MICROALGAS: APLICAÇÕES EM BIORREMEDIAÇÃO E ENERGIA

A imensa biodiversidade, e conseqüente variabilidade na composição bioquímica das microalgas, aliada ao emprego de melhoramento genético e ao estabelecimento de tecnologia de cultivo em grande escala, vêm permitindo que as microalgas sejam utilizadas em diversas aplicações

Environmental pathways and human exposure to manganese in southern Brazil

The study of environmental pathways and human exposure to Manganese (Mn) in Southern Brazil was performed using two steps. The first step consisted of taking water samples from the surface of the Pardinho River. The average results from this technique showed a significant increase of pollutants, including increased levels of Mn, above the environmentally acceptable standard recommended by the Brazilian National Environment Council. Additionally, 64 soil samples were taken from areas with and without agricultural activity. Many results were above the mean crust and did not indicate significant differences of Mn levels between the sampled areas. For the second step, 12 families were selected and assessed for exposure to Mn in a region with high levels of Mn in the soil. Most of the analyzed foods contained amounts of Mn above the reference values, indicating that food can be an important source of exposure. The Mn content from the hair of most subjects studied was also high compared to reference values from non-exposed populations. Although the contamination appeared to come from a natural origin, the results found in the present study showed that the Mn levels present in the Pardinho River Basin are a relevant public health issue

Secretion of five extracellular enzymes by strains of chromoblastomycosis agents Secreção de cinco enzimas extracelulares por amostras de agentes da cromoblastomicose

The gelatinase, urease, lipase, phospholipase and DNase activities of 11 chromoblastomycosis agents constituted by strains of Fonsecaea pedrosoi, F. compacta, Phialophora verrucosa, Cladosporium carrionii, Cladophialophora bantiana and Exophiala jeanselmei were analyzed and compared. All strains presented urease, gelatinase and lipase activity. Phospholipase activity was detected only on five of six strains of F. pedrosoi. DNase activity was not detected on the strains studied. Our results indicate that only phospholipase production, induced by egg yolk substrate, was useful for the differentiation of the taxonomically related species studied, based on their enzymatic profile.<br>As atividades gelatinase, urease, lipase, fosfolipase e DNase de 11 agentes da cromoblastomicose constituídos por amostras de Fonsecaea pedrosoi, F. compacta, Phialophora verrucosa, Cladosporium carrionii, Cladophialophora bantiana e Exophiala jeanselmei foram analisadas e comparadas. Todas as amostras apresentaram atividade urease, gelatinase e lipase. A atividade fosfolipase foi detectada apenas em cinco das seis amostras de F. pedrosoi. A atividade DNase não foi detectada nas amostras estudadas. Os resultados indicam que para a diferenciação entre espécies taxonomicamente relacionadas estudadas, baseado no seu perfil enzimático, apenas a produção de fosfolipase, induzida pelo substrato com gema de ovo, foi útil