Eugenol is a phenolic compound and the main constituent of the essential oil of clove India. Although there are reports of some pharmacological effects of eugenol, this study is the first that proposes to evaluate the antifungal effects of this phenol against both Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans cells. The effect of eugenol against yeast cells was analyzed for drug susceptibility, alterations in cell diameter, capsule properties, amounts of ergosterol, oxidative burst, and thermodynamics data. Data demonstrated that there is no interaction between eugenol and fluconazole and amphotericin B. Eugenol reduced the cell diameter and the capsule size, increased cell surface/volume, changed positively the cell surface charge of cryptococcal cells. We also verified increased levels of reactive oxygen species without activation of antioxidant enzymes, leading to increased lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduction of lysosomal integrity in cryptococcal cells. Additionally, the results showed that there is no significant molecular interaction between eugenol and C. neoformans. Morphological alterations, changes of cellular superficial charges and oxidative stress play an important role in antifungal activity of eugenol against C. gattii and C. neoformans that could be used as an auxiliary treatment to cutaneous cryptococcosis.

Background Although the most widely accepted mechanism of action for polymyxins is related to bacterial lysis via disruption, we hypothesized that this antimicrobial drug class could have other effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa planktonic and sessile cells. Little is known regarding oxidative burst and zeta potential (ZP) data associated with the interaction between polymyxin B and P. aeruginosa cells. The present study evaluated endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and changes in the net charges of biofilm and planktonic cells in response to polymyxin B. Results Polymyxin B induced concentration-dependent killing at all concentrations tested in planktonic and sessile cells from P. aeruginosa strains. Sublethal concentrations of polymyxin B induced oxidative burst. ROS production was higher in resistant planktonic cells than in biofilm cells but this was not observed for susceptible cells. Moreover, no net surface charge alterations were observed in planktonic cells from a susceptible strain treated with polymyxin B, but a significant increase of ZP was noted in planktonic cells from a resistant strain. Conclusion Oxidative burst generated by planktonic and sessile cells from P. aeruginosa strains against polymyxin B indicates that ROS may have an important role in the mechanism of action of this drug. ZP data revealed that electrostatic interactions of the cationic peptide with the anionic surface of the cells are strain-dependent. Therefore, we suggested that the intracellular effects of polymyxin B should be further investigated to understand polymyxin B-induced stress in P. aeruginosa.

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious human pathogen associated with serious nosocomial and community-acquired infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, and sepsis, among others. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular profile, antimicrobial resistance, and clonal diversity of S. aureus isolated from the bloodstream. The determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the antimicrobial was performed by an automated method. The presence of several virulence and resistance genes was evaluated by PCR. In addition, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to analyze the clonal diversity of S. aureus. A high resistance to oxacillin (78%), clindamycin (78%), erythromycin (70%), ciprofloxacin (61%), and gentamicin (52%) was observed among the isolates. In most of them, the following virulence genes were detected: hlb (83%), ebpS (61%), icaA (57%), fnbpA (17%), and clfA (13%). Only one isolate carried the pvl gene. MLST analysis identified five new sequence types (STs): 5429, 5430, 5431, 5432, and 5433, as well as another seven—ST5, ST97, ST398, ST101, ST30, ST461, and ST2779—among the remaining strains. These seven STs and the four new STs are clustered in four clonal complexes: CC1, CC2, CC7, and CC17. Phylogenetic analysis showed the genetic relationship of the five new ST strains with another 18 strains. Altogether, these analyses indicate the horizontal transfer acquisition of virulence factor genes and multidrug resistance.

The Corda river is the main source of fresh water for recreation, leisure, supply and irrigation to the municipality of Barra do Corda - MA. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical parameters of Corda river’s water using the methodology described by the American Public Health Association. The water samples were collected in the seasonal period spanning between February and September of the year of 2018. The parameters which were analyzed during the study were pH, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids and salinity, besides concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, and total phosphorus. Three principal components were identified during the PC Analysis. Those components explain more than 74% of the total variance observed during the rainy and dry season. Axis 1and 2 included variables which were related to quality of water and could be affected by the change in seasons. The results indicated that pH (7.11), P (2,82 mg L-1), NO3- (3,23 mg L-1), turbidity (35.82 NTU) and conductivity (35.83 µS/cm) parameters were most affected by changing from rainy to dry season.

Qualidade de vida e a busca do bem-estar unificado com a saúde do ser humano, vem sendo um tema em destaque, tendo a água como um dos indicadores cruciais para tal objetivo. Doenças de veiculação hídrica ainda é um desafio para o Ministério da Saúde, onde o meio rural é uma região vulnerável e propicia para o aparecimento das mesmas. Desta forma, é de suma importância as análises de potabilidade para o monitoramento, que proporciona avaliar a qualidade e riscos, da saúde de uma população. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a potabilidade da água da comunidade do Taim no ano de 2013 a 2014, envolvendo padrões físico-químicos e microbiológicos através do método: Standand Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater, 21ª ed., 2005 do Ministério da Saúde onde os resultados foram comparados com parâmetros (Portaria MS Nº 2.914/2011). Alguns padrões físico-químicos apresentaram variação de acordo com a época a média da dureza da agua variou de 3,30 a 13,66 mg/L, bem como a alcalinidade, cujos valores variaram de 4,46 a 19,55 mg/L. O pH se encontrava entre as faixas de 5,17 a 5,66 mg/L., fora dos padrões estabelecidos para agua potável. Em adição, observou-se que as amostras apresentavam valores de Escherichia coli fora do estabelecido pela legislação (Portaria Nº 2914), Estas analises indicaram de uma maneira geral que a agua dos poços avaliados seria impropria para o consumo humano.