Determination of trace metals in supended particulate matter (SPM) in Ouro Preto city, Minas Gerais.

The determination of the airborne particulate matter (PTS) mass and trace metals concentrations were performed in three sites in Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil. It was evaluated 288 samples. The legal limit of annual geometric average (60 mg m-3) to PTS concentrations didn’t exceed, but the legal limit for 24 h (240 mg m-3) did in three measurements. Seven metals (Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb) analysed by ICP-AES were quantified in 18 samples. Aluminum and iron showed the highest concentrations, indicating the contribution of the soil and of one aluminum plant. The high nickel concentration is probably due to vehicular emissions and industrial combustion processes

Determination of endocrine disrupters and pharmaceuticals in sewage samples by tandem solid phase clean up/extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-negative and positive electrospray high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Foi desenvolvido e validado um método para determinação de três perturbadores endócrinos (estradiol, etinilestradiol e bisfenol A) e cinco produtos farmacêuticos (sulfametoxazol, trimetoprima, diclofenaco, bezafibrato e miconazol) em amostras de esgoto bruto, utilizando extração em fase sólida (SPE) e cromatografia líquida à espectrometria de massas em alta resolução (HPLC-HRMS) com ionização por eletrospray, nos modos positivo e negativo. Foi utilizado na extração em fase sólida um cartucho de troca iônica forte (Strata SAX) e um cartucho contendo divinilbenzeno-pirrolidona, para reduzir os níveis dos alquilbenzeno-sulfonados de cadeia linear (LAS) e para concentrar os analitos de interesse das amostras de esgoto. A influência do efeito matriz na eficiência da ionização, a recuperação da EFS e a sensibilidade do método foi identificada e quantificada. O método foi aplicado com sucesso na determinação dos analitos em amostras de esgoto coletadas na entrada da estação de tratamento de efluentes (ETE) do Arrudas em Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.A new method for the determination of three endocrine disrupters (estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, and bisphenol A) and five pharmaceuticals (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, diclofenac, bezafibrate and miconazole) in raw sewage samples using tandem solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents and high-performance liquid chromatography-negative and positive electrospray high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) was developed and validated. The SPE procedure used both a strong ion exchange sorbent (SAX) and a modified divinylbenzene-pyrrolidone SPE sorbent to reduce the levels of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and to concentrate the analytes of interest from the sewage samples. The influence of matrix composition on the ionisation efficiency, the SPE recoveries, and the sensitivity of the method was identified and quantified. The method was successfully applied to the determination of analytes in raw sewage samples collected from the entrance of the Arrudas Sewage Treatment Plant, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Isolation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains producing higher levels of flavoring compounds for production of ‘‘cachaça’’ the Brazilian sugarcane spirit.

In Brazil, spontaneous fermentation and open vessels are still used to produce cachac¸a (the Brazilian sugarcane spirit) and this fermentation is characterized by mixed cultures with continuous succession of yeast species. This work shows the development of a methodology for isolation of yeasts, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used in the production of cachac¸a. According to the proposed strategy, the strains were selected for their ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered during fermentation of the sugarcane juice such as high sucrose concentration; high temperatures and high alcohol concentration; for their capacity to flocculate; and for their higher fermentative ability. For strains with such characteristics, specific procedures were employed to select for 5,5,5-trifluoro-dl-leucine (TFL) and cerulenin-resistant strains, since these characteristics are related to a higher capacity of production of the flavoring compounds isoamyl alcohol and caproic acid, respectively. The effectiveness of such a selection strategy was documented. Taken together, the results obtained present the development of a new strategy to isolate yeast strains with appropriated characteristics to be used in the cachac¸a industry. Moreover, the results obtained offer an explanation for the great variability in terms of chemical composition found in products obtained even in a single distillery

Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains Obtained from Sugar-Cane Juice Fermentations and Their Impact in Cachaça Production▿

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from different regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were isolated and characterized aiming at the selection of starter yeasts to be used in the production of cachaça, the Brazilian sugar cane spirit. The methodology established took into account the screening for biochemical traits desirable in a yeast cachaça producer, such as no H2S production, high tolerance to ethanol and high temperatures, high fermentative capacity, and the abilities to flocculate and to produce mycocins. Furthermore, the yeasts were exposed to drugs such as 5,5′,5"-trifluor-d,l-leucine and cerulenin to isolate those that potentially overproduce higher alcohols and esters. The utilization of a random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR method with primers based on intron splicing sites flanking regions of the COX1 gene, as well as microsatellite analysis, was not sufficient to achieve good differentiation among selected strains. In contrast, karyotype analysis allowed a clear distinction among all strains. Two selected strains were experimentally evaluated as cachaça producers. The results suggest that the selection of strains as fermentation starters requires the combined use of biochemical and molecular criteria to ensure the isolation and identification of strains with potential characteristics to produce cachaça with a higher quality standard

Strategies to select yeast starter cultures for production of flavour compounds in cachaça fermentations.

In this work, we have used classical genetics techniques to find improved starter strains to produce cachac¸a with superior sensorial quality. Our strategy included the selection of yeast strains resistant to 5,50,500-trifluor-D,L-leucine (TLF) and cerulenin, since these strains produce higher levels of higher alcohols and esters than parental strains. However, no clear relationship was observed when levels of flavoring compounds were compared with the levels expression of the genes (BAT1, BAT2, ATF2, EEB1 genes) involved with the biosynthesis of flavoring compounds. Furthermore, we determined the stability of phenotypes considered as the best indicators of the quality of the cachac¸a for a parental strain and its segregants. By applying the principal component analysis, a cluster of segregants, showing a high number of characteristics similar to the parental strain, was recognized. One segregant, that was resistant to TLF and cerulenin, also showed growth stability after six consecutive replications on plates containing high concentrations of sugar and ethanol. ‘‘Cachac¸a’’ produced at laboratory scale using a parental strain and this segregant showed a higher level of flavoring compounds. Both strains predominated in an open fermentative process through seven cycles, as was shown by mitochondrial restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis. Based on the physical chemical composition of the obtained products, the results demonstrate the usefulness of the developed strategies for the selection of yeast strains to be used as starters in ‘‘cachac¸a’’ production

Biotechnological potential of yeast isolates from cachaça: the brazilian spirit

This study identified phenotypic traits appropriate for biotechnological applications of 118 yeasts isolated from cachaça distilleries. Different properties were verified: capacity to use alternative carbon sources; ability to tolerate high concentrations of sucrose, ethanol, methanol, aluminum and zinc as well as different pH values and foam production. Pichia guilliermondii and Pichia anomala strains were identified as the most promising ones for application in the second-generation biofuel industry, showing ability to grow on high glycerol concentrations. Other isolates, identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produced bioethanol comparable to the industrial strains, and were therefore ideal for use in the first-generation ethanol industry. Some of these strains also showed high resistance to aluminum, as observed in sugarcane juice, and to inter-cycle washings with diluted sulphuric acid, as performed in the industrial bioethanol production process. In summary, yeast isolates from cachaça distilleries displayed robustness and phenotypic plasticity, which makes them interesting for biotechnological applications.This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Capacitação de Pessoal de Nível Superior from the Ministry of Education, CAPES/Brazil (PNPD 2755/2011; PCF-PVE 021/2012) and from Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, FAPEMIG (Process APQ-00263-10) and a research fellowship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq (Brazil) Process 304815/2012. C. Lucas is supported by FCT/MEC through Portuguese funds (PIDDAC), PEst-OE/BIA/UI4050/2014 and by a grant of Visiting Professor from the programme “Ciência sem Fronteiras”, CAPES, Brazil, Process 2021/2012.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio