Publications by authors named "Marcia Regina von Zeska Kress"

Antifungal drug resistance is a growing concern, necessitating new therapeutic alternatives. This study evaluated the antifungal activity and molecular effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using the culture filtrate of against , a highly resistant fungal species. AgNPs exhibited strong antifungal activity, with a MIC of 1.

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The fungi Fusarium guttiforme and Phytophthora palmivora were cultivated in four different media (Potato Dextrose Agar, Czapek, rice, and ISP2) and co-cultured to stimulate fungal interactions and enhance secondary metabolite production. Promising extracts were fractionated, yielding compounds such as the iron complex of fusaric acid (1), magnesium complex of fusaric acid (2), haematocin (4), fusarinolic acid (7), and cyclonerodiol (8). These compounds exhibited significant papain inhibitory activity, with compounds 2 and 4 showing IC values below 20 µM.

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Shigellosis is a serious public health problem worldwide caused by Shigella spp. The aims of this study were to molecularly and phenotypically characterize 50 S. flexneri strains isolated from human feces between 1983 and 2017 in different States of Brazil.

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Fungal secondary metabolites display remarkable chemical diversity and biological potential, with applications in agriculture and pharmaceuticals. This study isolated and characterized bioactive metabolites from two phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium falciforme (from papaya) and Aspergillus terreus (from pineapple), assessing their antifungal and cysteine protease-inhibitory activities. The compounds hymeglusin, fusaridioic acid A, and butyrolactone I exhibited significant antifungal effects, with hymeglusin (IC 22.

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In recent decades, the recurrence and mortality rates of fungal infections have increased, likely due to antifungal resistance and insufficient attention from healthcare authorities. This trend highlights the urgent need for new antifungal treatments, with essential oils (EOs) emerging as promising alternatives. This study focuses on the characterization, nanoencapsulation, and evaluation of the EO of Kunth - pepper-rosemary - on toxicity and antifungal activity against filamentous fungi and yeasts, with a particular emphasis on the influence of surfactants.

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Background: Campylobacter spp. have been reported as a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans in many countries. However, in Brazil there is insufficient data to estimate the impact of Campylobacter in public health.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pepper is loaded with beneficial phytochemicals like capsaicinoids and phenols, which have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties useful for both human and plant health.
  • In a study, different pepper varieties (Cacho de Cabra, Bell Pepper, Hungarian Wax, and Cristal) were assessed for their capsaicin and phenolic content, finding that Cristal and Hungarian Wax had the highest capsaicinoids while Bell Pepper had the most phenols and antioxidant activity.
  • The research demonstrated that extracts from these peppers can inhibit fungal growth, showing their potential as non-toxic pest management tools in agriculture.
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The transmission of microorganisms via hands is a critical factor in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), underscoring the importance of rigorous hand hygiene. The rise of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, driven in part by the overuse of antibiotics in clinical medicine, presents a significant global health challenge. Antimicrobial soaps, although commonly used, may exacerbate bacterial resistance and disrupt skin microbiota, posing additional health risks and environmental hazards.

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Fungal resistance is a public health concern due to the limited availability of antifungal resources and the complexities associated with treating persistent fungal infections. Azoles are thus far the primary line of defense against fungi. Specifically, azoles inhibit the conversion of lanosterol to ergosterol, producing defective sterols and impairing fluidity in fungal plasmatic membranes.

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The scarce antifungal arsenal, changes in the susceptibility profile of fungal agents, and lack of adherence to treatment have contributed to the increase of cases of dermatomycoses. In this context, new antimicrobial substances have gained importance. Chalcones are precursors of the flavonoid family that have multiple biological activities, have high tolerability by humans, and easy synthesis.

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Dermatomycosis is an infection with global impacts caused especially by dermatophytes and Candida species. Current antifungal therapies involve drugs that face fungal resistance barriers. This clinical context emphasizes the need to discover new antifungal agents.

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Acinetobacter bereziniae has recently gained medical notoriety due to its emergence as a multidrug resistance and healthcare-associated pathogen. In this study, we report the whole-genome characterization of an A. bereziniae strain (A321) recovered from an infected semiaquatic turtle, as well as a comparative analysis of A.

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Interest in Antarctic fungi has grown due to their resilience in harsh environments, suggesting the presence of valuable compounds from its organisms, such as those presenting photoprotective potential, since this environment suffers the most dangerous UV exposure in the world. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the photoprotective potential of compounds from sustainable marine sources, specifically seaweed-derived fungi from Antarctic continent. These studies led to discovery of photoprotective and antioxidant properties of metabolites from Arthrinium sp.

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The genus harbors human infection-causing pathogens and is involved in the complex one-health challenge of antifungal resistance. Here, a 6-year retrospective study was conducted with spp. isolated from patients with invasive, chronic, and clinically suspected aspergillosis in a tertiary teaching hospital.

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Salmonella 1,4, [5],12:i:- is one of the most prevalent serovars associated with gastroenteritis in several countries, including Brazil. However, few studies have analyzed the virulence potential of this variant in this country. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize S.

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Disseminated fusariosis is treated with amphotericin B and voriconazole. To determine adequate therapy, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is used. However, MIC analysis is based on visual observation and requires a long period of fungal incubation.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study focuses on the resistance and virulence traits of Klebsiella pneumoniae found in cerebrospinal fluid from hospitalized patients.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and various experimental models were used to evaluate the bacteria's resistance mechanisms and virulence factors.
  • The presence of multiple resistance genes and virulence determinants, along with enhanced virulence in models, highlights the significant danger posed by multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae in hospital settings.
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The fast-emerging and multidrug-resistant Candida auris is the first fungal pathogen to be considered a threat to global public health. Thus, there is a high unmet medical need to develop new therapeutic strategies to control this species. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) is a promising alternative that simultaneously targets and damages numerous microbial biomolecules.

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Introduction: The clinical manifestations of cryptococcosis are usually associated with the infecting agents Cryptococcus neoformans (CN) and C. gattii (CG) species complexes and the host. In this study, non-HIV-infected patients, at a university hospital in southeastern Brazil, had epidemiological and clinical data associated with cryptococcal disease and isolated Cryptococcus species: CN - 24 patients and CG - 12 patients.

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Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known as promising alternatives for the control of microorganisms. This study aims to evaluate the antifungal activity of APDT, particularly by using the association of low concentrations of phenothiazinium photosensitizers (PS) methylene blue (MB), new methylene blue N (NMBN), and new methylene blue N Zinc (NMBN-Zn) in association with biosynthesized AgNPs. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and the dynamic light scattering method.

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Microbial communities infiltrate the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients, where chronic colonization and infection lead to clinical decline. This report aims to provide an overview of the diversity of bacterial and fungal species from the airway secretion of three young CF patients with severe pulmonary disease. The bacterial and fungal microbiomes were investigated by culture isolation, metataxonomics, and metagenomics shotgun.

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Paracoccidioidomycosis caused by Paracoccidioides lutzii is endemic in the Midwest of Brazil and its clinical spectrum is still little known due to the recent identification of this fungal species. A patient resident in Southeast Brazil, but who had lived for many years in the Midwest region, presented with skin injuries, chronic cough and bilateral adrenal involvement. Paracoccidioides spp.

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The rapid dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing Enterobacterales from different spheres worldwide over recent years has become a serious problem in both human and veterinary medicine. CTX-M-3-type ESBL has only been reported on few occasions, and in Brazil the bla gene has been identified only once in clinical strains. In this study, we aimed to molecularly characterize a hypermucoviscous (hm), hypervirulent (hv), and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae strain isolated from a lung tissue culture of an infected elephant.

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Background: Cryptococcus neoformans/ Cryptococcus gattii species complex is composed of encapsulated yeast species that are causative agents of cryptococcosis. The characterisation of pathogenic Cryptococcus species provides useful data for epidemiological studies as well as the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to characterise the epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility and virulence of 72 clinical strains isolated from cryptococcosis cases between 2012 and 2017 in a tertiary reference hospital in south-eastern Brazil.

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Salmonella Dublin is a strongly cattle-adapted serovar that has also been responsible for severe invasive infections in humans. Although invasive infections by non-typhoid Salmonella have increased in developed and in developing countries, in sub-Saharan Africa these infections have been frequently related to Salmonella Typhimurium strains from Sequence Type (ST) 313 that harbor a possible virulence marker, the bstA gene, broadly detected in S. Dublin strains.

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