Clinical and Microbiologic Evaluation of Chronic Leg Ulcers: A Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at evaluating the flora and bacterial load of chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) according to the clinical judgment of colonization or infection.DESIGN: This was an analytical and cross-sectional study.SETTING: This study was conducted in an outpatient wound care unit in the Dermatology Department of the Botucatu School of Medicine-UNESP, Brazil.PARTICIPANTS: The participants were patients with CLUs who did not use systemic antibiotics.METHODS: The ulcers were clinically divided into 3 groups: ulcers with good granulation tissue (GGT), critical colonization (CC), and infection. Secretion was collected from a 1-cm(2) area using a swab and seeded by the semiquantitative method.OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were genus and species of the bacteria found in the cultures and result of the semiquantitative culture correlating with the clinical diagnosis of GGT, CC, and infection.MAIN RESULTS: Seventy-seven ulcers were evaluated: 27 with GGT, 29 with CC, and 21 with infection. Gram-negative bacteria were most often found in all groups (81%): Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in granulation and colonized ulcers, and Proteus mirabilis, in infected ulcers. Ulcers from the infected group showed higher bacterial load.CONCLUSIONS: The flora of CLUs was predominantly constituted by gram-negative bacteria, and P aeruginosa was the most prevalent. The bacterial load of infected ulcers was higher as compared with the others, although some ulcers with GGT also presented a high load. The interpretation of microbiologic tests based on the swab techniques and even on semiquantitative analysis requires close clinical correlation.

Epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections among patients from a hemodialysis unit in southeastern Brazil

Patients submitted to hemodialysis are at a high risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Presently there are scarce data to allow benchmarking of HAI rates in developing countries. Also, most studies focus only on bloodstream infections (BSI) or local access infections (LAI). Our study aimed to provide a wide overview of HAT epidemiology in a hemodialysis unit in southeastern Brazil. We present data from prospective surveillance carried out from March 2010 through May 2012. Rates were compared (mid-p exact test) and temporally analyzed in Shewhart control charts for Poisson distributions. The overall incidence of BSI was 1.12 per 1000 access-days. The rate was higher for patients performing dialysis through central venous catheters (CVC), either temporary (RR = 13.35, 95% CI = 6.68-26.95) or permanent (RR = 2.10,95% CI = 1.09-4.13), as compared to those with arteriovenous fistula. Control charts identified a BSI outbreak caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in April 2010. LAI incidence was 3.80 per 1000 access-days. Incidence rates for other HAI (per 1000 patients-day) were as follows: upper respiratory infections, 1.72; pneumonia, 1.35; urinary tract infections, 1.25; skin/soft tissues infections, 0.93. The data point out to the usefulness of applying methods commonly used in hospital-based surveillance for hemodialysis units. (C) 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Natural Products from Cyanobacteria with Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activity

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant, antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities of Serjania erecta Radlk. (Sapindaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Análise da atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos de Cordia verbenacea DC, Mikania laevigata Sch. Bip. ex Baker e Psidium Cattleianum frente a microrganismos endodônticos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of Silver Nanoparticles in a Hydroxyapatite Coating applied by Atmospheric Plasma Spray

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis and biological evaluation of ternary silver compounds bearing N,N-chelating ligands and thiourea: X-ray structure of [{Ag(bpy) (mu-tu)}(2)](NO3)(2) (bpy=2,2 '-bipyridine; tu = thiourea)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Antimicrobial activity of essential oils

Natural products have been studied aiming to understand their biological properties. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of twenty-seven essential oils (EOs) used in aromatherapy procedures, a natural therapy with great emphasis currently used against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The agar dilution method was carried out and minimal inhibitory concentration against 50% and 90% of strains (MIC50% and MIC90% values) were reported. The S.aureus strains were highly susceptible with MIC90% from 0.21mg/mL to black pepper (Piper nigrum) and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) to 26.52mg/mL with copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) EO. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) EOs were effective against E.coli (2.0mg/mL) while the S.aromaticum EO was against P.aeruginosa (8.29mg/mL). Thus, the higher susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria when compared with Gram-negative strains was found, and a large variability in the potential antibacterial has also been observed.

Rhamnolipids Production by a Pseudomonas eruginosa LBI Mutant: Solutions and Homologs Characterization

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Utilização de biossurfactante e surfactante químico para dessorção de óleo presente em vermiculita hidrofobizada: estudo comparativo

A number of methods and products have been developed in order to eliminate or reduce the negative effects that hydrocarbons cause to the environment, including hydrophobic expanded vermiculite, used in oil residue filtering systems at gas stations. However, upon adsorbing organic compounds, the vermiculite is no longer used and is sent to landfills. The aim of the present study was to wash granular and powdered vermiculite containing oil lubricant in its pores with distilled water and solutions of 0.1% SDS surfactant and rhamnolipids, with the aim of removing the lubricant and the possibility of reusing the mineral. The greatest amount of lubricant removal was obtained through washing with 0.1% SDS and both granulometric forms. This may be associated to the industrial purification received by the surfactant. However, the biosurfactant is ecologically more viable due to its low toxicity and ease of degradability. In the readsorption tests, greatest adsorption was obtained with the granular vermiculite washed in SDS solution. In order to enable the reuse of the mineral, further tests are needed to enhance desorption/adsorption efficiency.

Atividade antimicrobiana de plantas medicinais e aromáticas pertencentes à CPMA - Coleção de Plantas Medicinais e Aromáticas do CPQBA - UNICAMP

The increase of the antimicrobial resistance and its propagation around the world are the biggest threats to the public health care and to the treatment of diseases caused by microorganisms. Nowadays the antimicrobial resistance has increased abruptly. The essential oils are volatile and aromatic compounds derived from parts of plants as flowers, leafs, fruits, seeds, roots, sprouts, among others. The activity of extracts and essential oils of several plant species have been recognized and studied by empirical methods since a long time, but its antimicrobial activities were confirmed recently. Medicinal plants are used in folk medicine as medicines, antibiotic, analgesic, sedative and anti-inflammatory. The use of medicinal plants like source of medicines is an alternative of therapeutics for diseases treatment. In Brazil, studies with this goal are very important, once medicinal plants have been used as a choice of treatment and prevention of infections and diseases in health areas. Considering the fact that some products from medicinal plants have antimicrobial properties it is expected that using screening programs, new potential medicaments could be developed. Otherwise, scientific researches focused on determining therapeutic potential of plants are limited, there are lack of scientific studies which confirms the potential antibiotics properties of a large number of plants. The aim of the present study is determinate the antimicrobial activity of 10 medicinal species belonging to CPMA - Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants from CPQBA/UNICAMP. The minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC) will be determined against the bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus and the yeast Candida albicans. Furthermore, will be conducted chemical identification and fractionation of essential oils and extract with better activity

Produção de biofilme por bastonetes gram negativos isolados de água de hemodiálise

No Brasil, 90% de pacientes com insuficiência renal crônica ou aguda dependem dos procedimentos de hemodiálise para remover produtos de degradação metabólica, excesso de água e de sais minerais do organismo, a fim de restaurar o equilíbrio ácido-base e eletrolítico. Entretanto, o processo de osmose reversa, que visa remover todos os íons da água, também remove o cloro, que exerce efeito bacteriostático sob diversas bactérias autóctones, que passam a se multiplicar na água. Entre os principais grupos dessas bactérias, estão os bastonetes Gram negativos não fermentadores (BGN) e os mais frequentemente associados a bacteremias, em pacientes de hemodiálise são Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia e Burkholderia cepacia. Essas bactérias podem produzir biofilmes, o que torna sua eliminação do encanamento quase impossível. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi a análise de água e do dialisato, da Unidade de Hemodiálise de um Hospital Universitário, na pesquisa dos três BGNs citados. Também foram utilizadas 42 cepas previamente isoladas do mesmo local. Entre as 67 amostras de água, foram isoladas 8 cepas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa e as 50 cepas foram submetidas à pesquisa do gene rpoS, um dos responsáveis pela produção de biofilme. Esse gene foi observado em 20 (40%) cepas, sendo 16 (80%) P. aeruginosa, seguida por 3 (15%) cepas de S. maltophilia e 1 (5%) de B. cepacia. Essas cepas foram submetidas à produção de biofilme a 35ºC (temperatura ótima de crescimento) e a 20ºC (temperatura média da água no encanamento da Unidade de Hemodiálise), em aço inoxidável (material de muitos instrumentos cirúrgicos), PVC (matéria prima da tubulação) e plástico de poliestireno (capacidade de produção de biofilmes em diferentes materiais). Em poliestireno, somente 1 (5%) cepa de P. aeruginosa produziu biofilme a 35ºC e a 20ºC, 2 (10%) cepas foram... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)

Atividade antibacteriana de plantas do cerrado da região de Botucatu - São Paulo

The studies related to research on new antimicrobial products have received special attention from researchers, especially given the emergence of microbial strains resistant to conventional antimicrobials. Thus, the present study was aimed to test the antimicrobial action of hydro-alcoholic extracts of plants collected in Cerrado region of Botucatu, following the species: Achyrocline satureioides (Lam) DC (macela), Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart) Coville (barbatimão), Miconia rubiginosa (Bonpl.) DC (quaresma-branca), Davilla elliptica A. St-Hil (lixinha), Siparuna guianensis (negramina) e Solanum lycocarpum A.St-Hil (lobeira). The plants were always collected in the morning, in areas near the town of Botucatu, and extracts were prepared using a solvent such as methanol 70% from materials dried (50°C) and ground into mill knives. The extraction was performed for 48 hours at refrigerator temperature, followed by filtration, removal of methanol solvent in a rotary evaporator, determination of the dry weight of the extracts (mg / mL) and phytochemical analysis of the same. The sensitivity tests for 10 S. aureus, 11 E. coli and 11 P. aeruginosa, isolated from human clinical cases were performed by diluting volumes of the extracts in Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (mg / mL). According to the results and statistical analysis, it was found that depending on the bacteria tested, and in descending order of antibacterial activity for S. aureus: Lixinha sheet > Barbatimão sheet > Quaresma-Branca > Macela > Lixinha fruit > Barbatimão shell > Lobeira > Negramina; E. coli: Lixinha sheet > Barbatimão sheet > Lixinha fruit = barbatimão peel > Quaresma-Branca > Macela = Lobeira > Negramina and P. aeruginosa: Lixinha leaf > Barbatimão bark > Barbatimão leaf > Lixinha fruit > Macela > Lobeira > Quaresma - Branca = Negramina... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Determinação do potencial antimicrobiano de extratos de folhas de Byrsonima Pachyphylla Griseb

O uso de plantas medicinais especialmente na América do Sul contribui significativamente para os cuidados básicos com a saúde. Para o tratamento de infecções comuns, muitas plantas são utilizadas no Brasil na forma de extrato bruto, infusões ou emplastros, sem nenhuma evidência científica de sua eficácia (PESSINI et al., 2003). AYRES et al. (2008) afirma que a busca de substâncias com atividades antimicrobianas tem direcionado a atenção sobre os produtos naturais e, entre estes, os derivados das plantas superiores têm, nos últimos anos, despertado a investigação para o potencial da flora brasileira. Byrsonima pachyphylla Griseb é uma árvore típica do cerrado. Na medicina popular, a casca é utilizada como antifebril, contra tosses e doenças pulmonares, os ramos com folhas são diuréticos e os frutos são laxantes brandos (SILVA JÚNIOR et al., 2005). Levantamento no NAPRALERT indicou que espécies deste gênero são comumente empregadas como antiasmáticas, contra a febre e infecção de pele (MENDES et al., 1999). Este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar qual o melhor método de extração, sendo eles a maceração, a maceração dinâmica, a digestão e a digestão + maceração dinâmica, visando à obtenção de extratos brutos de folhas de Byrsonima pachyphylla Griseb., considerando sua atividade biológica frente a bactéria Gram-positiva: Staphylococcus aureus; as bactérias Gram-negativas: Escherichia coli e Pseudomonas aeruginosa, e a levedura Cândida albicans, testada pelo método de diluição seriada de extratos em microplacas; além de comparar perfis cromatográficos dos extratos obtidos em cromatografia de camada delgada (CCD), bem como pesquisar as principais classes de metabólitos secundários nos extratos. Os resultados obtidos na cromatografia em camada delgada e na triagem fitoquímica preliminar possibilitaram sugerir a presença de taninos, flavonoides, terpenos e saponinas na espécie ...

Efeitos dos derivados vegetais de condimentos nas características de qualidade e vida de prateleira de linguiça de frango fresca

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)