Search results for " Traditional"
showing 10 items of 149 documents
A survey of wild plant species for food use in Sicily (Italy) - results of a 3-year study in four Regional Parks
2016
Abstract Background This paper illustrates the results of a study carried out in four Regional Parks of Sicily (Italy), concerning traditional knowledge on food use of wild plant species. The main aims of the paper were: (i) to verify which wild plant species are used for food purpose in the local culture based on information provided by elderly inhabitants (ii) to verify the presence of wild plant species which have not been cited for food use in previous studies in the Mediterranean area (iii) to determine how many of the most frequently cited wild plant species are cultivated by the local population in the four Sicilian Parks. Methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out in the lo…
Microbial Activation of Wooden Vats Used for Traditional Cheese Production and Evolution of Neoformed Biofilms.
2016
ABSTRACT Three Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strains were used to develop ad hoc biofilms on the surfaces of virgin wooden vats used for cheese production. Two vats (TZ) were tested under controlled conditions (pilot plant), and two vats (TA) were tested under uncontrolled conditions (industrial plant). In each plant, one vat (TA1 and TZ1) was used for the control, traditional production of PDO Vastedda della Valle del Belìce (Vastedda) cheese, and one (TA2 and TZ2) was used for experimental production performed after lactococcal biofilm activation and the daily addition of a natural whey starter culture (NWSC). Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed differenc…
Shikonin Prevents Early Phase Inflammation Associated with Azoxymethane/Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colon Cancer and Induces Apoptosis in Human Co…
2018
Shikonin is the main active principle in the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Recent research highlights shikonin's antitumor properties and capacity to prevent acute ulcerative colitis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of shikonin to prevent, in vivo, the early phases of colorectal cancer development, with special focus on its cytotoxic mechanism in vitro. We employed the azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium model of colitis in Balb/C mice. Body weight and drinking were monitored throughout the experiment, and length of colon and lesions of the colon were recorded o…
Cytotoxicity of South-African medicinal plants towards sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells
2016
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Traditional medicine plays a major role for primary health care worldwide. Cancer belongs to the leading disease burden in industrialized and developing countries. Successful cancer therapy is hampered by the development of resistance towards established anticancer drugs. Aim In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of 29 extracts from 26 medicinal plants of South-Africa against leukemia cell lines, most of which are used traditionally to treat cancer and related symptoms. Material and methods We have investigated the plant extracts for their cytotoxic activity towards drug-sensitive parental CCRF-CEM leukemia cells and their multidrug-r…
Cytotoxic activity of medicinal plants of the Kakamega County (Kenya) against drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells
2018
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance The geographical location of Kakamega County proximal to the Kakamega Rain Forest in Kenya and its rich flora represents an interesting resource of traditional medicinal plants. The medicinal plants in the present study are traditionally used to treat cancer in Kakamega County as recorded in published literature. Aim of the study Due to multidrug resistance (MDR) and severe side effects of currently used drugs in clinical oncology, new candidate compounds are urgently required to improve treatment outcome. The present study explored the in vitro cytotoxic potential of 34 organic and 19 aqueous extracts of Kakamega medicinal plants towards sensitive an…
A large factory-scale application of selected autochthonous lactic acid bacteria for PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese production
2016
The main hypothesis of this study was that the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) selected for their dairy traits are able to stabilize the production of PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) Pecorino Siciliano cheese, preserving its typicality. The experimental plan included the application of a multi-strain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) culture, composed of starter (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CAG4 and CAG37) and non starter (Enterococcus faecalis PSL71, Lactococcus garviae PSL67 and Streptococcus macedonicus PSL72) strains, during the traditional production of cheese at large scale level in six factories located in different areas of Sicily. The cheese making processes were foll…
Evaluation of antimicrobial resistance and virulence of enterococci from equipment surfaces, raw materials and traditional cheeses
2016
Forty enterococci isolated along the production chains of three traditional cheeses (PDO Pecorino Siciliano, PDO Vastedda della Valle del Belìce, and Caciocavallo Palermitano) made in Sicily (southern Italy) were studied for the assessment of their antibiotic resistance and virulence by a combined phenotypic/genotypic approach. A total of 31 Enterococcus displayed resistance to at least one or more of the antimicrobials tested. The strains exhibited high percentages of resistance to erythromycin (52.5%), ciprofloxacin (35.0%), quinupristin–dalfopristin (20.0%), tetracycline (17.5%), and high-level streptomycin (5.0%). The presence of tet(M), cat(pC221), and aadE genes for resistance to tetr…
Artesunate Impairs Growth in Cisplatin-Resistant Bladder Cancer Cells by Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis and Autophagy Induction
2020
Cisplatin, which induces DNA damage, is standard chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer (BCa). However, efficacy is limited due to resistance development. Since artesunate (ART), a derivative of artemisinin originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been shown to exhibit anti-tumor activity, and to inhibit DNA damage repair, the impact of artesunate on cisplatin-resistant BCa was evaluated. Cisplatin-sensitive (parental) and cisplatin-resistant BCa cells, RT4, RT112, T24, and TCCSup, were treated with ART (1&ndash
Pasta experience: Eating with the five senses - a pilot study
2018
Dried pasta is the Italian food “par excellence”. Traditional foods have characteristics that can stimulate or evoke in the consumer sensorial stimuli and experiences, especially when these foods are consumed in a typical-traditional restaurant. Traditional restaurants can use sensory marketing as a promotional advantage, creating a unique and original atmosphere that can represent their main way of differentiation. The aims of this paper are to know consumer liking with regard to two high quality types of Sicilian pasta, common dried pasta, and whole-wheat pasta, consumed in three different venues of a typical-traditional Italian franchised restaurant, and to measure the influence of envir…
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Traditional Chinese Medicine
2021
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a well-established medical system with a long history. Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding in many fields including TCM. AI will significantly improve the reliability and accuracy of diagnostics, thus increasing the use of effective therapeutic methods for patients. This systematic review provides an updated overview on the major breakthroughs in the field of AI-assisted TCM four diagnostic methods, syndrome differentiation, and treatment. AI-assisted TCM diagnosis is mainly based on digital data collected by modern electronic instruments, which makes TCM diagnosis more quantitative, objective, and standardized. As a result, th…