Anti-listeria activity of natural products single and mixed obtained from native plants of Argentina

A total of 66 samples of seafood were tested for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. Listeria spp. were present in 23% of the samples (15/66) of them, 10 isolates were characterized as L. innocua (66.67%), 2 L. monocytogenes (13.33%), 1 L. grayi (6.67%), 1 L. seeligeri (6.67%) and 1 L. ivanovii (6.67%). Of the total bacterial isolates, the 20% (3/15) showed ability to form biofilm, identified as 2 species of L. innocua and 1 L. monocytogenes. The anti-Listeria activity of aqueous extracts of A. caven, A. furcatispina, P. torquata and N. cataria and their combinations was determined. The aqueous extract of P. torquata and N. cataria showed the highest inhibitory activity against strains of Listeria (2.5 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL respectively). The antibacterial activity was enhanced by the mixture of some extracts. The combinations of A. caven + A. furcatispina and A. furcatispina + P. torquata showed beneficial effect to inhibit the growth of Listeria. The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index for this mixture indicated an additive effect (FIC = 0.75 and 0.56 respectively), while the remaining combinations showed indifferent effect. However, none of natural products, as well as all mixtures showed inhibitory activity in biofilm formation by Listeria at least, under the conditions assayed.Fil: Mohamed, Ana Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Cifuente, Diego Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Mattana, Claudia Maricel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Actividad biológica de especies de acacia frente a cepas de listeria y staphylococcus

Las plantas son una valiosa fuente de productos bioactivos con potencial uso como antimicrobianos naturales. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar la actividad inhibitoria de tres especies de Acacia frente a bacterias Gram positivas. Se determinó la concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM) y la concentración bactericida mínima (CBM) de A. aroma, A. caven y A. furcatispina mediante el método de microdilución en placa (CLSI) en caldo tripticasa suplementado con 0,01% de cloruro de 2,3,5-trifeniltetrazolio como indicador visual de crecimiento de L. monocytogenes y S. aureus. Se ensayaron combinaciones de extractos 1:1 para potenciar la actividad antibacteriana de los extractos que mostraron baja actividad. La CIM de la mezcla se comparó con las CIM de cada extracto por separado para obtener el índice de concentración inhibidora fraccional (CIF). Las especies de Acacia ensayadas mostraron efecto inhibitorio en concentraciones que variaron entre 0,312 y 20 mg/ml. El extracto acuoso de A. aroma mostró la mayor actividad frente a cepas de Listeria y Staphylococcus (0,625 y 0,312 mg/ml respectivamente). A. caven y A. furcatispina presentaron menor actividad antibacteriana (valores entre 2,5 y 20 mg/ml). El resultado de la mezcla de ambas Acacia disminuyó a la mitad la concentración inhibitoria por un efecto aditivo (CIF= 0,75).Se determinaron valores bactericidas (CBM) 2 a 5 veces mayores a la CIM. Otros estudios determinaron ausencia de actividad citotóxica y/o genotóxica para estas especies vegetales por lo que podemos concluir que el potencial de las propiedades biológicas e inocuidad de estas plantas naturales de nuestra región, muestran resultados alentadores para actividad anti-Listeria y anti-Staphylococcus.Fil: Mohamed, Ana Mariel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis.Fil: Cifuente, Diego. Universidad Nacional de San Luis.Fil: Mattana, Claudia. Universidad Nacional de San Luis

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and course of chronic urticaria

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. Aim: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation

Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: A comparative risk assessment

Background: High blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and some of these factors also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We estimated mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that was attributable to these four cardiometabolic risk factors for all countries and regions from 1980 to 2010. Methods: We used data for exposure to risk factors by country, age group, and sex from pooled analyses of population-based health surveys. We obtained relative risks for the effects of risk factors on cause-specific mortality from meta-analyses of large prospective studies. We calculated the population attributable fractions for each risk factor alone, and for the combination of all risk factors, accounting for multicausality and for mediation of the effects of BMI by the other three risks. We calculated attributable deaths by multiplying the cause-specific population attributable fractions by the number of disease-specific deaths. We obtained cause-specific mortality from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. We propagated the uncertainties of all the inputs to the final estimates. Findings: In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes in every region, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases; high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% (10·8 million deaths, 95% CI 10·1-11·5) of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined effect of these four metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% (7·1 million deaths, 6·6-7·6) in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010. At the country level, age-standardised death rates from these diseases attributable to the combined effects of these four risk factors surpassed 925 deaths per 100 000 for men in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, but were less than 130 deaths per 100 000 for women and less than 200 for men in some high-income countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. Interpretation: The salient features of the cardiometabolic disease and risk factor epidemic at the beginning of the 21st century are high blood pressure and an increasing effect of obesity and diabetes. The mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors has shifted from high-income to low-income and middle-income countries. Lowering cardiometabolic risks through dietary, behavioural, and pharmacological interventions should be a part of the global response to non-communicable diseases. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, US National Institutes of Health. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Biological activity of roots and aerial parts of Zinnia peruviana on pathogenic micro-organisms in planktonic state and biofilm forming

Microbial resistance to antibiotics affects the control of clinical infections and is a growing concern in global public health. One important mechanism whereby micro-organisms acquire resistance is biofilm formation. This context has led to the investigation of new antimicrobial substances from plants popularly used in folk medicine. In this work, we studied the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of Zinnia peruviana roots, ziniolide (major root metabolite) and aerial parts against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory and minimum microbicidal concentration and inhibition of biofilm production was determined. All Z. peruviana extracts showed antimicrobial activity, but that corresponding to the roots was the most active one. The best inhibitory and microbicidal activity was detected against Gram-positive bacteria (0·039–0·078 mg ml−1). The acetonic extract from Z. peruviana leaves showed moderate activity against Gram-positive bacteria (0·625 mg ml−1). Acetonic extract of Z. peruviana flowers showed weak activity (1·25–5 mg ml−1). All the extracts tested showed inhibition of biofilm formation, as well as the ziniolide, however, roots and flowers extracts showed higher antibiofilm activity particularly against Staphylococcus, Listeria and Candida. The extracts tested may be a promising natural alternative for the control of microbial infections.Fil: Mohamed, Ana Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Cifuente, Diego Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Satorres, Sara Elena. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mattana, Claudia Maricel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Efecto de extracto de raíz de Zinnia peruviana sobre la producción de biopelículas microbianas

The increase of antimicrobial resistance is a growing global public health. One mechanism by which microorganisms acquire resistance to antibiotics is the biofilms. Approximately 80% of chronic and recurrent microbial infections are due to this resistance strategy produced by a diverse group of microorganisms. This context has motivated the search for new antimicrobial substances with anti-biofilm activity. The extensive and varied flora of the Central West Region of Argentina offers an important resource for the study of natural products in the search for antimicrobials with potential therapeutic use in clinical infections. Within these species, Zinnia peruviana (L.), is an herb with proven antimicrobial properties in its aerial part. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the addition of acetonic extract from the roots of Z. peruviana at different concentrations on the biofilm production of L. monocytogenes, E. coli and C. albicans. Biofilm production was evaluated by determining adherence to 96-well microplates U-bottom. The tested extract inhibited 29% and 50% of the biofilm production of L. monocytogenes with 0.625 mg ml-1 and 5 mg ml-1 respectively. For E. coli the reduction was 33% (0.625 mg ml1 ) and 51% (0.078 mg ml-1) while for C. albicans a significant reduction in biofilm formation was observed with 3 concentrations of extract: 59% (5 mg ml-1), 42% (0.625 mg ml-1) and 44% (0.078 mg ml-1). All the biofilm reduction values showed significant differences (p<0.05). The high biological activity of the roots of Z. peruviana represents an alternative potential for the treatment and control of microbial infections. Further studies on toxicity and bioapplicability are needed.El aumento de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos constituye una creciente preocupación de la salud pública mundial. Un mecanismo por el cual los microorganismos adquieren resistencia a los antibióticos es la formación de biopelículas. Aproximadamente el 80% de las infecciones microbianas crónicas y recurrentes se deben a esta estrategia de resistencia producida por un grupo diverso de microorganismos. Este contexto ha motivado la búsqueda de nuevas sustancias antimicrobianas con actividad anti-biofilm. La extensa y variada flora de la Región Centro-Oeste de Argentina ofrece un importante recurso para el estudio de productos naturales en la búsqueda de antimicrobianos con potencial uso terapéutico en infecciones clínicas. Dentro de estas especies, Zinnia peruviana (L.), es una hierba con propiedades antimicrobianas demostradas en su parte aérea. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la adición de extracto acetónico de raíces de Z. peruviana a distintas concentraciones sobre la producción de biofilm de L. monocytogenes, E. coli y C. albicans. La producción de biofilm se evaluó por determinación de la adherencia a microplacas de 96 pocillos fondo en U. El extracto ensayado inhibió el 29% y 50% de la producción del biofilm de L. monocytogenes con 0,625 mg ml-1 y 5 mg ml-1 respectivamente. Para E. coli la reducción fue de 33 % (0,625 mg ml-1) y 51% (0,078 mg ml-1) mientras que para C. albicans se observó una significativa reducción en la formación de biofilm con 3 concentraciones de extracto: 59 % (5 mg ml-1), 42 % (0,625 mg ml-1) y 44 % (0,078 mg ml-1). Todos los valores de reducción de la producción del biofilm presentaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p<0,05). La elevada actividad biológica de las raíces de Z. peruviana representa un potencial alternativo y alentador para el tratamiento y control de infecciones microbianas. Se necesitan más estudios sobre toxicidad y bioaplicación.Fil: Mohamed, Ana Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Cifuente, Diego Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Satorres, Sara Elena. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Mattana, Claudia Maricel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentin

Improving in the antibacterial activity and the antioxidant properties of chemically modified extracts of Zinnia peruviana

In the present work we investigate the changes in the antibacterial activity and the antioxidant properties of modified extracts of Zinnia peruviana (L.) L. campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were identified as majortriterpenoids in the natural extract, by CG-EIMS and NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center. The acetonic extract was chemically modified by reactions of acid hydrolysis, sulfonylation, acetylation, methylation and silylation. The in-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The acetonic extract showed significant activity only against Gram-positive bacteria (MIC/MBC = 2/9 mg/mL). The hydrolyzed extract improve the bioactivity to both, Gram-positive and Gram-negative (MIC/MBC = 2/8 mg/mL). Selectively, the acetylated extract was only effective toward Staphylococcus (MIC/MBC = 7/7 mg/mL). The tosylated extract was active against Gram-positive and P. aeruginosa (MIC/MBC = 24/24 mg/mL) and the silylated against Grampositiveand E. coli. (MIC/MBC = 15/15 mg/mL). The antioxidant activity was determining by DPPH and ABTS assays. Hydrolyzed extract increased the antioxidant properties (DPPH, IC50,(mg/mL) = 0.077 ± 0.007; ABTS IC50,(mg/mL) = 0.032 ± 0.005). The acylated and alkylated extracts reduce the bioactivity and silylated derivative eliminated the bioactivity. These results could be considered as a possible strategy to obtain antimicrobial agents from herbal medicines.Fil: Mohamed, Ana Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Salinas, A.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Mattana, C.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Satorres, S.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Ortega, C.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Favier, L.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Cifuente, Diego Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentin

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and course of chronic urticaria

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. Aim: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and course of chronic urticaria

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. Aim: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation

National, regional, and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: Systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-years and 9·1 million participants

Excess bodyweight is a major public health concern. However, few worldwide comparative analyses of long-term trends of body-mass index (BMI) have been done, and none have used recent national health examination surveys. We estimated worldwide trends in population mean BMI. We estimated trends and their uncertainties of mean BMI for adults 20 years and older in 199 countries and territories. We obtained data from published and unpublished health examination surveys and epidemiological studies (960 country-years and 9·1 million participants). For each sex, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate mean BMI by age, country, and year, accounting for whether a study was nationally representative. Between 1980 and 2008, mean BMI worldwide increased by 0·4 kg/m2 per decade (95 uncertainty interval 0·2-0·6, posterior probability of being a true increase &gt;0·999) for men and 0·5 kg/m2 per decade (0·3-0·7, posterior probability &gt;0·999) for women. National BMI change for women ranged from non-significant decreases in 19 countries to increases of more than 2·0 kg/m2 per decade (posterior probabilities &gt;0·99) in nine countries in Oceania. Male BMI increased in all but eight countries, by more than 2 kg/m2 per decade in Nauru and Cook Islands (posterior probabilities &gt;0·999). Male and female BMIs in 2008 were highest in some Oceania countries, reaching 33·9 kg/m2 (32·8-35·0) for men and 35·0 kg/m2 (33·6-36·3) for women in Nauru. Female BMI was lowest in Bangladesh (20·5 kg/m2, 19·8-21·3) and male BMI in Democratic Republic of the Congo 19·9 kg/m2 (18·2-21·5), with BMI less than 21·5 kg/m2 for both sexes in a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and east, south, and southeast Asia. The USA had the highest BMI of high-income countries. In 2008, an estimated 1·46 billion adults (1·41-1·51 billion) worldwide had BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater, of these 205 million men (193-217 million) and 297 million women (280-315 million) were obese. Globally, mean BMI has increased since 1980. The trends since 1980, and mean population BMI in 2008, varied substantially between nations. Interventions and policies that can curb or reverse the increase, and mitigate the health effects of high BMI by targeting its metabolic mediators, are needed in most countries. Bill Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO