Effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of Alchornea triplinervia on healing gastric ulcer in rats

Alchornea triplinervia (Spreng.) Muell. Arg (Euphorbiaceae) is a medicinal plant commonly used by people living in the Cerrado region of Brazil to treat gastrointestinal ulcers. We previously described the gastroprotective action of methanolic extract (ME) of Alchornea triplinervia and the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) in increasing of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) gastric levels in the mucosa. In this work we evaluated the effect of EAF in promoting the healing process in rats with acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers. In addition, toxicity was investigated during treatment with EAF. After 14 days of treatment with EAF, the potent stimulator of gastric cell proliferation contributed to the acceleration of gastric ulcer healing. Upon immunohistochemical analysis, we observed a pronounced expression of COX-2, mainly in the submucosal layer. The 14-day EAF treatment also significantly increased the number of neutrophils in the gastric mucosa regeneration area. The EAF induced angiogenesis on gastric mucosa, observed as an increase of the number of blood vessels supplying the stomach in rats treated with EAF. Oral administration for 14 days of the ethyl acetate fraction from Alchornea triplinervia accelerated the healing of gastric ulcers in rats by promoting epithelial cell proliferation, increasing the number of neutrophils and stimulation of mucus production. This fraction, which contained mainly phenolic compounds, contributed to gastric mucosa healing. © 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Antiulcer effects of Ethyl acetate fraction of Carpolobia lutea leaf

Carpolobia lutea leaves (CLL) (Polygalaceae) were earlier screened and the antiulcer ethnomedicinal claim established. This article seeks to quantitatively isolate, elucidate the active compounds from most active CLL fraction. Fractionation was by semi-preparative HPLC; the active fraction was subjected to radical scavenging assays (RSA) and quantification of the total phenolic content (TPC) were also executed. Results: Ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was observed to be the most pharmacologically active antiulcer fraction when screened using acute ulcer models induced in rodents. The EAF demonstrated significant (p < 0.05-0.001) antiulcer activity in various in vivo induced ulceration models by reducing the ulcer index and increasing the preventive ratio. The EAF demonstrated > 70% in TPC and < 20 % in RSA. Cinnamic and coumaric acids derivatives were isolated from EAF. Cinnamic acids have been implicated and patented as antiulcer agent. Isolated compounds could in part mediate the observed pharmacological activities which lend credence to its ethnobotanical uses.

Spatial correlation between the composition of the clay fraction and contents of available phosphorus of an Oxisol at hillslope scale

Relief is regarded as the abiotic factor most strongly influencing pedogenic processes at a local scale. The spatial correlations between the composition of the clay fraction (iron - Fe and aluminum - Al oxides, kaolinite and organic matter - OM) and contents of available phosphorus (P) of an Oxisol were evaluated at hillslope scale under sugarcane cultivation. A total of 119 samples were collected at intersection points on a 100. ×. 100. m georeferenced grid of regularly spaced points 10. m apart in the 0.2-0.4. m depth in an area consisting of two landform components namely: component I (an area with a linear hillslope curvature), and component II (one with a concave-convex hillslope curvature). Soil OM and available P contents were subjected to descriptive statistics and geostatistical analyses in order to assess their variability and spatial dependence. All attributes studied were spatially dependent. Available phosphorus had positive spatial correlation with high crystalline goethite, hematite and gibbsite. Identifying small hillslope curvatures is useful with a view to better understanding their relationships with soil organic matter and available phosphorus, as well as kaolinite and Fe and Al oxide attributes. A simple correlation analysis by itself is inadequate to relate attributes, which requires a supplemental, geostatistical technique. © 2012 Elsevier B.V..

Bioactive substance contents and antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of Annona crassiflora Mart. seeds

Annona crassiflora Mart. is a typical fruit of the Brazilian cerrado, considered to be a species of economic interest, mainly for its use in cooking, which is widespread among the inhabitants of that region, and can be found in many typical local dishes, especially sweets, jellies, liqueurs, soft drinks, ice creams and juices. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the bioactive substance contents and the antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of A. crassiflora Mart. seeds in the interest of better identifying the quality of this raw material from the Brazilian cerrado. After the receipt of the fruits, the seeds were removed manually and, then, the lipid fraction was obtained by cold extraction with chloroform:methanol:water (2:1:0.8, v/v/v) and analyzed for the composition of phytosterols, tocopherols, fatty acids, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity and oxidative stability index. The lipid fraction showed significant quantity of bioactive substances, especially phytosterols, tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as significant antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability, influenced by the content of phytosterols and the composition of fatty acids present in the analyzed fraction. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Effect of Psychrotrophic Growth on the Milk Fat Fraction at Different Temperatures of Storage

The use of cooling, without using adequate hygienic practices in primary milk production, allows for the growth of psychrotrophic microorganisms that produce the thermoresistant lipases that give milk a rancid flavor. This study aimed to verify how the variation in temperature influences the lipolytic metabolism of the psychrotrophic organisms. Samples of raw milk were collected and submitted to laboratorial analysis as follows: psychrotrophic bacteria count, lipolytic bacteria count, and free fatty acids dosage. Each sample was divided into 3 aliquots and then incubated at 4, 8, and 12 °C, respectively. For each temperature, analyses were repeated after 12, 24, and 48 h of storage. Despite the psychrotrophs growth increase, according to temperature rise, the lipolytic metabolism was not consistent and presented the lower index at 8 °C, suggesting an intensification of the proteolytic compensatory activity at this temperature. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Physicochemical and bioactive properties of Hymenaea courbaril L. pulp and seed lipid fraction

This study aimed to assess the nutritional composition of the fruit and the physicochemical and bioactive properties of jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril L.) pulp and seed oils. The lipid content of both fractions was below 6%. There was a significant presence of minerals, especially, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. The main macronutrient in pulp and seed was crude fiber, and considerable amounts of Vitamin C, 51.87 and 121.45. mg/100. g respectively, were found. The physicochemical properties demonstrated the good quality of the oils. The oxidative stability index was influenced by the composition of fatty acids reaching a value of 45.97. h for the jatoba pulp oil. The most abundant bioactive compounds were α-tocopherol (886.37 and 993.63. mg/kg) and β-sitosterol (61.83 and 91.09. mg/kg) for pulp and seed oils, respectively. Among the unsaturated fatty acids in the pulp, the oleic (46.09%) and linolenic acid (14.54%) stood out. The pulp and seed oils can be considered a valuable source for new industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Diastolic function is associated with quality of life and exercise capacity in stable heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction

Exercise capacity and quality of life (QOL) are important outcome predictors in patients with systolic heart failure (HF), independent of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF). LV diastolic function has been shown to be a better predictor of aerobic exercise capacity in patients with systolic dysfunction and a New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification >II. We hypothesized that the currently used index of diastolic function E/e' is associated with exercise capacity and QOL, even in optimally treated HF patients with reduced LVEF. This prospective study included 44 consecutive patients aged 55±11 years (27 men and 17 women), with LVEF,0.50 and NYHA functional class I-III, receiving optimal pharmacological treatment and in a stable clinical condition, as shown by the absence of dyspnea exacerbation for at least 3 months. All patients had conventional transthoracic echocardiography and answered the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire, followed by the 6-min walk test (6MWT). In a multivariable model with 6MWT as the dependent variable, age and E/e' explained 27% of the walked distance in 6MWT (P=0.002; multivariate regression analysis). No association was found between walk distance and LVEF or mitral annulus systolic velocity. Only normalized left atrium volume, a sensitive index of diastolic function, was associated with decreased QOL. Despite the small number of patients included, this study offers evidence that diastolic function is associated with physical capacity and QOL and should be considered along with ejection fraction in patients with compensated systolic HF.

Measurement of the Bs0→μ+μ- branching fraction and search for B0→μ+μ- with the CMS experiment

Results are presented from a search for the rare decays Bs0→μ+μ- and B0→μ+μ - in pp collisions at √s=7 and 8 TeV, with data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5 and 20 fb-1, respectively, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. An unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the dimuon invariant mass distribution gives a branching fraction B(Bs0→μ+μ-)=(3.0-0.9+1.0) ×10-9, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. An excess of Bs0→μ+μ- events with respect to background is observed with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations. For the decay B0→μ+μ- an upper limit of B(B0→μ+μ-)<1.1×10 -9 at the 95% confidence level is determined. Both results are in agreement with the expectations from the standard model. © 2013 CERN. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the.

Evidence for biological inheritance of the eosinophil response to internal parasites in southeastern Brazil

Uma amostra de 177 indivíduos pertencentes a 120 famílias nucleares, completas ou incompletas, de Bambui, Estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil, foi estudada com o objetivo de apurar algumas das causas da variabilidade da taxa de eosinófilos em pessoas parasitadas por vermes intestinais com ciclo de vida extra-digestivo. A análise de segregação, aplicada aos dados sem correção para a assimetria, mostrou que a hipótese de um gene principal aditivo é consistente com os dados, enquanto que as hipóteses que supõem a ação de um gene dominante, de um gene recessivo ou ainda herança multifatorial não explicam, adequadamente, a significante agregação familial observada. A correção mais parcimoniosa para assimetria mostrou resultados semelhantes, mas não permitiu a distinção entre os modelos dominante e recessivo, embora permitisse a rejeição do modelo codominante. Considerando que esse modelo supõe ser a assimetria devida ao entrelaçamento de duas distribuições, esses resultados parecem concordar com aqueles obtidos quando os dados não foram corrigidos. Pode-se sugerir que o papel desempenhado por vários fatores genéticos independentes na resistência/suscetibilidade à infestação por helmintos seja determinado, principalmente, por suas capacidades de agir no estabelecimento de uma resposta eosinofílica.

Characterization and distribution of pyrogenic carbon in a fraction of archaeological black earth from Caxiuanã

This study aims to determine the atomic ratio of O/C in an archaeological black earth (ABE) profile of the Ilha de Terra site, a region of Caxiuanã in the Pará State, Brazil, to determine the types of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) particles and to infer the source of biomass and burning temperature necessary to produce the PyC. The O/C ratios were monitored using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The results indicated atomic ratios for clay, silt and fine sand fractions that were between those registered for the PyC particles types: condensed combustion (CC) (0.09, 0.1, 0.13), charcoal (0.32, 0.31, 0.34) and char (0.43, 0.45, 0.52). CC is the predominant type of particle found because of the high firing temperature (> 350 °C), which is consistent with the probable biomass sources of wood, cellulose and lignin.

Effect of a polysaccharidic fraction of Agaricus blazei on colorectal carcinogenesis in rats with ulcerative colitis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hematologic changes in propofol-anesthetized dogs with or without tramadol administration

Drugs commonly used in anesthesia practice may significantly alter the oxidative state of blood cells. This mechanism could contribute to the immune suppression that occurs transiently in the early postoperative period. Thus, we assessed the effects of continuous rate infusion (CRI) of propofol associated or not with tramadol on hematologic parameters in dogs. Eight adult mongrel dogs were anesthetized on 2 occasions, 15 d apart. Two groups were formed: control group (CG) and tramadol group (GT). Propofol was used for induction (10mg kg-1) followed by a CRI (0.7mg kg-1minute-1). The animals were positioned in lateral recumbency and mechanically ventilated with inspired oxygen fraction of 0.6. In TG, tramadol (2mg kg-1) followed by a CRI (0.5mg kg-1minute-1) was administered in dogs. In the CG the sodium chloride (NaCl) solution at 0.9% was administered followed by its CRI, in the same volume that was used in TG. The measurement was taken before anesthesia induction (Tbasal), 30 minutes after induction (T0) and then at 30-minute intervals (T30 to T60). Red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoblogin concentration and total leukocytes count decreased from T0 in both groups. In TG, lymphocytes count at Tbasal [1.86 (0.82) x103µl-1] was greater than at T0, T30 and T60 [0.96(0.50), 0.92(0.48) and 0.95(0.48) x103µl-1, respectively]. No significant differences were observed for platelets neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil and monocyte count. In dogs, propofol-anesthesia associated or not with tramadol promoted decrease in blood cell count and should be used with caution in immunossupressed patients.

Culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction cells in different media

The objective of this study was to evaluate the culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue - derived stromal vascular fraction cells in two different cell culture media. Five adult horses were submitted to bone marrow aspiration from the sternum, and then from the adipose tissue of the gluteal region near the base of the tail. Mononuclear fraction and stromal vascular fraction were isolated from the samples and cultivated in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum or in AIM-V medium. The cultures were observed once a week with an inverted microscope, to perform a qualitative analysis of the morphology of the cells as well as the general appearance of the cell culture. Colony-forming units (CFU) were counted on days 5, 15 and 25 of cell culture. During the first week of culture, differences were observed between the samples from the same source maintained in different culture media. The number of colonies was significantly higher in samples of bone marrow in relation to samples of adipose tissue.