SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.54 issue1Characterization of a Bacillus thuringiensis strain collection isolated from diverse Costa Rican natural ecosystemsCaraterización citogenética del pez tropical de agua dulce Parachromis managuensis (Pisces:Cichlidae) author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

Share


Revista de Biología Tropical

On-line version ISSN 0034-7744Print version ISSN 0034-7744

Abstract

FOURNIER, Ana Teresa; GAMBOA, María del Mar  and  ARIAS, María Laura. Genes that encode botulism neurotoxins A,B,E and F in Neotropical bee honey identified with the Polymerase Chain Reaction. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2006, vol.54, n.1, pp.29-34. ISSN 0034-7744.

Honey can be used for the treatment of wounds, sores and skin burns, but it might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores. In order to evaluate Costa Rican raw honey samples, the detection of neurotoxin gene sequences (corresponding to the bacterium) C. botulinum A, B, E and F was done with the polymerase chain reaction. A total of 64 raw honey samples, coming from different Costa Rican sites were analyzed. Reference C. botulinum strains type A (ATCC 19397), type B (ATCC 7949), type E (ATCC 17786) and type F (ATCC 25764) were used as templates for testing the effectivity of the method. The process consisted in culturing the honey samples in prereduced triptose-peptone-glucose-yeast extract media (TGPY)for 5 days. After this, the bacteria lysate obtained was used for PCR. The amplicons,product of the reaction, were visualized using agarose gel 2%. From the 64 honey samples analyzed, none produced positive results in the PCR, since no amplicons were obtained. Even though, all the reference C. botulinum strains used as controls were visualized and showed the effectivity of the extraction method and of the PCR used. The results obtained show promising therapeutic uses for honey from Costa Rica, but further evaluations shall be done in order to be sure of the safety of the product. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(1): 29-34. Epub 2006 Mar 31.

Keywords : Honey; Clostridium botulinum; PCR toxin producing genes.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License