-The objective of this work was to determine the effect of piperine as a phytogenic additive in chicken broiler diet. Seven-day-old male chicks were randomly allocated in four experimental treatments (n = 24), with four replicates (n = 6). The piperine was added to diets at concentrations of 0, 60, 120, and 180 mg kg -1 for 35 consecutive days. The following were evaluated: biochemical, hematological and histopathological parameters; performance and carcass yield. Histomorphometric analyses were also carried out. The addition of 120 and 180 mg kg -1 of piperine did not alter broiler body weight and feed conversion, whereas 60 mg kg -1 of piperine interfered positively in both parameters from 36 to 42 days of age and significantly increased the absorption surface of the duodenum and the ileum. No macroscopic alteration in organ size and color was observed in the broilers fed diets with the evaluated concentrations of piperine. The supplementation of 120 and 180 mg kg -1 of piperine is toxic to liver tissue and reduces the absorption surface of the jejune. The diet supplemented with 60 mg kg -1 of piperine is safe.Index terms: Piper nigrum, performance, phytogenic additive, sanitation. Piperina como suplemento fitogênico na dieta de frangos de corteResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o efeito da piperina, como suplemento fitogênico, na dieta de frangos de corte. Pintos com sete dias de idade foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em quatro tratamentos (n = 24), com quatro repetições (n = 6). A piperina foi adicionada na ração nas concentrações de 0, 60, 120 e 180 mg kg

Leishmaniases is a tropical disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania for which the current treatment is expensive, besides increasing reports of parasite resistance. This study investigated the anti-Leishmania amazonensis activity of the essential oil from Aloysia gratissima (AgEO) and guaiol, the major sesquiterpene constituent in the oil. Our results showed that AgEO killed promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes at an IC50 of 25 and 0·16 µg mL-1, respectively, while guaiol killed amastigotes at an IC50 of 0·01 µg mL-1. Both AgEO and guaiol were safe for macrophages up to 100 µg mL-1, as evaluated by the dehydrogenase activity, membrane integrity and phagocytic capacity. AgEO and guaiol did not induce nitrite oxide (NO) in resting macrophages and inhibited the production of NO in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. The ultrastructural analysis suggested that AgEO and guaiol act directly on parasites, affecting promastigotes kinetoplast, mitochondrial matrix and plasma membrane. Together, these results pointed out that AgEO and guaiol could be promising candidates to develop anti-Leishmania drugs.

The aim of this work was to determine the performance of latex agglutination test (LAT) for evaluating children acute gastroenteritis by rotavirus. The LAT showed good sensitivity, as well as specificity and predictive positive value and due to its simplicity and speed, it has been suitable for rotavirus diagnosis in hospital laboratories.

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins that have important toxic effects on human and animal health, even if consumed at low doses. The oral administration of piperine (1.12 mg/kg) during 23 days in rats seemingly interfered with the toxicity of aflatoxins, decreasing hepatic injuries and the leukocyte depletion in experimentally intoxicated animals.Key words: aflatoxins, piperine, experimental intoxication, rats. Piperine (1-piperol piperidine) is an amide found in Piper species that non-specifically increases the bioavailability of several drugs and nutritional supplements, involving different P-450 cytochrome types (2, 11) and plays a chemoprotector role against the procarcinogenic toxicity of benzo(a)pyrene, heavy metals and aflatoxins (9, 12, 13).Considering that piperine can be a powerful chemopreventive agent against the activation of procarcinogens in vitro, such as aflatoxins, this research was carried out in vivo in order to evaluate whether piperine, orally supplied to rats, is able to decrease the toxic effect of aflatoxins on white blood cells and the liver.

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