Potential geographic distribution of Hantavirus reservoirs in Brazil

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is an emerging zoonosis in Brazil. Human infections occur via inhalation of aerosolized viral particles from excreta of infected wild rodents. Necromys lasiurus and Oligoryzomys nigripes appear to be the main reservoirs of hantavirus in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. We estimated and compared ecological niches of the two rodent species, and analyzed environmental factors influencing their occurrence, to understand the geography of hantavirus transmission. N. lasiurus showed a wide potential distribution in Brazil, in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Highest climate suitability for O. nigripes was observed along the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Maximum temperature in the warmest months and annual precipitation were the variables that most influence the distributions of N. lasiurus and O. nigripes, respectively. Models based on occurrences of infected rodents estimated a broader area of risk for hantavirus transmission in southeastern and southern Brazil, coinciding with the distribution of human cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. We found no demonstrable environmental differences among occurrence sites for the rodents and for human cases of hantavirus. However, areas of northern and northeastern Brazil are also apparently suitable for the two species, without broad coincidence with human cases. Modeling of niches and distributions of rodent reservoirs indicates potential for transmission of hantavirus across virtually all of Brazil outside the Amazon Basin

Growth and Biomass Production of Moringa Cultivated in Semiarid Region as Responses to Row Spacing and Cuts

The management of the moringa to produce biomass, as it is for other vegetal species, must consider some aspects that foster productivity. Among these aspects, cultivation density is a crucial element. This research aimed to assess the effects of spacing and cuts on the growth of the moringa. The treatments consisted of four spacings: 0.5 x 1.0 m; 0.83 x 1.0 m; 1.25 x 1.0 m; and 1.66 x 1.0 m. The experimental design was a randomized-block design with five repetitions. The standardization cut of the plants was performed at a one-meter height from the ground, fifty days after the seedlings transplantation. The assessments were performed every sixty days, totaling six cuts. Spacing impacted the growth and biomass production but did not affect the height of the plants. The stem diameter, branch number, and the plant’s mass increased at increasing the spacing. On the other side, the total mass and the masses of the stem, the leaflet, and the petiole per hectare decreased at increasing the spacing. Spacing did not affect the ratio between leaf/stem and leaflet/petiole. Plant growth and dry matter production were highest after the first two cuts and decreased significantly from the third cut on. The spacing of 0.5 x 1.0 m should be used for planting Moringa oleifera Lam. because this configuration, even reducing the gain per plant, increased the production of dry matter per unit area

<i>Duguetia pycnastera</i> Sandwith (Annonaceae) Leaf Essential Oil Inhibits HepG2 Cell Growth In Vitro and In Vivo

Duguetia pycnastera Sandwith (Annonaceae) is a tropical tree that can be found in the Guyanas, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil. In Brazil, it is popularly known as “ata”, “envira”, “envira-preta”, and “envira-surucucu”. In the present work, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo HepG2 cell growth inhibition capacity of D. pycnastera leaf essential oil (EO). The chemical composition of the EO was determined by GC–MS and GC–FID analyses. The alamar blue assay was used to examine the in vitro cytotoxicity of EO in cancer cell lines and non-cancerous cells. In EO-treated HepG2 cells, DNA fragmentation was measured by flow cytometry. The in vivo antitumor activity of the EO was assessed in C.B-17 SCID mice xenografted with HepG2 cells treated with the EO at a dosage of 40 mg/kg. Chemical composition analysis displayed the sesquiterpenes α-gurjunene (26.83%), bicyclogermacrene (24.90%), germacrene D (15.35%), and spathulenol (12.97%) as the main EO constituents. The EO exhibited cytotoxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 3.28 to 39.39 μg/mL in the cancer cell lines SCC4 and CAL27, respectively. The cytotoxic activity of the EO in non-cancerous cells revealed IC50 values of 16.57, 21.28, and >50 μg/mL for MRC-5, PBMC, and BJ cells, respectively. An increase of the fragmented DNA content was observed in EO-treated HepG2 cells. In vivo, EO displayed tumor mass inhibition activity by 47.76%. These findings imply that D. pycnastera leaf EO may have anti-liver cancer properties

Antitumor Effect of Guatteria olivacea R. E. Fr. (Annonaceae) Leaf Essential Oil in Liver Cancer

Guatteria olivacea R. E. Fries (synonym Guatteria punctata (Aubl.) R.A. Howard) is a tree of 10&ndash;27 m tall popularly known as &ldquo;envira-bob&oacute;&rdquo;, &ldquo;envira-fofa&rdquo;, &ldquo;envireira&rdquo;, &ldquo;embira&rdquo;, &ldquo;embira-branca&rdquo;, &ldquo;embira-preta&rdquo;, envira-branca&rdquo;, and &ldquo;envira-preta&rdquo;, which can be found in the Brazilian Amazon biome. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxic and antitumor effects of the essential oil (EO) obtained from the leaves of G. olivacea against liver cancer using HepG2 cells as a model. EO was obtained using a hydrodistillation Clevenger-type apparatus and was qualitatively and quantitatively characterized using GC&ndash;MS and GC&ndash;FID, respectively. The alamar blue assay was used to assess the cytotoxic potential of EO in a panel of human cancer cell lines and human non-cancerous cells. In HepG2 cells treated with EO, YO-PRO-1/propidium iodide staining, cell cycle distribution, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were examined. In C.B-17 SCID mice with HepG2 cell xenografts, the efficacy of the EO (20 and 40 mg/kg) was tested in vivo. GC&ndash;MS and GC&ndash;FID analyses showed germacrene D (17.65%), 1-epi-cubenol (13.21%), caryophyllene oxide (12.03%), spathulenol (11.26%), (E)-caryophyllene (7.26%), bicyclogermacrene (5.87%), and &delta;-elemene (4.95%) as the major constituents of G. olivacea leaf EO. In vitro cytotoxicity of EO was observed, including anti-liver cancer action with an IC50 value of 30.82 &mu;g/mL for HepG2 cells. In HepG2 cells, EO treatment increased apoptotic cells and DNA fragmentation, without changes in ROS levels. Furthermore, the EO inhibited tumor mass in vivo by 32.8&ndash;57.9%. These findings suggest that G. olivacea leaf EO has anti-liver cancer potential