Adelaide Almeida

Antimicrobial photoinactivation (PDI) is a therapeutic strategy for inactivating microorganisms. In this context, tetra‐thioglycerolporphyrin 1 (H ₂ Por 1 , Φ _Δ = 0.75), tetra‐thioglycerol chlorin 2 (H ₂ Chl 2 , Φ _Δ = 0.46), and octa‐thioglycerolphthalocyaninatozinc(II) 3 (ZnPc 3 , Φ _Δ = 0.12) were applied in PDI of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The photonic properties of the photosensitizers (PSs) were correlated with in vitro bacterial studies without or with potassium iodide (KI). The PDI results of all derivatives were effective against S. aureus ( p < 0.05). H ₂ Por 1 and H ₂ Chl 2 were the most potent, lowering bacterial viability to the assay's detection threshold (8 Log CFU/mL) with 1.0 µM and 30 min of treatment (90 J/cm ² ). In contrast, ZnPc 3 required higher concentration (10 µM) and longer exposure (90 min, 270 J/cm ² ) to achieve the same effect. The KI addition enhanced the photodynamic effect, reducing inactivation times to 5, 15, and 30 min for 2 , 1 , and 3 (15–90 J/cm ² ), respectively, at 1.0 µM. None of derivatives (10 µM) alone were effective against E. coli ( p > 0.05), however, when combined with KI, achieved bacterial viability reductions to the luminometer detection limit within 15–30 min (45–90 J/cm ² ). Overall, these results demonstrate the PDI performance of PSs, indicating its potential to control pathogenic microorganisms.

Dromedary urinotherapy is a longstanding traditional practice in regions where camels are commonly reared, particularly for the management of metabolic disorders, cancer, and viral infections. Despite its ethnomedicinal relevance, the bioactivity of camel urine (CU) has been reported previously, though often without detailed characterization of the biological source. This study provides an exploratory, biologically contextualized evaluation of Moroccan CU using a set of well‐documented samples collected under defined physiological and ecological conditions. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed a diverse metabolite composition, with major constituents including benzoic acid (61.48%), lactic acid (17.79%), p ‐cresol (19.84%), p ‐cresol glucuronide (14.94%), hippuric acid (11.97%), aminomalonic acid (7.48%), and phenylacetic acid (4.53%). Antioxidant assays demonstrated marked variability among samples, with higher activity observed in camels consuming desert vegetation rich in bioactive phytochemicals, suggesting an association with differences in diet and environmental conditions. Phage inhibition testing showed a significant reduction in bacteriophage titers at 200 mg/mL in most samples, except GFS. Exploratory analysis suggested a possible association between p ‐cresol glucuronide abundance and phage inhibition performance. These findings provide exploratory biochemical insight into Moroccan CU and suggest that specific metabolites and dietary factors may contribute to variation in its measured bioactivities, warranting further investigation.

The rising global demand for bivalves and declining water quality is placing increasing pressure on depuration facilities to ensure product safety and quality, leading to extended processing times and increased energy consumption. Bacteriophages (phages) offer a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and highly specific approach that may enhance depuration efficiency. In this study, we evaluated a phage cocktail targeting Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus to improve depuration at laboratory-scale using cockles (Cerastoderma edule). Three depuration experiments of 12 h were performed: (i) cockles artificially contaminated with E. coli or V. parahaemolyticus; (ii) cockles inoculated with all four bacteria; and (iii) naturally contaminated cockles. Phages reduced bacterial loads by 1.62 and 1.61 Log colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) for E. coli and V. parahaemolyticus, respectively. In experiments using the four bacterial strains, reductions of ~1.00 Log CFU/g were observed only at higher doses. This phage dose also caused bacterial reduction in naturally harvested animals by 1.00–1.28 Log CFU/g. Our findings suggest that, under phage selective pressure, bacteria may be released from bivalves, probably as result of phage-induced disruption of biofilms, destabilising bacterial colonisation. Therefore, bivalve exposure to phage doses prior to water disinfection can complement the depuration treatment, increasing decontamination efficiency and enhancing food safety.

This study compared the efficacy of three individual lytic phages, PSA_LMAPSA-2T (PSA-2T), PSA_LMAPSA-6F (PSA-6F) and PSA_LMAPSA-7F (PSA-7F) and four phage cocktails (dual and triple combinations) in inactivating Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Phages were isolated from kiwifruit leaves and soil samples contaminated with P. syringae pv. actinidiae and characterized by host spectrum, growth parameters, adsorption rate, genomic analysis, inactivation efficiency and viability under variable environmental conditions in orchard environments (temperature, pH and solar radiation). Phage PSA-2T showed the highest in vitro efficacy, achieving a 3.2 log CFU/mL maximum reduction after 18 h, outperforming PSA-6F and PSA-7F (0.6 and 1.5 log reductions, respectively). Phage cocktails achieved reductions of 1.0–2.2 log CFU/mL, but none exceeded the performance of PSA-2T alone. Phage viability was most affected by high temperature and acidic pH, with PSA-7F showing the greatest sensitivity. Nonetheless, all phages remained stable under typical orchard conditions. Phage PSA-2T significantly reduced P. syringae pv. actinidiae levels (1.5-log CFU/mL) on artificially contaminated kiwifruit leaves after a single treatment. These results demonstrate the potential of PSA-2T and phage cocktails as sustainable alternatives to copper and antibiotics, warranting further study of repeated treatments and broad-host-range phage formulations for field use.