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Author(s): Cristiane de Oliveira [sup.1], Juliana Villela Maciel [sup.1], Anelise Christ-Ribeiro [sup.1], Ananda Guarda [sup.2], Daiane Dias [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411598.0, 0000 0000 8540 6536, Laboratório de Eletroespectro Analítica [...], This study reports the simultaneous voltammetric determination of Cd and Pb by square wave voltammetry (SWV) using carbon paste electrode modified with bismuth film. For the ex situ film formation, the influence of Bi concentration, time and deposition potential was evaluated. Regarding the SWV parameters, frequency, amplitude, deposition time and deposition potential were evaluated. The ideal conditions of film formation were achieved with 1 mg/L Bi applying -0.6 V during 300 s (0.01 M acetate buffer, pH 4.6). The highest current values of Cd and Pb were obtained in 0.01 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) with deposition potential of -1.1 V, time deposition of 180 s, frequency of 40 Hz, amplitude of 40 mV and potential step of 0.005 V. The detection limits calculated for Cd and Pb were 0.5 and 0.3 [micro]g/L, respectively, and the method was successfully applied to the analysis of commercial potable water.

Monilinia fructicola (Wint.) Honey is a plant pathogenic fungus that infects stone fruits such as peach, nectarine and plum, which are high demand cultivars found in Brazil. This pathogen may remain latent in the host, showing no apparent signs of disease, and consequently may spread to different countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of hydroalcoholic extract (HydE) obtained from Lactarius deliciosus (L.) Sf. Gray a mushroom, against M. fructicola phytopathogenic-induced mycelial growth. In addition, the purpose of this study was to examine phytotoxicity attributed to HydE using Brassica oleracea seeds, as well as cytotoxic analysis of this extract on cells of mouse BALB/c monocyte macrophage cell line (J774A.1 cell line) (ATCC TIB-67). The L. deliciosus HydE inhibited fungal growth and reduced phytopathogen mycelial development at a concentration of 1.25 mg/ml. Our results demonstrated that the extract exhibited phytotoxicity as evidenced by (1) interference on germination percentage and rate index, (2) decreased root and initial growth measures, and (3) lower fresh weight of seedlings but no cytotoxicity in Vero cell lines. Data suggest that the use of the L. deliciosus extracts may be beneficial for fungal control without any apparent adverse actions on mouse BALB/c monocyte macrophage cell line (J774A.1 cell line) viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of food by fungi can result in changes in sensory characteristics, as well as rapid reduction in quality and consequently the infeasibility of using contaminated material. In addition, contamination can pose a danger to public health, as in addition to decreasing the availability of nutrients, some fungal species can produce toxic substances. Much research has explored the use of natural resources to prevent or mitigate microbial contamination. Recovery of chemicals from many families from plants and microorganisms has been evaluated. Phenolic compounds are the most studied class on the premise that they have the capacity to inhibit endogenous and exogenous biological degradation processes. In this manuscript, we intend to emphasize the biochemical and experimental evidence of the phenolic compounds present in natural resources from the South of Brazil that have potential to be used in strategies to mitigate the consequences of fungal contamination. The crude phenolic extracts from natural resources (plant portion and microorganisms) of the Southern Brazilian region should be better exploited, to propose strategies to scale up their application in food industries because they have demonstrated an ability to inhibit fungal development without promoting stress and consequent mycotoxin production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]