluate the number of sub-lethally injured cells based on treatment conditions. HPP at 500MPa for 30s was sufficient for the complete inactivation of L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium directly plated on selective agar or plated after resuscitation, while 2min treatment was required for E. coli O157: H7. HPP at 600MPa for 30s completely inactivated L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium, while 1min treatment was needed for E. coli O157: H7. HPP at 400‒500MPa injured a large number of pathogenic bacteria. No significant changes (p> 0.05) in pH and color of egg salad were observed between HPP-treated and non-treated samples during 28 days of storage at refrigerated temperature. Our findings could be useful in predicting the HPP-mediated inactivation patterns of foodborne pathogens in egg salad for practical applications.

Bi-enzymatic nanobiocatalyst based on immobilization of xylanase and pectinase onto functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for efficient fruit juice clarification

An efficient enhancement in fruit juice quality achieves by simultaneously hydrolyzing polysaccharides in one pot reaction. Herein, an efficient approach is reported to fabricate a novel nanobiocatalyt for clarification of fruit juices based on covalent co-immobilization of pectinase and xylanase onto functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles. The highest activity recovery of the co-immobilized enzymes was achieved at 0.5 mg/mL of total protein, 8:1 w/w pectinase to xylanase ratio, and 6 h incubation time. Thermal and pH stabilities studies showed improved performance of co-immobilized enzymes compared to free counterparts. The co-immobilized pectinase and xylanase respectively retained more than 74% and 48% of residual activity after six consecutive cycles. Moreover, 53% turbidity reduction in pineapple juice was achieved after 120 min treatment with developed nanobiocatalyst. Besides, more than 64% of the initial activity of enzymes was retained after nine reuses, suggesting that this bi-enzyme nanobiocatalyst has potential application in industrial juice processing.

Enhanced degradation of oxytetracycline in aqueous solution by DBD plasma-coupled vacuum ultraviolet/ultraviolet (VUV/UVC) system

A systematic investigation of coupling dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and different ultraviolet bands (UVA, UVB, UVC, and VUV) was constructed for antibiotic-contaminant wastewater treatment. Compared with DBD, UV, or other combined DBD/UV systems, the DBD/VUV/UVC system exhibited excellent degradation and mineralization efficiencies for oxytetracycline (OTC), achieving 93.2% removal rate (reaction rate constant 1.05 min−1) and higher decarbonization efficiency (mineralization rate 0.47 mg C min−1) within 2.5 min treatment. The radical quenching tests revealed that HO⋅, O2·-, and 1O2 were all involved in the decomposition of OTC in the DBD/VUV/UVC system, among which O2·- played a dominant role. Possible degradation pathways of OTC in the DBD/VUV/UVC process were proposed using density functional theory and detected intermediates. Four indexes were used to assess the toxicity of OTC and its degraded intermediates. The inorganic anions and HA slightly reduced the degradation efficiency of the DBD/VUV/UVC system. This research provides new ideas to broaden the application of plasma and alleviate the water environment crisis.

Bactericidal efficacy and mechanism of alkaline electrolyzed water co‐action with acidic electrolyzed water on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm

AbstractHere, the bactericidal efficacy and mechanism of action of the combination of alkaline electrolyzed water (AlEW) and acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm were investigated, in comparison with single AcEW or AlEW treatment. The mature P. aeruginosa biofilm was formed at 120 h of cultivation. The number of bacteria in the P. aeruginosa biofilm decreased by 7.87 and 2.51 Lg CFU/mL after single AcEW and single AlEW treatment for 8 min, while the sterilization rate reached 92.2% and 33.1%, respectively. The group of AcEW (7 min) co‐action with AlEW (1 min) had a P. aeruginosa sterilization rate of 85%. The AlEW (3 min) co‐action with AcEW (5 min) treatment showed the best bactericidal efficacy. With this treatment, the sterilization rate achieved 94.4%, and the extracellular protein, polysaccharide, and DNA were degraded with the ratios of 70.8%, 77.7%, and 70.5%, respectively. Thus, AlEW exhibited a major washing effect, which can destroy the biofilm structure of extracellular polymers to a certain extent, while AcEW displayed a significant bactericidal effect. These results suggest that the AlEW co‐action with AcEW treatment may be a promising candidate suitable for bacterial biofilm sterilization.

DC magnetic field-assisted improvement of textile dye degradation efficiency with multi-capillary air bubble discharge plasma jet.

Axial DC magnetic field-assisted multi-capillary underwater air bubble discharge plasma jet has been used to study the productions of reactive oxygen species. Analyses of optical emission data revealed that the rotational (Tr) and vibrational temperatures (Tv) of plasma species slightly increased with magnetic field strength. The electron temperature (Te) and density (ne) increased almost linearly with magnetic field strength. Te increased from 0.53 to 0.59eV, whereas ne increased from 1.03 × 1015cm-3 to 1.33 × 1015cm-3 for B = 0 to B = 374 mT, respectively. Analytical results from the plasma treated water provided that the electrical conductivity (EC), oxidative reduction potential (ORP), and the concentrations of O3 and H2 O2 enhanced from 155 to 229 µS cm-1, 141 to 17mV, 1.34 to 1.92mg L-1, and 5.61 to 10.92mg L-1 due to the influence of axial DC magnetic field, while [Formula: see text] reduced from 5.10 to 3.93 for 30min treatment of water with B = 0 and B = 374 mT, respectively. The model wastewater prepared with Remazol brilliant blue textile dye and the plasma treated wastewater studied by optical absorption spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and gas chromatography mass spectrometer. The results show that the decolorization efficiency increased ~ 20% after 5min treatment for the maximum B = 374 mT with respect to zero-magnetic field and, power consumption, and electrical energy cost reduced ~ 6.3% and ~ 4.5%, respectively, due to the maximum assisted axial DC magnetic field strength of 374 mT.

Involvement of Lipid Rafts in the Invasion of Opportunistic Bacteria Serratia into Eukaryotic Cells.

Cell membrane rafts form signaling platforms on the cell surface, controlling numerous protein-protein and lipid-protein interactions. Bacteria invading eukaryotic cells trigger cell signaling to induce their own uptake by non-phagocytic cells. The aim of this work was to reveal the involvement of membrane rafts in the penetration of the bacteria Serratia grimesii and Serratia proteamaculans into eukaryotic cells. Our results show that the disruption of membrane rafts by MβCD in the three cell lines tested, M-HeLa, MCF-7 and Caco-2, resulted in a time-dependent decrease in the intensity of Serratia invasion. MβCD treatment produced a more rapid effect on the bacterial susceptibility of M-HeLa cells compared to other cell lines. This effect correlated with a faster assembly of the actin cytoskeleton upon treatment with MβCD in M-HeLa cells in contrast to that in Caco-2 cells. Moreover, the 30 min treatment of Caco-2 cells with MβCD produced an increase in the intensity of S. proteamaculans invasion. This effect correlated with an increase in EGFR expression. Together with the evidence that EGFR is involved in S. proteamaculans invasion but not in S. grimesii invasion, these results led to the conclusion that an increase in EGFR amount on the plasma membrane with the undisassembled rafts of Caco-2 cells after 30 min of treatment with MβCD may increase the intensity of S. proteamaculans but not of S. grimesii invasion. Thus, the MβCD-dependent degradation of lipid rafts, which enhances actin polymerization and disrupts signaling pathways from receptors on the host cell's surface, reduces Serratia invasion.

Influence of Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment on Structural Network Attributes of Wheat Flour and Respective Dough.

Due to its "generally recognized as safe status" (GRAS) and moderate treatment temperatures, non-thermal plasma (NTP) has lately been considered a suitable replacement for chemicals in the modification of food properties and for preserving food quality. One of the promising areas for the application of NTP is the treatment of wheat flour, leading to improved flour properties and product quality and consequently to higher customer satisfaction. In the present research, the German wheat flour type 550, equivalent to all-purpose flour, was treated using NTP in a rotational reactor to determine the influence of short treatment times (≤5 min) on the properties of flour (moisture and fat content, protein, starch, color, microbial activity, and enzymes), dough (visco-elastic properties, starch, wet and dry gluten, and water absorption), and baking products (color, freshness, baked volume, crumb structure, softness, and elasticity). Based on the properties of NTP, it was expected that even very short treatment times would have a significant effect on the flour particles, which could positively affect the quality of the final baking product. Overall, the experimental analysis showed a positive effect of NTP treatment of wheat flour, e.g., decreased water activity value (<0.7), which is known to positively affect flour stability and product shelf life; dough stability increased (>8% after 5 min. treatment); dough extensibility increased (ca. 30% after 3 min treatment); etc. Regarding the baking product, further positive effects were detected, e.g., enhanced product volume (>9%), improved crumb whiteness/decreased crumb yellowness, softening of breadcrumb without a change in elasticity, and limited microorganism and enzymatic activity. Furthermore, no negative effects on the product quality were observed, even though further food quality tests are required. The presented experimental research confirms the overall positive influence of NTP treatment, even for very low treatment times, on wheat flour and its products. The presented findings are significant for the potential implementation of this technique on an industrial level.