title: Virulence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Açai ( Euterpe oleraceae Martius) Pulp following Mild Heat Treatment.
abstract: Outbreaks of acute Chagas disease (ACD) in northern Brazil can be caused by the ingestion of unprocessed açai pulp contaminated with Trypanosoma cruzi . The aim of this study was to determine the minimum thermal process required to inactivate T. cruzi in açai pulp. Trypomastigotes (100,000) of T. cruzi Y strain were added to 0.15 M NaCl or açai pulp and continuously mixed while being heat treated at 37 to 49°C for up to 1 h. When necessary, parasites were separated from açai pulp by forced sieving. Inocula were administrated intraperitoneally in inbred immunodeficient C.B-17-Prkdcscid/Pas Unib mice, and the recipients were monitored for parasitemia and mortality. Mice received prophylactic antibiotic therapy by using cephalexin to prevent bacterial infection from the açai pulp. T. cruzi retained its virulence in 0.15 M NaCl and açai pulp at 44 ± 0.1°C for 10 min and at 43 ± 0.1°C for 20 min, respectively, causing ACD and death in mice up to 24 days after infection. Incubation of açai pulp inoculum above 43°C for 20 min neutralized T. cruzi virulence, thereby preventing ACD and death in murine recipients. The heating of açai pulp above 43°C for 20 min is a practical and effective measure to prevent foodborne ACD caused by T. cruzi .
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Labello
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Bioquímica, Escola de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen Signori
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Pesquisa, Centro Multidisciplinar para Investigação Biológica na Área da Ciência de Animais de Laboratório.
authors.forename: Viviane Liotti
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio Luis
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Pesquisa, Centro Multidisciplinar para Investigação Biológica na Área da Ciência de Animais de Laboratório.
authors.forename: Delma Pegolo
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Aparecida
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Guaraldo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.|Divisão de Pesquisa, Centro Multidisciplinar para Investigação Biológica na Área da Ciência de Animais de Laboratório.
authors.forename: Luiz Augusto Corrêa
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Passos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology; D065748:Euterpe; D006358:Hot Temperature; D051379:Mice; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Acute Chagas disease; Açai; Foodborne diseases; Heat; Prevention