Comparative efficacy and safety of bifonazole 1% cream and the corresponding base preparation in the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis

Zienicke H, Korting HC, Braun-Falco O, et al. Comparative efficacy and safety of bifonazole 1% cream and the corresponding base preparation in the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis . Mycoses. 1993;36(9-10):325-331.Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common entity that conventionally is difficult to treat. Recently, topical ketoconazole has been proven successful. To determine if other azoles, and in particular the more modern ones, are also helpful in this condition, a double-blind multicentre randomized controlled trial was performed in patients suffering from seborrhoeic dermatitis involving individuals 16 years and older without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. One hundred patients were enrolled and treated according to a random plan with either bifonazole 1% cream or the corresponding vehicle once daily for 4 weeks. All patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study, as well as after 2 and 4 weeks, i.e. the treatment period proper, and after 6 weeks of follow-up. Clinical evaluation was based on scores of 0-3 for the following parameters: erythema, papules, infiltration, scaling, itch. In addition, mycological evaluation was performed using adequate contact plates for quantitative determination of Malassezia furfur. In the end, 92 patients were at least partially evaluable. In general, the verum preparation tended to be more efficacious, e.g. the score for erythema amounted to 0.75 after 4 weeks as compared with 0.88 in the control group, the baseline values being 2.18 and 2.04 respectively. With itch, the corresponding figures were 0.17 and 0.33 as compared with 1.42 and 1.38 before treatment. While in statistical terms there was significant difference in these parameters, such a difference was demonstrated by clinical judgement at follow-up. In the verum group (n=37) 10 and 24 patients respectively were cured or improved; the corresponding figures for the control group (n=43) were 9 and 23 (P=0.1). Differences in M. furfur colonization in favour of the verum preparation were not significant. Accordingly, there was no major difference in terms of the overall clinical and mycological cure rate in both groups, originally defined as a major test parameter. Bifonazole 1% cream might be helpful clinically in seborrhoeic dermatitis of non-HIV-infected patients. For definite proof of this hypothesis another confirmatory trial is needed, which should be based solely on global clinical judgement

Biologia da polinização da palmeira tucumã (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.) em Belém, Pará, Brasil Pollination biology of fiber palm (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.) in Belém, Pará, Brazil

Estudaram-se alguns aspectos da biologia da polinização da palmeira tucumã em uma área experimental da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, em Belém, PA. Foram coletados dados de fenologia, morfologia floral, duração da floração, viabilidade polínica e visitantes florais em dez plantas, no período de janeiro a dezembro/1997. Trata-se de uma palmeira arbórea, multicaule, monóica, que possui inflorescência envolvida por uma bráctea lenhosa coberta por espinhos e centenas de flores unissexuais, sésseis. A flor feminina é ladeada por duas masculinas formando a tríade, localizando-se na base das ráquilas; creme e medindo de 5 a 10mm compr.; do tipo campanular, com pétalas aderidas ao estigma. As flores masculinas ocorrem em maior quantidade e medem de 2 a 4mm compr. Eventos de floração e de frutificação foram registrados em todo o período, com picos de março a julho e de dezembro a março, respectivamente. A abertura da bráctea e exposição da inflorescência ocorreu, principalmente, no início da manhã e da noite, períodos em que todas as flores femininas iniciam a antese, com o estigma apresentando secreção pegajosa, permanecendo receptivas por 24 a 36h. As flores masculinas também apresentaram antese simultânea e noturna, ficando viáveis por 24 a 36h, permanecendo aderidas às ráquilas por vários dias. A viabilidade polínica foi alta, tanto em botões em pré-antese como em flores abertas. As recompensas florais foram o pólen em abundância e a secreção estigmática. Várias partes da inflorescência, principalmente as flores, emitiram forte odor. Os visitantes florais foram insetos, com predominância de besouros e abelhas. Portanto, a palmeira tucumã é uma espécie protogínica, com pólen e forte odor como atrativos primários e polinização predominantemente cantarófila.<br>It was studied some aspects of the pollination biology of fiber palm in experimental station of Embrapa, Eastern Amazon at Belém, PA. Phenology, floral morphology, time of flowering, pollen viability, and floral visitors data were collected, in ten plants, from January to December/1997. This palm is arborescent, multicaule, monoecious with inflorescence involved by a bract woody covered by thorns and hundreds unisexual sessile flowers. The female flower is flanked by two male flowers forming the triads, and located in the base of the rachillae; cream and measure 5 to 10mm of length; campanular type with petals stuck to the stigma exposed. The male flowers is in larger amount, and measure from 2 to 4mm of length. The flowering and fruiting were registered in every period, with picks of March to July and December to March, respectively. The opening of bract and exposition of the inflorescence occurred mainly in the beginning of the morning and in the night, moment in that all the female flowers began the anthesis happening with stigma producing secretion viscous, and stay receptive for 24 at 36 hours. The male flowers, also, presented simultaneous anthesis, staying viable for 24 at 36 hours, but stayed in the rachillae for many days. Pollen viability was high in flower buds in the pre-anthesis and in the open flowers. The floral rewards were the pollen abundantly and stigmatic secretion. Several parts of the inflorescence, mainly the flowers, emitted strong scent. The floral visitors were insects, with predominance of beetles and bees. Therefore the fiber palm is protoginic with high pollen production and strong scent as the primary attractive and prevalently cantharophilic pollination