ABSTRACT
Background: In order to investigate the occurrence of Giardia duodenalis and its genotypes in vegetables that are consumed raw, we analyzed samples cultivated with organic or chemical fertilizer, sold in street markets and from community vegetable gardens in an urban area located in Southern Brazil. Methods: We analyzed 130 samples of vegetables such as crisp lettuce, regular lettuce, kale, chicory and rocket, from street markets, and 130 from community gardens. From each sample, 50 g were washed in Tween 80 solution (1%) and the solution obtained was filtered through a cellulose acetate membrane. The retained material was used for DNA extraction with the commercial kit Purelink®. GDH gene was amplified by semi-nested PCR using the GDHeF, GDHiR and GDHiF primers. Positive samples were genotyped using the PCR-RFLP technique with the restriction enzyme NlaIV. Results: We obtained 7.3% (19/260) positive samples for G. duodenalis, both from street markets (10/130) and from community gardens (9/130), including organic and non-organic products. The assemblage AI was predominant, but assemblages B and E were also found. Conclusions: The molecular technique revealed genotypes with zoonotic potential, evidencing the importance of investigating commercialized vegetables that are consumed raw and establishing a more rigid quality control.
