In vitro study of antiviral activity of mycophenolic acid on Brazilian orthobunyaviruses

Objective: Oropouche, Caraparu, Guama, Guaroa and Tacaiuma are ssRNA viruses that belong to the genus Orthobunyavirus and have been associated with human febrile illnesses and/or encephalitis. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral action of mycophenolic acid (MPA) on these orthobunyaviruses to achieve a therapeutic agent to treat the diseases caused by these viruses. Methods: the in vitro antiviral evaluation to MPA was done by using plaque assay at different periods of treatment. Results: Results showed that MPA at a concentration of 10 mu g/ml has significant antiviral activity on Tacaiuma virus when treatment was initiated either 24 h before or 2 h after viral infection. Moreover, MPA has an inhibitory effect on Guama virus replication, but only when treatment was initiated before cell infection. Addition of guanosine in the culture reverted the inhibitory effect of MPA on Tacaiuma and Guama viruses, suggesting that the antiviral activity of this substance was via depletion of the intracellular guanosine pool. Conclusion: Our results suggest that MPA would not be a good therapeutic agent to treat the diseases caused by Oropouche, Caraparu, Guama, Guaroa, and Tacaiuma viruses.

Isolamento e avaliação da atividade biológica dos alcalóides majoritários de Tabernaemontana angulata Mart. ex Müll. Arg., Apocynaceae

"Isolation and evaluation of the biological activity related to the major alkaloids in Tabernaemontana angulata Mart. ex Mull Arg., Apocynaceae." Introducing-new chemotherapeutic agents is a, great demand. in the control of infections diseases.' Brazil is one of the richest countries in biodiversity and the Laboratorio de Extracao at UNIP has been collecting plants from. the Amazon and Atlantic Rain Forests with the aim of screening for new antibacterial and antitumor plant extracts. Previous studies demonstrated that the ethanol fraction obtained from the crude extract of Tabernaemontana angulata stems showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 in the microdilution broth assay. Two alkaloids were the major compounds in the active fraction, verified by thin layer chromatography analysis. In the present study, the total alkaloids were obtained from the crude extract and were fractionated by preparative thin layer chromatography for the isolation of the main components. The isolated. compounds were identified by GC/MS and (1)H-NMR as coronaridine,e and voacangine. The alkaloid fractions obtained from the isolation procedure were tested for antibacterial activity, but no activity was detected.

Atividade microbiana em solos, influenciada por resíduos de algodão e torta de mamona

Microbial activity constitutes a good indicator of soil quality, and is influenced by the addition of carbon in the system serving as a substrate for microorganisms that increase their activity and release of CO2, comprising the edaphic respiration of the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbial activity in different soil types with the addition of cake press of castor bean and cotton textile residue. The study was conducted in a greenhouse at the headquarters of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Cotton in randomized block design in 4 x 3 factorial arrangement with four replications. At predetermined intervals of 4 days, the containers were opened and the solution of NaOH titrated with HCl 2N in the presence of acid/base indicator phenolphthalein. After reading, the same amount of NaOH was added and the containers were closed again. The difference between the amounts of acid needed to neutralize the sodium hydroxide in a control container and the treatments was equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide produced by soil microorganisms. It was found that the residues influenced the microbial activity in different soil types, especially in the initial determinations, presenting themselves as good sources for mineralization and nutrient supply, the castor bean proportionating higher cumulative release of CO2 by microorganisms.

Pt(II) and Ag(I) complexes with acesulfame: Crystal structure and a study of their antitumoral, antimicrobial and antiviral activities

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

Atividade predatória de Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae) sobre Tenuipalpus heveae (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)

The rubber tree red false spider mite, Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, is an important pest of Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex. Adr. de Juss.) Muell. Arg. The phytoseiid mite Euseius citrifolius Dennmark & Muma has frequently been recorded on rubber tree crops. The objective of this work was to determine the predatory activity of E. citrifolius on the different life stages (egg, larva, nymph and adult) of T. heveae. The experiments were carried out in Petri dishes (9-cm diameter) containing a layer of wet cotton inside, onto which a disk of rubber tree leaf (2.5-cm diameter) was laid. The disks were taken from naturally infested leaves. Twenty specimens in the life stage that was to be tested were left on the disk and the others were eliminated; a predator life stage (larva, nymph or female) was obtained from a laboratory stock colony and put into each dish. For each tested life stage of E. citrifolius, 4 treatments (T. heveae life stages) and 20 replications were considered in a randomized block design. The observations were made after 24 hours for larvae and nymphs of the predator, and after 24, 48 and 72 hours for the females. E. citrifolius larvae and nymphs had a higher preference for T. heveae larvae followed by nymphs, eggs and adults. Within 72 hours, each predator female consumed 15.0 larvae, 14.5 nymphs, 7.4 adults or 2.2 eggs of T. heveae. It is concluded that E. citrifolius can feed on red false spider mites, the larva and nymph being the preferred stages.

Atividade antimicrobiana de extratos brutos de Petiveria alliacea L.

"Antimicrobial activity of crude extratcs of Petiveria alliacea L.". Petiveria alliacea L. (Phytolaccacea) is an herbaceous plant of great importance in traditional medicine. This species have been widely used in several applications such as antirheumatic, anticarcinogenic, anti-flu, antitussive, analgesic, insecticidal, acaricidal, as well as bactericide and fungicide. Currently, the pathogenic microorganisms are acquiring resistence against the traditional antibiotics, and the search for new herbal antimicrobial agents has been intensified. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal and antibacterial activity of several leaf crude extracts of P. alliacea against several strains of bacterias and yeasts namely Bacilus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida kefyr and Candida albicans, using microdilution method. Promising results were observed for the 70% v/v ethanolic extract which presented minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) from 250 to 760 mu g/mL for yeast. For the bacteria strains tested the MIC ranged between 240 to 3960 mu g/mL, depending of the extractive solution tested.

Atividade antagônica in vitro de isolados de Trichoderma spp. ao fungo Phytophthora citrophthora

Gummosis is among the main fungal diseases of the citrus. It is caused by Phytophthora sp. and usually shows up in the lap of the plant, provoking rottenness and gum exudation, and expands causing the plant death for constrictions in the cambium or phloem which interrupts the descending flow of sap. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antagonistic in vitro activity of Trichoderma spp. to the fungi Phytophthora citrophthora. Phytophthora citrophthora was exposed to five environments of antagonism (without antagonist and with four strains of Trichoderma viride, T. virens, T. harzianu and T stromaticum), The in vitro essay was accomplished through the method of paired cultures. A completely randomized desing was used with five treatments and three replications, and each plot was represented by three petri dishes. The isolates of Trichoderma demonstrated significant effect in the inhibition of the mycelial growth of the fungi Phytophthora citrophthora, and the fungi Trichoderma stromaticum presented larger antagonism to the fungi P. citrophthora while the T harzianum presented antagonism smaller.

The in vitro antiviral activity of an aliphatic nitro compound from Heteropteris aphrodisiaca

We investigated the antiviral activity of an aliphatic nitro compound (NC) isolated from Heteropteris aphrodisiaca O. Mach. (Malpighiaceae), a Brazilian medicinal ptant. The NC was tested for its antiviral activity against poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) and bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) by plaque reduction assay in cell culture. The NC showed a moderate antiviral activity against PV-1 and BHV-1 in HEp-2 celts, and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) were 22.01 mu g/ml (selectivity index (SI) = 2.83) and 21.10 mu g/mi (SI = 2.95), respectivety. At the highest concentration of the drug (40 mu g/ml) a reduction of approximately 80% in plaque assay was observed for both viruses. The treatment of cells or virus prior to infection did not inhibit the replication of virus strains. (C) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Associação micorízica em espécies arbóreas, atividade microbiana e fertilidade do solo em áreas degradadas de cerrado

The recuperation of areas used during the construction of the hydroelectric plant, especially in 'borrowed areas', is a difficult and long process since all vegetation and the fertile layer of soil were removed. Interventions in these degraded areas could accelerate the revegetation process. The objective of this research was to evaluate the association of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in tree species, microbial activity (basal respiration) and fertility of 'cerrado' degraded areas. Soil from two areas, pasture soil and exposed subsoil, were utilized. Organic and mineral fertilization, and liming, were added to the pit for better seedlings' initial growth, where 50 mL of preserved cerrado soil was applied as inoculum of microorganisms. Seedlings of 11 tree species were planted: Anadenanthera falcata (Benth.) Speg ('angico-preto'), Acacia polyphylla D. C. ('monjoleiro'), Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville ('barbatimao'), Dimorphandra mollis Benth ('faveiro'), Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne ('jatoba-de-cerrado'), Dipteryx alata Vog. ('baru'), Machaerium acutifolium Vogel ('jacaranda-do-campo'), Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi ('aroeirapimenteira'), Magonia pubescens St. Hil. ('tingui'), Lafoensia pacari St. Hil. ('dedaleira') and Tabebuia aurea (Manso) Benth. & Hook ('ipe-amarelo'). Twelve months later, root samples were colleted at the depth of 0-0.10 m and used for evaluations. The subsoil, as compared to pasture soil, was poor in organic matter and presented less microbial activity. The highest mycorrhizal colonization was seen in the species Acacia polyphylla D. C. (monjoleiro), Magonia pubescens St. Hil. (tingui), Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne (jatoba-de-cerrado) and Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (aroeira-pimenteira). These species could be indicated in revegetation projects in 'cerrado' degraded areas. Plants from both areas showed seedlings form high mycorrhizal colonization and low numbers of spores.

Atividade da enzima redutase do nitrato e teores de prolina livre em raízes de cana-de-açúcar sob os estresses hídrico e ácido no solo

The aim of this work was evaluate the physiological indicators of association between water deficiency and soil acidity, by determining the nitrate reductase activity, the levels of free proline and initial growth of the root system of seedlings of sugarcane cv. IAC91-5155. After 30 days, the seedlings were transferred to plastic pots with 12 dm3 of dystrophic alic Red Latosol (Oxisol) and submitted to association of three treatments of water availability: no stress (70%), moderate stress (55%) and severe stress (40%), in according with field capacity and three acidity treatments: no stress (55%), moderate stress (33%) and severe stress (23%), considering the base saturation. The experimental design was that of random blocks under factorial scheme of 3x3, with four replicates. After 60 days under the stress association, the levels of free proline, the nitrate reductase activity and the growth of the sugarcane roots system were evaluated in seedlings of sugarcane. The nitrate reductase enzyme activity can be considered a physiological indicator of the effect of the association of acid and water stress in moderate conditions in soil, while the free proline can be considered physiological indicator to both stress in severe conditions. Water deficiency increasing reduced growth of sugarcane roots.

Influência da oclusão bilateral das artérias carótidas comuns sobre a atividade vagal

The effects of carotid occlusion on parasympathetic activity were studied in anesthetized dogs submitted to beta adrenergic blockade. Modifications of the heart rate, before and after administration of atropine, were utilized for assessment of vagal changes. When vagal activity was intact there was elevation of the heart rate. After parasympathetic blockade carotid occlusion did not cause heart rate modifications. The data suggest that carotid occlusion produced vagal inhibition.