ENTEROBACTERIA ISOLATION IN BROILER CARCASSES FROM COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN FORTALEZA, CEARÁ STATE, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Processing of poultry products requires a severe microbiological quality control, considering they are one of the main sources of foodborne infections. The objective of this research was to perform the isolation of enterobacteria in broiler carcasses from commercial establishments in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza in Ceará State, Brazil. Broiler carcasses were collected and selected as fresh (n = 14), refrigerated (n = 18) and frozen (n = 19). Carcasses were submitted to a rinsing method, followed by pre-enrichment and enrichment with Rappaport-Vassiliadis and Selenite-Cystine, streaked on plates with Brilliant Green, MacConkey and Salmonella-Shigella agars, and to a presumptive biochemical identification. It was verified that all broiler carcasses categories presented enterobacteria contamination, with the following frequency of isolation: Proteus sp., 66.7%; Enterobacter sp., 15.7%; Citrobacter sp., 2%; Escherichia coli, 47.1%; Klebsiella sp., 11.8%; Shigella sp., 5.9%, and Salmonella sp. 11.8%. It was observed that no combination of culture media was able to detect all enterobacteria contamination in the broiler carcasses. Thus, it may be necessary the use of several combinations of culture media to determine the real microbiological quality of broiler carcasses.</jats:p

Characterization of PAH/DPPG layer-by-layer films by VUV spectroscopy

The spectroscopic characterization of layer-by-layer (LbL) films containing liposomes is essential not only for determining the precise film architecture but also to guide the design of drug delivery systems. In this study we provide the first report of vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy (VUV) characterization of LbL films made with liposomes from 1.2-dipalmitoyl-sn-Glycero-3-[Phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (Sodium Salt) (DPPG) alternated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). Measurements in the 6.0–9.5 eV range allowed us to identify the electronic transitions responsible for the spectra, which were assigned to carboxyl, hydroxyl and phosphate groups in DPPG while the PAH spectra were governed by electronic transitions in the amino groups. The surface mass density of the LbL films could be determined, from which the formation of a DPPG bilayer was inferred. This rupture of the liposomes into bilayers was confirmed with atomic force microscopy measurements. In subsidiary experiments we ensured that the UV irradiation in vacuum had negligible damage in the DPPG liposomes during the course of the VUV measurements. In addition to demonstrating the usefulness of VUV spectroscopy, the results presented here may be exploited in biological applications of liposome-containing films