The use of xenobiotics in food production and how food intake is carried out in different cultures, along with different eating habits (omnivorism (ON), ovolactovegetarianism (VT), and strict vegetarianism (VG)) seem to have implications for antimicrobial resistance, especially in the human gut microbiota. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate aspects of the clinical resistome of the human gut microbiota among healthy individuals with different eating habits. Volunteers were divided into 3 groups: n = 19 omnivores (ON), n = 20 ovolactovegetarians (VT), and n = 19 strict vegetarians (VG), and nutritional and anthropometric parameters were measured. Metagenomic DNA from fecal samples was used as a template for PCR screening of 37 antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) representative of commonly used agents in human medicine. The correlation between eating habits and ARG was evaluated. There were no significant differences in mean caloric intake. Mean protein intake was significantly higher in ON, and fiber and carbohydrate consumption was higher in VG. From the screened ARG, 22 were detected. No clear relationship between diets and the occurrence of ARG was observed. Resistance genes against tetracyclines, β-lactams, and the MLS group (macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramins) were the most frequent, followed by resistance genes against sulfonamides and aminoglycosides. Vegetables and minimally processed foods seem to be the main source of ARG for the human gut microbiota. Although eating habits vary among individuals, the open environment and the widespread ARG from different human activities draw attention to the complexity of the antimicrobial resistance phenomenon which should be addressed by a One Health approach.

The photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid (SA) in reduced concentration (14.5 µmol L-1) was investigated using TiO2 and ZnO as photocatalysts under irradiation with UV light using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC analysis. The effect of different catalysts and catalyst loading, kinetic analysis, and dissolution of ZnO using the experimental conditions adopted were evaluated in acidic medium (pH = 3.0). Chronic ecotoxicity tests of the effluent from the reactions were conducted employing a concentration of 1 g L-1 of photocatalysts. The results showed that TiO2 and ZnO presented very similar performance for the SA degradation, whose profile followed first-order kinetics. The dissolution of ZnO observed was low using the experimental conditions adopted. Chronic ecotoxicity tests carried out showed that the use of ZnO/UV system for degradation of SA leads to a product with significant harmful effects on Ceriodaphnia dubia, even at reduced concentrations of the effluent from the reaction.

A microbiota intestinal humana (MIH) apresenta grande densidade e diversidade de microrganismos, desempenhando importantes funções, como fornecimento de energia, de nutrientes e modulação imunológica, sendo que seu desequilíbrio pode estar relacionado a diversas patologias. Um dos fatores que mais influenciam na formação da MIH são os hábitos alimentares, que poderiam ser utilizados de forma a modular a relação entre hospedeiro e MIH, abrindo caminho para possíveis intervenções terapêuticas, a fim de prevenir e controlar doenças. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a estrutura de comunidades bacterianas em indivíduos saudáveis com diferentes hábitos alimentares e correlacionar com suas características nutricionais. Voluntários vegetarianos estritos (n=19), ovolactovegetarianos (n=20) e onívoros (n=19) foram submetidos à avaliação antropométrica e de consumo alimentar, além da coleta de amostras fecais, que foram analisadas através de cultivo em meios de cultura seletivos e de quantificação relativa por PCR em tempo real. As culturas com crescimento viável de bactérias foram submetidas à contagem de UFC e avaliação de morfotipos. Na análise quantitativa por PCR em tempo real, foram avaliados os grupos bacterianos Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, γ-Proteobacteria e Lactobacillus. A dieta de indivíduos vegetarianos estritos exibiu maior consumo de carboidratos e fibras e menor consumo de proteínas e lipídeos. O alto consumo de proteínas de origem animal e de lipídeos pode estar relacionado ao aumento da abundância de bactérias Gram negativas potencialmente patogênicas na MIH. Do ponto de vista qualitativo, não foi possível um agrupamento por similaridade desses voluntários, o que sugere que os diferentes hábitos alimentares, numa visão geral, não seriam suficientes para gerar diferenças qualitativas na composição da MIH. Entretanto, houve a formação de um core bacteriano compartilhado entre os grupos, que poderia estar relacionado ao consumo de vegetais in natura ou minimamente processados. Portanto, diferenças nos consumos de macronutrientes, bem como nos tipos e formas dos alimentos ingeridos, exercem grande responsabilidade sobre a abundância dos microrganismos na MIH.

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