Abstract This study investigated the depuration time of tilapia in saline and freshwater environments and its influence on animal performance and meat quality. Depuration until the seventh day resulted in significant reductions in average weight, condition factor, viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index and fillet yield in both environments. Regarding proximate composition, the saline environment promoted the maintenance of crude protein, moisture and ash percentages. Depuration in the freshwater environment resulted in reduced percentages of crude protein, ash and energy and increased humidity. Total lipids were reduced in both environments, but with a significantly lower in saline. Maximum rigor index occurred in up to three and nine hours for fish depurated in freshwater and saline environments, respectively. During the post-rigor period, the rigor index experienced a sharp drop in the freshwater environment, while in the saline environment it remained similar to that of the pre-depuration group. Depuration in a saline environment for up to seven days was efficient at maintaining of proximate composition and rigor mortis, however, depuration until the fifth day is indicated to maintain performance indices.

INTRODUÇÃO: Cães domésticos são considerados os reservatórios mais importantes no ciclo peridoméstico de transmissão de Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. No entanto, a variabilidade genética de sub-populações que circulam neste hospedeiro é ainda pouco explorada no Brasil, sendo tal conhecimento de grande importância no contexto clínico-epidemiológico. MÉTODOS: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar a variabilidade fenotípica de 153 amostras de L. chagasi isoladas de cães oriundos dos municípios do Rio de Janeiro (n = 57) e Belo Horizonte (n = 96), onde a doença é endêmica. Foram selecionadas somente amostras isoladas de pele íntegra e analisadas por eletroforese de isoenzimas (MLEE) empregando nove sistemas enzimáticos (6PG, GPI, NH1 e NH2, G6P, PGM, MDH, ME, IDHNADP). RESULTADOS: Todas as amostras analisadas apresentaram perfil eletroforético idêntico entre si e com a amostra de L. chagasi utilizada como referência neste estudo (MHOM/BR/74/PP75). A análise fenética demonstrou índice de similaridade igual a um para todas as amostras, revelando um compartilhamento de 100% dos caracteres avaliados. CONCLUSÕES: A partir desses resultados, podemos inferir que as populações de L. chagasi que estão circulando nos cães do Rio de Janeiro e Belo Horizonte podem ser agrupadas em um único zimodema.

INTRODUCTION: Domestic dogs are the most important reservoir in the peridomestic transmission cycle of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. The genetic variability of subpopulations of this parasite circulating in dogs has not been thoroughly analyzed in Brazil, even though this knowledge has important implications in the clinical-epidemiological context. METHODS: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the phenotypic variability of 153 L. chagasi strains isolated from dogs originating from the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro (n = 57) and Belo Horizonte (n = 96), where the disease is endemic. Strains isolated only from intact skin were selected and analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis using nine enzyme systems (6PG, GPI, NH1 and NH2, G6P, PGM, MDH, ME, and IDHNADP). RESULTS: The electrophoretic profile was identical for all isolates analyzed and was the same as that of the L. chagasi reference strain (MHOM/BR/74/PP75). Phenetic analysis showed a similarity index of one for all strains, with the isolates sharing 100% of the characteristics analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that the L. chagasi populations circulating in dogs from Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte belong to a single zymodeme.