Giovanni Sbaraglia

Antimicrobial susceptibility of potentially pathogenic halophilic vibrios isolated from seafood

Susceptibility patterns to 27 antimicrobial agents and beta-lactamase production were investigated in potentially pathogenic halophilic vibrios from seafood. The effect of salinity on the response to the drugs in vitro was also studied. All isolates were uniformly sensitive to choramphenicol, imipenem, meropenem but resistant to lincomycin. All were highly sensitive to oxolinic acid, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, doxycycline, flumequine, cefotaxime, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Some strains of V. harveyi, V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus apparently had mechanisms of resistance to several beta-lactam antibiotics other than by the production of beta-lactamases. Sixty-nine strains produced penicillinase but a low correlation between beta-lactamase activity and resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics was noted. The salt concentration affected the in vitro susceptibility of halophilic vibrios and the effect of salinity depended on both the individual strains and the antimicrobial tested.

Microbial growth and air pollution in carbonate rock weathering

Preliminary results on limestone weathering caused by air pollution and microbial colonization are presented in this study. Outdoor exposure experimental assays were performed on Scaglia limestone samples. Samples were exposed in two areas in Perugia (Italy) that differ for degree of urban air pollution. At different times of exposure, ranging from 1 to 12 months, microbial contamination and textural modifications of sampled surfaces were evaluated by microbiological procedures, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. After one year of exposure a significant fungal colonization and the presence of weathering products (i.e. gypsum) were detected on sampled surfaces.

Microbial environmental monitoring of the refectory in the monastery of St. Anna in Foligno, Italy

For the preservation of monuments and sites of cultural heritage, microbiological methods based on defined standards are needed to evaluate the problems associated with biodeterioration. In this study Microbial Environmental Monitoring (MAM from the Italian acronym Monitoraggio Ambientale Microbico) was applied to air and surface monitoring of art works before and during restoration. Microbial monitoring of the refectory in the monastery of St. Anna (Foligno, Italy) was performed on frescos from 1400. The results obtained with MAM were consistent, reproducible, and beneficial in the evaluation of the efficacy of restoration. Microbial monitoring of solid surfaces using membrane filters was not destructive and allowed the study of microbial fall-out on the surface of art works. The application of MAM proved to be a valuable means not only for monitoring but also for a better understanding of microbial pollution and its dynamics on the surface of art works. The constant application of MAM could be a valuable tool in the preservation of cultural heritage through strict collaboration with microbiologists, restorers, and authorities.

Correlation between medium acidification and pathogenicity in environmental halophilic non‐cholera vibrios

Aims: The metabolic characterization and pathogenicity of vibrios isolated from seafood were studied.

Microbial environmental monitoring of stone cultural heritage

Publisher Summary The fountain in Priori Square (Narni, Italy) is composed of a polygon-shaped marble basin and a bronze basin placed in the center of the fountain. On the fountain surfaces, an extensive biological colonization is present that is composed of mosses and weeds. There is a new technique to study microbial contaminations in air and on surfaces in environments at risk i.e. Monitoraggio Ambientale Microbico (MAM). The MAM method involves evaluation of microbial surface contamination by measurement of microbial build-up (MB) on samples collected using a nitrocellulose membrane. This chapter focuses on the study conducted to validate the application of MAM on microbial monitoring of Priori Square fountain. Microbial monitoring was performed by evaluating the MB index and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. MB was monitored, during and after restoration of the fountain, to quantify and identify the contaminating microbial flora, bacteria, and fungi; and their modifications. The results showed that MAM is suitable for evaluating the efficacy of restoration and offers many advantages with respect to other microbial techniques currently in use. The surface sampling with a nitrocellulose membrane is not destructive; and it allows quantitative and qualitative analysis of microbial flora contaminating the surfaces of art works and monuments, before and during restoration.