Recebido em 2/4/03; aceito em 20/2/04; publicado na web em 27/05/04 CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS FROM Melaleuca alternifolia (MYRTACEAE). The first chemical study of non-volatile constituents from the bark and stem of Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae) led to the isolation and identification of 3,3'-Odimethylellagic acid (1) and five pentacyclic triterpenes: 2α,3β,23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (arjunolic acid, 2), 3β-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-27,28-dioic acid (melaleucic acid, 3), betulinic acid (4), betuline (5), 3β-O-acetylurs-12-en-28-oic acid (6), a mixture of fatty acids and esters, and several hydrocarbons. For 2α,3β,23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (2) and 3β-Oacetylurs-12-en-28-oic acid (6) a first detailed assignment of 1 H NMR is presented.Keywords: Melaleuca alternifolia; triterpenes; 3,3'-O-dimethylellagic acid. O presente trabalho relata o primeiro estudo químico do caule e da casca de M. alternifolia, que levou ao isolamento de um derivado metilado do ácido elágico e cinco triterpenos pentacíclicos, dentre eles o ácido 2α,3β,23-triidroxiolean-12-en-28-óico (ácido arjunólico, 2) e o ácido 3β-O-acetilurs-12-en-28-óico (6). Para estes dois ácidos foram feitas as atribuições detalhadas dos espectros de RMN de 1 H. Foram também identificados por CG-EM onze outros compostos, além de vários ácidos e ésteres graxos. INTRODUÇÃO PARTE EXPERIMENTAL Instrumentação e procedimentos geraisPara as separações cromatográficas em coluna, foram utilizadas sílicas gel 70 a 230 Mesh e 230 a 400 Mesh. Nas análises por cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD) foram utilizadas placas de sílica gel 60 F 254 , com 0,25 mm de espessura 19 . As temperaturas de fusão, não corrigidas, foram determinadas em um aparelho Microquímica MQAPF-301. Os espectros no Infravermelho (IV) foram registrados em espectrômetro Perkin Elmer, utilizando-se pastilhas de KBr. Os espectros de RMN de 1 H e de 13 C foram obtidos em aparelho Bruker WM 400 (400 MHz), Bruker WM 500 (500 MHz) e Varian Mercury 300 (300 MHz). Os espectros de massas foram registrados em espectrômetro V.G. Analytical ZAB-IF a 70 eV. As análises dos ácidos graxos e triacilglicerídeos por cromatografia em fase gasosa foram realizadas em cromatógrafo Shimadzu GC 17-A, acoplado a um registrador C-R7A Chromatopac. As análises por CG-EM foram realizadas em cromatógrafo Shimadzu GC 17-A, com detector seletivo de massas, modelo QP 5050 (Shimadzu). Material vegetal, extração e isolamento das substânciasO caule e a casca de M. alternifolia Cheel foram coletados no Setor de Dendrologia do Departamento de Engenharia Florestal da Universidade Federal de Viçosa. A exsicata correspondente ao material coletado foi depositada no Herbário VIC, da mesma Instituição, sob o número 26046.O caule (3.250 g) e a casca (700 g), após secagem à temperatura ambiente, foram moídos e submetidos a extrações com hexano (casca) e etanol (casca e caule) em aparelho do tipo Soxhlet. A destilação dos solventes foi realizada sob pressão reduzida em evaporador rotatório, fornecendo 10,5 g de extrato hexânico e 71,0 g d...

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ResumoO Queijo Artesanal Serrano (QAS) é um produto fabricado nos campos de altitude no sul do Brasil, na região compreendida pelos Campos de Cima da Serra. Originalmente, este era um produto excedente, trocado pelos tropeiros por produtos em outras regiões. Atualmente, o queijo pode ser responsável por até 60% da renda das propriedades. O QAS é produzido com leite cru, proveniente de raças bovinas de corte na própria propriedade. Assim, realizou-se um estudo descritivo de revisão bibliográfica com o objetivo de descrever o processo produtivo do Queijo Artesanal Serrano e relacioná-lo à qualidade do produto e à segurança alimentar. Considerando a elaboração de um regulamento técnico próprio à produção do QAS, algumas propriedades têm investido na construção de ambientes apropriados para sua produção, visando à qualidade e inocuidade do queijo produzido. A implantação de Boas Práticas Agropecuárias já demonstrou melhora significativa na qualidade do leite utilizado na produção do QAS e está em fase de estudo a implantação de Boas Práticas de Fabricação nas propriedades produtoras.Palavras-chave: queijo, qualidade, produção artesanal. AbstractThe Serrano Handmade Cheese (SHC) is a product manufactured on high altitude fields in southernmost Brazil. This region is formed by northeastern Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina Southern Plateau. Originally, this was a overplus good exchanged for another goods by drovers of this region. Currently, the SHC may be responsible for up to 60% of properties income. The SHC is produced with raw milk from cattle ranching within the property. Thus, was performed a descriptive study of literature review aiming to describe the production process of Serrano Handmade Cheese. A look on product quality and food safety theoretical contribuiton was sought also. Considering the technical regulation development to SHC some properties has build appropriate production environments. Those actions are aiming quality and safety of the cheese made. The implementation of Good Agricultural Practice has shown significant quality improvement of the milk used to produce this cheese. The implementation of Good Manufacturing Practice is under study in these producing properties.

Background: Despite a strong association between Salmonella isolation and slaughter hygiene, as measured by the Enterobacteriaceae levels on pre-chill carcass surfaces, a high variation in this association was observed between sampling days within the same slaughterhouse. It was hypothesised that in a scenario of high exposure on the farm, batches with a high prevalence of carrier pigs shedding a high number of Salmonella may enhance the risk of contamination on some slaughter days. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the profile of Salmonella carried in the intestinal contents of slaughter pigs.Materials, Methods & Results: Ten pig batches slaughtered in a slaughterhouse were investigated for the presence of Salmonella. From each pig, the following samples were taken: i. blood collected at bleeding; ii. sponges rubbed on the carcass surface after bleeding and before chilling; iii. fragment of the ileocecal region of the intestine. Serum samples were subjected to a ELISA-Typhimurium test. Sponges were investigated for the presence of Salmonella and total aerobic mesophilic (TAM) and Enterobacteriaceae (EC) bacterial counts. Salmonella was enumerated in the intestinal contents. Selected Salmonella strains were subjected to an antimicrobial resistance disk diffusion test, macro-restriction with Xba-I (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). From the 50 sampled pigs, 96% were positive in the ELISA-Typhimurium test and 64% were Salmonella-positive in the intestinal contents. The amount of Salmonella in the intestinal content samples was highly variable, and the mean log of fitted distributions of Salmonella in the batch ranged from -2.97 to 2.25 cfu.g-1. The slaughter process achieved a logarithmic reduction, ranging from 0.64 to 2.35 log cfu.cm-2 for TAM and from 0.55 to 2.57 log cfu.cm-2 for EC. Salmonella was isolated from 16% of the carcasses after bleeding; this frequency decreased to 8% at the pre-chill step. All positive pre-chill carcasses originated from pigs carrying Salmonella in the intestinal content and from batches with a high number of carrier pigs. Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variant were the most frequent in the intestinal contents and carcasses. Resistance was detected against ampicillin (42.5%), tetracycline (42.5%), sulfonamide (40%), gentamicin (25%) and ciprofloxacin (12.5%). Regarding colistin, 85% of the tested strains were classified as non-susceptible. The monophasic variant S. Typhimurium strains subjected to PFGE and WGS presented different profiles; several antimicrobial resistance genes were identified and all belonged to ST-19.Discussion: In this study, almost all sampled pigs entering the slaughter line had been exposed to Salmonella on the farm and a high number were carrying Salmonella in their guts. While the three batches with Salmonella-positive carcasses at the pre-chill step presented TAM media that was not significantly different from the other batches, there was a higher number of positive pigs carrying Salmonella in their intestinal contents. Moreover, the batch with the highest number of positive carcasses also presented the highest Salmonella mean count in their intestinal contents. The profile of Salmonella carried in the intestinal content of slaughter pigs proved to be highly variable in terms of the frequency, number of bacteria, serovars, antimicrobial resistance, and genotypes. Results indicate that the day-to-day variability in the prevalence and number of Salmonella in the intestinal contents of slaughter batches is likely to influence the frequency of contaminated pre-chill carcasses. Salmonella Typhimurium isolated from the intestinal contents of slaughter pigs may belong to genotypes involved in human disease and may carry several antimicrobial resistance genes. These aspects should be taken into account when planning Salmonella control in swine.

ResumoA diversidade de produtos agroalimentares e os problemas contemporâneos de segurança alimentar conduzem à incerteza sobre a qualidade dos produtos, seja para os diferentes elos da cadeia produtiva, seja para o consumidor final. Neste sentido, o presente estudo objetivou identificar os principais fatores na tomada de decisão dos consumidores de produtos com certificação. Para tanto, realizou-se uma survey com amostragem não probabilística pelo encaminhamento de um questionário on line, que foi respondido por 220 pessoas. Entre os fatores que determinam o consumo de produtos certificados estão: renda mensal, escolaridade e número de pessoas na família. O preço elevado é considerado um dos obstáculos ao consumo de produtos certificados. Verificou-se que existem consumidores que não sabem o que é certificação, o que se constitui em entrave para a decisão de compra dos produtos certificados. Estudos apontam incremento na importância que os consumidores atribuem à certificação após campanhas educativas. Neste sentido, faz-se necessário desenvolver campanhas de informação e de divulgação das características de produtos certificados. Palavras-chave: certificação, alimentos, perfil consumidor AbstractAgri-food products diversity and contemporary problems of food safety are leading to an uncertainty about the quality of products along the production chain. In this regard, the present study aimed to identify main factors in decision making of certified products consumers.To this effect, was performed a non-probabilistic sampling survey by sending an online questionnaire answered by 220 people. Among the factors that determine certified products consumption are monthly income, educational level and number of people in the family. The high price is considered as one of the barriers to certified products consumption. It was found that there are consumers who do not know what certification is. This fact constitutes an obstacle on certified products buying decision. Studies show an increase in importance when consumers attach to certification after educational campaigns. In this sense, it is necessary to develop information and awareness campaigns of the characteristics of certified products.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) in frozen chicken carcasses sold at stores in southern Brazil. Typical E. coli colonies were enumerated in 246 chicken carcasses, and the presence of stx1, stx2, eae genes was investigated in their rinse liquid and in E. coli strains isolated from those carcasses.Strains of E. coli were also investigated for the presence of bfp gene. A median of 0.6 cfu.g -1 (ranging from <0.1 to 242.7 cfu.g -1 ) of typical E. coli colonies was found in the carcasses. Shiga toxin-encoding genes (stx1 and stx2) were not detected, indicating that the chicken carcasses were negative for STEC. The intimin protein gene (eae) was detected in E.coli isolated from 4.88% of the carcasses; all tested strains were negative for the bfp gene and were classified as aEPEC. Twenty-two aEPEC strains were tested for resistance to ten antimicrobials and subjected to macrorestriction (PFGE). All the tested aEPEC strains were fully susceptible to cephalosporins, ciprofloxacin and colistin. Resistance to sulfonamide (65%), ampicillin (55%), tetracycline (50%) and gentamicin (45%) were the most frequent. The PFGE profile demonstrated a low level of similarity among the resistant strains, indicating that they were epidemiologically unrelated. The results indicate that aEPEC strains can contaminate chicken meat, and their association with strains implicated in human diarrhea needs to be further investigated.

Pork salami is an embedded, cured and ripened product commonly consumed in Brazil, and the presence of Salmonella enterica has already been reported in this product. During its preparation, the microbiological safety depends on the meat quality, addition of ingredients with antimicrobial activity, hygiene during processing, pH and water activity (Aw) reduction during maturation. In Brazil, the maturation protocol has not been determined in food regulation; therefore, the objectives of this study were (a) to identify the fermentation and drying phases during salami maturation; (b) to test the survival of S. enterica during salami processing; and (c) to compare xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) and thin agar layer (TAL) agar for recovering Salmonella. The salami samples were prepared with a cocktail of S. enterica strains, fermented at 30°C and dried at 20°C with controlled relative humidity (RH). Periodic sampling for S. enterica quantification and Aw and pH analyses were performed during maturation, and curves were constructed. Fermentation occurred during the first 66 hours, and the pH decreased while the population of S. enterica increased over the first 21 hours. The drying step was able to reduce the bacterial population by approximately 5 log CFU after 875 hours, reaching an Aw of less than 0.78. However, elimination of S. enterica was not achieved. For Salmonella recovery, TAL agar was more efficient than XLD agar.