Biological properties of medicinal plants: a review of their antimicrobial activity: [review]

Plants have been used for thousands of years to flavor and conserve food, to treat health disorders and to prevent diseases including epidemics. The knowledge of their healing properties has been transmitted over the centuries within and among human communities. Active compounds produced during secondary vegetal metabolism are usually responsible for the biological properties of some plant species used throughout the globe for various purposes, including treatment of infectious diseases. Currently, data on the antimicrobial activity of numerous plants, so far considered empirical, have been scientifically confirmed, concomitantly with the increasing number of reports on pathogenic microorganisms resistant to antimicrobials. Products derived from plants may potentially control microbial growth in diverse situations and in the specific case of disease treatment, numerous studies have aimed to describe the chemical composition of these plant antimicrobials and the mechanisms involved in microbial growth inhibition, either separately or associated with conventional antimicrobials. Thus, in the present work, medicinal plants with emphasis on their antimicrobial properties are reviewed.

Aspectos epidemiologicos da paracoccidioidomicose na area endemica de Botucatu (Sao Paulo - Brasil). / Epidemiological aspects of paracoccidioidomycosis in the endemic area of Botucatu (Sao Paulo - Brazil)

Estudamos o perfil epidemiologico de 176 pacientes portadores de paracoccidioidomicose atendidos no Hospital das Clinicas de Botucatu, tendo sido delimitada a area endemica correspondente e investigadas as caracteristicas de seu ecosistema. Como controle, utilizou-se grupo de 29063 pacientes com outras afeccoes, atendidos no mesmo Hospital, durante o mesmo periodo.Observou-se: 1) A relacao de pacientes masculino/feminino foi de 10,7/1; 2) 54% dos pacientes tinham entre 35 e 54 anos; 3) A frequencia de individuos pardos com paracoccidioidomicose (9,7%) foi maior quando comparada com a do grupo controle (2,7%); 4) Lavradores e pedreiros forneceram o principal grupo profissional entre os doentes com paracoccidioidomicose; 5) 80% dos pacientes originaram-se da regiao centro-sudoeste do Estado de Sao Paulo, especialmente de Botucatu, Sao Manuel e Avare (area endemica de Botucatu); 6) Esta area endemica localiza-se entre os 22 graus01' e 23 graus37' de latitude sul, possuindo temperatura anual entre 18 a 24 graus C; pluviosidade anual entre 1187 a 1463 mm; altitude entre 400 a 873 m; solos acidos e predominantemente pobre