Search

This study aimed to develop a probiotic/synbiotic ayran with a sufficient number of live bacteria Lactobacillus casei 01 (L. casei 01) during the product shelf-life. Under conditions of refrigerated storage for 15 days, probiotic survival and organic acid (lactic, acetic, propionic and butyric acid) production were evaluated. Simultaneously, pH, titratable acidity, total solids, and carbohydrate, protein, fat and mineral contents of the samples were examined. Overall results of the chemical analyses indicated the quality of the prepared samples to be comparable with the conventional ayran used as a matrix for probiotic/synbiotic supplementation. L. casei 01 survived better in ayran containing synbiotic chitosan–Ca–alginate microparticles compared to samples enriched with non-encapsulated probiotic alone or with synbiotic (L. casei 01 + oligofructose-enriched inulin), followed by increased production of lactic, acetic and propionic acid. Probiotic/synbiotic ayran may contribute to a healthy diet for consumers, while the sample enriched with microencapsulated formulation is advantageous in terms of probiotic activity.

Herein we report the synthesis of different derivatives of (fluoro)quinolones norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and pipemidic acid, by incorporating (benzoylamino)methyl on the free nitrogen of the pyperazinyl moiety. The compounds were structurally characterized by 1D and 2D NMR, FTIR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy. In addition, their physicochemical properties were a matter of interest to be correlated with their structure and antimicrobial activity in vitro. Their antimicrobial activities were screened against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and C. albicans. Higher distribution coefficients and consequently lower water solubility were determined for all synthesized compounds than the ones of the corresponding leading compounds. Inconsequential correlations between the lipophilicity of the compounds and MIC were observed, suggesting that passive diffusion is not the only mechanism for their penetration into bacterial cells. Further studies are needed to determine how substitutions in the (fluoro)quinolone moiety affect the primary target(s), substrate behavior in respect to bacterial transporters and overall bioavailability.

In this study, the probiotic Lactobacillus casei was microencapsulated using the method of spray-drying combined with polyelectrolyte complexation of alginate, fructooligosaccharide and chitosan, and cross-linking with calcium chloride, followed by freeze-drying. Survival rate and physicochemical properties of the prepared microparticles were evaluated. In addition, viability of Lactobacillus casei in simulated gastric and intestinal juices was investigated. Positively charged microparticles with average size of 11.08±1.1 μm and high cell viability of 10.98±0.11 log cfu/g were prepared. The synbiotic microparticles were stable during exposure to simulated gastric and intestinal juices, while release of viable cells above the therapeutic value (8.31±0.14 log cfu/g) in the simulated colonic pH was observed. The presented method for microencapsulation of synbiotics shows potential for effective protection of viable probiotic cells during exposure to harsh environmental conditions.

In this paper, the synthesis and structure of a novel pyrano[3,2-c]coumarin, which was obtained unexpectedly in a reaction of phosphoryl chloride and acenocoumarol, are presented. The chemical structure of the novel compound was elucidated by a detailed spectroscopic analysis based mainly on 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The structure was finally confirmed with a single-crystal X-ray analysis. The B3LYP/6-311+G** method correctly reproduces the bond lengths, bond angles, torsion angles, and other experimental spectroscopic data, which can be useful for investigating the characteristics of some structurally related molecules. Additionally, the title compound was obtained in high yields by performing a dehydratation reaction of acenocuomarol with acetic anhydride.