The presence of antibiotics and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus reservoir in a low-order stream spring in central Brazil.

The disposal of industrial effluents strongly influences low-order streams, which makes them fragile ecosystems that can be impacted by contamination. In central Brazil, the Extrema River spring targets the dumping of pharmaceutical products from the surrounding industries. So, this work aimed to investigate the presence of antibiotics in Extrema River spring samples and the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus, a potential multidrug-resistant bacteria, verifying the antimicrobial resistance profile of these isolates. Three campaigns were carried out in different locals (P1-P3) between October and December 2021, in the dry and rainy seasons. The high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) approach indicated the presence of sulfamethoxazole (≥ 1 ng/L), metronidazole (< 0.5 ng/L), and chloramphenicol (< 5 ng/L) in the water samples in November (rainy season). S. aureus was isolated in P1 (n = 128), P2 (n = 168), and P3 (n = 36), with greater resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (90%), clindamycin (70%), and gentamicin (60%). The presence of antibiotics in the Extrema River spring may cause S. aureus antibiotic resistance development. The presence of antibiotics and the high percentage of isolated multidrug-resistant S. aureus in the Extrema River spring cause concern and indicate the clandestine dumping of effluents from nearby pharmaceutical industries. Since preserving the springs of low-order streams is important for the environment and public health, we encourage monitoring the wastewater from Extrema River's nearby pharmaceutical industries and preserving the spring of this river.

Insights into the Bioprospecting of the Endophytic Fungi of the Medicinal Plant Palicourea rigida Kunth (Rubiaceae): Detailed Biological Activities.

A multitude of plants from the Brazilian savanna are known for their medicinal properties. Many plants contain endophytic fungi, which lead to the production of bioactive compounds by both the fungi and their hosts. This study investigated the bioprospecting of endophytic fungi recovered from the leaves of Palicourea rigida, a native medicinal plant of the Brazilian savanna. Four fungal taxa (Colletotrichum sp. SXS649, Pestalotiopsis sp. SXS650, the order Botryosphaeriales SXS651, and Diaporthe sp. SXS652) were recovered. The phenolic, flavonoid, extracellular degrading enzymes (amylase, cellulase, protease, and tannase) and antioxidant activity of these taxa were determined. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity showed that the Botryosphaeriales SXS651 extract displays a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 23.20 mg mL-1 against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the Diaporthe sp. SXS652 extract exhibited an MIC of 27.00 mg mL-1 against Escherichia coli. The Colletotrichum sp. SXS649 isolate inhibited tumors in potato discs by 69% at a concentration of 9.70 mg mL-1. All isolates had potential bioremediation criteria against soil contaminated with soybean oil, as proved by a high percentage of germination of Lactuca sativa and a reduction in phytotoxicity. Furthermore, the taxa under investigation demonstrated antagonistic action to phytopathogenic fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger, Inonotus rickii, Pestalotiopsis mangiferae, and Coniophora puteana, with an inhibition range between 34.2% and 76.9%. The preliminary toxicity assessment showed that all isolates possessed an LC50 of less than 100 mg mL-1 to the microcrustacean Artemia salina. These results indicate that the endophytic fungi of the Brazilian savanna are promising candidates for biotechnological and industrial applications and, in agricultural applications, for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi.