Ethnopharmacological search for antiviral compounds: treatment of gastrointestinal disorders by Kayapó medical specialists.

The Mebengokrê (Kayapó) of Brazil have a highly developed medical and pharmacological tradition based on diverse specialization in knowledge and practice. Shamans (wayangas) are prepared to treat all kinds of diseases including those related to spirits; curers (mãkuté pidjà mari) can deal only with diseases not related to spirits. Both utilize plant- and animal-based remedies, among other practices. Elaborate disease categories (kanê) include those known as hak-kanê (bird disease) and tep-kanê (fish disease). The complexity of the two categories defies easy description but both use gastrointestinal disorders as basic indicative symptoms. Given that an important percentage of gastrointestinal disorders are caused by viruses and that new antiviral drugs are sorely needed, plants used by the Kayapó for hak and tep diseases are presented and discussed as potential leads in the search for antiviral compounds.

Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with a duodenal diverticulum: a case report and review of the literature.

Diverticula of the duodenum occur in approximately 2% to 5% of individuals who have had upper gastrointestinal (GI) series; the majority of these patients are asymptomatic. These diverticula occasionally result in the obstruction of the biliary and pancreatic ducts, which leads to jaundice and pancreatitis. Other complications such as hemorrhage, perforation, sepsis, and death can occur. This article reports a case of upper GI bleeding in a patient who was found to have duodenal diverticula by upper GI series and endoscopy. Diverticulectomy was performed, and microscopic examination of the specimen showed dilated blood vessel suggestive of angiodysplasia.

Use of contraceptive and related plants by the Kayapo Indians (Brazil).

Interest in plant sources of prototypic contraceptive compounds is evidenced by numerous investigations and research projects. We suggest that the success rates of programs devised to evaluate pharmacological effects of traditionally employed contraceptives would be increased if native concepts of conception/contraception were taken into account. If ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological data are not carefully analysed, selection of plants to be evaluated will include those with little cross-cultural application. Kayapo concepts of menstruation, fertility, and contraception are presented, uses of related plants in culturally different groups are also analysed in order to indicate promising fertility-regulating plants used by the Kayapo.

Modified Procedure to Inoculate Micro-ID.

The accuracy of a miniaturized Enterobacteriaceae system (Micro-ID) was evaluated with 10 different genera grown on 11 selective plating media. Whenever growth occurred, the correct identification was made. In addition, 12 serotypes of Salmonella and 22 other strains of Enterobacteriaceae were grown on the two most common selective media used by food microbiologists for isolation of Salmonella [Brilliant Green Sulfa Agar (BGS) and Bismuth Sulfite Agar (BiS)]. The correct identification was made in all instances. The manufacturer of Micro-ID originally recommended that several colonies be picked for inoculation of the system. We modified the inoculation procedure so that only one colony was selected from a plate; this minimized the chances of having a mixed-culture inoculum. With this procedure, all 21 Enterobacteriaceae tested were correctly identified.

Salmonella on Broiler Carcasses as Affected by Fresh Water Input Rate and Chlorination of Chiller Water.

Broiler carcasses, each inoculated with about 1000 cells of a marker strain of Salmonella typhimurium , and uninoculated carcasses were prechilled and chilled in a simulated commercial chilling process. For each experiment, fresh water input was either 1.90 liters (0.50 gal) or 0.95 liters (0.25 gal) per carcass, and the chlorine level was 0, 20 or 50 ppm. The rate of fresh water input had no significant effect on either cross-contamination (uninoculated carcasses showing contamination with marker organisms after chilling) or elimination of Salmonella from the inoculated carcasses. Fewer uninoculated carcasses showed marker Salmonella contamination after chilling with 50 ppm of chlorine than 0 ppm, but cross-contamination was not eliminated. Chlorine in the chilling water decreased rapidly due to the effect of organic matter.