350 research outputs found
Health promoting potential of herbal teas and tinctures from Artemisia campestris subsp maritima: from traditional remedies to prospective products
This work explored the biotechnological potential of the medicinal halophyte Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (dune wormwood) as a source of health promoting commodities. For that purpose, infusions, decoctions and tinctures were prepared from roots and aerial-organs and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic and tyrosinase-inhibitory potential, and also for polyphenolic and mineral contents and toxicity. The dune wormwood extracts had high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). The main compounds were quinic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, coumarin sulfates and dicaffeoylquinic acids; several of the identified phytoconstituents are here firstly reported in this A. campestris subspecies. Results obtained with this plant's extracts point to nutritional applications as mineral supplementary source, safe for human consumption, as suggested by the moderate to low toxicity of the extracts towards mammalian cell lines. The dune wormwood extracts had in general high antioxidant activity and also the capacity to inhibit a-glucosidase and tyrosinase. In summary, dune wormwood extracts are a significant source of polyphenolic and mineral constituents, antioxidants and a-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitors, and thus, relevant for different commercial segments like the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and/or food industries.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BD/94407/2013]; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Assessment of rotatory laxity in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees using magnetic resonance imaging with Porto-knee testing device
Purpose Objective evaluation of both antero-posterior
translation and rotatory laxity of the knee remains a target
to be accomplished. This is true for both preoperative
planning and postoperative assessment of different ACL
reconstruction emerging techniques. The ideal measurement tool should be simple, accurate and reproducible,
while enabling to assess both ‘‘anatomy’’ and ‘‘function’’
during the same examination. The purpose of this study is
to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a new in-housedeveloped testing device, the so-called Porto-knee testing
device (PKTD). The PKTD is aimed to be used on the
evaluation of both antero-posterior and rotatory laxity of
the knee during MRI exams.
Methods Between 2008 and 2010, 33 patients with ACLdeficient knees were enrolled for the purpose of this study.
All patients were evaluated in the office and under
anesthesia with Lachman test, lateral pivot-shift test and
anterior drawer test. All cases were studied preoperatively
with KT-1000 and MRI with PKTD, and examinations
performed by independent observers blinded for clinical
evaluation. During MRI, we have used a PKTD that applies
antero-posterior translation and permits free tibial rotation
through a standardized pressure (46.7 kPa) in the proximal
posterior region of the leg. Measurements were taken for
both knees and comparing side-to-side. Five patients with
partial ruptures were excluded from the group of 33.
Results For the 28 remaining patients, 3 women and 25
men, with mean age of 33.4 ± 9.4 years, 13 left and 15 right
knees were tested. No significant correlation was noticed for
Lachman test and PKTD results (n.s.). Pivot-shift had a
strong positive correlation with the difference in anterior
translation registered in lateral and medial tibia plateaus of
injured knees (cor. coefficient = 0.80; p\0.05), and with
the difference in this parameter as compared to side-to-side
(cor. coefficient = 0.83; p\0.05).
Considering the KT-1000 difference between injured and
healthy knees, a very strong positive correlation was found
for side-to-side difference in medial (cor. coeffi-
cient = 0.73; p\0.05) and lateral (cor. coefficient = 0.5;
p\0.05) tibial plateau displacement using PKTD.
Conclusion The PKTD proved to be a reliable tool in
assessment of antero-posterior translation (comparing with
KT-1000) and rotatory laxity (compared with lateral pivotshift under anesthesia) of the ACL-deficient knee during
MRI examinatio
Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in dogs experimentally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum
The aim of this comparative study was to investigate the development of clinical signs and accompanying haematological, coproscopic and pathological findings as a basis for the monitoring of health condition of Angiostrongylus vasorum infected dogs. Six beagles were orally inoculated with 50 (n = 3) or 500 (n = 3) A. vasorum third stage larvae (L3) obtained from experimentally infected Biomphalaria glabrata snails. Two dogs were treated with moxidectin/imidacloprid spot-on solution and two further dogs with an oral experimental compound 92 days post infection (dpi), and were necropsied 166 dpi. Two untreated control dogs were necropsied 97 dpi. Prepatency was 47-49 days. Dogs inoculated with 500 L3 exhibited earlier (from 42 dpi) and more severe respiratory signs. Clinical signs resolved 12 days after treatment and larval excretion stopped within 20 days in all four treated dogs. Upon necropsy, 10 and 170 adult worms were recovered from the untreated dogs inoculated with 50 and 500 L3, respectively. Adult worms were also found in two treated dogs, in the absence of L1 or eggs. Despite heavy A. vasorum infection load and severe pulmonary changes including vascular thrombosis, only mild haematological changes were observed. Eosinophilia was absent but the presence of plasma cells was observed. Neutrophilic leucocytes showed a transient increase but only after treatment. Signs for coagulopathies were slight; nevertheless coagulation parameters were inoculation dose dependent. Ten weeks after treatment pulmonary fibrosis was still present. Infections starting from 50 L3 of A. vasorum had a massive impact on lung tissues and therefore on the health of affected dogs, particularly after prepatency, although only mild haematological abnormalities were evident
- …