Simple green approach to reinforce natural rubber with bacterial cellulose nanofibers

Natural rubber (NR) is a renewable polymer with a wide range of applications, which is constantly tailored, further increasing its utilizations. The tensile strength is one of its most important properties susceptible of being enhanced by the simple incorporation of nanofibers. The preparation and characterization of natural-rubber based nanocomposites reinforced with bacterial cellulose (BC) and bacterial cellulose coated with polystyrene (BCPS), yielded high performance materials. The nanocomposites were prepared by a simple and green process, and characterized by tensile tests, dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and swelling experiments. The effect of the nanofiber content on morphology, static, and dynamic mechanical properties was also investigated. The results showed an increase in the mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus and tensile strength, even with modest nanofiber loadings. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Production of biofilm by Listeria monocytogenes in different materials and temperatures

Listeria monocytogenes, considered as one of the most important foodborne pathogens, is easily found on surfaces, particularly in the form of a biofilm. Biofilms are aggregates of cells that facilitate the persistence of these pathogens in food processing environments conferring resistance to the processes of cleaning and may cause contamination of food during processing, thus, representing a danger to public health. Little is known about the dynamics of the formation and regulation of biofilm production in L.monocytogenes, but several authors reported that the luxS gene may be a precursor in this process. In addition, the product of the inlA gene is responsible for facilitating the entry of the microorganism into epithelial cells that express the receptor E-cadherin, also participates in surface attachment. Thus, 32 strains of L.monocytogenes isolated from different foods (milk and vegetables) and from food processing environments were analyzed for the presence of these genes and their ability to form biofilms on three different surfaces often used in the food industry and retail (polystyrene, glass and stainless steel) at different temperatures (4, 20 and 30°C). All strains had the ilnA gene and 25 out of 32 strains (78.1%) were positive for the presence of the luxS gene, but all strains produced biofilm in at least one of the temperatures and materials tested. This suggests that genes in addition to luxS may participate in this process, but were not the decisive factors for biofilm formation. The bacteria adhered better to hydrophilic surfaces (stainless steel and glass) than to hydrophobic ones (polystyrene), since at 20°C for 24h, 30 (93.8%) and 26 (81.3%) produced biofilm in stainless steel and glass, respectively, and just 2 (6.2%) in polystyrene. The incubation time seemed to be an important factor in the process of biofilm formation, mainly at 35°C for 48h, because the results showed a decrease from 30 (93.8%) to 20 (62.5%) and from 27 (84.4%) to 12 (37.5%), on stainless steel and glass, respectively, although this was not significant (. p=0.3847). We conclude that L.monocytogenes is capable of forming biofilm on different surfaces independent of temperature, but the surface composition may be important factor for a faster development of biofilm. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Tratamento térmico na manutenção da qualidade de lichias armazenadas sob refrigeração

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Produção de biofilme por Listeria monocytogenes isoladas de diferentes alimentos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos da interação e toxicidade das proteínas Cry1 e Vip3Aa de Bacillus thuringiensis, Berliner em Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Pós-graduação em Microbiologia Agropecuária - FCAV

Qualidade de carambolas submetidas a diferentes tratamentos pós-colheita

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Conservação frigorificada da maçã ‘eva’ orgânica com aplicação de cloreto de cálcio

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Horticultura) - FCA

Estudo fenotípico e genotípico da produção de biofilmes por estirpes de Staphylococcus aureus isolados dos casos de mastite subclínica bovina

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desempenho de genótipos de soja-hortaliças quanto às principais características agronômicas, funcionais e antinutricionais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Parabenos em água superficial: estudo analítico e aplicação em amostras ambientais

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Avaliação do desenvolvimento e a eficiência do capim vetiver (chrysopogon zizanioides) em sistemas híbridos de alagados construídos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Tratamento de águas residuárias por alagados construídos de fluxo subsuperficial horizontal, utilizando Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanoides L.): avaliação e desempenho de três leitos distintos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência de embalagens no processamento mínimo de cultivares de goiaba

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Desenvolvimento e caracterização de compósitos poliméricos reforçados com fibras lignocelulósicas: HIPS / fibra de casca do coco verde e bagaço de cana de açucar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ressonância paramagnética eletrônica (RPE) aplicada em semicondutores orgânicos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)