Digestion of starch in a dynamic small intestinal model.

PURPOSE: The rate and extent of starch digestion have been linked with important health aspects, such as control of obesity and type-2 diabetes. In vitro techniques are often used to study digestion and simulated nutrient absorption; however, the effect of gut motility is often disregarded. The present work aims at studying fundamentals of starch digestion, e.g. the effect of viscosity on digestibility, taking into account both biochemical and engineering (gut motility) parameters. METHODS: New small intestinal model (SIM) that realistically mimics gut motility (segmentation) was used to study digestibility and simulated oligosaccharide bio accessibility of (a) model starch solutions; (b) bread formulations. First, the model was compared with the rigorously mixed stirred tank reactor (STR). Then the effects of enzyme concentration/flow rate, starch concentration, and digesta viscosity (addition of guar gum) were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared to the STR, the SIM showed presence of lag phase when no digestive processes could be detected. The effects of enzyme concentration and flow rate appeared to be marginal in the region of mass transfer limited reactions. Addition of guar gum reduced simulated glucose absorption by up to 45 % in model starch solutions and by 35 % in bread formulations, indicating the importance of chyme rheology on nutrient bioaccessibility. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the work highlights the significance of gut motility in digestive processes and offers a powerful tool in nutritional studies that, additionally to biochemical, considers engineering aspects of digestion. The potential to modulate food digestibility and nutrient bioaccessibility by altering food formulation is indicated.

Estudo Etnobotânico de plantas medicinais utilizadas pela Comunidade do Sisal no município de Catu, Bahia, Brasil / Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Sisal Community in the city of Catu, Bahia, Brazil

A utilização de plantas medicinais é instintiva nos animais, visto que alguns destes buscam raízes, cascas, folhas ou frutos na tentativa de resolver seus males. O homem, por sua vez, aprendeu a utilizar estas informações empiricamente para fazer uso destes vegetais. A medicina popular é uma importante alternativa, provavelmente, a mais usada para a cura de doenças por parte de populações indígenas, quilombolas ou rurais. A Etnobotânica, por sua vez, encarrega-se de estudar e interpretar essa relação dos homens com o mundo vegetal. Devido ao seu grande potencial biológico e cultural, o Brasil apresenta uma infinidade de conhecimentos tradicionais e espécies vegetais importantes, o que torna esse país uma grande fonte de pesquisa na área. Visando avaliar o conhecimento tradicional da população rural do Sisal, Catu/Bahia, relacionado ao uso de plantas medicinais, este trabalho iniciou-se em julho de 2009, constando de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e estruturadas, gravações, registros fotográficos, coleta do material botânico indicado nas entrevistas com os informantes, tratamento do material coletado e incorporação ao Herbário da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (HUNEB). Foram identificadas e coletadas 54 espécies distribuídas em 46 gêneros e 28 famílias, sendo Lamiacaeae e Asteraceae as mais representativas. A maioria das plantas é constituída de ervas e cultivada nos quintais dos moradores. O estudo revelou que a comunidade apresenta uma medicina popular bastante rica, com grande diversidade de espécies vegetais e usos por parte da população.

The use of medicinal plants is instinctive in animals, since some of these seek roots, bark, leaves or fruits in an attempt to cure their diseases. Man, in turn, learned to use this information on the use of these plants empirically. Folk medicine is an important alternative, probably the most used to cure diseases by indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants and rural populations. Ethnobotany, in turn, undertakes to study and interpret the relationship of men with the plant world. Because of its great biological and cultural potential, Brazil has a wealth of traditional knowledge and important plant species, what makes this country a great source of research in the area. To evaluate the traditional knowledge of the rural population of Sisal, city of Catu, state of Bahia, Brazil, related to use of medicinal plants, this work began in July 2009, consisting of semi-structured and structured interviews, recordings, photographs, collection of botanical material indicated in the interviews with informants, treatment of the collected material and incorporation into the Herbarium of the University of Bahia (HUNEB). We identified and collected 54 species in 46 genera and 28 families, being Asteraceae and Lamiacaeae the most representative. Most plants are herbs grown in the backyards of the residents. The study revealed that the community has a very rich folk medicine, with a great diversity of plant species and uses by the population.

How do cognitive and axial motor signs correlate in Parkinson's disease? A 6-year prospective study.

Impairment of Parkinson's disease (PD) axial motor signs (AMS) has been described as a risk factor for dementia. Executive dysfunction is an important feature in recently proposed clinical diagnostic criteria for PD dementia. To clarify the relationship between AMS progression and executive cognitive performance, we conducted a 6-year prospective study in PD patients without AMS impairment at baseline. A hospital-based cohort of PD patients (n = 24) without dementia, in the initial motor stage (Hoehn-Yahr < or = 2), and matched controls (n = 20) were followed prospectively over a 6-year period. Neuropsychological tests were performed in both groups, and motor function (including AMS: speech, gait, postural instability) was evaluated in the PD group. The PD group had a significantly higher decline in neuropsychological test scores than did the controls. Most of the neuropsychological and motor decline occurred in the last 4 years. In UPDRS III, progression of AMS and especially speech were the most important motor variables related to dementia. There was a correlation between speech impairment progression and declines in MMSE (r = -0.598, p = 0.002), Clock Drawing (r = -0.671, p < 0.001), Semantic Verbal Fluency (r = -0.435, p = 0.034), Alternating Sequences (r = 0.497, p = 0.014), and Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (r = -0.735, p < 0.001). PD patients with higher speech impairment progression showed more rapid declines in some neuropsychological tests. Further studies are needed to clarify the different roles of speech, gait and postural instability on the initial phases of cognitive dysfunction.

Efeitos da solução salina hipertônica a 7,5 por cento em glicose a 5 por cento nas concentrações séricas de sódio, cloreto e potássio de eqüinos com hipovolemia induzida / Effects of 7,5 percent hypertonic saline in 5 percent glucose on serum levels of sodium, chloride and potassium in induced hypovolemic horses

Estudaram-se os efeitos de soluções salinas isotônica e hipertônica em eqüinos hipovolêmicos sobre as concentrações séricas de sódio, cloreto e potássio e freqüências cardíaca (FC) e respiratória (FR). Quinze eqüinos machos com peso entre 390 e 475kg e idades entre quatro e 18 anos foram submetidos à retirada de sangue correspondente a 2 por cento do peso corporal e distribuídos em três grupos de igual número: o grupo GSH recebeu solução hipertônica de NaCl a 7,5 por cento em glicose a 5 por cento; o GSI, solução isotônica de NaCl a 0,9 por cento; e o GC não foi tratado. Os eletrólitos séricos foram avaliados antes (T0), após a retirada de sangue (T1) e após a infusão das soluções, entre 20 e 30 minutos (T2), entre 60 e 70 minutos (T3) e entre 120 e 130 minutos (T4). Após T0, houve elevação da FC e da FR, e as concentrações séricas de Na, Cl, K permaneceram inalteradas. Após a infusão, houve melhora das variáveis clínicas em GSI e GSH, em relação ao GC. Quanto a T3 e T4, os valores de Na em T2 do GSH foram maiores, e os de Cl e de K não se alteraram. As soluções hipertônica e isotônica são seguras na correção da hipovolemia induzida e não produzem alteração eletrolítica significativa.

The effect of isotonic and hypertonic solutions on serum levels of sodium, chloride and potassium and cardiac (CR) and respiratory rates (RR) of hypovolemic horses were studied. Fifteen horses weighting from 390 to 475kg, aging from four to 18-years-old were submitted to bleeding of 2 percent of body weight and divided in three groups: 7.5 percent NaCl hypertonic saline in 5 percent glucose (GSH), 0.9 percent NaCl isotonic saline and control group (GC). Serum electrolytes were evaluated before (T0) and after bleeding (T1) and after the administration of the solutions between 20 and 30 minutes (T2), 60 and 70 minutes (T3) and 120 and 130 minutes (T4). After T0, CR and RR increased while serum sodium, chloride, potassium were not affected. After the treatment, the clinical variables improved in GSI and GSH as compared to GC. The Na levels increased in GSH at T2 being higher than T3 and T4 while chloride and potassium concentrations did not change. The hypertonic and isotonic solutions safely corrected the hypovolemia of the horses, without altering significantly the electrolyte balance.

Photothermal techniques applied to the determination of the water vapor diffusion coefficient and thermal diffusivity of edible films.

Water vapor diffusion coefficient (WVDC) and thermal diffusivity (alpha) were determined in gelatin-starch films through photothermal techniques. The effect of different variables in the elaboration of these films, such as starch and glycerol concentrations and pH, were evaluated through the response surface methodology. The results indicated that an increase in the glycerol concentration and pH favored the WVDC of the films. On the other hand, alpha was influenced principally by the starch content and pH of the film-forming solution. The minimum alpha value was 4.5 x 10(-4) cm2/s, which is compared with alpha values reported for commercial synthetic polymers.

Photoacoustic determination of iron in corn meal.

We report here on the use of the photoacoustic technique for the determination of low concentrations of total iron in corn meal samples. The determination of this element in food is of considerable interest because several foods are currently enriched with it at proper levels in order to increase the resistance of people, after consumation, to several diseases, such as anemia. The proposed technique is based on an open photoacoustic cell configuration in conjunction with a suitable colorimetric method. We applied it to a measurement of the total iron concentration in corn meal samples. The results agree very well with those obtained using a conventional spectrophotometric method, showing the possibilities of new experimental methodologies based on photothermal methods to perform this kind of study, with the advantage of a higher sensitivity and increment of the range of appreciable absorbance.

A comparative study of severe scorpion envenomation in children caused by Tityus bahiensis and Tityus serrulatus.

From January 1984 to May 1994, 17 of 239 children under 15 years old stung by Tityus serrulatus (15.1%) or Tityus bahiensis (84.9%) presented severe envenoming. Of these 17 patients (1-11 years old; median = 2 yr) 14 were stung by T. serrulatus and three by T. bahiensis. All of them received scorpion antivenom i.v. at times ranging from 45 min. to 5 h after the accident (median = 2 h). On admission, the main clinical manifestations and laboratory and electrocardiographic changes were: vomiting (17), diaphoresis (15), tachycardia (14), prostration (10), tachypnea (8), arterial hypertension (7), arterial hypotension (5), tremors (5), hypothermia (4), hyperglycemia (17), leukocytosis (16/16), hypokalemia (13/17), increased CK-MB enzyme activity (> 6% of the total CK, 11/12), hyperamylasemia (11/14), sinusal tachycardia (16/17) and a myocardial infarction-like pattern (11/17). Six patients stung by T. serrulatus had depressed left ventricular systolic function assessed by means of echocardiography. Of these, five presented pulmonary edema and four had shock. A child aged two-years old presented severe respiratory failure and died 65 h after being stung by T. serrulatus. Severe envenomations caused by T. serrulatus were 26.2 times more frequent than those caused by T. bahiensis (p < 0.001).

[Snake bites in children: antivenom early reaction frequency in patients pretreated with histamine antagonists H1 and H2 and hydrocortisone]. / Envenenamento ofídico em crianças: frequência de reações precoces ao antiveneno em pacientes que receberam pré-tratamento com antagonistas H1 e H2 da histamina e hidrocortisona.

Type and frequency of early reactions (ER) were studied in 24 children aging 2-14 years victims of snake bites who received pretreatment with histamine antagonists H1 (dextrochlorfeniramine) and H2 (cimetidine or ranitidine) and hydrocortisone from 1989 to 1993. None of them had atopy nor received any type of anti-venoms(AV) and antitoxins before. Of 24 children, 15 received bothropic AV (ER in 5), 7 crotalic AV (ER in 5), 1 crotalic plus crotalic-bothropic AV, and 1 elapidic AV (ER in 1). In 3 children severe early reactions were observed and they were classified as severe crotalic accident. Results suggest that pre-treatment did not offer safety protection at the appearance of early reactions.