Foram identificadas e classificadas 48 plantas medicinais usadas por Índios Pataxós no sul da Bahia. A região é área de risco ecológico designada pela UNESCO como Sítio do Patrimônio Mundial. O objetivo deste estudo foi de documentar as práticas fitoterápicas na comunidade indígena da Mata Medonha. Foram conduzidas entrevistas com as 25 famílias presentes no local. Dentre as 48 espécies identificadas, apenas 14 (29%) foram avaliadas quanto ao mecanismo de ação ou isolamento de compostos químicos, de acordo com levantamento bibliográfico. As plantas foram depositadas no Herbário Alexandre Leal Costa da Universidade Federal da Bahia. Foram registradas informações sobre o preparo e uso das plantas citadas. As espécies são usadas para uma variedade de doenças incluindo gripe, congestão, bronquite, dores em geral, picadas de cobra e algumas apenas para doenças femininas. O conhecimento etnofarmacológico Pataxó está sobre pressão pelas migrações para fora da comuindade e ameaças à biodiversidade por desmatamento, mineração e turismo. As plantas estudadas incluem importantes candidatos a fármacos. Pesquisas adicionais sobre os aspectos moleculares devem ser realizadas.

We identified and classified 48 medicinal plants used by the Pataxó Indians in south Bahia, Brazil. The location is an ecologically threatened area designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The aim of this paper is to document phytotherapeutic practices in the indigenous community of Mata Medonha. We conducted interviews with the 25 families present at the area. Of the 48 medicinal species identified, only 14 (29%) had been examined for mechanism of action or isolation of biochemical compounds, according to bibliographic research. The plants were deposited at the Alexandre Leal Costa Herbarium of the Federal University of Bahia. We gathered information about the preparation and uses of the plants. The species are used for a variety of maladies, including flu, congestion, bronchitis and headaches, pain, snake bites, and some were only used for women's disorders. The Pataxó ethnopharmacological knowledge is under pressure from the economic outmigration of the community and threats to the biodiversity from logging, mining, and tourism. The plants studied here include important drug candidates. Additional research on the molecular aspects of the species cited should be performed.

The construction of a hexahistidine-tagged version of the B fragment of diphtheria toxin (DTB) represents an important step in the study of the biological properties of DTB because it will permit the production of pure recombinant DTB (rDTB) in less time and with higher yields than currently available. In the present study, the genomic DNA of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae Park Williams 8 (PW8) vaccine strain was used as a template for PCR amplification of the dtb gene. After amplification, the dtb gene was cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia coli M15™ cells using the expression vector pQE-30™. The lysate obtained from transformed E. coli cells containing the rDTB PW8 was clarified by centrifugation and purified by affinity chromatography. The homogeneity of the purified rDTB PW8 was confirmed by immunoblotting using mouse polyclonal anti-diphtheria toxoid antibodies and the immune response induced in animals with rDTB PW8 was evaluated by ELISA and dermonecrotic neutralization assays. The main result of the present study was an alternative and accessible method for the expression and purification of immunogenically reactive rDTB PW8 using commercially available systems. Data also provided preliminary evidence that rabbits immunized with rDTB PW8 are able to mount a neutralizing response against the challenge with toxigenic C. diphtheriae.

Há, até o momento, notícia de 9 famílias não aparentadas com o diagnóstico clínico de doença de Machado-Joseph (MJD) no Brasil. Esta é a maior família do mundo com a doença. É de origem açoriana e contém 622 indivíduos na árvore genealógica. Destes, 236 foram examinados. Dois examinadores julgaram 39 como afetados. Respectivamente 12, 23 e 4 pacientes tinham os fenôtipos I, II e III dia doença, com idades no início variando entre 10-48, 14-54 e 30-55. Doença tipo I de início juvenil não mostrou atrofia tão severa nas imagens por ressonância magnética (RM) quanto doença tipo II de duração igual, demonstrando que severidade clínica e grau de atrofia não caminham paralelamente. Nenhum dos 8 pacientes examinados por RM tinha atrofia olivar ou anormalidades no globo pálido. Doze pacientes e 23 sob risco foram submetidos a avaliiação neuropsicológica. A atenção foi normal em todos. Memória verbal estava pior nos doentes com maior decaimento com o tempo que nos sob risco. Ambos os grupos tiveram pontuação abaixo do normal na identificação de silhuetas e praxia construtiva. Memória visual estava bem abaixo do normal para ambos, com muitas rotações, porém sem omissões ou confabulação. Padrão peculiar de multiplicação dos detalhes internos, que denominamos o «efeito olho de mosca» foi visto em 6 doentes e 8 sob risco. Discriminação defeituosa de cores, quando múltiplas cores eram apresentadas liado a lado, na ausência de anomia ou cegueira a cores, caracterizável como «simultamagnosia a cores», surgiu como achado e foi pesquisada em 29 sujeitos. 4/10 doentes e 6/19 sob risco mostraram esta dificuldade. Conclui-se que disfunções cognitivas na esfera visual são proeminentes nesta família. Se seriam próprias da doença e manifestação precoce daqueles sob risco, está ainda para ser estabelecido. Depressão foi avaliada com critérios do DSM III-R e com o Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Não houve diferença entre doentes e sob risco. Entretanto, os pacientes tiveram menos depressão do que tinham tido antes ou nas fases precoces da doençta. A MJD plenamente instalada parecia exercer efeito protetor da depressão.

At the moment 9 seemingly independent families with the clinical diagnosis of MJD are known in Brazil. The largest family tree of Azorean ancestry contatins 622 individuals in 9 generations. 236 were examined, 39 found to be affected by two examiners. Pheno-types I, II and III were expressed by 12, 23 and 4 patients with age of onset by phenotypea being 10-48, 14-54 and 30-55 respectively. Although clinically more severe, juvenile onset type I disease did not show as severe a ponto-mesencephialic atrophy on MRI as the father with type II disease of similar symptomatic duration. None of the 8 patients examined with MRI showed olivary atrophy or pallidal abnormalities. 12 affected and 23 at risk were evaluated with neuropsychological tests. Attention was normal in both groups. Verbal memory scores were below normal in the affected and there was greater decay with time than in the risk group. Both scored below normal in identifying silluettes and constructional praxis. Visual memory scores were well below normal for both, with many rotations but no omissions or confabulations. A peculiar pattern of multiplying internal details called «the fly-eye effect» was observed in 6 affected and 8 at risk. Defective color distinction when multiple colors presented close to each other, in face of proper naming of individual colors («color simultantagnosia»), was looked for in 29 people. 4/10 affected and 4/19 at risk showed this phenomenon. Cognitive dysfunctions in this MJD family are prominent in the sphere of vision. Whether they constitute an early manifestation in those at risk and thus serve as a clinical identifier of the illnes is yet to be established. Depression was looked for in the history of the family with DSM III-R criteria and an atempt at quantification with the Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale. There was no significant quantitative difference between affected and at risk. Once undeniably symptomatic however, the patients had no, or less depression than themselves before or tat the early stages of the illness. Covert depression was appropriately excluded. Fully established MJD in this family seemed to exert a protective effect from depression.