Stainless steel and polyethylene surfaces functionalized with silver nanoparticles.

The antimicrobial effects of a stainless steel surface and a polyethylene surface functionalized with silver nanoparticles on the adhesion of different bacteria and the changes in physical and chemical characteristics of these surfaces that influence biofilm formation were evaluated. The functionalized surfaces of polyethylene and stainless steel were more hydrophobic than the control ones. The bacterial surfaces were hydrophilic. The adhesion of all bacteria was thermodynamically favorable (ΔGadhesion<0) on all surfaces functionalized and control. The numbers of adhered cells of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas fluorescens were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the control and functionalized surfaces, reaching values compatible with biofilm formation. Analysis of atomic absorption spectrometry using water and reconstituted skim milk as simulants showed no release of Ag from the functionalized surfaces. In conclusion, the surfaces that were functionalized with silver nanoparticles were modified in hydrophobicity, roughness, and did not avoid bacterial adhesion. Additional studies of surfaces functionalized with silver nanoparticles should be conducted addressing the adsorption technique of silver nanoparticles on the stainless steel surface as well as in the preparation of the polyethylene surface to allow the contact of microorganism with the antimicrobial agent.

Application of PCDA/SPH/CHO/Lysine vesicles to detect pathogenic bacteria in chicken.

During the course of infection, Salmonella must successively survive the harsh acid stress of the stomach and multiply into a mild acidic compartment within macrophages. Inducible amino acid decarboxylases are known to promote adaptation to acidic environments, as lysine decarboxylation to cadaverine. The idea of Salmonella defenses responses could be employed in systems as polydiacetylene (PDA) to detect this pathogen so important to public health system. Beside that PDA is an important substance because of the unique optical property; that undergoes a colorimetric transitions by various external stimuli. Therefore 10,12-pentacosadyinoic acid (PCDA)/Sphingomyelin(SPH)/Cholesterol(CHO)/Lysine system was tested to determine the colorimetric response induced by Salmonella choleraesuis. PCDA/SPH/CHO/Lysine vesicles showed a colour change even in low S. choleraesuis concentration present in laboratory conditions and in chicken meat. Thus, this work showed a PCDA/SPH/CHO/Lysine vesicle application to simplify routine analyses in food industry, as chicken meat industry.

Exposure to Anacardiaceae volatile oils and their constituents induces lipid peroxidation within food-borne bacteria cells.

The chemical composition of the volatile oils from five Anacardiaceae species and their activities against Gram positive and negative bacteria were assessed. The peroxidative damage within bacterial cell membranes was determined through the breakdown product malondialdehyde (MDA). The major constituents in Anacardium humile leaves oil were (E)-caryophyllene (31.0%) and α-pinene (22.0%), and in Anacardium occidentale oil they were (E)-caryophyllene (15.4%) and germacrene-D (11.5%). Volatile oil from Astronium fraxinifolium leaves were dominated by (E)-ß-ocimene (44.1%) and α-terpinolene (15.2%), whilst the oil from Myracrodruon urundeuva contained an abundance of δ-3-carene (78.8%). However, Schinus terebinthifolius leaves oil collected in March and July presented different chemical compositions. The oils from all species, except the one from A. occidentale, exhibited varying levels of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. Oil extracted in July from S. terebinthifolius was more active against all bacterial strains than the corresponding oil extracted in March. The high antibacterial activity of the M. urundeuva oil could be ascribed to its high δ-3-carene content. The amounts of MDA generated within bacterial cells indicate that the volatile oils induce lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that one putative mechanism of antibacterial action of these volatile oils is pro-oxidant damage within bacterial cell membrane explaining in part their preservative properties.

Antimicrobial effects of silver nanoparticles against bacterial cells adhered to stainless steel surfaces.

Given the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the need to synthesize new antimicrobials, silver has attracted interest in the scientific community because of its recognized antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of silver nanoparticles (NP) obtained by a new method and tested at concentrations of 6 µg/ml and 60 µg/ml against the species Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua, Salmonella Choleraesuis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus. The ability of these nanoparticles to remove or kill vegetative cells adhered to stainless steel surfaces was also evaluated. We observed that the NP obtained with the new method, concentrated silver nanoparticles (CNP), and silver nanoparticles with added sodium chloride (NPNaCl) had high antimicrobial activities (P < 0.05). We also verified that the most effective condition for the removal of P. aeruginosa cells on stainless steel coupons (10 by 10 mm) was immersion of the surfaces in CNP. The CNP treatment produced a 5-log reduction of the microbial population after 30 to 60 min of immersion. The CNP treatment also performed better than water and sodium carbonate, a compound commonly applied in clean-in-place procedures in the food industry, in removing adherent B. cereus cells from stainless steel cylinders. Therefore, these results suggest that NP synthesized by a new procedure may be used as antimicrobials in the food industry, for example, for the sanitization of utensils that come into contact with foods.

Thermodynamic study of colorimetric transitions in polydiacetylene vesicles induced by the solvent effect.

We report the synthesis of 10,12-pentacosadyinoic acid (PCDA) and PCDA + cholesterol (CHO) + sphingomyelin (SPH) vesicles dispersed in water and the determination of their colorimetric response induced by small amount of organic solvents. In the absence of solvent, PCDA and PCDA/CHO/SPH vesicles showed an intense blue color. The addition of CHCl(3), CH(2)Cl(2), and CCl(4) caused a colorimetric transition (CT) in both structures with the following efficiency: CHCl(3) > CH(2)Cl(2) ≅ CCl(4). However, CH(3)OH did not cause a blue-to-red transition. By microcalorimetric technique we also determined, for the first time, the enthalpy change associated with the CT process and the energy of interaction between solvent molecules and vesicle self-assembly. We observed that the chloride solvents induced a colorimetric transition, but the thermodynamic mechanism was different for each of them. CT induced by CHCl(3) was enthalpically driven, while that caused by CH(2)Cl(2) or CCl(4) was entropically driven.

Effect of active packaging incorporated with triclosan on bacteria adhesion.

Antimicrobial polyethylene and cellulose based films incorporated with triclosan were studied. The antimicrobial efficacy, the hydrophobicity, microscopic and the mechanical characteristics of the films, as well free energy of adhesion between bacteria and antimicrobial films were evaluated. It was observed that both polyethylene and cellulose based films incorporated with the antimicrobial were homogeneous. Furthermore, the addition of triclosan did not affect mechanical characteristics of the films (P > 0.05). However, triclosan incorporated into polyethylene films reduced its hydrophobicity while antimicrobial cellulose based films became more hydrophobic. The adhesion was thermodynamically favorable between tested bacteria and polyethylene films. On the other hand, the adhesion to triclosan cellulose based film was thermodynamically unfavorable to Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and favorable to Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Polyethylene and cellulose based films showed inhibitory effect against S. aureus and E. coli, being the inhibition halo higher for polyethylene films. This study improves the knowledge about antimicrobial films.

Enumeração de bactérias em leite cru, utilizando a técnica de contagem direta por microscopia de epifluorescent (Direct Epifluorescent Filter Technique - DEFT) / Enumeration of bacteria in raw milk, utilizing the straight technique of tally by microscopy of epifluorescência (Direct Epifluorescent Filter Technique - DEFT)

Avaliou-se o método rápido de análise quantitativa de bactérias por microscopia de epifluorescência (DEFT) no leite cru tipo C recebido pelo Laticínios Escola da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa-MG. Um total de 190 amostras foram quantificadas pelo método DEFT e pelo método oficial de contagem padrão de mesófilos aeróbios em placa (CPP). Pôde-se observar a distinguir células coradas de alaranjado (consideradas viáveis) e células coradas de verde ( consideradas mortas), sendo que apenas as alaranjadas foram enumeradas. O resultado da análise de regressão línea apresentou um coeficiente de correção r = 0,83, sendo que a equação de regressão ficou Y = 0,68X + 1,96; onde Y = log10 UFC/mL (CPP). O limite de detecção apresentado pelo método DEFT ficou em 5,3 x 10³ CME/mL. O método DEFT apresentou um CV de 1,6 por cento. Baseando-se nas análises comparativas, pode-se inferir que o método DEFT tem um grande potencial para ser usado no Brasil para avaliar o nível de contaminação do leite cru tipo C. Além da possibilidade da sua aplicação em outros estudos na área de alimentos.