ABSTRACT Leishmania infantum is an etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis. This disease is a neglected disease that can be fatal if not treated and additionally, the few therapeutic option present several drawbacks, including difficult route of administration and toxicity, which turn the search for new therapeutic alternatives necessary. Herein, we evaluated the leishmanicidal in vitro activity of the solanum extract from Solanum lycocarpum A. St.-Hil., Solanaceae, and the isolated alkaloids solasodine, solamargine and solasonine against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of L. infantum. Solasodine (IC50-pro = 4.7 µg/ml; IC50-ama = 10.8 µg/ml) and solamargine (IC50-pro = 8.1 µg/ml; IC50-ama = 3.0 µg/ml) exhibited interesting leishmanicidal ativity. Solasonine was approximately four-times (Selective Index 3.7) more selective to the parasite than to the host cells. This data suggest that solasonine might be considered as a potential drug candidate for leishmaniasis treatment.

Antecedentes: Las propiedades de las plantas con potencial de conservación de los alimentos se conocen desde la antigüedad. El uso de hierbas y especias para mejorar las características sensoriales y prolongar la vida de los alimentos ha tenido un incremento considerable en años recientes. Objetivos: Comparar las propiedades antioxidantes del orégano (Origanum vulgare L.) y de la salvia (Salvia officinalis L.) en carne de pollo precocinada con 0,50% de sal. Métodos: Las muestras fueron separadas en tres grupos: control (sólo sal), 0,10% de orégano (planta seca) y 0,10% salvia (planta seca), almacenadas a -20°C durante 144 horas. Las muestras de pollo fueron envasadas en bolsas de polietileno con tres capas, específicas para la cocción al vacío y a altas temperaturas. Las muestras fueron pre-cocidas durante 8 minutos a 80°C. Se utilizó el hexanal como indicador de la oxidación lipídica. Los análisis para evaluar la formación de hexanal se realizaron en los tiempos de 0, 48, 96 y 144 horas de almacenamiento refrigerado. El hexanal se determinó por cromatografía de gases con detector de espectrometría de masas (GC-MS), después de una micro-extracción en fase sólida en espacio de cabeza (HS-SPME) a 70°C, utilizando una fibra (DVD/CAR/PDMS) expuesta durante 20 minutos, y después de 5 minutos de equilibrio entre la muestra y el espacio de cabeza. El método ha sido validado de acuerdo a los parámetros más comunes, tales como límite de detección, linealidad, y repetibilidad. Resultados: Ambas plantas secas (orégano y salvia) son eficaces en la prevención de la oxidación lipídica de la carne de pollo durante 114 horas. El desarrollo de hexanal fue significativamente mayor en las muestras control, 34 μg/100g al inicio y 280 μg/100g de muestra al final del almacenamiento refrigerado. Conclusiones: La adición de 0,10% de orégano o salvia a las muestras en estudio resultó eficaz en la protección contra el desarrollo de hexanal. Además, el orégano demostró, en el largo plazo, ser más eficiente que la salvia. El nivel de hexanal para las 144 horas de almacenamiento fue de 5 μg/100g para el orégano y de 23 μg/100g para la salvia.

Background: The properties of plants with food preservation potential are well known since the antiquity. In recent years, the use of herbs and spices to improve the sensory characteristics and to extend the shelf-life of foods has been growing. Objectives: To compare oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and sage (Salvia officinalis L.) as a natural antioxidant in balls of chicken breast and added 0.50% salt. Methods: Samples of chicken meatballs were pre-cooked for 8 minutes in a water bath at 80° C, and packaged in polyethylene bags with three layers, specific for vacuum cooking and high temperatures. The samples were separated into three groups: control (just salt), 0.10% oregano (dry plant) and sage 0.10% (dry plant), stored at -20° C for 144 hours. The tests to verify the formation of hexanal in samples were performed in the period of 0, 48, 96 and 144 hours of refrigerated storage. The determination of hexanal, extracted by micro-extraction (headspace solid phase micro-extraction - HS-SPME), was used as an indicator of the lipid oxidation of the samples. The analysis was conducted by a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass detector (GC-MS). The method was evaluated according to the validation parameters such as linearity, repeatability and detection limit. The extraction was conducted at 70° C using a fiber (DVD / CAR / PDMS) exposed for 20 minutes in the headspace after 5 minutes of equilibrium between the sample and the headspace. Results: Samples added 0.10% oregano or sage had effective protection in the development of hexanal, compared to control samples. The development of hexanal was significantly higher in the control samples, 34 μg of hexanal/100 g of sample at the beginning and 280 µg/100 g sample at the end of refrigerated storage. Conclusion: Herbs were effective in controlling the development of hexanal. However, the oregano was more effective than sage in preventing the formation of hexanal in chicken meatballs pre-cooked. The level of hexanal in herbs at the end of the storage period was 5 μg hexanal/100 g sample for oregano and 23 µg hexanal/100 g sample for sage.

O tratamento endovascular dos aneurismas aórticos torácicos tem se desenvolvido consideravelmente nos últimos anos. No entanto, complicações tardias desta nova modalidade terapêutica apenas agora estão sendo observadas e analisadas. Fístulas aorto-esofágicas são complicações raras do tratamento endovascular dos aneurismas aórticos, sendo encontrados poucos relatos na literatura. O presente caso reporta um paciente com aneurisma aórtico torácico tratado há 4 anos e complicado com fratura da endoprótese. Após nova intervenção endovascular, foi observada extrusão da antiga endoprótese através do esôfago com formação de fístula. Apesar do tratamento realizado, o paciente evoluiu a óbito 9 dias após por hemorragia digestiva maciça. Aspectos técnicos e revisão de literatura são discutidos.

The endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms has undergone considerable development over the past years. However, late complications of this new therapeutic modality have only recently been observed and analyzed. Aortoesophageal fistulas are rare complications of the endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms, and there are few reports in the literature. We report a case of a patient with thoracic aortic aneurysm treated 4 years ago and with complications due to stent-graft fracture. After a new endovascular intervention, there was extrusion of the old graft through the esophagus with fistula formation. Despite the treatment, the patient died 9 days later due to massive digestive hemorrhage. Technical aspects and review of the literature are discussed.

O estudo foi realizado com os objetivos de estabelecer a sensibilidade dos búfalos a Palicourea juruana e agregar novos dados sobre a toxidez dessa planta para bovinos. Embora os quadros clínico-patológicos tenham sido semelhantes, a comparação das doses letais para búfalos (entre 1 e 2 g/kg) e para bovinos (0,25 g/kg) estabelece o búfalo como pelo menos quatro vezes mais resistente. Em experimentos realizados 10 anos antes - com amostras de P. juruana coletadas na mesma fazenda no Pará, em julho de 1993, início da época de seca, portanto apenas 2 meses mais tarde do que os agora realizados em maio de 2003 - a dose letal para bovinos foi de 2 g/kg. Não encontramos explicação para a toxicidade extremamente elevada da planta verificada nesse estudo.

An experimental study was performed to establish the toxicity of Palicourea juruana for buffaloes and to add new data on the toxicity of this plant for cattle. The clinical and pathological pictures were similar, but a comparison of the lethal doses for buffaloes (1-2g/kg) and cattle (0.25g/kg) shows that the buffalo is at least 4 times more resistant. In experiments performed 10 years earlier with the fresh leaves - collected on the same farm in July, at the beginning of the dry season, only 2 months later than in this second experimental series - the lethal dose for cattle was 2 g/kg. No explanation was found for the extremely high toxicity of the plant observed in the present study.