Abstract Trichilia catigua A. Juss., Meliaceae, known as catuaba in Brazil, is traditionally used for the treatment of stress, sexual impotence and memory deficits. To our knowledge, there is no analytical method described in literature for simultaneous quantification of catuaba extract marker substances in biological matrices. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a bioanalytical method by LC–MS/MS to quantify epicatechin and procyanidin B2 in rat plasma after administration of standardized extract of T. catigua. Chromatographic separation was achieved with a C18 column, methanol and 0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. Detection was performed using electrospray ionization in negative mode. The lower limits of quantification were 5 ng/ml and 12.5 ng/ml for procyanidin B2 and epicatechin, respectively. Intra- and inter-day assays variability were less than 15%. The extraction recovery was 104% for epicatechin and 74% for procyanidin B2 using one-step liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Epicatechin and PB2 were detected in plasma up to 300 min after oral administration of 400 mg/kg of standardized extract of T. catigua in rats. This rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of the epicatechin and procyanidin B2 in rat plasma can be applied to pharmacokinetic studies.

Vicenin-2 (VIC) and lychnopholic acid (LA) are present in large amounts in hydroalcoholic extract from leaves of Lychnophora salicifolia, commonly known in the Brazilian Cerrado as "arnicão", a plant applied as topic anti-inflammatory and as a flavoring agent for the traditional spirit (cachaça). A new ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantification of LA and VIC in plasma samples in order to evaluate their pharmacokinetic profiles in rats. The method was linear in the range of 10-2500 ng mL-1, acceptable precision accuracies were obtained and no significant matrix effect was observed. The validated method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study. LA presented very low t1/2 (half-time), high Cl (serum clearance) and Vd (volume of distribution), and for VIC, the t1/2 value was slightly larger, but still rather low, whereas Cl and Vd values were slightly lower, indicating that both substances are instantaneous and well distributed in the body, and quickly eliminated.

AbstractVicenin-2 (apigenin-6,8-di-C-β-d-glucopyranoside) is present in hydroalcoholic extracts of the Brazilian species Lychnophora ericoides Mart., Asteraceae, leaves, and the biological effects of this compound have been demonstrated including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor effects in rat models. Given the potential of this compound as a pharmacological agent, the aims of this investigation were to evaluate the extent of intestinal absorption of vicenin-2, and to determine the intestinal permeation profile using an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion technique. A validated HPLC–UV method was applied to measure the amount of unabsorbed vicenin-2 in the gut after an oral administration of 180 mg kg-1 in five rats. A nonlinear mixed effects model was used to determine the absorption pharmacokinetic parameters assuming a first order absorption and active secretion processes for this compound, wherein the active secretion was characterized by a zero-order process. The population pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were 0.274 min-1 for the first-order absorption rate constant, 16.3% min-1 for the zero-order rate constant; the final percentage of the original dose that was absorbed in vivo was 40.2 ± 2.5%. These parameters indicated that vicenin-2 was rapidly absorbed in the small intestine. In contrast to literature information indicating no absorption of vicenin-2 in Caco-2 cells, our results suggested that vicenin-2 can be absorbed in the small intestine of rats. The finding supports further investigation of vicenin-2 as a viable oral phytopharmaceutical agent for digestive diseases.

Trata-se de estudo do tipo corte transversal que objetivou determinar a prevalência de aleitamento materno em lactentes menores de quatro meses, internados por infecção respiratória em um hospital de ensino de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil e descrever a influência da internação na prática da amamentação. As mães foram entrevistadas e os dados sobre alimentação foram obtidos através de ficha padronizada nas quais são registradas informações sobre as práticas alimentares durante a internação. Entre as 97 crianças incluídas, o aleitamento materno exclusivo foi verificado em 57,1%, sendo interrompido em 35,4% dos pacientes pelo uso de fórmulas lácteas. A média de duração da internação não se associou à introdução de fórmulas lácteas no hospital. Na análise bivariada, houve associação entre maior escolaridade materna e interrupção mais precoce da amamentação exclusiva e entre renda familiar mais baixa e interrupção mais precoce do aleitamento materno exclusivo. A prevalência de aleitamento materno exclusivo foi baixa e em 35,4% dos casos foi interrompido durante a internação hospitalar, possivelmente, por dificuldades de ordem física e pelo pequeno apoio da equipe de saúde no estímulo à manutenção da amamentação.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 97 inpatients at a teaching hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, to determine breastfeeding prevalence in infants less than 4 months of age hospitalized due to respiratory infection, and to evaluate the impact of hospitalization on breastfeeding. Patients' mothers were interviewed, and a standardized questionnaire was completed. After hospital discharge, medical records were reviewed and information on the infant's feeding practices during hospitalization was recorded. Exclusive breastfeeding was observed in 57.1% of patients, but it was interrupted in 35.4%, with the introduction of infant formula during hospitalization. Mean duration was not associated with the introduction of complementary feeding in the hospital. In the bivariate analysis, early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with higher maternal schooling and lower family income. Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was low. Hospitalization contributed to early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding in 35.4% of infants, possibly due to inadequate hospital infrastructure and insufficient support from health professionals to maintain exclusive breastfeeding.

Trata-se de estudo do tipo corte transversal que objetivou determinar a prevalência de aleitamento materno em lactentes menores de quatro meses, internados por infecção respiratória em um hospital de ensino de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil e descrever a influência da internação na prática da amamentação. As mães foram entrevistadas e os dados sobre alimentação foram obtidos através de ficha padronizada nas quais são registradas informações sobre as práticas alimentares durante a internação. Entre as 97 crianças incluídas, o aleitamento materno exclusivo foi verificado em 57,1%, sendo interrompido em 35,4% dos pacientes pelo uso de fórmulas lácteas. A média de duração da internação não se associou à introdução de fórmulas lácteas no hospital. Na análise bivariada, houve associação entre maior escolaridade materna e interrupção mais precoce da amamentação exclusiva e entre renda familiar mais baixa e interrupção mais precoce do aleitamento materno exclusivo. A prevalência de aleitamento materno exclusivo foi baixa e em 35,4% dos casos foi interrompido durante a internação hospitalar, possivelmente, por dificuldades de ordem física e pelo pequeno apoio da equipe de saúde no estímulo à manutenção da amamentação.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 97 inpatients at a teaching hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, to determine breastfeeding prevalence in infants less than 4 months of age hospitalized due to respiratory infection, and to evaluate the impact of hospitalization on breastfeeding. Patients' mothers were interviewed, and a standardized questionnaire was completed. After hospital discharge, medical records were reviewed and information on the infant's feeding practices during hospitalization was recorded. Exclusive breastfeeding was observed in 57.1% of patients, but it was interrupted in 35.4%, with the introduction of infant formula during hospitalization. Mean duration was not associated with the introduction of complementary feeding in the hospital. In the bivariate analysis, early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with higher maternal schooling and lower family income. Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was low. Hospitalization contributed to early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding in 35.4% of infants, possibly due to inadequate hospital infrastructure and insufficient support from health professionals to maintain exclusive breastfeeding.