ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DO POTENCIAL INFLAMATÓRIO DE EXTRATOS VEGETAIS INSETICIDAS

Pediculose é uma infestação causada pelo parasita Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, conhecido popularmente como piolho. A doença é considerada um problema sério de saúde pública. Embora existam diversos tratamentos populares para a infestação, poucos estudos científicos comprovam a eficácia dos tratamentos. A utilização de espécies vegetais com atividade inseticida antipediculose, além de acessível à população de baixa renda, também se constitui em tratamento alternativo eficaz para o controle da doença. Os extratos vegetais obtidos de Melia azedarach L., Ruta graveolens L. e Sambucus australis Cham. et Schlecht  apresentam atividade antipediculose, no entanto é importante investigar o potencial inflamatório destes extratos. O presente trabalho analisou o poder de indução inflamatória de extratos hidroalcoólicos das espécies vegetais M. azedarach, R. graveolens e Sambucus australis, empregando ratos da linhagem Wistar. Neste estudo não foi possível constatar a existência de inflamação significativa produzida pelos três extratos vegetais nos níveis dos tempos investigados

Trypanocidal activity of eErythrina speciosa Andr. (Leguminosae)

Investigation of the bioactive crude extracts from the leaves of Erythrina speciosa Andr. (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) from Brazil led to the isolation of nororientaline as a new alkaloid in this plant. The activity of crude extract and alkaloids, isolated from leaves of E. speciosa were evaluated against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes and trypomastigotes in vitro. Our results show that crude alcoholic extract of E. speciosa (Et-Es) and alkaloids containing nororientaline at 250 μg/mL, 500 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL inhibited 50, 60 and 80 % of epimastigote growth, respectively (p < 0.001). Et-Es showed activity against trypomastigote forms in 80 % and 60 % at 1000 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL, respectively. When tested against macrophages, the same extract did not affect the cell viability as measured by luminescent assay, suggesting that it should be considered as a leading structure for further research.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Exopolysaccharides from Aspergillus terreus : production, chemical elucidation and immunoactivity

Aspergillus terreus, a fungus commonly used in pharmaceutical industry to produce lovastatin and other secondary metabolites, has been reported to have beneficial biological properties. In this study the exopolysaccharides (AT-EPS) produced by A. terreus were evaluated as potential modulators of certain functions of macrophages. The production parameters for EPS obtained from the liquid culture broth of the studied fungus were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and indicated good correlation between the experimental and predicted values. The optimum conditions for AT-EPS extraction included fermentation at 28 °C, pH 8.79, under 98 rpm of agitation, using 2.39% glucose (carbon source) and 0.957% ammonium nitrate (nitrogen source). Under these optimized conditions, AT-EPS production was 1.34 g/L medium. The chemical analyses showed that AT-EPS was composed by mannose (Man; 40.5 mol%), galactose (Gal; 35.2 mol%), and glucose (Glc; 24.3 mol%), and the spectroscopic (FTIR; NMR) and methylation analyses indicated the presence of galactomannans, β-1,3-glucans, and glycogen-like glucans. AT-EPS was tested on murine macrophages to verify its immunoactivity and the treated cells were able to produce nitric oxide, superoxide anion, TNF-α and interleukin 6 similarly to the positive control cells. Furthermore, the macrophages treated with AT-EPS showed activated-like morphological alterations139654664The authors would like to thank Arquimedes P. de Santana Filho and Marcello Iacomini's groups from Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná for the interpretation of chemical analyses and for the O-methylated alditol acetate standards used for comparison of the methylation dat

Incidences of poisonings due to Chlorophyllum molybdites in the state of Paraná, Brazil

Three recent cases of poisoning by Chlorophyllum molybdites, including the first one known from Brazil, have been reported from the state of Paraná. A morphological description of the material causing the first poisoning was provided and the associated case history has been described in detail. An overview of this species' distribution in Brazil is given.<br>Três casos recentes de envenenamento por Chlorophyllum molybdites, incluindo o primeiro caso conhecido para o Brasil, são relatados do Estado do Paraná. Uma descrição morfológica do material que causou o primeiro envenenamento é apresentada, assim como uma narrativa detalhada do respectivo caso clínico. É, ainda, fornecido um panorama da distribuição desta espécie no Brasil