Immunoreactive gluten peptides that are not digested by peptidases produced by humans can trigger celiac disease, allergy and non-celiac gluten hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of selected probiotic strains to hydrolyze immunoreactive gliadin peptides and to identify peptidase-encoding genes in the genomes of the most efficient strains. Residual gliadin immunoreactivity was measured after one- or two-step hydrolysis using commercial enzymes and bacterial peptidase preparations by G12 and R5 immunoenzymatic assays. Peptidase preparations from Lacticaseibacillus casei LC130, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC100 and Streptococcus thermophilus ST250 strains significantly reduced the immunoreactivity of gliadin peptides, including 33-mer, and this effect was markedly higher when a mixture of these strains was used. In silico genome analyses of L. casei LC130 and L. paracasei LPC100 revealed the presence of genes encoding peptidases with the potential to hydrolyze bonds in proline-rich peptides. This suggests that L. casei LC130, L. paracasei LPC100 and S. thermophilus ST250, especially when used as a mixture, have the ability to hydrolyze immunoreactive gliadin peptides and could be administered to patients on a restricted gluten-free diet to help treat gluten-related diseases.

The study was conducted to determine whether the origin of medicinal plants (conventional vs. organic cultivation) may affect the content of selected bioactive ingredients. This work complements the current state of knowledge on this subject by analysing the content of selected groups of bioactive compounds in four popular herb species (Mentha piperita, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Urtica dioica). The aim of the study was to compare the total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content, antioxidant activity (AA) and phenolic compound profile in herbal extracts of organic and conventional origin. For all species examined, it was demonstrated that water-ethanol extracts from organically grown herbs contain statistically (p << 0.05) significantly more TPC, TFC and AA than water-ethanol extracts from conventionally grown herbs. Among the analysed extracts, the highest TPC was found in organic M. officinalis (7023.3 mg GAE/100 g d.m.), while the extract of this species from conventional cultivation contained only 3679.4 mg GAE/100 g d.m. TFC in the extracts of organic and conventional M. piperita was 1607.6 and 499.4 mg QE/100 g d.m., respectively. Based on GC-MS analysis, between 15 and 25 phenolic compounds were identified, depending on the species of herbal plant. Almost all the identified compounds were phenolic acids. The studies conducted indicate a statistically significantly higher content of antioxidant compounds in herbs from organic farming compared to conventionally grown herbs, and thus their greater health-promoting potential.

The aim of this study was to determine if extracts from selected spices (caraway, ginger, chili, sweet peppers, anise, sesame, nutmeg and black pepper) might be harmful to people suffering from celiac disease, wheat allergy or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. All of these spice extracts exhibited some reaction to antibodies found in sera from two celiac patients and to sera from rabbits that had been sensitized with the specific peptides, QQQPP, PQQQ and QQQP. These peptides had sequences that might be included in active epitopes for celiac disease and wheat allergy. Methodology followed in this study included ELISA, SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. The observed reactivities suggest that spice proteins might produce adverse reactions in celiac patients, patients with various wheat allergies or with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. However, further work would be needed to elucidate this possibility.

Use of plant-based aqueous extracts offers a potentially simple and low-cost approach to pest control. However, their effectiveness under field conditions remains poorly recognised. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aqueous extracts prepared from dried and fresh Artemisia dracunculus L. plant material (D-Es and F-Es, respectively) in controlling Aphis fabae Scop. in field conditions. D-Es were applied in concentrations of 2% (D2), 5% (D5) and 10% (D10) and F-Es in concentrations of 10% (F10), 20% (F20) and 30% (F30). A reduction in the A. fabae population was observed with the use of both D-Es and F-Es (although not as strong as with chemical control (Ch)), with the greatest effect observed after using D-E at a concentration of 10% (D10-E). In the case of D-Es, the aphid-suppressing effect increased as the extract concentration rose. No similar result was observed for F-Es. Regardless of the concentration used, the individual F-Es did not differ significantly from one another. The strength of the limiting effect on A. fabae was arranged in the following order of treatments: Ch > D10 > F10 > D5 > F20 > D2 > F30. Analysis of the volatile compounds contained in D10-E revealed that the main constituents were methyleugenol (27.7%), elemicine (15.6%), (E)-isoelemicine (12.5%), terpinen-4-ol (9.3%) and linalool (4.3%). The extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and the highest concentration of polyphenolic compounds. Reduced numbers of the main aphid predators (syrphids and ladybirds) in the treatments with extracts went along with lower prey availability; however, the predator–prey ratio in these treatments was more favourable than in the control. This suggests that the use of F-Es and D-Es does not adversely affect predator abundance. The ease of preparation and availability of the material make D10-E suitable for use on organic farms or as part of integrated pest management.

In this work an effective method of quantum dots (QDs) deposition on conductive material covered by thin film of TiO2 on glass surface is presented. Using spin coating with different process parameter (time, rotational speed) easily one can control thickness and quality of QDs layer. In presented...