Interventional Effect of Nanosilver Paint on Fungal Load of Indoor Air in a Hospital Ward

Hospital ward environments contain various types of microorganisms, in which fungal agents are one of the main contaminants that may cause hospital-acquired infections. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of nanosilver paint on reducing fungal contaminants of indoor air in an educational, research, and treatment center. Two rooms in the hematology ward were selected. One room was painted using usual paint (control room) and the other room was painted with paint containing nanosilver particles (experimental room). One hundred and twelve samples were collected using active (Anderson BioSampler) and passive (settle plate or open plate) air sampling techniques. The samples were incubated for 3–7 days at 35°C, and the positive fungal cultures were examined according to morphological and microscopic characteristics. Following active sampling, the mean and standard deviation of the number of colony-forming units (CFU/m3) of fungi colonies in the experimental and control rooms were 29.21 ± 17.99 and 22.50 ± 10.02 before intervention and 13.79 ± 6.20 and 31.07 ± 21.1 after intervention, respectively. Following passive sampling, the number of CFU/plate in the experimental and control rooms was 6 and 0 before and 1and 1 after intervention, respectively. The use of the nanosilver paint was effective in reducing air fungal contamination. Moreover, the active sampling method was more sensitive to measuring the concentration changes for fungal bioaerosols.

Multi-mycotoxins and Fungal Contaminants of Wheat from Anambra State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the fungal and mycotoxins contamination of 36 Wheat (Triticum aestivium) samples purchased randomly from the seller of the agricultural produce in local markets of Anambra State, Nigeria. Results from the studies showed that two hundred and three fungal isolates consisting of 18 species of moulds and 5 species of yeasts contaminated the wheat samples at varying degrees. For moulds, Aspergillus species contaminated the samples mostly with (28) isolates followed by Penicillum species (19) isolates while Verticillium species and Cladosporium species had equal least contaminations with (3) isolates each. Among the yeast species, Candida rugosahad the highest number of contamination with (37) isolates followed by Cryptococcus laurentii (31) isolates while Candida stellatoides (9) isolates had the least contamination. Twenty-four fungal metabolites were also recovered. The concentration of trichothecene mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (2067µg/kg), a protein synthesis and cell proliferation inhibitor in animals exceeded the maximum acceptable limits for human consumption. It can be deduced therefore that wheat circulating in Anambra State, Nigeria are variously contaminated with different xerophilic moulds and mycotoxins which can exert adverse health problems to consumers. Keyword: Wheat samples, fungal contaminants, multi-mycotoxins and market zones

Risk Factors for Spoilage of Groundnut Seeds in Shops during Marketing

Post-harvest storage of oilseeds, particularly groundnut, is a real problem for farmers and traders whose stocks are subject to attacks by pests and fungal contaminants in the shops. In order to find alternative solutions to this problem, a survey was conducted in Côte d’Ivoire, specifically in the markets of the communes Abobo, Adjamé and Yopougon in city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The objective of this work is to evaluate the main risk factors for spoilage of groundnut seeds sold during storage in the Abidjan markets. To this end, a survey was conducted among 75 groundnut seeds sellers in the three aforementioned communes of Abidjan and identified the main risk factors favorable to spoilage of groundnut seeds sold during storage. The lack of exact knowledge of the origin of the groundnut seeds sold (92 to 100%), the storage of groundnut seeds in polyethylene bags (84 to 100%), the lack of knowledge of spoilage (28 to 44%), the long periods of sale (22.2 to 86.7%), moisture (0 to 72.2%) and insect pests (5.6 to 20%° were identified as the main factors of these risk of spoilage.

Screening for consistency and contamination within and between bottles of 29 herbal supplements

In the United States the marketing of dietary supplements, of which the majority are herbal supplements, is currently a multibillion-dollar industry involving use from over half of the adult population. Due to their frequency of use and the lack of regulation of herbal supplements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) it is important for the health and safety of consumers to know about consistency of supplements and any possible contamination by harmful products, such as heavy metals or microorganisms. The purpose of the study was to determine consistency and contamination within and between bottles of common herbal supplements. Duplicate bottles of 29 herbal supplements were tested for consistency for antioxidant activity, phenolic concentration and flavonoid concentration under methanolic and water extraction. The supplements were also analyzed for the presence of metals and fungal contaminants. For all of the supplements tested there was high variability around the mean in antioxidant activity, phenolic concentrations and flavonoid concentrations, with coefficients of variation (CV) ranging from 0–120. Zinc was found in almost 90% of the supplements, nickel in about half of the supplements and lead in none of the supplements. Approximately 60% of the supplements contained fungal isolates. Although the majority of the fungi that were found in the supplements are generally not hazardous to human health, many of them could be problematic to sensitive groups, such as immunocompromised individuals. The data, which demonstrates contamination and a lack of consistency, in conjunction with previous studies on supplement contamination, strengthen the case that the FDA should regulate over-the-counter herbal supplements the same way that they regulate food and drugs. Until such time it is crucial that consumers are informed that many of the supplements that they take may lack the standardization that would reduce the chance of contamination and lead to consistency from one pill to the next.

Fungal Contaminants and Mycotoxins in Nuts

Contamination by fungi and mycotoxins in nuts has achieved much attention in recent years. In fact, the fungal metabolites produced by the species of Aspergillus, Penicillium (aflatoxins and ochratoxins), Fusarium (trichothecenes, zearalenones and fumonisins) and Alternaria (alternariotoxins) with toxic and/or carcinogenic effects are considered a threat to human and animal health. In this chapter we will discuss the main fungal taxa and related mycotoxins most frequently associated with these materials. In this regard, the first results on the level of contamination by fungi and mycotoxins in samples of almonds and pistachios of different origins will be reported. The main strategies to reduce the risk of contamination will also be recommended.

First Characterization and Description of Aspergillus Series Versicolores in French Bioaerosols

Air quality can be altered by fungal contaminants suspended in the air, forming bioaerosols. Aspergilli section Nidulantes series Versicolores are recurrent in bioaerosols and are mainly responsible for allergies and asthma aggravation. Phylogenetic studies recently identified 12 new species within this series. This study is the first to identify species of Aspergillus series Versicolores in French bioaerosols and to characterize them macroscopically, microscopically and molecularly. Bioaerosols were collected in a cancer treatment center, in contaminated homes and in agricultural environments. A total of 93 isolates were cultured on selective media, observed by optical microscopy and identified by benA amplification before sequencing. The field data (temperature and relative humidity) were statistically tested to explore the ecology of these species. Eight species were identified from bioaerosols: Aspergillus creber and A. jensenii, which represent more than 80% of the isolates, and A. protuberus, A. puulaauensis, A. sydowii, A. tabacinus, A. amoenus and A. fructus. Aspergilli series Versicolores are distributed differently depending on the sampling site and climatic determinants. Aspergillus protuberus was found in bioaerosols collected under significantly lower relative humidity (p = 3.899 × 10−4). Characterization and repartition of these isolates belonging to the Versicolores series constitute an important step to better assess exposure to fungal bioaerosols.

Comprehensive Study Identifies a Sensitive, Low-Risk, Closed-System Model for Detection of Fungal Contaminants in Cell and Gene Therapy Products

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates manufacturing and testing of advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs) to ensure the safety of each product for human use. Gold standard sterility testing (USP<71>) and alternative blood culture systems have major limitations for the detection of fungal contaminants. In this study, we evaluated the performance of i LYM media (designed originally for the food and beverage industry) to assess its potential for use in the biopharmaceutical field for ATMP sterility testing. We conducted a parallel evaluation of four different test systems (USP<71>, BacT/ALERT, BACTEC, and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar [SDA] culture), three different bottle media formulations ( i LYM, i FA + , and Myco/F Lytic), and two incubation temperatures (22.5°C and 32.5-35°C) using a diverse set of fungi ( n =51) isolated from NIH cleanroom environments and previous product contaminants. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of agitation versus “delayed entry” static pre-incubation on test sensitivity and time to detection (TTD). Overall, delayed entry of bottles onto the BacT/ALERT or BACTEC instruments (with agitation) did not improve test performance. USP<71> and SDA culture continued to significantly outperform each automated culture condition alone. However, we show for the first time, that a closed-system, dual-bottle combination of i LYM 22.5°C and i FA + 32.5°C can provide high fungal sensitivity, statistically comparable to USP<71>, when tested against a diverse range of environmental fungi. Our study fills a much-needed gap in biopharmaceutical testing and offers a favorable testing algorithm that maximizes bacterial and fungal test sensitivity whilst minimizing risk of product contamination associated with laboratory handling.

Major Fungal Contaminants of Mushrooms and Their Management

Mushrooms are known for several nutritional and medicinal benefits and are cultivated worldwide. Several fungal contaminants of mushrooms have been serving as the major restraining factor in the growing mushroom industry for a long time. Fungal contaminants like Trichoderma spp., Mycogone spp., Lecanicillium spp., Cladobotryum spp., Coprinus spp., Sependonium spp., Sclerotium rolfsii, and Cephalothecum roseum among many, are found to infect mushroom crops at different stages from spawn run period to maturation of fruiting bodies. These contaminants may reduce yield and/or degrade the quality of fruiting bodies of the mushroom causing economic losses. These contaminants are usually peculiar in terms of their symptomatology on the substrates, disease cycle, epidemiological requirements, and yield losses. Most of these contaminants come from poorly sterilized substrates. Several sterilization techniques like steam sterilization, hot water sterilization, alkalinization, bleaching, and chemical sterilization can be employed to eliminate pre-existing contaminants and each technique has its own relative advantage over others. Besides, biological control involving botanicals and live antagonists can also be used as prophylactic sterilant or as therapeutic sprays. Biological control measures are friendly to the environment and human health. Unlike chemical fungicides (used as sterilant or spray), biological control measures don’t inhibit mushroom mycelial growth and even don’t raise the problem of pesticide resistance in pathogens. Roguing out of infected mushroom fruiting bodies or beds, mushroom house sanitation, and management of vector population are also equally important in preventing the spread of the fungal diseases of mushrooms. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 9(2): 80-93