Evaluation of the antibacterial and anticancer activities of some South African medicinal plants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several herbs are traditionally used in the treatment of a variety of ailments particularly in the rural areas of South Africa where herbal medicine is mainly the source of health care system. Many of these herbs have not been assessed for safety or toxicity to tissue or organs of the mammalian recipients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of some medicinal plants used, inter alia, in the treatment of diarrhoea, and stomach disorders. Six selected medicinal plants were assessed for their antibacterial activities against ampicillin-resistant and kanamycin-resistant strains of <it>Escherichia coli </it>by the broth micro-dilution methods. The cytotoxicities of methanol extracts and fractions of the six selected plants were determined using a modified tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the plants extracts ranged from 0.027 mg/mℓ to 2.5 mg/mℓ after 24 h of incubation. <it>Eucomis autumnalis </it>and <it>Cyathula uncinulata </it>had the most significant biological activity with the least MIC values. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay on human hepatocarcinoma cell line (Huh-7) revealed that the methanol extract of <it>E. autumnalis </it>had the strongest cytotoxicity with IC₅₀of 7.8 μg/mℓ. Ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of <it>C. uncinulata, Hypoxis latifolia, E. autumnalis </it>and <it>Lantana camara </it>had lower cytotoxic effects on the cancer cell lines tested with IC₅₀values ranging from 24.8 to 44.1 μg/mℓ; while all the fractions of <it>Aloe arborescens </it>and <it>A. striatula </it>had insignificant or no cytotoxic effects after 72 h of treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that the methanol fraction of <it>E. autumnalis </it>had a profound cytotoxic effect even though it possessed very significant antibacterial activity. This puts a query on its safety and hence a call for caution in its usage, thus a product being natural is not tantamount to being entirely safe. However, the antibacterial activities and non-cytotoxic effects of <it>A. arborescens </it>and <it>A. striatula </it>validates their continuous usage in ethnomedicine.</p

Cama-de-frango em mono e policultivo de fáfia com cravo-de-defunto e manjericão Poultry manure in mono and intercrop of Brazilian ginseng with marigold and basil

O experimento foi conduzido em campo da Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD), em Dourados-MS, de março de 2005 a setembro de 2006, em Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico. O objetivo foi avaliar a produção da Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng) Pedersen (fáfia) em monocultivo e os policultivos com Tagetes erecta L. (cravo-de-defunto) e Ocimum basilicum L. (manjericão), sem e com incorporação de cama-de-frango semidecomposta. Os fatores em estudo foram a fáfia (F), o cravo-de-defunto (C) e o manjericão (M) em monocultivos e os policultivos com duas fileiras de fáfia e três de cravo (F2C3) e duas fileiras de fáfia e três de manjericão (F2M3), todos sem e com incorporação ao solo de cama-de-frango de corte semidecomposta. Os dez tratamentos foram arranjados no delineamento blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. A produção de massa fresca e seca da parte aérea da fáfia foi maior (13,22 t ha-1 e 4,39 t ha-1, respectivamente) em monocultivo, independente do uso da cama-de-frango. Por outro lado, nenhum dos tratamentos influenciou a massa fresca e seca e o número de raízes da fáfia, que foram, em média, de 10,02 e 2,07 t ha-1 e 417.916 raízes ha-1, respectivamente. O diâmetro das raízes foi maior (23,5 mm) no policultivo com o manjericão. As produções de massas frescas e secas dos capítulos florais do cravo-de-defunto foram maiores (14,28 t ha-1e 1,278 t ha-1, respectivamente) no policultivo com a fáfia, mas apenas a produção de massa fresca dos capítulos foi maior (14,17 t ha-1) com o uso da cama-de-frango. A produção de parte aérea do manjericão foram maiores (52,91 t ha-1) no policultivo, independente com qual espécie; porém, não foi influenciada pelo uso da cama-de-frango. A razão de área equivalente (RAE) para o policultivo da fáfia com o cravo-de-defunto foi de 2,15 com cama-de-frango e de 1,99 sem cama e com o manjericão, foi 2,44 com cama e de 3,08 sem cama. Como os valores foram maiores que 1,0, indicam que os policultivos foram efetivos.<br>This study was carried out in field of the Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, in Dourados, Brazil, during the period from March 2005 to September 2006. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng) Pedersen yield under monocropping system or intercropped with Tagetes erecta L. and Ocimum basilicum L, in a Distroferric Red Latosol (sand loam Rhodic Oxisol), using semi-decomposed poultry manure (PM). The study objects were Brazilian ginseng (BG), marigold (M) and basil (B) under monocropping and the intercropping of two Brazilian ginseng, three marigold (BG2M3) and three basil (BG2B3) lines, all of them with or without semi-decomposed poultry manure (PM) as fertilizer. Ten treatments were arranged in randomized blocks design, with four replications. Fresh and dry weight production from shoot of Brazilian ginseng were higher (13.22 t ha-1 and 4.39 t ha-1, respectively) under monocropping, independently of the use of poultry manure. Nevertheless, none of experimental designs influenced the dry and fresh weight production or root number of Brazilian ginseng which produced average values of 10.02 and 2.07 t ha-1 and 417,916 roots ha-1, respectively. Root diameter was higher (23.5 mm) under intercropping system with basil. Dry and fresh weight of marigold flowers were higher (14.28 t ha-1and 1.278 t ha-1, respectively) when intercropped with Brazilian ginseng, but only fresh weight of the flowers was increased (14.17 t ha-1) by poultry manure application. Basil shoot production was higher (52.91 t ha-1) when intercropped, independently of the used species; however, they were not influenced by the use of poultry manure. Land equivalent ration (LER) for the Brazilian ginseng intercropped with marigold was 2.15 under poultry manure application and 1.99 without it, and for the basil 2.44 under poultry manure application and 3.08 without it. Values higher than 1.0 indicate that the intercropping systems were effective

Smoking among undergraduate students in the area of health Tabagismo entre acadêmicos da área de saúde

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between smoking and socio-demographic and behavioral factors among undergraduate students in the area of health at the State University of Paraíba, Brazil. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample from each of the following courses: Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and Physical Education. A total of 492 students were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were used for statistical analysis at a 5% level of significance. Smoking prevalence was 5.7% and stress was the main reason for starting the habit (36.8%). In the multivariate analysis by logistic regression, the variables of gender, religious persuasion, semester attended in the course, and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with smoking (p<0.05). Although other studies reported a strong relationship between university students and smoking, the prevalence of smokers was low. Most of the variables studied revealed a correlation with smoking. Since smoking and alcohol consumption are the two major human addictions, this study suggests a bidirectional relationship between these variables.<br>Avaliar a relação entre o tabagismo e os fatores comportamentais e sociodemográficos entre acadêmicos da área de saúde da Universidade Estadual da Paraíba (UEPB). Foi realizado um estudo transversal analítico, no qual foi obtida uma amostra representativa de cada curso (Odontologia, Enfermagem, Psicologia, Farmácia, Fisioterapia e Educação Física). Foram entrevistados 492 alunos por meio de formulário estruturado. Os testes estatísticos utilizados foram Qui-quadrado e o Exato de Fisher (significância de 5%). A prevalência de tabagismo foi de 5,7% e o estresse foi a principal razão para o início do hábito (36,8%). Na análise multivariada por regressão logística as variáveis, sexo, prática de religião, período cursado e consumo etílico apresentaram-se associadas ao hábito de fumar (p<0,05). Apesar de estudos relatarem uma forte relação entre estudantes universitários e fumo, a prevalência de tabagismo foi baixa. A maioria das variáveis estudadas demonstrou associação com o hábito de fumar. Sendo o fumo e o álcool as duas maiores dependências humanas, este estudo sugere uma relação bidirecional entre estas variáveis