Propidium monoazide (PMA) is a selective nucleic acid intercalating dye that can be combined with real‐time PCR (qPCR) in order to evaluate cell viability in food samples. The aim of the present work was to evaluate PMA‐qPCR to detect and quantify viable STEC cells in beef burgers using stx2 as target gene. First, it was determined that 100 µM of PMA could inhibit qPCR signal from non‐viable cells and had no influence on the amplification of different concentrations of viable cells. Then, it was shown that PMA efficiently distinguished between different log cfu of viable cells in presence of a high concentration of non‐viable cells, both in culture and in beef burger homogenates. Finally, it was determined that PMA could distinguish between viable and non‐viable cells within the same log cfu in beef burger homogenates. PMA‐qPCR effectively detected and quantified viable STEC cells in culture and in beef burger homogenates.
Novelty impact statement
The main achievement of this work is that we demonstrate PMA‐qPCR could not only detect, but also quantify viable STEC cells targeting stx2 gene, even in the presence of a high concentration of non‐viable STEC cells in a complex matrix as beef burgers. This methodology can be used to assess effectiveness of antimicrobial treatments to reduce STEC contamination in meat products more rapidly and with less pathogenic residues than conventional methods.
Propidium monoazide coupled to real time PCR (PMA‐qPCR) is a novel methodology proposed for the quantification of viable bacteria in food after microbial inactivation treatments. The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of different pressure levels on the lethality of a pool of Escherichia coli O157 strains in beef burgers by plate count and PMA‐qPCR using uidA as target gene. Also, the effect on native microbiota counts, E. coli O157 counts, and physiochemical parameters of beef burgers during storage in refrigeration and frozen conditions were assessed. The treatment at 600 MPa for 5 min was the most lethal and was selected for the evaluation of bacteria behavior under storage conditions. Native microbiota and E. coli O157 were not recovered during refrigerated and frozen storage (4°C for 7 days and −18°C for 35 days). Cooking weight loss, pH, chromatic parameters, and texture were affected by HPP.
Practical Application
Practical Application: PMA‐qPCR can be used as an alternative to assess microbial inactivation by different high pressure processing (HPP) conditions (pressure level, holding time and temperature) more rapidly than conventional plate counts. In addition, it has the benefit of being able to quantify viable but nonculturable bacteria from contaminated beef burgers after HPP. Moreover, this novel technique generates less pathogenic residues, which minimizes workers' exposure to human biohazards.
Introducción: hemos demostrado (Bombicino et al., 2016 y 2017) que 25 días de hiperglucemia sostenida conducen a una disfunción mitocondrial cardíaca generalizada que incluye disminución del consumo de O2 tisular y mitocondrial, de las actividades de los complejos I-III, II-III y IV, de la producción de ATP, de la relación ADP/O y de la actividad de Mn-SOD, acompañado de un aumento en las velocidades de producción de H2O2, NO y ONOO-, y al desencadenamiento de biogénesis mitocondrial, aunque las “nuevas” mitocondrias muestran alteraciones estructurales. Dicha disfunción se presenta en ausencia de hipertrofia y de cambios en la función cardíaca en reposo, pero con compromiso cardíaco ante una sobrecarga de trabajo, sugiriendo que la disfunción mitocondrial precede a la falla miocárdica en pacientes diabéticos.Objetivos: estudiar los eventos tempranos y analizar la evolución temporal de la disfunción mitocondrial cardíaca en un modelo de diabetes tipo 1.Materiales y métodos: se indujo diabetes en ratas Wistar macho mediante una dosis de estreptozotocina (STZ, 60 mg/kg, ip). La glucemia se determinó a las 72 h (C:127±5, DM:415±23 mg/dl). Los animales se sacrificaron 7, 10 ó 14 días post-inyección de STZ (4, 7 ó 11 días de hiperglucemia) y se extrajeron los corazones. Se determinó la funcionalidad y biogénesis mitocondrial, la generación de especies reactivas del oxígeno y nitrógeno y el estado redox.
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