Dipteryx odorata and Dipteryx punctata are species native to the Amazonian, traded by extractivists to obtain coumarin. We aimed to analyze the presence of coumarin in the ethanolic extracts of ...leaves, branches and fruits of D. odorata and D. punctata and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of these extracts against phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria of clinical interest. Chemical analyses were performed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the antifungal assays, the fungi used were Cercospora longissima, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, two isolates of Fusarium spp. and Sclerotium rolfsii, and the antibacterial assay was performed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test with Burkholderia cepacia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In D. odorata seed extracts and in D. punctata husks, endocarps, and seeds, we identified 1,2-benzopyrone. D. odorata endocarp extracts and D. punctata seeds provided the greatest decrease in mycelial growth of the evaluated phytopathogens, showing promise as an alternative control. The husk and endocarp extracts of both species had a weak effect on E. coli. This research is the first to compare the different parts of species of the genus Dipteryx and to evaluate the use of husks and endocarps of D. punctata fruits to obtain coumarin. Chemical analyses used to quantify the compounds existing in the extracts, and tests with phytopathogens in vitro and in vivo are currently being carried out.
Early plants began colonizing earth about 450 million years ago. During the process of coevolution, their metabolic cellular pathways produced a myriad of natural chemicals, many of which remain ...uncharacterized biologically. Popular preparations containing some of these molecules have been used medicinally for thousands of years. In Brazilian folk medicine, plant extracts from the bamboo plant
Munro have been used for the treatment of infections and pain. However, the chemical basis of these therapeutic effects has not yet been identified. Here, we performed protein biochemistry and downstream pharmacological assays to determine the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of an aqueous extract of the
rhizome, which we termed
. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of
were assessed in mice. We identified and purified a protein (AgGP), with an amino acid sequence similar to that of thaumatins (~20 kDa), capable of repressing inflammation through downregulation of neutrophil recruitment and of decreasing hyperalgesia in mice. In conclusion, we have identified the molecule and the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of a plant commonly used in Brazilian folk medicine.
Annona vepretorum is an endemic species of the Caatinga biome, known in Northeastern Brazil as "araticum” and/or “pinha da Caatinga”. In the present study it was evaluated the neuropharmacological ...potential of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Annona vepretorum, as well as of the inclusion complexes of oil obtained with cyclodextrin. Thus, were used neuropharmacological tests already consolidated in the literature like open-field, elevated plus maze, rota-rod, tail suspension test, thiopental-induced sleep test, among others. The acute treatment of essential oil (EO) has anxiolytic, sedative, antiepileptic and antidepressant effects. The anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects seems to be related to the GABAergic system, probably in the receptor subtypes that mediate the effects of the benzodiazepines, to generate anxiolytic activity. The sedative effect seems to be involved with other signaling pathways. The antidepressant effect of EO seems to be related to its action on serotonergic receptors. It was verified that some behavioral parameters were improved with the oil complexed with β-cyclodextrin, but this effect was not uniform for all the doses and tests used. Further studies are needed in order to use other options for drug delivery systems. Thus, the essential oil of Annona vepretorum is a promising agent with neurobiological activity and a potential target for drug discovery, since the natural products such as medicinal plants have been a source of new therapeutic proposals.
Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and modulatory potential of α-bisabolol, β-cyclodextrin and α-bisabolol/β-cyclodextrin complex. The minimum inhibitory concentration was ...determined through the broth microdilution technique using the bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The drugs norfloxacin, imipenem and gentamicin were used in the tests, and the compounds α-bisabolol and β-cyclodextrin; all the compounds were diluted in DMSO. To obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) a serial microdilution of the substances in volumes corresponding to the sub-inhibitory concentration (MIC/8), and microdilution with the antibiotic until the penultimate well were performed. The results showed that β-cyclodextrin did not present synergistic effects when combined with the antibiotics. It was found that α-bisabolol presented a synergistic effect against S. aureus , when combined with the antibiotic norfloxacin. Moreover, α-bisabolol presented synergism against E. coli when combined with gentamicin. The results of this study show that α-bisabolol presents a modulatory synergistic effect for some antibiotics, as gentamicin, and this is an interesting result against multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR). By other side, the complexation of α-bisabolol with β-cyclodextrin apparently reduces the modulatory effect, maybe due the polarity enhancement of the polarity of α-bisabolol, affecting the interaction of this compound with the cell membrane bilayer. However, more studies are necessary to demonstrate or not these interactions.
Cryptococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the central nervous system that is predominant in developing countries, caused by fungi of the genus
, and which affects immunosuppressed patients, ...especially those with HIV. Here, we aim to diagnose and characterize the clinical-epidemiological profile of cryptococcosis in patients admitted to two tertiary public hospitals in northeastern Brazil. The study is divided into three moments: (1) the isolation of fungus and diagnosis from biological samples collected between 2017 and 2019, (2) a description of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients, and (3) the experimental tests related to an in vitro susceptibility antifungal profile. The species were identified by MALDI-TOF/MS. Among the 100 patients evaluated, 24 (24.5%) were diagnosed with cryptococcosis based on positive culture. Clinical-epidemiological analysis showed a slightly higher prevalence in men between 30 and 39 years. When comparing the date of HIV diagnosis and the development of cryptococcosis, it was observed that 50% received the diagnosis of infection by cryptococcosis after or equal to a period of 12 months from being diagnosed with HIV; the other 50% received it within the first 30 days of the HIV diagnosis. Neurocryptococcosis was the most prevalent clinical form, and, at the time of hospital admission, the most common clinical signs were high fever (75%), intense headache (62.50%), and neck stiffness (33.33%). The cerebrospinal fluid showed 100% sensitivity and positivity for direct examination by India ink, and fungal culture. The mortality rate in this study was 46% (11/24), a lower rate than in the other literature. An antifungigram showed that 20 (83.33%) isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B and 15 (62.5%) to fluconazole. Mass spectrometry identified 100% of the isolates as
. In Brazil, this infection is not mandatory notifiable. Therefore, although there is little information on the subject, it is obsolete and does not express the reality of the facts, mainly in the northeast region, where this information is insufficient. The data obtained in this research contribute to the epidemiological knowledge of this mycosis in Brazil and will serve as a basis for future globally comparative epidemiological studies.
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Hecogenin acetate (HA) is a steroidal sapogenin-acetylated with pharmacological properties which have already been described in the literature such as, anti-inflammatory, ...anti-hyperalgesic and antinociceptive, but it has low solubility in aqueous media. Therefore, in an attempt to overcome this, we set out to create inclusion complexes between HA and b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) and evaluate the antinociceptive effects in the orofacial nociception in mice. The complexes were prepared using different methods in the molar ratios 1:1 and 1:2 and characterized physicochemically. The results of the physicochemical characterization elucidated inclusion complexes formation between b-CD and HA by freeze drying method in the molar ratio 1:2, which obtained a complexation efficiency of 92% and produced superior analgesic effect in animal models for orofacial pain at a lower dose when compared to HA alone.
Dipteryx odorata and Dipteryx punctata are species native to the Amazonian, traded by extractivists to obtain coumarin. We aimed to analyze the presence of coumarin in the ethanolic extracts of ...leaves, branches and fruits of D. odorata and D. punctata and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of these extracts against phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria of clinical interest. Chemical analyses were performed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the antifungal assays, the fungi used were Cercospora longissima, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, two isolates of Fusarium spp. and Sclerotium rolfsii, and the antibacterial assay was performed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test with Burkholderia cepacia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In D. odorata seed extracts and in D. punctata husks, endocarps, and seeds, we identified 1,2-benzopyrone. D. odorata endocarp extracts and D. punctata seeds provided the greatest decrease in mycelial growth of the evaluated phytopathogens, showing promise as an alternative control. The husk and endocarp extracts of both species had a weak effect on E. coli. This research is the first to compare the different parts of species of the genus Dipteryx and to evaluate the use of husks and endocarps of D. punctata fruits to obtain coumarin. Chemical analyses used to quantify the compounds existing in the extracts, and tests with phytopathogens in vitro and in vivo are currently being carried out.
This study evaluated three different methods for the formation of an inclusion complex between alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin (α- and β-CD) and limonene (LIM) with the goal of improving the ...physicochemical properties of limonene. The study samples were prepared through physical mixing (PM), paste complexation (PC), and slurry complexation (SC) methods in the molar ratio of 1:1 (cyclodextrin:limonene). The complexes prepared were evaluated with thermogravimetry/derivate thermogravimetry, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, complexation efficiency through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses, molecular modeling, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results showed that the physical mixing procedure did not produce complexation, but the paste and slurry methods produced inclusion complexes, which demonstrated interactions outside of the cavity of the CDs. However, the paste obtained with β-cyclodextrin did not demonstrate complexation in the gas chromatographic technique because, after extraction, most of the limonene was either surface-adsorbed by β-cyclodextrin or volatilized during the procedure. We conclude that paste complexation and slurry complexation are effective and economic methods to improve the physicochemical character of limonene and could have important applications in pharmacological activities in terms of an increase in solubility.
Context
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been widely used to improve strength, fatigue resistance and increase muscle mass in healthy individuals. These effects could help critically ill ...patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) who show reduced mobility and muscle strength. ICU‐acquired weakness lessens overall health and increases the patient's length of stay in the ICU.
Objective
This study evaluated the effects of PBMT using low intensity light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) on the mobility and muscle strength (functional capacity) and length of stay of patients admitted to hospital ICU.
Methods
This randomized, triple‐blind, sham‐controlled trial was conducted in a hospital ICU. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to two equal groups: (a) PBMT and (b) Sham. PBMT was applied daily to patients until their discharge from the ICU, using a flexible neoprene array of 264 LEDs (120 at 635 nm, 1.2 mW each; 144 at 880 nm, 15 mW each) for 90s (207.36 Joules) at each site. Ten sites were located bilaterally on the thighs, legs, arms, and forearms ventrally and dorsally, 15 min totaling 2,073.6 Joules per session. Outcomes were length of stay (in h) until discharge from the ICU, muscle strength by the Medical Research Council (MRC) score and handgrip dynamometry (HGD), patient mobility by Intensive Care Unit Mobility Scale (IMS) and the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3) for predicting mortality of patients admitted to the ICU.
Results
PBMT reduced the average length of stay in the ICU by ~30% (p = 0.028); increased mobility (IMS: 255% vs. 110% p = 0.007), increased muscle strength (MRC: 12% vs. −9% p = 0.001) and HGD (34% vs. −13% p < 0.001), and the SAPS3 score was similar (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
The results suggest that daily PBMT can reduce the length of stay of ICU patients and increase muscle strength and mobility.
Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) applied over upper and lower limbs of patients in ICU reduced by ~30% the length of stay in ICU and increased their muscle strength and functional capacity compared to sham therapy.
SummaryBackground & aimsPhase angle (PhA) has been used as a prognostic indicator in several clinical situations. However, the use of PhA as a prognostic tool in bariatric patients is less known. The ...aim of this study was to evaluate PhA as a prognostic index and its correlation with the prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) during follow-up of women subjected to bariatric surgery. MethodsTwenty female volunteers were studied. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), PhA, and biochemical components of PINI serum C-reactive protein, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, albumin, and transthyretin (TTR) concentrations were evaluated at three time points: before (T0) and approximately 2–3 (T1) and 6 (T2) months after surgery. One-way repeated measures ANOVA or the Friedman test with Tukey's post hoc test was used depending on data normality. The associations between PhA and the other parameters were evaluated using Spearman's (nonparametric data) or Pearson's (parametric data) correlation coefficient. ResultsPhase angle reduction was accompanied by a significant decrease in body weight and BMI at T1 (P < 0.05), but not at T2 (P > 0.05). PINI indicated low-risk complications during the preoperative period and no risk during the postoperative period (T1 and T2). No significant correlation was observed between PhA and PINI (P > 0.05). Regarding its association with the biochemical components of PINI, lower PhA values were significantly correlated with lower serum TTR concentrations (r = 0.633, P < 0.001). ConclusionsPhase angle was not associated with PINI, although lower values were correlated with lower serum TTR, suggesting that PhA reduction is associated with an increased nutritional risk.
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