SILVA, Bianca Rodrigues da.
Resumo:
The demand and consumption of natural products in Brazil have been gradually increasing due to the high cost of synthetic drugs and ease of obtaining plant medicines and products made thereof, such as the licker, which is a thickened preparation with sugar, molasses or honey, generally used to treat respiratory problems. Such products based on medicinal plants are susceptible to contamination from collection to product handling. Since the high microbial load may impair product stability, therefore there may be loss of therapeutic efficacy or cause illness to the consumer. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the microbial contamination in lickers available in the municipality of Cuité-PB, through the use of viable microorganisms count in samples, by counting plate method (plating in depth) and the identification of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, the sowing of samples on selective media and then performing biochemical tests to confirm the pathogens. As it was also performed microculture technique and analyze microscopic morphology to identify filamentous fungi present in the samples. Of 8 samples analyzed, only the sample WHO showed no growth of bacteria, but all samples showed count lower than 104 colony forming units per milliliter (CFU / mL) found to comply with the limits specified by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia for bacteria count. And in all samples growth of fungus occurred, and 75% had the same limits specified by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia (less than 10² cfu / ml). Samples A and B showed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the sample F was the presence of Salmonella spp., and these microrganisms should be absent in lickers preparations. The genera of fungi were identified Aspergillus spp., Mycelia sterilia and Penicillium spp. Given the results presented here, better control it is necessary during handling of these products must be made hygienic and sanitary measures to attempt to decrease the contamination in natural products.
