Nutritional status and functional capacity of hospitalized elderly

Background: The nutritional status of the aging individual results from a complex interaction between personal and environmental factors. A disease influences and is influenced by the nutritional status and the functional capacity of the individual. We asses the relationship between nutritional status and indicators of functional capacity among recently hospitalized elderly in a general hospital.Methods: A cross-sectional study was done with 240 elderly (women, n = 127 and men, n = 113) hospitalized in a hospital that provides care for the public and private healthcare systems. The nutritional status was classified by the MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) into: malnourished, risk of malnutrition and without malnutrition (adequate). The functional autonomy indicators were obtained by the self-reported Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to compare the proportions and the level of significance was 5%.Results: Among the assessed elderly, 33.8% were classified as adequate regarding nutritional status; 37.1% were classified as being at risk of malnutrition and 29.1% were classified as malnourished. All the IADL and ADL variables assessed were significantly more deteriorated among the malnourished individuals. Among the ADL variables, eating partial (42.9%) or complete (12.9%) dependence was found in more than half of the malnourished elderly, in 13.4% of those at risk of malnutrition and in 2.5% of those without malnutrition.Conclusion: There is an interrelationship between the nutritional status of the elderly and reduced functional capacity.

Modulation of the Pharmacological Activities of Secretory Phospholipase A2 from Crotalus durissus cascavella Induced by Naringin

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anti-ulcerogenic and analgesic activities of the leaves of Wilbrandia ebracteata in mice

Wilbrandia ebracteata (Cogn.) Cogn. is a medicinal plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family used popularly as an antiulcer and analgesic medicine. The hydromethanol extract of leaves was investigated to determine its anti-ulcerogenic (ethanol and indomethacin induced gastric damage) and analgesic (writhing and tail-flick tests) activities in mice (efficacy), its acute toxicity (safety), and its phytochemistry (quality control). Oral administration of leaf extract at a dose of 1000 mg/kg body wt. significantly reduced 73.3% of the total area of lesion in ethanol-induced gastric damage, but was inactive in an indomethacin-induced gastric damage test. The hydromethanol extract was also inactive in both analgesic tests. Oral administration of the leaf extract did not produce mortality in mice, while the LD50 value of the roots was 22.10 mg/kg body wt. in female mice and 58.31 mg/kg body wt. in male mice. Leaves of W. ebracteata reacted positively for steroids, flavonols, flavanones, saponins, tannins and xanthones and negative for other compounds, including cucurbitacins. Leaf extract of W. ebracteata was active as an anti-ulcerogenic, probably through increasing gastric defensive factors, and flavonoids might be the main constituent responsible for this activity.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of the natural polyphenol chlorogenic acid

Phenolic compounds are numerous and ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, being particularly present in health-promoting foods. Epidemiological evidences suggest that the consumption of polyphenol-rich foods reduces the incidence of cancer, coronary heart disease and inflammation. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is one of the most abundant polyphenol compounds in human diet. Data obtained from in vivo and in vitro experiments show that CGA mostly presents antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic activities. However, the effects of CGA on the inflammatory reaction and on the related pain and fever processes have been explored less so far. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic activities of CGA in rats. In comparison to control, CGA at doses 50 and 100 mg/kg inhibited carrageenin-induced paw edema beginning at the 2nd hour of the experimental procedure. Furthermore, at doses 50 and 100 mg/kg CGA also inhibited the number of flinches in the late phase of formalin-induced pain test. Such activities may be derived from the inhibitory action of CGA in the peripheral synthesis/release of inflammatory mediators involved in these responses. On the other hand, even at the highest tested dose (200 mg/kg), CGA did not inhibit the febrile response induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. Additional experiments are necessary in order to clarify the true target for the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of CGA. © 2006 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.

Myeloperoxidase inhibitory and radical scavenging activities of flavones from Pterogyne nitens

Two new flavone glucosides, nitensosides A and B (1, 2), together with four known compounds, sorbifolin (3), sorbifolin 6-O-β-glucopyranoside (4), pedalitin (5), and pedalitin 6-O-β-glucopyranoside (6) were isolated from Pterogyne nitens. Their structures were elucidated from 1D and 2D NMR analysis, as well as by high resolution mass spectrometry. All the isolated flavones were evaluated for their myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibitory activity. The most active compound, pedalitin, exhibited IC 50 value of 3.75 nM on MPO. Additionally, the radical-scavenging capacity of flavones 1-6 was evaluated towards ABTS and DPPH radicals and compared to standard compounds quercetin and Trolox®. © 2008 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.

Impact of the Caribbean Information System on the activities of the Caribbean Community Secretariat: with special reference to CARISPLAN abstracts

Includes bibliography

Knowledge and data for population in development: information activities of CELADE and the Latin American and Caribbean Population Information Network (IPALCA)

Includes bibliography