Plants used in traditional medicine of China and Brazil

Eventhough the rationale behind the use of medicinal plantes in Brazil and Chine is different, twenty four species are used in both countries. Scientific name, vulgar name and uses in both countries along with their chemical constituents are listed.

Studies on bioactive components from Chinese medicinal plants

Several novel bioactive components isolated from Chinese medicinal plants will be presented. These include novel maytansinoid tumor, inhibitors, some new ent-kaurane and rosane diterpenoids from Mallotus anomalus Meer et Chun (Euphorbiaceae), as well asnovel insecticide, stemona alkaloids from Stemona parviflora C. H. Wright (Stemonaceae). Both are native plants of Hainan island, Chine. 2D NMR techniques such as mono and hetero-COSY, NOESY, COLOC as well as H-NMR line broadening effect were utilized for structure elucidation. The separation techniques, struture elucidations and bioassay results will be reported.

Toxicological and toxicogenetic effects of plants used in popular medicine and in cattle food

Toxicological and toxicogenetic effects of aqueous (tea) and hexanica fruit extract of Indigofera suffruticosa Mill, and hydroalcoholic root extract od Solanum agrarium Stendt. Were evaluated in Balb C male mice intraperitoneally exposed. A hepatotoxic effect was observed just for animals treated with aqueous fruit extract of I. suffruticosa. In relation to the toxicogenetic effect, just the group trreated with 12.5% of toxic dose of aqueous fruit extract of I. suffruticosa showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations (cytogenetic effect), although a slight increase was also observed for the highest dose (25% of LF50_ of hydroalcoholic root extract of S. agrarium. The results obtanied show that before S. agrarium is used as medicine and before the wide use of I. suffruticosa in cattle food, careful evaluation must be done.

Screening of the antimalarial activity of plants of the Cucurbitaceae family

Crude ethanolic extracts (CEEs) from two species of Cucurbitaceae, Cucurbita maxima and Momordica charantia (commonly called "abóbora moranga" and melão de São Caetano", respectively) were assayed for antimalarial activity by the 4-d suppressive test. The CEE of dry C. maxima seeds showed strong antimalarial activity following oral administration (259 and 500 mg/kg), reducing by 50% the levels of parasistemia in Plasmodium berghey-infected mice. Treatment of normal animals with 500 mg/Kg of the extract three days before intravenous injection of P. berghei caused a significant 30% reduction in parasitemic levels. No effect was observed when the animals were treated with the CEE only on the day of inoculation. Oral administration of the CEE of dry M. charantia leaves adminstered orally was ineffective up to 500 mg/Kg in lowering the parasitemic levels of malarious mice.

Plants against snakebites

Small molecular weight compounds from Mandevilla velutina and from Eclipta prostata were found to be active against snakebite.

Pharmacological screening of plants recommended by folk medicine as anti-snake venom: I. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities

We have observed that several plants used popularly as anti-snake venom show anti-inflammatory activity. From the list prepared by Rizzini, Mors and Pereira some species have been selected and tested for analgesic activity (number of contortions) and anti-inflammatory activity (Evans blue dye diffusion - 1% solution) according to Whittle's technique (intraperitoneal administration of 0.1 N-acetic acid 0.1 ml/10 g) in mice. Previous oral administration of a 10% infusion (dry plant) or 20% (fresh plant) corresponding to 1 or 2 g/Kg of Apuleia leiocarpa, Casearia sylvestris, Brunfelsia uniflora, Chiococca brachiata, Cynara scolymus, Dorstenia brasiliensis, Elephantopus scaber, Marsypianthes chamaedrys, Mikania glomerata and Trianosperma tayuya demonstrated analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory activities of varied intensity

Some progress on the chemistry of natural bioactive terpenoids form Chinese medicinal plants

(1) Pseudolaric acids - Novel diterpenes, Pseudolaric acid A, B, C and D were isolated from Pseudolarix kaempferi Gorden (pinaceae). Their structures were assigned by spectroscopic data and chemical correlations. In the contineous studies, the absolute configurations, the conformations in the solutions, the framentation mechanisms of MS and assigments of all NMR spectral signals were also reported. They showed the antifungal and cytotoxic activities. (2) Daphnane diterpenes - In the further studies on the plants of Thymelaeaceae, besides 10 known diterpenes, 16 new daphnane diterpenes were isolated from Daphne genkwa, D. tangutica, D. giraldii, Wikstroemie chamaedaphne. They showed the antifertilities activities. (3) Tripterygium diterpenes 14 new diterpenes were isolated from Triperygium wilfordii, T. regeli and T. hypoglaucum. Some of them showed the antitumor activities. The CD spectra showed that A/B ring of all compoundshave trans configuration as same as tripdiolide and triptolide determined by X-ray diffraction (4) Pregnane glycosides from Marsdenia koi - Two new pregnane glycosides marsdenikoiside A and marsdenikoiside B which can terminate the early pregnancy were isolated from Marsdeia koi. Their structures were elucidated by hydrolysis and spectroscopic methods.

A Salmonella agona outbreak in a pediatric hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Six Salmonella Agona strains from an outbreak of 15 days duration which occurred in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were analyzed. The outbreak involved six infants (mean age, 24 days; mean body weight, 1612 g), all of them with severe clinical signs and symptoms. Two of them had surgical implications, two were preterm and two had respiratory distress at birth. The Salmonella strains were resistant to nine antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, cephalotin, cefriaxone, gentamicin, amykacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, and tetracyclin). Analysis of the plasmid pattern of the wild strains and of the transconjugants confirmed that these were identical strains.

Occurrence of Plesiomonas shigelloides in water environments of Rio de Janeiro city

Fresh and salt water samples analyzed in Rio de Janeiro city showed the presence of Plesiomonas shigelloides. Forty-six strains were isolated from both environments. A high incidence of P. shigelloides was achieved in polluted fresh and salt waters as well as in samples from non-polluted streams. P. shigelloides isolates had biochemical characteristics similar to those already described in the literature. None of the isolates analyzed produced enterotoxin in the suckling mouse assay. Hemolytic activity against sheep and human type A erythrocytes was detected in the strains tested. The results of the antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that all the isolates were susceptible to the cephalosporins, penicillins combined with a beta-lactamase inhibitor, aminoglycosides, imipenem, norfloxacin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All the isolates were resistant to the penicillins.

Cryptosporidium sp. in children suffering from acute diarrhea at Uberlândia City, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study's objective was to search for Cryptosporidium sp. in diarrheic feces from children aged zero to 12 years and cared for at medical units within Universidade Federal de Uberlândia or at a private practice in Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from September 1992 to August 1993. Three fecal samples preserved in 10% formalin, were collected from 94 children. Oocyst concentration was performed through Ritchie's (modified) method and staining of fecal smears for each sample (total of 1128 slides) was done by the "Safranin/Methylene Blue" and the "Kinyoun (modified)" techniques. The Hoffmann, Pons & Janer method was also employed to look for other enteroparasites. From 94 children, 4.26% excreted fecal Cryptosporidium oocysts. The infection seemed to vary according to age: 5.08% of patients aged zero to two years old; 33.33% of those aging eight to ten years (P>0.05). Cryptosporidium appeared in November, December and March, during the rainy season. 20.21% of the children harbored at least one enteroparasite different from Cryptosporidium, mainly Giardia intestinalis (12.77%). From Cryptosporidium infected patients, two had only this kind, another harbored Giardia intestinalis; the last one hosted Strongyloides stercoralis.

Strongyloides stercoralis and other Enteroparasites in Children at Uberlândia City, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

To evaluate the rate of infection by Strongyloides stercoralis and other enteroparasites a survey was conducted in the city of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 900 stool samples from 300 children aging from four months to seven years, randomly selected in ten nursery schools from September 1994 to December 1995, were examined, both by the Baermann-Moraes and Lutz methods. Thirty nine children (13%) were found to be infected by S. stercoralis, 64.1% were boys and 35.9% were girls. Taking all the enteroparasites as a whole the results of the survey pointed out that 265 (88.4%) of the 300 children were infected by the following: Giardia lamblia, 78.3%; Ascaris lumbricoides, 15.3%; S. stercoralis, 13%; Hymenolepis nana, 6.7%; hookworms, 6%; Enterobius vermicularis, 4%; Hymenole-pis diminuta, 4% and Trichuris trichiura, 0.7%. From 265 infected children 64.5% were mono-infected, 27.2% were infected by two parasites and 8.3% had a poly-specific parasite burden. It was concluded that strongyloidiasis is hyperendemic in this area

Antigenic and Genetic Characterization of Twenty-six Strains of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Subgroup A) Isolated During Three Consecutive Outbreaks in Havana City, Cuba

Twenty-six human respiratory syncytial virus strains (subgroup A) isolated from three outbreaks in Havana City during the period 1994/95, 1995/96 and 1996/97 were analyzed to determine their antigenic and genetic relationships. Analyses were performed by monoclonal antibodies and restriction mapping (N gene) following amplification of the select region of the virus genome by polymerase chain reaction. All isolated strains were classified as subgroup A by monoclonal antibodies and they showed a restriction pattern NP4 that belonged to subgroup A. Thus the results obtained in this work, showed a close relation (100%) between antigenic and genetic characterization of the isolated strains in our laboratory. These methods permit the examination of large numbers of isolates by molecular techniques, simplifying the researchs into the molecular epidemiology of the virus.

Survey of canine heartworm in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

Six hundred and eleven random-source dogs (338 male, 273 female) one year of age or older, from six sections of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, were examined antemortem for circulating microfilariae Dirofilaria immitis and Dipetalonema reconditum adult heartworm (D. immitis) antigen, and examined postmortem for adult heartworms. The prevalence of heartworm infection was 2.3% (14/611), as determined by necropsy for adult worms, and 1% (6/611) had circulating microfilariae of D. immitis; thus, 57.1% of the heartworm-infected dogs had occult infections. The results of serological testing indicated that 1.3% (8/611) of the dogs were positive for adult heartworm antigen. A total of 42 (6.9%) of the dogs had microfilariae of D. reconditum; 40 of these had only D. reconditum and two additional dogs had microfilariae of both species, D. immitis and D. reconditum.

Parasitism of Ixodes (Multidentatus) auritulus Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) on birds from the city of Curitiba, state of Paraná, southern Brazil

The tick-bird relationship of 56 specimens of birds (Passeriformes and Columbiformes) collected in the city of Curitiba, State of Paraná, between 1990 and 1995, among which 102 specimens of Ixodes (Multidentatus) auritulus were found and analyzed. New host records were also produced including the first report of I. auritulus on a Columbiformes bird in Brazil.