Consumers are increasingly showing in maintaining a healthy dietary regimen, while food manufacturers are striving to develop products that possess an extended shelf-life to meet the demands of the market. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify natural sources that contribute to the preservation of perishable food derived from animals and plants, thereby prolonging its shelf life. Hence, the present study focuses on the identification of both natural sources of antioxidants and their applications in the development of novel food products, as well as their potential for enhancing product shelf-life. The origins of antioxidants in nature encompass a diverse range of products, including propolis, beebread, and extracts derived through various physical–chemical processes. Currently, there is a growing body of research being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of natural antioxidants in the processing and preservation of various food products, including meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, bakery products, and bee products. The prioritization of discovering novel sources of natural antioxidants is a crucial concern for the meat, milk, and other food industries. Additionally, the development of effective methods for applying these natural antioxidants is a significant objective in the food industry.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a serious, often fatal disease, rarely occurring in dogs via infection with Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The development of TSS is mainly dependent on the presence of bacterial toxins recognized to be potent superantigens causing the release of massive amounts of host inflammatory cytokines, notably TNF-α, progressing to high fever, hypotension, haemoconcentration, thrombosis and neutrophil and endothelial activation with multiple organ failure. Rarely, TSS is associated with erythematous and exfoliative dermatitis progressing to ulceration with extremely extensive dermo-epidermal detachment, which is often very painful. Like in humans, very little is known about the transmission and prevention of this condition. In our paper, a case of TSS-like caused by a mixed bacterial infection with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus halichoeri and Dermatophilus spp. has been described in an 11 year-old, cross-breed male dog, most probably following injury due to biting and fighting. Lesions consisted of severe and diffuse ulceration on the dorsum, and bacterial culture/cytology led to the isolation and identification of Gram-positive staphylococci and streptococci associated with an intense neutrophil reaction. Dermatophilus spp. was presumed morphologically based on cytological preps, not by culture or molecular analysis. PCR demonstrated the presence of the nuc thermonucleaze gene (for S. aureus confirmation) together with the genes encoding enterotoxin H (seh), protein A (spa), toxic shock syndrome toxin TSST-1 (tst) and methicillin resistance (mecC); the exfoliative toxins (eta, etb) were detected. Clinical signs, cytology, bacterial culture and the response to systemic antibiotic therapy were compatible with a TSS-like diagnosis. The patient has completely recovered after 1 year of treatment.

Streptococcus halichoery is an emerging, multi‑host pathogen with zoonotic potential that is frequently misidentified by routine diagnostics; whole‑genome sequencing (WGS) is essential to resolve its taxonomy, virulence repertoire, and antimicrobial resistance profile. In this paper we genomically characterized by whole‑genome sequencing an isolated Streptococcus halichoery from a clinical case of Toxic Shock-like Syndrome disease in an 11-year-old cross breed dog from Romania. This isolate (RO_Sh) produced a high‑quality 1.90 Mb draft genome across 57 contigs (N50 = 76,701 bp; GC = 41.70%). cgMLST analysis revealed a complete allelic profile, and phylogenetic comparison showed zero allelic distance between RO_Sh and Finnish mink, dog, raccoon, and seal isolates. SNP‑based phylogenetic analysis placed RO_Sh within a cluster of canine‑derived samples with short branch lengths and low SNP divergence, separating it from human, mink, fox, seal, consistent with a dog‑associated lineage and recent common ancestry among canine isolates. Resistance gene screening identified a strict PEDO‑1 subclass B3 metallo‑β‑lactamase (100% identity), confirming carbapenemase activity. The results support the classification of these bacteria as a zoonotic, potentially antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Continued genomic surveillance is essential to monitor and understand the emergence and dissemination of Streptococcus halichoeri in veterinary medicine.