0000000000167002
AUTHOR
Alduina Rosa
Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Profile and Biofilm Production of
Background: The diffusion of antimicrobial resistance is a significant concern for public health worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus represents a paradigm microorganism for antibiotic resistance in that resistant strains appear within a decade after the introduction of new antibiotics. Methods: Fourteen S. aureus isolates from human specimens and twenty-one from samples of animal origin, were compared for their antimicrobial resistance and biofilm capability. In addition, they were characterized at the molecular level to detect the antimicrobial resistance mecA gene and genes related with enterotoxin, toxin, and biofilm production. Results: Both phenotypic and molecular analysis showed main di…
Essential Oil Composition of
Drug resistance is a major obstacle in antibiotic and antitumor chemotherapy. In response to the necessity to find new therapeutic strategies, plant secondary metabolites including essential oils (EOs) may represent one of the best sources. EOs in plants act as constitutive defenses against biotic and abiotic stress, and they play an important role in the pharmacology for their low toxicity, good pharmacokinetic and multitarget activity. In this context, natural products such as EOs are one of the most important sources of drugs used in pharmaceutical therapeutics. The aim of this paper was to identify the chemical composition of the essential oil of Alluaudia procera leaves, obtained by hy…
Adapting agroforestry to future climate scenarios: The LIFE project Desert-Adapt
Increasing scientific evidences indicate that agroforestry is a land use that can support economic, social and environmental sustainability, thus promoting resistance and resilience towards ongoing climate changes. The implementation and management of agroforestry systems still face social, economic and political barriers. Mediterranean agroecosystems suffer from increasingly negative climate change effects and urgent measures are needed to improve their rural economy while protecting soils and the environment. In this context, the LIFE Project Desert-Adapt: “Preparing desertification areas for increased climate change” (http://www.desert-adapt.it), aims to demonstrate the feasibility of in…
Land use effects on bacterial diversity in Mediterranean soils vulnerable to desertification
The soil microbiota is recognized as key player in both diversity and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and it is mandatory to include its role in soil quality evaluation. The bacterial communities in soils vulnerable to desertification can undergo perturbations by various human activities, such as unsustainable land use and management, and by climate change. Alteration in microbial diversity and composition are sentinels of the impact of environmental changes on soil quality. Within the LIFE Desert-Adapt project we analyze the soil bacterial diversity and composition across European Soils threatened by desertification in the southern Mediterranean regions (Italy, Spain and Portugal) a…
Soil microbial biomass and bacterial diversity in southern European regions vulnerable to desertification
Abstract Soil functionality is strongly dependent on the soil microbiota, which in turn is affected by soil quality and climate. Among global change factors, desertification is the most threatening ecosystem change affecting southern Europe, but the effects on the soil microbiota are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated soil microbial biomass and bacterial diversity in regions of southern European countries (Spain, Portugal and Italy), most under desertification risk, and related to key soil chemical-physical indicators and land use. Soil microbial biomass was positively related, to soil organic carbon (SOC) but bacterial diversity was negatively correlated with it. pH was the mo…