Antimicrobial activity and rutin identification of honey produced by the stingless bee Melipona compressipes manaosensis and commercial honey

Background: Honey has been identified as a potential alternative to the widespread use of antibiotics, which are of significant concern considering the emergence of resistant bacteria. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of honey samples produced by a stingless bee species and by Apis sp. against pathogenic bacteria, as well as to identify the presence of phenolic compounds.Methods: Honey samples from the stingless bee M. compressipes manaosensis were collected twice, during the dry and rainy seasons. Three commercial honey samples from Apis sp. were also included in this study. Two different assays were performed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of the honey samples: agar-well diffusion and broth macrodilution. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to assess phenolic compounds from honey. HPLC analysis was performed in order to identify rutin and apigenin on honey samples. Chromatograms were recorded at 340 and 290 nm.Results: Two honey samples were identified as having the highest antimicrobial activity using the agar diffusion method. Honey produced by Melipona compressipes manaosensis inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (0157: H7), Proteus vulgaris, Shigella sonnei and Klebsiella sp. A sample of honey produced by Apis sp. also inhibited the growth of Salmonella paratyphi. The macrodilution technique presented greater sensitivity for the antibacterial testing, since all honey samples showed activity. Flavonoid rutin was identified in the honey sample produced by the stingless bee.Conclusions: Honey samples tested in this work showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results reported herein highlight the potential of using honey to control bacterial growth. © 2013 Pimentel et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

The effect of arginine dietary supplementation in broiler breeder hens on offspring humoral and cell-mediated immune responses

The influence of supplementing the diet of broiler breeder hens with arginine (Arg) on their offspring's humoral and cell-mediated immune response was evaluated in two experiments. In experiments I and II, breeder hens were fed diets containing graded levels of Arg (0.943, 1.093, 1.243, 1.393 and 1.543% digestible Arg). In experiment I, the offspring was randomly grouped according to the treatment received by the breeder hens, with five levels of Arg in the maternal diet and six replicates, giving a total 30 experimental units. In experiment II, the offspring were grouped in accordance with the treatment received by the breeder hens; however, Arg was added to the starter diet (1.300, 1.450, 1.600, 1.750 and 1.900% digestible Arg) and also the growing diet (1.150, 1.300, 1.450, 1.600 and 1.750% digestible Arg). Supplementation of the broiler breeder hen diet did not influence (p &gt; 0.05) the development of the lymphoid organs (cloacal bursa, thymus and spleen) of the offspring, whether their diet were supplemented or not. Nevertheless, greater weight and dimensions cloacal bursa were found in the supplemented offspring in comparison with the nonsupplemented offspring. Macrophage phagocytic activity was found to be unaffected (p &gt; 0.05), independently of the Arg supplementation. The offspring fed with supplemented diets showed a linear reduction in the antibody titer against Newcastle Disease (p < 0.05) at seven days of age, and a quadratic response (p < 0.05) at 28 days of age. The antibody titer in the non-supplemented offspring was not influenced (p &gt; 0.05) by the breeder hen diet. This study concluded that supplementing the breeder hen diet with arginine is insufficient to improve the humoral and cellular immune response, requiring supplementation of the offspring diet

Presença da família nas unidades de terapia intensiva pediátrica e neonatal: visão da equipe multidisciplinar Presencia de la familia en las unidades de terapia intensiva pediátrica y neonatal: visión del equipo multidisciplinar Family presence in the pediatric and neonatal intensive therapy unit: the view of the multidisciplinary team

O presente estudo tem por objetivo compreender a visão da equipe multidisciplinar quanto à presença da família nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) pediátrica e neonatal. A pesquisa teve como eixo norteador a abordagem qualitativa. Para a análise e interpretação dos dados, optou-se pela análise de conteúdo. Os dados foram coletados em junho de 2006, por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada junto a 25 profissionais atuantes nas UTI pediátrica e neonatal de dois hospitais na região noroeste do Estado do Paraná. Do discurso destes profissionais, desvelou-se o conflito íntimo vivenciado por cada um com relação à presença da família nas unidades. Conclui-se que o primeiro passo para a mudança e melhor aceitação dos familiares dentro da UTI é sensibilizar os profissionais quanto à importância da presença da família para a criança em momentos de crise, como na hospitalização.<br>El presente estudio tiene por objetivo comprender la visión del equipo multidisciplinar en cuanto a la presencia de la família en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) pediátricos y neonatal. La investigación ha tenido como eje norteador el abordaje cualitativo. Para el análisis e interpretación de los datos, se optó por el análisis de contenido. Los datos fueron colectados en junio de 2006, por medio de encuesta semiestructurada junto a los profesionales actuantes en las unidades de cuidados intensivos pediátricos y neonatal de dos hospitales en la región noroeste de la provincia de Paraná. Veinticinco profesionales fueron informantes. De los discursos de estos profesionales, se desveló el conflicto íntimo vivido por cada uno com relación a la presencia de la familia en estas unidades. Sensibilizar a los profesionales para la importancia de la familia, en la vida del niño en momentos de crisis, como en la hospitalización es el primer paso para una mudanza de comportamiento y una mejor aceptación de los familiares dentro de las UCI.<br>The present study has the aim to understand the view of a multidisciplinary team as for the presence of family in the Units of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ICU). The research has had as a guide axis the qualitative approach. For the analysis and data interpretation, it has been opted for the content analysis. Data were collected in June of 2006, through a semi-structured interview with 25 professionals in action at the pediatric and neonatal Intensive Care Unit of two hospitals in the northwest area of Paraná State. From the statements of these professionals, the intimate conflict was revealed, lived by each one, regarding the presence of the family in the units. The first step for behavioral changing and better acceptance of parents in the ICU is sensitizing the professionals for the importance of the family into the child's life in moments of crisis, as well as in the hospitalization

The purpose of the communication process of group activities in the Family Health Strategy

This study identified the purposes of the communication process in the group activities of the Family Health strategy from the perspective of nurses. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded with 60 nurses and non-participant observation with 19 group activities, analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. Five categories emerged: Health education, Clinical follow-up, Co-responsibilization of patients, Team-Community Interaction, and Work Organization. These categories revealed that the establishment of reciprocal interactions among professionals, patients and families favor health promotion because it encourages the exchange of knowledge among the participants concerning their health experiences.Objetivou-se, por este estudo, identificar os sentidos de finalidade do processo comunicacional nas atividades em grupo da Estratégia Saúde da Família, na perspectiva dos enfermeiros. Usaram-se as técnicas de entrevista semiestruturada gravada, com 60 enfermeiros, e de observação não participante, em 19 atividades em grupo, analisadas segundo abordagem qualitativa de conteúdo. Evidenciaram-se cinco categorias: educação em saúde, acompanhamento clínico, corresponsabilização dos clientes, interação equipe/ comunidade e organização do trabalho, permitindo inferir que o estabelecimento de interações de reciprocidade entre profissionais/clientes/família favorece a intervenção promotora da saúde, por estimular a troca de conhecimentos entre os participantes, a respeito de suas experiências de saúde.Se objetivó identificar los sentidos de finalidad del proceso de comunicación en las actividades en grupo de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia, en la perspectiva de los enfermeros. Se usó las técnicas de entrevista semiestructurada grabada con 60 enfermeros y de observación no participante en 19 actividades en grupo, analizadas según el abordaje cualitativo de contenido. Se evidenció cinco categorías: Educación en Salud, Acompañamiento Clínico, Corresponsabilidad de los Clientes, Interacción Equipo Comunidad y Organización del Trabajo. Ellos permitieron inferir que el establecimiento de interacciones de reciprocidad entre profesionales, clientes y familia favorece la intervención promotora de la salud por estimular el intercambio de conocimientos entre los participantes al respecto de sus experiencias de salud