Perfluorocarbon compounds used as oxygen carriers: from liquid ventilation to blood substitutes

Perfluorocarbon compounds are fluorine substituted hydrocarbons. They exhibit unique properties due to the specificity of the carbon –fluorine linkage. Among these, the high gas solubility and the low surface tension are the most interesting characteristics for their use in clinic. There are several biological fields of potential applications of perfluorocarbons. Concerning the clinical applications for perfluorocarbons, they have been used as gas carriers and for liquid ventilation. Several clinical trials for commercial pharmaceutics of perfluorcarbon based on these compounds have been also already made.Os compostos perfluorados são análogos aos hidrocarbonetos mas onde a ligação carbonohidrogénio (C-H) é substituída pela ligação carbono-flúor (C-F). A ligação C-F confere propriedades aos compostos perfluorados que são diferentes das dos hidrocarbonetos que lhes são análogos. A capacidade de dissolução de elevadas quantidades de gases e a baixa tensão superficial apresentam são propriedades que têm levado ao desenvolvimento da investigação aplicada, baseada nestes compostos. Relativamente à parte clínica, alguns deles têm sido ensaiados com sucesso como “substituintes do sangue”, no sentido em podem ser utilizados com veículos distribuição de gases na circulação, e como líquidos adjuvantes da ventilação pulmonar, em casos de existência de obstruções pulmonares graves.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recent Approaches on Signal Transduction and Transmission in Acupuncture: A Biophysical Overview for Medical Sciences

Acupuncture is one of the areas among the alternative therapies that arouses high curiosity in the biomedical scientific community. It is particular popular for treatment of chronic diseases and addictions. However, contrasting with its evidence based effectiveness, the lack of a reasonable explanations for its mode of action divides that scientific community. Difficulties also arise to those responsible for providing information for clinicians and professionals who wish to acquire competencies leading to the acupuncture practice and have a background based on biochemistry and physiology. The classic theories of nerve conduction do not fully explain how information is read and transmitted during the acupuncture treatment. Other theories have been proposed but they are based on concepts like biophotonic waves and quantum biochemistry that are difficult to read and understand by those that do not have knowledge in physics. It is the main objective of this review to provide a survey of the main theories and explanatory approaches to the signal transduction and conduction in acupuncture and to describe them in in terms of their explanatory hypotheses, limitations and weaknesses. The most of the literature found supports theories for neural conduction, including gate control. They explain the effects of acupuncture in pain relieve; lesser amount of studies have been made concerning the conduction based on biophotons. The primo vascular system has been referred as a possible anatomic support for conduction of information during an acupuncture treatment, which could be connected to biophoton transmission.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Usos populares de plantas medicinais da flora transmontana

Neste trabalho é apresentado um estudo sobre o uso tradicional das plantas medicinais de dois concelhos da região de Trás-os-Montes. Durante o estudo, foram obtidos resultados relativos às plantas com maior uso medicinal e suas aplicações terapêuticas bem como as partes da planta mais usadas de 88 espécies pertencentes a 47 famílias de plantas indígenas. As propriedades terapêuticas mais referenciadas são os efeitos diurético, antiasténico e como vulnerário. Partindo de um relatório etnofarmacológico de várias plantas serão, posteriormente, seleccionadas aquelas que, tendo larga aplicação na medicina tradicional, não tenham sido estudadas do ponto de vista bioquímico e de actividade terapêutica. In this work a study of folk use of the medicinal plants of two councils bellowing to Trás-os-Montes region is presented. During the study, data for 88 species were obtained belonging to 47 families of vascular plants. The most report therapeutic properties are as diuretic, as anti-asthenia and as vulnerary. From an ethnopharmacological report done, will be subsequently selected those plants that, having, not only, a wide range of usage in traditional medicine but also, have not yet been studied in biochemical or therapeutic activity terms

Demystifying Emulsifiers as Additives through Molecular Gastronomy: A Contribution to Rise Consumer’s Sovereignty

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, one third of food produced annually for human consumption results in food losses or wastage, which is environmentally degrading, economically unviable, ethically incorrect, and does not contribute to sustainable development. The use of additives can help prevent the waste of food that is still fit for consumption in a world where about 16% of the world’s population goes hungry. Food additives may overcome the problem of limited supply of natural ingredients, increase the shelf life of foods and simplify the complex cooking procedures. To raise the consumer’s knowledge about food additives, this work presents and explain in a simple manner some physical/chemical properties of emulsifiers, namely fatty acids esters and sucrose esters of fatty acids. Moreover, this work reviews and illustrates, recurring to recipes of molecular gastronomy, how these additives are used in food preparation to achieve and maintain certain desirable characteristics, how they contribute to obtain a better result in final preparation, and how they can be used in modern cuisine. Preparations coming from the discipline of molecular gastronomy have been chosen since they are based on laboratory related procedures and only use few ingredients, including an additive

Structural and electronic effects of the C2’ substituent in 1,4–benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are drugs used for treatment of several central nervous system disorders, such as anxiety and sleep. In spite of their wide and popular usage in clinics, the mechanism explaining why a certain pharmacological activity is superimposed onto another for a given benzodiazepine remains unclear. The knowledge of the conformation of benzodiazepines and their electronic charge distribution at molecular surfaces may give new insights into the pharmaco-benzodiazepine receptor interactions, contributing to the improvement of the existing models. In the present study, the solid state geometric and conformational parameters of the available X-ray benzodiazepine structures were analyzed and reviewed. The electronic features of two groups of benzodiazepines with different substituents at C7 and C2’ positions were studied by DFT quantum chemical calculations. The conformations of the molecules with optimized geometry were also analyzed. The relative charge distribution around the benzodiazepinic rings and electrostatic potential mapped on electronic density surfaces were obtained. The ring geometric parameters for the diazepine moiety in 1,4-benzodiazepines, do not vary significantly except for a few compounds in which steric and/or intermolecular interactions play a part. The benzodiazepine ring assumes a pseudo-symmetrical boat conformation and the torsion angle around the C5-Ph bond varies depending on the nature of the substituent on C2’. Also, the presence of the nitro or chloride substituent on the C7 position and the presence of a fluorine atom on the C2’ position significantly alter the relative charge distributions at the attached carbon atoms and the topology of the surface electrostatic potential

Antispasmodic activity of aqueous extracts from Mentha x piperita native from Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal)

The wild mint Mentha x piperita (Mentha rotundifolia Huds.), has been used by the local people in a northern region of Portugal to prepare infusions for treating digestive pain and spasms, as an appetite stimulant and for treating headache and migraine. This suggests that these aqueous extracts have analgesic; antispasmodic and stomachic properties. In the present study the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts of Mentha x piperita is investigated since natural antioxidants can scavenge the reactive oxygen species, ROS, and thus might attenuate inflammation pathways. The antispasmodic activity was also checked. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated by the DPPH* method, by the quantification of the total phenolic compounds and by characterization of the main phenolic compounds. The antispasmodic effects were investigated by performing pharmacological assays using the distal ileum of guinea pigs. The aqueous extract exhibits antioxidant properties that may be due to its phenolic content. The main phenolic compounds were quinic, caffeic, rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids. The antispasmodic affects are observed after electrical stimulation of segments of distal ileum of guinea pigs and may be attributed, at least, to a alfa1 blockage

Usos populares de plantas medicinais da flora transmontana

Neste trabalho é apresentado um estudo sobre o uso tradicional das plantas medicinais de dois concelhos da região de Trás-os-Montes. Durante o estudo, foram obtidos resultados relativos às plantas com maior uso medicinal e suas aplicações terapêuticas bem como as partes da planta mais usadas de 88 espécies pertencentes a 47 famílias de plantas indígenas. As propriedades terapêuticas mais referenciadas são os efeitos diurético, antiasténico e como vulnerário. Partindo de um relatório etnofarmacológico de várias plantas serão, posteriormente, seleccionadas aquelas que, tendo larga aplicação na medicina tradicional, não tenham sido estudadas do ponto de vista bioquímico e de actividade terapêutica. In this work a study of folk use of the medicinal plants of two councils bellowing to Trás-os-Montes region is presented. During the study, data for 88 species were obtained belonging to 47 families of vascular plants. The most report therapeutic properties are as diuretic, as anti-asthenia and as vulnerary. From an ethnopharmacological report done, will be subsequently selected those plants that, having, not only, a wide range of usage in traditional medicine but also, have not yet been studied in biochemical or therapeutic activity terms

Antispasmodic activity of aqueous extracts from Mentha x piperita native from Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal)

The wild mint Mentha x piperita (Mentha rotundifolia Huds.), has been used by the local people in a northern region of Portugal to prepare infusions for treating digestive pain and spasms, as an appetite stimulant and for treating headache and migraine. This suggests that these aqueous extracts have analgesic; antispasmodic and stomachic properties. In the present study the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts of Mentha x piperita is investigated since natural antioxidants can scavenge the reactive oxygen species, ROS, and thus might attenuate inflammation pathways. The antispasmodic activity was also checked. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated by the DPPH• method, by the quantification of the total phenolic compounds and by characterization of the main phenolic compounds. The antispasmodic effects were investigated by performing pharmacological assays using the distal ileum of guinea pigs. The aqueous extract exhibits antioxidant properties that may be due to its phenolic content. The main phenolic compounds were quinic, caffeic, rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids. The antispasmodic affects are observed after electrical stimulation of segments of distal ileum of guinea pigs and may be attributed, at least, to a alfa-1 blockage.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antispasmodic activity of aqueous extracts from Mentha x piperita native from Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal)

The wild mint Mentha x piperita (Mentha rotundifolia Huds.), has been used by the local people in a northern region of Portugal to prepare infusions for treating digestive pain and spasms, as an appetite stimulant and for treating headache and migraine. This suggests that these aqueous extracts have analgesic; antispasmodic and stomachic properties. In the present study the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts of Mentha x piperita is investigated since natural antioxidants can scavenge the reactive oxygen species, ROS, and thus might attenuate inflammation pathways. The antispasmodic activity was also checked. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated by the DPPH• method, by the quantification of the total phenolic compounds and by characterization of the main phenolic compounds. The antispasmodic effects were investigated by performing pharmacological assays using the distal ileum of guinea pigs. The aqueous extract exhibits antioxidant properties that may be due to its phenolic content. The main phenolic compounds were quinic, caffeic, rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids. The antispasmodic affects are observed after electrical stimulation of segments of distal ileum of guinea pigs and may be attributed, at least, to a alfa-1 blockage.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical characterization and biological activities of green tea (Camellia sinensis) produced in the Azores, Portugal

Background: Green tea is not only one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, but is also known for its health promoting and therapeutic effects. Green tea is cultivated in areas with high humidity and acidic soils in China, Indonesia and Japan. Those places have well-marked dry and rainy seasons. In opposite, Azores have a climate with constant average annual rainfall and, unlike eastern regions, relatively constant air humidity throughout the year. While a brand implemented on the Portuguese market, the quality of green tea produced in Azores must be guaranteed. Quality control measures based on phytochemical determination of the chemical composition and biological activities are needed in order to address whenever climate changes interferes significantly with composition and biological effects. Purpose: Make the phytochemical characterization of various extracts of green tea leaves coming from Azores and evaluate the anti-cancer activities of the extracts in order to compare the obtained results with those of teas coming from eastern regions. Methods: Phytochemical characterization (catechins, oxyaromatic acids, flavonols, alkaloids and theanine) and total catechins contents (TCC) was performed by using HPLC-DAD analysis, in infusions (5–7 min and 30 min), maceration and methanolic extracts of Camellia sinensis samples coming from Azores, Portugal. The antioxidant activity of extracts was measured by the DPPH assay and the total phenolics contents (TPC) were estimated using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. The cytotoxic activity towards drug sensitive and multidrug-resistant leukemia cell lines was determined by the resazurin assay. Results: The TCC was higher in methanolic extracts and lower in maceration, as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) concentrations were significantly higher in methanolic extracts and were only residual in maceration extracts. Maceration extracts showed the highest content of gallic acid, indicating that methanol extracts contained more flavonols of higher molecular weight and/or that maceration may lead to the degalloylation of catechins. The amount of o-caffeoylquinic acid extracted was significantly higher in methanolic samples. Short-term extraction at high temperatures resulted in high amounts of neochlorogenic acid. The contents of glycosylated quercitin-3-d-galactoside and kaempferol-3-glucoside were small in maceration samples and high in methanolic samples. Caffeine was easily extracted by methanol (99%) compared with water, while extraction of the amino-acid l-theanine was impossible with methanol. TPC values correlated linearly with DPPH• IC50, with infusion samples showing the best antioxidant capacities. The aqueous and the methanol/water extracts were active in multidrug-resistant and drug sensitive cancer cells.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio