15 documents found, page 1 of 2
Current microbiological challenges in drinking water
Afonso, Ana C.; Saavedra, Maria J.; Gomes, Inês B.; Simões, Manuel; Simões, Lúcia ChavesDrinking water (DW) is paramount to human health, serving as a cornerstone of public health worldwide. However, DW is not a sterile product and can harbor a large diversity of microorganisms, including pathogens. This comprehensive review addresses the critical importance of DW for human health and the ongoing challenges posed by microbial pathogens and biofilms in water distribution systems. It further analyze...
The role of the proteosurfaceome and exoproteome in bacterial coaggregation
Afonso, Ana C.; Saavedra, Maria J.; Simões, Manuel; Simões, Lúcia ChavesBacterial coaggregation is a critical process in multispecies biofilm formation, driven by specific molecular interactions that facilitate the adhesion and aggregation of bacterial cells. These interactions are essential for the development and persistence of complex microbial communities. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of the proteosurfaceome and exoproteome in bacterial coaggregati...
Coaggregation dynamics in drinking water biofilms and implications for chlorine...
Afonso, Ana C.; Gomes, Inês B.; Massano, Francisca; Saavedra, Maria J.; Simões, Manuel; Simões, Lúcia ChavesBiofilms in drinking water (DW) systems persistently challenge traditional disinfection methods due to intricate microbial interactions, with coaggregation playing a crucial role in forming multispecies biofilms. This study examined the implications of coaggregation on tolerance towards sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) disinfection. Dual-species biofilms were formed for seven days on polyvinyl chloride coupons, comp...
Elucidating bacterial coaggregation through a physicochemical and imaging surfa...
Afonso, Ana C.; Botting, Jack; Gomes, Inês B.; Saavedra, Maria J.; Simões, Lúcia Chaves; Liu, Jun; Simões, ManuelBacterial coaggregation is a highly specific type of cell-cell interaction, well-documented among oral bacteria, and involves specific characteristics of the cell surface of the coaggregating strains. However, the understanding of the mechanisms promoting coaggregation in aquatic systems remains limited. This gap is critical to address, given the broad implications of coaggregation for multispecies biofilm form...
Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) in captivity : analysis of the...
Silva, Carolina; Requicha, João F.; Martins, José J.; Duarte, Aida; Dias, Isabel R.; Viegas, Carlos A.; Saavedra, Maria J.This study aimed to characterize the susceptibility profile to antibiotics and biofilm formation of Gram-negative bacterial isolates obtained from the oral cavity of the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). From eight individuals from a zoo located in Portugal, samples of the oral microbiota were collected with sterile swabs and then placed in closed tubes with a transport medium. Culture was carri...
Prevalence of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli in bovine cattle: a survey in the...
Ballem, Andressa; Gonçalves, Soraia; Ferreira, A. I.; Fernandes, C.; Saavedra, Maria J.; Pinto, Carlos; Oliveira, Hugo Alexandre MendesShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are food-borne pathogens that can be transmitted to humans through many different routes, but mainly through consumption of contaminated foods. STEC strains are characterized by the production of Shiga toxins (Stx) that are encoded by two genes stx1 and/or stx2. Each toxin can be subdivided into subtypes and, currently, there are three known subtypes for stx...
Bovine mastitis disease/pathogenicity: evidence of the potential role of microb...
Gomes, Fernanda Isabel; Saavedra, Maria J.; Henriques, MarianaBovine mastitis (BM) is a disease with high incidence worldwide and one of the most relevant bovine pathologies and the most costly to the dairy industry. BM is an inflammation of the udder and represents one of the most difficult veterinary diseases to control. Biofilm formation is considered a selective advantage for pathogens causing mastitis, facilitating bacterial persistence in the udder. In fact, recentl...
Combinatorial activity of flavonoids with antibiotics against drug resistant St...
Abreu, Ana Cristina; Serra, Sofia Cravino; Borges, Anabela; Saavedra, Maria J.; Mcbain, Andrew J.; Salgado, A. J.; Simões, ManuelThe use of resistance-modifying agents is a potential strategy that is used to prolong the effective life of antibiotics in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance. Since certain flavonoids are potent bacterial efflux pump inhibitors, we assessed morin, rutin, quercetin, hesperidin, and (+)-catechin for their combined activity with the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, erythromycin, oxacillin, and a...
Antibacterial activity and mode of action of selected glucosinolate hydrolysis ...
Borges, Anabela; Abreu, Ana C.; Ferreira, Carla; Saavedra, Maria J.; Simões, Lúcia C.; Simões, ManuelPlants contain numerous components that are important sources of new bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are plant secondary metabolites found in cruciferous vegetables that are arising as promising antimicrobial agents in food industry. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of two isothiocyanates (ITCs), allylisothiocyanate (AITC) and 2-phenylethyl...
The action of selected isothiocyanates on bacterial biofilm prevention and control
Borges, A.; Simões, Lúcia C.; Saavedra, Maria J.; Simões, M.The activity of two selected isothiocyanates (ITCs), allylisothiocyanate (AITC) and 2-phenylethy-lisothiocyanate (PEITC) was evaluated on the prevention and control of biofilms formed by Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. In addition, the effect of ITCs was also tested on planktonic cell susceptibility, bacterial motility and adhesion. Biofilm prevention ...