Herbal therapy associated with antibiotic therapy: potentiation of the antibiotic activity against methicillin – resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Turnera ulmifolia L

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Staphylococcus </it>genus is widely spread in nature being part of the indigenous microbiota of skin and mucosa of animal and birds. Some <it>Staphylococcus </it>species are frequently recognized as etiological agents of many animal and human opportunistic infections This is the first report testing the antibiotic resistance-modifying activity of <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>against methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>– MRSA strain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study an ethanol extract of <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>L. and chlorpromazine were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with aminoglycosides against an MRSA strain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The synergism of the ethanol extract and aminoglycosides were verified using microdillution method. A synergistic effect of this extract on gentamicin and kanamycin was demonstrated. Similarly, a potentiating effect of chlorpromazine on kanamycin, gentamicin and neomycin, indicating the involvement of an efflux system in the resistance to these aminoglycosides.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is therefore suggested that extracts from <it>Turnera ulmifolia </it>could be used as a source of plant-derived natural products with resistance-modifying activity, constituting a new weapon against the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics demonstrated in MRSA strains.</p

Overweight and constipation in adolescents

Background: the association between overweight and gastrointestinal symptoms has been recently studied in the literature; however, few studies have evaluated the association between overweight and constipation in adolescents in a community-based sample. the aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of constipation and its association with being overweight in a community-based survey with adolescents.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,077 adolescents who were enrolled in five schools in the city of Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. Constipation was defined according to modified and combined Rome III criteria for adolescents and adults. Being overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) that was equal to or greater than that of the 85(th) percentile for age and gender.Results: Constipation was diagnosed in 18.2% (196/1077) of the included adolescents. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of constipation in males and females who were both younger and older than 14 years. Fecal incontinence was observed in 25 adolescents, 22 (88.0%) of whom were diagnosed as being constipated. the prevalence of being overweight was found in 13.5% (145/1077) of the study population. the prevalence of constipation was observed to be similar in adolescents who were (19.4%; 28/144) and were not (18.0%; 168/933) overweight (p = 0.764; OR = 1.10). Fecal incontinence that was associated with constipation was more frequent in adolescents who were overweight (37.0%; 8/28) than in adolescents who were not overweight (8.5%; 14/168; p = 0.005; OR = 4.40).Conclusions: the prevalence of constipation was high among the investigated adolescents. There was no association between being overweight and constipation; however, an association between being overweight and fecal incontinence in constipated adolescents was confirmed.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Pediat Gastroenterol, Escola Paulista Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Pediat Gastroenterol, Escola Paulista Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc