ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with Mansoa alliacea hydroalcoholic extracts on growth, blood and immune parameters of Arapaima gigas. Fish were fed for 30 days with diets enriched with 0, 4, 8, and 12 g kg-1 of M. alliacea hydroalcoholic extract and subjected to infection with Aeromonas hydrophila and handling stress. Fish fed with 8 g kg-1 of extract showed significant increase in final weight, specific growth rate and feed efficiency when compared to the other groups. Glucose, triglycerides, total proteins, and globulins increased significantly in fish fed with 8 g kg-1 of extract, whereas albumin decreased. The number of thrombocytes increased significantly with the dietary supplementation of 8 and 12 g kg-1 of extract. After the challenge with A. hydrophila and handling stress, fish fed with 8 g kg-1 of extract had significantly higher levels of glucose, globulins, and albumins, and fish fed with 8 and 12 g kg-1 of extract showed an increment of respiratory burst. Triglyceride levels dropped significantly in fish fed with 4, 8, and 12 g kg-1 of extract, whereas the number of neutrophils increased, and total thrombocytes, leukocytes and lymphocytes were higher in fish fed with 12 g kg-1 of extract. Dietary supplementation with M. alliacea extract at 8 g kg-1 was efficient in improving the growth and innate immunity of A. gigas, being potentially useful in fish farming to control the development of A. hydrophila infections.

RESUMO Investigou-se os efeitos da suplementação com extrato hidroalcólico de Mansoa alliacea sobre o crescimento e parâmetros sanguíneos e imunológicos de Arapaima gigas. Os peixes foram alimentados por 30 dias com dietas enriquecidas com 0, 4, 8 e 12 g kg-1 de extrato hidroalcoólico de M. alliacea e submetidos à infecção por Aeromonas hydrophila e estresse de manejo. Os peixes alimentados com 8 g kg-1 de extrato apresentaram aumento significativo no peso final, taxa de crescimento específico e eficiência alimentar quando comparados aos demais grupos. Glicose, triglicerídeos, proteínas totais e globulinas aumentaram significativamente nos peixes alimentados com 8 g kg-1 de extrato, enquanto a albumina diminuiu. O número de trombócitos aumentou significativamente com a suplementação dietética de 8 e 12 g kg-1 de extrato. Após infecção com A. hydrophila e estresse de manejo, os peixes alimentados com 8 g kg-1 de extrato apresentaram níveis significativamente mais altos de glicose, globulinas e albuminas, e os peixes alimentados com 8 e 12 g kg-1 de extrato apresentaram incremento de explosão respiratória. Os níveis de triglicerídeos decresceram nos peixes alimentados com 4, 8 e 12 g kg-1 de extrato, enquanto o número de neutrófilos aumentou, e o número total de trombócitos, leucócitos e linfócitos foi maior nos peixes alimentados com 12 g kg-1 de extrato. A suplementação com a 8 g kg-1 de extrato de M. alliacea foi eficiente em melhorar o crescimento e a imunidade inata de A. gigas, sendo potencialmente útil na piscicultura para controlar o desenvolvimento de infecções por A. hydrophila.

Abstract Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is the main vector of some neglected diseases, including dengue. It is very important to develop formulations that increase effectiveness of vector control with low toxicity. Quercetin is a plant-derived flavonoid that modulates the development of some insects. The low water solubility of quercetin impairs the development of water-dispersible commercial products. To circumvent this problem, the preparation of nanoformulations is considered promising. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of bulk and quercetin nanosuspension against A. aegypti larvae and also to investigate their ecotoxicity. Quercetin nanosuspension was produced by a solvent displacement method followed by solvent evaporation and was maintained in two different temperatures (4 and 25 ºC). Its size distribution and zeta potential were monitored along 30 days. The influence of quercetin nanosuspension and bulk-quercetin was investigated at various concentrations against A. aegypti and the green algae Chlorella vulgaris. The quercetin nanosuspension presented higher stability at 4 ºC and negative zeta potential values. Quercetin nanosuspension and bulk-quercetin adversely affected the larvae development, especially at the highest concentrations. Larvae mortality was between 44% and 100% (48 h) for quercetin nanosuspension at 100 and 500 ppm, respectively. The bulk-quercetin induced around 50% mortality regardless the concentration used at this same time-period. Absence of emerging mosquitoes from water was observed on the survival larvae of all the treated groups. Quercetin nanosuspension was less toxic than bulk-quercetin against C. vulgaris, especially at higher concentrations. These data indicate that quercetin nanosuspension may represent a potential larvicide for A. aegypti control, once they induced larvae death and inhibited the survival ones to emerge from water. In addition, it did not demonstrated ecotoxicity against a non-target organism, highlighting its better properties, when compared to the bulk-quercetin.

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and severe metabolic dysfunction, it's slow and progressive evolution interferes directly in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, causing hyperglycemia, glycosuria, polydipsia, hyperlipidaemia, among others. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of hydroethanolic extract and granulated of Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess., Clusiaceae, species in diabetic rats as well as it's biochemical parameters. The results demonstrated that both the pharmaceutical forms, hydroethanolic extract and granulated, were able to reduce significantly (p < 0.001) hyperglycemia and glycosuria, in addition to improve polydipsia, polyuria, and weight loss. Treatments using hydroethanolic extract and granulated were also able to reduce significantly levels of triacylglycerides, cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, as well as the transaminases, urea and creatinine levels. Therefore, it is concluded that these pharmaceutical forms have anti-diabetic effect and act improving the biochemical parameters, this effect is probably due to the high content of polyphenolic compounds found in the formulations.