Integralidade no cuidado nas Medicinas Naturais: a resposta dos usuários ao medicamento homeopático

Inicialmente, este trabalho tece algumas considerações a respeito de apontamentos conceituais teórico-práticos da Homeopatia e fala da construção social da demanda para tal prática, tendo em vista responder ao mal estar difuso que inquieta nossos usuários. A realização de estudos como este que busquem compreender as terapêuticas que incluem as práticas integrativas e complementares no SUS, tal com a Homeopatia, a partir do entendimento sobre sua utilização tanto pelos praticantes como pelos usuários pode contribuir para a pesquisa social sobre essas práticas, visando sua efetiva institucionalização no sistema público de saúde no país. O objetivo deste trabalho foi buscar compreender qual o entendimento de pacientes e de médicos sobre a resposta ao tratamento homeopático, a partir de suas narrativas, visando identificar a existência de relação com os sentidos da integralidade do cuidado. Trata-se de uma pesquisa avaliativa de natureza qualitativa, adotando como informantes-chaves o paciente e o profissional homeopata, e utilizando o prontuário como fonte de informação secundária, com a finalidade de complementar as informações. Como campo de investigação, foram escolhidos três tipos de atendimentos distintos: dois tipos de atendimento realizados em serviços públicos, onde o profissional realiza abordagem exclusivamente homeopática (nos municípios de Juiz de fora e do Rio de Janeiro) e um no PSF de Volta Redonda, no qual o atendimento homeopático está incluído nas atividades do médico de família. Foram realizadas também entrevistas cujas análises foram ordenadas (com relação às narrativas dos entrevistados) em diversas disposições para possibilitar diferentes cortes de análises. Os resultados apresentados são discutidos relacionando-os com as categorias representativas da Integralidade que mais se fizeram presentes, a saber, a Integralidade na dimensão da abordagem total do paciente, a autonomia e o cuidado. Essas categorias nos levam a pensar na possibilidade de apresentarem-se como campos possíveis de serem incluídos em fichas clínicas nas quais o profissional, juntamente com o paciente, seriam convidados a refletir, a cada etapa do tratamento, e a sinalizar em que direção a resposta terapêutica está se dando, registrando suas observações de forma objetiva e contribuindo, desta forma, para a análise e a avaliação da integralidade no tratamento homeopático. As conclusões deste trabalho contribuem no sentido de ampliar as possibilidades de avaliação, dando visibilidade à dimensão integral do tratamento homeopático com todo o seu leque semântico e dialógico evidenciados neste estudo, bem como de proporcionar avanços no processo de institucionalização no sistema público de atendimento à saúde, pois a avaliação enquanto etapa final desse processo ocorre ao se medir seus resultados e conferir-lhe validação. Tal atitude ainda possibilita, ao binômio médico-paciente, uma oportunidade de crítica e de avaliação permanente sobre o processo terapêutico que se está experimentando.

Biological effects of Ocimum gratissimum L. are due to synergic action among multiple compounds present in essential oil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Gastroprotective and antisecretory effects of Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb)

Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb), an Egyptian medicinal species highly important for treating numerous diseases, was investigated against experimentally induced gastric ulcer in rodents. We evaluated the gastroprotective effect of four extracts (petroleum ether, diethyl ether, chloroform, and methanol) of A. excelsa bark by using the ethanol-induced gastric lesion model. The pretreatment of animals with methanolic, petroleum ether, and chloroformic extracts (100 mg/kg, oral (p.o.)) from A. excelsa significantly reduced gastric lesion induced by ulcerogenic agent (56, 47, and 70%, respectively) when compared with animals pretreated with vehicle. However, the diethyl ether pretreatment led to the least gastric lesion damage (83%), similar to the standard antiulcer drug, cimetidine, at the same dose (100 mg/kg, p.o.). The lower effective dose of diethyl ether extract, as well as cimetidine, given by intraduodenal route, significantly increased the pH values and reduced the acid output of gastric juice. Sterols, triterpenes, and quassinoids are present in the diethyl ether extract of A. excelsa stem bark, which presented the best gastroprotective action among the studied extracts. Our study confirmed the traditional indications of A. excelsa for the treatment of gastric ulcer.

Exportação de nutrientes em plantas de jambu, sob diferentes adubações

The jambu is a broad vegetable consumption in Northern Brazil, especially in Pará, known by the jambu and other common names is native to the Amazon region has been used and cultivated for culinary and also recently in natural medicines by their chemical properties, attributed to the spilanthol compound. Knowing the amount of nutrient uptake in plants, especially at the taken, it is important to evaluate the removal of nutrients necessary for economic fertilizer recommendations. So the goal of this project was to determine the accumulation of nutrients in plants of jambu (leaf and inflorescence) under different fertilizations. The experiment was conducted at São Manuel Experimental Farm UNESP. The statistical was arranged in the randomized block design, in a 2 x 6 factorial scheme, two sources of fertilizers (organic and mineral) and six doses of nitrogen, with four replications. We evaluated the macronutrients of accumulation N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and micronutrients of accumulation B, Cu, Fe and Zn in leaves and inflorescence. The plants responded more jambu nutrients of translocation phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sulfhur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in the inflorescences and phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mg), sulfur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in leaves to organic fertilization demonstrating the effectiveness of using this source of fertilizer nutrients indicating that this was a defining characteristic in response to the accumulation of nutrients in the leaves and inflorescences jambu. Plants jambu are more responsive to fertilizer for the mineral of translocation nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) for both the sheet and for the inflorescences of plants jambu.

Gastroprotective mechanisms of the chloroform and ethyl acetate phases of Praxelis clematidea (Griseb.) R.M.King & H.Robinson (Asteraceae)

Flavonoid-rich Praxelis clematidea (Griseb.) R.M.King & H.Robinson (Asteraceae) is a native plant of South America. This study evaluates the gastroprotective activity and possible mechanisms for both the chloroform (CHCl3P) and ethyl acetate phases (AcOEtP) obtained from aerial parts of the plant. The activity was investigated using acute models of gastric ulcer. Gastric secretion biochemical parameters were determined after pylorus ligature. The participation of cytoprotective factors such as mucus, nitric oxide (NO), sulfhydryl (SH) groups, prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), reduction of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde level), and polymorphonuclear infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity), was also investigated. CHCl3P (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) and AcOEtP (62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg) showed significant gastroprotective activity, reducing the ulcerative index by 75, 83, 88 % and 66, 66, 81 % for ethanol; 67, 67, 56 % and 56, 53, 58 % for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID); and 74, 58, 59 % and 64, 65, 61 % for stress-induced gastric ulcer, respectively. CHCl3P (125 mg/kg) and AcOEtP (62.5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the ulcerative area by 78 and 83 %, respectively, for the ischemia-reperfusion model. They also did not alter the biochemical parameters of gastric secretion, the GSH level or the activities of SOD, GPx or GR. They increased the quantity of gastric mucus, not dependent on NO, yet dependent on SH groups, and maintained PGE2 levels. The P. clematidea phases demonstrated gastroprotective activity related to cytoprotective factors. © 2012 The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy and Springer.

Uma revisão sobre o uso de medicamentos naturais para tratamento de tumores

This study objective was to review a selection of publications on the treatment of benign and malignant tumors with the use of natural medicines obtained from terrestrial and marine flora, both for use in chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. There are many medications already being used for this purpose and many are still being tested in vivo and in vitro, but all with great future prospects for inclusion in the market

A pterocarpan from the seeds of Bituminaria morisiana

A new prenylated pterocarpan, named morisianine, was isolated together with the known secondary metabolites erybraedin C, psoralen and angelicin from the seeds of Bituminaria morisiana. The structures of the compounds were elucidated mainly by 1D and 2D NMR experiments as well as mass spectrometry. The new compound was subjected to cytotoxicity screening against a panel of human cancer cells.

Estudo da qualidade do mel de abelhas sem ferrão por análise por ativação neutrônica instrumental

O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores mundiais de mel, no qual sua produção é baseada principalmente na criação da espécie exótica Apis mellifera. A produção de mel da Apis mellifera é cerca de 10 vezes maior que das espécies de abelhas sem ferrão, contudo, o mel de abelhas nativas possui maior valor comercial. Embora pouco explorado, o mel de abelhas sem ferrão desperta interesse em indústrias de cosméticos e medicinas naturais. A sua produção se apresenta como uma ferramenta com grande potencial para agregar valor econômico aos ecossistemas brasileiros, em especial os florestais, de forma sustentável e com menor potencial de influências de contaminantes traços. A qualidade química do mel é um importante requisito comercial, principalmente o destinado à exportação. Como exemplo, a União Européia em 2006 decidiu suspender a importação do mel produzido no Brasil sob alegação de que o país não possuía equivalência ao bloco quanto as diretrizes para o controle de resíduos e qualidade do produto. Diante do potencial de produção comercial sustentável do mel de abelhas nativas brasileiras e a falta de conhecimento sobre possíveis resíduos encontrados em sua composição, em especial os elementos traços, como objetivo principal deste trabalho pretendeu-se caracterizar a composição de elementos químicos do mel de abelhas sem ferrão, comparar com o de Apis mellifera e verificar as possíveis variações causadas pelo ambiente. Este estudo investigou a composição química dos méis de abelhas sem ferrão de cinco estados brasileiros: Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Norte, Santa Catarina e São Paulo; compreendendo um total de 70 colméias de diferentes espécies: Melipona quadrifasciata, Melipona scutelaris, Melipona mandacaia, Melipona capixaba, Melipona rufiventris, Melipona compressipes, Melipona bicolor, Nannotrigona testaceicornis, Tetragona clavipes, Tetragonisca angustula e Scaptotrigona sp.. Pólen, a principal fonte de minerais para a colméia, e as próprias abelhas foram também coletadas para estudos de composição e correlação com os méis. A análise por ativação neutrônica instrumental permitiu a determinação de Br, Ca, Co, Cs, Fe, La, Na, Rb, Sc e Zn nos méis, Br, Ca, Co, Cs, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sc, Se e Zn nas amostras de pólen e As, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se e Zn em abelhas. Méis das abelhas da subtribo trigonina apresentaram maiores concentrações dos elementos alcalinos. Alta razão K/Na foram observadas nas amostras de mel e pólen. Pólen se apresentou como uma grande fonte de P e Se. Análises quimiométricas indicaram os méis e abelhas como bons indicadores de atividades antrópicas. Arsênio apareceu nas abelhas coletadas em áreas de maior atividade antrópica. Como resultado, este estudo tem demonstrado o potencial nutracêutico do mel e pólen meliponícola e o potencial das abelhas nativas como ferramentas de avaliação da qualidade ambiental. A proximidade a atividades antrópicas mostrou-se fator decisivo para concentrações mais elevadas de As mas abelhas

Chromatographic analysis of antioxidant and related compounds in Polyporus squamosus from different origins

The antioxidant potential of mushrooms is mainly attributed to their composition in polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, tocopherols and some organic acids [1]. Phenolic compounds contribute directly to the antioxidative action and play an important role in stabilizing lipid peroxidation [2]; exhibit a wide range of bioactive properties such as anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, which have been in part related to their antioxidant activity [3]. Tocopherols are important fatsoluble antioxidants, acting in the cellular membrane; due to their role as scavenger of free radicals protecting human cells against degenerative malfunctions [4]. Some organic acids are very common in natural matrices; malic acid contributes to a pleasantly sour taste and is often used as a food additive; citric acid is known due to its antibacterial and antioxidant properties and fumaric acid is important because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and acidifying properties [5]. The purpose of the present study was to analyze antioxidant and related compounds (phenolic compounds, tocopherols and organic acids) of Polyporus squamosus (Huds.) Fr. samples originated from two different origins (Portugal and Serbia). Specimens of P. squamosus were collected in Bragança (Northeast Portugal) and Jabučki rit (Northern Serbia) during April 2015 and 2012, respectively. Phenolic compounds, organic acids and tocopherols were determined by high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD), in the two first cases, and a fluorescence detector in the last one. With respect to phenolic and related compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acids were identified in both samples; the first one predominates in the sample from Portugal, while cinnamic acid was more abundant in the sample from Serbia. Tocopherols (α-, β and γ-isoforms) were found in the sample from Serbia, but in the sample from Portugal, γ-tocopherol was not identified. This sample showed the highest total tocopherols content, and revealed the highest level of β-tocopherol; γ- tocopherol predominated in the sample from Serbia. Among organic acids, it was possible to quantify oxalic, malic and fumaric acids in both samples. Malic acid was found in higher amounts in the sample from Serbia. Overall, the present study shows that mushroom samples from different origins have dissimilar results, but are both rich in bioactive compounds, being a valuable source for the development of natural medicines and nutraceuticals.

Polyporus squamosus (Huds.) Fr from different origins: chemical characterization, screening of the bioactive properties and specific antimicrobial effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Wild mushrooms are mainly collected during the rainy season and valued as a nutritious food and sources of natural medicines and nutraceuticals. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and bioactive properties (antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity) of Polyporus squamosus from two different origins, Portugal and Serbia. The sample from Portugal showed higher contents of as protein (17.14 g/100 g), fat (2.69 g/100 g), ash (3.15 g/100 g) and carbohydrates (77.02 g/100 g); the same sample gave the highest antioxidant activity: highest reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and lipid peroxidation inhibition in both β-carotene/linoleate and TBARS assay. These results could be related to its higher content in total tocopherols (1968.65 μg/100 g) and phenolic compounds (1.29 mg/100 g). Both extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against all the tested organisms. The samples from Serbia gave higher overall antibacterial activity and showed excellent antibiofilm activity (88.30 %). Overall, P. squamosus methanolic extracts possessed antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm and anti-quorum sensing activity, and without toxicity for liver cells. This investigation highlights alternatives to be explored for the treatment of bacterial infections, in particular against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study provides important results for the chemical and bioactive properties, especially antimicrobial activity of the mushroom P. squamosus. Moreover, to the authors’ knowledge this is the first report on sugars, organic acids, and individual phenolic compounds in P. squamosus.

Medications, youth therapeutic cultures and performance consumptions: a sociological approach

"This article analyses performance consumptions among young people. The theme is explored along two main axes. The first concerns the social heterogeneity in this field, considered on two levels: the different purposes for those investments – cognitive/mental and physical performance; and the different social contexts – university and work – where performance practices and dispositions may be fostered. The second axis explores the roles of pharmacological and natural consumptions, and their interrelationship, in the dissemination of these practices. The empirical data for this analysis were drawn from an ongoing research project on performance consumptions among young people (aged 18−29 years) in Portugal, including both university students and young workers without university education. The results correspond to the stage of extensive research, for which a questionnaire was organised at a national level, using non-proportional quota sampling. On the one hand, they show that (a) there is a hierarchy of acceptance of consumptions according to their purposes, with cognitive/mental performance showing higher acceptance and (b) both pharmaceuticals and natural products are consumed for every type of performance investment. On the other, the comparison between students and workers introduces a certain heterogeneity in this general backdrop, both in terms of the purposes for their consumptions and their opting for natural or pharmacological resources. These threads of heterogeneity will prompt a discussion of the dynamics of pharmaceuticalisation within the field of performance, in particular how therapeutic cultures may be changing in terms of the way individuals relate to medications, expanding their uses in social life."

Saúde e remédios caseiros

Inserido no âmbito do Projeto Europeu “My Food My Medicine” (Meu Alimento Meu Medicamento), que tem como ideia base o conselho de Hipócrates de que a nossa alimentação deve ser o nosso medicamento, realizou-se um Trabalho de Projeto de formação sobre a manutenção da saúde através da promoção de uma alimentação saudável e pela recuperação do uso de receitas tradicionais/caseiras de medicamentos naturais usados ancestralmente na resposta aos distúrbios de saúde mais comuns. Objetivos Gerais: O principal objetivo do projeto é levar os participantes a compreender os princípios e receitas da medicina tradicional e natural, as características dos ingredientes e os seus benefícios para a saúde. Metodologia: Elaboração de um projeto de formação com materiais educativos, testados pela sua aplicação, e realização de questionários a formadores e formandos. Resultados: Verificou-se algum conhecimento por parte dos formandos de grande parte das receitas de remédios caseiros, embora por vezes com alguma desconfiança da sua eficácia, acreditamos terem ficado com intenção de usar a maior parte das receitas expostas pela sua facilidade de elaboração e pela valorização crescente da tradicionalidade e ancestralidade, julgamos desta forma poder ter contribuído para a promoção e manutenção da saúde; Abstract: As part of the European Project "My Food My Medicine” which has as its central idea the Board of Hippocrates that our food should be our medicine i.e., a healthy diet is the foundation of a healthy life, this report presents an educational project about the maintenance of health through the promotion of healthy eating that is reflected also by the use of natural medicines based on homemade/traditional recipes used ancestrally that respond to the most common health disorders. Objectives: Take the participants to understand the basic principles and the recipes of traditional medicine, the characteristics of the ingredients and their health benefits. Methodology: Development of an educational project and educational materials, tested trough out its implementation, and conducting questionnaires to trainers and trainees. Results: The objective was accomplished. It was found some familiarity on the part of the graduates of most recipes for home remedies although sometimes with some distrust of their validity. The schooling contributed to health promotion. The trainees demonstrated the intention to use the recipes exposed as a way to maintain a healthy life.

The Edinburgh new dispensatory ... : digested in a regular method and the different departments : enriched by the Introduction and application of the later discoveries in Natural History, Chemistry, and Medicines ... new tables of elective atractions ... and copperplates of chemical and pharmaceutical instruments ... / by gentlemen of the Faculty at Edinburgh

Mode of access: Internet.

A botanical arrangement of all the vegetables naturally growing in Great Britain : with descriptions of the genera and species, according to the system of the celebrated Linnaeus. Being an attempt to render them familiar to those who are unacquainted with the learned languages. Under each species are added, the most remarkable varieties, the natural places of growth, the duration, the time of flowering, the peculiarities of structure, the common English names; the names of Gerard, Parkinson, Ray and Bauhine. The uses as medicines, or as poisons; as food for men, for brutes, and for insects. With their application in oeconomy and in the arts. With an easy introduction to the study of botany. Shewing the method of investigating plants, and directions how to dry and preserve specimens. The whole illustrated by copper plates and a copious glossary /

Stafleu and Cowan, 2d ed.