A number of clinical trials have reported beneficial effects after nut consumption. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of natural almond skins (NS) on an animal model of acute pneumonia. Mice were inoculated with a multidrug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA, 2 × 107 cfu's in 50 u.1 of lactated Ringer's solution) into their left lung. An oral administration of NS (30 mg kg1) was given 1 h and 12 h after intra-tracheal PA inoculation. Mice were killed at 24 h for analyses of injury and inflammation. We investigated the effect of NS on the lung histology associated with PA, cytokine production, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and mortality caused by PA. Treatment with NS was effective in reducing the PA infection with a significant decrease in inflammation and lung injury. Significant inhibitions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-12 and MPO activity were detected in mice which received NS compared with vehicle-treated animals. Treatment with NS reduced the overall mortality over the observation period (10 days). Almond skins were effective reducing the lung injury caused by PA inoculation in mice and may be useful in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant strains alone or in combination with existing antibiotics.
HauserAR. The type III secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Infection by injection. Nat Rev Microbiol2009; 7:654–665.
3.
National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System. National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) System report, data summary from January 1992 through June 2004, issued October 2004. Am J Infect Control2004; 32:470–85.
4.
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia guideline committee of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Disease Society of America: Guidelines for the management of adults with hospital-acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and healthcare-associated pneumonia (2005). Am J Respir Crit Care Med2005; 171:388–416.
5.
ZilberbergMDChenJModySHRamseyAMShorrAF. Imipenem resistance to Pseudomonas in pneumonia: A systematic literature review. BMC Pulm Med2010; 10:45–56.
6.
IreguiMWardSShermanGFraserVJKollefMH. Clinical importance of delays in the initiation antibiotic treatment for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Chest2002; 122:262–68.
7.
Alvarez-LermaF. ICU-acquired Pneumonia study group. Modification of empiric antibiotic treatment in patients with pneumonia acquired in the intensive care unit. Intensive Care Med1996; 22:387–94.
8.
D'ArrigoMGinestraGMandalariGFurneriPMBisignanoG. Synergism and postantibiotic effect of tobramycin and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Phytomedicine2010; 17:317–22.
9.
FilocamoABisignanoCD'ArrigoMGinestraGMandalariGGalatiEM. Norfloxacin and ursolic acid: in vitro association and postantibiotic effect against Staphylococcus aureus. Lett Appl Microbiol2011; 53:193–97.
10.
MandalariGTomainoAArcoraciT. Characterization of polyphenols, lipids and dietary fibre from skins of almonds (Amygdalus communis L.). J Food Comp Anal2010; 23:166–74.
11.
MandalariGTomainoARichGT. Polyphenol and nutrient release from skin of almonds during simulated human digestion. Food Chem2010; 22:1083–88.
12.
MarinoABellinghieriVNostraAMiceliNTavianoMFGuvencABisignanoG. In vitro effect of branch extracts of Juniperus species from Turkey on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol2010; 59:470–76.
13.
MiceliNTrovatoAMarinoA. Phenolic composition and biological activities of Juniperus drupacea Labill. Berries from Turkey. Food Chem Toxicol2011; 49:2600–608.
14.
ArenaABisignanoCStassiGMandalariGWickhamMSBisignanoG. Immunomodulatory and antiviral activity of almond skins. Immunol Lett2010; 132:18–23.
15.
MandalariGGenoveseTBisignanoCMazzonEWickhamMSDi PaolaRBisignanoGCuzzocreaS. Neuroprotective effects of almond skins in experimental spinal cord injury. Clin Nutr2011; 30:221–33.
16.
MandalariGBisignanoCGenoveseTMazzonEWickhamMSJPaternitiICuzzocreaS. Natural almond skin reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in an experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease. Int Immunopharmacol2011; 11:915–24.
17.
GenoveseTDi PaolaRCatalanoPLiJHXuWMassudaECaputiAPZhangJCuzzocreaS. Treatment with a novel poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase inhibitor reduces development of septic shock-like syndrome induced by zymosan in mice. Crit Care Med2004; 32:1364–74.
18.
MullaneKMKraemerRSmithB. Myeloperoxidase activity as a quantitative assessment of neutrophil infiltration into ischemic myocardium. J Pharmacol Meth1985; 14:157–67.
19.
BalasundramNSundramKSammanS. Phenolic compounds in plants and agro-industrial by-products: Antioxidant activity, occurrence, and potential uses. Food Chem2006; 99:191–203.
20.
HarrisonKWereLM. Effect of gamma radiation on total phenolic content yield and antioxidant capacity of almond skin extracts. Food Chem2007; 102:932–37.
21.
MandalariGBisignanoCD'ArrigoMGinestraGArenaATomainoAWickhamMS. Antimicrobial potential of polyphenols extracted from almond skins. Lett Appl Microbiol2010; 51:83–89.
22.
ImpellizzeriDEspositoEMazzonE. The effects of oleuropein aglycone, an olive oil compound, in a mouse model of carrageenan-induced pleurisy. Clin Nutr2011; 30:533–40.
23.
EbaidGMSeivaFRRochaKKSouzaGANovelliEL. Effects of olive oil and its minor phenolic constituents on obesity-induced cardiac metabolic changes. Nutr J2010; 9:46.
24.
ImpellizzeriDDi PaolaREspositoE. CGS 21680, an agonist of the adenosine (A2A) receptor, decreases acute lung inflammation. Eur J Pharm2011; 668:305–16.
25.
Di PaolaRCrisafulliCMazzonE. GW0742, a high-affinity PPAR-β/δ agonist, inhibits acute lung injury in mice. Shock2010; 33:426–35.
26.
BowieAO'NeillLA. Oxidative stress and nuclear factor-kappaB activation: A reassessment of the evidence in the light of recent discoveries. Biochem Pharmacol2000; 59:13–23.
27.
CuzzocreaSCrisafulliCMazzonEEspositoEMuiáCAbdelrahmanMDi PaolaRThiemermannC. Inhibition of glicogen synthase kinase-3beta attenuates the develoment of carrageenan-induced lung injury in mice. Br J Pharmacol2006; 149:687–702.
28.
MilesEAZoubouliPCalderPC. Differential antiinflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive oil identified in human whole blood cultures. Nutr2005; 21:389–94.
29.
ZhouJYuHGuoQXuXYeXWuSGuoYWangM. Distribution of 16S rRNA methylases among different species of Gram-negative bacilli with high-level resistance to amimoglycosides. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2010; 29:1349–53.
30.
BossoJAMauldinPDSalgadoCD. The association between antibiotic use and resistance: The role of secondary antibiotics. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2010; 29:1125–29.
31.
MuellerMRHaydenMKFridkinSKWarrenDKPhilipsLLolansKQuinnJP. Nosocomial acquisition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to both ciprofloxacin and imipenem: A risk factor and laboratory analysis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2008; 27:565–70.
32.
RaineriECremaLDal ZoppoSAcquaroloAPanACarnevaleGAlbertarioFCandianiA. Rotation of antimicrobial therapy in the intensive care unit: Impact on incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2010; 29:1015–24.
33.
KwakmanPHSdeBoerLRuyter-SpiraCPCreemers-MolenaarTHelsperJPFGVandenbroucke-GraulsCMJEZaatSAJVeldeAAT. Medical-grade honey enriched with antimicrobial peptides has enhanced activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2011; 30:251–57.
34.
HenriquesAFJenkinsREBurtonNFCooperRA. The effect of manuka honey on the structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eur J Clin Microbiol Inf Dis2011; 30:167–71.
