β-Carboline-1-propionic acid alkaloid: antileishmanial and cytotoxic effects

ABSTRACT Pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B remain as the main drugs to treat human leishmaniasis. However, the high toxicity and variable efficacy of treatment have stimulated the search for novel drug candidates. Naturally occurring alkaloids have a long history of antileishmanial activity. Here, we investigate the effects of the β-carboline-1-propionic acid alkaloid isolated from Quassia amara L., Simaroubaceae, against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infatum. The alkaloid was isolated after liquid-liquid fractionation followed by chromatographic purification of the Q. amara methanol extract. The antileishmanial activity was evaluated by the microdilution method, using resazurin as the viability indicator. In addition, annexin and propidium iodide were used to detect parasites undergoing apoptosis. The anti-amastigote activity of the β-carboline-1-propionic acid alkaloid was determined by the infection of RAW 264.7 macrophages. The alkaloid displayed leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania amazonensis and L. infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes with 50% inhibitory concentration ranging from 2.7 ± 0.82 to 9.4 ± 0.5 µg/ml and selectivity indexes >10. Moreover, apoptotic Leishmania amazonensis (19.5%) and L. infantum (40.4%) promastigotes were detected after 5 h incubation with the alkaloid. Finally, the β-carboline-1-propionic acid alkaloid inhibited the production of NO of infected macrophages, suggesting that the intracellular amastigote elimination occurs in a nitrosative stress-independent way. The results shown here suggest that the β-carboline-1-propionic acid alkaloid has potential as an antileishmanial agent.

Vitamin E and organic selenium for broilers from 22 to 42 days old: performance and carcass traits

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of vitamin E and selenium on performance, viability, productive efficiency, and yields of carcass, major cuts, and organs of broilers from 22 to 42 days submitted to cyclic-heat stress. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two levels of selenium (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) and three levels of vitamin E (300, 400, and 500 mg/kg), plus a control treatment. Animals were submitted to a natural condition of high cyclic temperature. Organic selenium levels of 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg associated with 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg of vitamin E were tested. The level of vitamin E did not affect the performance or production efficiency of broilers in the period from 22 to 33 days and 22 to 42 days. However, the selenium inclusion level of 0.3 mg/kg improved the viability in both phases. The yields of carcass, major cuts, intestine, and heart were not influenced by the levels of selenium and vitamin E, whereas abdominal fat for the selenium level 0.1 mg/kg decreased linearly with the inclusion in vitamin E.

Acute fulminant myocarditis and the 2009 pandemic influenza a virus (H1N1) / Miocarditis fulminante aguda y el virus (H1N1) de la pandemia de la gripe a de 2009

The 2009 Pandemic Novel Influenza A [H1N1] resulted in mild disease mostly but severe cases and death were associated with pneumonia, respiratory failure and multi-organ failure. We present a case of severe disease with acute heart failure and arrhythmia due to fulminant myocarditis in a 50-year old obese man with diabetes mellitus.

La nueva gripe A [H1N1] pandémica resultó ser una enfermedad leve en su mayor parte, pero se produjeron casos graves y muertes asociadas con neumonía, insuficiencia respiratoria y fallo multiorgánico. Presentamos un caso de enfermedad severa con insuficiencia cardíaca aguda y arritmia debido a miocarditis fulminante en un hombre obeso de 50 años de edad con diabetes mellitus.

Composição, abundância e índice de infestação de espécies de formigas em um hospital materno-infantil de Palmas, TO / Composition, abundance and infestation rate of ant species in a children's hospital in the city of Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil

This first survey of the ant fauna in a children's hospital in the city of Palmas, state of Tocantins, compares species composition, abundance and infestation rate of ants between rainy and dry seasons, day and night periods, and among 15 hospital sectors. Forty-eight collections, being 12 diurnal and 12 nocturnal in each season using five attractive baits distributed per sector, maintained for 3h per sampling. A total of 34,309 ants were collected, distributed in 12 species: Acromyrmex sp., Brachymyrmex sp., Camponotus spp. (four morphospecies), Dorymyrmex sp., Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis globularia (Creighton), Solenopsis saevissima Smith, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) and Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille). The hospital presented an average building infestation rate (40.3 percent), when compared with hospitals from other Brazilian regions. In general, there was no difference in the species composition between seasons and the period of the day, although abundance of ants was higher at night. The dry season and the nocturnal period showed the highest infestation rate, mainly by T.melanocephalum and S.globularia. Gynecologic ward, lactation unit, preconception and pediatric ward access ramp showed higher infestation rate, although these varied between seasons. The significant infestation levels by the three species above, especially in sectors with restricted access such as lactation unit, laboratory, Intensive Care Unit e surgery center, indicate potential risks for contamination of patients by multi resistant pathogens possibly present in ants' bodies, as verified in others studies.

Avaliação da presença de resíduos de leite de vacas tratadas com diflubenzurom / Determination of pesticide residues presence in milk from cows treated with diflubenzuron

O diflubenzurom é um pesticida que pode ser utilizado na pecuária como regulador do crescimento de insetos, entre eles a mosca-do-chifre. Esse composto é usualmente administrado oralmente ao gado e é efetivo contra larvas de Díptera que crescem no estrume. O objetivo do presente estudo foi de avaliar a presença de diflubenzurom em amostras de leite cru coletadas de seis vacas leiteiras da raça Girolanda tratadas com uma marca comercial de diflubenzurom em pó. A determinação dos resíduos envolveu a extração do composto com acetato de etila, remoção da gordura com hexano e análise cromatográfica por CLAE com detector UV-Visível (254nm). O princípio ativo diflubenzurom não foi detectado nas seis amostras analisadas (<0,01mg/kg). Dessa forma, os resultados fornecem indicativos de que a utilização do princípio ativo, em níveis suficientes para se obter o efeito inseticida desejado, pode resultar em um leite considerado seguro para o consumo em termos da presença de resíduos de diflubenzurom.