Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds from Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl.

Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl has been widely used due to the presence of different bioactive compounds. This review summarizes the latest advances and perspectives of the B. suaveolens plant species; it is a systematic literature review on aspects of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology as therapeutic potential. In addition, 120 compounds are described, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, amino acids, aromatics, and aliphatics. As for the therapeutic potential, it is described in extracts and compounds in the antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, anticoagulant, and analgesic aspects, as well as the effects on the central nervous system. The toxicity of the genus stands out, especially the potential for organ toxicity. Therefore, this review evidenced the knowledge related to the traditional use based on the scientific research of Brugmansia suaveolens, highlighting an overview of bioactive compounds and biological and toxicological activities in order to provide a scientific basis for future studies on the value of this species for the development of new natural products.

Electrospun Nanofibers Loaded with Plantago major L. Extract for Potential Use in Cutaneous Wound Healing.

Plantago major L. is a plant available worldwide that has been traditionally used for several medical applications due to its wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. This work aimed to develop and evaluate a nanostructured PCL electrospun dressing with P. major extract encapsulated in nanofibers for applications in wound healing. The extract from leaves was obtained by extraction in a mixture of water:ethanol = 1:1. The freeze-dried extract presented a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Staphylococcus Aureus susceptible and resistant to methicillin of 5.3 mg/mL, a high antioxidant capacity, but a low content of total flavonoids. Electrospun mats without defects were successfully produced using two P. major extract concentrations based on the MIC value. The extract incorporation in PCL nanofibers was confirmed using FTIR and contact angle measurements. The PCL/P. major extract was evaluated using DSC and TGA demonstrating that the incorporation of the extract decreases the thermal stability of the mats as well as the degree of crystallinity of PCL-based fibers. The P. major extract incorporation on electrospun mats produced a significant swelling degree (more than 400%) and increased the capacity of adsorbing wound exudates and moisture, important characteristics for skin healing. The extract-controlled release evaluated using in vitro study in PBS (pH, 7.4) shows that the P. major extract delivery from the mats occurs in the first 24 h, demonstrating their potential capacity to be used in wound healing.

Are patents important indicators of innovation for Chagas disease treatment?

INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease is a neglected, endemic disease in 21 countries, spreading to non-endemic countries too. Like other neglected diseases affecting primarily low- and middle-income countries, low investment and the absence of new chemical entities from the industry occurred. Increased knowledge about the parasite, drug targets, and vector control has been observed, but this was not translated into new drugs. The partnerships of pharmaceutical companies with academies and consolidated networks to increment the new drugs and treatment research in Chagas disease are shown. The current review analyzes in detail the patents dealing with compounds candidates for new drugs and treatment. The patent search was performed using Orbit Intelligence® software in the 2001-2021 period. AREAS COVERED: The author focused specifically on patents for the treatment, the new candidates disclosed in the patents, and the barriers to innovation. EXPERT OPINION: Patents in Chagas disease have been increasing in the last years, although they do not bring new compounds to an effective treatment.

Dentine biomodification by sulphonamides pre-treatment: bond strength, proteolytic inhibition, and antimicrobial activity.

We evaluated the effects of dentine biomodification after pre-treatment with two sulphonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) of the N-[4-sulphamoylphenethylcarbamoyl]benzenesulphonamide type, investigating matrix metalloproteases activity, resin-dentine micro tensile bond strength, dentine surface wettability, and antimicrobial activities. Ninety-five sound-extracted human molars were selected for the study. Inhibitory effects were evaluated by gelatinase and collagenase activity tests and collagen degradation FT-IR spectroscopic analysis. Pre-treatment with the two CAIs kept the micro tensile values after 12 months of storage (32.23 ± 5.95) and cariogenic challenge (34.13 ± 2.71) similar to the initial, pre-treatment values (33.56 ± 4.34). A decreased Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation on dentine surfaces and antibacterial activity against planktonic bacteria were observed after CAI treatment. Dentine pre-treatment with sulphonamide CAIs maintained adhesion strength stability, allowed better dentine wettability, maintained matrix collagen, and showed anti-S. mutans activity.

Phytochemical analysis of Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl and its therapeutic potential for topical use.

Brugmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J. Presl represents a promising source of new active molecules. Therefore, the aim of the study is to outline the profile of secondary metabolites and their therapeutic potential and in vitro safety properties. The identification of substances was carried out through the chromatographic profile, while the evaluation of therapeutic use was conducted through in vitro biological assays of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and quantification of the total phenolic content. The safety of the extracts was evaluated using a cytotoxicity assay. The results found revealed the presence of different secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids and alkaloids. Biological assays showed promising antimicrobial activity in gram-negative strains. Regarding safety, greater cytotoxicity is observed in macrophage cells. The study demonstrated that the extracts are potent for therapeutic use, aiming at the development of a phytoproduct for topical use, providing an innovative, relevant and significant character for future research.

Metabology: Analysis of metabolomics data using community ecology tools.

Several areas such as microbiology, botany, and medicine use genetic information and computational tools to organize, classify and analyze data. However, only recently has it been possible to obtain the chemical ontology of metabolites computationally. The systematic classification of metabolites into classes opens the way for adapting methods that previously used genetic taxonomy to now accept chemical ontology. Community ecology tools are ideal for this adaptation as they have mature methods and enable exploratory data analysis with established statistical tools. This study introduces the Metabology approach, which transforms metabolites into an ecosystem where the metabolites (species) are related by chemical ontology. In the present work, we demonstrate the applicability of this new approach using publicly available data from a metabolomics study of human plasma that searched for prognostic markers of COVID-19, and in an untargeted metabolomics study carried out by our laboratory using Lasiodiplodia theobromae fungal pathogen supernatants.

Factors related to the accumulation of healthy behavior among older adults attending primary Health Care.

The adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors contribute for its accumulation throughout life, which require more than information disclosure and recommendations. Biopsychosocial factors may work as barriers to adherence to healthier behaviors, and yet have been underexplored. The objective was to investigate the factors related to the accumulation of healthy behavior among older adults attending Primary Health Care. Cross-sectional analysis with 201 older adults from baseline of Longitudinal Investigation of Functioning Epidemiology (LIFE) was performed in a Southeastern Brazilian city. The Healthy Behavior Score (HBS), ranging from 0 to 8, was calculated by the sum of the following habits: Physical activity practice, healthy eating, water consumption, night sleep time, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, frequent social relations, and spirituality. A linear multivariate regression was performed to test the influence of biopsychosocial aspects on HBS, with 95% confidence interval. Higher number of healthy behaviors was related to high social support, better cognitive status, less depressive symptoms and lower functional performance. Additionally, age and resilience score were correlated to healthy behaviors, which were higher among women and those with sufficient income. Multivariate analysis revealed depressive symptoms, functional performance and education as independent predictors of HBS. Depressive symptoms, functional performance and education are predictors of accumulation of health behaviors, independently of health status, contextual and sociodemographic aspects. Higher social support partially contributed to the higher number of healthy behaviors, and should be considered in public health policies for healthy longevity.

Relações entre espiritualidade e comportamentos saudáveis em idosos atendidos na Atenção Primária à Saúde / Relationships between spirituality and healthy behavior in older adults assisted in Primary Health Care / Relaciones entre espiritualidad y comportamientos saludables en ancianos Atendidos en la Atención Básica de Salud

Objetivo: Avaliar as relações entre espiritualidade e comportamentos saudáveis em idosos atendidos na atenção primária à saúde. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado com amostra de 201 idosos atendidos em três Unidades Matriciais de Saúde (UMS) selecionadas aleatoriamente, em Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Avaliou-se a espiritualidade pela Escala de Espiritualidade com cinco itens, cuja pontuação varia de 5 (menor espiritualidade) a 20 (maior espiritualidade). Os comportamentos de saúde incluíram tabagismo, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, água, frutas e vegetais, satisfação com o sono, relações sociais e prática de atividade física. Os indicadores sociodemográficos englobaram sexo (masculino/feminino), faixa etária (60-74/75+) e escolaridade (até 4 anos/5 anos ou mais). Realizaram-se análises descritivas, teste t Student e regressão linear múltipla, adotando-se o intervalo de confiança de 95%. Resultados: Encontrou-se a média do escore na Escala de Espiritualidade de 16,02±2,71. Observaram se as pontuações maiores entre os idosos que não fumavam (p=0,014); que consumiam frutas (p=0,003), vegetais (p=0,002) e água (p=0,017) em quantidades adequadas; entre aqueles classificados como fisicamente ativos (p<0,001); e entre aqueles que estavam satisfeitos com o sono (p=0,032) e com as relações sociais (p<0,001). Prática de atividade física (ß:0,225; IC=0,507-2,131) e satisfação com as relações sociais (ß:0,190; IC=0,360-2,351) apresentaram-se relacionadas à espiritualidade mais elevada, mesmo após controle por indicadores sociodemográficos. Conclusão: A espiritualidade relaciona-se com comportamentos saudáveis nos idosos investigados atendidos na atenção primária à saúde.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between spirituality and healthy behaviors in older adults assisted in primary health care.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 201 older adults in three randomly selected matrix health units (UMS) in Uberaba-MG. Spirituality was assessed by the Spirituality Scale with five items, whose final score ranges from 5 (less spiritual) to 20 (higher spirituality). Health behaviors included smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages, water, fruits and vegetables, satisfaction with sleep and social relationships, and physical activity. The sociodemographic indicators were sex (male/female), age group (60-74/75+), and schooling (up to 4/5 years or more). Descriptive analyses, Student's t-test, and multiple linear regression were performed, adopting a 95% confidence interval. Results: The mean score on the Spirituality Scale was 16.02±2.71. Higher scores were observed among participants who did not smoke (p=0.014); who consumed fruits (p=0.003), vegetables (p=0.002), and water (p=0.017) in adequate amounts; among those classified as physically active (p<0.001); who were satisfied with sleep (p=0.032) and with social relationships (p<0.001). Physical activity practice (ß:0.225; CI=0.507-2.131) and satisfaction with social relationships (ß:0.190; CI=0.360-2.351) were related to higher spirituality even after controlling for sociodemographic indicators. Conclusion: Spirituality is related to healthy behaviors in the investigated older adults assisted in primary health care.

Objetivo: Evaluar las relaciones entre espiritualidad y comportamientos saludables en ancianos atendidos en la atención básica de salud. Métodos: Estudio transversal realizado con muestra de 201 ancianos atendidos en tres Unidades Matriciales de Salud (UMS) seleccionadas aleatoriamente, en Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Se evaluó la espiritualidad por la Escala de Espiritualidad con cinco puntos, cuya puntuación puede variar de 5 (menos espiritualidad) a 20 (mayor espiritualidad). Los comportamientos de salud incluyeron tabaquismo, consumo de bebidas alcohólicas, agua, frutas y vegetales, satisfacción con el sueño, relaciones sociales y práctica de actividad física. Los indicadores sociodemográficos incluyeron sexo (masculino/femenino), franja etaria (60-74/75+) y escolaridad (hasta 4 años/5 años o más). Fueron realizados análisis descriptivos, test t Student y regresión linear múltiple, adoptando el intervalo de confianza de 95%. Resultados: Se encontró la média del escore en la Escala de Espiritualidad de 16,02 ± 2,71. Se observaron las mayores puntuaciones entre los ancianos no fumadores (p=0,014); que consumían frutas (p=0,003), vegetales (p=0,002) y agua (p=0,017) en cantidades adecuadas; entre aquellos clasificados como físicamente activos (p<0,001); y entre aquellos que estaban satisfechos con el sueño (p=0,032) y con las relaciones sociales (p<0,001). Práctica de actividad física (ß:0,225; IC=0,507-2,131) y satisfacción con las relaciones sociales (ß:0,190; IC=0,360-2,351) se presentaron relacionadas con la espiritualidad más elevada, incluso después de control por indicadores sociodemográficos. Conclusión: La espiritualidad está relacionada con comportamientos saludables en los ancianos investigados atendidos en la atención básica de salud.

Humanização na assistência de enfermagem à mulher em situação pósabortamento / Humanization in nursing care to women in post abortion situations / Humanización en la atención de enfermería a mujeres en situación postaborto

Objetivo: analisar a produção científica acerca dos cuidados de Enfermagem na mulher em situação de pós-abortamento Método: trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico, descritivo, tipo revisão integrativa. Realizou-se a busca nas bases de dados LILACS, BDENF, CINAHL e Biblioteca Virtual SCIELO, utilizando-se os descritores "Enfermagem", "cuidados de Enfermagem" e "aborto" em artigos publicados entre 2008 e 2017. Aplicaram-se os seguintes critérios de inclusão: artigos em inglês, espanhol ou português e disponíveis na íntegra. Excluíram-se as publicações que não contemplavam o objeto de estudo, duplicadas e revisões de literatura. Avaliaram-se os estudos a partir da análise crítica, sendo observados os aspectos metodológicos e as convergências entre os resultados encontrados, possibilitando a elaboração de três categorias temáticas, apresentadas nos resultados e discussão. Resultados: selecionaram-se sete publicações que deram origem a três categorias: Humanização e integralidade no cuidado de Enfermagem a mulheres em situação de abortamento, Assistência de Enfermagem a mulheres em situação de abortamento e Riscos inerentes à mulher em pós-abortamento. Conclusão: entende-se que a produção científica sinaliza a necessidade da qualificação profissional e de uma atuação ética. Acredita-se que os resultados possam instrumentalizar a equipe de Enfermagem nos cuidados prestados a mulheres em situação de pós-abortamento.(AU)

Objective: to analyze the scientific production about the nursing care of women in post abortion situations Method: it is a bibliographic, descriptive, integrative review type study. The LILACS, BDENF, CINAHL and SCIELO Virtual Library databases were searched using the descriptors "Nursing", "nursing care" and "abortion" in articles published between 2008 and 2017. The following inclusion criteria were applied: articles in English, Spanish or Portuguese and available in their entirety. Publications that did not include the study object, duplicates and literature reviews were excluded. The studies were evaluated from the critical analysis, and the methodological aspects and convergences between the results were observed, allowing the elaboration of three thematic categories, presented in the results and discussion. Results: seven publications were selected which gave rise to three categories: Humanization and integrality in the Nursing Care of Women in abortion situations, Nursing Care of Women in abortion situations and Risks inherent to women in post-abortion situations. Conclusion: it is understood that scientific production signals the need for professional qualification and ethical action. It is believed that the results can instrumentalize the Nursing team in the care of women in post abortion situations.

Objetivo: analizar la producción científica sobre los cuidados de Enfermería de la mujer en situación postaborto. Método: se trata de un estudio bibliográfico, descriptivo, tipo de revisión integradora. La búsqueda se realizó en las bases de datos LILACS, BDENF, CINAHL y Biblioteca Virtual SCIELO, utilizando los descriptores "Enfermería", "atención de Enfermería" y "aborto" en los artículos publicados entre 2008 y 2017. Se aplicaron los siguientes criterios de inclusión: artículos en inglés, español o portugués y disponibles en su totalidad. Se excluyeron las publicaciones que no incluyeron el objeto de estudio, duplicados y revisiones de la literatura. Los estudios fueron evaluados en base al análisis crítico, observando los aspectos metodológicos y las convergencias entre los resultados encontrados, permitiendo la elaboración de tres categorías temáticas, presentadas en los resultados y discusión. Resultados: se seleccionaron siete publicaciones que dieron lugar a tres categorías: Humanización e integralidad en la atención de Enfermería a mujeres en situación de aborto, Atención de Enfermería a mujeres en situación de aborto y Riesgos inherentes a las mujeres en postaborto. Conclusión: se entiende que la producción científica señala la necesidad de calificación profesional y desempeño ético. Se cree que los resultados pueden instrumentalizar al equipo de Enfermería en la atención brindada a las mujeres en situaciones postaborto.(AU)

Condições de vida de mulheres quilombolas e o alcance da autonomia reprodutiva / Condiciones de vida de mujeres de palenques y el alcance de la autonomía reproductiva / Living conditions of quilombo women and the achievement of reproductive autonomy

Resumo Objetivo explicar a interferência das condições de vida de mulheres quilombolas na autonomia reprodutiva. Método trata-se de um estudo qualitativo com 10 mulheres quilombolas com idade entre 23 e 49 anos, residentes em comunidades rurais do Território de Identidade da Bahia Sertão Produtivo. Estas compareceram aos encontros e assinaram o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. Os dados foram coletados através de grupos focais e analisados pela análise temática de Bardin. O software NVivo foi utilizado para organização dos dados. Procedeu-se à coleta de dados após a aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Resultados Considerando o fato de que metade do quantitativo de mulheres era primigesta, a maioria usava contraceptivo oral, não usava preservativo e nem participava do planejamento reprodutivo. Os dados revelaram que a autonomia reprodutiva das mulheres quilombolas sofre interferência do patriarcado, entretanto, vem se remodelando com a independência financeira das mulheres. Após agregação das unidades de registro, emergiram três categorias: "Teria que casar e ter filho(a)!", "Marcas da submissão e a conquista da autonomia" e "Planejamento reprodutivo: conflitos entre liberdade e obrigação". Conclusão e implicações para a prática condições de vida desfavoráveis impedem mulheres quilombolas de vivenciarem a autonomia reprodutiva em plenitude; o conhecimento dessas condições poderão revelar reais necessidades de saúde reprodutiva e subsidiar ações direcionadas a este público.

Resumen Objetivo explicar la interferencia de las condiciones de vida de las mujeres de palenques en la autonomía reproductiva. Método Se trata de un estudio cualitativo con 10 mujeres de palenques de entre 23 y 49 años de edad, residentes en comunidades rurales del Territorio de Identidad del Sertão Productivo de Bahía. Asistieron a las reuniones y firmaron el Término de Consentimiento libre e informado. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de grupos focales y analizados por el análisis temático de Bardin. Se usó el software NVivo para organizar los datos. La recolección tuvo lugar después de la aprobación del Comité de Ética en Investigación. Resultados Teniendo en cuenta el hecho de que la mitad de las mujeres eran primigestas, la mayoría de ellas utilizaban anticonceptivos orales, no utilizaban preservativos ni participaban en la planificación reproductiva. Los datos revelaron que la autonomía reproductiva de las mujeres de palenques sufre la interferencia del patriarcado, sin embargo, se ha ido remodelando con la independencia financiera de las mujeres. Después de la agregación de las unidades de registro, surgieron tres categorías: "¡Tendría que casarme y tener un hijo!", "Marcas de sumisión y el logro de la autonomía" y "Planificación reproductiva: conflictos entre libertad y obligación". Conclusión e implicaciones para la práctica las condiciones de vida desfavorables impiden a las mujeres de palenques experimentar una plena autonomía reproductiva; el conocimiento de estas condiciones puede revelar las necesidades reales de salud reproductiva y subvencionar acciones dirigidas a este público.

Abstract Objective to explain the interference of the living conditions of quilombo women in reproductive autonomy. Method this is a qualitative study with 10 quilombo women aged between 23 and 49 years old, living in rural communities of the Identity Territory of Bahia Productive backlands. They attended the meetings and signed the Free and Informed Consent Form. Data were collected through focus groups and analyzed by Bardin's thematic analysis. NVivo software was used to organize the data. Data collection took place after approval by the Research Ethics Committee. Results Considering the fact that half of quantitative was primigravida women, the majority used oral contraceptives, did not use condoms, nor did they participate in reproductive planning. The data revealed that the reproductive autonomy of quilombo women suffers interference from patriarchy, however, it has been remodeling with the financial independence of women. After aggregating the registration units, three categories emerged: "I would have to marry and have a child!", "Marks of submission and the achievement of autonomy" and "Reproductive planning: conflicts between freedom and obligation". Conclusion and implications for practice unfavorable living conditions prevent quilombo women from fully experiencing reproductive autonomy; knowledge of these conditions may reveal real reproductive health needs and subsidize actions directed to this public.

Chagas Disease: Perspectives on the Past and Present and Challenges in Drug Discovery.

Chagas disease still has no effective treatment option for all of its phases despite being discovered more than 100 years ago. The development of commercial drugs has been stagnating since the 1960s, a fact that sheds light on the question of how drug discovery research has progressed and taken advantage of technological advances. Could it be that technological advances have not yet been sufficient to resolve this issue or is there a lack of protocol, validation and standardization of the data generated by different research teams? This work presents an overview of commercial drugs and those that have been evaluated in studies and clinical trials so far. A brief review is made of recent target-based and phenotypic studies based on the search for molecules with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi action. It also discusses how proteochemometric (PCM) modeling and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) can help in the case of the lack of a 3D protein structure; more specifically, Trypanosoma cruzi carbonic anhydrase.

Quantification of schizophyllan directly from the fermented broth by ATR-FTIR and PLS regression.

Non-destructive methods that allow the quantification of bioproducts in a simple and quick manner during fermentation are extremely desirable from a practical point of view. Therefore, a 9 day fermentation experiment with Schizophyllum commune was carried out to investigate the possibility of using ATR-FTIR to quantify the schizophyllan biopolymer (SPG) directly from the culture medium. On each day, aliquots of the fermentation were taken, and the cell-free supernatant was analyzed by ATR-FTIR. The main objective of this step was to evaluate whether FTIR would be able to detect the appearance of specific peaks related to the production of SPG. The results of the PCA analysis showed that there was a reasonable separation of the days through the FTIR spectra. Then PCA-LDA was applied to the same dataset, which confirmed the formation of groups for each day of fermentation, after which, a calibration and test set was developed. Through a matrix generated by an experimental design with 2 factors and 5 levels, 25 samples were created with variations in the concentration of the culture medium and SPG. The ATR-FTIR spectra of this data set were modeled using PLS regression with backward selection of predictors. The results revealed that the amount of SPG produced can be quantified directly in the culture medium with excellent precision with R2CV = 0.951, R2P = 0.970, RMECV = 0.205 g, RMSEP = 0.170 g, RPDcv = 4.53 and RPDp = 5.88. The traditional method to quantify SPG is time consuming, requires several steps and uses solvents. In contrast, the method proposed in this work is a viable, faster, and a simpler alternative, which does not use reagents and does not require extensive pre-treatment of the samples.

Development, characterization and photobiological activity of nanoemulsion containing zinc phthalocyanine for oral infections treatment.

Nanotechnology, when applied to PDT's, allows the encapsulation of ZnPc in nanocarriers, producing thus nanoemulsions that permit the use of ZnPc as photosensitizers. The Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are microorganisms present in biofilms which can cause resistant endodontic infections. The objective of this work is the development and characterization of clove essential oil nanoemulsions containing ZnPc. The formulations were developed according to factorial experimental planning and characterized by the determination of the mean drop size, Polydispersity Index (PdI), content, organoleptic characteristics, stability, morphology, cytotoxicity in the dark and evaluation of the photobiological activity. The experimental planning was able to indicate the maximum amount of ZnPc that could be encapsulated in the nanoemulsion while maintaining droplet size <50 nm and PdI < 0.2. The surface plots for the response variables indicated a robust region for the combination of Pluronic® F-127 and clove oil factors. The result of this study was the choice of the nanoemulsion containing ZnPc solution at 5%, clove oil at 5%, Pluronic® F-127 at 10% and will be codified as ZnPc-NE. The nanoemulsion presented a mean diameter of 30.52 nm, PDI < 0.2 and a concentration of 17.5 µg/mL, as well as stability at room temperature for 180 days. TEM showed that the drops are spherical with nanometric size, which corroborates the results of dynamic light scattering. Concerning the photobiological activity, the ZnPc-NE exhibited MIC 1.09 µg/mL for Enterococcus faecalis and 0.065 µg/mL for MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). ZnPc-NE showed higher photobiological activity than free ZnPc. Besides, cytotoxicity studies showed that blank-NE (nanoemulsions without PS) showed good antimicrobial activity. Thus, clove oil nanoemulsion is an excellent nanocarrier to promote the photobiological activity of the ZnPc against pathogenic microorganisms.

New method for rapid identification and quantification of fungal biomass using ergosterol autofluorescence.

This research reports on the development of a method to identify and quantify fungal biomass based on ergosterol autofluorescence using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) measurements. In the first stage of this work, several ergosterol extraction methods were evaluated by APCI-MS, where the ultrasound-assisted procedure showed the best results. Following an experimental design, various quantities of the dried mycelium of the fungus Schizophyllum commune were mixed with the starchy solid residue (BBR) from the babassu (Orbignya sp.) oil industry, and these samples were subjected to several ergosterol extraction methods. The EEM spectral data of the samples were subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which showed the possibility to qualitatively evaluate the presence of ergosterol in the samples by ergosterol autofluorescence without the addition of any reagent. In order to assess the feasibility of quantifying fungal biomass using ergosterol autofluorescence, the EEM spectral data and known amounts of fungal biomass were modeled using partial least squares (PLS) regression and a procedure of backward selection of predictors (AutoPLS) was applied to select the Excitation-Emission wavelength pairs that provide the lowest prediction error. The results revealed that the amount of fungal biomass in samples containing interfering substances (BBR) can be accurately predicted with R2CV = 0.939, R2P = 0.936, RPDcv = 4.07, RPDp = 4.06, RMSECV = 0.0731 and RMSEP = 0.0797. In order to obtain an easy-to-understand equation that expresses the relationship between fungal biomass and fluorescence intensity, multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to the VIP variables selected by the AutoPLS method. The MLR model selected only 2 variables and showed a very good performance, with R2CV = 0.862, R2P = 0.809, RPDcv = 2.18, RPDp = 2.35, RMSECV = 0.137 and RMSEP = 0.138. This study demonstrated that ergosterol autofluorescence can be successfully used to quantify fungal biomass even when mixed with agroindustrial residues, in this case BBR.

Development, characterization, and anti-leishmanial activity of topical amphotericin B nanoemulsions.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites from Leishmania genus species, affecting millions of people, in several countries. The current available treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has presented many side effects. In this way, micro- and nanotechnology are important processes, since they may be useful for release profile modulation of CL drugs improving their bioavailability. Amphotericin B (AmB) is a macrolide antibiotic used as a second-choice treatment. This study aimed the development of oil-water nanoemulsions (NEs) containing AmB for topical administration to treat CL. Furthermore, NEs were characterized by their droplet size, morphology, drug content, stability, in vitro release profile, and ex vivo skin permeation. In vitro anti-leishmanial activity using Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes was also evaluated. NEs containing AmB presented droplet size lower than 60 nm with a polydispersity index lower than 0.5. The best AmB-NEs were submitted to stability tests and these formulations presented excellent results after 365 days under refrigeration, confirming the maintenance of the drug content higher than 95%. AmB-NEs displayed slow and controlled AmB kinetic release and low skin permeation. These formulations presented lower cytotoxicity in comparison with free AmB and higher anti-leishmanial effect against L. amazonensis promastigotes. Therefore, the selected AmB-NE formulations, especially AmB-NE01, presented promising results as novel alternatives for CL treatment. Graphical abstract.

A microplate assay for extracellular hydrolase detection.

This article presents a new qualitative method to detect enzyme activity replacing the conventional Agar-Petri dishes. This new method is a simple rapid and low-cost technique that uses 24-well microplates. The detection of hydrolases producing microorganisms in bioprospecting studies by qualitative methods is time consuming, costly and requires a large quantity of strains or enzymatic extracts. Tests with different substrate concentrations (0 to 20 g/L) in agar solution for the enzymatic hydrolysis analysis were performed to determine the best substrate concentrations in 24-well microplates. Other quantitative and analytical methods, such as enzymatic assays and thin layer chromatography, were performed to validate this new method and to compare the relationship between enzymatic activity and substrate degradation. Statistically relevant results were observed for amylase, endoglucanase and polygalacturonase enzymes, even when there was a low substrate concentration in agar, where the halo diameter was high. The results also indicated that the concentrations for efficient enzyme index measurements were 4 g/L carboxymethylcellulose for endoglucanase detection and 8 g/L for amylase and polygalacturonase assays. The results were presented according to the traditional methods for detection of enzymatic activity. This new method can be used as a general test for the detection of important industrial hydrolases. It is a faster and less costly alternative for screening microbial enzyme producing microorganisms and is useful for studying the production of microbial enzymes under different growing conditions.

Motor skills in children with strabismus.

PURPOSE: To assess the extent to which strabismus in children was associated with motor difficulties and to examine which parameters of strabismus were most closely associated with motor development. METHODS: The motor skills of children who were suffering from strabismus, were tested binocularly using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2) and compared with the motor performance of monocularly tested healthy controls without any ophthalmologic disease. RESULTS: A total of 40 children with strabismus (mean, 7.25 ± 3.83 years; 19 females) and 18 controls (mean age, 8.33 ± 5.42 years; 6 females) were tested. According to the MABC-2 test, of the 40, 19 had no motor disability, and 21 were at risk of or already presented significant motor disabilities. Results of the MABC-2 were significantly lower for strabismic children without binocularity compared to those with binocularity (P = 0.002). Lack of binocularity was associated with significantly lower performance for static balance (P = 0.003) as well as for catching tasks (P = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Lack of binocularity and stereopsis in children is associated with significant motor skills impairment, in particular for static balance and catching tasks. These results should be confirmed with a larger sample, including older patients, to assess the compensation mechanisms that develop with age and the actual effects of strabismus on overall motor performance.

Carotenoids from UV-resistant Antarctic Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01.

The Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01 isolated from Antarctic soil does not belong to any of the nearest species identified in the RDP database. Under UV radiation (A, B and C wavebands) the survival fractions of Microbacterium sp. cells were much higher compared with wild-type E. coli K12A15. Especially remarkable for an Antarctic bacterium, an expressive resistance against high UV-B doses was observed. The increased survival of DNA repair-proficient E. coli grown overnight added of 0.1 mg/ml or 1 mg/ml of the whole pigment extract produced by Microbacterium sp. revealed that part of the resistance of Microbacterium sp. against UV-B radiation seems to be connected with photoprotection by its pigments. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that UV-A and UV-B ensued membrane alterations only in E. coli. The APCI-MS fingerprints revealed the diagnostic ions for neurosporene (m/z 580, 566, 522, 538, and 524) synergism for the first time in this bacterium by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Carotenoids also were devoid of phototoxicity and cytotoxicity effects in mouse cells and in human keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

Clove oil nanoemulsion showed potent inhibitory effect against Candida spp.

Increasing resistance to current fungicides is a clinical problem that leads to the need for new treatment strategies. Clove oil (CO) has already been described as having antifungal action. However, it should not be applied directly to the skin as it may be irritating. One option for CO delivery and suitable topical application would be nanoemulsions (NEs). NEs have advantages such as decreased irritant effects and lower dose use. The purpose of this work was the development of NEs containing CO and in vitro evaluation against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. The NEs were produced by an ultrasonic processor with different proportions of CO and Pluronic® F-127. In order to determine the best composition and ultrasound amplitude, an experimental design was performed. For the evaluation, droplet size and polydispersity index (PdI) were used. After the stability study, in vitro activity against C. albicans and C. glabrata was evaluated. NEs selected for the stability study, with diameter <40 nm and PdI <0.2, remained stable for 420 d. Activity against Candida spp. was improved when the CO was nanoemulsified, for it possibly leads to a better interaction between the active and the microorganisms, mainly in C. albicans.

Evaluation of Kluyveromyces marxianus endo-polygalacturonase activity through ATR-FTIR.

The endo-polygalacturonase enzyme (endoPG: EC 3.2.1.15) plays an important role in the fruit juice and wine industries, so the development of new tools for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of its enzymatic action is necessary. In this work, we report the development of a simple, fast and practical method that did not use any chemical reagent to identify and evaluate the action of the endoPG enzyme, produced by the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT3172, using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA). This method evaluated the action of the endoPG enzyme on the polygalacturonic acid (PGA) substrate at 5 different times (0, 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes), and at each time interval the samples were analyzed by ATR-FTIR. It was demonstrated that there was clear segregation between the samples that were and that were not subjected to the action of the endoPG enzyme, and it was also possible to distinguish the samples that were subjected to different incubation times with the enzyme. Through PCA-LDA it was possible to obtain wavelengths that are biomarkers for this enzymatic reaction and the observed changes as a function of hydrolysis duration were found to be in agreement with the breakdown of the glycosidic chain (1011 cm-1-CH-O- CH stretching) of PGA and release of oligosaccharides (1078 cm-1 C-OH elongation). The activity of the endoPG enzyme and the release of galacturonic acid were verified by the dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method in all samples. The efficacy of an automatic classifier using a principal component analysis-linear discriminant classifier (PCA-LDC) was evaluated to diagnose the action of the endoPG enzyme. The results showed an accuracy of 100% for the identification of the endoPG enzyme action and from 91.67% to 100% for classification according to the hydrolysis duration in which PGA was exposed to endoPG. The present study indicates that this methodology may be a new approach for the qualitative evaluation of the endoPG enzyme with the potential to be used in laboratories and industries.