The objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of the aqueous extract of the leaves of the "verbena" (gervão roxo) Stachytarpheta cayennensis, (Rich.) Vahl. (Verbenaceae), by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) on different species and strains of the genus Candida. In this study, the species Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida stellatoidea, Candida dubliniensis and Candida krusei were included. Four strains of C. albicans and three of C. tropicalis were used, while for the other species only one strain was tested. These yeasts were used in this study because of their importance and frequency in the oral cavity. The yeasts were subjected to treatments with concentrations of the aqueous extract ranging from 0.09 to 25 mg mL-1. The results indicated, however, that concentrations of less than 12.5 mg mL-1 were insufficient to show a fungistatic or fungicidal effect. The concentration of 12.5 mg mL-1 showed a fungistatic effect on most tested strains and species, C. albicans CαFB-12 and ATCC-44858; C. tropicalis CFB-22 and CFB29. The fungicidal effect (MFC) was observed only on the species C. krusei for the concentration of 12.5 mg mL-1. Based on the employed methodology, it is concluded that the aqueous extract of S. cayennensis showed an antifungal, mainly fungistatic, effect on oral Candida species.
Cellulases are enzymes that act on the hydrolysis of cellulosic substrates and comprise a complex capable of hydrolyzing cellulose and producing glucose. This conversion can be performed by an enzymatic complex found in secretions of such microorganisms as fungi and bacteria. The challenge is to transform this conversion into a quicker and more cost-effective process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the activity of the cellulase produced by the fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus (L.) Murrill, strains D1-FB, D3-FB, D5-FB and D10-FB, isolated from Baccharis dracunculifolia D. C. (Asteraceae), in the production of cellulolytic enzymes. This study was conducted using sugarcane bagasse enriched with carboxymethylcellulose at 1% as a substrate. The material was kept in an incubator at a temperature ranging from 25 to 45°C for 43 days, with the cellulase activity being quantified every seven days. The indirect quantification method was employed to quantify reducing sugars that were determined by reaction with Domain Name System (DNS). After evaluation, it was observed that the fungus strain P. sanguineus (L.) (D10-FB) presented the highest cellulase activity, with values of 16.32±2.65 IU/g of fermented substrate after 29 days of fermentation, using sugarcane bagasse as the substrate, at a temperature of 30°C and pH 5.5.
Compostos de cobalamina, designados como vitamina B12, possuem núcleo de corrina que apresenta elemento central o cobalto. Alimentos fontes de vitamina B12 são carnes, leites e ovos, mas podem ser sintetizados pelas bactérias da microbiota intestinal. As enzimas que necessitam de vitamina B12 como cofator são a metionina sintase e L-metilmalonil-coA mutase. A deficiência da vitamina B12 pode causar neuropatia periférica e sintomas psiquiátricos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer a prevalência da deficiência de vitamina B12 em indivíduos que fizeram exame em um laboratório de análises clínicas de Francisco Beltrão, Paraná. Dados foram obtidos do relatório de resultados de exames do laboratório. O valor médio de vitamina B12 foi de 243,7±101,1 pg/mL e 7,6% estavam fora dos valores de referência. Já o valor médio de vitamina D foi de 31,1±43,8 ng/mL e 21,4% encontravam-se fora dos valores de referência. Dos 85 idosos participantes, 3,5% estavam abaixo e 7,0% acima dos valores de referência para vitamina B12, entre os 47 idosos que realizaram exame de vitamina D, a prevalência de hipovitaminose foi de 70,2%. Para evitar problemas pela deficiência destas vitaminas, estas devem estar presentes em quantidade adequadas na alimentação, ou quando necessário a suplementação pode ser utilizada.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process resulting from the anaerobic metabolism of specific microorganisms that produce an eco-friendly type of energy and a stabilized soil fertilizer. We described the microbial communities and their changes in three depths of BioKöhler® biodigester, fed with cattle manure for 18 days, under anaerobic incubation at the psychrophilic temperature range (~20°C). During the experiment, the maximum methane content in the raw biogas was 79.9%. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) showed significant differences among microbial communities in the bottom, medium, and upper depths. Considering all the periods of incubation, the microbial communities changed until the eighth day, and they remained stable from eighth to seventeenth days. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Synergistetes were the most abundant phyla in samples, representing approximately 41% of the total OTUs. The relative abundance of the phyla Euryarchaeota, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia changed from bottom to medium sampling points. Moreover, Crenarchaeota differed in frequencies from medium to upper, and Acidobacteria from bottom to upper samples. Lentisphaerae, Chloroflexi, and LD1 were different solely at the bottom, whereas OP9 and Tenericutes only in the medium. Psychrophilic AD performed in this work removed pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia, as observed at the digestate analyzed. This type of treatment of raw manure besides producing eco-friendly energy efficiently also generates a stabilized and safe biomass that can be used as fertilizer in soils.
In recent years, a substantial amount of evidence has pointed to the key role of free radicals and other oxidants as the main culprits for aging and degenerative diseases associated with aging, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataract, decline of the immune system and brain dysfunctions. The objective of this work was therefore to detect variations in total phenol and flavonoid content, and in the antioxidant activity of samples of Stachytarpheta cayennensis. Dried and crushed samples were submitted to static maceration extraction to obtain the hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol fractions. Phytochemical prospecting and an assessment of the content of phenolic constituents and of the antioxidant activity were carried out. The data was analyzed according to the mean ± standard deviation and submitted to analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test to establish the degree of significance (p < 0.05). Flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, terpenoids and steroids, alkaloids and anthraquinones were detected in the samples. The content of total flavonoids varied between 2.69 ± 0.49 and 6.21 ± 0.67 g/100 g, while the total phenols ranged from 1.83 ± 0.06 to 15.33 ± 0 .44 g/100 g. The extracts produced EC 50 between 38.60 ± 5.42 and 288.44 ± 22.12 μg/ml. The results indicate that the use of solvents of different polarities in the extraction process is an important strategy to detect variations in the levels of total phenols and flavonoids, and of antioxidant activity, in samples of S. cayennensis.
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