scholarly journals Characterization of Occupational Exposure To Fungal Burden in Portuguese Bakeries

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Viegas ◽  
Tiago Faria ◽  
Liliana Aranha Caetano ◽  
Elisabete Carolino ◽  
Anita Quintal-Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Material ◽  
World Health ◽  
Dust Collector ◽  
Malt Extract ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Fungal Burden ◽  
Settled Dust ◽  
Fungal Load ◽  
Aspergillus Section

Several studies reported adverse respiratory health effects in workers exposed to ambient contaminants in bakeries. The aim of this study was to examine worker exposure to fungi and mycotoxins in Portuguese bakeries in order to develop new policies in occupational health. Environmental samples such as air, surfaces, settled dust and electrostatic dust collector (EDC) were collected in 13 bakeries for fungal and mycotoxins assessment. Air samples obtained by impaction were performed applying malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05%) and dichloran glycerol (DG18) agar-based media. Air samples collected through impinger method were determined as well for fungal detection by molecular tools of Aspergillus sections and mycotoxins. The highest median value for fungal load was 1053 CFU·m−3 and 65.3% (32 out of 49) of the sampling sites displayed higher fungal load than limits imposed by the World Health Organization. Aspergillus genera was found in air, surface swabs and EDC. Molecular tools were effective in measuring Aspergillus section Fumigati in 22.4% on air, 27.8% on surface swabs and in 7.4% in EDC and Aspergillus section Versicolores in one air sample. All settled dust samples showed contamination with six to eight mycotoxins in each sample. The mycotoxins detected were deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, monoacetoxyscirpenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2, griseofulvin, HT2, ochratoxin A, ochratoxin B and mycophenolic acid. Industrial hygienists and exposure assessors should rely on different sampling methods (active and passive) and different assays (culture based and molecular methods) to obtain an accurate risk characterization regarding fungal burden (fungi and mycotoxins). Additionally, the awareness for the raw material as a potential mycotoxins indoor contamination source is important.

scholarly journals Occupational exposure to bioburden in Portuguese bakeries: an approach to sampling viable microbial load

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Viegas ◽  
Ana Monteiro ◽  
Elisabete Carolino ◽  
Susana Viegas
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Exposure ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Malt Extract ◽  
Airflow Rate ◽  
Active Sampling ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Fungal Load ◽  
Sampling Approach

AbstractIn bakeries, a number of operations such as mixing are associated with exposure to air-suspended flour dust and related bioburden. The aim of this study was to find the best active sampling approach to the assessment of occupational exposure to bioburden in Portuguese bakeries based on the data obtained with the use of specific impaction and impinger devices. We used impaction to collect fungal particles from 100 L air samples onto malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05 %). For growing fungi we also used dichloran glycerol (DG18) agar-based media and for mesophilic bacteria we used tryptic soy agar (TSA) supplemented with nystatin (0.2 %). For Enterobacteriaceae we used violet red bile agar (VRBA). With impingers we also collected 300 L air samples at the 300 L/min airflow rate, inoculated onto the same culture media. The two methods, impaction and impinger, showed statistically significant differences in the following counts: fungal on MEA (z=-2.721, p=0.007), fungal on DG18 (z=-4.830, p=0.000), total bacteria (z=-5.435, p=0.000), and Gram-negative coliforms (z=-3.716, p=0.000). In all cases the impaction method detected significantly higher concentrations than the impinger method. Fungal and bacterial loads were higher in the production unit and lower in the shop. The fungal load obtained with impaction varied between 10 and 5140 CFU m-3, and total bacterial counts ranged between 10 and 4120 CFU m-3. This study has shown that the impaction method is the best active sampling approach to assessing viable bioburden in this specific occupational environment, but a multi-faceted approach to sampling and analyses combining methods and media enables a more refined risk characterisation and, consequently, better tailored risk control measures to reduce adverse health outcomes in workers.

scholarly journals Aspergillus Section Fumigati in Firefighter Headquarters

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2112
Author(s):  
Carla Viegas ◽  
Bianca Gomes ◽  
Marta Dias ◽  
Elisabete Carolino ◽  
Liliana Aranha Caetano
Keyword(s):  
Passive Sampling ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Malt Extract ◽  
Settled Dust ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Aspergillus Sp ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Floor Surfaces ◽  
Aspergillus Section

Background: Aspergillus section Fumigati is one of the Aspergillus sections more frequently related to respiratory symptoms and by other health outcomes. This study aimed to characterize Aspergillus section Fumigati distribution in eleven firefighter headquarters (FFHs) to obtain an accurate occupational exposure assessment. Methods: A sampling approach protocol was performed using active (impaction method) and passive sampling methods (floor surfaces swabs, electrostatic dust collectors (EDCs), and settled dust). All samples were analysed by culture-based methods and passive sampling was used for molecular detection of Aspergillus section Fumigati. Results: Of all the matrices, the highest counts of Aspergillus sp. were obtained on settled dust filters (3.37% malt extract agar—MEA, 19.09% dichloran glycerol—DG18) followed by cleaning cloths (1.67% MEA; 7.07% DG18). Among the Aspergillus genus, the Fumigati section was predominant in Millipore and EDC samples in MEA (79.77% and 28.57%, respectively), and in swabs and settled dust filters in DG18 (44.76% and 30%, respectively). The Fumigati section was detected more frequently in DG18 (33.01%) compared to MEA (0.33%). The Fumigati section was observed in azole supplemented media (itraconazole and voriconazole) in several passive sampling methods employed and detected by qPCR in almost all passive samples, with EDCs being the matrix with the highest prevalence (n = 61; 67.8%). Conclusion: This study confirms that Aspergillus sp. is widespread and the Fumigati section is present in all FFHs. The presence of fungi potentially resistant to azoles in the FFHs was also observed. Further studies are needed to identify the best corrective and preventive measures to avoid this section contamination in this specific occupational environment.

scholarly journals Melinacidin-Producing Acrostalagmus luteoalbus, a Major Constituent of Mixed Mycobiota Contaminating Insulation Material in an Outdoor Wall

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 843
Author(s):  
(Aino) Maria A. Andersson ◽  
Johanna Salo ◽  
Raimo Mikkola ◽  
Tamás Marik ◽  
László Kredics ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Major Constituent ◽  
Bioactive Metabolites ◽  
Its Sequencing ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Settled Dust ◽  
Aspergillus Section

Occupants may complain about indoor air quality in closed spaces where the officially approved standard methods for indoor air quality risk assessment fail to reveal the cause of the problem. This study describes a rare genus not previously detected in Finnish buildings, Acrostalagmus, and its species A. luteoalbus as the major constituents of the mixed microbiota in the wet cork liner from an outdoor wall. Representatives of the genus were also present in the settled dust in offices where occupants suffered from symptoms related to the indoor air. One strain, POB8, was identified as A. luteoalbus by ITS sequencing. The strain produced the immunosuppressive and cytotoxic melinacidins II, III, and IV, as evidenced by mass spectrometry analysis. In addition, the classical toxigenic species indicating water damage, mycoparasitic Trichoderma, Aspergillus section Versicolores, Aspergillus section Circumdati, Aspergillus section Nigri, and Chaetomium spp., were detected in the wet outdoor wall and settled dust from the problematic rooms. The offices exhibited no visible signs of microbial growth, and the airborne load of microbial conidia was too low to explain the reported symptoms. In conclusion, we suggest the possible migration of microbial bioactive metabolites from the wet outdoor wall into indoor spaces as a plausible explanation for the reported complaints.

scholarly journals Liposomal Ellagic Acid Alleviates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Toxicity and Eliminates the Systemic Cryptococcus neoformans Infection in Leukopenic Mice

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 882
Author(s):  
Masood Alam Khan ◽  
Arif Khan ◽  
Mohd Azam ◽  
Khaled S. Allemailem ◽  
Faris Alrumaihi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Superoxide Dismutase ◽  
Renal Function ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Ellagic Acid ◽  
Histological Analysis ◽  
Reduced Glutathione ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Fungal Burden ◽  
Fungal Load

Cryptococcus neoformans infections rose sharply due to rapid increase in the numbers of immunocompromised individuals in recent years. Treatment of Cryptococcosis in immunocompromised persons is largely very challenging and hopeless. Hence, this study aimed to determine the activity of ellagic acid (EA) in the treatment of C. neoformans in cyclophosphamide injected leukopenic mice. A liposomal formulation of ellagic acid (Lip-EA) was prepared and characterized, and its antifungal activity was assessed in comparison to fluconazole (FLZ). The efficacy of the drug treatment was tested by assessing survival rate, fungal burden, and histological analysis in lung tissues. The safety of the drug formulations was tested by investigating hepatic, renal function, and antioxidant levels. The results of the present work demonstrated that Lip-EA, not FLZ, effectively eliminated C. neoformans infection in the leukopenic mice. Mice treated with Lip-EA (40 mg/kg) showed 70% survival rate and highly reduced fungal burden in their lung tissues, whereas the mice treated with FLZ (40 mg/kg) had 20% survival rate and greater fungal load in their lungs. Noteworthy, Lip-EA treatment alleviated cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity and restored hepatic and renal function parameters. Moreover, Lip-EA treatment restored the levels of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione and catalase in the lung tissues. The effect of FLZ or EA or Lip-EA against C. neoformans infection was assessed by the histological analysis of lung tissues. Lip-EA effectively reduced influx of inflammatory cells, thickening of alveolar walls, congestion, and hemorrhage. The findings of the present study suggest that Lip-EA may prove to be a promising therapeutic formulation against C. neoformans in immunocompromised persons.

Mold Counts and Aspergillus Section Flavi Populations in Rice and Its By-Products from the Philippines

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTHONY C. SALES ◽  
TAKUMI YOSHIZAWA
Keyword(s):  
Brown Rice ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Rice Hull ◽  
Aspergillus Section Flavi ◽  
Polished Rice ◽  
Settled Dust ◽  
Rough Rice ◽  
Rice Milling ◽  
By Products ◽  
Aspergillus Section

Mold counts and Aspergillus section Flavi populations in rice and its by-products from the Philippines were examined. The average mold counts of rough rice, brown rice, and locally produced polished rice were 4.1 × 103, 1.0 × 103, and 1.1 × 103 CFU/g, respectively. Average Aspergillus section Flavi counts of the same samples were 3.0 × 102, 1.1 × 102, and 2.6 × 102 CFU/g, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of mold isolates from rough rice, polished rice, and brown rice were section Flavi spp., 31% of which were toxigenic. No section Flavi isolates were obtained from imported rice samples from Thailand and Vietnam. Aspergillus section Flavi was also isolated from rice hull, rice bran, and settled dust from rice milling operations. Toxigenic isolates of both Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus were present in at least one sample of each type of rice and rice by-product except settled dust. Aflatoxins produced in vitro by the isolates ranged from <1 μg/kg to 6,227 μg/kg. A. flavus isolates produced only B aflatoxins, whereas A. parasiticus isolates produced both B and G aflatoxins. Although total mold counts of Philippine rice and its by-products are within tolerable limits, the establishment of maximum limits in counts of potentially aflatoxigenic species in foods and feeds is important because the mere presence of toxin producers is considered a possible risk factor. The results of this research illustrate the need for strict monitoring of rice during both storage and marketing, especially in warm and humid seasons when infestation and consequent production of aflatoxins by Aspergillus section Flavi is expected.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Suspended Matter less than 10 µm and Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases: in Urmia City, 2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Rasool Entezar Mahdi ◽  
Mousa Ghelichi Ghojogh ◽  
Hojjat Kargar ◽  
Saeed Minaee Mehr
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Suspended Particles ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
World Health ◽  
Particle Matter ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
The World ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
West Azerbaijan

Introduction: Air pollution induced by human activities is one of major challenges faced by Iran, as well as the world . The AirQ model was used to evaluate the cardiovascular and respiratory diseases attributable to the exposure to suspended particles of less than 10 µm in Urmia city of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2015. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was conducted in Urmia in 2015. The hourly data of the PM10 (particle matter up to 10 µm) pollutant were extracted as the raw material from the Environmental Health Center. The health effects of suspended particles of less than 10 µm were estimated by statistical analysis using the World Health Organization’s AirQ model.Results:  According to the results concentration of PM10 was higher in the cold seasons compared with the warm seasons. The annual average of PM10 concentration was 3.9 times higher than that prescribed as per the standards of clean air in Iran. In addition, the cumulative numbers of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in the city of Urmia in the median estimate were 287 and 744 cases, respectively. Conclusion: As a consequently, air pollution in the Urmia city has contributed significantly to the rate of hospitalizations and deaths of people in 2015. Therefore, authorities should make appropriate, sustainable, and applicable strategies based on comprehensive research to control the Urmia air pollution crisis.

scholarly journals Medicinal and Aromatic plants: “Natural bio-chemicals and medicine factories”

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 691-698
Author(s):  
Vandana ◽  
Rajesh Lather ◽  
Sridevi Tallapragada ◽  
Gurnam Singh
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Material ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Population ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Aromatic Plants ◽  
Medicinal And Aromatic Plants ◽  
The World

Since thousands years back approximately around 900 BC, medicinal plants are considered as a source of many biomolecules with therapeutic potential. Herbal medicines are considered as safer, better, physiologically compatible and costeffective. The oldest evidence of medicinal and aromatic plants depicts that with the emergence of human civilization, plants have been considered as the main source to heal and cure various serious ailments. It has been proven that the secondary metabolites e.g. alkaloid, glycosides, flavonoides, steroids etc present in the medicinal plants possesses ability to prevent occurrence of some of the diseases, means medicinal plants acts as a “preventive medicine”. Medicinal plants have a paramount importance and a great interest due to its pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutritional values. Some plants are also considered as an important source of nutrition and are known to have a variety of compounds with potential therapeutic properties. India is the principal repository of large number of medicinal and aromatic plants or we can say India is one of the rich mega-biodiversity countries of the world. Medicinal plants are “backbone” of traditional medicinal system (TMS). Crude drugs are usually dried parts of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) such as roots, stems, wood, bark, seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, rhizomes, whole plant etc. that form the essential raw material for the production of medicines in various systems of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Tibatian, Tribal and Homeopathy. According to the survey of the World Health Organization (WHO), about 80% of the world population are using herbs and other traditional medicines for their primary healthcare and have established three kinds of herbal medicines: raw plant material, processed plant material, and herbal products. Now days, variety of available herbs are used throughout the world and they continue to promote good health. As the benefits from medicinal and aromatic plants are recognized, these plants will have a special role for humans in the future. The present review on medicinal and aromatic plants revealed similar combination of studies.

scholarly journals Special Issue on Environmental Biocatalysis

Catalysts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic ◽  
Evangelos Topakas
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Wide Range

Biocatalysis has developed new molecular tools for the improvement of a wide range of bioprocesses that diminish raw material and energy consumption, while reducing or eliminating the formation of byproducts that might be hazardous to human health and the environment [...]

scholarly journals Microbiological Contamination Assessment in Higher Education Institutes

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1079
Author(s):  
Carla Viegas ◽  
Raquel Pimenta ◽  
Marta Dias ◽  
Bianca Gomes ◽  
Miguel Brito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cleaning And Disinfection ◽  
Prevalent Species ◽  
Aspergillus Section

The higher education sector represents a unique environment and it acts as a work environment, a learning environment for students, and frequently, also a home environment. The aim of this study was to determine the microbial contamination (SARS-CoV-2, fungi, and bacteria) in Higher Education Facilities (HEI) by using active and passive sampling methods and combining culture-based methods with molecular tools targeting Aspergillus section Fumigati. In addition, the resistance to azole profile was also assessed. Surface samples showed a range of total bacterial contamination between 1 × 103 to 3.1 × 106 CFU·m−2, while Gram-negative bacteria ranged from 0 to 1.9 × 104 CFU·m−2. Fungal contamination ranged from 2 × 103 to 1.8 × 105 CFU·m−2 on MEA, and from 5 × 103 to 1.7 × 105 CFU·m−2 on DG18. The most prevalent species found on both media was Cladosporium sp. (47.36% MEA; 32.33% DG18). Aspergillus genera was observed on MEA (3.21%) and DG18 (14.66%), but not in the supplemented media used for the azole screening. Aspergillus section Fumigati was detected in 2 air samples (2.22%, 2 out of 90 samples) by qPCR. When testing for SARS-CoV-2 all results were negative. The present study showed that although cleaning and disinfection procedures are done regularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, being effective in eliminating SARS-CoV-2, surfaces were often contaminated with microorganisms other than SARS-CoV-2. This can be a result of increasing resistance to biocides, and to the wide range of environmental factors that can contribute to the dissemination of microbial contamination indoors.

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Role of Vitamin D3 in Combination with Fluconazole Against Vaginal Candidiasis in a Murine Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled S. Allemailem
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D3 ◽  
Histological Analysis ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Vaginal Wall ◽  
Vaginal Candidiasis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vaginal Tissue ◽  
Fungal Burden ◽  
Infected Control Group ◽  
Fungal Load

Objective: In the present study, we assessed the adjunct effect of vitamin D3 in the combination with fluconazole (FLZ) against vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in mice. Methods: Prophylactic effect was assessed by pretreating mice with vitamin D3 before exposure of mice with 2 X 106 CFUs of Candida albicans followed by treatment with FLZ. To determine the combined therapeutic efficacy, C. albicans infected mice were treated with a combination of vitamin D3 (10 µg/kg) and FLZ (10 and 20 mg/kg). The efficacy of the treatment was assessed by analyzing the fungal load and blood cell count. Moreover, the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-17 and TNF-α were analyzed in the vaginal tissues. The histological analysis of the vaginal tissue from the untreated and treated mice was performed to assess the efficacy of the treatment. Results: Prophylactic treatment with vitamin D3 (10 and 20 µg/kg) significantly increased the therapeutic effect of FLZ against VVC. In therapeutic experiment, mice in the infected control group showed the highest vaginal fungal load of 83627 ± 10058 CFUs. Treatment with FLZ at a dose of 10 mg/kg reduced fungal load to 55523 ± 14823 CFUs, whereas the mice treated with a combination of vitamin D3 and FLZ (10 mg/kg) had the fungal burden of 12156 ± 3219. Similarly, treatment with FLZ (20 mg/kg) reduced fungal load to 36394 ± 5648 CFUs, whereas the addition of vitamin D3 to FLZ (20 mg/kg) further reduced the fungal burden to 2179 ± 1188. The leukocyte numbers in the infected mice increased to 9802 ± 505 as compared to 5152 ± 778 in normal control mice. Whereas, a combination of vitamin D3 with FLZ (10 and 20 mg/kg) reduced leukocyte numbers to 7284 ± 607 and 5739 ± 1126. The histological analysis data revealed epithelial necrosis, shedding and ulceration in the vaginal wall. Treatment with FLZ or a combination of FLZ and vitamin D3 brought regenerative changes in the vaginal epithelium and lamina proparia. Conclusion: The results of the present work recommend that the addition of vitamin D3 may be considered to increase the efficacy of FLZ against VVC.

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