Hongos Productores de Micotoxinas Asociados a Hierbas Medicinales en la Ciudad de São Paulo, Brasil

Antecedentes: La fitoterapia es una de las más antiguas prácticas utilizadas por la humanidad. Hasta mediados del siglo XIX, cuando se introdujeron los medicamentos, la formulación de estos generalmente era basada en plantas medicinales.Objetivos: Determinar la micobiota y los niveles de aflatoxinas originadas de Aspergillus sección Flavi aislados de las 50 muestras de medicamentos fitoterápicos comercializados actualmente en la ciudad de São Paulo, Brasil.Métodos: Cincuenta (50) muestras de medicamentos fitoterápicos en la forma de hojas (té-25) y cápsulas (25) fueron colectadas de agosto de 2000 a julio de 2001. Los hongos filamentosos aislados fueron identificados al nivel de género de acuerdo con las características morfológicas y criterios taxonómicos. El análisis de aflatoxinas fue realizada por cromatografía de capa fina (TLC). Resultados: El análisis microbiológico mostró que 41 (82%) de los medicamentos fitoterápicos presentaron un crecimiento fúngico sobre las 100 UFC/g. Un total de 106 especies de seis diferentes géneros fueron aislados (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, Rhizopus y Alternaria). El género Aspergillus fue el predominante (60.5%) seguido por Penicillium (20,0%). Aspergillus niger (30%) A. flavus (22%), A. fumigatus (6,5%) y A. parasiticus fueron las especies de Aspergillus identificadas. Se observó que 13 (56,5%), de los 23 A. flavus aislados y dos aislados de A. parasiticus produjeron aflatoxinas. Conclusiones: La contaminación observada en la mayoría de los productos y el alto nivel de cepas productoras de aflatoxinas justifica un análisis más cuidadoso de los medicamentos fitoterápicos comercializados y la aplicación de leyes más rigurosas son necesarias para garantizar la calidad de los productos

Polyphasic identification and typing Trichophytum rubrum strains of clinical origin

The dermatophyte Trychophytum rubrum is the most frequent aetiological agent of dermatophytosis in humans around the world representing a major public health problem, not just for European countries but also for tropical countries where climate conditions allow major propagation for this ascomycete. For instance, in Portugal, T. rubrum was the dermatophyte most frequently isolated (83.3%) in a toenail onychomycosis geriatric population survey [1]. The identification, pathogenicity, biology, and epidemiology of T. rubrum, is of interest for both dermatologists and medical mycologists [1,2]. Currently, in many countries and clinical laboratories, the T. rubrum strains isolated from lesions are primarily identified by conventional culture-based methods, including colony morphology and slide culture only. This approach does not provide evidence of intraspecific variations with a lack of information to track infections, determine common sources of infections and recurrence or reinfection after treatment, and analyse their virulence and drug resistance [3]. The aim of this work is to use a polyphasic approach to study T. rubrum from different geographic origins in order to identify intraspecific characteristics with clinical interest. Materials and Methods About 40 European and South American T. rubrum and reference strains were used. Macro and micro morphological techniques, urease assay, dermatophyte milk agar test and hair perforation test (HPT) where combined with molecular biology techniques, such as the analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, Trubrum specific primers for species differentiation among close related species, mating type MAT1-1 -box characterisation and DNA fingerprinting (e.g., (GACA)4). Results and conclusions Culturally T. rubrum strains showed on the plates white and cottony colonies on the obverse and blood-red pigment on the reverse. T. rubrum strains were urease negative and inhibited in dermatophyte milk agar. In the HPT, which is useful to differentiate T. rubrum from T. interdigitale, any strain was able to perforate the hair despite normal growth being observed. The analysis of ITS region confirmed all the strains as a T. rubrum species as well as the Trubrum primers generate a typical amplicon of 200 bp. The DNA fingerprinting is now explored in order to find the best approach to differentiate intraspecific variations and/or geographic differences. In conclusion, there are several techniques that can be applied to identify and characterise T. rubrum from different origins depending of the technologies available in each clinical laboratory or country.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Epidemiological Relevance of Family Study in Chagas Disease

Artículo de publicación IS

Penicillium digitatum, First Clinical Report in Chile: Fungal Co-Infection in COVID-19 Patient

Penicillium digitatum is one of the most important phytopathogens. It causes deterioration and rotting of citrus fruits, generating significant economic losses worldwide. As a human pathogen, it is extremely rare. We present a case of pulmonary co-infection in a patient diagnosed with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2. A 20-year-old female patient, primigravid, 36 weeks of gestation, without comorbidities, and diagnosed with severe pneumonia due to the SARS-CoV-2, showed rapid lung deterioration for which their pregnancy was interrupted by surgery. The patient was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), connected to mechanical ventilation and receiving corticosteroids and antibiotics. The diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infection was made through bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) culture, and the species identification was performed by sequencing of β-tubulin. Phylogenetic analysis with related species was performed for the confirmation of species identification. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed for itraconazole (4 µg/mL), voriconazole (2 µg/mL), and amphotericin B (2 µg/mL). The patient was successfully treated with itraconazole. This is the second worldwide report of pulmonary infection by P. digitatum and the first in Chile. Although it is a fungus that rarely infects humans, it could represent an emerging opportunistic fungal pathogen, with associated risk factors that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of Penicillium species isolated from infections in humans

Periodismo sensacionalista

Tesis (Licenciado en Periodismo)Con el conocimiento histórico de que el periodismo es esencialmente sensacionalista, porque persigue captar la rápida atención del público, busca siempre el caso más emblemático y compite por tener la portada más escandalosa, comenzamos a desafiar eI objeto de nuestra investigación. A partir de los conceptos que cada uno de los integrantes de este seminario tenía del periodismo sensacionalista, nos congregamos a la tarea de descubrir e investigar las principales características de este tipo de periodismo y sus reales implicancias en la audiencia Con una pauta clara y con los objetivos asumidos, decidimos comenzar una acuciosa investigación que se basó principalmente en entrevistas y repuestas de la gente. Las opiniones estaban divididas, los trabajadores de medios decían una cosa y el público opinaba otra. El reconocimiento del sensacionalismo en todas las áreas de la prensa fue nuestro primer trabajo. Elegir y jerarquizar cada uno de Ios temas de investigación fue una interesante manera de comenzar a abordar este seminario. La primera opción a seguir fue la realización de una encuesta que nos daría las primeras luces de qué percibía la gente como periodismo sensacionalista ¿Entendía realmente la audiencia qué es el sensacionalismo? ¿Lograba identificar las noticias que exageraban y resaltaban aspectos morbosos, espectaculares y chismosos? ¿La gente logra captar el interés que les genera este tipo de información? ¿Reconocen manipulación de parte de los medios de comunicación para con estas noticias? ¿Saben los lectores el alto consumo de diarios sensacionalistas? Frente a estas variadas interrogantes realizamos Ia primera encuesta de nuestro seminario general. Nos dirigimos en parejas a cinco sectores de Santiago para captar distintas impresiones de la gente común ya sea por el nivel socioeconómico como el nivel intelectual. Los puntos elegidos fueron Escuela Militar, Recoleta- cementerios, Neptuno-Son Pablo, Puente Alto, Paseo Ahumada. Se encuestaron a 50 personas por sector, lo que nos da una muestra de 250 interrogados

Table_1_Membrane vesicles in Acidithiobacillia class extreme acidophiles: influence on collective behaviors of ‘Fervidacidithiobacillus caldus’.xlsx

Membrane vesicles (MVs) are envelope-derived extracellular sacs that perform a broad diversity of physiological functions in bacteria. While considerably studied in pathogenic microorganisms, the roles, relevance, and biotechnological potential of MVs from environmental bacteria are less well established. Acidithiobacillaceae family bacteria are active players in the sulfur and iron biogeochemical cycles in extremely acidic environments and drivers of the leaching of mineral ores contributing to acid rock/mine drainage (ARD/AMD) and industrial bioleaching. One key aspect of such a role is the ability of these bacteria to tightly interact with the mineral surfaces and extract electrons and nutrients to support their chemolithotrophic metabolism. Despite recent advances in the characterization of acidithiobacilli biofilms and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, our understanding of its architectural and mechanistic aspects remains scant. Using different microscopy techniques and nano-tracking analysis we show that vesiculation is a common phenomenon in distant members of the Acidithiobacillaceae family, and further explore the role of MVs in multicellular colonization behaviors using ‘Fervidacidithiobacillus caldus’ as a bacterial model. Production of MVs in ‘F. caldus’ occurred in both planktonic cultures and biofilms formed on sulfur surfaces, where MVs appeared individually or in chains resembling tube-shaped membranous structures (TSMSs) important for microbial communication. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry data and bioinformatic analysis of the MV-associated proteome revealed that ‘F. caldus’ MVs were enriched in proteins involved in cell–cell and cell–surface processes and largely typified the MVs as outer MVs (OMVs). Finally, microbiological assays showed that amendment of ‘F. caldus’ MVs to cells and/or biofilms affects collective colonizing behaviors relevant to the ecophysiology and applications of these acidophiles, providing grounds for their exploitation in biomining.</p