scholarly journals Fungal Community and Physicochemical Profiles of Ripened Cheeses

Author(s):  
Michele Aragão ◽  
Suzana Evangelista ◽  
Fabiana Passamani ◽  
João Pedro Guimarães ◽  
Luiz Abreu ◽  
...  

Abstract Ripened cheeses are traditionally produced and consumed worldwide. Canastra’s Minas artisanal cheese (QMA) is a protected geographical indication (PGI) traditional ripened cheeses. The influence of fungi on the cheese ripening process is of great importance. This study aimed to apply culture-dependent and -independent methods to determine the mycobiota of QMA produced in the Canastra region, as well as to determine its physicochemical characteristics. Samples from different producers were collected in the cities of São Roque de Minas and Piumhi (MG). Illumina-based amplicon sequencing, and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight - (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) methods were used. The physicochemical analysis showed that the QMA had a moisture content between 18.24% and 21%, fat content between 20.5% and 40%, sodium chloride percentage around 0.9%, and pH of 5.5 to 5.3. The population of fungi ranged between 6.3 and 8 log CFU/g. Fusarium sp., Geotrichum candidum, Paecilomyces sp., Trichosporon coremiiforme, Candida catenulata, Aspergillus sp., Trichosporon japonicum, A. oryzae, Kluyveromyces, Torulaspora, and Debaryomyces were the most prevalent fungi. A. ochraceus potentially mycotoxin-producing was detected. Promising species that can contribute to the product quality were identified as Geotrichum candidum and Candida catenulate. However, future studies should evaluate the ability of A. ochraceus to produce mycotoxin in cheese, as well as control the growth of certain species of fungi during ripening, resulting in a safe and high quality product.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 4530
Author(s):  
Gabriela Torres Silva ◽  
Carolina Di Pietro Fernandes ◽  
Priscila Aiko Hiane ◽  
Karine de Cássia Freitas ◽  
Priscila Silva Figueiredo ◽  
...  

The fruit of Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. is a source of oil with active compounds that are protective to the organism. In our work, we analyzed the physicochemical characteristics and evaluated the effects of supplementation with C. brasiliense oil in an animal model. We characterized the oil by indices of quality and identity, optical techniques of absorption spectroscopy in the UV–Vis region and fluorescence, and thermogravimetry/derived thermogravimetry (TG/DTG). For the animal experiment, we utilized mice (Mus musculus) supplemented with lipidic source in different dosages. The results demonstrated that C. brasiliense oil is an alternative source for human consumption and presents excellent oxidative stability. Primarily, it exhibited oleic MFA (53.56%) and palmitic SFA (37.78%). The oil level of tocopherols and tocotrienols was superior to the carotenoids. The supplementation with C. brasiliense oil reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-c, and non-HDL-c. Regarding visceral fats and adiposity index, the treatment synergically supplemented with olive oil and C. brasiliense oil (OO + CO) obtained the best result. Therefore, C. brasiliense oil is a high quality product for consumption. Its supplementation promotes beneficial effects mainly on the lipidic profile.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Issa Sy ◽  
Lena Margardt ◽  
Emmanuel O. Ngbede ◽  
Mohammed I. Adah ◽  
Saheed T. Yusuf ◽  
...  

Fascioliasis is a neglected trematode infection caused by Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica. Routine diagnosis of fascioliasis relies on macroscopic identification of adult worms in liver tissue of slaughtered animals, and microscopic detection of eggs in fecal samples of animals and humans. However, the diagnostic accuracy of morphological techniques and stool microscopy is low. Molecular diagnostics (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) are more reliable, but these techniques are not routinely available in clinical microbiology laboratories. Matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a widely-used technique for identification of bacteria and fungi; yet, standardized protocols and databases for parasite detection need to be developed. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an in-house database for Fasciola species-specific identification. To achieve this goal, the posterior parts of seven adult F. gigantica and one adult F. hepatica were processed and subjected to MALDI-TOF MS to create main spectra profiles (MSPs). Repeatability and reproducibility tests were performed to develop the database. A principal component analysis revealed significant differences between the spectra of F. gigantica and F. hepatica. Subsequently, 78 Fasciola samples were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS using the previously developed database, out of which 98.7% (n = 74) and 100% (n = 3) were correctly identified as F. gigantica and F. hepatica, respectively. Log score values ranged between 1.73 and 2.23, thus indicating a reliable identification. We conclude that MALDI-TOF MS can provide species-specific identification of medically relevant liver flukes.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4457
Author(s):  
Chieh-Hsin Lin ◽  
Hung Su ◽  
Chung-Chieh Hung ◽  
Hsien-Yuan Lane ◽  
Jentaie Shiea

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is a sensitive analytical tool for characterizing various biomolecules in biofluids. In this study, MALDI-TOF was used to characterize potential plasma biomarkers for distinguishing patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. To avoid interference from albumin—the predominant protein in plasma—the plasma samples were pretreated using acid hydrolysis. The results obtained by MALDI-TOF were also validated by electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-QTOF) mass spectrometry. The analytical results were further treated with principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The statistical analyses showed that MDD patients could be distinguished from schizophrenia patients and healthy controls by the lack of apolipoprotein C1 (Apo C1), which, in fact, was detected in healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. This protein is suggested to be a potential plasma biomarker for distinguishing MDD patients from healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. Since sample preparation for MALDI-TOF is very simple, high-throughput plasma apolipoprotein analysis for clinical purposes is feasible.


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