Amazon Rainforest Hidden Volatiles-Part I: Unveiling New Compounds from Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen Essential Oil.

Motivated by the culinary and ethnopharmacological use of Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen, this study aimed to unveil new chemical compounds from its essential oil (EO). Acmella oleracea, known for its anesthetic and spicy properties, has been used in traditional medicine and cuisine, particularly in Northern Brazil. Through a detailed GC-MS analysis, 180 constituents were identified, including 12 tentatively identified long-chain α-keto esters of various acids. Additionally, 18 new esters were synthesized for structural verification. This research expands the known chemical diversity of A. oleracea EO, providing a basis for potential pharmacological applications. The identification of new natural products, including homologs and analogs of acmellonate, underscores the EO's rich chemical profile and its potential for novel bioproduct development.

Effect of the treatment of Copaifera duckei oleoresin (copaiba) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome that reaches more than 382 million people worldwide. It interferes with the metabolism of carbohydrates, causing chronic hyperglycemia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Copaifera duckei, Dwyer, Fabaceae, oleoresin on streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rats. This study was based on the induction of diabetes mellitus by streptozotocin (55 mg/kg, i.p.) in Wistar rats and treated with doses of C. duckei oleoresin (250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.). Subsequently, the clinical, biochemical and histopathological of the pancreas parameters were evaluated. Gas chromatographic analysis indicated that β-bisabolene (22.29%), β-caryophyllene (21.25%) and α-farnesene (15.58%) sesquiterpenes were the major components of the C. duckei oleoresin. In streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, it was possible to observe that the C. duckei oleoresin treatment had a significant effect (p < 0.001) on the clinical parameters, and that there was a positive improvement. This was attenuated by the urea, creatinine, and transaminases alterations (p < 0.001) observed in animals with diabetes mellitus, as well as the significantly reduced (p < 0.001) values of total cholesterol, triacylglycerides, and glucose. In the histopathological analyses of the pancreas, it was observed that the C. duckei oleoresin was able to restore β-cells and to significantly increase the quantity and diameter of the Langerhans islets (p < 0.05), when compared to the diabetic group. The treatment with C. duckei oleoresin, employed under the conditions of this study, presented antidiabetic activity and can improve the complications found in this syndrome.

Atuação dos Profissionais de Psicologia nos CRAS do Interior da Paraíba / La Actuación de los Profesionales de la Psicología en los CRAS en Pueblos de Paraíba / The Performance of Psychology Professionals in CRAS in the Countryside of Paraíba

Resumo Objetiva-se no presente estudo analisar a atuação dos profissionais de Psicologia na Proteção Social Básica das Políticas Públicas de Assistência Social. Para dar conta de tal objetivo buscou-se suporte teórico na Psicologia Histórico-Cultural. Participaram do estudo oito profissionais de Psicologia que atuavam no Centro de Referência da Assistência Social (CRAS) do interior da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. Recorreu-se a entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas individualmente. Para analisar os dados recorreu-se à análise de conteúdo. Dados empíricos revelaram formação acadêmica voltada para a atuação clínica individualizante, limitado suporte teórico-metodológico para atuação dos profissionais, demandas decorrentes da condição de vulnerabilidade social, violação de direitos, mas também de saúde mental e predomínio de atuação psicossocial e diversas limitações que dificultam a realização do trabalho do profissional de Psicologia. Conclui-se pela necessidade tanto de avanços na formação acadêmica dos profissionais de Psicologia, quanto de atuação engajada na luta por avanços na consolidação de um sistema de garantia de direitos.

Resumen Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la actuación de los profesionales de Psicología en la Protección Social Básica de las Políticas Públicas de Asistencia Social. Para ello, fue utilizado como soporte teórico la Psicología Histórico-Cultural. En el estudio participaron ocho profesionales de Psicología que actuaban en los Centros de Referencia de Asistencia Social - CRAS en pueblos del estado de Paraíba, noreste de Brasil. Entrevistas semiestructuradas fueran utilizadas, hechas individualmente. Para analizar los datos, se utilizó el análisis de contenido. Los datos empíricos revelaron que: los profesionales cuentan con una formación académica direccionada hacía la actuación clínica individualizada; tienen un respaldo teórico y metodológico muy limitado para sus actuaciones como profesionales; las demandas son decurrentes de la condición de vulnerabilidad social, violación de los derechos y de la salud mental; predominó la actuación psicosocial; además, emergieran diversas limitaciones que dificultaban la realización de su trabajo como profesional de Psicología. Se concluye entonces que hay una gran necesidad de avances en la formación académica de los profesionales de Psicología, a ello se añade una actuación profesional más comprometida en la lucha por los avances en la consolidación de un sistema de garantía de derechos.

Abstract This study aims to analyze the performance of Psychology professionals in the Basic Social Protection of the Social Assistance Public Policies. To meet this objective, Cultural-Historical Psychology was used as theoretical support. Eight Psychology professionals who worked at the Reference Center for Social Assistance (CRAS) in the countryside of Paraíba, northeast of Brazil, were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were made, individually. Content analysis was used to analyze data. Empirical data revealed: Academic background oriented to individualizing clinical practice; Limited theoretical and methodological support for the professionals' performance; Demands arising from social vulnerability conditions, violation of rights and mental health; Predominance of psychosocial performance; and several limitations that make the work of the Psychology professional difficult. The conclusion is that both, improvements in the academic background of the Psychology professionals and a more engaged work of professionals regarding the fight for improvements in consolidating a system of rights guarantee, are needed.

Action of the hydroethanolic extract of the flowers of Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen on the reproductive performance of Wistar females rats: A popular female aphrodisiac from the Amazon.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The species Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen (Asteraceae), popularly known as jambú, is marketed in fairs as a female aphrodisiac and has several pharmacological activities already confirmed, among them the sexual stimulant action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the oral administration of the hydroethanolic extract of A. oleracea flowers (EHAo) on wistar rats during the pre-mating, mating, and pre-implantation period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the treatment period, measurements of feed intake, water intake, weight, estrous cycle, behavior, reproductive parameters, biochemical parameters, hematological parameters, and histopathology of ovaries were performed daily. RESULTS: In the gas chromatography analysis - mass spectrometry characterization, the compound (2E, 6Z, 8E) -N-isobutyldeca-2,6,8-trienamide (spilanthol) was detected as the majority compound at the 84% concentration. In the conditions of this study, EHAo did not cause maternal toxicity. However, in the estrous cycle, the frequency of the Proestrous (P) and Estrous (E) phase was significantly increased with the doses of 88.91 and 444.57mg/kg of the EHAo in relation to the control. On the other hand, the metaestrous (M) and diestrous (D) phases showed a significant reduction in their frequency in the groups treated with EHAo. Water intake increased significantly (p < 0.01), as well as the triglyceride levels, the total cholesterol and fractions (p < 0.05), and the percentage of neutrophils (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is concluded, therefore, that the treatment with EHAo, which is one of the forms popularly used, is safe in the concentrations and time of treatment studied as it is able to influence the estrous cycle without altering folliculogenesis and fertility.

A SAR and QSAR study of new artemisinin compounds with antimalarial activity.

The Hartree-Fock method and the 6-31G** basis set were employed to calculate the molecular properties of artemisinin and 20 derivatives with antimalarial activity. Maps of molecular electrostatic potential (MEPs) and molecular docking were used to investigate the interaction between ligands and the receptor (heme). Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were employed to select the most important descriptors related to activity. The correlation between biological activity and molecular properties was obtained using the partial least squares and principal component regression methods. The regression PLS and PCR models built in this study were also used to predict the antimalarial activity of 30 new artemisinin compounds with unknown activity. The models obtained showed not only statistical significance but also predictive ability. The significant molecular descriptors related to the compounds with antimalarial activity were the hydration energy (HE), the charge on the O11 oxygen atom (QO11), the torsion angle O1-O2-Fe-N2 (D2) and the maximum rate of R/Sanderson Electronegativity (RTe+). These variables led to a physical and structural explanation of the molecular properties that should be selected for when designing new ligands to be used as antimalarial agents.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of 6α,7ß-dihydroxy-vouacapan-17ß-oic acid isolated from Pterodon emarginatus Vog. fruits.

6α,7ß-dihydroxy-vouacapan-17ß-oic (tricyclic furanoid diterpene; DHVO) acid was isolated from the hexane extract of Pterodon emarginatus fruits and evaluated for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects using an assay that induces paw oedema with carrageenan, dextran and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) in rats and the writhing and formalin tests in mice. Oral administration of 50 mg/kg DHVO significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced oedema formation by 24% (p < 0.05). This treatment did not inhibit dextran-induced oedema but was effective when the inflammatory effect was triggered by PGE(2), inhibiting oedema formation by 39% (p < 0.05). In the writhing test, doses of 50, 200 and 400 mg/kg resulted in a dose-dependent effect with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.983 (F = 29.04, ANOVA). Doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg inhibited both the neurogenic and inflammatory phases (p < 0.05) in the formalin test but were not effective for increasing the lag time in the hot plate test. Together, these results suggest that DHVO has both anti-inflammatory and peripheral analgesic effects.

Identification of two sublineages of genotype G2 rotavirus among diarrheic children in Parauapebas, Southern Pará State, Brazil.

On a world scale, group A human rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe acute gastroenteritis during infancy and childhood, including five (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G9) epidemiologically important genotypes. Among these, G2 denotes a different genogroup which appears to have a cyclic pattern of occurrence and yet little information is available about its genetic variability. The aim of this report was to characterize the emergence of G2 genotype in Paraupebas, Southern Pará State, Brazil, some of which detected after introduction of rotavirus vaccine. A total of 241 fecal specimens from young children with acute gastroenteritis were collected from the "Yutaka Takeda Hospital," a Municipality Hospital, and at the Parauapebas' Health Unit, Pará, from January to September 2006 and during March to November 2008. All samples were tested for rotavirus using immunochromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and RT-PCR, yielding an overall positivity of 12.45% (30/241). Rotavirus G2P[4] was identified in 27 of 30 samples (90%), followed by G1P[8] (2/30, 6.67%) and G9P[8] (1/30, 3.33%). Phylogenetic analysis was performed in 15 of the G2 strains, all of which grouped into lineage II. Four of these strains clustered into sublineage II-a (year 2006) and 11 into one possible new sublineage named II-c (year 2008, except SAL-1920-C). The recent re-emergence of G2 genotype associated with lineage II in Brazil warrants the continuous monitoring of circulating rotavirus strains following the nationwide universal use of rotavirus vaccine.

Molecular characterization of VP4 and NSP4 genes from rotavirus strains infecting neonates and young children in Belém, Brazil.

Several reports have identified P[6] specificities in humans and in animals in different countries of the world, but few sequence data are available in public databases. In this work we have characterized the VP4 strains bearing P[6] specificity and NSP4 genotypes among diarrheic young children and diarrheic and non-diarrheic neonates from three studies previously conducted in Belém, Northern region of Brazil. As the to VP8* fragment, we observed a close relationship to both human prototypes of lineage P[6]-Ia (bootstrap of 99%) and porcine sublineages Ib and Ic (89.2-98.1% aa similarity and mean of 95%). With regards to the NSP4, the samples clustered into genotypes A and B. Of note, of the 27 P[6] strains analyzed in the present study and classified as genotype B, 8 (29.6%) were more similar to porcine prototypes when VP8* and NSP4 genes are compared, and were recovered, one from a neonate and seven from diarrheic children. These preliminary findings reinforce that further investigations are needed to assess the relative frequencies of P[6] strains in our region, as well as to investigate the potential for interspecies transmission involving humans and animals, particularly pigs.

Oral transmission of Chagas disease: importance of Trypanosoma cruzi biodeme in the intragastric experimental infection.

Oral transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi has been suspected when epidemic episodes of acute infection were observed in areas devoid of domiciled insect vectors. Considering that the distribution of T. cruzi biodemes differs in sylvatic and domestic cycles, results of studies on biodemes can be of interest regarding oral transmission. The infectivity of T. cruzi strains of different biodemes was tested in mice subjected to infection by the digestive route (gavage). Swiss mice were infected either with the Peruvian strain (Biodeme Type I, Z2b) or the Colombian strain (Biodeme Type III, Z1, or T. cruzi I); for control, intraperitoneal inoculation was performed in a group of mice. The Colombian strain revealed a similar high infectivity and pathogenicity when either route of infection was used. However, the Peruvian strain showed contrasting levels of infectivity and pathogenicity, being high by intraperitoneal inoculation and low when the gastric route was used. The higher infectivity of the Colombian strain (Biodeme Type III) by gastric inoculation is in keeping with its role in the epidemic episodes of acute Chagas disease registered in the literature, since strains belonging to Biodeme III are most often found in sylvatic hosts.

Oral transmission of Chagas disease: importance of Trypanosoma cruzi biodeme in the intragastric experimental infection

Oral transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi has been suspected when epidemic episodes of acute infection were observed in areas devoid of domiciled insect vectors. Considering that the distribution of T. cruzi biodemes differs in sylvatic and domestic cycles, results of studies on biodemes can be of interest regarding oral transmission. The infectivity of T. cruzi strains of different biodemes was tested in mice subjected to infection by the digestive route (gavage). Swiss mice were infected either with the Peruvian strain (Biodeme Type I, Z2b) or the Colombian strain (Biodeme Type III, Z1, or T. cruzi I); for control, intraperitoneal inoculation was performed in a group of mice. The Colombian strain revealed a similar high infectivity and pathogenicity when either route of infection was used. However, the Peruvian strain showed contrasting levels of infectivity and pathogenicity, being high by intraperitoneal inoculation and low when the gastric route was used. The higher infectivity of the Colombian strain (Biodeme Type III) by gastric inoculation is in keeping with its role in the epidemic episodes of acute Chagas disease registered in the literature, since strains belonging to Biodeme III are most often found in sylvatic hosts

Perfil de Pacientes Psiquiátricos no Ambulatório Central da Universidade de Passo Fundo / Psychiatric patients in Passo Fundo's University Central Ambulatory

Realizou-se um estudo transversal retrospectivo, onde avaliou-se o perfil dos pacientes psiquiátricos atendidos no Ambulatório Central da Universidade de Passo Fundo no período 1990-1995. Os resultados foram comparados a outros similares, que apontam prevalência de psicopatologias em adultos jovens, em idade de grande potencial econômico-ativo, do sexo feminino e casados, na grande maioria dos diagnósticos