Use of anti-PGL-1 antibodies to monitor therapy regimes in leprosy patients

The suitability of IgM antibodies to PGL-1 for monitoring the response to multidrug therapy (MDT) was sequentially tested by ELISA in 105 leprosy patients, and bacterial indexes (BI) were also determined. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1, 34 multibacillary (MB) patients treated for 12 months with MDT-MB; group 2, 33 MB patients treated for 24 months with MDT-MB, and group 3, 38 paucibacillary (PB) patients treated for 6 months with MDT-PB. Untreated MB patients exhibited higher antibody levels (mean ± SEM): group 1 (6.95 ± 1.35) and group 2 (12.53 ± 2.02) than untreated PB patients (1.28 ± 0.35). There was a significant difference (P < 0.01) in anti-PGL-1 levels in group 1 patients: untreated (6.95 ± 1.35) and treated for 12 months (2.78 ± 0.69) and in group 2 patients: untreated (12.53 ± 2.02) and treated for 24 months (2.62 ± 0.79). There was no significant difference between untreated (1.28 ± 0.35) and treated (0.62 ± 0.12) PB patients. Antibody levels correlated with BI. The correlation coefficient (Pearson&#8217;s r) was 0.72 before and 0.23 (P < 0.05) after treatment in group 1 and 0.67 before and 0.96 (P < 0.05) after treatment in group 2. BI was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) after 12 and 24 months on MDT (group 1: 1.26-0.26; group 2: 1.66-0.36). Our data indicate that monitoring anti-PGL-1 levels during MDT may be a sensitive tool for evaluating treatment efficacy. These data also indicate that the control of leprosy infection can be obtained with 12 months of MDT in MB patients.FAEPACNPq-PIBICCNPqFundação Paulista Contra Hansenías

Post-harvest quality of fresh-marketed tomatoes as a function of harvest periods

Losses on tomato business chain start at harvest, a two-months period. At the beginning of the harvest, fruits concentrate at the basal part of the plant, then in the middle, and finally at the top, and undergo changes in diameter and maturity indexes as harvest progresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of handling at three different periods: (I) 15 days, (II) 30 days, and (III) 45 days after the beginning of harvest. Tomatoes were ordinarily grown and harvested in to bamboo baskets, and transferred to plastics boxes. Fruits were classified according to ripening stage and diameter, and evaluated for mechanical damage and external defects caused by harvesting procedures. The time required for the harvest operation was measured; damage to fruits (%) and weight loss (%), caused either in the field and/or during the harvesting process, were taken into consideration and related to the final quality of fruit after storage for 21 days. The same methodology was used all through the production and harvest cycle. The highest % fruit damage occurred during period II, a longer harvest time than the other two periods. Fruits not submitted to handling showed lower weight loss than handled fruits. Fruits harvested in period II and stored for 21 days showed higher losses due to mechanical injury

Seletividade de herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência para a cultura da mandioquinha-salsa

A suscetibilidade da cultura de mandioquinha-salsa a herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência foi avaliada, cultivando-se três mudas pré-enraizadas e uniformes por vaso de cinco litros de capacidade, preenchidos com solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo Câmbico, fase terraço, coletado na camada de 0-20 cm. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições e 39 tratamentos obtidos do arranjo fatorial (13 x 3), sendo 12 herbicidas e uma testemunha sem herbicida e três doses (uma dose baixa, uma média e uma alta). As doses dos herbicidas (em g ha-1) foram: bentazon (600, 720 e 960), clethodim (84, 96 e 108), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (68, 90 e 110), flazasulfuron (50, 75, 100), fluazifop-p-butil (94, 187 e 250), halosulfuron (75, 112 e 150), imazamox (28, 35 e 42), linuron (900, 1.350 e 1.800), oxadiazon (500, 750 e 1.000), propaquizafop (100, 125 e 150), sethoxydim (184, 230 e 276) e amônio-glufosinato (200, 300 e 400). A colheita das plantas foi realizada aos 49 dias após a aplicação dos tratamentos (DAA). Os herbicidas halosulfuron, flazasulfuron, imazamox e bentazon causaram alta toxicidade e prejuízos para as características avaliadas, sendo considerados não-seletivos para a cultura. O linuron e oxadiazon, nas doses baixa e média, e o amônio-glufosinato, na dose baixa, proporcionaram toxicidade às plantas de mandioquinha-salsa no início das avaliações, porém observou-se boa recuperação a partir de 28 DAA. O fluazifop-p-butil foi seletivo nas menores doses utilizadas. Os herbicidas clethodim, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, propaquizafop e sethoxydim foram os mais seletivos.The tolerance of peruvian carrot to post-emergence herbicides was evaluated. Three pre-rooted uniform seedlings were grown in 5-liter pots with Red Yellow Podzolic Cambic soil, terrace phase, collected from a 0-20 cm depth layer The experimental design was a 13 x 3 factorial arrangement [twelve herbicides, a control without herbicide, and three herbicide doses (low, medium and high)] with 39 treatments distributed in randomized blocks, with three repetitions. The herbicide doses (g ha-1) were: bentazon (600, 720, and 960), clethodim (84, 96, and 108), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (68, 90, and 110), flazasulfuron (50, 75, and 100), fluazifop-p-butyl (94, 187, and 250), halosulfuron (75, 112, and 150), imazamox (28, 35, and 42), linuron (900, 1,350, and 1,800), oxadiazon (500, 750, and 1,000), propaquizafop (100, 125, and 150), sethoxydin (184, 230, and 276), and ammonium-glufosinate (200, 300, and 400). The plants were harvested at 49 days after treatment application (DAA). The herbicides halosulfuron, flazasulfuron, imazamox and bentazon caused high toxicity and damage to the crop, being non-selective for Peruvian carrot. Low and medium doses of linuron and oxadiazon, and low dose of ammonium-glufosinate caused toxicity just after spraying, but the crop showed good recovery from 28 DAA. Fluazifop-p-butyl was selective in low doses. Clethodim, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, propaquizafop, and sethoxydin were the most selective to Peruvian carrot

In vitro inhibition of canine distemper virus by flavonoids and phenolic acids: Implications of structural differences for antiviral design

Infection caused by canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious disease with high incidence and lethality in the canine population. Antiviral activity of flavonoids quercetin, morin, rutin and hesperidin, and phenolic cinnamic, trans-cinnamic and ferulic acids were evaluated in vitro against the CDV using the time of addition assay to determine which step of the viral replicative cycle was affected. All flavonoids displayed great viral inhibition when they were added at the times 0 (adsorption) and 1 h (penetration) of the viral replicative cycle. Both quercetin and hesperidin presented antiviral activity at the time 2 h (intracellular). In the other hand, cinnamic acid showed antiviral activity at the times 0 and 2 h while trans-cinnamic acid showed antiviral effect at the times À1 h (pre-treatment) and 0 h. Ferulic acid inhibited CDV replicative cycle at the times 0 and 1 h. Our study revealed promising candidates to be consid- ered in the treatment of CDV. Structural differences among compounds and correlation to their antiviral activity were also explored. Our analysis suggest that these compounds could be useful in order to design new antiviral drugs against CDV as well as other viruses of great meaning in veterinary medicine