The high mortality rate of candidemia and the limited option for the treatment of Candida spp. infection have been driving the search for new molecules with antifungal property. In this context, coordination complexes of metal ions and ligands appear to be important. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize two new copper(II) complexes with 2-thiouracil and 6-methyl-2-thiouracil ligands and to evaluate their mutagenic potential and antifungal activity against Candida. The complexes were synthesized and characterized by infrared vibrational spectroscopy, CHN elemental analysis, UV-Vis experiments and ESI-HRMS spectrometry studies. The antifungal activity was evaluated by broth microdilution against 21 clinical isolates of Candida species. The mutagenic potential was evaluated by the Ames test. The complexes were Cu(Bipy)Cl₂(thiouracil) (Complex 1) and Cu(Bipy)Cl₂(6-methylthiouracil) (Complex 2). Complex 1 showed fungicidal and fungistatic activities against all isolates. Furthermore, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) from 31 to 125 µg/mL and inhibition percentage of 9.9% against the biofilms of C. krusei and C. glabrata were demonstrated. At the concentrations tested, complex 1 exhibited no mutagenic potential. Complex 2 and the free ligands exhibited no antifungal activity at the concentrations evaluated. Since complex 1 presented antifungal activity against all the tested isolates and no mutagenic potential, it could be proposed as a potential new drug for anti-Candida therapy.

Use of groundwater from private wells in households has increased considerably, owing to a better cost/benefit ratio than that of water provided by local utilities for a fee. However, this water is usually untreated, which makes it a vehicle for diseases. Thus, monitoring this water is necessary to ensure its integrity and quality. We aimed to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters of untreated groundwater drawn from different types of wells, and the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the bacteria isolated from this water. Wellwater samples were collected in two Brazilian cities. Although physical and chemical parameters of the water were suitable for drinking, Escherichia coli was detected in 33% of the samples. E. coli contaminated 65% of dug wells and 10.25% of drilled wells. Many bacteria isolated were resistant to multiple antibacterial agents, including β-lactams. Microbial contamination of this water was related to the well depth, and was more common in dug wells, making this water unfit for human consumption. Consumption of such contaminated and untreated water is a public health concern. Thus, individuals who regularly use such water must be alerted so they may either take preventive measures or connect to the water distribution system operated by local utilities.

Transgenic cotton has been cultivated in Brazil since 2005, including the plants which express the cry gene, derived from the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This technology has been considered efficient to control the target insect pests. However, little is known about whether these transgenic plants may impact the soil fungi and soil chemistry. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of genetically modified cotton resistant to insects on the soil fungal community and soil chemistry. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural area of Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados Municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.; Malvales: Malvaceae) cultivars were planted, one expressing a gene from Bt and the other without the foreign gene. Soil samples were collected monthly throughout the crop cycle. The amount of fungi in the soil was obtained by cultivation in Petri dishes, in triplicate, using Martin’s culture medium and soil serial dilutions. From the isolates, the morphospecies were identified by amplification and sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. The number of fungal colony-forming units and species richness were not directly influenced by the type of cotton grown or by the different cotton growing stages. Similarly, cultivation of Bt cotton did not affect soil chemistry, but differences were observed regarding different sampling times. Overall, our research contributes to the current knowledge regarding agriculture in tropical areas, showing that there is no apparent evidence of the effect of Bt cotton on soil fungal communities and chemistry.

We evaluated the effects of adding chitosan to the glazing solution for tilapia fillets on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory attributes of these fillets. We froze fresh tilapia fillets and then glazed them with a solution containing chitosan (0.75, 1.50, or 2.25%) or water (control treatment). Hence, there were a total of four treatments, with 52 fillets per treatment. At various times during frozen storage (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days), we analyzed pH, color, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs). We examined the percentage of coating incorporation as well as the centesimal composition and sensory attributes. We observed a linear increase in the incorporation of the coating as the chitosan level increased. The pH showed a significant difference after 30 days, and it showed a linear increase as the chitosan concentration increased. For the color of the fillets, after storage for 30 days, only the intensity of red showed a linear decrease as the chitosan concentration increased, and after storage for 90 days, the luminosity of the fillets decreased linearly. At 90 and 120 days, there was a linear increase in the yellowness of the fillets. Chitosan had no effect on TBARS formation. As the chitosan concentration increased, there was a linear decrease in heterotrophic bacteria in the fillets, regardless of the storage time. The moisture content increased linearly, while the protein decreased linearly, as the chitosan concentration increased. The ether extract and ash contents were not different between the treatments. In the sensory analysis, there was no regression effect for the evaluated attributes; however, the general acceptability of the fillets of the control treatment was superior to glazing with chitosan. We conclude that a glazing solution containing a high chitosan concentration effectively increases coating incorporation and fillet moisture and decreases the presence of bacteria in fillets, without greatly affecting pH or color during freezing for up to 6 months.