Effect of drying temperature on the yield and phytochemical quality of the essential oil of pepper rosemary (Lippia origanoides Kunth) and of clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum L.) / Efeito da temperatura de secagem no rendimento e na qualidade fitoquímica do óleo essencial de alecrim-pimenta (Lippia origanoides Kunth) e de alfavaca (Ocimum gratissimum L.)

Among medicinal species, Lippia origanoides Kunth and Ocimum gratissimum L. stand out for its recognized therapeutic value associated with the medicinal properties of their essential oils. Drying is a critical point in post-harvest processing of medicinal plants for the conservation of bioactive compounds. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of drying temperature on the essential oil’s yield and phytochemical quality extracted from leaves of O. gratissimum and L. origanoides. The medicinal species were grown in an organic system and their leaves were harvest and immediately dried at 40, 50 and 60 °C. The essential oils were extracted from the leaves by hydrodistillation in Clevenger apparatus. There was detected a difference (P <0.01) in the essential oil yield of O. gratissimum with the increase in the drying temperature, being 1.35% (40 °C), 0.83% (50 °C) and 0.45% (60 °C) ). In L. origanoides there was detected a difference (P <0.01) in the essential oil yield only between 40 °C (3.4%) and 60 °C (2.84%). The increase of drying temperature reduced the levels of the major constituents of O. gratissimum (eugenol, germacrene D and caryophyllene oxide), but did not change the levels of the major constituents of L. origanoides (thymol, trans-caryophyllene and para-cymene). Considering that the increase of the drying temperature promote a reduction in the essential oil yield of both medicinal species and also in the major constituents concentration in O. gratisssimum, it is essential to select the correct drying temperature to guarantee the best yield and the phytochemical quality of the essential oil to ensure therapeutic efficacy. Here, we conclude that the best drying temperature to the essential oil’s yield and phytochemical quality is 40 °C for O. gratissimum and 40 or 50 °C for L. origanoides

Effect of drying temperature on yield and phytochemical quality of essential oil extracted from Mikania laevigata (Guaco) leaves / Efeito da temperatura de secagem sobre o rendimento e qualidade fitoquímica de óleo essencial extraído de folhas de Mikania laevigata (Guaco)

Mikania laevigata Sch. Bip. ex Baker, Asteraceae, commonly known as the guaco, is medicinal species native to Brazil. Among the critical points of post-harvest processing of medicinal species, the drying temperature must be considered, because its can interfere in the yield and phytochemical quality of plant material, and, consequently, in the therapeutic action. The effect of the drying temperature was evaluated on the yield and phytochemical quality of the essential oil extracted from M. laevigata leaves. The cultivation was carried out in an organic system and using the select genotype (Cenargen) for this region. The leaves were harvested and immediately submitted to drying process at 40, 50 and 60 °C. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation in Clevenger apparatus and the chemical constituents was evaluated using gas chromatography coupled to the mass spectrophotometer (CG-MS). There was a reduction in the essential oil yield (p <0.05) with increasing drying temperature. However, at 60 ºC there was a higher concentration of coumarin to which the bronchodilator and expectorant action is attributed. Therefore, we recommended dry the M. laevigata leaves at 60 ºC to obtain the highest coumarin content and guarantee the bronchodilator and expectorant therapeutic effect

Anaplasmataceae in cats (Felis catus) in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro

No Brasil, até o ano 2000, os agentes riquetsiais em felinos domésticos eram poucos conhecidos, existindo somente relatos esporádicos de Ehrlichia sp. As recentes pesquisas envolvendo biologia molecular e agentes riquetsiais confirmam a ideia de que estes agentes estão presentes nesses animais e, por este motivo, demonstram a necessidade de estudos mais detalhados no Brasil. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a caracterização dos agentes da família Anaplasmataceae que acometem os felinos domésticos e esclarecer a importância dos felinos na cadeia epidemiológica das doenças riquetsiais por métodos moleculares e sorológicos associando a presença das doenças aos parâmetros clínicos e laboratoriais. Foram obtidas amostras sanguíneas de 60 felinos domésticos, independentes de sanidade, provenientes de atendimentos clínicos. Destas amostras foram realizados hemograma e bioquímica sérica, e os dados foram utilizados para preenchimento da ficha laboratorial. As amostras foram processadas para obtenção de concentração de células e soro, para realização da reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR) e reação por imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI), respectivamente, para identificação de agentes da família Anaplasmataceae. Os dados foram utilizados para análise descritiva para formação de frequências epidemiológicas e para realização de testes não-paramétricos pelo Qui-quadrado de Pearson (p≤5%) associando as alterações laboratoriais às infecções por Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys e Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Os resultados obtidos revelaram a presença de 33,33% de agentes Anaplamastaceae na amostra populacional, sendo 8,33% para E. canis, 20% para A. platys e 10% para A. phagocytophilum. Foram realizadas as sorologias das amostras, pela imunofluorescência indireta, para verificação de amostras reagentes para A. phagocytophilum, sendo 8,33% amostras reagentes na amostra populacional. As alterações clínicas e laboratoriais mais frequentes em pacientes positivos por agentes Anaplasmataceae foram letargia, linfadenomegalia, mucosas pálidas, desidratação, trombocitopenia, hiperglobulinemia e hipoalbuminemia. Destes dados foram realizadas as correlações não paramétricas e não foram verificadas dependências das alterações laboratoriais com a presença de animais positivos para agentes Anaplasmataceae. A identificação dos agentes E. canis e A. platys visa esclarecer a doença na região, sendo instrumento de orientação da doença pelo médico veterinário ao proprietário para que tenha medidas adequadas de tratamento e prevenção. A presença de agentes A. phagocytophilum é considerada, sem dúvidas, uma notificação importante devido ao potencial zoonótico.In Brazil, by the year 2000, rickettsioses in domestic cats were little known and there were only sporadic reports of Ehrlichia sp. Recent research involving molecular biology and rickettsioses confirm the notion of the presence of theses agents in cats and show the need for more studies in Brazil. The objective of this paper was to characterize agents belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family that affect domestic cats and to clarify the importance of cats in the epidemiology of rickettsioses by molecular and serological methods associating the presence of disease with clinical and laboratory parameters. Blood samples were obtained from 60 healthy domestic cats. Blood count and serum biochemical tests were performed, and the data were registered. The samples were processed to obtain cell concentration and serum to perform the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) respectively, in order to identify agents of the Anaplasmataceae family. The data were used for descriptive analysis to obtain frequencies and to perform non-parametric tests with the chi-square test (p≤5%), besides the laboratory findings of infection by Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma platys. The results revealed that 33.33% of the agents belonged to the Anaplasmataceae family, 8.33% for E. canis, 20% for A. platys, and 10% for A. phagocytophilum. Serology samples were examined by indirect immunofluorescence to check samples reacting to A. phagocytophilum, with positive reaction of 8.33%. The most frequent clinical and laboratory findings in patients positive for Anaplasmataceae agents were lethargy, enlargement of lymph nodes, pale mucous membranes, dehydration, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia. These data had non-parametric correlation and the laboratory changes and presence of positive cats was not interdependent. Identification of E. canis and A. platys revealed the disease in the region of Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ. The presence of A. phagocytophilum is considered an important finding due to its zoonotic potential

Distinct mRNA and protein interactomes highlight functional differentiation of major eIF4F-like complexes from Trypanosoma brucei

Gene expression in pathogenic protozoans of the family Trypanosomatidae has several novel features, including multiple eIF4F-like complexes involved in protein synthesis. The eukaryotic eIF4F complex, formed mainly by eIF4E and eIF4G subunits, is responsible for the canonical selection of mRNAs required for the initiation of mRNA translation. The best-known complexes implicated in translation in trypanosomatids are based on two related pairs of eIF4E and eIF4G subunits (EIF4E3/EIF4G4 and EIF4E4/EIF4G3), whose functional distinctions remain to be fully described. Here, to define interactomes associated with both complexes in Trypanosoma brucei procyclic forms, we performed parallel immunoprecipitation experiments followed by identification of proteins co-precipitated with the four tagged eIF4E and eIF4G subunits. A number of different protein partners, including RNA binding proteins and helicases, specifically co-precipitate with each complex. Highlights with the EIF4E4/EIF4G3 pair include RBP23, PABP1, EIF4AI and the CRK1 kinase. Co-precipitated partners with the EIF4E3/EIF4G4 pair are more diverse and include DRBD2, PABP2 and different zinc-finger proteins and RNA helicases. EIF4E3/EIF4G4 are essential for viability and to better define their role, we further investigated their phenotypes after knockdown. Depletion of either EIF4E3/EIF4G4 mRNAs lead to aberrant morphology with a more direct impact on events associated with cytokinesis. We also sought to identify those mRNAs differentially associated with each complex through CLIP-seq with the two eIF4E subunits. Predominant among EIF4E4-bound transcripts are those encoding ribosomal proteins, absent from those found with EIF4E3, which are generally more diverse. RNAi mediated depletion of EIF4E4, which does not affect proliferation, does not lead to changes in mRNAs or proteins associated with EIF4E3, confirming a lack of redundancy and distinct roles for the two complexes

Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders.

While it is apparent that rare variation can play an important role in the genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the contribution of common variation to the risk of developing ASD is less clear. To produce a more comprehensive picture, we report Stage 2 of the Autism Genome Project genome-wide association study, adding 1301 ASD families and bringing the total to 2705 families analysed (Stages 1 and 2). In addition to evaluating the association of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we also sought evidence that common variants, en masse, might affect the risk. Despite genotyping over a million SNPs covering the genome, no single SNP shows significant association with ASD or selected phenotypes at a genome-wide level. The SNP that achieves the smallest P-value from secondary analyses is rs1718101. It falls in CNTNAP2, a gene previously implicated in susceptibility for ASD. This SNP also shows modest association with age of word/phrase acquisition in ASD subjects, of interest because features of language development are also associated with other variation in CNTNAP2. In contrast, allele scores derived from the transmission of common alleles to Stage 1 cases significantly predict case status in the independent Stage 2 sample. Despite being significant, the variance explained by these allele scores was small (Vm< 1%). Based on results from individual SNPs and their en masse effect on risk, as inferred from the allele score results, it is reasonable to conclude that common variants affect the risk for ASD but their individual effects are modest

Rationale and design of the PRAETORIAN-COVID trial:A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial with valsartan for PRevention of Acute rEspiraTORy dIstress syndrome in hospitAlized patieNts with SARS-COV-2 Infection Disease

There is much debate on the use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)–infected patients. Although it has been suggested that ARBs might lead to a higher susceptibility and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, experimental data suggest that ARBs may reduce acute lung injury via blocking angiotensin-II–mediated pulmonary permeability, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, despite these hypotheses, specific studies on ARBs in SARS-CoV-2 patients are lacking. Methods: The PRAETORIAN-COVID trial is a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled 1:1 randomized clinical trial in adult hospitalized SARS-CoV-2–infected patients (n = 651). The primary aim is to investigate the effect of the ARB valsartan compared to placebo on the composite end point of admission to an intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or death within 14 days of randomization. The active-treatment arm will receive valsartan in a dosage titrated to blood pressure up to a maximum of 160 mg bid, and the placebo arm will receive matching placebo. Treatment duration will be 14 days, or until the occurrence of the primary end point or until hospital discharge, if either of these occurs within 14 days. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04335786, 2020). The PRAETORIAN-COVID trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled 1:1 randomized trial to assess the effect of valsartan compared to placebo on the occurrence of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2–infected patients. The results of this study might impact the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 patients globally

Effect of drying temperature on the yield and phytochemical quality of the essential oil of mint (Mentha x villosa Huds.) / Efeito da temperatura de secagem no rendimento e na qualidade fitoquímica do óleo essencial de hortelã (Mentha x villosa Huds.)

A hortelã (Mentha x villosa Huds.) consta na Relação Nacional de Plantas Medicinais de Interesse ao SUS (RENISUS) devido ao reconhecimento de suas propriedades medicinais, dentre elas a atividade antiparasitária. Dentre as etapas do processamento pós-colheita de plantas medicinais, destaca-se a secagem como etapa crítica e essencial para a conservação dos compostos bioativos vegetais. Desta forma, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da temperatura de secagem sobre o rendimento e a qualidade fitoquímica do óleo essencial extraído de folhas de hortelã. Realizou-se o cultivo em sistema orgânico em Oratórios, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Os ramos de hortelã foram colhidos e as folhas destacadas e submetidas à secagem em estufa de circulação forçada de ar a 40, 50 e 60 °C. A extração do óleo essencial foi feita por hidrodestilação em aparelho Clevenger, e para identificação dos constituintes químicos utilizou-se a cromatografia gasosa acoplada ao espectrofotômetro de massas (CG-MS). Constatou-se redução (P<0,001) do rendimento do óleo essencail com o aumento da temperatura de secagem das folhas. Não houve alteração do teor  de óxido de piperitona (OP) (78 %), composto majoritário ao qual se atribui a atividade antiparasitária, nas temperaturas de secagem testadas. Entretato, observou-se maior diversidade de constituintes químicos identificados no óleo essencial obtido de  folhas submetidas a secagem a 50 ºC. Os resultados contribuem para orientação de produtores no prcessamento pós-colheita das folhas de Mentha x villosa Huds visando a qualidade fitoquímica do óleo essencial e seu uso terapêutico como antiparasitário

Insatisfação com o corpo, auto estima e preocupação com o peso em escolares de 8 a 11 de Porto Alegre : estudo piloto

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