Endophytic fungus Cladosporium tenuissimum DF11, an efficient inducer of tanshinone biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza roots.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a traditional medicinal plant mainly used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease treatment. Tanshinones are the main bioactive constituents of S. miltiorrhiza, which mainly accumulate around its root periderm tissue. Endophytic fungi are important bioelicitors or probiotics that can promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites and sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants. Among them, endophytic Cladosporium spp., possessing a variety of biotransformation and metabolic abilities, is an ideal elicitor source. Here, we used a gnotobiotic system to investigate the effects of the endophytic fungus Cladosporium tenuissimum DF11 on tanshinone biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza roots. The results showed that C. tenuissimum DF11 mainly colonizes the intercellular space of the root tissues and promotes tanshinone biosynthesis and accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza roots by upregulating the expression of the genes encoding for key enzymes HMGR, DXS, DXR, GGPPS, CPS, KSL and CYP76AH1 of the tanshinone biosynthesis pathway. The expression levels of almost all genes encoding for key enzymes reached the response peak in the first or second week after DF11 colonization. Taken together, the endophytic fungus C. tenuissimum DF11 could promote secondary metabolite accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza roots. These results indicate that DF11 will be a potential biofertilizer fungus to regulate and stabilize the quality of cultivated S. miltiorrhiza medicinal materials.

Fifty years of primary health care in the rainforest: temporal trends in morbidity and mortality in indigenous Amerindian populations of Suriname.

BACKGROUND: The Amazonian Amerindian populations living in the southern and southwestern hinterlands of Suriname (South America) have come into contact with western health care since approximately fifty years ago. In this study, secondary data were used to assess the impact of Medical Mission's fifty-year old primary health care program on the health status of these populations. METHODS: Using data from the primary health care facilities of Medical Mission for 1965-1970, 1973-1977, 1982-1985, and 1997-2014, temporal trends in incidence and mortality of respiratory tract infections, gastroenteritis, and malaria; population composition; birth and death rates; and polyclinic consultations in these communities have been assessed over the period between 1965 and 2014. RESULTS: In the period covered by this study, the incidence of respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis declined by about 75% and 53%, respectively, while malaria incidence rose sharply from the 1980s through 2005 but subsequently declined to levels approximating elimination. Crude death rates dropped by about 70% while birth rates declined by about 50% in the 1980s and since then remained at this level. The population doubled in size and increased in all age groups, particularly in the age group of ≥59 years. The infant mortality rate declined by 50%. In addition, the average yearly number of polyclinic visits per person decreased 6- to 7-fold during this period. CONCLUSIONS: The significant reduction of the infectious disease burden; the doubling of the population size and the growth of the proportion of elderly individuals due to the declining death rates; the declining infant mortality rates to levels comparable to the national average as well as the decline in average numbers of polyclinic consultations per person, indicate that Medical Missions health service provision achieved its goal of improving the health and survival of the indigenous people by providing free, accessible and permanent medical services. Building upon this successful experience Medical Mission could be instrumental in addressing potential contemporary life-style related health threats.

Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in people aged 50†years and older in the Republic of Suriname.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Population-based surveys on diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are necessary to increase awareness and develop screening and therapeutic programmes. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of DR in older adults of different ethnic backgrounds in Suriname. METHODS: Fifty clusters of 60 people aged ≥50 years were randomly selected with a probability proportional to the size of the population unit. Eligible people were randomly selected through compact segment sampling and examined using the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness plus Diabetic Retinopathy (RAAB + DR) protocol. Participants were classified as having diabetes if they: were previously diagnosed with diabetes; were receiving treatment for glucose control; had a random blood glucose level >200 mg/dL. These participants were dilated for funduscopy, assessed for DR following the Scottish DR grading protocol and evaluated for ethnicity and DR ophthalmic screening frequencies. RESULTS: A total of 2806 individuals was examined (response 93.6%). The prevalence of diabetes was 24.6%. In these patients any type of DR and/or maculopathy occurred in 21.6% and sight-threatening DR in 8.0%. Of the known diabetics, 34.2% never had an eye examination for DR and in 13.0% the last examination was >24 months ago. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher in Hindustani people compared with other major ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetes and diabetics without regular DR control in people aged ≥50 years in Suriname was higher than expected. The uptake for special services for DR has to be expanded to decrease patient delay and DR-induced blindness.