Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic potential of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract obtained by supercritical CO2 / Potencial Antidiabético e hipolipidêmico do extrato das sementes de Campomanesia xanthocarpa obtido por CO2 supercrítico

Abstract Campomanesia xanthocarpa, a plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family, is popularly known as gabiroba. Leaves of gabiroba has been popularly used to treat various diseases, including inflammatory, renal, and digestive, among others. Additionally, studies have shown an effect to reduce blood cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract in hyperglycemic rats. The results showed that 400 mg/kg of seed extract was able to decrease blood glucose levels and to increase the muscular and hepatic glycogen content as well as to inhibit the sucrase and maltase activity. At doses of 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg, the activity of these enzymes was also reduced. In the lipid profile 400 mg/kg produced a decrease in total and LDL cholesterol serum levels; and with 200 mg/kg there was an increase in HDL cholesterol levels. The extract did not present hepatic and renal toxic effects at the different doses tested. The results suggest that the treatment with Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds extract is useful in reducing glycemia, total cholesterol and LDL levels with potential adjuvant therapeutic in the treatment of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, however, additional pharmacological and toxicological studies are still required.

Resumo Campomanesia xanthocarpa, planta pertencente à família Mirtaceae, é popularmente conhecida como gabiroba. Folhas da gabiroba são popularmente usadas para tratar de doenças inflamatórias, renais, digestivas entre outras. Além disso, estudos têm mostrado um efeito redutor dos níveis de colesterol. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos anti-hiperglicêmico e hipolipidêmico do extrato de sementes de Campomanesia xanthocarpa em ratos hiperglicêmicos. Os resultados mostraram que 400 mg/kg do extrato da semente foi capaz de reduzir os níveis de glicose sanguínea e aumentar o conteúdo de glicogênio hepático e muscular, bem como inibir a atividade da maltase e sacarase. Na dose de 200 mg/kg e 800 mg/kg, a atividade das enzimas também foi reduzida. No perfil lipídico, 400 mg/kg produziu uma redução nos níveis séricos de colesterol total e LDL e com 200 mg/kg houve um aumento nos níveis de colesterol HDL. O extrato não apresentou efeitos tóxicos hepáticos e renais nas doses testadas. Os resultados sugerem que o tratamento com o extrato de Campomanesia xanthocarpa é eficaz na redução da glicemia, de colesterol total e LDL com potencial para tratamento adjuvante do diabetes e hipercolesterolemia, no entanto estudos farmacológicos e toxicológicos adicionais são necessários.

Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic potential of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract obtained by supercritical CO2.

Campomanesia xanthocarpa, a plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family, is popularly known as gabiroba. Leaves of gabiroba has been popularly used to treat various diseases, including inflammatory, renal, and digestive, among others. Additionally, studies have shown an effect to reduce blood cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract in hyperglycemic rats. The results showed that 400 mg/kg of seed extract was able to decrease blood glucose levels and to increase the muscular and hepatic glycogen content as well as to inhibit the sucrase and maltase activity. At doses of 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg, the activity of these enzymes was also reduced. In the lipid profile 400 mg/kg produced a decrease in total and LDL cholesterol serum levels; and with 200 mg/kg there was an increase in HDL cholesterol levels. The extract did not present hepatic and renal toxic effects at the different doses tested. The results suggest that the treatment with Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds extract is useful in reducing glycemia, total cholesterol and LDL levels with potential adjuvant therapeutic in the treatment of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, however, additional pharmacological and toxicological studies are still required.

Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic potential of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract obtained by supercritical CO2

Abstract Campomanesia xanthocarpa, a plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family, is popularly known as gabiroba. Leaves of gabiroba has been popularly used to treat various diseases, including inflammatory, renal, and digestive, among others. Additionally, studies have shown an effect to reduce blood cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Campomanesia xanthocarpa seed extract in hyperglycemic rats. The results showed that 400 mg/kg of seed extract was able to decrease blood glucose levels and to increase the muscular and hepatic glycogen content as well as to inhibit the sucrase and maltase activity. At doses of 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg, the activity of these enzymes was also reduced. In the lipid profile 400 mg/kg produced a decrease in total and LDL cholesterol serum levels; and with 200 mg/kg there was an increase in HDL cholesterol levels. The extract did not present hepatic and renal toxic effects at the different doses tested. The results suggest that the treatment with Campomanesia xanthocarpa seeds extract is useful in reducing glycemia, total cholesterol and LDL levels with potential adjuvant therapeutic in the treatment of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, however, additional pharmacological and toxicological studies are still required.

Resumo Campomanesia xanthocarpa, planta pertencente à família Mirtaceae, é popularmente conhecida como gabiroba. Folhas da gabiroba são popularmente usadas para tratar de doenças inflamatórias, renais, digestivas entre outras. Além disso, estudos têm mostrado um efeito redutor dos níveis de colesterol. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos anti-hiperglicêmico e hipolipidêmico do extrato de sementes de Campomanesia xanthocarpa em ratos hiperglicêmicos. Os resultados mostraram que 400 mg/kg do extrato da semente foi capaz de reduzir os níveis de glicose sanguínea e aumentar o conteúdo de glicogênio hepático e muscular, bem como inibir a atividade da maltase e sacarase. Na dose de 200 mg/kg e 800 mg/kg, a atividade das enzimas também foi reduzida. No perfil lipídico, 400 mg/kg produziu uma redução nos níveis séricos de colesterol total e LDL e com 200 mg/kg houve um aumento nos níveis de colesterol HDL. O extrato não apresentou efeitos tóxicos hepáticos e renais nas doses testadas. Os resultados sugerem que o tratamento com o extrato de Campomanesia xanthocarpa é eficaz na redução da glicemia, de colesterol total e LDL com potencial para tratamento adjuvante do diabetes e hipercolesterolemia, no entanto estudos farmacológicos e toxicológicos adicionais são necessários.

[Assessing quality in clinical educational setting: Italian validation of the clinical learning environment and supervision (CLES) scale]. / La valutazione dellA qualità degli ambienti di apprendimento clinico: studio di validazione del Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES) nel contesto Italiano.

The clinical learning in the wards is one of the most important moment in nursing education: Instruments assessing the quality of the clinical settings as perceived by students may inform and support the best didactic and tutorial choices. In the last 10 years, three clinical learning environment assessment tools for Bachelor Nursing students has been validated. The aim of this study was to validate in the Italian context the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision scale (CLES) developed in Finland and considered the gold standard within the instruments available. CLES's face and content validity has been evaluated with forward and backward translation and involving a selected group of experts in the field. 117 Bachelor Nursing Students from Udine and Verona University have been enrolled in the study. 28 out of 117 students have filed the instrument twice in order to measure test-retest reliability. The internal consistency has been evaluated with Cronbach alpha. Kurtosis and skewness was measured in order to verify the answers variability distribution. The CLES Cronbach' alpha was 0.96 and the test-retest reliability was r = -0.89. The validity and reliability of the scale has been confirmed. Further research is needed to define a cut-off in order to recognize positive clinical learning environments. The CLES practical use could support in the process of the teaching hospital accreditation and in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the tutorial strategies activated in the wards.

Evaluating psychiatric morbidity in a general hospital: a two-phase epidemiological survey.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess psychiatric morbidity and to collect information on disability, life events and family support in a representative sample of patients admitted to a general hospital. METHODS: On the basis of information collected in a pilot study a systematic sample of patients consecutively admitted to seven general medical and seven surgical wards of the Academic General Hospital of Verona was selected and interviewed using a two-phase screening procedure and standardized instruments (GHQ-12, HADS, BDQ and CIDI-PHC). All data were analysed using appropriately weighted logistic regression procedures. RESULTS: A total of 1039 patients completed the GHQ-12 and 298 (28.7%) were high-scorers: 363 patients were interviewed with CIDI-PHC. The prevalence of ICD-10 cases was 26.1%. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were current depression (12.8%) and generalized anxiety disorder (10.8%), followed by alcohol related disorders (5 %). A higher prevalence of ICD-10 cases was found in medical wards, among females, patients older than 24 years, unemployed and separated/divorced people. Life events were associated with psychopathology, and so was the number of disability days. Although 49.8% of ICD-10 cases were identified by the hospital doctors as having a psychological disorder, 23.1% of ICD-10 cases were referred to the liaison psychiatric service. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study stress the need to collect epidemiologically-based data on psychological disorders and their recognition not only in general practice, but also in general hospital settings, in order to have a more complete picture of the pathways to specialist care.

Validity and test-retest reliability of the Italian version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire in general practice: a comparison between three scoring methods.

Validity coefficients of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were established against the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) in a sample of primary care patients. Comparison between the conventional scoring method, Likert scoring, and the revised scoring procedure proposed by Goodchild and Duncan-Jones (C-GHQ) showed very similar screening properties: sensitivity ranged between 71% and 75%, and specificity ranged between 73% and 76%. The test-retest reliability of the GHQ-12, as expressed by Pearson's r and intraclass correlation coefficient, was satisfactory irrespective of the scoring method used, even though mean scores on the second test tended to be significantly lower than the corresponding mean scores on the first test. The C-GHQ by itself did not result in an improvement of the screening capacity of the GHQ; however, the best results were obtained by combining the conventional scoring and C-GHQ case criteria.