Novel antimicrobial activity of a dichloromethane extract obtained from red seaweed Ceramium rubrum (Hudson) (Rhodophyta: Florideophyceae) against Yersinia ruckeri and Saprolegnia parasitica, agents that cause diseases in salmonids

Background Enteric red mouth disease and Saprolegniasis, which are caused by the bacteria Yersinia ruckeri and the oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica, respectively, are important illnesses that affect salmonid farming. Sanitary problems in farms are addressed by the prevention of disease outbreaks or by the treatment of diseases with chemicals. Environmental and governmental restrictions, toxicity and high treatment costs limit the use of drugs. Marine organisms, such as algae, sponges and corals, have developed an antimicrobial defense strategy based on the production of bioactive metabolites. Among these organisms, seaweeds offer a particularly rich source of potential new drugs. Hence, many pharmacologically active substances have been isolated from seaweeds. In the Ceramium genus, Ceramium rubrum has been emphasized by several authors for its antimicrobial properties. Based on this background, the present study focused on the antimicrobial activity of a lipophilic extract of C. rubrum on Y. ruckeri and S. parasitica. Results The alga, collected from the Pacific coast of Chile, underwent an ethanol extraction, and the concentrated extract was partitioned between water and dichloromethane. From the dichloromethane extract, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, one hydrocarbon and phytol were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. The antimicrobial study showed that the whole extract was more active than the individual components, which suggests a strong synergistic effect among the components. Conclusions These results may constitute a basis for promising future applied research that could investigate the use of C. rubrum seaweed as a source of antimicrobial compounds against fish pathogens.

[Analysis of referrals of new patients to the rheumatology section of a tertiary hospital]. / Análisis de las interconsultas de pacientes nuevos recibidas en un policlínico de reumatología de un hospital terciario.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of rheumatic diseases is approximately 15% in the general population. AIM: To assess the concordance between the original and final diagnosis of patients referred to a rheumatology unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During 2000, all new patients referred to the rheumatology section of Temuco General Hospital were recorded. The concordance between the referral diagnosis given by general practitioners or general internists and the final diagnosis reached at the rheumatology unit was analyzed using the Kappa index. The modified version of the American College of Rheumatology nomenclature was used as reference. RESULTS: The clinical records of 787 outpatients, 83% females, aged 54.7 +/- 14 years old, were analyzed. Twenty seven percent of patients were referred with the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases, 26% with extra articular diseases and 24% with osteoarthritis. The concordance between referral and final diagnosis reached at the rheumatology unit had a kappa of 0.6 for general practitioners and 0.72 for general internists. CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall concordance between referral diagnosis, given by general practitioners or general internists, and final rheumatological diagnosis is good, there are still major discrepancies that should be improved.