Abstract The homemade ice cream formulations produced from the partial replacement of dairy fat with unripe banana biomass (UBB) were elaborated and characterized. Formulations 1, 2 and 3 with 2.6%, 12.5% and 21.9% of reconstituted UBB, respectively in partial replacement of heavy cream were compared to the traditional formulation (0% UBB and 100% of heavy cream). The characterization included: physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses. Fat reduction of at least 22.6% in centesimal composition were noticed among the formulation with UBB (p < 0.05). The titratable acidity and meltdown rate of the formulations increased with the addition of UBB and fat reduction. The sensory analysis showed that the preference of the panellists reduced with substitution of cream for UBB. The traditional formulation and formulation 1 were the most preferred. There was no difference in the attributes of overall impression, appearance, creamy texture, color, sweet taste and vanilla flavor between the traditional formulation and formulation 1 in the acceptance test. It was also found that the intention to consume those same formulations was positive. Therefore, the production of ice cream using prebiotic fat replacers are an interesting option to be explored in an attempt to combine sensory acceptance with health benefits.

Abstract The illegal wildlife trade may increase the risk of infectious disease transmission, and it may not only cause disease outbreaks in humans but also threaten livestock, native wild populations, and ecosystems' health. Bird species may act as carriers in the transmission of enteric pathogens. However, epidemiological studies on zoonotic bacteria in wild birds are rare in Brazil. From March 2011 to March 2012, we investigated the frequency of Enterobacteriaceae in cloacal swab samples from 109 birds of the passerine and Psittacidae families. These birds were recovered from illegal trade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and sent to a rehabilitation center. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 86 wild birds (78.9%). A mean (±SD) of 1.68 (±1.30) different bacterial species were isolated per bird, with a maximum of five bacterial species from three bird species. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli, followed by Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae and other enteric bacteria. Salmonella ser. Typhimurium was isolated from a Temminck's seedeater (Sporophila falcirostris), and two Salmonella ser. Panama were isolated from two specimens of chestnut-capped blackbird (Chrysomus ruficapillus). Of the 70 selected bacterial isolates, 60 exhibited antibiotic resistance. The resistance patterns varied from one to nine of the antibiotics tested. Resistance to ceftiofur was the most prevalent, followed by ampicillin and ceftriaxone. The dissemination potential of resistant strains in situations typically seen in the management of captive birds may become a problem for the conservation of natural bird populations and for public health.

Os estafilococos coagulase-negativos (ECN) fazem parte da microbiota normal da pele e, apesar de terem sido considerados saprófitas por muito tempo, o seu significado clínico como agente etiológico tem aumentado com o passar dos anos. Neste estudo, foram obtidos 72 isolados de ECN a partir de amostras do conduto auditivo de cães, de mastite bovina e de infecções humanas. Staphylococcus xylosus foi o microrganismo mais isolado, nas amostras animais, e S. cohnii subsp. cohnii em humanos. Os isolados foram avaliados de modo a traçar o perfil fenotípico de sua resistência aos antimicrobianos mais indicados no tratamento de infecções estafilocócicas. Foi detectado um elevado nível de resistência à penicilina e ampicilina. A gentamicina, a vancomicina e a associação ampicilina+sulbactam foram eficientes frente aos isolados testados. A resistência à oxacilina foi avaliada por meio dos testes de difusão em disco modificada, ágar screen, microdiluição em caldo e diluição em ágar para constatar, se à semelhança do que ocorre com os estafilococos coagulase-positivo, esta pode ser mediada pelo gene mecA e apresentada de forma heterogênea. A presença do gene mecA foi determinada pelo método da Reação em Cadeia de Polimerase (PCR), sendo 5,6% dos isolados mecA positivos.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (SCN) make part of the normal microbiota skin and although they have been considered saprophytics for years, nowadays their clinical significance as an etiologic agent has increased. In this study, 72 SCN isolates obtained from external ear canals of dogs, bovine mastitis and human nosocomial infections were evaluated. Staphylococcus xylosus was the most prevalent microorganism in animal samples and S. cohnii subsp. cohnii in human samples. SCN isolates were evaluated in order to establish a phenotypical resistance pattern towards the most indicated antibiotics for staphyloccocal infections. A high level of resistance to penicillin and ampicillin was detected. The most efficient antibiotics evaluated were gentamicin, vancomicin and the association between ampicillin and sulbactam. To certify the heterogeneous resistance pattern, oxacillin resistance was phenotypically detected by a modified-disc-diffusion test, agar screen, broth micro-dilution and agar dilution. The presence of the mecA gene was detected in 5.6% of the SCN isolates by Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Espécies de Staphylococcus spp resistentes a antimicrobianos representam um problema cosmopolita, sendo o controle de sua disseminação um importante desafio. O perfil de resistência a antimicrobianos de isolados de Staphylococcus aureus e Staphylococcus intermedius em amostras clínicas humanas e animais foi avaliado através do método de difusão em disco, no qual foi possível detectar um elevado nível de resistência à ampicilina e à penicilina. A avaliação da resistência à oxacilina, devido à heterogeneidade de resposta do gênero estudado, foi desenvolvida também através das seguintes técnicas: difusão em ágar modificado, ágar screen e microdiluição em caldo, e posteriormente correlacionada com a detecção do gene mecA, pela técnica de PCR, nas amostras consideradas resistentes em pelo menos um dos testes utilizados. A correlação entre os resultados obtidos nos testes fenotípicos com a presença do gene de resistência, considerado um método de referência, foi utilizada para validar a sensibilidade destes. De um total de 80 amostras avaliadas, 28 apresentaram resistência à oxacilina, sendo possível detectar a presença do gene de resistência mecA em 12 destas amostras. Os testes de suscetibilidade à oxacilina apresentaram sensibilidade superior a 50,0%, sendo a difusão em disco simples e o ágar screen considerados mais sensíveis, e a difusão em disco modificada, o de menor sensibilidade.

Antimicrobial resistant Staphylococcus species represent an important cosmopolitan problem, and its spreading control is a significative challenge. Resistance pattern of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus intermedius species isolated from animals and humans clinical samples to different antibiotics was evaluated through disk diffusion method, where ampicillin and penicillin presented the highest level of resistance. The evaluation of the resistance to oxacillin, due to the heterogeneity of the response of the studied genus was carried out through the following tests: modified agar diffusion, agar screen and microdilution, and further correlation with the detection of mecA gene in samples that showed resistance in at least one of the susceptibility tests used. The correlation between the results obtained from phenotypic methods and the detection of resistance gene, considered as a reference method, was used in order to validate its sensitivity. Eighty clinical staphylococcal isolates (29 human and 51 animal isolates) were evaluated, 28 were oxacillin-resistant, mecA gene being detected in 12 samples. Susceptibility assessment tests to oxacillin presented above 50% of specificity, disk diffusion and agar screen being the most sensitive one, while modified disk diffusion presented the lowest sensibility rate. Ampicillin and penicillin presented the highest level of resistance.