Comunicación corta. Aflatoxina y ochratoxina A totales en hígado, riñones y plasma de pollos contaminados experimentalmente

Mycotoxicosis, particularly that caused by aflatoxins and ochratoxins, is a serious problem for the poultry production industry. The aim of this study was to determine the total aflatoxin and ochratoxin A levels in liver and plasma, and kidneys and plasma, respectively, of chickens for fattening fed experimentally contaminated diets, and to assess the impact of these toxins on body weight increase and the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Forty eight 21 day-old Ross breeder chickens (n = 12 x four treatments) were fed diets containing different levels of mycotoxins: grower diet + ochratoxin A (200 mg/kg of feed) + total aflatoxin in different concentrations (T1 = 60 microg/kg of feed; T = 50 microg/kg; T3 = 30 microg/kg). Control chickens (T4) were fed only the grower diet. No significant differences were seen in the weight increase of chickens subjected to the different treatments. However, lower FCRs were seen in those exposed to T1 and T2. In general, the amount of total aflatoxin and ochratoxin A found in the liver, kidneys and plasma (determined by ELISA) were directly related to the amounts added to the experimental diets and feed consumption. Plasma ochratoxin A was always higher than kidney levels; this relationship was not seen for total aflatoxin.Las micotoxicosis, en particular las aflatoxicosis y ocratoxicosis, son un serio problema sanitario en la producción avícola. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el nivel de aflatoxinas y ochratoxinas A en hígado y plasma, y riñones y plasma, respectivamente, de pollos alimentados con dietas experimentalmente contaminadas e investigar el impacto de estas toxinas en el peso corporal y el cociente de conversión del alimento (FCR). Se alimentaron 48 pollos Ross de 21 días de edad (n = 12 x cuatro tratamientos) con dietas conteniendo diferentes niveles de micotoxinas: una dieta de crecimiento + 200 mg/kg de ochratoxina A + aflatoxina total en diferentes concentraciones (T1 = 60 microg/kg; T2 = 50 microg/kg; T3 = 30 microg/kg). Lo pollos control (T4) fueron solamente alimentados con la dieta de engorde. No hubo diferencias significativas en el aumento de peso de los pollos sometidos a los diferentes tratamientos; sin embargo, se detectaron FCRs menores para los expuestos a T1 y T2. En general, la cantidad de aflatoxina total y ochratoxina A detectadas por ELISA en hígado, riñones y plasma fueron directamente proporcionales a los niveles de las micotoxinas añadidas a las dietas experimentales. La ochratoxina A en plasma fue siempre superior a la encontrada en riñón; esta relación no se detectó para la aflatoxina total

In vivo assessment of possible probiotic properties of Zymomonas mobilis in a Wistar rat model

In recent years the incorporation of probiotic bacteria into foods has received increasing scientific interest for health promotion and disease prevention. The safety and probiotic properties of Zymomonas mobilis CP4 (UFPEDA-202) was studied in a Wistar rat model fed the 109 colony forming units (cfu)/mL-1 of the assayed strain for 30 days. No abnormal clinical signs were noted in the group receiving viable cells of Z. mobilis and water (control) during the period of the experiment. There were no significant difference (p > 0.05) in feed intake and weight gain among mice fed the Z. mobilis in comparison to the control group. No bacteria were found in blood, liver and spleen of any animals. Mice receiving Z. mobilis showed significantly differences (p < 0.05) in total and differential leucocytes count, excepting for neutrophils, after the experimental period. Otherwise, it was not found in control group. Histological examination showed that feeding mice with Z. mobilis caused no signs of adverse effects on gut, liver and spleen. From these results, Z. mobilis CP4 (UFEPEDA-202) is likely to be nonpathogenic and safe for consumption, and could have a slight modulating effect on immunological performance in mice

Aproveitamento de soro lácteo na formulação de bebidas com frutas e hortaliças

O uso do soro lácteo como complemento na formulação de alimentos visando ao seu aproveitamento é uma alternativa para a obtenção de novos produtos. Neste trabalho, desenvolveram-se bebidas à base de soro oriundo de queijo coalho tipo A com frutas e hortaliças. Na formulação das bebidas, utilizaram-se diferentes proporções entre soro lácteo, frutas e hortaliças, com adição de 10% de açúcar. Seis bebidas foram formuladas e submetidas a um teste de preferência, e as três primeiras colocadas foram submetidas a um teste de aceitação sensorial. As três preferidas foram as bebidas sabor graviola, morango e goiaba. A bebida sabor graviola obteve aceitação com as melhores notas nos atributos sensoriais cor, sabor, aparência e qualidade global, seguida pela formulação de sabor morango, mas sem diferença significativa (P>0,05). A bebida sabor goiaba teve o diferencial no atributo odor e superou as bebidas sabor graviola e morango (P<0,05). Conclui-se que é viável a elaboração de bebidas à base de soro de queijo coalho com frutas

Effectiveness of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts detection and enumeration methods in water and milk samples Eficácia de métodos de detecção e enumeração de oocistos de Cryptosporidium spp. em amostras de água e leite

Cryptosporidium spp. oocyst recovery in water and milk samples was evaluated. Samples were inoculated with a suspension of 1.2&times;10(7) Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and submitted to centrifugal flotation, using different solutions (sucrose, NaCl, MgSO4, ZnSO4, AlSO4, NH4SO4 40% and NH4SO4 80%). Centrifugation of the samples was carried out in two stages for concentration using two methods that differed in the order in which the saturated solutions were used, namely only in the first stage of method I and only in the second stage of method II. Oocyst identification was performed using the Kinyoun and Koster histochemical staining techniques. Samples analyzed by method I showed different degree of oocyst recovery, namely 10.9% with NaCl and 42.5% with MgSO4 in water and milk samples, while those samples analyzed by method II showed 10.6% with NaCl and 5.3% with sucrose in water and milk, respectively. Histochemical staining methods have no influence on the degree of oocysts recovery. The efficiency of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts recovery methods depends on the nature and composition of the sample and on the methodology used for oocyst concentration.Avaliou-se a recuperação de oocistos de Cryptosporidium spp. em amostras de água e leite. As amostras foram contaminadas experimentalmente com uma suspensão de 1,2&times;10(7) oocistos de Cryptosporidium spp. e concentradas por centrífugo-flutuação para comparação entre diferentes substâncias (sacarose, NaCl, MgSO4, ZnSO4, AlSO4, NH4SO4 40% e NH4SO4 80%). A centrifugação das amostras foi realizada em duas etapas para concentração utilizando-se dois métodos, diferentes pela ordem do uso das soluções saturadas no procedimento, na primeira etapa de concentração do método I, e na segunda etapa, do método II. A identificação do oocisto foi realizada mediante as técnicas de coloração histoquímica Kinyoun e Koster modificado. O grau de recuperação de oocistos foi 10,9% com NaCl e 42,5% com MgSO4 nas amostras de água e leite, respectivamente (método I), e de 10,6% com NaCl e 5,3% com sacarose nas amostras de água e leite, respectivamente (método II). Os métodos de coloração histoquímica não influenciaram nos resultados. A eficácia dos métodos de recuperação de oocistos de Cryptosporidium spp. depende da natureza e composição da amostra e da metodologia usada para a concentração dos oocistos na amostra

Influence of carvacrol and thymol on the physiological attributes, enterotoxin production and surface characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from foods

This study evaluated the influence of the phenolic compounds carvacrol (CAR) and thymol (THY) on some physiological characteristics and on the modulation of the secretion of some staphylococcal virulence factors, that is, coagulase and enterotoxin. This study also investigated possible mechanisms for the establishment of the anti-staphylococcal activity of these compounds. Sublethal concentrations (0.3 and 0.15 µL/mL) of CAR and THY inhibited the activity of the enzymes coagulase and lipase and led to a decrease in salt tolerance. At the tested sublethal concentrations, both CAR and THY led to a total suppression of enterotoxin production. The loss of a 260-nm-absorbing material and an efflux of potassium ions occurred immediately after the addition of CAR and THY at 0.6 and 1.2 µL/mL and increased up to 120 min of exposure. Electron microscopy of cells exposed to CAR and THY (0.6 µL/mL) revealed that individual cells appeared to be deformed, with projections of cellular material. The observations of leakage of cellular material and an altered cell surface suggest that gross damage to a cell's cytoplasmic membrane, which results in a disruption in protein secretion, could be responsible for the anti-staphylococcal properties of CAR and THY