Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most versatile species extensively used in the food industry both as microbial starters and probiotic microorganisms. Several L. plantarum strains have been shown to produce different antimicrobial compounds such as organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, diacetyl, and also bacteriocins and antimicrobial peptides, both denoted by a variable spectrum of action. In the recent decades, the selection of microbial molecules and/or bacterial strains able to produce antagonistic molecules to be used as antimicrobials and preservatives has been attracting scientific interest, in order to eliminate or reduce chemical additives, because of the growing attention of consumers for healthy and natural food products. The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of several food-isolated L. plantarum strains, analyzed against the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus.

PCBs including ‘‘indicator’’ and ‘‘dioxin-like’’ congeners were measured in a marine gastropod, Hexaplex trunculus, from Mediterranean areas exposed to anthropogenic pressure, to evaluate their compliance with European Union (EU) legislation. Total PCB concentrations showed location-dependent variation, and were higher in samples from Ionian Sea-Taranto (1001 ng g1 lipid weight) compared with those from Adriatic Sea-Bari (519 ng g1 lipid weight) and Adriatic-Sea-Brindisi (253 ng g1 lipid weight). All sample concentrations were compliant with EU regulation limits for the sum of six ‘‘indicator’’ PCBs (Ionian Sea-Taranto: 40.7 ng g1 wet weight; Adriatic Sea-Bari: 24.0 ng g1 wet weight; Adriatic Sea- Brindisi: 11.0 ng g1 wet weight). Also ‘‘dioxin-like’’ PCBs content expressed as toxic equivalent (TEQ) values, in samples from Adriatic Sea (Adriatic Sea-Bari: 2.48 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight; Adriatic Sea- Brindisi: 2.14 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight), were below the limit, while the specimens from the Ionian Sea (Ionian Sea-Taranto: 3.53 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight) showed levels exceeding the maximum threshold.