Local botanical knowledge of native food plants in the semiarid region of Brazil

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the local botanical knowledge of native food plants in three rural communities, located in the semiarid region of Paraíba State, Brazil, verifying possibilities of differences of knowledge among communities and between men and women. Methods Semi-structured interviews about native plant knowledge and use were conducted with all householders in each community, totaling 117 informants. The species similarity among the communities of Pau D’Arco, Várzea Alegre, and Barroquinha was compared with Jaccard index, and the use value index (UVgeneral, UVcurrent, UVpotential) was used to determine the most important species. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the use values among communities and genders. The consensus factor among the informants was calculated according to the uses cited, and the Wilcoxon test was used to compare the use values between men and women. Results We recorded 9 species belonging to 8 genera and 8 families in Várzea Alegre; 10 species, 9 genera, and 9 families in Barroquinha; and 7 species, 7 genera and 7 families in Pau D’Arco. Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Anacardiaceae) in Várzea Alegre, Spondias sp. (Anacardiaceae) in Barroquinha, and Ximenia americana L. (Olacaceae) in Pau D’Arco were the most prominent species. Preparation methods are slightly different in the three communities, and there is low similarity about species use among the communities. Regarding gender, the analysis of use value among the communities evidenced significant differences only for UVgeneral among women, specifically between Barroquinha and Pau D’Arco. For men and women within each community, there is a difference only for UVpotential in Barroquinha. Conclusion This study showed that the residents of the three rural communities have limited knowledge of native food plants found in their communities, but they know where to find them, which parts they may use and how to consume them. The fact is that men know plants that are more distant from the residences and women know those that are next to them

Encapsulated Brucella ovis Lacking a Putative ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter (ΔabcBA) Protects against Wild Type Brucella ovis in Rams.

Submitted by Nuzia Santos ([email protected]) on 2016-04-05T16:46:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Encapsulated Brucella(...) Transporte.pdf: 3817674 bytes, checksum: fc75361cde3ac21b6b485230614c7a04 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Nuzia Santos ([email protected]) on 2016-04-05T16:56:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Encapsulated Brucella(...) Transporte.pdf: 3817674 bytes, checksum: fc75361cde3ac21b6b485230614c7a04 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-05T16:56:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Encapsulated Brucella(...) Transporte.pdf: 3817674 bytes, checksum: fc75361cde3ac21b6b485230614c7a04 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Patologia Geral. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Patologia Geral. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Patologia Geral. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Patologia Geral. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Estadual do Maranhão. Departamento de Patologia. São Luís, MA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilEmpresa Brasileira de Agropecuária. Juiz de Fora, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Patologia Geral. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Veterinária. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilThis study aimed to evaluate protection induced by the vaccine candidate B. ovis ΔabcBA against experimental challenge with wild type B. ovis in rams. Rams were subcutaneously immunized with B. ovis ΔabcBA encapsulated with sterile alginate or with the non encapsulated vaccine strain. Serum, urine, and semen samples were collected during two months after immunization. The rams were then challenged with wild type B. ovis (ATCC25840), and the results were compared to non immunized and experimentally challenged rams. Immunization, particularly with encapsulated B. ovis ΔabcBA, prevented infection, secretion of wild type B. ovis in the semen and urine, shedding of neutrophils in the semen, and the development of clinical changes, gross and microscopic lesions induced by the wild type B. ovis reference strain. Collectively, our data indicates that the B. ovis ΔabcBA strain is an exceptionally good vaccine strain for preventing brucellosis caused by B. ovis infection in rams

Frequency of isolation of wild type <i>Brucella ovis</i> from semen (A) and urine (B); or PCR detection in semen (C) or urine (D) samples, before and after challenge.

<p>The number of weeks is indicated in the x axis.</p

Frequency of seropositive rams (non immunized or immunized with encapsulated or non encapsulated <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i>).

<p>Seropositivity was determined by agar gel immune diffusion (AGID) before and after challenge. The number of weeks before and after challenge is indicated in the x axis. Statistical differences between groups (10 rams per group) are indicated by asterisks (**p<0.01; *** p<0.001).</p

Frequency of isolation (A) or PCR detection (B) of wild type <i>Brucella ovis</i> in tissues from non immunized rams or rams immunized with encapsulated or non encapsulated <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i> at eight weeks post experimental challenge with wild type <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i>.

<p>Frequency of isolation (A) or PCR detection (B) of wild type <i>Brucella ovis</i> in tissues from non immunized rams or rams immunized with encapsulated or non encapsulated <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i> at eight weeks post experimental challenge with wild type <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i>.</p

Gross lesions in the reproductive system of non immunized rams experimentally challenged with wild type <i>Brucella ovis</i>, at 8 weeks post infection.

<p>Asymmetry of the tail of the epididymis (A). Granuloma between the visceral and parietal layers of the tunica vaginalis, adjacent to the tail of the epididymis (black arrow) (B). Fibrous adhesion between testis and the head of the epididymis (black arrow) (C). Fibrinous adhesion on the tunica vaginalis (black arrow) (D).</p

Lymphocyte proliferation assay at 8 weeks post immunization (A) and 8 weeks post challenge (B) in non immunized rams, and rams immunized with encapsulated or non encapsulated <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i>.

<p>Columns represent the mean of 10 rams. Data represent mean and standard error. Asterisks indicate statistical differences between groups (* p<0.05; ** p<0.01).</p

Microscopic changes in the reproductive system of non immunized rams experimentally challenged with <i>Brucella ovis</i>, at 8 weeks post challenge.

<p>Severe neutrophilic epididymitis associated to cystic epithelium degeneration (black arrow), with positive immunestaining for <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i> (inset, 100X) in the tail of the epididymis from a non immunized ram (A). Tail of the epididymis from a ram immunized with encapsulated <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i> and challenged with wild type <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i> with no histological changes (B). Moderate lympho-histiocytic and neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate in the ampullae of a non immunized ram (C). Absence of histological changes in the ampullae of a ram immunized with encapsulated <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i> and challenged with wild type <i>B</i>. <i>ovis</i> (D), H. E. Bar = 50 μm.</p

Encapsulated <i>Brucella ovis</i> Lacking a Putative ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter (Δ<i>abcBA</i>) Protects against Wild Type <i>Brucella ovis - Fig 1 </i> in Rams

<p>Scanning electron micrograph of alginate capsules, Bar = 100 μm (A); detail of the surface of the capsule (B); fluorescence microscopy of alginate capsules containing <i>mCherry</i>-expressing <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i>, Bar = 100 μm (C). Higher magnification demonstrating individualized <i>mCherry</i>-expressing <i>Brucella ovis</i> Δ<i>abcBA</i> (D).</p