Evaluación etnofarmacológica de Trichilia hirta como una fuente anticancer en la medicina tradicional de Santiago de Cuba

Trichilia hirta L. (Meliaceae) es tradicionalmente usada como recurso antitumoral en Santiago de Cuba. Por lo que, el objetivo de este estudio fue documentar  y analizar el uso tradicional de esta planta por pacientes con cáncer en Santiago de Cuba y evaluar su actividad antiproliferativa sobre células humanas  normales y tumorales. Pacientes con cáncer consumiendo los extractos de Trichilia hirta (jubabán) fueron aleatoriamente seleccionados y entrevistados. La  actividad antiproliferativa de la fracción rica en polisacáridos de hojas fue evaluada en células normales (MRC-5) y en células tumorales (A-549, HeLa y  Hep-2) a través del ensayo con MTT. El estudio reveló que los extractos de Trichilia hirta eran usados mayoritariamente como recurso antitumoral (46%).  Además, la mayoría de los pacientes consumiendo extractos de Trichilia hirta presentaron carcinoma (86%). En particular, los más frecuentes fueron  carcinomas de pulmón (26%) y próstata (18%). También la mayoría de los pacientes (90%) consumieron los extractos simultáneamente o después de  tratamientos con quimioterapia y radioterapia. La fracción rica en polisacáridos mostró actividad antiproliferativa contra las células de cáncer de pulmón  humano (A-549) y carcinoma de cerviz humano (HeLa). Sin embargo, no se observó toxicidad en fibroblastos humanos normales (MRC-5). Estos resultados  sugieren que la fracción rica en polisacáridos de hojas de Trichilia hirta contribuye a la actividad antitumoral de esta especie

Potencial antioxidante do extrato da folha de Spondias mombin L. em etanol 70%

Introduction: the species Spondias mombin L. is a plant that grows in Cuba, and to which a considerable number of ethnopharmacological applications and high antioxidant power are reported. However, most of these reports are oriented to the fruit, which stands out for its nutritional value. Objective: to evaluate the antioxidant activity of an extract of Spondias mombin L. leaves in 70% ethanol. Method: the antioxidant activity was evaluated by six different methods: determination of the oxidation index, reducing power, inhibition of DPPH and ABTS radicals, hydrogen peroxide reducing capacity and oxygen radical neutralization capacity. Concentrations from 1000 to 62.5 µg/mL were evaluated, prepared from the value of total solids determined. Results: for the oxidation index, concentrations of 250 µg/mL were sufficient to decolorize the permanganate solution in the same period of time as the quercetin standard. However, the IC50 calculated for the reducing power, the inhibition of the DPPH radical and ABTS were higher than the ascorbic acid standard with values of 362.33; 190.34 and 241.88 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: the extract of leaves of Spondias mombin L. in 70% ethanol presents a high antioxidant action in the six experimental models tested, even though in most cases, with lower values than the reference substance used. These results, together with the structural diversity of metabolites present in it, highlight its value as a potential natural antioxidant.Introducción: la especie Spondias mombin L. es una planta que crece en Cuba y a la que se le reporta un número considerables de aplicaciones etnofarmacológicas y elevado poder antioxidante. Sin embargo, la mayor parte de estos reportes está orientada al fruto, el cual resalta por su valor nutricional. Objetivo: evaluar la actividad antioxidante de un extracto de hojas de Spondias mombin L. en etanol al 70 %. Método: la actividad antioxidante fue evaluada por seis métodos diferentes: determinación del índice de oxidación, poder reductor, inhibición de los radicales DPPH y ABTS, capacidad reductora del peróxido de hidrógeno y capacidad de neutralización del radical oxígeno. Se evaluaron concentraciones desde los 1 000 hasta los 62,5 µg/mL preparadas a partir del valor de sólidos totales determinados. Resultados: para el índice de oxidación, concentraciones de 250 µg/mL resultaron suficientes para decolorar la solución de permanganato en igual período de tiempo que el patrón de quercetina. Sin embargo, los IC50 calculados para el poder reductor, la inhibición del radical DPPH y del ABTS resultaron mayores que el estándar de ácido ascórbico con valores de 362,33; 190,34 y 241,88 µg/mL, respectivamente. Conclusiones: el extracto de hojas de Spondias mombin L. en etanol al 70 % presenta una elevada acción antioxidante en los seis modelos experimentales ensayados, aun cuando en la mayor parte de casos, con valores inferiores al de la sustancia de referencia empleada. Estos resultados conjuntamente con la diversidad estructural de metabolitos presentes en el mismo resaltan su valor como potencial antioxidante natural.Introdução: a espécie Spondias mombin L. é uma planta que cresce em Cuba e à qual são relatados um número considerável de aplicações etnofarmacológicas e alto poder antioxidante. No entanto, a maioria desses relatos é voltada para o fruto, que se destaca pelo seu valor nutricional. Objetivo: avaliar a atividade antioxidante de um extrato de folhas de Spondias mombin L. em etanol 70%. Método: a atividade antioxidante foi avaliada por seis diferentes métodos: determinação do índice de oxidação, poder redutor, inibição dos radicais DPPH e ABTS, capacidade redutora do peróxido de hidrogênio e capacidade de neutralização do radical oxigênio. Foram avaliadas concentrações de 1000 a 62,5 µg/mL, preparadas a partir do valor de sólidos totais determinado. Resultados: para o índice de oxidação, concentrações de 250 µg/mL foram suficientes para descolorir a solução de permanganato no mesmo período de tempo do padrão de quercetina. No entanto, o IC50 calculado para o poder redutor, a inibição do radical DPPH e ABTS foram superiores ao padrão de ácido ascórbico com valores de 362,33; 190,34 e 241,88 µg/mL, respectivamente. Conclusões: o extrato de folhas de Spondias mombin L. em etanol 70% apresenta alta ação antioxidante nos seis modelos experimentais testados, embora na maioria dos casos com valores inferiores à substância de referência utilizada. Esses resultados, juntamente com a diversidade estrutural de metabólitos presentes nele, destacam seu valor como potencial antioxidante natural

Toxicidad aguda oral e irritabilidad de la mucosa oral con una formulación de tabletas de Tamarindus indica L.

En este trabajo se evaluó a nivel preclínico, los posibles efectos tóxicos de las tabletas de  Tamarindus indica L. Se ensayó la toxicidad aguda oral, por el  método de las clases de toxicidad,  en ratas hembras de la línea Sprague Dawley y la irritabilidad de la mucosa oral en Hamster sirio, según las normas OECD  423 y ISO 10993-10, respectivamente. Durante el estudio de toxicidad aguda, no se observaron signos de toxicidad, ni muerte. El peso corporal en ambos  grupos experimentales aumentó y no fue diferente estadísticamente. En el estudio de irritabilidad, se observó una ligera irritación en la mucosa de los  biomodelos. Esto no les impidió alimentarse adecuadamente y se observó un incremento del peso corporal de ambos grupos experimentales. Se determinó que  las tabletas producen una irritabilidad “leve” de la mucosa oral y no clasifican como tóxicas según las normas internacionales de referencia

Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activity of a New Tablets Formulation from Tamarindus indica

Hepatotoxic chemicals damage liver cells primarily by producing reactive oxygen species. The decoction of the leaves of Tamarindus indica L. is used for liver disorders. In this work we evaluated the hepatoprotective activity of a tablet formulation of this plant. Thirty-five Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=7). First group (I) is control group, fed with standard diet. Groups II to V (hepatotoxic groups) were subjected to a subcutaneous injection of CCl4 (0.5 mL/kg). Group II was negative control, fed with standard diet; group III was subjected to administration of Silymarin 150 mg/kg and groups IV and V were treated with tablets in dose of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Lipid peroxidation and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione were evaluated. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamine transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and a lipid profile were evaluated too. The tablets inhibit lipid peroxidation. The redox balance (SOD-CAT-GSH) remains normal in the experimental groups treated with tablets. The liver function using dose of 200 mg/kg of tablets was better than the other experimental groups. These results justify, scientifically, the ethnobotanical use of the leaves of Tamarindus indica L

Protein hydrolysates from the alga Chlorella vulgaris 87/1 with potentialities in immunonutrition

ABSTRACT Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorophyta, Chlorophyceae) has received a particular attention in the programmes of microalgae utilisation in biotechnology. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cell proteins represents a very promising method to increase protein digestibility and thus, for obtaining hydrolysates with improved nutritional and functional properties. However, this technology has been little approached and the biological evaluation of hydrolysates has had a strictly nutritional nature. The design of hydrolysis conditions that combined for the first time, the use of C.vulgaris 87/1 treated with ethanol and pancreatin at pH values of 7.5-8.0, led to a product with a degree of hydrolysis of 20-22% and yields of 50-55%, characterised by a high digestibility (97.2%) and nitrogen solubility over a wide pH range (2.0-10.0). Hydrolysis curves were fitted to an exponential model, common to many food proteins. The bulk of the product dry matter consists of soluble peptides and free amino acids (47.7%) with three main peptides of molecular masses between 2 and 5 kDa. The oral administration of Chlorella hydrolysate (500 mg/kg) to undernourished Balb/c mice provided benefits in terms of liver protein metabolism and the induction of anabolic processes in gut mucosa. The hydrolysate also enhanced the immunological recovery, as judged by the stimulation of haemopoiesis, monocytemacrophage system activation, as well as humoral and cell mediated immune functions, like T-dependent antibody response and the reconstitution of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response. These results represent the first findings in the world concerning the immunomodulating effects of a microalgae protein hydrolysate

Development of Protective Autoimmunity by Immunization with a Neural-Derived Peptide Is Ineffective in Severe Spinal Cord Injury

Protective autoimmunity (PA) is a physiological response to central nervous system trauma that has demonstrated to promote neuroprotection after spinal cord injury (SCI). To reach its beneficial effect, PA should be boosted by immunizing with neural constituents or neural-derived peptides such as A91. Immunizing with A91 has shown to promote neuroprotection after SCI and its use has proven to be feasible in a clinical setting. The broad applications of neural-derived peptides make it important to determine the main features of this anti-A91 response. For this purpose, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a spinal cord contusion (SCC; moderate or severe) or a spinal cord transection (SCT; complete or incomplete). Immediately after injury, animals were immunized with PBS or A91. Motor recovery, T cell-specific response against A91 and the levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) released by A91-specific T (TA91) cells were evaluated. Rats with moderate SCC, presented a better motor recovery after A91 immunization. Animals with moderate SCC or incomplete SCT showed significant T cell proliferation against A91 that was characterized chiefly by the predominant production of IL-4 and the release of BDNF. In contrast, immunization with A91 did not promote a better motor recovery in animals with severe SCC or complete SCT. In fact, T cell proliferation against A91 was diminished in these animals. The present results suggest that the effective development of PA and, consequently, the beneficial effects of immunizing with A91 significantly depend on the severity of SCI. This could mainly be attributed to the lack of TA91 cells which predominantly showed to have a Th2 phenotype capable of producing BDNF, further promoting neuroprotection

BIM en la construcción

244 páginas.En la actualidad, con la metodología BIM (Building Information Modeling), todos los sistemas de información de los procesos productivos en la obra se han integrado, la información se puede compartir a distancia y en tiempo real con todos los actores involucrados en el proyecto. En estas condiciones, las instituciones generadoras de obras y las empresas prestadoras de servicios se están rediseñando con nuevos modelos de negocios enfocados en satisfacer las actuales demandas y experiencias de los clientes. El libro que aquí se presenta reúne el trabajo de investigación referente a BIM de la Red Académica de Diseño Construcción integrada por académicos de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, México (UADY), el Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI) de Massachusetts, Estados Unidos y del Área de Administración y Tecnología para el Diseño de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Azcapotzalco (UAM). También han colaborado con la Red investigadores de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), España y, dentro de la UAM, académicos de la División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Departamento de Materiales, del Área de Construcción. Cabe mencionar que los artículos ya han sido publicados con anterioridad en los Anuarios de Administración y Tecnología para el Diseño y las Compilaciones de Artículos de Investigación en Administración y Tecnología para la Arquitectura, Diseño e Ingeniería, productos del trabajo de investigación del Área que edita anualmente desde 1999, como se indica en el índice del presente libro

Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in a public hospital in northern Mexico

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in pregnant women represents a risk for congenital disease. There is scarce information about the epidemiology of T. gondii infection in pregnant women in Mexico. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection and associated socio-demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics in a population of pregnant women of Durango City, Mexico. METHODS: Three hundred and forty three women seeking prenatal care in a public hospital of Durango City in Mexico were examined for T. gondii infection. All women were tested for anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies by using IMx Toxo IgM and IMx Toxo IgG 2.0 kits (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA), respectively. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics from each participant were also obtained. RESULTS: Twenty one out of the 343 (6.1%) women had IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies. None of the 343 women had IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies. Multivariate analysis using logic regression showed that T. gondii infection was associated with living in a house with soil floor (adjusted OR = 7.16; 95% CI: 1.39–36.84), residing outside of Durango State (adjusted OR = 4.25; 95% CI: 1.72–10.49), and turkey meat consumption (adjusted OR = 3.85; 95% CI: 1.30–11.44). Other characteristics as cat contact, gardening, and food preferences did not show any association with T. gondii infection. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of T. gondii infection in pregnant women of Durango City is low as compared with those reported in other regions of Mexico and the majority of other countries. Poor housing conditions as soil floors, residing in other Mexican States, and turkey meat consumption might contribute to acquire T. gondii infection