Compostos bioativos e atividade antioxidante de folhas de oliveiras cultivadas no Paraná, Brasil

The objective of this work was to evaluate the bromatological composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities, and color of the leaves of olive cultivars Arbosana, Arbequina, Frantoio, Manzanilla, and Koroneiki in northwestern Paraná, Brazil. Leaves of each cultivar were collected for the experiment, which was carried out in a completely randomized design. The dry matter (DM) of olive leaves contains mostly carbohydrates (56.15 to 59.42 g 100 g-1 DM) and fibers (17.37 to 19.73 g 100 g-1 DM) in its bromatological composition. The total polyphenol content ranges from 13.27 to 22.81 mg GAE g-1, with cultivar Manzanilla standing out, and the flavonoid content from 6.50 to 7.65 mg QE g-1. Manzanilla shows the highest antioxidant activity of 93.56 and 78.15% in the DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. When compared with the other cultivars, Manzanilla and Koroneiki have leaves with a higher green intensity and total chlorophyll content of 0.958 and 0.833 mg 100 mL-1, respectively. In the ABTS assay, there is a correlation both between total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity and between chlorophyll content and antioxidant activity. Olive leaves have characteristics that allow their application as an additive or ingredient for the development of food products with satisfactory antioxidant activity.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a composição bromatológica, os compostos bioativos, as atividades antioxidantes e a cor das folhas das cultivares de oliveira Arbosana, Arbequina, Frantoio, Manzanilla e Koroneiki  no noroeste do Paraná, Brasil. Folhas de cada cultivar foram coletadas para o experimento, realizado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. A matéria seca (MS) das folhas de oliveiras contém majoritariamente carboidratos (56,15 a 59,42 g 100 g-1 de MS) e fibras (17,37 a 19,73 g 100 g-1 de MS) em sua composição bromatológica. O teor de polifenóis totais varia de 13,27 a 22,81 mg EAG g-1, com destaque para a cultivar Manzanilla, e o conteúdo de flavonoides de 6,50 a 7,65 mg EQ g-1. Manzanilla apresenta a maior atividade antioxidante de 93,56 e 78,15% nos ensaios DPPH e ABTS, respectivamente. Em comparação às demais cultivares, Manzanilla e Koroneiki apresentam folhas com maior intensidade de verde e teor de clorofila total de 0,958 e 0,833 mg 100 mL-1, respectivamente. No ensaio ABTS, há correlação tanto entre o teor de polifenóis totais e a atividade antioxidante quanto entre o teor de clorofila e a atividade antioxidante. As folhas de oliveira apresentam características que permitem sua aplicação como aditivo ou ingrediente para o desenvolvimento de produtos alimentícios com atividade antioxidante satisfatória

Strongyloidiasis in a Puppy in Northeastern Brazil

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode that causes intestinal infection in vertebrate hosts, especially in humans and dogs. The species S. stercoralis is responsible for chronic and asymptomatic infections in adult dogs or serious infections in puppies and immunosuppressed animals. In Brazil, natural infection in dogs was demonstrated by coproparasitological and serological methods, however, there are no reports that address the clinicopathological characteristics of the infection in the canine species. Thus, this paper aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of S. stercoralis infection in a puppy in Northeastern Brazil.Case: A puppy female Chihuahua was referred to the Animal Pathology Laboratory of the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Campina Grande for necropsy with a historic of severe respiratory symptoms and gastrointestinal changes that included sanguineous diarrhea and vomiting that evolved to death in 5 days. Grossly, there was a moderate amount of slightly reddish fluid in the thoracic cavity. The lungs remained expanded with a smooth, shiny, and diffusely reddish pleural surface interspersed with multifocal and blackened coalescent areas. Upon cutting, a moderate amount of slightly yellow foamy liquid flowed from the airways and trachea. In the duodenum, the mucosa was diffusely reddened. Histologically, there were multifocal to coalescent areas of moderate interalveolar accumulation of fibrin, edema and hemorrhage in the lung surrounded by an inflammatory infiltrate composed of foamy macrophages associated with numerous parasitic structures in longitudinal and transverse sections in the alveolar lumen and pleural surface. In the duodenum, we observed flattening with diffuse and moderate fusion of the villi and multifocal areas of mucosal erosion. The crypts were moderately dilated, covered by attenuated epithelium, with numerous longitudinal and transversal sections of adult nematode parasites, larvae and eggs associated with inflammatory lymphplasmocytic infiltrate in the lamina propria. The morphological characteristics were compatible with the nematode S. stercoralis.Discussion: The diagnosis of strongyloidiasis was performed by means of microscopic lesions associated with parasitic structures morphologically compatible with the nematode S. stercoralis. This species is responsible for parasitism especially in humans, dogs, and cats. Parasites are the only ones that have a life cycle that involve free living form and parasitic. In this case, it was not possible to determine the primary portal of entry for the infection, but most infections commonly occur through the penetration of the larvae into the skin or mucous membranes, where they migrate via the haematogenous to the lung, then they are swallowed up to the intestine. Occasionally, there is autoinfection by larvae that enter the intestinal mucosa or perianal region and the contamination of neonates and puppies through the ingestion of milk. The clinical signs evidenced in this case, revealed the committed respiratory and gastrointestinal, possibly may be related to the migration of the larvae in the lungs and the destruction of the intestinal epithelium caused by the high number of parasites, respectively. It is concluded that strongyloidiasis is an uncommon infectious disease in puppies in Brazil, capable of causing severe respiratory and gastrointestinal changes that result in the death of animals with a high parasitic load and should be included in the differential diagnosis of diseases that affect the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract of dogs.Keywords: dog disease, parasitic infection, nematode, Strongyloides stercoralis

Nephroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract of Melissa officinalis L. on acetaminophen-induced and pleurisy-induced lesions in rats

This study assessed the bioactive properties of an aqueous extract of M. officinalis for its anti-inflammatory activity and its protection against hepatic and renal lesions induced by acetaminophen (APAP). Animals pre-treated with the crude extract in pleurisy induced by carrageenan showed a reduction in the amounts of exudate, in the numbers of leukocytes and polymorphonuclear cells. Intragastric administration of the extract for seven days prior to the APAP-induced lesion showed no protective effect on the liver. The treatment with the extract induced an increase of serum aspartate aminotransferase, indicating a rise of toxicity. Contrarily, the same treatment reduced the APAP induced lesion in kidney, with respect to ν-glutamyltransferase. The results suggested that the extract was not hepatoprotective and could lead to an increase in the lesions induced by the APAP. On the other hand, the extract was nephroprotective against the lesions induced by the APAP and showed an anti-inflammatory effect on pleurisy carrageenan-induced

Structural and productive characteristics of Marandu and Xaraés grasses fertilized at different times after harvesting

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of applying N and K2O at different times after harvest on the structure and production characteristics of Marandu and Xaraés cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha. Two greenhouse 4 × 2 factorial experiments using a randomized block design with eight treatments and four replicates were carried out. In experiment 1, the plants in pots were fertilized weekly with 50 mg/dm³ of N and K2O until a week before a uniformity cut, for a total of four applications. After cutting, plants were fertilized with 50 mg/dm³ of N and K2O at 0, 3, 6, and 9 days. Cultivars were evaluated after 44 days of regrowth. In experiment 2, a single 50 mg/dm³ dose of N and K2O was applied a week before the uniformity cut, and 100 mg/dm³ of N and K2O were applied at 0, 4, 8, and 12 days after cutting; cultivars were evaluated after 39 days of regrowth. In experiment 1, the leaf/stem ratio and dry matter yield were influenced by the time at which fertilizers were applied. In the second experiment, the total number of leaves, expanded leaves, dead leaves, and the leaf lamina accumulated length and dry matter production were influenced by the time at which fertilizers were applied. Marandugrass had more leaves and tillers than cv. Xaraés, which, in turn, had greater height, dry matter yield and regrowth vigor. Applying nitrogen and potassium fertilizer immediately after cutting improves the structural characteristics, while the dry matter yield is maximized by applying fertilizers immediately after cutting by using lower doses of N, or at 4.5 days after cutting by using higher doses of N

Acúmulo de forragem em pastos de Brachiaria decumbens adubados com nitrogênio Biomass of the forage in Brachiaria decumbens pastures fertilized with nitrogen

A dinâmica de crescimento de plantas forrageiras tem sido foco de estudo nos últimos anos, visando aprimorar o conhecimento do processo de produção de forragem em pastagens. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o acúmulo de forragem em pastos de Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. adubados com nitrogênio e submetidos a uma mesma intensidade de pastejo. Os tratamentos consistiram de 75, 150, 225 e 300 kg ha-1 ano-1 de N, aplicados antes do início das avaliações experimentais, as quais foram realizadas durante as estações de verão, outono, inverno e primavera de 2002. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos completos casualizados com duas repetições. O capim-braquiária apresentou incremento de produção de matéria seca proporcional às doses de nitrogênio. Observaram-se maiores valores de taxa de acúmulo de folha, colmo e forragem nas estações primavera-verão e valores menores no inverno. As variações nas condições climáticas com as estações do ano alteraram as taxas de acúmulo de folha e colmo, senescência e de produção de forragem em Brachiaria decumbens.<br>In the last years, the growth dynamics of forage plants has been focused, in order to improve the knowledge of forage yield and distribution process in pasture. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on accumulation of the forage in Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures submitted to the same stocking rate. Treatments consisted of 75, 150, 225 and 300 kg ha-1 yr-1 N applied before the beginning of experimental evaluations, which were performed during summer, autumn, winter and spring of 2002. A randomized block experimental design was used with two replicates. Brachiaria grass showed an increase in the dry matter yield proportionally to nitrogen doses, with higher rates for daily accumulation of leaves, stems and forage yield in summer-spring seasons, while lower rates were shown in the winter. The variation of climatic conditions within yearly seasons changed the rates of leaf accumulation, senescence, and forage yield in the Brachiaria decumbens pasture

Implementation of a Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional (BALANCE) Program for improvement on quality of diet and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events: A randomized, multicenter trial

Background: Appropriate dietary recommendations represent a key part of secondary prevention in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the effectiveness of the implementation of a nutritional program on quality of diet, cardiovascular events, and death in patients with established CVD. Methods: In this open-label, multicenter trial conducted in 35 sites in Brazil, we randomly assigned (1:1) patients aged 45 years or older to receive either the BALANCE Program (experimental group) or conventional nutrition advice (control group). The BALANCE Program included a unique nutritional education strategy to implement recommendations from guidelines, adapted to the use of affordable and regional foods. Adherence to diet was evaluated by the modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, myocardial revascularization, amputation, or hospitalization for unstable angina. Secondary end points included biochemical and anthropometric data, and blood pressure levels. Results: From March 5, 2013, to Abril 7, 2015, a total of 2534 eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the BALANCE Program group (n = 1,266) or the control group (n = 1,268) and were followed up for a median of 3.5 years. In total, 235 (9.3%) participants had been lost to follow-up. After 3 years of follow-up, mean modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (scale 0-70) was only slightly higher in the BALANCE group versus the control group (26.2 ± 8.4 vs 24.7 ± 8.6, P <.01), mainly due to a 0.5-serving/d greater intake of fruits and of vegetables in the BALANCE group. Primary end point events occurred in 236 participants (18.8%) in the BALANCE group and in 207 participants (16.4%) in the control group (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI 0.95-1.38; P =.15). Secondary end points did not differ between groups after follow-up. Conclusions: The BALANCE Program only slightly improved adherence to a healthy diet in patients with established CVD and had no significant effect on the incidence of cardiovascular events or death. © 2019 The Author