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Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences... Apr 2009The main objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency distribution of mycobiota and the concentration of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 50 samples from one company of...
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency distribution of mycobiota and the concentration of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 50 samples from one company of commercial brand poultry feed produced in Venezuela. The concentration of OTA in the samples analyzed was determined using the competitive ELISA method. The most frequently isolated genera of moulds were Aspergillus (36%) and Penicillium (20%). Of these genera, the most frequently isolated species were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium citrinum. Ochratoxigenic species such as Eurotium herbariorum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus and Aspergillus glaucus, were also found with lower frequency. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was the only yeast isolated. 94% of the samples presented contamination by OTA in a range between 2.558 and 31.978 microg kg(-1) feed and 42% of them presented OTA levels from 10 up to 20 microg kg(-1). The findings of this investigation show that 84% of the samples of concentrated feed for meat poultry surpass the maximum permitted limit for OTA of 5 microg kg(-1), established in the majority of countries in which regulations are placed.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Carcinogens; Food Contamination; Food Microbiology; Fungi; Humans; Ochratoxins; Poultry; Venezuela
PubMed: 19580016
DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2009.589.594 -
Bioresource Technology Sep 2009Aspergiolide A is a novel anti-tumor anthraquinone derivant produced by marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus. To identify its biosynthetic pathway and further...
Identified biosynthetic pathway of aspergiolide A and a novel strategy to increase its production in a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus by feeding of biosynthetic precursors and inhibitors simultaneously.
Aspergiolide A is a novel anti-tumor anthraquinone derivant produced by marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus. To identify its biosynthetic pathway and further improve the production, the effects of biosynthetic pathway specific inhibitors and precursors were investigated. Cerulenin and iodoacetamide, the specific inhibitors of polyketide pathway, could completely inhibit the aspergiolide A accumulation. Putative precursors of polyketide pathway could increase aspergiolide A production greatly, such as 6 mM acetate increased production by 135%. Simvastatin and citrate, the inhibitors of mevalonate pathway, stimulated the production by 63% and 179%, respectively. Considering that acetyl-CoA is the common starter unit in both polyketide and mevalonate pathway, a novel strategy was designed to stimulate the aspergiolide A accumulation. Combinations of 12 mM acetate with 0.3 mM simvastatin could increase the production by 151%, while the supplementation with 12 mM acetate and 12 mM citrate brought a 262% increase of aspergiolide A production. The strategy might be very useful to enhance the production of other secondary metabolites derived from polyketide pathway.
Topics: Acetates; Anthraquinones; Aspergillus; Marine Biology; Mevalonic Acid; Shikimic Acid; Simvastatin
PubMed: 19386490
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.03.061 -
Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi = the... Mar 2009A 57-year-old woman was referred because of exertional dyspnea, fever, and cough in June 2006. She had been employed to culture roses in greenhouses since 1991 and had... (Review)
Review
A 57-year-old woman was referred because of exertional dyspnea, fever, and cough in June 2006. She had been employed to culture roses in greenhouses since 1991 and had developed a cough during the summer from 2003. Chest CT scan revealed diffuse centrilobular micronodules. Transbronchial lung biopsy specimens demonstrated alveolitis with lymphocytes and non-necrotizing epithelioid cell granulomas. After admission, both the patient's symptoms and laboratory data improved without medication. However, upon her return to work in the greenhouse, cough and exertional dyspnea reappeared. Aspergillus niger was detected in the greenhouse. Her serum was assayed for precipitating antibodies against various antigens, and precipitating antibodies against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus glaucus, and Aspergillus niger were demonstrated. In a double immunodiffusion test, cross-reactivity between Aspergillus niger and other Aspergillus species was indicated. Consequently, she was diagnosed as having hypersensitivity pneumonitis resulting from the inhalation of Aspergillus niger.
Topics: Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic; Aspergillus niger; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Rosa
PubMed: 19348267
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Industrial Microbiology &... Mar 2009Statistical methodologies were employed to optimize submerged culture medium for the production of a novel antineoplastic compound aspergiolide A by a marine-derived...
Statistical methodologies were employed to optimize submerged culture medium for the production of a novel antineoplastic compound aspergiolide A by a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus HB1-19 for the first time. Orthogonal design was preformed to determine the initial composition. Then Plackett-Burman design was applied to evaluate the influence of related nutrients, and yeast extract paste, soybean powder and sodium glutamate were confirmed as critical factors in the medium. Response surface methodology (RSM) was finally taken as an effective approach to optimize the combination of the obtained three significant factors. The predicted maximal aspergiolide A production of 62.4 mg/L appeared at the region where the concentrations of sodium glutamate, soybean powder, and yeast extract paste were 2, 1, and 1.07 g/L, respectively. Under the proposed optimized conditions, the experimental aspergiolide A production reached 71.2 mg/L. The correlation between predicted value and measured value of these experiments proved the validity of the response model. After optimization, aspergiolide A production increased 4.22 times compared to that of the original medium. Elemental analysis was finally taken into consideration, and carbon-nitrogen ratio in the medium increased from 20.1:1 to 86.6:1. This great difference was inferred as the most important reason for production enhancement by metabolic pathway analysis.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Aspergillus; Carbon; Culture Media; Industrial Microbiology; Models, Statistical; Nitrogen; Research Design; Seawater
PubMed: 19104862
DOI: 10.1007/s10295-008-0507-6 -
Journal of Natural Products Nov 2008Eight new aromatic polyketides (2, 4-6, 8, 14, 16, and 17) together with eight known analogues (3, 7, 9-13, and 15) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus...
Eight new aromatic polyketides (2, 4-6, 8, 14, 16, and 17) together with eight known analogues (3, 7, 9-13, and 15) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus glaucus. The structures and stereochemistry of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods, and their cytotoxicities were evaluated against the HL-60 and A-549 cell lines.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Aspergillus; China; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Marine Biology; Molecular Structure; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Polyketides
PubMed: 18986198
DOI: 10.1021/np800303t -
Journal of Chemical Ecology Sep 2008The antifungal activity of essential oil (EO) from the Brazilian epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) was evaluated by the poison food assay at concentrations of 0.3%,...
The antifungal activity of essential oil (EO) from the Brazilian epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) was evaluated by the poison food assay at concentrations of 0.3%, 0.1%, and 0.05% with eight postharvest deteriorating fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus glaucus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceous, Colletotrichum gloesporioides, Colletotrichum musae, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium semitectum). EO components were tentatively identified by Kováts retention indices (RIs) using gas chromatography and gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Growth of all fungi was completely inhibited at 0.3% concentration, and by 90% to 100% at 0.1% concentration. The following 13 tentatively identified compounds (relative percent) accounted for 90.4% of the total volatile oil: alpha-terpinene (0.9), p-cymene (2.0), benzyl alcohol (0.3), p-cresol (0.3), p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (0.2), p-cimen-8-ol (0.6), alpha-terpineol (0.5), (Z)-ascaridole (61.4), piperitone (0.9), carvacrol (3.9), (E)-ascaridole (18.6), (E)-piperitol acetate (0.5), and (Z)-carvyl acetate (0.3). Autobiographic thin layer chromatography of the EO to separate the principal fungitoxic fraction yielded only one fraction that completely inhibited the growth of all test fungi at a concentration of 0.1%. This fraction was characterized by RIs and GC-MS presenting a composition (%) of p-cymene (25.4), (Z)-ascaridole (44.4), and (E)-ascaridole (30.2). The results suggest ascaridoles were the principal fungitoxic components of the EO.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Brazil; Chenopodium ambrosioides; Food Contamination; Mitosporic Fungi; Oils, Volatile; Plant Leaves; Plant Oils
PubMed: 18679750
DOI: 10.1007/s10886-008-9526-z -
European Journal of Clinical... Oct 2007Cerebral aspergillosis has rarely been reported in immunocompetent patients. We herein describe a unique case of cerebral aspergillosis in a healthy adult that led to...
Cerebral aspergillosis has rarely been reported in immunocompetent patients. We herein describe a unique case of cerebral aspergillosis in a healthy adult that led to his death despite aggressive antifungal therapy. Sequencing of ribosomal 18S-28S internal transcribed spacer identified the organism as Eurotium herbariorum, the teleomorph of Aspergillus glaucus.
Topics: Adult; Aspergillus; Brain Diseases; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Immunocompetence; Male; Neuroaspergillosis; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S
PubMed: 17665232
DOI: 10.1007/s10096-007-0361-x -
Journal of Food Protection Jun 2007The mycoflora of chouriqo types Alentejano and Ribatejano, two varieties of Portuguese dry-smoked sausages, have been investigated after a producer-defined shelf life...
The mycoflora of chouriqo types Alentejano and Ribatejano, two varieties of Portuguese dry-smoked sausages, have been investigated after a producer-defined shelf life period (120 days at 20 +/- 5 degrees C) in modified atmosphere packaging (55% N2 and 45% CO2). On the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics, the isolates were identified as Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Rhizopus, Monilia, Absidia, and Cephalosporium. The species identified were as follows: Penicillium terrestres (43.4%), Penicillium sp. (13.3%), Fusarium sp. (10%), Aspergillus glaucus (10%), Aspergillus versicolor (6.8%), Monilia fruticola (3.3%), Absidia sp. (3.3%), Cephalosporium sp. (3.3%), Rhizopus stolonifer (3.3%), and Fusarium tricinctum (3.3%). Additionally, the effects of three preservatives (potassium sorbate [PS], sodium benzoate [SB], and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate [MHB]) were studied on the growth rate of mold representative isolates. MHB showed a greater inhibitory effect than SB and PS in all fungi isolates, except in A. glaucus [Tm30(A)], in which the inhibitory effect of MHB was similar to PS. At 0.05% (wt/vol), all fungi were inhibited with MHB, except for R. stolonifer [Tm25(A)], which started to decrease the growth rate only at a concentration higher than 0.1%. PS was more effective at inhibiting mold growth than SB, except in Absidia sp. [Tm16(R)], in which both showed a similar inhibitory effect. MHB showed great promise as an application to the surface at 0.1% (wt/vol) to improve the stability and safety of the product through the inhibition of potential spoilage and toxigenic molds.
Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Colony Count, Microbial; Consumer Product Safety; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Food Microbiology; Food Packaging; Food Preservation; Food Preservatives; Fungi; Humans; Kinetics; Meat Products; Parabens; Sodium Benzoate; Sorbic Acid; Species Specificity; Time Factors
PubMed: 17612078
DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-70.6.1468 -
Canadian Journal of Microbiology Nov 2006A survey on keratinophilic fungi from poultry-farm soils at Namakkal and from feather dumping soils at Chennai, India, revealed the existence of 34 species of fungi....
A survey on keratinophilic fungi from poultry-farm soils at Namakkal and from feather dumping soils at Chennai, India, revealed the existence of 34 species of fungi. Most of the fungi exhibited variable efficiency in producing extracellular keratinase when grown in plates with chicken feathers as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. The fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus versicolor, Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum, Paecilomyces carneus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Trichoderma viride, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were efficient candidates to degrade the feathers. However, when cultivating the strains in submerged conditions in a medium containing chicken feathers as the sole nutrients source, Aspergillus glaucus, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium solani, and Penicillium citrinum also proved to be potent. Among all species, S. brevicaulis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes produced higher amounts of keratinase in both methods. Conditions for keratinase production were optimized by statistical design and surface plots. The highest keratinase activity was estimated by S. brevicaulis (3.2 KU/mL) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.7 KU/mL) in the culture medium with chicken feathers and shows (79% and 72.2% of degrading ability, respectively).
Topics: Animals; Ascomycota; Feathers; Keratins; Kinetics; Peptide Hydrolases; Poultry; Soil Microbiology; Trichophyton
PubMed: 17215897
DOI: 10.1139/w06-067 -
Annals of Agricultural and... 2006The concentration and composition of fungal flora in dental unit waterlines (DUWL) were evaluated. For this purpose, water samples from unit reservoirs and high-speed...
The concentration and composition of fungal flora in dental unit waterlines (DUWL) were evaluated. For this purpose, water samples from unit reservoirs and high-speed handpieces, and biofilm samples from the waterline walls from units were collected. Subsequently, analogous samples from DUWL were taken before and after disinfection using agent containing hydrogen peroxide. In the examined samples, the yeast-like fungi Candida albicans and Candida curvata were found. The following species of mould were also identified: Aspergillus amstelodami, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus glaucus group, Aspergillus (=Eurotium herbariorum) repens, Citromyces spp., Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium (glabrum) frequentans, Penicillium pusillum, Penicillium turolense and Sclerotium sclerotiorum (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). Before disinfection, Candida curvata and Candida albicans constituted the greatest proportion of the total fungi in the reservoirs water; in the water of handpieces--Candida albicans and Aspergillus glaucus group; and in the biofilm samples--Aspergillus glaucus group and Candida albicans. After disinfection, in all 3 kinds of samples, Candida albicans prevailed, constituting from 31.2-85.7 % of the total fungi. The application of agent containing hydrogen peroxide caused a significant decrease both in the number of total fungi and individual fungal species, which confirms the product effectiveness in fungal decontamination of DUWL.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Colony Count, Microbial; Dental Disinfectants; Dental Equipment; Dental Instruments; Disinfectants; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Infection Control, Dental; Mitosporic Fungi; Poland; Water Microbiology; Water Purification
PubMed: 17196007
DOI: No ID Found