Antibacterial activity of plant extracts against Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates from guinea pigs with lymphadenitis in Ecuador.

Lymphadenitis is a commonly occurring and contagious disease in guinea pigs caused by different pathogens, including Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Corynebacterium sp. This study aimed to characterize the bacteria isolated from pus extracted from abscessed mandibular lymph nodes of diseased guinea pigs in Ecuador in 2019 and evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the total extracts of three plant species. Isolates were recovered from three diseased guinea pigs with Lymphadenitis on a farm in Imbabura, Ecuador province. The bacteria were characterized through microbiological, biochemical, and molecular tests as Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. Furthermore, the susceptibility of S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus to three plant extracts belonging to the Asteraceae family, Acmella ciliata, Bidens andicola, and Gazania splendens collected in Ecuador, were assessed in vitro by the microdilution method. Our data indicate that all the evaluated extracts showed activity, with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 22.50 mg/mL for Acmella ciliata, 11.25 mg/mL for Bidens andicola, and 5.60 mg/mL for Gazania splendens. Bidens andicola extract showed the highest efficacy with a % inhibition of 63.90 at the highest tested concentration (45 mg/mL). This is the first report on the bioactivity of these plant species against S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus.

Dental restoration operative time and analysis of the internal gap of conventional resins (Incremental Technique) vs. Bulk Fill (Single-Increment Technique): In vitro study.

Background: To determine the operative time and the internal restoration gap in the restoration-tooth interface in the cavity floor using an incremental technique for conventional resins and the single-increment technique for the bulk fill resin. Material and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, the internal gaps of the restoration-tooth interfaces in the cavity floors of two conventional resins and two bulk fill resins were microscopically analyzed, and the restoration times of the single-increment technique and the incremental technique were determined. Results: Bulk fill resins had smaller internal gap (63.31 µm) than conventional resins (333.14 µm). Regarding the restoration time, the single-increment technique obtained the best results in operative time (3.52 minutes), with significant differences relative to the incremental technique. Conclusions: The Tetric N-Ceram bulk fill resin presented better performance than conventional resins relative to the internal gap of the restoration-tooth interface in the cavity floor. In addition, the single-increment technique presented a short clinical restoration time. Key words:Composite, internal gap, restoration technique.

Alternative medicine therapies in neurological disorders: Prevalence, reasons and associated factors. A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to identify the prevalence of CAM use in patients with neurological disorders, and also to know most frequent types of CAM used. METHODS: Five databases: PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO, Latindex and Scielo (in English and Spanish) were searched from January 2010 to May 2021. Only original cross-sectional, retrospective and cohort studies were included, whose primary objective was to describe the frequency of CAM use in neurological disorders and/or the related factors to its use in adults. Based on the data, a descriptive analysis was performed, covering the characteristics of studies, measuring methods, prevalence, types and related factors. To control the risk of bias, a quality assessment of each study was performed using STROBE checklist. RESULTS: For the final analysis, 40 studies were included. Most common pathologies observed in the studies were multiple sclerosis, headache, stroke, Parkinson and epilepsy. The STROBE score of studies ranged from 13 to 22 points, with an average of 18.2. Prevalence of CAM use was highly variable from one study to another (16% in stroke patients, to 100% in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or spinal cord injury patients). Biological therapies (dietary supplements and herbal medicine) were the most commonly CAM types used. The associated factors identified were female sex, an age between 40 and 50 years, and higher socioeconomic level. Not all studies investigated about the results of CAMs but these ranged from 35% to more than 80% of reporting positive effects. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CAM use in neurological diseases is highly variable (16%-100%); the most used type of CAM was biological therapies and the associated factors were female sex, age between 40 and 50 years old and high socioeconomic level.

Analysis of Plant-Plant Interactions Reveals the Presence of Potent Antileukemic Compounds.

A method to identify anticancer compounds in plants was proposed based on the hypothesis that these compounds are primarily present in plants to provide them with an ecological advantage over neighboring plants and other competitors. According to this view, identifying plants that contain compounds that inhibit or interfere with the development of other plant species may facilitate the discovery of novel anticancer agents. The method was developed and tested using Magnolia grandiflora, Gynoxys verrucosa, Picradeniopsis oppositifolia, and Hedyosmum racemosum, which are plant species known to possess compounds with cytotoxic activities. Plant extracts were screened for growth inhibitory activity, and then a thin-layer chromatography bioautography assay was conducted. This located the major antileukemic compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 in the extracts. Once the active compounds were located, they were extracted and purified, and their structures were determined. The growth inhibitory activity of the purified compounds showed a significant correlation with their antileukemic activity. The proposed approach is rapid, inexpensive, and can easily be implemented in areas of the world with high biodiversity but with less access to advanced facilities and biological assays.

Fluoride levels in river water from the volcanic regions of Cauca (Colombia).

Fluoride concentrations of 0.5 mg/L in drinking water are considered useful for dental caries prevention. However, fluoride concentrations higher than 1.2 mg/L in water can pose a risk of dental fluorosis due to high exposure to fluoride. The objective is to determine the fluoride concentration in water from aqueducts of different Colombian municipalities of Cauca (Popayán, Coconuco, and Puracé) to assess the fluoride dietary intake from the consumption of this water. A total of 66 water samples have been taken from Popayán, Coconuco, and Puracé. Fluoride content was determined by fluoride ion-selective electrode (ISE) potentiometry. The fluoride concentrations recorded in Coconuco and Puracé water were ≤ 0.002 mg/L. The mean fluoride content recorded in the Popayán water was 0.42 mg/L, with its highest concentration in Cauca River water (0.83 mg/L). Considering the admissible intake values, the water from Popayán confers remarkable fluoride intakes, especially in children with high percentages of contribution to the admissible daily intake (46.7% to 7- to 12-month children and 41.5% to 1- to 3-year children). The fluoride content in the water of Coconuco and Puracé does not reach an optimal value (< 0.5 mg/L) for the protective effect against dental caries, while the water of the main Cauca River basin does reach the optimal value. Likewise, the intake of fluoride from the consumption of the analyzed water does not confer any health risk. However, the implementation of monitoring systems for fluoride levels is recommended in order to safeguard the consumer's health.

Precisión de los sistemas de impresión digital intraoral en odontología restauradora: Una revisión de la literatura / Accuracy of Intraoral Digital Impression Systems in Restorative Dentistry: A Review of the Literature

Abstract: La impresión intraoral permite al odontólogo obtener directamente los datos de las piezas dentales que se requiera rehabilitar, otorgándole mayor precisión y eliminando así de la fase clínica la toma de impresión y la fabricación del modelo, aspectos sensibles a errores. El objetivo de la presente revisión es identificar el sistema de impresión digital intraoral más preciso y además identificar los factores que afectan a la precisión de esta en odontología restauradora. Mediante una revisión bibliográfica con búsqueda en las bases de datos de PubMed y Embase se obtuvieron 153 artículos, luego de la evaluación cualitativa se incluyeron en la revisión 14 que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Se determinó que la experiencia del dentista, la convergencia en la preparación dental y la terminación cervical son determinantes al momento de la toma de impresión digital, sin embargo, el uso o no de polvo no es relevante. El sistema de impresión digital Lava C.O.S., iTero y True definition son los más precisos dependiendo siempre del tipo de rehabilitación a realizar.

Abstract: Digital impresión allows the dentist to directly obtain the data of the dental pieces that neet to be rehabilitated, giving it greater precisión and thus eliminating the impression and manufacturing of the dental model, error-sensitive aspects of the clinical phase. The aim of this review is to identify the most accurate intraoral digital impression system and identifiy the factors that affect the accuracy in the restorative dentistry. Through a bibliographic review with search in PubMed and Embase databases, 153 articles were obtained, after qualitative evaluation they were included in the revisión 14 that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. It was determined that the experience of the dentist, the convergence in the dental preparation and the cervical termination are decisive at the accuracy of the digital impression, however, the use or not of dust is not relevant. The Lava C.O.S., iTero and True definition are the most accurate always depending on the type of rehabilitation to be performed.

Synthesis, Crystallography, and Anti-Leukemic Activity of the Amino Adducts of Dehydroleucodine.

Dehydroleucodine is a bioactive sesquiterpene lactone. Herein, four dehydroleucodine amino derivatives were synthesized using the amines proline, piperidine, morpholine, and tyramine, and spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction unambiguously established their structures. The cytotoxic activity of these compounds was evaluated against eight acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, and their toxicity to peripheral blood mononuclear cells was also determined. The proline adduct was the most active compound, it showed anti-leukemic activity, upregulated heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and the primary stress-inducible isoform of the heath shock 70 kDa protein 1 (HSPA1A), and downregulated NFkB1 transcription, it was also found to be about 270 times more water soluble than dehydroleucodine.

Oral-health knowledge of Ecuadorian pregnant women

The aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge in oral health of pregnant women who come to the Comprehensive Medical Center and Geriatric Gerontium of the IESS in Azogues-Ecuador. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 109 pregnant women from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire was used to collect data, which was validated in the study by Castro et al. in Peru. The first part of the questionnaire includes questions of socio-demographic order, such as the trimester of pregnancy, level of education, urban or rural origin, and age. The second part includes 22 questions to assess the level of knowledge in various topics in oral health, such as preventive measures, understanding of oral diseases, dental care, and dental development. The responses to the second part were evaluated according to a numerical scale: 0 to 6 points were bad, 7 to 14 points were regular, and 15 to 22 points were good. The statistical analysis consisted of absolute and relative frequencies of the qualitative variables. A bivariate analysis was performed using the Chi Square test with a significance level of p <0.05. The knowledge in oral health of pregnant women was regular, reaching 82.56% in overall, 56.88% in preventive measures, 64.22% in understanding of oral diseases, 61.46% in dental care during pregnancy, and 60.55% in dental development. No differences were detected in the levels of knowledge according to the trimester of pregnancy (p = 0.38), educational level (p = 0.91), urban or rural origin (p = 0.25), or age (p = 0.98). The level of knowledge of oral health of pregnant women attending the Integral Geriatric Medical Center and Geronto IESS in Azogues-Ecuador is regular and is not associated with socio-demographic factors.

Dehydroleucodine, a Sesquiterpene Lactone from Gynoxys verrucosa, Demonstrates Cytotoxic Activity against Human Leukemia Cells.

The sesquiterpene lactones dehydroleucodine (1) and leucodine (2) were isolated from Gynoxys verrucosa, a species used in traditional medicine in southern Ecuador. The activity of these compounds was determined against eight acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines and compared with their activity against normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines, with LD50 values between 5.0 and 18.9 µM. Compound 2 was inactive against all of the tested cell lines, demonstrating that the exocyclic methylene in the lactone ring is required for cytotoxic activity. Importantly, compound 1 induced less toxicity to normal blood cells than to AML cell lines and was active against human AML cell samples from five patients, with an average LD50 of 9.4 µM. Mechanistic assays suggest that compound 1 has a similar mechanism of action to parthenolide (3). Although these compounds have significant structural differences, their lipophilic surface signatures show striking similarities.

Factores relacionados a sepsis neonatalunidad de neonatologia clínica humanitaria - Fundación Pablo Jaramillo / Factors related to sepsis neonatal unit of neonatology "Clínica Humanitaria-Fundación Pablo Jaramillo"

Se realizó un estudio observacional en recién nacidos sépticos ocurridos en la Unidad de Neonatología de la Fundación Humanitaria Pablo Jaramillo, durante el período de enero de 2009 a diciembre de 2011, con el objetivo de analizar la incidencia de antecedentes maternos y parámetros propios del recién nacido como posibles factores de riesgo para la sepsis, los parámetros de laboratorio que contribuyen a diagnosticar procesos infecciosos en el recién nacido y el desenlace que tuvieron los mismos. Durante este tiempo ingresaron 164 casos con riesgo de sepsis, sospecha de sepsis y sepsis bacteriana (42.62 /1000 nacidos vivos) y la mortalidad fue del 3.04%. Predominó la sepsis de inicio precoz sobre la tardía. Los principales antecedentes maternos fueron la ruptura prematura de membranas seguido de la infección de vías urinarias. En cuanto a los factores del recién nacido prevaleció el sexo masculino, prematurez y de bajo peso al nacer.

An observational study of septic newborns occurred in the Neonatal Unit of Humanitarian Foundation Pablo Jaramillo was performed between January 2009 and December 2011. Its objective was to analyze the incidence of maternal antecedents and the newborn parameters as possible risk factors for sepsis, the laboratory parameters that help to diagnose infectious process in newborns and their results. During the time of the study 164 cases were admitted at risk of sepsis, suspected sepsis and bacterial sepsis (42.62 / 1000 born alive) and the mortality was 3.04%. Premature onset sepsis prevailed over late onset sepsis. The main factors in the maternal history were premature rupture of membranes followed by urinary tract infection. According to the factors of newborn, males prevailed, prematurity and low birth weight.

Sesquiterpene lactones from Gynoxys verrucosa and their anti-MRSA activity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Because of its virulence and antibiotic resistance, Staphylococcus aureus is a more formidable pathogen now than at any time since the pre-antibiotic era. In an effort to identify and develop novel antimicrobial agents with activity against this pathogen, we have examined Gynoxys verrucosa Wedd (Asteraceae), an herb used in traditional medicine in southern Ecuador for the treatment and healing of wounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sesquiterpene lactones leucodine (1) and dehydroleucodine (2) were extracted and purified from the aerial parts of Gynoxys verrucosa, and their structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The in vitro anti-microbial activity of Gynoxys verrucosa extracts and its purified constituents was determined against six clinical isolates including Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains with different drug-resistance profiles, using the microtiter broth method. RESULTS: Compound 1 has very low activity, while compound 2 has moderate activity with MIC(50)s between 49 and 195 µg/mL. The extract of Gynoxys verrucosa has weak activity with MIC(50)s between 908 and 3290 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: We are reporting the full assignment of the (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR of both compounds, and the crystal structure of compound 2, for the first time. Moreover, the fact that compound 2 has antimicrobial activity and compound 1 does not, demonstrates that the exocyclic conjugated methylene in the lactone ring is essential for the antimicrobial activity of these sesquiterpene lactones. However, the weak activity observed for the plant extracts, does not explain the use of Gynoxys verrucosa in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds and skin infections.

Aislamiento e Identificación de Mycobacterium Bovis a Partir de Muestras de Expectoración de Pacientes Humanos con Problemas Respiratorios Crónicos / Isolation and identification of Mycobacterium bovis from sputum samples of human patients with chronic respiratories diseases

Se realizó un estudio bacteriológico en 9 muestras con examen de esputo positivo y 41 muestras con examen de esputo negativo, obtenidas de pacientes humanos con problemas respiratorios crónicos, con tos persistente y mala respuesta al tratamiento contra tuberculosis. Las muestras se sembraron por duplicado en los medios de cultivo de Lowenstein-Jensen y Stonebrink. Todas las 9 muestras con examen positivo a ZN fueron también positivas al aislamiento de micobacterias; de las 41 muestras negativas a ZN, 10 (24.0 por ciento) fueron también positivas al aislamiento. Trece de estos crecimientos se identificaron como M.tuberculosis, tres correspondieron a M.bovis y en tres se identificó un crecimiento mixto que correspondió a ambas micobacterias. El hecho de que 24.0 por ciento de las muestras negativas al examen de frotis de esputo resultaran positivas al cultivo remarca la importancia del diagnóstico por aislamiento de la micobacteria. Además del aislamiento, la tipificación bioquímica también es importante ya que esto decidirá el tratamiento apropiado debido a que M.bovis es naturalmente resistente a la pirazinamida