Characterization of potential drug-drug interactions with vitamin K antagonists and its influence on blood clotting

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In vitro cytotoxic activity of african plants: a review

In African countries, cancer not only is a growing problem, but also a challenge because available funding and resources are limited. Therefore, African medicinal plants play a significant role in folk medicine and some of them are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. The high mortality rate and adverse effects associated with cancer treatments have encouraged the search for novel plant-based drugs, thus, some African plants have been studied in recent years as a source of molecules with proven cytotoxicity. This review aims to discuss the cytotoxic activity, in vitro, of African plant crude extracts against cancer cell lines. For the period covered by this review (2017–2021) twenty-three articles were found and analyzed, which included a total of 105 plants, where the main cell lines used were those of breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MBA-231) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116 and Caco-2), which are among the most prevalent cancers in Africa. In these studies, the plant crude extracts were obtained using different solvents, such as ethanol, methanol, or water, with variable results and IC50 values ranging from 200 µg/mL. Water is the preferred solvent for most healers in African countries, however, in some studies, the aqueous extracts were the least potent. Apoptosis and the induction of cell cycle arrest may explain the cytotoxic activity seen in many of the plant extracts studied. Considering that the criteria of cytotoxicity activity for the crude extracts, as established by the American National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an IC50 < 30 μg/mL, we conclude that many extracts from the African flora could be a promising source of cytotoxic agents. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants from the Cuanza norte province (ANGOLA)

Studies on African medicinal plants have been limited to some geographically areas, and even though more than 5400 medicinal plants are recognized and documented in the country, other valuable medicinal plant species have not been studied or fully characterized. Therefore, ethnopharmacological studies are important for protecting and documenting traditional knowledge associated with the medical use of biodiversity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of solvent type, extraction techniques, particle size, extraction times and temperatures on antioxidant activity of T. hispanicum

Plants of the genus Taraxacum have been used for years in medicine and food. This genus, with a complex taxonomy, includes some species of difficult distinction, where T. hispanicum is included. The leaves of these plants, known as dandelion, continue to be used as infusions, ethanolic extracts, or as juice. Since the plant represents an important source of pharmacologically active molecules, namely antioxidant activity, it is important to develop extractive procedures to maximize its potential health benefits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical screening of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extractive solutions of Taraxacum hispanicum leaves

Plants of the genus Taraxacum (dandelion) are a source of diverse phytochemicals, and its biological activities can be exploited in different areas of human health. Phytochemical composition of dandelion, in particular T. officinale, has been extensively studied over the years. However, to date no studies have been performed regarding T. hispanicum phytochemical characterization, which is a common South European specie of Taraxacum.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Screening of the activity of quercetin-biapigenin and their poly(ε-caprolactone)-loaded nanoparticles in HepG2 cells

Hypericum perforatum extracts have been used for their antidepressive effects. A selected fraction (HP) containing quercetin and biapigenin proved to be neuroprotective. Liver is the organ primary responsible for compound metabolization and extremely susceptibility to toxic effects. This study aims to determine the hepatotoxic/protective activity of HP and HP PCL-loaded nanoparticles.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Importância da comunicação e do aconselhamento de dermofarmácia e cosmética em peles sensíveis

A aparência física e os cuidados inerentes à mesma apresentam-se como uma preocupação crescente do indivíduo. Desta forma, o aconselhamento em dermofarmácia e cosmética tem ganho relevância. A pele sensível, tratando-se de um estado de pele, carateriza-se por uma reação inflamatória, que afeta a integridade da barreira cutânea. Torna-se fundamental que os profissionais de farmácia se encontrem aptos para aconselhar e comunicar da melhor forma. Delinear e implementar uma ação de formação sobre comunicação em saúde, no contexto do aconselhamento de dermofarmácia e cosmética em peles sensíveis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análise da rotulagem de suplementos alimentares utilizados no Sistema Nervoso Central

Os suplementos alimentares (SA) têm um papel importante na manutenção da saúde da população e diversos benefícios demonstrados (Silveira, Bandeira, & Arrais, 2008). No entanto, a crença errónea por parte dos consumidores de que estes são isentos de risco e as escassas obrigações legais requeridas para a sua entrada no mercado têm servido de alerta para a necessidade de mais investigação (Axon, Vanova, Edel, & Slack, 2017). Analisar, do ponto de vista legal e científico, a informação disponibilizada na rotulagem dos SA à base de plantas utilizados para alguns dos principais problemas associados ao sistema nervoso central (insónia, ansiedade, nervosismo e depressão), comercializados em Portugal em Farmácias Comunitárias e Ervanárias/Lojas Dietéticas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Atividade antioxidante de espécies de Euphorbia

As plantas constituem importantes fontes de compostos bioativos, com uma grande variedade de atividades biológicas. Quando sujeitas a stress, as células produzem espécies reativas de oxigénio que podem causar danos para a saúde humana, estando associadas a doenças cardiovasculares, neurodegenerativas e cancro. Destacam-se atualmente os compostos com potencial antioxidante, associados ao tratamento e prevenção de doenças. Muitas espécies da família das Euphorbiaceae têm sido utilizadas como medicina tradicional nos países do mediterrâneo, incluindo Portugal. O trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a capacidade antioxidante de dois extratos metanólicos de espécies do género Euphorbia (E. paralias e E. hirsuta).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of portuguese craft beers and raw materials

There is an increase in the popularity of craft beer, which is produced by small, independent, and traditional breweries. Since craft beer popularity is rising in Portugal this research focused on assessing physicochemical parameters, total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity of Portuguese craft beers and raw materials used in beer production. In this experimental study, 19 beer samples were analyzed. Parameters such as pH, Total Acidity, Reducing Sugar Content and TPC were evaluated. For the determination of antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging activity and metal chelating activity (MCA) were analyzed in all samples. Craft beers demonstrated a high phenolic content (ranging from 343.78 mg GAE/L to 2172.49 mg GAE/L), significantly different from industrial beers. Craft beers demonstrated a higher inhibition of DPPH radicals and higher MCA than the raw materials. DPPH inhibition ranged from 36.5% to 96.0% for malt and 64.7% to 79.6% in hops samples. MCA also varied between the different samples, with results of 12.0% to 24.8% in malt samples and 3.8% to 23.5% in hops. Raw materials can potentially influence the antioxidant activity of the resulting beer. Positive correlations between TPC and physicochemical properties can be useful to help consumers choose beers with added value for health.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio