Fauna used in popular medicine in Northeast Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Animal-based remedies constitute an integral part of Brazilian Traditional Medicine. Due to its long history, zootherapy has in fact become an integral part of folk medicine both in rural and urban areas of the country. In this paper we summarize current knowledge on zootherapeutic practices in Northeast of Brazil, based on information compiled from ethnobiological scientific literature.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to examine the diversity of animals used in traditional medicine in Northeast of Brazil, all available references or reports of folk remedies based on animals sources were examined. 34 sources were analyzed. Only taxa that could be identified to species level were included in assessment of medicinal animal species. Scientific names provided in publications were updated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The review revealed that at least 250 animal species (178 vertebrates and 72 invertebrates) are used for medicinal purposes in Northeast of Brazil. The inventoried species comprise 10 taxonomic categories and belong to 141 Families. The groups with the greatest number of species were fishes (n = 58), mammals (n = 47) and reptiles (n = 37). The zootherapeutical products are used for the treatment of different illnesses. The most widely treated condition were asthma, rheumatism and sore throat, conditions, which had a wide variety of animals to treat them with. Many animals were used for the treatment of multiple ailments. Beyond the use for treating human diseases, zootherapeutical resources are also used in ethnoveterinary medicine</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expressive and demonstrate the importance of zootherapy as alternative therapeutic in Northeast of Brazil. Although widely diffused throughout Brazil, zootherapeutic practices remain virtually unstudied. There is an urgent need to examine the ecological, cultural, social, and public health implications associated with fauna usage, including a full inventory of the animal species used for medicinal purposes and the socio-cultural context associated with their consumption.</p

Antimalarial Activity and Mechanisms of Action of Two Novel 4-Aminoquinolines against Chloroquine-Resistant Parasites

Chloroquine (CQ) is a cost effective antimalarial drug with a relatively good safety profile (or therapeutic index). However, CQ is no longer used alone to treat patients with Plasmodium falciparum due to the emergence and spread of CQ-resistant strains, also reported for P. vivax. Despite CQ resistance, novel drug candidates based on the structure of CQ continue to be considered, as in the present work. One CQ analog was synthesized as monoquinoline (MAQ) and compared with a previously synthesized bisquinoline (BAQ), both tested against P. falciparum in vitro and against P. berghei in mice, then evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity and ability to inhibit hemozoin formation. Their interactions with residues present in the NADH binding site of P falciparum lactate dehydrogenase were evaluated using docking analysis software. Both compounds were active in the nanomolar range evaluated through the HRPII and hypoxanthine tests. MAQ and BAQ derivatives were not toxic, and both compounds significantly inhibited hemozoin formation, in a dose-dependent manner. MAQ had a higher selectivity index than BAQ and both compounds were weak PfLDH inhibitors, a result previously reported also for CQ. Taken together, the two CQ analogues represent promising molecules which seem to act in a crucial point for the parasite, inhibiting hemozoin formation