Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Effects of Eucalyptus spp. Essential Oils: A Potential Valuable Use for an Industry Byproduct.

In Brazil, the use of Eucalyptus is focused on the production of wood or pulp for the paper industry but without any general recovery of waste, with leaves and branches being left on the ground. One possibility is to use these residues as raw materials in the production of industrially relevant and value-added compounds such as essential oil. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition, yield, anti-inflammatory/antinociceptive activities, and acute toxicity in mice, as well as the antimicrobial effects of essential oils from the leaves of 7 varieties of Eucalyptus and hybrids against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The extraction of oils was carried out using hydrodistillation, and they were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Urocam and Grancam were the plants that obtained the highest oil yield, with yields of 3.32 and 2.30%, respectively. The main chemical components identified in these plants were 1.8 cineole and α-pinene. The antinociceptive effect of the 7 oils (50 mg/kg, p.o.) was initially assessed in the acetic acid-induced writhing test. In this assay, a significant (p < 0.05) antinociceptive/anti-inflammatory effect was observed from 4 tested essential oils (E. benthamii, E. saligna, and the hybrids Urocam and Grancam) when compared to the vehicle-treated group. This effect was then confirmed in the formalin-induced paw licking test. No toxicological effects or alterations were observed in motor coordination after the administration of the studied oils to the animals. In the antimicrobial evaluation, the seven essential oils inhibited the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans at different concentrations. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the essential oil from the leaves and branches of Eucalyptus species and varieties present potential biomedical applications and represent a source of antimicrobial and/or anti-inflammatory compounds.

Photodynamic inactivation of yeast and bacteria by extracts of Alternanthera brasiliana.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Alternathera brasiliana (Amaranthaceae) extracts as photosensitizing agents in photodynamic antimicrobial therapies (PACT) against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida dubliniensis. The crude hexane and ethanol extracts were obtained from A. brasiliana whole plant and showed absortion from 650 to 700 nm. Also, singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) production (type II photosensitization reaction) was examined, and the results show that 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran photodegradation was greatly enhanced in the presence of the A. brasiliana extracts. One plate in each assay was irradiated while the other was not irradiated, the number of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) was obtained, and data analyzed by the Tukey test. The chemical composition of the extracts was determined by chromatographic and spectrometric techniques; steroids, triterpenes, and flavonoids were identified. Laser irradiation alone at 685 nm using diode laser, output power of 35 mW, and energy of 28 J/cm2, or non-irradiated crude extracts in sub-inhibitory concentration did not reduce the number of CFU/mL significantly, whereas irradiated hexane and ethanol extracts, in sub-inhibitory concentrations, inhibited the growth of these microorganisms. The photoactivation of hexane and ethanol extracts of A. brasiliana, in sub-inhibitory concentrations, using red laser radiation at 685 nm had an antimicrobial effect.

Study of thermophilic campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter / Study of thermophilic campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler fl ocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughterMaterials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler fl ock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modifi ed Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed.

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler fl ocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughter.Materials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler fl ock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modifi ed Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed.

Study of thermophilic Campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler flocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughter. Materials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler flock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5°C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modified Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5°C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed. In addition, negative mCCDA and CCA plates showed an abundant growth of contaminant cells. The PCR assay detected all thermophilic Campylobacter reference strains tested and also the Arcobacter species. No amplified product was obtained from the non-related bacterial species analyzed. It was possible to identify 29 (90.6%) cloacal swabs, 32 (97.0%) caecal contents and 31 (100%) broiler carcasses Campylobacter-positive by PCR analysis. PFGE typing of the C. jejuni isolated resulted in two clearly distinguished genotypes which were grouped into different clusters. Discussion: The detection of C. jejuni in only few cloacal swabs sampled contrasts with higher frequencies of Campylobacter previously described in broilers. However, the enrichment culture of fecal samples might be compromised by the many competing non-target bacteria present, which may have prevented the detection of Campylobacter-positive samples. In addition, the BB and selective media containing cefoperazone might have allowed the growth of cefoperazone-resistant contaminant cells from fecal and carcasses samples, which masked Campylobacter cells onto mCCDA and CCA. To improve the detection of Campylobacter in broiler samples, alternative antimicrobial supplements or reduction of the time of enrichment has already been suggested. PCR showed a higher number of positive samples, which might reflect the increased ability of the PCR assay to detect either injured cells in conventional enrichment culture or Campylobacter that were masked by the proliferation of competing cells onto selective media used. The PCR assay was able to detect all the reference strains of thermophilic Campylobacter, but also the related Arcobacter species. However, the temperature of incubation of the enriched cultures associated to the selective pressure of the antimicrobials present in the BB restricts the growth of Arcobacter and the false-positive results observed using PCR. The subtypes of the C. jejuni strains isolated showed that the target broiler flock was simultaneously colonized by more than one C. jejuni strain which might be the result of introduction of Campylobacter from different sources at farm. PCR analysis showed high Campylobacter contamination level of the target flock at slaughter, pointing to the need for additional studies to investigate Campylobacter sources at broiler processing.

Study of thermophilic campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter / Study of thermophilic campylobacter contamination of a broiler batch at slaughter

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler fl ocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughterMaterials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler fl ock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modifi ed Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed.

Background: Broilers are a reservoir of Campylobacter (C.), an important causal agent of gastroenteritis mostly associated to handling and consumption of broiler meat. The majority of broiler fl ocks are colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter at the slaughter age, and carcasses might be contaminated throughout the processing line. Since surveillance is crucial to evaluate and improve approaches to reduce Campylobacter spread during broiler processing, a cross-sectional study was carried out to detect the level of Campylobacter contamination in a broiler at slaughter.Materials, Methods & Results: Cloacal swabs, caeca and whole carcasses were taken from a broiler fl ock slaughtered in Southern Brazil. Samples were individually inoculated in Bolton Broth (BB) and incubated at 41.5C in a microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h, when the enriched culture was inoculated onto modifi ed Charcoal Cefoperazone Deoxycholate Agar (mCCDA) and Campy-Cefex Agar (CCA) plates. All plates were incubated at 41.5C in the microaerobic atmosphere for 44 h. Aliquots of each enriched BB were collected and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the genetic relatedness of isolates was analyzed by pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 3 (9.4%) cloacal swabs were positive for C. jejuni. No Campylobacter was isolated from any of the caecal contents or broiler carcasses analyzed.

Extracts from Alternanthera maritima as natural photosensitizers in photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT).

This study investigated the effect of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) using extracts from Alternanthera maritima on the viability of Candida dubliniensis. Human infections constitute a great health problem. Several antifungal drugs are currently available, but their uses are limited by a number of factors, such as low potency, poor solubility, microbial resistance, and drug toxicity. Therefore, the search for new and more effective antimicrobial agents and the development of alternative therapies, such as PACT, are necessary. Crude hexane and ethanol extracts of A. maritima were produced. The prepared extracts presented absorption at 650-700 nm. For bioassays, 50 microL of culture medium, 50 microL of extract (25 mg/mL) or control, and 5 microL of a suspension of the microorganism to be tested (C. dubliniensis ATCC 778157 or ATCC 777, 10(7)CFU/mL) were placed in a sterile 96-well microtiter plate (well cross section=0.38 cm(2)). The contents of each well were irradiated with a 685-nm diode laser with an output power of 35 mW, which was distributed through the well cross section yielding an energy dosage of 28 J/cm(2). In each assay (n=6), one plate was subjected to irradiation, and one was not. For each active sample, the number of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) was obtained, and data were analyzed by the Tukey test. The chemical compositions of the extracts were determined by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The results suggest inhibition of the growth of C. dubliniensis when irradiated with a diode laser in the presence of hexane and ethanol extracts from A. maritima as photosensitizers. Laser irradiation alone or crude extracts at 25mg/mL did not significantly reduce the number of CFU/mL. Steroids, triterpenes, and flavonoids were identified in the analyzed extracts. In conclusion, the photoactivation of crude hexane and ethanol extracts of A. maritima by red laser radiation at 685 nm promoted an antimicrobial effect, showing that these natural products can be used as photosensitizers in PACT.