Rita Serra

Black Aspergillus species as ochratoxin A producers in Portuguese wine grapes

To evaluate the incidence of fungi producing ochratoxin A (OA) in Portuguese wine grapes, a survey was conducted in 11 vineyards, from four winemaking regions each with distinct climatic conditions. From setting to the harvesting period, a total of 1,650 berries were sampled by plating methods. Out of 370 aspergilli and 301 Penicillium strains isolated, 14% of the aspergilli were OA-producing strains. None of the penicillia were OA-producing strains. The black aspergilli were predominant (90%). All Aspergillus strains were tested in vitro for OA production and all were preserved in the Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM) culture collection. Most of the Aspergillus carbonarius (97%) and 4% of the Aspergillus niger aggregate strains were OA producers. Almost all ochratoxigenic strains were isolated at harvest time, mainly in the regions with a Mediterranean climate. In the vineyards sampled, the percentage of colonized berries with ochratoxigenic strains was up to 38%. The vineyards from the region with Atlantic influences, with high rainfall, exhibited the lowest occurrence of Aspergillus and ochratoxigenic strains, 0% to 10% and 0% to 2% colonized berries, respectively. Data obtained here supports the hypothesis that A. carbonarius and occasionally A. niger, are the main producers of OA in grapes. In this study, the highest incidence of these fungi occurred in vineyards with a Mediterranean climate.

Use of ozone to reduce molds in a cheese ripening room

Cheese ripening rooms have an unusual environment, an environment that encourages mold growth. Ozone has been applied in various ways in the food industry. One useful advantage of ozone is that it inactivates molds. In this study, a cheese ripening room was ozonated, and the effectiveness of this treatment was evaluated both in air and on surfaces through sampling on a weekly basis over a 3-month period. The results obtained indicate that ozone treatment reduced the viable airborne mold load but did not affect viable mold on surfaces. Only by wiping the surfaces with a commercial sanitizer was it possible to decrease the viable mold load on surfaces. To improve overall hygiene in the ripening room, a combination of cleaning regimes is recommended. The mold genera occurring most frequently in the air of the cheese ripening room were Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Aspergillus, which accounted for 89.9% of the mold isolates. Penicillium and Aspergillus were identified to the species level, and data showed that P. brevicompactum and P. aurantiogriseum, as well as A. versicolor, were the species most frequently isolated.

Fungi and ochratoxin A detected in healthy grapes for wine production

Aims:  The mycoflora of healthy grapes (i.e. without visible symptoms of rot) for wine production in Portuguese winemaking regions was assessed and its potential for ochratoxin A (OTA) production evaluated. The OTA content of grapes was also determined.

Multilocus sequence identification of Penicillium species in cork bark during plank preparation for the manufacture of stoppers

Despite several studies reporting Penicillium as one of the most frequent fungal genera in cork planks, the isolates were rarely identified to species level. We conducted a detailed study to identify Penicillium species from the field to the factory environment prior to and after boiling the cork planks. A total of 84 samples were analyzed. Of the 486 Penicillium isolates phenotypically identified, 32 representative or unusual strains were selected for identification by multilocus DNA sequence type. Cork proved to be a rich source of Penicillium biodiversity. A total of 30 taxa were recognized from cork including rarely seen species and 6 phylogenetically unique groups. Spores of some species lodged deep in cork can survive the boiling process. P. glabrum, P. glandicola and P. toxicarium, species with high CFU numbers in the field, are still frequently present in cork after boiling. Other species are killed by the boiling treatment and replaced by Penicillium species originating from the factory environment. Species known to contribute to cork taint were isolated at all stages. Good manufacturing practices are necessary at all stages in the preparation of cork planks to minimize the load of Penicillium species that produce cork taint.

Application of classification-tree models to characterize the mycobiota of grapes on the basis of origin

Classification-tree (CT) models are a simple and robust exploratory data analysis technique that can be used in classification, regressions and summaries of data. They distill complex ecological relationships into simplified rules and identify the species necessary for sample classification on the basis of detailed ecological inventories. The usefulness of this technique to characterize and represent differences in the grape mycobiota of distinct origins was evaluated. Grapes from four Portuguese winemaking regions were selected for a 3-year study: Alentejo, Douro, Ribatejo and Vinhos Verdes. The mycobiota of grapes was assessed with plating methods and the frequencies of isolations of the fungal taxa identified in 32 samples were used as a training dataset. The CT algorithm selected the fungal taxa and respective frequencies to classify grapes according to its region of origin. The ten-fold cross-validation technique was used for model evaluation. The success rate of the model was quantified and expressed in the number of correctly classified samples overall and into region. Furthermore, model refinement was performed using attribute selection algorithms and class redefinition. A simple tree model was generated that classified grapes into three regional origins: Douro, South (Alentejo and Ribatejo classes together) and Vinhos Verdes, on the basis of the incidence of Aspergillus niger aggregate and Penicillium thomii in samples with an accuracy of 82%. The merits and demerits of these models are discussed.

Narrativas sobre a experiência da doença: desafios conceptuais e metodológicos

This article provides an overview of the process that led to the adoption of a methodological strategy that privileges personal narratives on illness, within the framework of an ongoing research project. To this project, which focuses on three types of pathologies (cancer, respiratory diseases and child obesity), qualitative methodologies were considered as the most suitable, on the one hand, because of the richness of the information they elicit, on the other, by their adequateness concerning conjectured goals and work hypotheses. Hence, the use of MINI (McGill Illness Narrative Interview) (Groleau et al., 2006) was privileged, considering its appropriateness to the field.A preliminary approach to the methodological and conceptual choices is presented, as well as an account of the importance of personal illness narratives in the objectives of the project.

Mushrooming Communities: A Field Guide to Mycology in Community Forests

Forest community connections are crucial to ensure forest stewardship and sustainability. We set to explore the potential of mushrooming to enable such connections in contexts were these were historically broken, alienating local people from forests. Taking the case of the recent devolution of a community forest in central Portugal (baldios) to the local population, the authors present a five-year pilot project to rework mycology from a mushroom-centered approach to a mushroom-in-baldios approach. Mushrooms were used as an entry-point to connect the forest ecology with the challenges of governance and community building. The devised activities provided an opportunity for people inside and outside the local community to adventure into the woods, find about their socio-ecological history, develop communal and convivial relationships and engage in the responsible gathering of wild mushrooms. However, the hosting of mushroomers to know, value and engage with the community forest recovery is constantly worked against the enclosure of mushrooms to provide marketable forms of leisure. The outcome will depend on the relationships established between mushrooms, mycologists, local administrators, commoners and poachers, operating within a framework that favors the eradication of resources instead of the longterm relationships that sustain places.

Education for Sustainability in the Context of Community Forestry

Community forestry in Portugal is emerging as a promising form of multifunctional forestry that combines scientific and technical knowledge with the participation of the local residents in decision-making. These forests are governed by collective property arrangements (baldios) based on millenarian traditional usufruct rights of a local community of commoners (compartes). Participation is open to all the new residents regardless of their gender, activity or status. However, during the 20th century the connection between the commoners and the commons was severely disrupted by the Forest Services by compulsory afforesting the lands with tree species unknown to the local populations and provoking the decline of collective agro-pastoral practices, which was most severe close to urban areas. We describe our experience with a community of compartes that recently gained back control of its common lands and initiated a project to revitalize a degraded forest in the mountains after four decades of co-management with the State. We also detail the specificities and challenges that in the context of community forestry are crucial for the residents to authentically construct and take part in a commons land narrative, and the educational activities we have jointly developed to activate meaningful engagement in collective practices, intergenerational responsibility and active citizenship.