Descarte domiciliar de medicamentos e seu impacto ambiental: análise da compreensão de uma comunidade / Dispose of household medicines and its environmental impact: analysis of a community understanding

Boa parte dos medicamentos que sobram nas residências favorece o seu uso irracional e o descarte de forma inadequada. A disposição destes no meio ambiente e a diversas condições climáticas pode gerar o desequilíbrio do ecossistema. Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar como são descartados os medicamentos domiciliares em uma comunidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, no município de Santa Rosa do Sul, SC-Brasil, através de um questionário estruturado. Constatou-se que 77,33% dos entrevistados não possuem informações suficientes sobre o descarte adequado e o fazem diretamente no lixo comum. Conclui-se que os residentes desconhecem os riscos que esta atividade pode causar a si e ao meio ambiente

PELARGONIUM SIDOIDES DC. (UMCKALOABO): HISTÓRICO DO USO, ASPECTOS TAXONÔMICOS, ECOLÓGICOS, FITOQUÍMICOS, FARMACOLÓGICOS E TOXICOLÓGICOS

Considerando que Pelargonium sidoides DC. é usado tradicionalmente na África do Sul e na Alemanha para infecção das vias respiratórias, incluindo sinusite e tuberculose, além de apresentar baixo potencial de efeitos adversos, tanto para adultos como para crianças, objetivou-se realizar um levantamento bibliográfico observando as publicações disponíveis nas bases Google Acadêmico, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Portal CAPES, PUBMED, MEDLINE, publicadas nos últimos 20 anos sobre os aspectos etnobotânicos, taxonômicos, ecológicos, fitoquímicos, farmacológicos e toxicológicos da espécie, na perspectiva de fornecer informações para sua utilização segura e racional

Experimental periodontitis promotes transient vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response and cardiovascular changes induced by experimental periodontitis in rats.DesignExperimental periodontitis was induced by placing a cotton ligature around the cervix of both sides of mandibular first molars and maxillary second molars in each male rat. Sham-operated rats had the ligature removed immediately after the procedure. Seven, 14 or 28 days after procedure, the effects of acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine were evaluated on blood pressure, aortic rings and isolated and perfused mesenteric bed. The blood was obtained for plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid evaluation. The mesenteric vessels were obtained to evaluate superoxide production and nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS-3) expression.ResultsLigature induced periodontitis reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction. This effect was associated with an increase in systemic inflammatory markers (IL-6 and CRP), worsens on lipid profile, increased vascular superoxide production and reduced NOS-3 expression. It is interesting to note that many of these effects were transitory.ConclusionPeriodontitis induced a transient systemic and vascular inflammation which leads to endothelial dysfunction, an initial step for cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the animal model of periodontitis used here may represent a valuable tool for studying the relationship between periodontitis and endothelial dysfunction

Popular medicinal uses of Calea uniflora Less. (Asteraceae) and its contribution to the study of Brazilian medicinal plants

ABSTRACT Calea uniflora Less. is widely used in southern Santa Catarina (Brazil), but there are no scientific studies which support its use. Then, this study was proposed to determine of the percentage use of C. uniflora in a city of southern Brazil and documentation of the knowledge that the population has about this species. The survey was conducted with semi-structured interviews using a questionnaire applied to 372 participants. In analyzing the results, it was observed that of the 94.1% who recognized C. uniflora, 74.3% utilize it as a medicinal plant and 65.4% of such knowledge originates in childhood, mainly through the family (84.6%). 93% reported using inflorescences macerated in alcohol or rum; this extract is generally used topically for wound healing and muscle pain. Furthermore, some reported using small quantities of this extract orally to treat cold and flu. Regarding effectiveness and safety, 97% stated an improvement in symptoms with the use of the plant, while 98.5% stated that it has no toxicity. In light of these results, future phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological analyses should be designed in order to ensure rational and safe use of this species

The genus Calea L.: a review of isolated compounds and biological activities

The approximately 125 species of the genus Calea L. (Asteraceae) are distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Some species have medicinal properties. Based on popular knowledge, different phytochemical and pharmacological activities have been the focus of research. This review aims to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge of medicinal uses, chemical constituents, and pharmacological activities of Calea species. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies have been performed on 37 species to date. Aerial parts, leaves and stems of these plants have been tested for several biological effects including antinociceptive, vasodilator, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Extracts obtained from plants of the genus Calea have also been assayed for potential antiparasitic effects, especially for antiplasmodial, leishmanicidal, acaricidal and trypanocidal activities. Phytochemical investigations have confirmed that Calea species are rich in sesquiterpenes, chromenes, chromanones, flavonoids and other chemical compounds less attractive from the point of view of molecular diversity. This review confirms that certain Calea spp. enjoy widespread popular use in the treatment of infections, and the observed antiparasitic activities can provide new insights for further investigations on isolated compounds. </p

Linkage mapping and molecular diversity at the flower sex locus in wild and cultivated grapevine reveal a prominent SSR haplotype in hermaphrodite plants

Cultivars used for wine and table grape have self fertile hermaphrodite flowers whereas wild European vines and American and Asian species are dioecious, having either male or female flowers. Consistent with previous studies, the flower sex trait was mapped as a single major locus on chromosome 2 based on a pure Vitis vinifera population segregating for hermaphrodite and female progeny, and a hybrid population producing all three flower sex types. The sex locus was placed between the same SSR and SNP markers on both genetic maps, although abnormal segregation hampered to fine map the genomic region. From a total of 55 possible haplotypes inferred for three SSR markers around the sex locus, in a population of 132 V. sylvestris accessions and 171 V. vinifera cultivars, one of them accounted for 66 % of the hermaphrodite individuals and may be the result of domestication. Specific size variants of the VVIB23 microsatellite sequence within the 30-UTR of a putative YABBY1 gene were found to be statistically significantly associated with the sex allelesM, H and f; these markers can provide assistance in defining the status of wild grapevine germplasm

Molecular mapping of grapevine genes

In this chapter, we review the history of grapevine genetics and gene mapping. Genetic markers are introduced considering both sequence-based and sequence-independent approaches used for variant discovery. We provide a survey of genotyping tools, from low- to high-throughput platforms. We describe general principles of map building and implementation, highlighting specificities for outbred species such as the grapevine. Then, we review the different approaches applied for QTL identification according to the genetic material, from bi-parental progenies, pedigree-supported segregating populations, to germplasm collection. In particular, our emphasis is on the relevance of such studies for the dissection of a complex trait. We describe the difficult process of identifying genes responsible for QTLs and the few cases of QTL cloning. Many years have passed from the first grapevine marker isolation, the development of genetic and physical maps, until the deciphering of the genome sequence. With such a wealth of detailed information on wild and cultivated grapevines, we discuss how data sharing and multidisciplinary data integration are the current challenges that the scientific community faces to effectively translate knowledge into practic