ABSTRACT
Resumo O documento que o leitor encontrará a seguir é a transcrição inédita e modernizada do manuscrito História do descobrimento da cochonilha no Brasil, editado pelo médico e químico Manuel Joaquim Henriques de Paiva entre os anos de 1774 e 1801. O propósito de Paiva, com essa versão revista e anotada do estudo pioneiro de seu irmão, o médico José Henriques Ferreira, era estimular a cultura e o comércio da cochonilha, um inseto produtor de corante avermelhado muito requisitado na Europa. A História..., portanto, fornece indícios do papel capital dos saberes ditos científicos para o fomento e engrandecimento do Reino português e de sua principal colônia.
Abstract A previously unpublished, modernized transcript of the manuscript História do descobrimento da cochonilha no Brasil (History of the discovery of the cochineal in Brazil), edited by the physician and chemist Manuel Joaquim Henriques de Paiva between 1774 and 1801, is presented. By bringing out this reviewed, annotated version of the pioneering study by his brother, the physician José Henriques Ferreira, Paiva wanted to encourage the culture and trade of the cochineal, an insect that produced a red dye that was in great demand in Europe. História... thus provides indications of the key role of so-called scientific knowledge in the development and growth of the Portuguese kingdom and their primary colony.
Subject(s)
Animals , History, 18th Century , Carmine/history , Hemiptera , Portugal , Translations , Brazil , Famous PersonsABSTRACT
We previously described a rare case of anaphylaxis presumably induced by carminic acid in cochineal dye used as a food additive. In this study, highly pure carminic acid was added to an albumin-containing buffer at various concentrations, followed by serial dilution. Varying the mixing ratio of carminic acid and albumin affected the extent of histamine release from passively sensitized basophils. Similar basophil histamine release occurred with carminic acid-globulin solutions. These results provide experimental evidence indicating that basophil activation is dependent on hapten (carminic acid) and carrier (protein) interaction.
Subject(s)
Anaphylaxis , Basophils , Carmine , Food Additives , Histamine Release , Hypersensitivity , In Vitro TechniquesABSTRACT
The distribution pattern of species of the genus Dactylopius Costa in Mexico was analyzed in relation to the distribution of their host plants (subfamily Opuntioideae) to evaluate the specificity of the insect-host association. The distribution of Dactylopius currently recognized is narrower than that of its hosts and probably is not representative. Therefore, a broader distribution of the Dactylopius species in correspondence with those of their hosts was hypothesized. Insects and their hosts were collected and georeferenced in 14 states of Mexico from 2005 to 2007. The distribution areas, maps, and habitat characteristics of Dactylopius, Opuntia sensu stricto, Nopalea and Cylindropuntia were determined on the basis of field collections and examination of museum collections. This information was complemented with information from the exhaustive examination of microscope slides from a local insect collection, plants from local herbaria, and literature reviews. The current distribution of the genus Dactylopius and its hosts included 22 and 25 states of Mexico, respectively, and Dactylopius had a continuous distribution according to its hosts, broader than recognized hitherto. The new georeferenced records of the five Mexican Dactylopius species are reported. Insects with morphological characteristics of D. confusus combined with those of D. salmianus were identified, as well as insects with characteristics of D. opuntiae combined with those of D. salmianus. These records suggest that the number of local Dactylopius species could be higher than previously thought or that possible new processes of hybridization between native and introduced species may be occurring.
Subject(s)
Animals , Ecosystem , Hemiptera , Biodiversity , Cactaceae , Demography , MexicoABSTRACT
Dezessete amostras de corante urucum, 6 de cúrcuma, 9 de cochonilha, 10 de vermelho de beterraba, 4 de antocianinas de casca de uva e 4 de clorofilina cúprica, num total de 50 amostras de corantes naturais, foram analisadas para verificar se estes corantes atendiam às Normas de Identidade e Qualidade estabeleci das pela "Food Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization". Para todas as amostras foram traçados espectros de absorção na região do ultravioleta e visível para caracterização do corante natural. Também foram pesquisadas impurezas, tais como arsênico e chumbo, além de adulterantes, como corantes artificiais. Do total de 50 amostras analisadas, 20 apresentaram especificações fora dos padrões de Identidade e Qualidade da "FAO/WHO", bem como dos padrões propostos nas monografias de um grupo brasileiro de estudo de corantes naturais para alimentos (AU).