Influence of the agrochemical benomyl on Cryptococcus gattii-plant interaction in vitro and in vivo.

Cryptococcus gattii, an environmental fungus, is one of the agents of cryptococcosis. The influence of agrochemicals on fungal resistance to antifungals is widely discussed. However, the effects of benomyl (BEN) on fungal interaction with different hosts is still to be understood.

Does sorghum phenolic extract have antifungal effect?

This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effect of SC319 sorghum phenolic extract (SPE) on the Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Stenocarpella, Colletotrichum, and Macrophomina genera. SPE was extracted by 20% ethanol and used in four assays: (1) against Fusarium verticillioides in solid (PDA) and liquid (PD) potato dextrose media; (2) Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assay with 16 fungi isolates; (3) Conidial Germination Rate (CGR) with 14 fungi isolates and (4) Growth Curve (GC) with 11 fungi isolates. There was no reduction in the mycelial growth (colony diameter and dry weight) and in the number of Fusarium verticillioides spores in assay 1 (PDA and PD).

Detection of Cladosporium spinulosum on an engraving by Rembrandt and susceptibility profile to eco-friendly antifungal treatments.

Interdisciplinary studies on cultural heritage artworks provide efficient solutions to control fungal growth and the negative effects of biodeterioration. In this study, we aimed to identify the population of filamentous fungi colonizing an engraving by the Dutch painter Rembrandt, whose conservation status was compromised and showed visible stains of biodeterioration. Microbiological techniques, such as cultivation-dependent approaches and molecular biology, have been used to identify fungal populations.

Identification and evaluation of thermotolerance of yeasts from milk in natura exposed to high temperature and slow and fast pasteurization.

Milk is considered one of the basic raw materials of animal origin; it must present hygienic quality and physical-chemical properties suitable for processing and human consumption. Thus, the ingestion of milk in natura when not properly treated can be characterized as an opportunistic route of transmission of possible microbial pathogens, which can offer risks to public health. The present study aimed the yeast identification, to analyze the thermo-resistance of yeasts isolated from fresh milk, and to trace the susceptibility profile of the isolates to antifungal agents.

Antibiofilm and Anti-Candidal Activities of the Extract of the Marine Sponge Agelas dispar.

This study aimed to determine the antifungal and antibiofilm activities of Agelas dispar on biofilm-producing Candida species. The methanolic extract of A. dispar was obtained and the fraction Ag2 showed inhibitory activity for all 13 Candida strains tested, in concentrations ranging from 2.

Evaluation of microbiological air parameters and the fungal community involved in the potential risks of biodeterioration in a cultural heritage of humanity, Ouro Preto, Brazil.

The research of the microbiological air quality of a building considered a human historical and cultural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization is fundamental for preventive conservation action, mainly because it identifies cultivable fungal species around the collections and suggests the appropriate treatment choice. This study investigated the air microbiological parameters inside the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Church and identified the population of airborne fungi. Sixty filamentous fungal isolates were detected with ten distinct taxa.

Application of near-infrared hyperspectral (NIR) images combined with multivariate image analysis in the differentiation of two mycotoxicogenic Fusarium species associated with maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile crops worldwide with high socioeconomic relevance. However, mycotoxins produced by pathogenic fungi are of constant concern in maize production, as they pose serious risks to human and animal health.

Hypervirulence and cross-resistance to a clinical antifungal are induced by an environmental fungicide in Cryptococcus gattii.

The increasing human population requires ongoing efforts in food production. This is frequently associated with an increased use of agrochemicals, leading to environmental contamination and altering microbial communities, including human fungal pathogens that reside in the environment. Cryptococcus gattii is an environmental yeast and is one of the etiological agents of cryptococcosis.

Occurrence of strains on a polychrome cotton painting and their elimination by anoxic treatment.

This study aimed to isolate and identify the population of filamentous fungi colonizing a cotton painting, whose conservation status was compromised and showed signs of biodeterioration due to dirt accumulation and microbial metabolism. In addition, microbiological techniques such as cultivation-dependent approach and molecular biology were used to identify microbial populations and to eliminate their metabolic action. For this, the nondestructive anoxic atmosphere technique was used, in which the microbial metabolism was affected by the absence of oxygen.

N-acetylcysteine reduces amphotericin B deoxycholate nephrotoxicity and improves the outcome of murine cryptococcosis.

Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening fungal infection, and its current treatment is toxic and subject to resistance. Drug repurposing represents an interesting approach to find drugs to reduce the toxicity of antifungals. In this study, we evaluated the combination of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) with amphotericin B (AMB) for the treatment of cryptococcosis.

Butenafine and analogues: An expeditious synthesis and cytotoxicity and antifungal activities.

The incidence of fungal infections is considered a serious public health problem worldwide. The limited number of antimycotic drugs available to treat human and animal mycosis, the undesirable side effects and toxicities of the currently available drugs, and the emergence of fungal resistance emphasizes the urgent need for more effective antimycotic medicines. In this paper, we describe a rapid, simple, and efficient synthetic route for preparation of the antifungal agent butenafine on a multigram scale.

Investigating cross-contamination by yeast strains from dental solid waste to waste-handling workers by DNA sequencing.

Trying to widen the discussion on the risks associated with dental waste, this study proposed to investigate and genetically compare yeast isolates recovered from dental solid waste and waste workers. Three samples were collected from workers' hands, nasal mucosa, and professional clothing (days 0, 30, and 180), and two from dental waste (days 0 and 180). Slide culture, microscopy, antifungal drug susceptibility, intersimple sequence repeat analysis, and amplification and sequencing of internal transcribed spacer regions were performed.

Atorvastatin as a promising anticryptococcal agent.

Cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus gattii leads to pneumonia and meningoencephalitis, and has a high mortality rate worldwide due to the inadequacy of available therapy and increasing drug resistance. There is a need to develop effective treatments, and drug repositioning is an interesting alternative to achieve new strategies to treat cryptococcosis. Atorvastatin (ATO), a statin currently used to treat hypercholesterolaemia, was tested in this study as an adjuvant to control infections caused by C.

Invasion of the Brazilian campo rupestre by the exotic grass Melinis minutiflora is driven by the high soil N availability and changes in the N cycle.

The Serra do Rola Moça State Park (PESRM) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil is a preserved site representative of the campo rupestre biome over an ironstone outcrop that has a high level of plant diversity. Almost 60% of this grassy field has been invaded by the exotic molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora), which constitutes a severe threat to the biodiversity and survival of this biome, particularly due to the impacts of annual fires and inappropriate restoration interventions. Many invasive species exhibit a high demand for nitrogen (N).

Endotoxins in surgical instruments of hip arthroplasty.

Objective: To investigate endotoxins in sterilized surgical instruments used in hip arthroplasties.

Method: A descriptive exploratory study conducted in a public teaching hospital. Six types of surgical instruments were selected, namely: acetabulum rasp, femoral rasp, femoral head remover, chisel box, flexible bone reamer and femoral head test.

A subdose of fluconazole alters the virulence of Cryptococcus gattii during murine cryptococcosis and modulates type I interferon expression.

Cryptococcosis is an invasive infection caused by yeast-like fungus of the genera Cryptococcus spp. The antifungal therapy for this disease provides some toxicity and the incidence of infections caused by resistant strains increased. Thus, we aimed to assess the consequences of fluconazole subdoses during the treatment of cryptococcosis in the murine inflammatory response and in the virulence factors of Cryptococcus gattii.

Profile of hip arthroplasty patients in a teaching hospital.

Objective: to characterize the epidemiological profile of patients undergoing hip replacement, primary or revisional.

Methods: we conducted a retrospective, descriptive study, including hip arthroplasties performed from January 2009 to June 2012 in a Belo Horizonte teaching hospital, Minas Gerais State - MG, Brazil. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Analysis of microbial load on surgical instruments after clinical use and following manual and automated cleaning.

Background: We aimed to monitor the microbial load and identify the microorganisms recovered from surgical instruments after clinical use and following manual and automated cleaning.

Methods: This experimental study was carried out in the Laboratory of Oral Microbiology and Anaerobes at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Microbial samples were taken from 125 surgical instruments used in 25 types of gastrointestinal surgeries.

2-(benzylideneamino)phenol: a promising hydroxyaldimine with potent activity against dermatophytoses.

Infections caused by dermatophytes, mainly Trichophyton rubrum,are often vulnerable to relapses upon cessation of antifungal therapy, reinforcing the need of new antifungals. Aldimines have potential biological activities, but there are few reports on their antifungal profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of 2-(benzylideneamino)phenol (3A3) and 4-(benzylideneamino)phenol (3A4) against dermatophytes.

Fluconazole alters the polysaccharide capsule of Cryptococcus gattii and leads to distinct behaviors in murine Cryptococcosis.

Cryptococcus gattii is an emergent human pathogen. Fluconazole is commonly used for treatment of cryptococcosis, but the emergence of less susceptible strains to this azole is a global problem and also the data regarding fluconazole-resistant cryptococcosis are scarce. We evaluate the influence of fluconazole on murine cryptococcosis and whether this azole alters the polysaccharide (PS) from cryptococcal cells.

The role of oxidative and nitrosative bursts caused by azoles and amphotericin B against the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii.

Objectives: Although the most accepted mechanisms of action of amphotericin B and azoles are related to ergosterol, it is possible that these drugs have other effects on the fungal cell. In the present study, the role of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxynitrite produced by azoles and amphotericin B in the fungus Cryptococcus gattii were examined.

Methods: We studied distinct parameters to evaluate the effect of oxidative and nitrosative stresses induced by these drugs in C.

Effectiveness of flexible gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing.

The practice of reprocessing endoscopes and its effectiveness was evaluated in 37 services. Contamination of at least 1 endoscope could be identified in 34 (91.6%) of 37 services.

Prevalence of dermatomycosis in a Brazilian tertiary care hospital.

A total of 233 specimens obtained from suspected cases of dermatomycosis from 189 patients were examined for causative fungi from December 2009 to May 2010 in a tertiary care hospital in the city of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Yeast and fungal isolates obtained from specimens were regarded as conclusive diagnosis of mycoses in 82 cases (35.19 %), with the exception of two patients with pityriasis versicolor (2.

Dynamic interaction between fluconazole and amphotericin B against Cryptococcus gattii.

Cryptococcus gattii is the main pathogen of cryptococcosis in healthy patients and is treated mainly with fluconazole and amphotericin B. The combination of these drugs has been questioned because the mechanisms of action could lead to a theoretical antagonistic interaction. We evaluated distinct parameters involved in the in vitro combination of fluconazole and amphotericin B against Cryptococcus gattii.