Fitoterápicos e plantas medicinais na prática dos profissionais de saúde em Unidades de Estratégia Saúde da Família / Phytotherapies and medicinal plants in the practice of health professionals in Family Health Strategy units

Introdução: o uso da fitoterapia como alternativa terapêutica, tem aumentado, no entanto ainda existem lacunas no conhecimento sobre o tema, o que impede a completa adesão da prática por parte dos profissionais de saúde. Objetivos: este trabalho teve como objetivoverificar o conhecimento sobre a prática da fitoterapia por profissionais de saúde em unidades de Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF). Metodologia: foi realizado umestudo quantitativo, transversal, com aplicação de questionário contendo perguntas sobre a fitoterapia. Além disso, foi também desenvolvida uma análise descritiva, com frequência relativa e absoluta e análise de correlação através do teste de qui-quadrado de Pearson, utilizando teste de regressão binomial e multinominal. Resultados: participaram da pesquisa, 156 profissionais de saúde, distribuídos em 20 ESF do município de Rondonópolis-MT, sendo 24 enfermeiros, 8 médicos, 7 odontólogos, 4 farmacêuticos, 6 psicólogos, 10 técnicos em enfermagem, 88 agentes comunitários de saúde, 7 técnicos em saúde bucal, 1 técnico de farmácia e 1 educador físico. Destaca-se que 58% não souberam explicar a diferença entre fitoterápicos e plantas medicinais, 52% não sabiam realizar orientações nem citar o nome de medicamentos proveniente das plantas (53%), 88% não fizeram curso ou disciplina na área. No entanto, 86% tem interesse em se qualificar no assunto. Dentre os profissionais prescritores, 72,1% afirmaram prescrever raramente ou não prescrever a fitoterapia em sua prática profissional. Conclusão: evidenciam-se falhas no conhecimento sobre a fitoterapia e a necessidade de capacitação aos profissionais que atuam nas ESF, de forma a se sentirem seguros para prescrever e orientar quanto aos riscos e benefícios do uso das plantas como alternativa terapêutica.

Introduction: the use of phytotherapy as a therapeutic alternativehas increased, however there are still gaps in knowledge on the subject, what stopping the full adherence to the practice by health professionals. Objectives: this work aimed to verify the knowledge about the practice of herbal medicine by health professionals in Family Health Strategy Units (FHS). Method: A quantitative study was carried out, cross-sectional study, with the application of a questionnaire containing questions about herbal medicine. In addition, a descriptive analysis was also carried out, using relative and absolute frequency and correlation analysis through Pearson's chi-square test, using binomial and multinomial regression test. Results: 156 health professionals participated in the research, distributed in 20 FHS in the city of Rondonópolis-MT, 24 nurses, 8 doctors, 7 dentists, 4 pharmacists, 6 psychologists, 10 nursing technicians, 88 community health agents, 7 technicians in oral health, 1 pharmacy technician and 1 physical educator. It is noteworthy that 58% could not explain the difference between herbal medicines and medicinal plants, 52% did not know how to provide guidance or mention the name of medicines derived from plants (53%), 88% did not take a course or discipline in the area. However, 86% are interested in qualifying in the subject. Among the prescribing professionals, 72.1% stated that they rarely or didn ́t prescribe phytotherapy in their professional practice. Conclusion: there is evidence of gaps in knowledge about herbal medicine and the need for training professionals working in the FHS, in order to feel safe to prescribe and guide about the risks and benefits of using plants as a therapeutic alternative.

Endophytic fungi producing of esterases: evaluation in vitro of the enzymatic activity using pH indicator

A sensitive and efficient colorimetric method was optimized for detection of esterase enzymes produced by endophytic fungi for development of High-Throughput Screening (HTS). The fungi were isolated and obtained previously from plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest located in areas of environmental preservation in the State of Sao Paulo / Brazil, as part of the project "Chemical and biological prospecting endophytic fungi associated to plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest". The compounds ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate and methyl propionate were used as standards esters which were hydrolyzed by extracellular enzyme from endophytic fungi (EC. 3.1.1.1 -carboxylesterases) for production of carboxylic acids. Thus, the reduction of the pH increases the protonated indicator concentration (bromothymol blue), changing the color of the reaction medium (from blue to yellow), that can be observed and measured by spectrophotometry at 616 nm. The methodology with acid-base indicator was performed on 13 microorganisms, aiming Periconia atropurpurea asapotential source of esterase for biotransformation of short chain esters. The results also evidenced that this methodology showed to be efficient, fast, cheap, having low consumption of reagents and easy development, and can be applied to screen carboxylic-ester hydrolases in a large number of microorganisms.(AU)

Endophytic fungi producing of esterases: evaluation in vitro of the enzymatic activity using pH indicator

A sensitive and efficient colorimetric method was optimized for detection of esterase enzymes produced by endophytic fungi for development of High-Throughput Screening (HTS). The fungi were isolated and obtained previously from plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest located in areas of environmental preservation in the State of Sao Paulo / Brazil, as part of the project "Chemical and biological prospecting endophytic fungi associated to plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest". The compounds ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate and methyl propionate were used as standards esters which were hydrolyzed by extracellular enzyme from endophytic fungi (EC. 3.1.1.1 -carboxylesterases) for production of carboxylic acids. Thus, the reduction of the pH increases the protonated indicator concentration (bromothymol blue), changing the color of the reaction medium (from blue to yellow), that can be observed and measured by spectrophotometry at 616 nm. The methodology with acid-base indicator was performed on 13 microorganisms, aiming Periconia atropurpurea asapotential source of esterase for biotransformation of short chain esters. The results also evidenced that this methodology showed to be efficient, fast, cheap, having low consumption of reagents and easy development, and can be applied to screen carboxylic-ester hydrolases in a large number of microorganisms.

Endophytic fungi producing of esterases: evaluation in vitro of the enzymatic activity using pH indicator.

A sensitive and efficient colorimetric method was optimized for detection of esterase enzymes produced by endophytic fungi for development of High-Throughput Screening (HTS). The fungi were isolated and obtained previously from plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest located in areas of environmental preservation in the State of Sao Paulo / Brazil, as part of the project "Chemical and biological prospecting endophytic fungi associated to plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest". The compounds ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate and methyl propionate were used as standards esters which were hydrolyzed by extracellular enzyme from endophytic fungi (EC. 3.1.1.1--carboxyl-esterases) for production of carboxylic acids. Thus, the reduction of the pH increases the protonated indicator concentration (bromothymol blue), changing the color of the reaction medium (from blue to yellow), that can be observed and measured by spectrophotometry at 616 nm. The methodology with acid-base indicator was performed on 13 microorganisms, aiming Periconia atropurpurea as a potential source of esterase for biotransformation of short chain esters. The results also evidenced that this methodology showed to be efficient, fast, cheap, having low consumption of reagents and easy development, and can be applied to screen carboxylic-ester hydrolases in a large number of microorganisms.