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González-Ramírez LC, Djabayan-Djibeyan P, Prato JG, García Ríos CA, Carrero JC, Trelis M, Fuentes MV. Field study of parasitic contamination of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens in the Ecuadorian Andes. F1000Res 2024; 12:532. [PMID: 38273962 PMCID: PMC10808852 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.132957.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Raw vegetables have been considered vehicles of enteroparasites. South American countries are among the most important exporters of fresh vegetables, including Ecuador, which has a tropical climate and soils rich in organic matter that allow it to harvest throughout the year for sale to different countries. The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of the parasitic contamination of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens grown in an agricultural area of the Ecuadorian Andes. Methods A cross-sectional field study was conducted with snowball sampling on 1,416 samples (516 fruits, 488 vegetables, and 412 leafy greens). Each sample were washed with water, and the resulting solution after removing the vegetables, was subjected to 24-hour sedimentation. The concentrated sediment underwent microscopic analysis. Results The overall positivity for parasitic contamination was 63.4%, with leafy greens having the highest contamination rate (76.9%) (P<0.0001), surpassing vegetables (67.8%) and fruits (48.4%). Cabbage (100%), onions (84%), and strawberries (60.2%) emerged as the most contaminated within their respective groups. Protozoa were more prevalent (49.6%) than helminths (15.5%) (P<0.0001). Blastocystis sp. (33.5%) ranked highest, followed by Eimeria spp. (26.3%), Entamoeba spp. (10.3%), Giardia spp. (8.3%), Balantidium spp. (6.9%), Cryptosporidium spp. (6.6%), Cyclospora spp. (4.4%), Cystoisospora spp. (0.5%), Strongylida (15.5%), and Ascaris spp. (0.4%). Conclusions The study reveals that vegetables and fruits for human consumption from this area of the Ecuadorian Andes are highly contaminated with various parasites, constituting a possible source of infection for humans and animals in this area, or in non-endemic areas where these products are marketed. The finding emphasizes the need for strict hygienic measures in agricultural crops, which will be properly achieved through the treatment of soil, manure and water used for cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Carolina González-Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación "Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses", Carrera de Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Pablo Djabayan-Djibeyan
- Grupo de Investigación "Salud Pública", Carrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - José G. Prato
- Grupo de Investigación “Estudios Interdisciplinarios”, Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Cecilia Alejandra García Ríos
- Grupo de Investigación "Salud Pública", Carrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
- Facultad de Salud Pública, Escuela Superior Politecnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Julio César Carrero
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - María Trelis
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot/Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, 46010, Spain
- Joint Research Unit on Endocrinology, Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Universitat de València - Health Research Institute La Fe (IISLAFE), Valencia, Valencian Community, 46026, Spain
| | - Màrius Vicent Fuentes
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot/Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, 46010, Spain
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González-Ramírez LC, Vázquez CJ, Chimbaina MB, Djabayan-Djibeyan P, Prato-Moreno JG, Trelis M, Fuentes MV. Ocurrence of enteroparasites with zoonotic potential in animals of the rural area of San Andres, Chimborazo, Ecuador. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2021; 26:100630. [PMID: 34879941 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was the identification of the enteroparasites harbored by the animals of the San Andrés community, to evaluate their role as susceptible hosts and sources of infection for other animals, humans (zoonoses), as well as parasite forms spreaders to the environment in this rural area, located in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuadorian Andean region. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was carried out combining 3 coproparasitological techniques: direct examination, Ritchie and Ziehl-Neelsen in 300 animal stool samples RESULTS: Blastocystis sp., Entamoeba spp., Giardia spp., Balantidium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Ascaris spp., Toxocara spp., Ancylostoma spp., Strongylida, Hymenolepis nana and Echinococcus spp., were detected. Infection by protozoa (87.3%) was higher than helminths (31.0%). All cattle, sheep and guinea pigs were found parasitized, and the presence of Blastocystis sp., Entamoeba spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. by all groups of animals stands out. It is also remarkable the presence of Giardia spp. in swine (19.2%), big herbivores-livestock (11.5%), leporids (8.3%) and carnivores (5.9%); Balantidium spp. in swine (19.2%), big herbivores-livestock (5.8%) and carnivores (1.2%); Hymenolepis nana in guinea pigs (2.1%); and Toxocara spp. (15.7%), Echinococcus spp. (9.6%) and Ancylostoma spp. (6.0%) in dogs. CONCLUSION Animals from San Andrés have a wide spectrum of intestinal parasitic forms in their feces, being a source of infection to other animals and humans, and a source of contamination of the environment, posing a risk factor and reinforcing the idea of the need for more effective treatments and hygienic measures to improve livestock production and cutting its transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Carolina González-Ramírez
- Research Group "Analysis of Biological and Forensic Samples", Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus Edison Riera, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060150, Ecuador
| | - Cristian Joao Vázquez
- Research Group "Analysis of Biological and Forensic Samples", Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus Edison Riera, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060150, Ecuador
| | - Manuel Benjamín Chimbaina
- Research Group "Analysis of Biological and Forensic Samples", Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus Edison Riera, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060150, Ecuador
| | - Pablo Djabayan-Djibeyan
- Research Group "Public Health", Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus Edison Riera, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060150, Ecuador
| | - José Gregorio Prato-Moreno
- Research Group "Interdisciplinary Studies", Faculty of Engineering, Campus Edison Riera, UNACH, Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060150, Ecuador
| | - María Trelis
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Universitat de València, Av. Vicente Andrés Estellés, s/n, 46100, Burjassot, València, Spain; Joint Research Unit on Endocrinology, Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Universitat de València - Health Research Institute La Fe (IISLAFE), Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Màrius Vicent Fuentes
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Universitat de València, Av. Vicente Andrés Estellés, s/n, 46100, Burjassot, València, Spain
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Djabayan-Djibeyan P, Carpenter B, Medina-Ramírez G, Andueza-Leal F, León-Leal A, Djabayan-Russo A, Jaramillo-Abril D, Valarezo-García C, Araujo-Baptista L. Cold Steeping Infusion, a Novel Lectin Extraction Technique for the Isolation, Purification and Partial Characterization of Lectins from the Green Venezuelan Marine Alga Caulerpa serrulata. Nat Prod Commun 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x1801301233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A lectin from the green Venezuelan marine alga Caulerpa serrulata was extracted with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) using cold steeping infusion (CSI) and by grinding with liquid nitrogen (GLN). The proteins were precipitated using solid ammonium sulfate. Both the crude extracts and ammonium sulfate precipitated proteins were tested for hemagglutinins using native and papain-treated human red blood cell suspensions in isotonic saline solution. Purification of lectins was achieved using affinity chromatography-sugar-epoxy-sepharose 6B and molecular weight was assessed by size exclusion chromatography using Bio-gel® P-100 and SDS-PAGE with 2-mercaptoethanol. IEF-urea 8M was also evaluated. Using CSI it was shown that the marine alga released hemagglutinating compounds into the solutions; the same hemagglutinating compounds were also obtained by GLN. Ammonium sulfate precipitated proteins exhibited agglutinating activity against native and papain-treated human red blood cells. Temperature and EDTA were shown to affect dramatically the lectin activity towards red blood cells. A lectin was purified efficiently and the molecular weight calculated as approximately 78,000 Daltons. The CSI technique demonstrated that the alga could be returned to an active metabolic state by immersion in a simple buffer after having been kept dormant by freezing at −20°C for long periods. It was also shown that the alga was releasing bioactive compounds into the solutions and, therefore, this procedure is being suggested as a good, gentle, non-disruptive extraction technique and we postulate CSI as a possible bioreactor for the continuous production of bioactive compounds from green marine algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Djabayan-Djibeyan
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, vía Guano, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Brian Carpenter
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hants, PO1 2DT, UK
| | | | - Felix Andueza-Leal
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Geología, Minas, Petróleo y Ambiental, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | | | - David Jaramillo-Abril
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, vía Guano, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Valarezo-García
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, vía Guano, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Liliana Araujo-Baptista
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, vía Guano, Riobamba, Ecuador
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Abstract
The green alga Ulva fasciata Delile (Ulvaceae), after thawing from storage at −20oC, has been used to study the in vivo biosynthesis and release of lectins. The alga was made to resume viable growth by immersion in a PBS buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.01% w/v sodium azide and irradiating with a halophosphate lamp. The growing alga readily took up 14C leucine, when this was added to the buffer, as seen by a decrease in a sample count rate of ~ 8000 cpm over a period of twenty minutes. The transfer of the radioactivity fed algae into fresh PBS buffer resulted in 14C labeled proteins being subsequently released into solution. As well as observing changes in levels of radioactivity, the release of proteins was also monitored by UV absorption at 280 nm. Both techniques indicated an initial steady release over the first twelve hours, followed by a slower approach to a plateau value. Transfer of the algae that had undergone an initial period of protein release into a subsequent second and third volume of fresh PBS buffer produced similar UV absorption profiles, but the total quantities of material released were reduced. Identification of the released proteins was obtained from their ability to agglutinate red blood cells, which was inhibited by L-fucose, and their electrophoretic mobilities when compared with earlier isolated samples of the U. fasciata lectin. The reference lectin was obtained by affinity chromatography, following the selective precipitation of the water soluble algal proteins with ammonium sulfate. We postulate that the observed release profiles support the previously suggested concept that lectins have the ability to function as protection agents for living marine algae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roslyn Gibbs
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hants, PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Brian Carpenter
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hants, PO1 2DT, UK
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Djabayan-Djibeyan P, Gibbs R, Carpenter B. In vivo release of lectins from the green alga Ulva fasciata. Nat Prod Commun 2010; 5:607-612. [PMID: 20433081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The green alga Ulva fasciata Delile (Ulvaceae), after thawing from storage at -20 degrees C, has been used to study the in vivo biosynthesis and release of lectins. The alga was made to resume viable growth by immersion in a PBS buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.01% w/v sodium azide and irradiating with a halophosphate lamp. The growing alga readily took up 14C leucine, when this was added to the buffer, as seen by a decrease in a sample count rate of approximately 8000 cpm over a period of twenty minutes. The transfer of the radioactivity fed algae into fresh PBS buffer resulted in 14C labeled proteins being subsequently released into solution. As well as observing changes in levels of radioactivity, the release of proteins was also monitored by UV absorption at 280 nm. Both techniques indicated an initial steady release over the first twelve hours, followed by a slower approach to a plateau value. Transfer of the algae that had undergone an initial period of protein release into a subsequent second and third volume of fresh PBS buffer produced similar UV absorption profiles, but the total quantities of material released were reduced. Identification of the released proteins was obtained from their ability to agglutinate red blood cells, which was inhibited by L-fucose, and their electrophoretic mobilities when compared with earlier isolated samples of the U. fasciata lectin. The reference lectin was obtained by affinity chromatography, following the selective precipitation of the water soluble algal proteins with ammonium sulfate. We postulate that the observed release profiles support the previously suggested concept that lectins have the ability to function as protection agents for living marine algae.
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