Oniris

Microencapsulation, widely used across industries, enhances the delivery of bioactive compounds and probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract. The growing demand for functional foods has highlighted pectin as a promising encapsulation material, due to its favorable physicochemical properties and fermentability by gut microbiota, which supports intestinal health. In this study, we focused on encapsulating the pH sensitive probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 using various alginate-pectin compositions to evaluate their variability and functionality under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Pectins with different degrees of methyl-esterification (DM) and blockiness distribution (DB) were enzymatically modified, characterized and tested. Results indicated that capsules with a 3:1 alginate to pectin ratio provided optimal stability. According to a three-way ANOVA analysis, the source, the DB, the pH, and the interaction between the resource and DB impact the viability of encapsulated L. plantarum WCFS1. Pectin with a lower DB enhanced the protection of L. plantarum WCFS1 under pH 3, 5, and 7. Under simulated digestive fluid conditions, the source, the DB, and the simulated fluids independently affect the viability of encapsulated L. plantarum WCFS1. Notably, orange pectin with a high DB (98 %) demonstrated the greatest efficacy in maintaining bacterial viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The findings suggest that the pectin source and structural properties significantly influence the viability and survival of encapsulated probiotics under gastrointestinal conditions, which may lead to the tailored design of pectin-based capsules for controlled delivery of bacteria to specific parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has been linked to altered pubertal timing, though epidemiological findings remain inconsistent. This study examined associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and pubertal development in children. Concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were quantified in maternal plasma collected during the first trimester of pregnancy in the Spanish INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) cohort. Children's pubertal development was assessed longitudinally between ages 7 and 13 using the parent-reported Pubertal Development Scale (PDS), with specific scales for gonadal and adrenal development. Data were available for 492 mother-girls pairs at the 7-9-year follow up and 475 mother-boys pairs at the 11-13-year follow up based on the typical sex-specific timing of puberty. Poisson regression and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) were used to estimate associations between PFAS (individually and as mixtures, respectively) and the risk of earlier puberty development (PDS stage 1 vs. 2+), adjusting for confounders. Among girls, PFHxS was associated with an increased risk of early adrenarche (Relative Risk [RR] = 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-3.25), while PFOS was inversely associated with early gonadarche RR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.37-1.00). In boys, PFOS showed a marginal trend toward an increased risk of early overall pubertal onset (RR = 1.47; 95% CI: 0.99-2.19). Stratified analyses mainly revealed stronger associations among overweight/obese children. The mixture analysis suggested a positive trend for early adrenal development in both sexes, with significant associations in boys. Although our findings do not provide definitive evidence of a relationship between prenatal PFAS exposure and pubertal timing, they are compatible with the endocrine-disrupting potential of PFAS. The observed patterns, including possible modification by weight status and mixture signals, warrant further research.

Tick-borne diseases remain a major concern in both human and animal health in most biogeographical regions. Since certain tick-borne pathogens are transmitted by specific tick species, tick identification through morphological and biomolecular examination of the species is highly recommended for investigation of tick-borne diseases. In this study, we assessed a non-destructive DNA protocol for identifying tick species and screening of pathogens and evaluate the effects of this protocol on the tick body, using geometric morphometric (based on coxa 1). Overall, 80 Ixodes spp. specimens (I. ricinus, I. hexagonus, and I. acuminatus) conserved in alcohol for more than 15 years were tested here, including all stages (male, female, nymph and larva). Molecular investigation using 16S rRNA enabled 92% of ticks to be assigned to a species. The microfluidic chip demonstrates the presence of Bartonella sp. (13%), Rickettsia helvetica (63%) and Hepatozoon sp. (13%) in tested engorged females. Comparison of the coxa 1 shape before and after extraction showed no changes in morphology. We demonstrated that DNA can be extracted from old specimens of hard ticks using non-destructive methods, allowing for molecular identification of ticks and pathogens without altering their morphology. As a result, this technique makes it possible to preserve specimens from laboratory or museum collections. Additionally, non-destructive DNA extraction could be useful in medical entomology for monitoring arrivals of alien species and emergence of associated tick-borne diseases affecting humans, domestic animals, or wildlife.

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is transmitted to humans via tick bites and occasionally via the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. According to the literature, the most important driver of TBE emergence and increase in incidence in humans is changes in human behaviour/activities. Method and principal findings: To compensate for the lack of data, expert opinions were gathered to identify the risk factors for exposure to tick bites linked to twenty-eight human activities (professional or recreational) in forests and to target prevention messages at the populations most at risk. Opinions were elicited from a total of twenty-five European experts. Seven criteria were included in the analysis for each activity: frequency, seasonality, duration of exposure, distance covered, degree of contact with vegetation, speed and average level of protection against tick bites. The activities considered to be the most at risk of exposure to tick bites are, in descending order: three occupational activities (forest monitoring activities, forestry and wood industry activities and scientific and/or analytical activities), five recreational activities and one hunting activity (mushroom picking, spending the night in the forest, hunting, naturalist activities, orienteering, and berry or fruit picking). Conclusions and significance: Prevention messages regarding tick bites could be targeted at people who engage in activities considered in this analysis to be at highest risk of exposure to tick bites.

In next-generation risk assessment (NGRA), there is a growing need for physiologically-based kinetic (PBK) models to extrapolate external doses to internal concentrations in biological matrices and vice versa. PBK models are used in different scientific contexts, including chemical risk assessment. As they are commonly developed for specific chemicals, effects, and populations, a wide range of PBK models is available. However, because PBK models are developed and implemented by different researchers using varying concepts, programming languages, and coding standards, they are often difficult to find, access and reuse across platforms or contexts. Improving their findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (i.e., FAIR) is essential to gain acceptance of PBK models in risk assessment for regulatory purposes. Although many elements to enhance the FAIRness of PBK models are available, a standardised good modelling practice has yet to be established. This paper presents a practical strategy for implementing the FAIR principles for PBK models through a proposed FAIR PBK standard designed to promote interoperability and reusability. The standard builds upon the existing Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML), the dedicated physiologically-based pharmacokinetic ontology (PBPKO) for semantic annotation, and guidelines and tools to combine these to create FAIR PBK models. The standard aids both model developers and (re-)users. It is accompanied by a dedicated software tool, the FAIR PBK inspector, to aid model developers in creating PBK models compliant with the standard. Also, support for PBK models compliant with the standard was implemented in the Monte Carlo Risk Assessment (MCRA) software, enabling their reuse in chemical risk assessment. More broadly, the SBML basis enables reuse in other environments, including R, MATLAB, and Python. A proof-of-principle application within the EU Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) demonstrates the use and potential of the standard.