CHARACTERIZATION OF MOLLUSCICIDAL COMPONENT OF Moringa oleifera LEAF AND Momordica charantia FRUITS AND THEIR MODES OF ACTION IN SNAIL Lymnaea acuminata

SUMMARY The molluscicidal activity of the leaf powder of Moringa oleifera and lyophilized fruit powder of Momordica charantia against the snail Lymnaea acuminata was time and concentration dependent. M. oleifera leaf powder (96 h LC50: 197.59 ppm) was more toxic than M. charantia lyophilized fruit powder (96 h LC50: 318.29 ppm). The ethanolic extracts of M. oleifera leaf powder and Momordica charantia lyophilized fruit powder were more toxic than other organic solvent extracts. The 96 h LC50 of the column purified fraction of M. oleifera leaf powder was 22.52 ppm, while that of M. charantia lyophilized fruit powder was 6.21 ppm. Column, thin layer and high performance liquid chromatography analysis show that the active molluscicidal components in M. oleifera leaf powder and lyophilized fruit of M. charantia are benzylamine (96 h LC50: 2.3 ppm) and momordicine (96 h LC50: 1.2 ppm), respectively. Benzylamine and momordicine significantly inhibited, in vivo and in vitro, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE), acid and alkaline phosphatase (ACP/ALP) activities in the nervous tissues of L. acuminata. Inhibition of AChE, ACP and ALP activity in the nervous tissues of L. acuminata by benzylamine and momordicine may be responsible for the molluscicidal activity of M. oleifera and M. charantia fruits, respectively.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF THE PROBIOTIC Saccharomyces boulardii IN Toxocara canis INFECTION IS NOT DUE TO DIRECT ACTION ON THE LARVAE

SUMMARY In a previous study our group found that the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii was capable of reducing the intensity of infection in mice with toxocariasis. In order to assess whether the mechanism involved would be a direct action of the probiotic on Toxocara canis larvae, this study was designed. Both probiotics were singly cultivated in plates containing RPMI 1640 medium and T. canis larvae. S. boulardii and B. cereus var. toyoi cultures presented 97.6% and 95.7% of larvae with positive motility, respectively, and absence of color by the dye trypan blue, not representing significant difference to the control group (p > 0.05). We conclude that none of the probiotics showed in vitro effects on T. canis larvae and that the interaction with the intestinal mucosa is necessary for the development of the protective effect of S. boulardii.

Rate of action of schistosomicides in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Mice infected with adult Schistosoma mansoni were dosed with a single oral dose of 125 or 250 mg/kg oltipraz, 50 or 100 mg/kg oxamniquine, or 200 or 400 mg/kg praziquantel. The mortality rate of worms and oogram changes were determined between 1 and 16 weeks after dosing. The time required between dosing and postmortem to obtain maximum effectiveness was 1 week for praziquantel, 2 weeks for oxamniquine and 8 weeks for oltipraz. Changes in oograms persisted throughout most of the experiment, although relapse has been observed at the 4th week on.

The influence of humidity on the residual action of benzene hexachloride (BHC)

In controlled humidity chambers in the laboratory differences in the absorption velocity of BHC were observed depending on the substrate sprayed. While BHC is no longer used in Chagas' disease control this data could have relevance to spraying houses in a controlprogramme with other insecticides.

In vitro study on thiabendazole action on viability of Ascaris lumbricoides (Lineu, 1758) eggs

The in vitro activity of thiabendazole on Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, which were recovered from uteri of worm excreted after chemotherapeutic treatment, was studied. Four concentrations of the drug were used: 1 -- 2.5 -- 5 -- and 10 ppm during 24, 48 and 72 hours of exposure. Subsequently, the eggs were centrifuged, washed three times and H2SO4 0.1N was added. The eggs were maintained in an incubator for 20 days at 28°C. Finally, the percentage of embryonated eggs was determined under a lightmicroscope at a 100X magnification. After 48 and 72 hours of thiabendazole exposure, at a concentration of 10ppm, the drug showed complete inhibition of egg embryonation.

In vitro action of antiparasitic drugs, especially artesunate, against Toxoplasma gondii

INTRODUCTION: Toxoplasmosis is usually a benign infection, except in the event of ocular, central nervous system (CNS), or congenital disease and particularly when the patient is immunocompromised. Treatment consists of drugs that frequently cause adverse effects; thus, newer, more effective drugs are needed. In this study, the possible activity of artesunate, a drug successfully being used for the treatment of malaria, on Toxoplasma gondii growth in cell culture is evaluated and compared with the action of drugs that are already being used against this parasite. METHODS: LLC-MK2 cells were cultivated in RPMI medium, kept in disposable plastic bottles, and incubated at 36ºC with 5% CO2. Tachyzoites of the RH strain were used. The following drugs were tested: artesunate, cotrimoxazole, pentamidine, pyrimethamine, quinine, and trimethoprim. The effects of these drugs on tachyzoites and LLC-MK2 cells were analyzed using nonlinear regression analysis with Prism 3.0 software. RESULTS: Artesunate showed a mean tachyzoite inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.075µM and an LLC MK2 toxicity of 2.003µM. Pyrimethamine was effective at an IC50 of 0.482µM and a toxicity of 11.178µM. Trimethoprim alone was effective against the in vitro parasite. Cotrimoxazole also was effective against the parasite but at higher concentrations than those observed for artesunate and pyrimethamine. Pentamidine and quinine had no inhibitory effect over tachyzoites. CONCLUSIONS: Artesunate is proven in vitro to be a useful alternative for the treatment of toxoplasmosis, implying a subsequent in vivo effect and suggesting the mechanism of this drug against the parasite.

Human identification and analysis of DNA in bones

The introduction of molecular biology techniques, especially of DNA analysis, for human identification is a recent advance in legal medicine. Substantial effort has continuously been made in an attempt to identify cadavers and human remains after wars, socio-political problems and mass disasters. In addition, because of the social dynamics of large cities, there are always cases of missing people, as well as unidentified cadavers and human remains that are found. In the last few years, there has also been an increase in requests for exhumation of human remains in order to determine genetic relationships in civil suits and court action. The authors provide an extensive review of the literature regarding the use of this new methodology for human identification of ancient or recent bones.

Estimativa de área de vegetação secundária na Amazônia Legal Brasileira

A vegetação secundária tem funções relevantes para os ecossistemas, tais como a fixação de carbono atmosférico, a manutenção da biodiversidade, o estabelecimento da conectividade entre remanescentes florestais, manutenção dos regime hidrológico e a recuperação da fertilidade do solo. O objetivo deste trabalho é, através de uma abordagem amostral, estimar a área ocupada por vegetação secundária na Amazônia Legal Brasileira (AML) em 2006. A amostragem se baseia em uma abordagem estratificada pelo grau de desflorestamento das cenas LANDSAT-TM que recobrem a AML. Foram selecionadas 26 cenas para o ano de 2006, distribuídas em sete estratos conforme o percentual de desflorestamento, nas quais foram mapeadas as áreas de vegetação secundária a partir de técnicas de classificação de imagens. Foi desenvolvido um modelo multivariado de regressão para estimar a área de vegetação secundária utilizando como variáveis independentes a área de desflorestamento, a área de hidrografia, a estrutura agrária, e área das unidades de conservação. A análise de regressão encontrou um R2 ajustado de 0,84 , e coeficientes positivos para a proporção de hidrografia na imagem (2,055) e para a estrutura agrária (0,197), e coeficientes negativos para o grau de desflorestamento na imagem (-0,232) e para a proporção de Unidades de Conservação na imagem (-0,262). O modelo de regressão estimou uma área de 131.873 km² de vegetação secundária para o ano de 2006. Aplicando uma simulação Monte Carlo foi estimada uma incerteza de aproximadamente 12.445 km² para a área.

Racial inequalities in the socioeconomic, demographic and health conditions of elderly from Maranhão State, Legal Amazon, Brazil: a population-based study

Aging with quality of life does not occur equally among the racial groups of Brazilian elderly, and few studies have analyzed this issue in the states of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. The objective of this study was to investigate racial inequalities in the socioeconomic, demographic and health conditions of elderly residents of Maranhão state, Brazil. The present work is a cross-sectional study of 450 elders aged 60 years or older included in the 2008 National Household Sample Survey. The prevalence of socioeconomic, demographic, health and habit indicators and of risk factors were estimated in white, brown and black racial categories that were self-reported by the survey participants. The chi-square test was used for comparisons (a=5%). The majority of the elderly respondents identified themselves as brown (66.4%) or white (23.3%). There were significant socioeconomic, demographic, habit and lifestyle differences among the racial groups. Most of the black and brown elderly lived alone, reported lower educational levels and were in the lowest quintile for income. These respondents were also highly dependent on the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS), exhibited low rates of screening mammograms and lower physical activity levels and had a greater proportion of smokers. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of health indicators or in the proportion of elderly by gender, age, social role in the family or the urban-rural location of the household. These results indicate the presence of racial inequalities in the socioeconomic and demographic status and in the practice of healthy habits and lifestyles among elderly from Maranhão, but suggest equity in health status. The results also suggest the complexity and challenges of interlinking race with socioeconomic aspects, and the findings reinforce the need for the implementation of public policies for these population groups.

Hipertensão arterial e estilo de vida em Sinop, Município da Amazônia Legal

FUNDAMENTO: A hipertensão arterial apresenta alta prevalência e é um importante fator de risco cardiovascular. OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência da hipertensão arterial e sua associação com o estilo de vida. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, de base populacional, por meio de inquérito domiciliar realizado em Sinop-MT (n = 690). A amostra da pesquisa foi obtida por amostragem simples em duas etapas. A pressão arterial foi aferida três vezes e para a análise, a média das duas últimas medidas. Considerou-se hipertensos aqueles que apresentaram PA > 140/90 mmHg e/ou que referiram uso de drogas anti-hipertensivas. A análise de regressão logística múltipla hierarquizada foi utilizada para testar a associação entre a hipertensão e as variáveis independentes. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de hipertensão arterial foi de 23,2% (IC 95%: 20,1 - 26,6). A única variável relacionada ao estilo de vida associada à hipertensão arterial foi o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, sendo protetor para as mulheres que consumiam até 15 g de etanol/dia (OR = 0,49; IC 95%: 0,26 - 0,93) e deletério para os homens que consumiam mais de 30 g de etanol/dia (OR = 2,94; IC 95%: 1,28 - 6,77). CONCLUSÃO: A hipertensão arterial associou-se independentemente com o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, entre homens e mulheres.

Action of growth regulators on flowering and pod production of soybean cultivar Davis

This research deals with the effects of growth regulators on flowering and pod formation in soybean plant (Glycine max cv. Davis). Under greenhouse conditions, soybean plants were sprayed with 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) 20 ppm, Agrostemmin (1g/10 ml/3 l) gibberellic acid (GA) 100 ppm, and (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CCC) 2,000 ppm. Application of TIBA increased number of flowers. 'Davis' soybean treated with CCC and TIBA presented a tendency to produce a lower number of pods.

Action of growth regulators on production of soybean cultivar Davis

This research deals with the effects of exogenous growth regulators on production of soybean plant (Glycine max cv.. Davis) under greenhouse conditions, At the flower anthesis, 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) 20 ppm was applied. Other two applications with TiBA, with intervals of four days, were realized. Before flowering, Agrostemin (1 g/10 ml/3 1), gibberellic acid (GA) 100 ppm, and (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CCC) 2,000 ppm were applied. It was observed that CCC and TIBA reduced stem dry weight. Soybean plants treated with TIBA reduced weight of pods without seeds , seed number and seed weight.