Morphometric parameters of foodborne related-pathogens estimated by transmission electron microscopy and their relation to optical density and colony forming units.

The different morphological characteristics of five bacterial pathogen strains were analyzed through transmission electron microscopy for addressing the particular relationship between optical density and colony-forming units for each strain. Generated linear equations will allow a reliable calculation of bacterial concentrations through simple optical density measurements.

Surface disinfection procedure and in vitro regeneration of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) axillary buds.

Establishment of an efficient explants surface disinfection protocol is essential for in vitro cell and tissue culture as well as germplasm conservation, such as the case of Grapevine (Vitis spp.) culture. In this research, different procedures for disinfection and regeneration of field-grown grapevine cv. 'Flame seedless' axillary buds were evaluated. The buds were disinfected using either NaOCl or allyl, benzyl, phenyl and 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanates. Two different media for shooting and four media for rooting were tested. Shoot and root development per buds were registered. The best disinfection procedure with 90 % of tissue survival involved shaking for 60 min in a solution containing 20 % Clorox with 50 drops/L Triton(®) X-100. These tissues showed the potential to regenerate a complete plant. Plant regeneration was conducted using full strength Murashigue and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 8 µM benzyl aminopurine for shoot induction and multiplication, whereas rooting was obtained on half strength MS supplemented with 2 mg L(-1) of indole-3-butyric acid and 200 mg L(-1) of activated charcoal. In this work, it was designed the protocols for obtaining sterile field-grown grapevine buds and in vitro plant development. This methodology showed potential to produce vigorous and healthy plants in 5 weeks for clonal grapevine propagation. Regenerated plants were successfully established in soil.

Semiochemicals released by pecan alleviate physiological suppression in overwintering larvae of Acrobasis nuxvorella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Acrobasis nuxvorella Neunzig (pecan nut casebearer) is a monophagous herbivore of Carya illinoinensis (Wang.) K. Koch (pecan); both are indigenous to North America, where Carya has evolved for ≈60 million years. We hypothesized that this close association may have resulted in a parallel evolution allowing casebearer to use pecan volatiles to synchronize seasonality. Casebearer overwinters in diapause as a first-instar larva in a hibernaculum attached to a dormant pecan bud. Larval emergence from this structure after diapause or postdiapause quiescence coincides with the onset of pecan bud growth in the spring, and this interaction was the subject of this study. Dormant pecan twigs with hibernacula-infested buds were exposed to a water control or pecan volatiles from 'Western Schley' cultivar, and monitored to observe larval response by using a microcalorimeter. Initial testing showed that metabolic heat produced by overwintering larvae remained low and unchanged when exposed to water vapor and significantly increased within a few hours after exposure to volatiles from new pecan foliage. This shows that these larvae in hibernacula are in a physiologically suppressed state of diapause or postdiapause quiescence, from which they detect and respond to these pecan volatiles. Further studies to quantify larval responses showed that 90 and 80% of the larvae became active and emerged from their hibernacula ≈6 d after exposure to Western Schley and 'Wichita' volatiles, respectively. Mixtures of 13 sesquiterpenes from those pecan volatiles were identified to induce physiological activity within larvae after hours of exposure, followed some days later by larval emergence from hibernacula. Host volatiles, to our knowledge, have not previously been reported to induce early instar larvae in hibernacula to rouse from a state of physiological arrest to resume normal growth and development. This also has potential for use in pest management.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of milk fermented by wild and industrial Lactococcus lactis strains.

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) activity was evaluated and compared in <3 KDa water-soluble extracts (WSE) isolated from milk fermented by wild and commercial starter culture Lactococcus lactis strains after 48 h of incubation. The highest ACEI activities were found in WSE from milk inoculated with wild L. lactis strains isolated from artisanal dairy products and commercial starter cultures. On the other hand, the lowest ACEI activities were found in WSE from milk inoculated with wild strains isolated from vegetables. Moreover, the IC(50) values (concentration that inhibits 50% activity) of WSE from artisanal dairy products were the lowest, indicating that these fractions were the most effective in inhibiting 50% of ACE activity. In fact, a strain isolated from artisanal cheese presented the lowest IC(50) (13 µg/mL). Thus, it appears that wild L. lactis strains isolated from artisanal dairy products and commercial starter cultures showed good potential for the production of fermented dairy products with ACEI properties.

PCR identification of Salmonella: potential contamination sources from production and postharvest handling of cantaloupes.

Salmonella is one of the most frequently reported etiological agents in outbreaks of foodborne diseases associated with the consumption of cantaloupes. Sensitive and reliable methods for detecting and identifying foodborne microorganisms are needed. The PCR can be used to amplify specific DNA fragments and thus to detect and identify pathogenic bacteria. In this study, a PCR method was used to evaluate the incidence of Salmonella at cantaloupe production, harvest, and packaging steps, and the results were compared with those of the standard method for detection of Salmonella in foods (Mexican NOM-114-SSA1-1994). Salmonella was detected by both standard and PCR methods in 23.5% of the irrigation water samples but only by the PCR method in 9.1% of the groundwater samples, 4.8% of the chlorinated water samples, 16.7% of samples from the hands of packing workers, 20.6% of samples from the packed cantaloupes, and 25.7% of samples from the in-field cantaloupes. With the standard method, Salmonella was found in 8.3% of the crop soil samples. Statistical analysis indicated a significant difference in sensitivity (P < 0.05) between the two methods; the PCR method was 4.3 times more sensitive than the standard method. Salmonella was found at seven of the eight pointsevaluated during the production and postharvest handling of cantaloupe melons.

Effect of infiltrated polyamines on polygalacturonase activity and chilling injury responses in zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.).

The effect of exogenous polyamines on electrolyte leakage, chilling index, polygalacturonase activity (PG), ethylene production, and firmness in zucchini squash fruits stored for 12 days at 2 degrees C or 10 degrees C, 85-90% RH was evaluated. Fruits were infiltrated with putrescine (PUT) spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM) at 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 2.0, and 4.0 mM. All polyamines exerted a protective effect on cell and organelle membranes. The most effective was SPD, which reduced electrolyte leakage between 62% and 82%, compared to control fruits stored at 2 degrees C. At 10 degrees C they did not exhibit chilling injury (CI) symptoms, while at 2 degrees C SPM (0.5 mM) and SPD (0.5 mM) diminished them 92% and 100%, respectively; which extended storage life for 8-10 days at 2 degrees C. High concentrations of polyamines (>2.0 mM) caused the appearance of CI symptoms. PG activity diminished proportionally to the concentration of polyamine except for the concentration at 4.0 mM. No significant changes were observed in ethylene production.

Effect of temperature on enzymatic and physiological factors related to chilling injury in carambola fruit (Averrhoa carambola L.).

Three groups of carambola fruits (Averrhoa carambola L.) were stored at 2 and 10 degrees C (85-90% relative humidity). The major physicochemical, physiological, and enzymatic responses of fruit were measured in each group over a 30-day period: chilling injury index (CII), decay (%), intracuticular waxes, cuticle permeability, pulp firmness, weight loss, sucrose, fructose and glucose contents, ion electrolyte leakage in pulp (%), ethylene and carbon dioxide production rates, and the activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzymes. CII values were statistically different at 2 and 10 degrees C, showing high significance with respect to sucrose content and weight loss (P < 0.05). Chilling injury included darkened ribs and skin desiccation. According to the CI symptom development, a possible relationship of POD and PPO activities was found at 2 degrees C. A significant sucrose content increase was observed at 10 degrees C. CI symptoms were associated with POD and PAL activities.

Biological activities of crude plant extracts from Vitex trifolia L. (Verbenaceae).

Biological assays of Vitex trifolia L. organic extracts have shown relevant activities. Hexanic and dichloromethanic (DCM) extracts, when prepared from stems and foliage, have proved to be very toxic against several cancer cell lines in culture (SQC-1 UISO, OVCAR-5, HCT-15 COLADCAR, and KB). Also, an important antifeeding activity against the insect pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was recorded. The hexanic extract from leaves completely inhibited the growth of the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium sp. within the first 2 days of the experiment, but dropped significantly at day 6 (15% inhibition). The potential of V. trifolia for several uses is discussed.