Una planta sin clásicos. La berenjena en la farmacología medieval y renacentista

La berenjena (Solanum melongena L.) es una planta solanácea de múltiples variedades, cuyos ancestros salvajes se sitúan en Indochina y el este de África. Su cultivo fue muy temprano en zonas de China e India. Aun así, no se extendió al Occidente antiguo ni apenas se conoció, de ahí su ausencia en los textos clásicos de botánica y farmacología. Fueron los árabes quienes llevaron el cultivo de la planta por el Norte de África y Al-Andalus, de donde pasó ya a Europa. Los primeros testimonios occidentales de la berenjena aparecen en traducciones latinas de textos árabes, para incorporarse luego a la literatura farmacológica medieval y, más tarde ya, a la del Renacimiento, que empezó a tratar de ella por su posible parecido con una especie de mandrágora. Pese a que se le reconocían algunas virtudes medicinales, siempre se la tuvo bajo sospecha por ser de sabor poco agradable, indigesta y causante de algunas afecciones. Solo los botánicos de finales del Renacimiento describirían la planta y sus variedades con criterios más «científicos» y botánicos, ya sin apenas intereses farmacológicos.

El poema "De Iulio aucupe" de Juan de Verzosa

Presento aquí un poema del humanista hispano-latino Juan de Verzosa. El texto fue enviado por el autor en 1555, junto con una carta, a Jerónimo Zurita, y se conserva actualmente en la Biblioteca de la Real Academia de la Historia de Madrid (Ms.9/112, fols.535-536). Aparentemente trata de un amigo del autor llamado Julio aficionado a la caza de aves. Pero la lectura del poema a la luz de las Epístolas de Verzosa permite entrever la intención última del autor e incluso quién fue el ‘cazador’ Julio aludido.

Atti e memorie delle Rr. Deputazioni di storia patria per le provincie dell'Emilia.

Mode of access: Internet.

Are iron oxide nanoparticles safe? Current knowledge and future perspectives

Due to their unique physicochemical properties, including superparamagnetism, iron oxide nanoparticles (ION) have a number of interesting applications, especially in the biomedical field, that make them one of the most fascinating nanomaterials. They are used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, in targeted drug delivery, and for induced hyperthermia cancer treatments. Together with these valuable uses, concerns regarding the onset of unexpected adverse health effects following exposure have been also raised. Nevertheless, despite the numerous ION purposes being explored, currently available information on their potential toxicity is still scarce and controversial data have been reported. Although ION have traditionally been considered as biocompatible - mainly on the basis of viability tests results - influence of nanoparticle surface coating, size, or dose, and of other experimental factors such as treatment time or cell type, has been demonstrated to be important for ION in vitro toxicity manifestation. In vivo studies have shown distribution of ION to different tissues and organs, including brain after passing the blood-brain barrier; nevertheless results from acute toxicity, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity investigations in different animal models do not provide a clear overview on ION safety yet, and epidemiological studies are almost inexistent. Much work has still to be done to fully understand how these nanomaterials interact with cellular systems and what, if any, potential adverse health consequences can derive from ION exposure.

Analisi, evoluzione e verifiche di un dissesto di una porzione di edificio nell'Appennino tosco-emiliano

Il tema di ricerca verterà sulla determinazione delle cause di dissesto in atto su un edificio nell’Appennino tosco-emiliano. Questo, per evitare il crollo del fabbricato situato precisamente a Le Tagliole (Provincia di Modena). Mediante il reperimento di materiale bibliografico e pareri di professionisti locali si è cercato di verificare la stabilità del fabbricato, con conseguenti proposte di opere per migliorare la sua stabilità.

Consumers motivations for buying local and organic products in developing vs developed countries.

Despite numerous studies reporting on organic consumer profiles, little is known on consumers motivations for buying local and organic products. More precisely, do consumers prefer local products because they want to support local producers or do environment and the question of food miles matter in their choice ? Besides, very little is known about organic consumers in developing countries, since most surveys are generally conducted in developed countries. Our purpose is to fill this double gap. By conducting qualitative surveys based on individual interviews in four developing countries (Brazil, Egypt, Uganda and China) and two European countries, France and Denmark, we plan to study consumers choice for organic products from supermarkets, farmers markets or local organic food network respectively. Products are selected to cover examples of imported organic products that compete with comparable products of local origin. First results from Brazil and France show that French consumers are more concerned by the environment than Brazilian consumers, but that most consumers in both samples are not concerned by food miles and their subsequent environmental impacts. Results also shed light on different patterns related to commitment of supporting small or local farmers, and suggest implications for policy makers.

The balance between sustainability dimensions: ecological base familiar smallholders' case from Coagrosol/Brazil .

This report shows some initial results about the research project entitled GlobalOrg, on a Brazilian case study, investigating the sustainability of tropical fruit organic farming in a global food chains perspective. It was performed an analysis about the production strategies of certified units of a familiar smalholders cooperative from Itápolis-SP-Brazil. In this analysis it was verified the application of sustainability principles recommended by the ecological based agriculture, focused on the agrobiodiversity, material recycling and the social-economic aspects from the agroecology conversion process. The research occurs through the complementarities provided by a combination of sociological and agronomic research methods, it means, qualitative interviews and questionnaire application with semi-structured questions. What was concluded is that the establishment of an economic relationship between the cooperative and a fair-trade international entity stimulates an interesting growing in the production diversity and also stimulates the application of different principles of ecological based agriculture. It indicates an important balance between the sustainability dimensions and demonstrates a visible attitude change in the natural resource exploration in this region.

The women role in the agroenvironmental activities of Amazon agroforeststry systems.

This paper presents the results of a research on the way which shows the role of the farmer women to contribute to overcome the life hindrances in the Amazonian agroforest environment, for food safety and familiar income. The sample was the women of the Associação de Produtores Alternativos - APA, Ouro Preto do Oeste, Rondônia, Brazil. Questionnaires were applied to 50 women of this community, in 2004/2005, with additional interviews in 2006, taking into account their role in the farms, and their several invisible activities. The role of APA?s women was compared to that of other Amazonian women, like rubber tappers and riverine people. The APA?s women perform tasks as field manpower - 78.0% of them, making decisions about what to plant - 18.0%, harvest destination - 32.0%, which animals to raise -14.0% and animal products destination -34.0%. Traditionally, in rural zone, the women with their children play a role as non-paid manpower, getting some monetary income with occasional commercialization of on-farm processed products as cheese, pickles, jellies and fruit liqueurs. They are responsible for the cultures practiced around the house. All these Amazonian women edaphoclimatic conditions, greatly contributing to the biodiversity, conservation, and to ecological, social and economic stability.are guardians, perpetuators and disseminators of a rich germplasm adapted to local.

The women role in the agroenvironmental activities of Amazon agroforeststry systems.

2008

Consumers motivations for buying local and organic products in developing vs developed countries.

2008

Agroforestry systems and food security among smallholder farmers of the Brazilian Amazon: A strategy for environmental global crisis.

2008