Antibacterial activity of indole alkaloids from Aspidosperma ramiflorum

We evaluated the antibacterial activities of the crude methanol extract, fractions (I-V) obtained after acid-base extraction and pure compounds from the stem bark of Aspidosperma ramiflorum. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the microdilution technique in Mueller-Hinton broth. Inoculates were prepared in this medium from 24-h broth cultures of bacteria (10(7) CFU/mL). Microtiter plates were incubated at 37ºC and the MICs were recorded after 24 h of incubation. Two susceptibility endpoints were recorded for each isolate. The crude methanol extract presented moderate activity against the Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis (MIC = 250 µg/mL) and S. aureus (MIC = 500 µg/mL), and was inactive against the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli and P. aeruginosa (MIC > 1000 µg/mL). Fractions I and II were inactive against standard strains at concentrations of <=1000 µg/mL and fraction III displayed moderate antibacterial activity against B. subtilis (MIC = 500 µg/mL) and S. aureus (MIC = 250 µg/mL). Fraction IV showed high activity against B. subtilis and S. aureus (MIC = 15.6 µg/mL) and moderate activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa (MIC = 250 µg/mL). Fraction V presented high activity against B. subtilis (MIC = 15.6 µg/mL) and S. aureus (MIC = 31.3 µg/mL) and was inactive against Gram-negative bacteria (MIC > 1000 µg/mL). Fractions III, IV and V were then submitted to bioassay-guided fractionation by silica gel column chromatography, yielding individual purified ramiflorines A and B. Both ramiflorines showed significant activity against S. aureus (MIC = 25 µg/mL) and E. faecalis (MIC = 50 µg/mL), with EC50 of 8 and 2.5 µg/mL for ramiflorines A and B, respectively, against S. aureus. These results are promising, showing that these compounds are biologically active against Gram-positive bacteria

Efeito de leguminosas nos atributos físicos e carbono orgânico de um Luvissolo Effect of legumes on the physical attributes and organic carbon of an Alfisol

A degradação de um solo sob cultivo é resultante, principalmente, de seu manejo inadequado, com reflexos nas baixas produtividades das culturas. Com a finalidade de avaliar o efeito de leguminosas nos atributos físicos e carbono orgânico (CO) de um Luvissolo, realizou-se, no município de Alagoinha (PB), um experimento entre 1997 e 1999, com as seguintes espécies: crotalária (Crotalaria juncea, L), guandu (Cajanus cajan,L), guandu anão (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp), calopogônio (Calopogonium mucunoides, L), feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiforme, L), lab-lab (Dolichos lab lab, L), kudzu tropical (Pueraria phaseoloides, L), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum, L), leucena (Leucaena leucocephala, L), cunhã (Clitoria ternatea, L), mucuna preta (Styzolobium aterrimum, L), mucuna cinza (Styzolobium cinereum Piper e Tracy), e uma parcela com vegetação espontânea, como testemunha. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso em esquema de parcela subdividida, com distribuição de treze tratamentos principais na parcela (12 leguminosas + 1 testemunha) e três tratamentos secundários, representados pelas profundidades de coleta de amostras de solo (0,00-0,10; 0,10-0,20; e 0,20-0,30 m), na subparcela, com três repetições. Na condição edafoclimática deste experimento, durante os três anos de trabalho, constatou-se que o emprego das leguminosas em relação à testemunha manteve inalterados o CO do solo, a densidade do solo, a porosidade total, a argila dispersa em água e a estabilidade dos agregados do solo.<br>Soil degradation under cultivation results mainly from the inadequate management and it reflects in low crop yields. With the purpose of evaluating the effect of legumes on physical attributes and organic carbon content of an Alfisol, an experiment was conducted in the Alagoinha County-PB, Brazil, between 1997 and 1999, with the following species: Crotalaria juncea L, Cajanus cajan L, Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp, Calopogonium mucunoides L, Canavalia ensiforme L, Dolichos lab lab L, Pueraria phaseoloides L, Macroptilium atropurpureum L, Leucaena leucocephala L, Clitoria ternatea L, Styzolobium aterrimum L, Styzolobium cinereum Piper and Tracy, besides a plot with spontaneous vegetation as control treatment. A randomized split plot design was used with thirteen treatments in the main plot (12 legumes + 1 control treatment) and three split-plot treatments were represented by the three soil sampling depths 0.00-0.10; 0.10-0.20; and 0.20-0.30 m, with three replications. Under the experimental climate and soil conditions during the three years of study, it was observed that the cultivation of legumes in the plots did not affect the organic carbon content, density, total porosity, water-dispersible clay, and aggregate stability of the soil in comparison to the control treatment

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Microscopic Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Patients with microscopic colitis and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) present with similar symptoms. We examined the association between IBS and microscopic colitis in a systematic review and meta-analysis.We searched the medical literature to identify cross-sectional surveys or case-control studies reporting the association between microscopic colitis and IBS in 50 or more unselected adult patients. We recorded the prevalence of IBS symptoms in patients with histologically confirmed microscopic colitis, or the prevalence of histologically confirmed microscopic colitis in patients with IBS. Data were pooled using a random-effects model; the association between microscopic colitis and IBS was summarized using an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).The search strategy identified 3926 citations, of which 10 were eligible for our analysis. The pooled prevalence of IBS in patients with microscopic colitis was 33.4% (95% CI, 31.5%-40.6%), but was not significantly higher in patients with microscopic colitis than in patients with diarrhea (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.43-4.47). In 3 cross-sectional surveys, the pooled OR for microscopic colitis in participants with IBS, compared with other patients with diarrhea, was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.44-1.04). In 4 case-control studies the prevalence of IBS in patients with microscopic colitis was significantly higher than in asymptomatic controls (OR, 5.16; 95% CI, 1.32-20.2).Based on a meta-analysis, one third of patients with microscopic colitis reported symptoms compatible with IBS, but the prevalence of IBS was no higher than in other patients with diarrhea. The odds of microscopic colitis were no higher in patients with IBS compared with other patients with diarrhea. The value of routine colonoscopy and biopsy to exclude microscopic colitis in patients with typical IBS symptoms, unless other risk factors or alarm symptoms are present, remains uncertain

Host Plant Records for Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) in the Pacific Islands: 2. Infestation Statistics on Economic Hosts

Detailed host records are listed for 39 species of Bactrocera and 2 species of Dacus fruit flies, infesting 98 species of commercial and edible fruits in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories, based on sampling and incubating in laboratory almost 13,000 field collected samples, or over 380,000 fruits. For each host-fly-country association, quantitative data are presented on the weight and number of fruits collected, the proportion of infested samples, the number of adult flies emerged per kg of fruits and, whenever available, the percentage of individual fruits infested. All the published records of each fly-host-country association are cited and erroneous or dubious published records are rectified or commented. Laboratory forced infestation data are also cited and reviewed