Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus

SOUSA,M.B.C. et al. Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Primates, v.40, n.2, p. 327-336, Apr. 1999.

Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus

SOUSA,M.B.C. et al. Reproductive Patterns and Birth Seasonality in a South-American Breeding Colony of Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Primates, v.40, n.2, p. 327-336, Apr. 1999.

Avaliação dos efeitos de um extrato bruto de cianobactérias contendo microcistinas sobre o desempenho reprodutivo e a embriofetotoxicidade de ratos

The presence of cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs intended for supply to the population can create public health problems for many species could produce potentially toxic compounds and these are not eliminated in the conventional procedures used in water treatment plants. So even in amounts less than the maximum allowable limit imposed by MS, cyanotoxins can be present in drinking water distributed to the population, creating a chronic exposure. There is little information about the long-term effects of oral exposure to cyanotoxins. This work aimed to show the exposure orally (v.o) of animals to a crude extract of cyanobacteria containing cyanotoxins to evaluate the reproductive performance of pregnant rats and their offspring and fertility of male rats. The presence of microcystins (MCs) in samples collected during the flowering processes in freshwater reservoirs in the Rio Grande do Norte, was analyzed by enzyme immunoassay and its variants have been identified and quantified by chromatographic methods. It was observed that by administration v.o. cyanobacterial extract containing MCs (40, 100 or 250 ng of MCs / kg / day) did not cause systemic toxicity in adult rats or effect on reproductive performance of male and female rats treated. It was also not observed any changes in skeletal study in the offspring of pregnant rats treated with the extract above. Because the solutions used contained MCs in a concentration equal to or greater than the tolerable daily intake for MCs, the results suggest, therefore, that the development of this work contributed to better assess public health risk as the oral exposure to cyanotoxins, increasing thus the credibility of the maximum allowable limit (LMP) of MCs in drinking water distributed to the population of several countries that use the LMP established by WHO in its legislation

Avaliação da toxicidade subcrônica e reprodutiva do extrato seco de pericarpo de passiflora edulis variedade flavicarpa degener em ratos

The pericarp of Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa Degener is now being investigated for medicine purposes. There are no reports about it toxicity. The aim of the present study was investigate the sub chronic toxicity in male rats and reproductive toxicity in pregnant rats and exposed fetuses of an extract obtained by infusion of the pericarp in water (1:3 m/v;100o C, 10 min). The extract composition was evaluated by tube reactions and thin lawyer chromatography (TLC). Adult male rats (n=8) were treated with 300 mg/kg of the extract, by gavage, during 30 days and pregnant rats (n=7) from gestation day 0 to day 20. Control received tap water (1 mL). Water and food intakes and body weight gain were recorded. At day 29 of treatment the sexual behavior of the males was analyzed and then half of males from each group received cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg, i.p.) to (anti)genotoxic assessment in bone marrow. At day 30, males were anesthesized for parameters collection. At day 20 of gestation, the dams were anesthesized for reproductive performance evaluation. The fetal analysis was conducted by visceral and skeletal. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, unspecific alkaloids, phenols and triterpenic compounds. Statistical analysis revealed absence of significant differences between experimental and control. This study suggest that the aqueous extract obtained from pericarp of P. edulis var. flavicarpa Degener was not able to promote toxic effects in rats. Cytotoxicity was evaluated with the PCE/NCE ratio (NCE=normochromatic erythrocytes). Statistical analysis (mean ± SEM) revealed absence of changes in the frequency of MNPCE (negative control: 3.26±0.42; positive control: 11.72±1.02; negative experimental: 4.02±0.13; positive experimental: 10.47±0.87) or cytotoxicity (negative control: 0.37±0.08; positive control: 0.23±0.05; negative experimental: 0.37±0.07; positive experimental: 0.23±0.02). This study suggests that the extracts showed no (anti)genotoxic and no cytotoxic activities under the experimental conditions.