The genus Bacillus is Gram-positive, anaerobic or aerobic facultative bacteria, often described to be associated with the mangrove rhizosphere. Secondary products of their metabolism, coming from places affected by pollution and environmental stresses, such as mangroves, have been attracting interest from the biotechnological point of view. In view of this scenario, this work analyzed the ethyl acetate extracts of the cultured Bacillus species, previously isolated from mangroves located in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. Chromatographic profiles of seven bacterial isolates collected from two different mangroves were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and many important compounds of biotechnological interests, mainly those derived from azo-aromatic compounds such as pyrazines, pyrrolo-pyrazines, and piperazinediones, were detected. This study is one of the first, in our knowledge, prospecting volatile or semi volatile organic compounds from ethyl acetate extracts produced by bacteria isolated from the mangroves, and intents to increase the interest in this coastal ecosystem as a source of compounds with biotechnological applications.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection lacks treatment options and is associated with prolonged hospital stays and high mortality rates. The production of carbapenemases is one of the most important factors responsible for this multi-resistance phenomenon. METHODS: In the present study, we analyzed the presence of genes encoding carbapenemases in K. pneumoniae isolates circulating in one of the public hospitals in the city of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. We also determined the best combination of drugs that display in vitro antimicrobial synergy. First, 147 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates were validated for the presence of blaKPC, bla GES, bla NDM, bla SPM, bla IMP, bla VIM, and bla OXA-48 genes using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Thereafter, using two isolates (97 and 102), the role of double and triple combinational drug therapy as a treatment option was analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-four (50.3%) isolates were positive for bla NDM, eight (5.4%) for bla KPC, and one (1.2%) for both bla NDM and bla KPC. In the synergy tests, double combinations were better than triple combinations. Polymyxin B and amikacin for isolate 97 and polymyxin B coupled with meropenem for isolate 102 showed the best response. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians in normal practice use multiple drugs to treat infections caused by multi-resistant microorganism; however, in most cases, the benefit of the combinations is unknown. In vitro synergistic tests, such as those described herein, are important as they might help select an appropriate multi-drug antibiotic therapy and a correct dosage, ultimately reducing toxicities and the development of antibiotic resistance.

Resumo O pólen coletado pelas abelhas eussociais é frequentemente relatado como um alimento saudável devido às suas propriedades nutricionais e terapêuticas importantes. Entretanto, estudos relatando tais propriedades são raros, especialmente para o pólen coletado pelo gênero Melipona, no Nordeste brasileiro, que é o foco desta pesquisa. O pólen de sete espécies de abelhas sem ferrão foi analisado quanto à composição nutricional (açúcar, lipídios, proteínas e aminoácidos). O perfil fenólico foi descrito utilizando 14 fenóis (apigenina, kaempferol, luteolina, narigerina, rutina, ácido gálico, ácido ferúlico, ácido cafeico, ácido p-cumárico, ácido clorogênico, ácido abscísico, ácido protocatecuico, ácido vanílico e ácido trans-cinâmico). A propriedade antioxidante foi analisada pela quantificação de fenóis totais, flavonoides totais e DPPH. Para a identificação e quantificação de compostos fenólicos e aminoácidos, foram utilizados métodos cromatográficos. As amostras de pólen das abelhas em estudo apresentaram boas concentrações de proteínas e aminoácidos, e potencial antioxidante. Os compostos fenólicos luteolina, ácido trans-cinâmico e apigenina foram identificados e descritos pela primeira vez em pólen. Entre os aminoácidos analisados, asparagina, ácido glutâmico, leucina e prolina apresentaram maior concentração. A busca por pesquisas relacionadas ao tema mostrou que este é um dos primeiros estudos com identificação e quantificação de compostos fenólicos e aminoácidos do pólen de abelhas sem ferrão, refletindo sua importância no uso terapêutico e como suplemento alimentar.

Abstract The pollen collected by eusocial bees is often reported as being healthy food due to its important nutritional and therapeutic properties. However, studies reporting such properties are rare, especially for pollen collected by the genus Melipona in northeastern Brazil, which is the focus of this research. Pollen from seven species of stingless bees was analysed for its nutritional composition (sugar, lipid, protein and amino acids). The phenolic compound profile was described based on fourteen phenolic compounds (apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringin, rutin, gallic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, abscisic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid and trans-cinnamic acid). The antioxidant property was analysed by quantifying of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids and DPPH. Chromatographic methods were used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds and amino acids. The pollen samples from the bees under study showed good concentrations of proteins and amino acids and good antioxidant potential. The phenolic compounds luteolin, trans-cinnamic acid and apigenin were identified and described in pollen for the first time. Of the amino acids analysed, asparigine, glutamic acid, leucine and proline showed the highest concentrations. The research related to the theme showed that this is one of the first studies to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds and amino acids in stingless bee pollen, reflecting its importance in therapeutic use and as a food supplement.

Abstract: Variable rates of HPV infection have been reported in healthy oral mucosa worldwide. The main objective of this study was to detect and genotype HPV infection in users and nonusers of drugs with clinically healthy mucosa from the Northeast Brazil. Samples from 105 patients were amplified using the primers MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+, and genotyping was performed by multiplex-PCR for HPV-6/11, 16 and 18. A total of 81.9% samples were positive. Among drug users, 84.5% presented the virus and 20.4% showed multiple infections. Among non-drug users, 78.7% were positive and 13.5% had multiple infections. Limited information is available on oral HPV in Brazilian population, especially for drug users, and our results showed higher HPV infection rates in both users and nonusers of drugs. More studies and researches focused on drug users including factors like sexual behavior, nutrition and cultural habits are necessary to enhance the comprehension of this relationship, and develop preventive strategies.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Salmonella enterica serovar Panama belongs to the D1 serogroup and is frequently associated with nontyphoidal salmonellosis in humans. This study aimed to characterize isolates collected from Northeast Brazil by phenotypic and molecular methods. METHODS Forty four S. Panama strains were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence genes, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types. RESULTS All strains were susceptible to antibiotics (except for streptomycin), presented classical virulence factors, and could be clustered into four groups and 18 pulsotypes. CONCLUSIONS This work calls for continuous surveillance for the emergence of antibiotic resistance and new clones in a geographical area.

Abstract Salmonella infections usually occur as gastroenteritis that is generally self-limited. However, some serotypes of Salmonella can cause severe extra-intestinal infections, such as bacteremia and meningitis. Here, we report the first Salmonella Panama case of meningitis in 4-month-old male newborn in Brazil. The invasive strain isolated was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested. The genes agfA, fimA, invA, sfbA, phoP, and slyA were detected using polymerase chain reactions. These findings are relevant and physicians should be alert to the possibility of meningitis in newborns due to S. Panama, which can present a high rate of mortality or recurrence of infection.

Abstract Honey from stingless bees of the genus Melipona is a well sought product. Nevertheless lack of legal frameworks for quality assessment complicates the evaluation of food safety and marketing of these products. Seeking to assess the quality of honey from the bees of this genus, physical and chemical analyses, identification of phenolic compounds, and microbiological evaluation from six species of stingless bees was performed. The honey samples showed high reducing sugars, low protein levels and a balanced microbiota. High total phenols and flavonoids and higher antioxidant activity were also recorded. Different phenolic compounds of great biotechnological potential were identified and of these apigenin, kaempferol and luteolin were identified for the first time in honey. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few works describing a detail characterization of melipona honey together with identification of the phenolic compounds of significant therapeutic value.

Abstract The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oral carcinogenesis is still controversial as detection rates of the virus in oral cavity reported in the literature varies greatly. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HPV infection and its genotypes in patients with oral lesions at the Ambulatory of Oral Diagnosis of the Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil. Material and Methods We conducted a molecular study with 21 patients (15 females) aged from two to 83 years with clinically detectable oral lesions. Samples were collected through exfoliation of lesions and HPV-DNA was identified using MY09/11 and GP5+/6+ primers. Genotyping was performed by multiplex PCR. Results Benign, premalignant and malignant lesions were diagnosed by histopathology. HPV was detected in 17 samples. Of these, HPV-6 was detected in 10 samples, HPV-18 in four and HPV-16 in one sample. When samples were categorized by lesion types, HPV was detected in two papilloma cases (2/3), five carcinomas (5/6), one hyperplasia (1/1) and nine dysplasia cases (9/11). Conclusion Unlike other studies in the literature, we reported high occurrence of HPV in oral lesions. Further studies are required to enhance the comprehension of natural history of oral lesions.

INTRODUCTION: In December 2001, an outbreak of foodborne gastroenteritis infected 114 of 161 people who ate at a restaurant in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. METHODS: The epidemiological and microbiological aspects of the outbreak were characterized. RESULTS: Potato salad made with homemade mayonnaise and stored at unsuitable temperatures was associated with increased risk of foodborne infection. Salmonella Enteritidis was isolated from the diarrheal stools of the hospitalized patients, and genotyping of the fecal samples generated identical randomly amplified polymorphic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiles. CONCLUSIONS : To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and the only record of a gastrointestinal outbreak in Sergipe.

The aim of this study was to analyze the physicochemical properties and antifungal activities of the red propolis samples from Sergipe, Brazil, and also evaluate their variability throughout the year. The characterization of the hydroalcoholic extract (HPE) of the red propolis samples was performed monthly from October 2009 to September 2010. The concentrations of the bioactive compounds varied during the year, but their chromatographic profiles were similar. Four compounds were identified by comparison with authentic standards. Formononetin was one of the predominant compounds in all propolis extracts. In our study, it was observed that all the propolis samples inhibited the growth of Candida species. Multivariate analysis confirmed the variations in chemical composition and color of the HPEs throughout the year. The biological activities of the HPEs were statistically significant (p<0.05), and all samples exhibited antifungal properties.

The physiochemical and biological properties of honey are directly associated to its floral origin. Some current commonly used methods for identification of botanical origin of honey involve palynological analysis, chromatographic methods, or direct observation of the bee behavior. However, these methods can be less sensitive and time consuming. DNA-based methods have become popular due to their simplicity, quickness, and reliability. The main objective of this research is to introduce a protocol for the extraction of DNA from honey and demonstrate that the molecular analysis of the extracted DNA can be used for its botanical identification. The original CTAB-based protocol for the extraction of DNA from plants was modified and used in the DNA extraction from honey. DNA extraction was carried out from different honey samples with similar results in each replication. The extracted DNA was amplified by PCR using plant specific primers, confirming that the DNA extracted using the modified protocol is of plant origin and has good quality for analysis of PCR products and that it can be used for botanical identification of honey.