Natural dietary agents have attracted considerable attention due to their role in promoting health and reducing the risk of diseases including cancer. Ginger, one of the most ancient known spices, contains bioactive compounds with several health benefits. [6]-Gingerol constitutes the most pharmacologically active among such compounds. The aim of the present work was to review the literature pertaining to the use of ginger extract and [6]-gingerol against tumorigenic and oxidative and inflammatory processes associated with cancer, along with the underlying mechanisms of action involved in signaling pathways. This will shed some light on the protective or therapeutic role of ginger derivatives in oxidative and inflammatory regulations during metabolic disturbance and on the antiproliferative and anticancer properties. Data collected from experimental (in vitro or in vivo) and clinical studies discussed in this review indicate that ginger extract and [6]-gingerol exert their action through important mediators and pathways of cell signaling, including Bax/Bcl2, p38/MAPK, Nrf2, p65/NF-κB, TNF-α, ERK1/2, SAPK/JNK, ROS/NF-κB/COX-2, caspases-3, -9, and p53. This suggests that ginger derivatives, in the form of an extract or isolated compounds, exhibit relevant antiproliferative, antitumor, invasive, and anti-inflammatory activities.

RESUMO. A distribuição dos diâmetros é uma das análises mais empregadas para retratar o comportamento estrutural de um povoamento. Assim, este estudo objetivou avaliar a estrutura diamétrica da comunidade e das principais espécies lenhosas por meio das funções de densidade probabilísticas em uma floresta de terra firme no módulo IV da Floresta Estadual do Amapá (FLOTA/AP) no município de Calçoene/AP. Os dados de diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP) foram obtidos de um inventário realizado em uma área de 1 hectare (100 x 100 m). A estrutura diamétrica foi analisada para toda a comunidade e para as quatro principais espécies ranqueadas segundo seus índices de valor de importância. Para avaliação dos ajustes das funções: Normal, Log-normal, Gamma e Weibull 3P foi utilizado o teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov (a = 0,05). A maioria das espécies apresentaram assimetria positiva e curtose do tipo platicúrtica, o que demonstra o padrão típico de floresta nativa em forma de "J" invertido. A função Weibull 3P e Gamma foram aderentes no teste K-S aos dados das quatro espécies analisadas, sendo a primeira a mais indicada para descrever a distribuição diamétrica de três das quatro espécies de maior IVI, e também da referida floresta de terra firme. Conclui-se, ainda, que estudos como este devem ser realizados constantemente visando introduzir e avaliar a eficiência de outras funções densidade de probabilidade para a descrição da distribuição diamétrica de povoamentos em florestas inequiâneas.

Currently, there is a lack of studies on the correct utilization of continuous distributions for dry tropical forests. Therefore, this work aims to investigate the diameter structure of a brazilian tropical dry forest and to select suitable continuous distributions by means of statistic tools for the stand and the main species. Two subsets were randomly selected from 40 plots. Diameter at base height was obtained. The following functions were tested: log-normal; gamma; Weibull 2P and Burr. The best fits were selected by Akaike's information validation criterion. Overall, the diameter distribution of the dry tropical forest was better described by negative exponential curves and positive skewness. The forest studied showed diameter distributions with decreasing probability for larger trees. This behavior was observed for both the main species and the stand. The generalization of the function fitted for the main species show that the development of individual models is needed. The Burr function showed good flexibility to describe the diameter structure of the stand and the behavior of Mimosa ophthalmocentra and Bauhinia cheilantha species. For Poincianella bracteosa, Aspidosperma pyrifolium and Myracrodum urundeuva better fitting was obtained with the log-normal function.

Abbreviations: 5-HIAA, hydroxyindole acetic acid; 5-HT, serotonin; ACC, acetyl coa carboxylase; AChE, acetylcholinesterase; ADA, adenosine deaminase; Akt, protein kinase b; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AO, acid output; APAP, n-acetyl-p-aminophenol; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; bax/bcl-4, apoptosis regulator; bcl-1, cyclin b 1 ; bcl-2, cyclin b 2 ; bcl-xl, cyclin b xl; BUN, blood urea ni-

<p>O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a composição florística, estrutura e distribuição espacial das espécies arbóreas em uma floresta de terra firme no Estado do Amapá. Foram coletados dados dendrométricos e florísticos em 200 unidades amostrais terciárias, sendo analisadas as árvores com diâmetro a 1,30 m do solo (DAP) ≥ 40 cm. Foram calculados parâmetros fitossociológicos, distribuição espacial e índice de diversidade de Shannon. No levantamento foram amostrados 4.030 indivíduos arbóreos, distribuídos em 37 famílias e 201 espécies, sendo <em>Goupia glabra </em>(cupiúba) a espécie de maior valor de importância (VI). A área florestal apresenta características de floresta preservada. A amostragem revelou que a vegetação arbórea ocorre com maior proporção de espécies com distribuição espacial aleatória, no entanto, as espécies como maior VI se distribuíram de forma agregada na área.</p>

Dry tropical forests are a key component in the global carbon cycle and their biomass estimates depend almost exclusively of fitted equations for multi-species or individual species data. Therefore, a systematic evaluation of statistical models through validation of estimates of aboveground biomass stocks is justifiable. In this study was analyzed the capacity of generic and specific equations obtained from different locations in Mexico and Brazil, to estimate aboveground biomass at multi-species levels and for four different species. Generic equations developed in Mexico and Brazil performed better in estimating tree biomass for multi-species data. For Poincianella bracteosa and Mimosa ophthalmocentra, only the Sampaio and Silva (2005) generic equation was the most recommended. These equations indicate lower tendency and lower bias, and biomass estimates for these equations are similar. For the species Mimosa tenuiflora, Aspidosperma pyrifolium and for the genus Croton the specific regional equations are more recommended, although the generic equation of Sampaio and Silva (2005) is not discarded for biomass estimates. Models considering gender, families, successional groups, climatic variables and wood specific gravity should be adjusted, tested and the resulting equations should be validated at both local and regional levels as well as on the scales of tropics with dry forest dominance.

Avaliação microbiológica da água de consumo empregada em unidades de alimentação Microbiological evaluation of drinking water used in feeding units

Phytol (PHY) (3,7,11,15‐tetramethylhexadec‐2‐en‐1‐ol) exhibits various pharmacological properties including toxicity and cytotoxicity, and exerts antitumor activity. Owing to the urgent need of new pharmaceutical formulations for breast cancer therapy, this study aimed at the evaluation of antitumor activity of PHY in 7,12‐dimethylbenzanthracene‐cancer‐induced animal model. Comet assay was employed to evaluate the cytogenetics, DNA repair, and antigenotoxic activities of PHY in neoplastic (breast) and non‐neoplastic rodent cells (bone marrow, lymphocytes, and liver). Additionally, hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analyses were carried out in experimental animals. Thirty nonpregnant female mice (n = 5) underwent 7 weeks treatment with 6 mg/kg pro‐carcinogen, PHY (4 mg/kg), and cyclophosphamide (25 mg/kg). Induction of cancer was confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry for Ki‐67. Results suggest that PHY exhibits low toxicity in comparison with other groups in hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and organ size parameters. Additionally, PHY showed modulatory effects on the pro‐carcinogen, and induced genotoxicity and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, it showed a DNA damage repair capacity in mouse lymphocytes. These data indicate that PHY may have the potential as an anticancer candidate in pharmaceutical consumption. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):200–212, 2019