Contribution of the institutions in the Northern region of Brazil to the development of plant cultivars and their impact on agriculture

This paper describes the development of breeding programs in northern Brazil and their main impacts on agriculture. Their contribution to the breeding of the species palm oil, acai fruit, cacao, cupuaçu, guarana, tomato, camu-camu, cocona, peach palm, and rubber was laid out in detail. Advances in breeding programs of institutions such as Embrapa, Ceplac, Inpa, and Universities require investments in infrastructure and in human and financial resources to ensure continuity and efficiency in economic, social and environmental gains. The improvement of native species, the main focus of the breeding programs of the institutions in the Northern region of Brazil, is a form of exploiting the Amazonian biodiversity for the benefit of society. Therefore, policies to foster research institutions should be a subject of deliberation and action of the scientific and technological community in Brazil

Analysis of the association between vegetarianism and subclinical atherosclerosis in adult population in the State of São Paulo

Introdução: Vários trabalhos prévios demonstraram o efeito protetor da dieta vegetariana na prevalência de DCV (doenças cardiovasculares). Entretanto ainda restam questionamentos sobre a reprodutibilidade desses estudos em grupos populacionais de países em desenvolvimento e de outros que relacionem diretamente dieta neste grupo com o uso de escore de cálcio coronário. Objetivos: 1) Analisar a relação entre dieta vegetariana e aterosclerose subclínica em uma população etnicamente diversa. 2) Observar a relação entre dieta vegetariana e o escore de cálcio coronário 3) Analisar outros fatores clínicos, laboratoriais, e de imagem na prevalência de aterosclerose subclínica. Métodos: Participantes foram incluídos consecutivamente entre março de 2013 e agosto de 2016, no Hospital Universitário da USP, adventistas do sétimo dia, entre 35 e 74 anos, residentes no estado de São Paulo. Realizada entrevista clínica, exames laboratoriais, determinação de variáveis nutricionais e exames de imagem e cardiológicos como escore de cálcio coronário, medida da íntima de carótida e bordo hepático e velocidade de onda de pulso. O padrão dietético foi avaliado através de questionário de frequência alimentar (QFA) validado para a dieta brasileira, com base em medidas e períodos padronizados. Resultados: Os 1404 participantes incluídos foram divididos em 3 grupos: 548 onívoros, 617 ovo-lacto-vegetarianos e 239 vegetarianos estritos. Não houve diferenças nos grupos em relação à idade, raça ou sexo. Foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos onívoro, ovo-lactovegetariano, e vegetariano estrito favoráveis ao vegetarianismo em suas formas para várias medidas antropométricas (peso, índice de massa corporal, frequência cardíaca em repouso, pressão arterial sistólica, pressão arterial diastólica, percentual de gordura abdominal e circunferência abdominal), índice de gordura abdominal e membros, e à bioimpedância. Houveram diferenças significativas entre os grupos para fatores laboratoriais associados a aterosclerose subclínica (hemoglobina glicada, sódio urinário de 12h, cálcio urinário de 12h, creatinina sérica, alanina transaminase, gama GT, ácido úrico, colesterol total, LDL colesterol, não HDL colesterol, triglicérides, glicemia de jejum e após 2h de carga glicêmica, insulinemia de jejum e 2h após carga glicêmica, proteína C reativa ultrassensível, fósforo urinário e dosagem de 25-OH-Vitamina D). Dos exames complementares, foram observadas diferenças favoráveis aos grupos vegetarianos na ultrassonografia para espessura de íntima de carótidas, e do bordo hepático, Velocidade de Onda de Pulso (PWV) e Escore de Cálcio Coronário (CAC). Conclusão: No grupo estudado observou-se que a dieta vegetariana, dentro de suas variantes (vegetariana estrita e ovo-lacto-vegetariana) conferiram um menor risco cardiovascular associado a marcadores de aterosclerose subclínica dentro de uma população adulta na faixa de 35-74 anos residentes no estado de São PauloIntroduction: Previous studies have demonstrated the protective effect of the vegetarian diet on the prevalence of CVD (cardiovascular diseases). However, there are still questions about the reproducibility of these studies in populations from developing countries or regarding the association of diet and the coronary calcium score. Objectives: 1) To analyze the relationship between vegetarian diet and subclinical atherosclerosis in an ethnically diverse population from Brazil. 2) To describe the relationship between a vegetarian diet and coronary calcium score. 3) To analyze the association between diet and other clinical, laboratory, and imaging variables associated with the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: Participants were consecutively included between March 2013 and August 2016 at the University Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo, seventhday adventists, aged 35-74 years, living in the state of São Paulo. Clinical interview, laboratory tests, determination of nutritional variables and imaging and cardiological exams such as coronary calcium score, measurement of the carotid intima and hepatic border, and pulse wave velocity were performed. The dietary pattern was evaluated through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for the Brazilian diet, based on standardized measures and periods. Results: The 1,404 participants included were divided into 3 groups: 548 omnivores, 617 ovo-lacto-vegetarian and 239 strict vegetarians. There were no differences in the groups in relation to age, race and gender. Statistically significant differences were observed between the omnivore, ovo-lactovegetarian, and strict vegetarian groups favoring vegetarianism in their forms for various anthropometric measures (weight, body mass index, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, percentage of abdominal fat and abdominal circumference), abdominal fat index and limbs. There were significant differences between groups for laboratory factors associated with subclinical atherosclerosis (glycated hemoglobin, 12h urinary sodium, 12h urinary calcium, serum creatinine, alanine transaminase, GT range, uric acid, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol , non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glycemia and insulinemia and after 2h of glycemic load, ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein, urinary phosphorus and 25-OH-Vitamin D dosage). From the complementary examinations, favorable differences were observed in the vegetarian groups on carotid and hepatic border ultrasound, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and Coronary Calcium Score (CAC). Conclusion: In the studied groups, it was observed that vegetarian diet, within its variants (strict vegetarian and ovo-lacto-vegetarian), was associated with a reduced odds of subclinical atherosclerosis and its risk markers within an adult population in the 35-74 age group living in the state of São Paulo, Brazi

Worse inflammatory profile in omnivores than in vegetarians associates with the gut microbiota composition

Abstract Aims To describe the abundance of major phyla and some genera in the gut microbiota of individuals according to dietary habits and examine their associations with inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk profile. Methods A total of 268 non-diabetic individuals were stratified into groups of dietary types (strict vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and omnivores). The taxonomic composition and phylogenetic structure of the microbiota were obtained through the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Samples were clustered into operational taxonomic units at 97% similarity using GreenGenes 13.5 database. Clinical, biochemical, and circulating inflammatory markers were compared by ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test. Results The sample (54.2% women, mean age 49.5 years) was composed of 66 strict vegetarians, 102 lacto-ovo-vegetarians and 100 omnivores. Considering the entire sample, the greatest abundant phyla were Firmicutes (40.7 ± 15.9%) and Bacteroidetes (39.5 ± 19.9%), and no difference in abundances was found between individuals with normal and excess weight. Stratifying by dietary types, the proportion of Firmicutes was lower and of Bacteroidetes was higher in strict vegetarians when compared to lacto-ovo-vegetarians and omnivores. At the genus level, strict vegetarians had a higher Prevotella abundance and Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio than the other groups. They also had a lower proportion of Faecalibacterium than lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and both vegetarian groups had higher proportions than did omnivores. Succinivibrio and Halomonas from the Proteobacteria phylum were overrepresented in omnivores. The omnivorous group showed higher values of anthropometric data, insulin, HOMA-IR, and a worse lipid profile. Inflammatory markers exhibited a gradual and significant increase from the vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians to the omnivorous group. Conclusions There are differences in gut microbiota composition of individuals with distinct dietary habits, who differ according to their inflammatory and metabolic profiles. Based on the findings relative to bacteria abundances and on their recognized actions in the metabolism, we suggest that exposure to animal foods may favor an intestinal environment which could trigger systemic inflammation and insulin resistance-dependent metabolic disorders

Resumos concluídos - Saúde Coletiva

Resumos concluídos - Saúde Coletiv