Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes in Different Raw Food from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis in humans and animals, reaching up to 30% case mortality. There are only a few reports in Mexico about the L. monocytogenes strains found in various foods. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of L. monocytogenes, serogroups, virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistance in different foods from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. L. monocytogenes strains were characterized by microbiological and molecular methods. Susceptibility to 12 antibiotics was determined according to CLSI and EUCAST. A total of 300 samples of seafood, pasteurized and raw milk, cheese, beef, and chicken were collected from supermarkets and retail markets. The presence of L. monocytogenes was detected in 5.6% of the samples. Most strains belonged to serogroups 4b, 4d, and 4e (68.4%). All strains presented a minimum of four virulence genes; the most common were actA, hly, and plcB (92.1%). A high percentage of antimicrobial susceptibility was observed, with resistance only to STX-TMP (78.9%), STR (26.3%), MEM (21.0%), and E (2.6%). These results show that the foods in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, are a reservoir of L. monocytogenes and represent a potential health risk.

Evaluación antimicrobiana de un extracto metanólico de Beauveria bassian a contra bacterias patógenas de importancia nosocomial / Performance Evaluation of Maize Starch as a Multifunctional Excipient in Metronidazole Tablet Formulation

Objetivo: Se evaluó la actividad antimicrobiana de un extracto crudo de B. bassiana y dos fracciones del mismo contra bacterias de importancia clínica. Métodos: El micelio de cepa B. bassiana se remojó en metanol durante una semana, después se evaporo en un rotovapor a 45°C aplicando vacío. El extracto metanólico se hizo pasar con dos fases móviles para obtener una fracción A y B. La fracciones A, B y el extracto crudo C se evaluaron contra las cepas Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella tiphy, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Acinetobacter baumannii con la técnica de microdilución en placa. Resultados: En la fracción A se observó un efecto antimicrobiano contra Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Acinetobacter baumannii el crecimiento bacteriano alcanzó el 70, 60 y 83 % respectivamente. La fracción B causó un efecto antimicrobiano en Klebsiella pneumoniae, S. typhi, P. aeruginosa y A. baumannii con un crecimiento bacteriano del 62, 58, 41 y 7 % respectivamente. Y El extracto crudo no causó inhibición del crecimiento en A. baumannii, pero para el resto de la bacterias hubo un crecimiento del 56 al 88 %. Conclusiones: Beauveria bassiana es un hongo entomopatógeno que produce diferentes metabolitos con actividad insecticida, citotóxica, antifúngica, antibiótica y antiviral. Este es el primer estudio de los efectos antimicrobianos de un extracto metanólico del hongo entomopatógeno B. bassiana contra cepas bacterianas de importancia clínica

Objective: The antimicrobial activity of a crude extract of B. bassiana and two fractions thereof against clinically important bacteria was evaluated. Methods: The mycelium of strain B. bassiana was soaked in methanol for a week, then it was evaporated in a rotovap at 45 ° C applying a vacuum. The methanolic extract was passed through two mobile phases to obtain a fraction A and B. Fractions A, B and crude extract C were evaluated against the strains Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella tiphy, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii with the plate microdilution technique. Results: In fraction A an antimicrobial effect against Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii was observed, bacterial growth reached 70, 60 and 83% respectively. Fraction B caused an antimicrobial effect in Klebsiella pneumoniae, S. typhi, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii with a bacterial growth of 62, 58, 41 and 7% respectively. And the crude extract did not cause growth inhibition in A. baumannii, but for the rest of the bacteria there was a growth of 56 to 88%. Conclusions: Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that produces different metabolites with insecticidal, cytotoxic, antifungal, antibiotic and antiviral activity. This is the first study of the antimicrobial effects of a methanolic extract of the entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana against bacterial strains of clinical importance

Ruta graveolens Extracts and Metabolites against Spodoptera frugiperda.

The biological activity of Ruta graveolens leaf tissue extracts obtained with different solvents (ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water) and metabolites (psoralen, 2- undecanone and rutin) against Spodoptera frugiperda was evaluated. Metabolites levels in extracts were quantified by HPLC and GC. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts showed 94% and 78% mortality, respectively. Additionally, psoralen metabolite showed a high mortality as cypermethrin. Metabolite quantification in extracts shows the presence of 2-undecanone (87.9 µmoles mg(-1) DW), psoralen (3.6 µmoles mg(-1) DW) and rutin (0.001 pmoles mg(-1) DW). We suggest that these concentrations of 2-undecanone and psoralen in R. graveolens leaf tissue extracts could be responsible for S. frugiperda mortality.

Correlation between Pr1 and Pr2 gene content and virulence in Metarhizium anisopliae strains.

Metarhizium anisopliae is a widely studied model to understand the virulence factors that participate in pathogenicity. Proteases such as subtilisin-like enzymes (Pr1) and trypsin-like enzymes (Pr2) are considered important factors for insect cuticle degradation. In four M. anisopliae strains (798, 6342, 6345, and 6347), the presence of pr1 and pr2 genes, as well as the enzymatic activity of these genes, was correlated with their virulence against two different insect pests. The 11 pr1 genes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K) and pr2 gene were found in all strains. The activity of individual Pr1 and Pr2 proteases exhibited variation in time (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) and in the presence or absence of chitin as the inductor. The highest Pr1 enzymatic activity was shown by strain 798 at 48 h with chitin. The highest Pr2 enzymatic activity was exhibited by the 6342 and 6347 strains, both grown with chitin at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Highest mortality on S. exigua was caused by strain 6342 at 48 h, and strains 6342, 6345, and 6347 caused the highest mortality 7 days later. Mortality on Prosapia reached 30% without variation. The presence of subtilisin and trypsin genes and the activity of these proteases in M. anisopliae strains cannot be associated with the virulence against the two insect pests. Probably, subtilisin and trypsin enzyme production is not a vital factor for pathogenicity, but its contribution is important to the pathogenicity process.