A strain isolated from Kombucha tea was isolated and used as an alternative bacterium for the biosynthesis of bacterial cellulose (BC). In this study, BC generated by this novel bacterium was compared to Gluconacetobacter xylinus biosynthesized BC. Kinetic studies reveal that Komagataeibacter rhaeticus was a viable bacterium to produce BC according to yield, thickness and water holding capacity data. Physicochemical properties of BC membranes were investigated by UV-vis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies (FTIR), thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were also used for morphological characterization. Mechanical properties at nano and macroscale were studied employing PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical property mapping (QNM) and dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), respectively. Results confirmed that BC membrane biosynthesized by Komagataeibacter rhaeticus had similar physicochemical, morphological and mechanical properties than BC membrane produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus and can be widely used for the same applications.

Since the beginning of propolis research, several groups have studied its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. However, most of these studies have only employed propolis ethanolic extract (PEE) leading to little knowledge about the biological activities of propolis water extract (PWE). Based on this, in a previous study, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of PWE. In order to better understand the equilibrium between effectiveness and toxicity, which is essential for a new medicine, the characteristics of PWE were analyzed. We developed and validated an RP-HPLC method to chemically characterize PWE and PEE and evaluated the in vitro antioxidant/antimicrobial activity for both extracts and the safety of PWE via determining genotoxic potential using in vitro and in vivo mammalian micronucleus assays. We have concluded that the proposed analytical methodology was reliable, and both extracts showed similar chemical composition. The extracts presented antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, while PWE demonstrated higher antioxidant activity and more efficacious for the most of the microorganisms tested than PEE. Finally, PWE was shown to be safe using micronucleus assays.

Brazilian honey possesses large floral sources with various colors and flavors due to botanical and geographical differences and the large extension of the country. The absence of antibiotics and pesticides contamination positively differentiates Brazilian honey in the international market. Thus, the present chapter presents an overview of regulatory aspects for identity and quality evaluation of honey produced and commercialized in Brazil and international markets, as well as, it compares the production and consumption of honey with other countries. In addition, the chapter presents physicochemical and microbiological analysis commonly used in honey, as fundamentals of the technics and literature results with different kinds of honey obtained in Brazil. Physicochemical quality control and microbiological analysis of honey samples is of fundamental importance for assessing their quality, possible adulteration and storage conditions. In the literature, several methodologies exist to be used in the performance of honey quality control and each one complements the results in order to have an idea about the quality of the product,

The alternative use of natural products, like royal jelly (RJ), may be an important tool for the treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. RJ presents a large number of bioactive substances, including antimicrobial compounds. In this study, we carried out the chemical characterization of fresh and lyophilized RJ and investigated their antibacterial effects with the purpose of evaluating if the lyophilization process maintains the chemical and antibacterial properties of RJ. Furthermore, we evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of the main fatty acid found in RJ, the 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA). Chromatographic profile of the RJ samples showed similar fingerprints and the presence of 10H2DA in both samples. Furthermore, fresh and lyophilized RJ were effective against all bacteria evaluated; that is, the lyophilization process maintains the antibacterial activity of RJ and the chemical field of 10H2DA. The fatty acid 10H2DA exhibited a good antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Therefore, it may be used as an alternative and complementary treatment for infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae.

Se estima que más del 70% de los murciélagos son consumidores de insectos y por lo tanto contribuyen al control de poblaciones de insectos. Algunos de esos insectos pueden ser plagas en cultivos agrícolas o vectores de enfermedades. Por lo anterior, estudiar la dieta de los murciélagos insectívoros es importante para determinar su valor potencial para los humanos. En este trabajo de investigación, se analizó la dieta de una colonia de Saccopteryx leptura, una especie tolerante a ambientes urbanos neotropicales de zonas bajas.  Se recolectaron 24 muestras de heces de una colonia compuesta por entre siete y nueve individuos.  Entre las presas de S. leptura se encontraron insectos de los órdenes Hymenoptera (dos morfoespecies), Coleoptera (dos morfoespecies), Hemiptera (dos morfoespecies), Blattodea (una morfoespecie) y Lepidoptera (una morfoespecie),  siendo los dos primeros casi el 80% de las presas. Los últimos cuatro órdenes no habían sido registrados en la dieta de S. leptura. Entre las presas encontradas se incluyen coleópteros de la familia Curculionidae, y hemípteros de la familia Cicadellidae que con frecuencia son plagas en cultivos agrícolas. Estudios posteriores se centrarán en explorar estrategias para aprovechar los posibles servicios de este murciélago.

La Colección Mastozoológica del Museo de Historia Natural-Unillanos (MHNU-M) alberga en el momento 422 especímenes pertenecientes a ocho órdenes, 16 familias, 46 géneros, y 66 especies. Los especímenes provienen de cinco departamentos de Colombia, principalmente de la región de la Orinoquía. El número de especímenes de la Colección se ha enriquecido con actividades académicas de la Universidad de los Llanos, tesis de pre y posgrado, convenios y proyectos de investigación.