ABSTRACT
El suministro de suficientes alimentos es prioritario para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria de una población. También es importante corroborar que sean de calidad e inocuos, para que no causen daño al consumirlos cuando se preparen de acuerdo al uso previsto. Esta investigación verifica si 101 lotes (370 unidades de muestra) de alimentos envasados (harina de maíz, leche en polvo, pasta alimenticia, mortadela, salchicha cocida, carne congelada, pollo congelado, leche UHT, atún enlatado y carne de almuerzo) comercializados en el Estado Nueva Esparta durante los años 2006 a 2014, cumplían requisitos microbiológicos indicados por normas venezolanas. Las muestras fueron captadas por Inspectores de Salud Pública (MPPS). Para los análisis se aplicaron procedimientos de normas COVENIN y FONDONORMA. Cumplieron los requisitos considerados todas las muestras de pasta alimenticia, mortadela, pollo congelado, atún en conserva y carne de almuerzo. Sin embargo, dos lotes de leche UHT y otros dos de carne congelada presentaron recuentos de aerobios mesófilos superiores a las estipulaciones en alguna de las unidades analizadas. Por otra parte, tres de los nueve lotes de salchichas cocidas incumplieron alguno de los requisitos con carácter de recomendación, igualmente 5 de los 16 lotes de harina de maíz (recuentos de mohos) y 10 de los 17 de leche en polvo (recuentos de esporas termófilas). Se concluye que estos incumplimientos pudieran estar ocasionados por fallas de control durante la cadena de producción, re-envasado, almacenamiento o comercialización bien sea de materias primas o de productos terminados.
Enough food supply is a priority to guarantee the food security of a country´s residents. It is also important to supervise that they are harmless for human consumption. This study verifies if 370 packed foods (corn flour, powdered milk, spaghetti, bologna, frozen meat and chicken, pork sausage, UHT milk, canned tuna and luncheon meat), that belonged to 101 production lots commercialized during the years 2006 to 2014 in Nueva Esparta state (Venezuela), fulfill microbiological specifications indicated by Venezuelan norms. Samples were picked up by public health inspectors. For analysis the COVENIN and FONDONORMA procedures were used. All the spaghetti, bologna, frozen chicken, canned tuna and luncheon meat samples complied with the norms. Nevertheless, two UHT milk´s production lots and other two of frozen meat showed total aerobic plate counts higher than the recommended limits. By the other hand, 9 pork sausage´s production lots failed to fulfill a few norms, just as 5 of 16 corn flour lots (molds counts), and 10 of 17 powdered milk production lots (thermophiles spore counts). In conclusion, the nonfulfillment of norms detected, particularly in corn flour and powdered milk samples, are caused by not performing proper controls during the production chain and commercialization of raw materials or finished products.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Spores/physiology , Products Commerce , Food Microbiology/standards , Food Supply , Health Surveillance , Public HealthABSTRACT
Attachment of spores of Ulva fasciata to natural biofilms was examined to probe the basis for specificity in settlement. Within 30 min from initial exposure in laboratory assays, spores attached to 1-, 3-, 6- or 9-day biofilms formed on acid-cleaned glass slides. The greatest number of spores attached to biofilms aged for 6-day (573.3 +/- 45 spores mm2, p<0.025). The Morisita Index (MI) was used to investigate relationships between the spatial pattern of spores on natural biofilms, and was found to be random for 1-, 3- and 6-day biofilms (MI = 0.93, 0.98 and 0.95, respectively), but non-random on 9-day biofilms (0.82). In addition to the attachment of spores to natural biofilms, experimentally manipulated biofilms that provided potentially specific receptor sites were studied. Epifluorescence microscopy of 1-day biofilms confirmed that experimental sugar was incorporated into natural biofilms. The Jacalin galactose specific probe showed a homogeneous pattem of galactose incorporation on biofilms, whereas Concanavalin Aprobe (mannose) showed a discrete pattem for this sugar. Similarly, the addition offetuin to a biofilm was detected as a heterogeneous pattern. Rapid spore attachment of U. fasciata found on natural biotilms was induced by fetuin (1-day: 1482 +/- 46.6 spores mm2); specific molecules similar to fetuin may play a role in triggering settlement Specific sugars and their analogs are important surface receptors and play an integral role in attachment of Ulva fasciata spores to aged biofilms. Biofilm age and the role of specific sugars on attachment are discussed.
Subject(s)
Adhesiveness , Animals , Biofilms , Carbohydrates/analysis , Galactose , Mannose , Marine Biology , Microscopy, Fluorescence , Spores/physiology , Time Factors , Ulva/physiology , alpha-Fetoproteins/analysisABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of different reproductive phases and to induce the germination of spores from tetrasporic and cystocarpic Gracilariopsis tenuifrons from Chacopata and La Peña,Venezuela, under controlled laboratory conditions (temperature 22 ±1 ºC,12L:12D photoperiod,salinity of 36 ±1 PSU and irradiance of 269 µE m-2 s-1).Tetrasporic individuals dominated numerically over gametophitic individuals. The proportion of vegetative algae was very low.Only cystocarpic algae were collected and the spermatangia were absent.Sporulation,germination and formation of algae suggest that they present a Polysiphonia-type life cycle.Algae with reproductive structures were not obtained in the laboratory
Subject(s)
Animals , Rhodophyta/growth & development , Germination/physiology , In Vitro Techniques , Life Cycle Stages/physiology , Spores/physiology , Photoperiod , Population Dynamics , Reproduction/physiology , Sodium Chloride/analysis , Time Factors , VenezuelaABSTRACT
The role of growth and sporulation in the production of mosquito larvicidal factors in B. sphaericus H-5a5b strains was investigated using 6 strains that differed in their larvicidal activity. Among these, strain B64 produced maximum biomass (15.5 g/l by 29th h) while B45 and B85 yielded the least (12.8 g/l by 41st and 37th h respectively). Strains B43 and B42 reached the peak of viable cell count (4-6 x 10(10) cells/ml) 4 h earlier than B64 and 12 h earlier than the rest of the strains. Strains B42 and B43 produced higher number of heat resistant spores (4 x 10(8) spores/ml), while strains B45 and B57 produced the lowest numbers (2-4 x 10(5) spores/ml). Mosquitocidal toxin synthesis was noticed as early as the 5th and 9th h in the cultures of the strains B42 and B64 respectively while in those of other strains it was detected by the 13th h or later. The results indicated that generally the highly and moderately toxic strains grew faster and sporulated better than the poorly toxic ones.