A novel qPCR based-method for detection and quantification of three recurrent species of Penicillium isolated from bioaerosols in mold-damaged homes.

Fungal contamination of indoor environments can cause respiratory diseases and induce damages to building materials. Among the fungal species found in mold-damaged homes, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum and P. crustosum can be considered as recurrent strains. In this study, we therefore propose a rapid and novel qPCR-based method in order to allow the monitoring of these three fungal species. The method developed allows the quantification of the target DNA of these three Penicillium species with a limit of quantification of 0.01 ng/µL without significant difference with spectrophotometry quantification assay for DNA concentrations between 5 and 100 ng/µL. This technique also enables the rapid detection of these three species in complex mixtures of DNA extracted from 15 bioaerosols collected in mold-damaged homes and previously cultured on agar plate. This new sensitive and specific qPCR technique can thus be easily integrated into bioaerosol studies.

Poisoning by Cnestis ferruginea in Casamance (Senegal): an etiological approach.

Since several years, in the area of Kabrousse in Casamance (Senegal), a neurotoxic syndrome has caused more than 50 human deaths. Field studies showed that epidemic could be due to consumption of leave decoction of Cnestis ferruginea, a tropical plant belonging to the Connaraceae family. An ethnobotanical study has been conducted in order to investigate the traditional uses of C. ferruginea, and describe the circumstances and the symptoms of this plant poisoning. As a first experimental approach, the leave decoction was tested for its ability to induce cytotoxic effects using the XTT method. A phytochemical approach revealed the presence of methionine sulfoximine (MSX), a neurotoxic amino acid, in the plant extract by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The description of this poisoning, the cytotoxic activity of the decoction and the occurence of MSX in leaves of C. ferruginea constituted the first etiological data on this poisoning.

Influence of specific albumin ligand markers used as modifiers on the separation of benzodiazepine enantiomers by chiral liquid chromatography on a human serum albumin column.

Specific ligand markers for the various binding sites of human serum albumin (HSA) have been described in the literature. Some of these markers (medium chain fatty acids, warfarin, digoxin, and bilirubin) were used as mobile phase modifiers. Using a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) column containing HSA as stationary phase, their influence was investigated on the separation in this phase of the enantiomers of three benzodiazepines (temazepam, oxazepam, and lorazepam). Displacement effects were observed with medium chain fatty acids. This influence was proportional to the chain length and to the concentration of acid. Allosteric cooperative effects were noted with digoxin for the three benzodiazepines. Both displacement and cooperative effects were observed with warfarin. Stereoselectivity was decreased for temazepam and oxazepam and increased for lorazepam.