The influence of air contact on the quality of extended boar semen

Background: The extensive use of artificial insemination in the swine industry emphasizes the need for distribution of good quality semen doses by the artificial insemination centers. A factor that could modify seminal quality is the contact of extended semen with environmental air. However, only few studies have investigated the effects of air presence on semen parameters. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different amounts of air on porcine semen quality during the storage period. Materials, Methods & Results: Four ejaculates from five sexually mature boars were used. Each ejaculate (n = 20) was isothermically diluted (30 x 106 /mL) in a BTS-extender and assigned to three groups differing on the amount of air entrapped within the polystyrene tubes (100 mL). In group AIR-0 the tubes were completely filled with extended semen (0% air); in group AIR-25, 75% of the tube volume was filled with extended semen and 25% with air; in group AIR-50, 50% of the tube volume was filled with extended semen. The semen doses were stored at 17.3 ± 0.5ºC for 120 h. The motility parameters were assessed at 24, 72 and 120 h of storage using a CASA system. The evaluation of acrosomal integrity was performed by examining formalin-fixed samples under phase-contrast microscopy (1000 x) at 72 and 120 h of storage. The pH was measured at 24, 48, 72, and 120 h of [...](AU)

The influence of air contact on the quality of extended boar semen

Background: The extensive use of artificial insemination in the swine industry emphasizes the need for distribution of good quality semen doses by the artificial insemination centers. A factor that could modify seminal quality is the contact of extended semen with environmental air. However, only few studies have investigated the effects of air presence on semen parameters. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different amounts of air on porcine semen quality during the storage period. Materials, Methods & Results: Four ejaculates from five sexually mature boars were used. Each ejaculate (n = 20) was isothermically diluted (30 x 106 /mL) in a BTS-extender and assigned to three groups differing on the amount of air entrapped within the polystyrene tubes (100 mL). In group AIR-0 the tubes were completely filled with extended semen (0% air); in group AIR-25, 75% of the tube volume was filled with extended semen and 25% with air; in group AIR-50, 50% of the tube volume was filled with extended semen. The semen doses were stored at 17.3 ± 0.5ºC for 120 h. The motility parameters were assessed at 24, 72 and 120 h of storage using a CASA system. The evaluation of acrosomal integrity was performed by examining formalin-fixed samples under phase-contrast microscopy (1000 x) at 72 and 120 h of storage. The pH was measured at 24, 48, 72, and 120 h of [...]

Identification of the airborne fungal microbiota in a fruit pulp industry and antifungal susceptibility to terpenes / Identificação da microbiota fúngica anemófila em uma indústria de polpas de frutas e susceptibilidade antifúngica a terpenos

Airborne fungi are important food contaminants and spoiling agents, especially in fruits and their derivatives. This study aimed at identifying the main fungi in the airborne microbiota in a fruit pulp industry, located in Paraíba State, and to investigate the antifungal action of terpenes as an alternative for controlling fungal growth. The Petri plates containing Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (50 g/mL) were exposed for collecting the fungi. The plates were incubated at 28 C for seven days; then the colony forming unitscounting, and description were performed. The identification of fungi was performed by the morphological analysis of isolated colonies. The main group of fungi isolated throughout the industry was Cladosporium spp. Antifungal tests were performed by diffusion technique in solid medium with discs containing terpenes: carvacrol, citronellal, citral, linalool, thymol, terpinolene, p-cymene and -caryophyllene. The effectiveness of some of these terpenes against Cladosporium spp. strains was shown, especially citral and carvacrol. Based on these results, the fruit pulp industry shows vulnerable ambient air, notably with high contamination by Cladosporium spp. Thus, it is aimed at promoting further studies with natural drugs in order to reduce the fungal contamination in food.(AU)

Os fungos anemófilos são importantes agentes contaminantes e deteriorantes de alimentos, especialmente frutas e seus produtos. Neste estudo foram identificados os principais gêneros fúngicos presentes na microbiota anemófila de uma indústria de polpas de frutas, localizada no interior da Paraíba, e foi investigada a ação antifúngica de terpenos como possível alternativa de controle do crescimento fúngico. Os fungos foram coletados pela exposição de placas de Petri contendo meio Agar Sabouraud dextrose com cloranfenicol (50 g/mL). Após a incubação a 28 C durante sete dias, foram realizadas a contagem das unidades formadoras de colônias e sua descrição. Os fungos foram identificados pela análise morfológica das colônias isoladas. O principal gênero isolado em toda indústria foi o dematiáceo Cladosporium spp. Os ensaios de sensibilidade foram efetuados aplicando-se a técnica de difusão em meio sólido com discos contendo os terpenos: carvacrol, citronelal, citral, linalol, timol, terpinoleno, p-cimeno e -cariofileno. A efetividade de alguns destes terpenos frente a cepas do Cladosporium spp foi demonstrada, com destaque para o citral e carvacrol. A indústria de polpas de frutas apresenta ar de ambiente vulnerável, especialmente contaminação por Cladosporium spp. Pretende-se impulsionar novos estudos com produtos naturais na perspectiva de diminuir a contaminação fúngica em alimentos.(AU)

Spontaneous poisoning by Senna occidentalis in a holstein heifer in the state of Paraná, Brazil / Intoxicação espontânea por Senna occidentalis em bovino no estado do Paraná, Brasil

Background: Senna occidentalis, commonly known as coffee senna or coffee weed, is the species of the genus Senna with the most reports of poisoning in bovines. The animals are poisoned by ingesting the plant or its parts, being the seeds the most toxic part, and the poisoning may occur in bursts or isolated, causing myopathy and causing significant mortality in bovines, especially in the southern regions of Brazil. The main clinical signs consist of muscle weakness and tremor, difficulty in walking, incoordination, permanent sternal decubitus, myoglobinuria and death, and the lesions found are mainly located in skeletal muscle. Due to the small number of cases of spontaneous poisoning reported, and the severity of such, the objective was to report epidemiological, clinical, and pathological aspects, observed in an isolated case of spontaneous poisoning by S. occidentalis in a Holstein heifer in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil.Case: A 20-month-old Holstein heifer presented clinical signs suggestive for muscular degeneration, such as permanent sternal decubitus, muscle tremors and dark colored urine. The presence of the plant in the farm where the animal was, together with the macroscopic and microscopic changes posteriorly observed, accounted for the diagnosis. The treatment used was not effective and the animal died three days after the first clinical manifestations...(AU)

Cerca de 200 espécies de plantas do gênero Senna estão presentes no continente americano [9]. A maioria das intoxicações, em bovinos, são decorrentes da ingestão de S. occidentalis [3], também relatadas em suínos domésticos [11], javalis [17] e equinos [1]. A intoxicação ocorre pela ingestão da planta ou partes dela, sendo as sementes aparte mais tóxica [19]. As principais consequências são miopatia e cardiomiopatia degenerativas [16] acarretando significativa mortalidade em bovinos, principalmente na região sul do Brasil [2]. A ingestão pode ocorrer espontaneamente, através de pastejo, ou acidentalmente, pela contaminação de concentrado com partes da planta [16], intoxicando animais isoladamente ou em forma de surtos, forma mais comum, podendo acometer até 60% do rebanho [2]. Os principais sinais clínicos consistem em fraqueza e tremor muscular, dificuldade de locomoção, incoordenação, decúbito esternal permanente, mioglobinúria e morte, e as lesões encontradas são localizadas, principalmente, na musculatura esquelética onde, macroscopicamente, observa-se áreas pálidas e áreas normais intercaladas e, microscopicamente, miopatia tóxica degenerativa [1,19].Devido ao baixo número de relatos de intoxicação espontânea e à gravidade desta patologia, objetivou-se relatar os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e patológicos observados em um caso isolado de intoxicação espontânea...(AU)

Spontaneous poisoning by Senna occidentalis in a holstein heifer in the state of Paraná, Brazil / Intoxicação espontânea por Senna occidentalis em bovino no estado do Paraná, Brasil

Background: Senna occidentalis, commonly known as coffee senna or coffee weed, is the species of the genus Senna with the most reports of poisoning in bovines. The animals are poisoned by ingesting the plant or its parts, being the seeds the most toxic part, and the poisoning may occur in bursts or isolated, causing myopathy and causing significant mortality in bovines, especially in the southern regions of Brazil. The main clinical signs consist of muscle weakness and tremor, difficulty in walking, incoordination, permanent sternal decubitus, myoglobinuria and death, and the lesions found are mainly located in skeletal muscle. Due to the small number of cases of spontaneous poisoning reported, and the severity of such, the objective was to report epidemiological, clinical, and pathological aspects, observed in an isolated case of spontaneous poisoning by S. occidentalis in a Holstein heifer in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil.Case: A 20-month-old Holstein heifer presented clinical signs suggestive for muscular degeneration, such as permanent sternal decubitus, muscle tremors and dark colored urine. The presence of the plant in the farm where the animal was, together with the macroscopic and microscopic changes posteriorly observed, accounted for the diagnosis. The treatment used was not effective and the animal died three days after the first clinical manifestations...

Cerca de 200 espécies de plantas do gênero Senna estão presentes no continente americano [9]. A maioria das intoxicações, em bovinos, são decorrentes da ingestão de S. occidentalis [3], também relatadas em suínos domésticos [11], javalis [17] e equinos [1]. A intoxicação ocorre pela ingestão da planta ou partes dela, sendo as sementes aparte mais tóxica [19]. As principais consequências são miopatia e cardiomiopatia degenerativas [16] acarretando significativa mortalidade em bovinos, principalmente na região sul do Brasil [2]. A ingestão pode ocorrer espontaneamente, através de pastejo, ou acidentalmente, pela contaminação de concentrado com partes da planta [16], intoxicando animais isoladamente ou em forma de surtos, forma mais comum, podendo acometer até 60% do rebanho [2]. Os principais sinais clínicos consistem em fraqueza e tremor muscular, dificuldade de locomoção, incoordenação, decúbito esternal permanente, mioglobinúria e morte, e as lesões encontradas são localizadas, principalmente, na musculatura esquelética onde, macroscopicamente, observa-se áreas pálidas e áreas normais intercaladas e, microscopicamente, miopatia tóxica degenerativa [1,19].Devido ao baixo número de relatos de intoxicação espontânea e à gravidade desta patologia, objetivou-se relatar os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e patológicos observados em um caso isolado de intoxicação espontânea...

Canthaxanthin biosynthesis by Dietzia natronolimnaea HS-1: effects of inoculation and aeration rate

The interest in production of natural colorants by microbial fermentation has been currently increased. The effects of D-glucose concentration (3.18-36.82 g/L), inoculum size (12.5 x 10(9)-49.5 x 10(9) cfu cells/mL) and air-flow rate (1.95-12.05 L/L min) on the biomass, total carotenoid and canthaxanthin (CTX) accumulation of Dietzia natronolimnaea HS-1 in a batch bioreactor was scrutinized using a response surface methodology-central composite rotatable design (RSM-CCRD). Second-order polynomial models with high R² values ranging from 0.978 to 0.990 were developed for the studied responses using multiple linear regression analysis. The models showed the maximum cumulative amounts of biomass (7.85 g/L), total carotenoid (5.48 mg/L) and CTX (4.99 mg/L) could be achieved at 23.38 g/L of D-glucose, 31.2 x 10(9) cfu cells/mL of inoculation intensity and air-flow rate of 7.85 L/L min. The predicted values for optimum conditions were in good agreement with experimental data.

Shigella sp: um problema de saúde pública

O aumento do consumo de refeições fora de casa está associado ao aumento das Doenças Veiculadas por Alimentos (DVA), que são provenientes do consumo de alimentos e água contaminados, principalmente, devido à falta de higiene no preparo dos alimentos e à ausência, em muitos casos, do tratamento da água usada no preparo destes alimentos. A shigelose é uma DVA que se caracteriza como uma doença inflamatória do trato gastrointestinal causada pela Shigella cujos sintomas e características se assemelham à salmonelose. O gênero Shigella possui quatro espécies: S. dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii e S. sonnei. Para a realização deste trabalho foi realizado levantamento de artigos publicados em revistas científicas sobre o tema, com o objetivo de verificar a incidência de Shigella em alimentos abordando suas características e danos provocados à saúde.(AU)

The increase of the consumption of meals out of house is associated to the increase of the foodborne ilnesses, which are originating from the consumption of foods and water contaminated mainly due to the lack of hygiene in the preparation of the foods and the absence in many cases of the treatment of water used in the preparation of these foods. The shigelose is a foodborne disease that is characterized as an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal treatment, caused by Shigella, and whose symptoms and characteristics resembles salmonelose. The type Shigella has four sorts: S. dysenteriae, S.flexneri, S. boydii and S. sonnei. To carry out this work was carried out survey of articles published in scientific journals on the subject, in order to verify the incidence of Shigella in food approaching its characteristics and damage to health.(AU)