Human toxocariasis: contribution by Brazilian researchers

In the present paper the main aspects of the natural history of human infection by Toxocara larvae that occasionally result in the occurrence of visceral and/or ocular larva migrans syndrome were reviewed. The contribution by Brazilian researchers was emphasized, especially the staff of the Tropical Medicine Institute of São Paulo (IMT)

Uso de cera e 1-metilciclopropeno na conservação refrigerada de graviola (Annona muricata L.) The ouse of wax and 1-methylcyclopropene on refrigerated storage of soursop fruit (Annona muricata L.)

Graviolas 'Morada', provenientes de pomar comercial localizado em Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, foram colhidas na maturidade fisiológica com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da aplicação pós-colheita de 1-meticiclopropeno (1-MCP) e cera na conservação, durante o armazenamento refrigerado. Os frutos foram armazenados por 0; 4; 8; 11; 13 e 15 dias, a 15,4&plusmn;1,1ºC e 86,0&plusmn;7,3% UR. Os tratamentos pós-colheita foram os seguintes: controle, 200 nL L-1 de 1-MCP (SmartFresh&trade;), pulverização com a cera Fruit wax® e pulverização com Fruit wax® seguida de aplicação de 200 nL L-1 de 1-MCP. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em fatorial 4x6 (tratamentos pós-colheita x tempo de armazenamento), com quatro repetições. As variáveis analisadas foram: cor da casca e da polpa, a partir da luminosidade (L), cromaticidade (C) e ângulo de cor (Hº); perda de massa; pH; acidez titulável (AT); sólidos solúveis totais (SST); açúcares solúveis totais (AST) e açúcares redutores (AR). Os tratamentos cera e cera+1-MCP mantiveram estáveis os valores de L da casca e da polpa até o 8º e o 4º dia de armazenamento, respectivamente. O aumento em SST foi temporariamente atrasado pelos tratamentos pós-colheita. A AT, pH, AST e AR não foram influenciados pela cera e pelo 1-MCP. O uso da cera diminuiu a perda de massa em 23%, quando comparado ao controle.<br>Fruits of soursop 'Morada' from plants of a commercial area, located in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceara State, Brazil, were harvested at the physiological maturity stage with the objective of evaluating the effect of postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and wax on conservation during refrigerated storage. Fruits were stored for 0, 4, 8, 11, 13 and 15 days under 15.4&plusmn;1.1ºC and 86.0&plusmn;7.3% RH. Postharvest treatments were as follow: control, 200 nL L-1 of 1-MCP (SmartFresh&trade;), Fruit wax® sprayed on fruits, and Fruit wax® sprayed on fruits followed by application of 200 nL L-1 of 1-MCP. The experimental design was completely randomized, with a 4x6 (postharvest treatment x storage time) factorial and four replicates. The following variables were evaluated: skin and pulp color according to luminosity (L), chromaticity (C) and color angle (Hº); mass loss; pH; titratable acidity (TA); total soluble solids (TSS); total soluble sugars (TS) and reducing sugars (RS). Wax and wax+1-MCP kept stabilized the L values for skin and pulp, until the 8th and the 4th day of storage, respectively. The increasing in TSS was temporarily delayed by postharvest treatments. The TA, pH, TS and RS were not influenced by wax and 1-MCP. The use of wax reduced the mass loss in 23% compared to the control