Anti-snake venom properties of Schizolobium parahyba (Caesalpinoideae) aqueous leaves extract

Many medicinal plants have been recommended for the treatment of snakebites. The aqueous extracts prepared from the leaves of Schizolobium parahyba (a plant found in Mata Atlantica in Southeastern Brazil) were assayed for their ability to inhibit some enzymatic and biological activities induced by Bothropspauloensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms as well as by their isolated toxins neuwiedase (metalloproteinase), BnSP-7 (basic Lys49 PLA(2)) and CB (PLA(2) from crotoxin complex). Phospholipase A(2), coagulant, fibrinogenolytic, hemorrhagic and myotoxic activities induced by R pauloensis and C. d. terrificus venoms, as well as by their isolated toxins were significantly inhibited when different amounts of S. parahyba were incubated previously with these venoms and toxins before assays. However, when S. parahyba was administered at the same route as the venoms or toxins injections, the tissue local damage, such as hemorrhage and myotoxicity was only partially inhibited. The study also evaluated the inhibitory effect of S. parahyba upon the spreading of venom proteins from the injected area into the systemic circulation. The neutralization of systemic alterations induced by i.m. injection of R pauloensis venom was evaluated by measuring platelet and plasma fibrinogen levels which were significantly maintained when S. parahyba extract inoculation occurred at the same route after R pauloensis venom injection. In conclusion, the observations confirmed that the aqueous extract of S. parahyba possesses potent snake venom neutralizing properties. It may be used as an alternative treatment to serum therapy and as a rich source of potential inhibitors of toxins involved in several physiopathological human and animal diseases. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neutralization of pharmacological and toxic activities of Bothrops snake venoms by Schizolobium parahyba (Fabaceae) aqueous extract and its fractions

The aqueous extract prepared from Schizolobium parahyba (Sp) leaves, a native plant from Atlantic Forest (Brazil), was tested to analyse its ability to inhibit some biological and enzymatic activities induced by Bothrops alternatus (BaltCV) and Bothrops moojeni (BmooCV) snake venoms. Sp inhibited 100% of lethality, blood incoagulability, haemorrhagic and indirect haemolytic activities at a 1:10 ratio (venom/extract, w/w), as well as coagulant activity at a 1:5 ratio (venom/extract, w/w) induced by both venoms. BaltCV fibrinogenolytic activity was also neutralized by Sp at a 1:10 ratio, resulting in total protection of fibrinogen B beta chain and partial protection of A alpha chain. Interaction tests have demonstrated that, at certain extract/proteins ratios, Sp precipitates proteins non-specifically suggesting the presence of tannins, which are very likely responsible for the excellent inhibiting effects of the analysed ophidian activities. Sp aqueous extract chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 was carried out aiming at the separation of these compounds that mask the obtained results. Thus, the fractionation of Sp resulted in three fractions: F1 (methanolic fraction); F2 (methanol:water fraction, 1:1 v/v); and F3 (aqueous fraction). These fractions were analysed for their ability to inhibit the BaltCV fibrinogenolytic activity. F1 inhibited 100% the venom fibrinogenolytic activity without presenting protein precipitation effect; F2 showed only partial inhibition of this venom activity. Finally, F3 did not inhibit fibrinogen proteolysis, but presented strong protein precipitating action. We conclude that Sp aqueous extract, together with tannins, also contains other compounds that can display specific inhibitory activity against snake venom toxins.

Acute Toxicity of Schizolobium parahyba Aqueous Extract in Mice

The herbal extract of Schizolobium parahyba leaves is used commonly in the Brazil central region to treat snakebites. This study evaluates the acute toxicological effects of Schizolobium parahyba aqueous extract in mice 24 h after intraperitoneal administration. Acute toxicity was evaluated using biochemical, hematological and histopathological assays. Alterations in the levels of transaminases, bilirubin, albumin and prothrombrin time were observed, and these are likely to occur due to hepatic injury, which was confirmed by light microscopy. Liver histopathological analysis revealed the presence of lymph plasmocitary inflammatory infiltrate, but no other histopathological alterations were observed in any of the other organs analysed. The data confirm the low toxicity of the extract of Schizolobium parahyba and provide a model for the selection of a dose that does not cause injuries in the organism. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical composition of bovine milk from Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Aiming at international competitiveness of the Brazilian dairy sector, new governmental policies were released to improve quality and safety of bovine milk. In this context, it is important to quantify essential and toxic chemical elements. Here, the composition of milk samples taken at 32 dairy farms in Minas Gerais State was assessed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), besides the evaluation of usual quality parameters. Significant differences were found for Ba, K, Na and fat content amongst dairy farms with diverse quality levels established on basis of somatic cell and total bacterial count.

Hot melt granulation of coarse pharmaceutical powders in a spouted bed

The hot melt granulation of a coarse pharmaceutical powder in a top spray spouted bed is described. The substrate was lactose-polyvinylpyrrolidone particles containing or not acetaminophen as a drug model. Polyethylene glycol (MW, 4000) used as binder was atomized onto the bed by a two-fluid spray nozzle. The granulation experiments followed a 2(3) factorial design with triplicates at the center point and were carried out by varying the spray nozzle vertical position, the atomizing air flow rate and the binder feed rate. Granules were evaluated by their pharmacotechnical properties like size distribution, bulk and tapped densities, Carr index, Hausner ratio and tableting characteristics. Analysis of variance showed that granule sizes were affected by the PEG feed rate and atomizing air pressure at the significance levels of 1.0 and 5.0%. respectively, but spray nozzle distance to the substrate bed was not significant. The spray conditions also affected granule flow and consolidation properties. measured by the Carr index and Hausner ratio. Measured densities, Carr indexes and Hausner ratios proved that granules flowability and consolidation properties are adequate for pharmaceutical processing and tableting. Tablets prepared with acetaminophen-containing granules showed good properties and adequate release profiles in in vitro dissolution tests. The results indicate the suitability of spouted beds for the hot melt granulation of pharmaceutical coarse powders. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elite athletes: Why does the 'fire' burn so brightly?

Background and Purpose: What drives some athletes to achieve at the highest level whilst other athletes fail to achieve their physical potential? Why does the ‘fire’ burn so brightly for some elite athletes and not for others? A good understanding of an athlete’s motivation is critical to a coach designing an appropriate motivational climate to realize an athlete’s physical talent. This paper examines the motivational processes of elite athletes within the framework of three major social-cognitive theories of motivation. Method: Participants were five male and five female elite track and field athletes from Australia who had finished in the top ten at either the Olympic Games and/or the World Championships in the last six years. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results and Discussion: Inductive analyses revealed several major themes associated with the motivational processes of elite athletes: (a) they were highly driven by personal goals and achievement, (b) they had strong self-belief, and (c) track and field was central to their lives. The findings are discussed in light of recent social-cognitive theories of motivation, namely, self-determination theory, the hierarchical model of motivation, and achievement goal theory. Self-determined forms of motivation characterised the elite athletes in this study and, consistent with social-cognitive theories of motivation, it is suggested that goal accomplishment enhances perceptions of competence and consequently promotes self-determined forms of motivation.

USA: Not so pretty in pink

Pink is a favourite colour of marketers targeting the coveted purchasing power of girls and young women. It is used to sell everything from mobile telephones to golf clubs and pop music. Tobacco companies have also cashed in on this stereotypical colour with products such as Pink Dreams cigarettes.

From possessive pronoun to emphatic determiner: 'so' in Mauritian Creole

This paper argues that at a particular stage in the genesis of Mauritian Creole (MC), the 3sg possessive pronoun 'so', inherited from the French 'son' was used as a definite determiner as well as a possessive pronoun. It was used when there was a need to single out a unique element in the discourse, or to introduce a new referent which was to become the focus of attention. 'So' was mostly used with genitive constructions, where a phonologically null determiner was equally grammatical. This paper argues that, in the early creole, genitive constructions licensed the determinative use of this pronoun. The use of 'so' with genitive constructions is no longer grammatical in modern MC, but this particle continues to be used as an emphatic determiner, where it now modifies both singular and plural NPs.

New integrable model of correlated electrons with off-diagonal long-range order from so(5) symmetry

We present a new integrable model for correlated electrons which is based on so(5) symmetry. By using an eta-pairing realization we construct eigenstates of the Hamiltonian with off-diagonal long-range order. It is also shown that these states lie in the ground state sector. We exactly solve the model on a one-dimensional lattice by the Bethe ansatz.

Systemic Model for Diagnosis of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises from Two Cities from the Countryside of the State of So Paulo in Brazil

This article presents a proposal of a systemic model composed for the micro and small companies (MSE) of the region of Ribeiro Preto and the agents which influenced their environment. The proposed model was based on Stafford Beer`s (Diagnosing the system for organizations. Chichester, Wiley, 1985) systemic methodologies VSM (Viable System Model) and on Werner Ulrich`s (1983) CSH (Critical Systems Heuristics). The VSM is a model for the diagnosis of the structure of an organization and of its flows of information through the application of the cybernetics concepts (Narvarte, In El Modelo del Sistema Viable-MSV: experiencias de su aplicacin en Chile. Proyecto Cerebro Colectivo del IAS, Santiago, 2001). On the other hand, CSH focus on the context of the social group applied to the systemic vision as a counterpoint to the organizational management view considered by the VSM. MSE of Ribeiro Preto and Sertozinho had been analyzed as organizations inserted in systems that relate and integrate with other systems concerning the public administration, entities of representation and promotion agencies. The research questions: which are the bonds of interaction among the subsystems in this process and who are the agents involved? The systemic approach not only diagnosed a social group, formed by MSE of Ribeiro Preto and Sertozinho, public authorities and support entities, but could also delineate answers that aimed the clarification of obscure questions generating financial assistance to the formularization of efficient actions for the development of this system.

Male Reproductive Apparatus and Spermatophore Morphology of the Hermit Crabs Pagurus brevidactylus and P. criniticornis (Anomura, Paguridae)

Spermatozoa of most crustacean species are nonmotile and are packed into spermatophores. In Decapoda, spermatophores are highly variable in morphology and can be useful in the solving of taxonomic and systematic questions, especially among the Anomura. In this study, the morphology and morphometry of the spermatophores of the western Atlantic hermit crabs Pagurus brevidactylus and P criniticornis are described. The abdomen of fresh male specimens was dissected to expose the reproductive system and to extract the spermatophores, which were analyzed by stereoscopic, light, and scanning electron microscopy. The vas deferens can be divided macroscopically in three regions, all of them containing spermatophores. Tripartite spermatophores are composed of an elongated cylindrical main ampulla, a triangular accessory ampulla, a narrow cylindrical peduncle, and a round pedestal. Dimensions of the spermatophore components are positively correlated to the size of the crab. Morphological patterns observed in this study resemble those of other pagurid hermit crabs investigated to date. The morphological character distribution confirms classifications based on adult morphology and molecular analysis. J. Morphol. 272:1271-1280, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Taxonomic re-examination of the hermit crab species Pagurus forceps and Pagurus comptus (Decapoda: Paguridae) by molecular analysis

The current taxonomy of two poorly known hermit crab species Pagurus forceps H. Milne Edwards, 1836 and Pagurus comptus White, 1847 from temperate Pacific and Atlantic coastlines of South America is based only on adult morphology. Past studies have questioned the separation of these two very similar species, which occur sympatrically. We included specimens morphologically assignable to P. forceps and P. comptus in a phylogenetic analysis, along with other selected anomuran decapods, based on 16S ribosomal gene sequences. Differences between samples putatively assigned to either P. forceps and P. comptus were moderate, with sequence similarity ranging from 98.2 to 99.4% for the fragments analyzed. Our comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences (16S rRNA) revealed diagnostic differences between the two putative species, suggesting that P. forceps and P. comptus are indeed phylogenetically close but different species, with no genetic justification to support their synonymization. The polyphyly of Pagurus is not corroborated here among the represented Atlantic species, despite obviously complex relationships among the members of the genus.

Effect of glycosylation on the biochemical properties of beta-xylosidases from Aspergillus versicolor

Aspergillus versicolor grown on xylan or xylose produces two beta-xylosidases with differences in biochemical properties and degree of glycosylation. We investigated the alterations in the biochemical properties of these beta-xylosidases after deglycosylation with Endo-H or PNGase F. After deglycosylation, both enzymes migrated faster in PAGE or SDS-PAGE exhibiting the same R(f). Temperature optimum of xylan-induced and xylose-induced beta-xylosidases was 45A degrees C and 40A degrees C, respectively, and 35A degrees C after deglycosylation. The xylan-induced enzyme was more active at acidic pH. After deglycosylation, both enzymes had the same pH optimum of 6.0. Thermal resistance at 55A degrees C showed half-life of 15 min and 9 min for xylose- and xylan-induced enzymes, respectively. After deglycosylation, both enzymes exhibited half-lives of 7.5 min. Native enzymes exhibited different responses to ions, while deglycosylated enzymes exhibited identical responses. Limited proteolysis yielded similar polypeptide profiles for the deglycosylated enzymes, suggesting a common polypeptide core with differential glycosylation apparently responsible for their biochemical and biophysical differences.

Production of beta-fructofuranosidases by Aspergillus niveus using agroindustrial residues as carbon sources: Characterization of an intracellular enzyme accumulated in the presence of glucose

The production of beta-fructofuranosidases by Aspergillus niveus, cultivated under submerged fermentation using agroindustrial residues, was investigated. The highest productivity of beta-fructofuranosidases was obtained in Khanna medium supplemented with sugar cane bagasse as carbon source. Glucose enhanced the production of the intracellular enzyme, whereas that of the extracellular one was decreased. The intracellular beta-fructofuranosidase was a trimeric protein of approximately 141 kDa (gel filtration) with 53.5% carbohydrate content, composed of 57 kDa monomers (SDS-PAGE). The optimum temperature and optimum pH were 60 degrees C and 4.5, respectively. The purified enzyme showed good thermal stability and exhibited a half-life of 53 min at 60 degrees C. beta-Fructofuranosidase activity was slightly activated by Cu(2+), Mn(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+) at 1 mM concentration. The enzyme hydrolyzed sucrose, raffinose, and inulin, with K(d) values of 5.78 mM, 5.74 mM, and 1.74 mM, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Description of a new species of Asymmetrione (Isopoda: Bopyridae: Pseudioninae) infesting the hermit crab Paguristes tomentosus (Anomura: Diogenidae) from Peru, with a key to species and a review of southeastern Pacific bopyrids

A new species of bopyrid isopod is described from a host hermit crab Paguristes tomentosus collected from Pisco, Peru and assigned to the pseudionine isopod genus Asymmetrione Codreanu, Codreanu and Pike, 1965. This is the second species in the genus with less than 20 asymmetry in females, but agrees with all other species in the genus in having the characteristic ""socket"" on the propodus of the female`s pereopods, and in all characters of the males. A key is provided to the 10 species now in Asymmetrione. New records of an Anathelges sp. from Pagurus villosus collected in central Chile are given but additional material is required to determine whether these specimens represent the eastern Pacific A. thompsoni or the western Atlantic A. hyptius. A review of all the bopyrid species known from the western South American coast, with remarks on their taxonomy and biology, is provided.