Africanized honeybees in urban areas: a public health concern.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Africanized honeybees in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, and to implement a program to remove such swarms. METHODS: The occurrences of Africanized honeybee swarms between 2010 and 2012 were studied and strategies to prevent accidents were developed. RESULTS: We noted 1,164 cases of Africanized honeybee occurrences in the city, and 422 swarms were collected. The developed strategies to prevent accidents were disseminated to the population. CONCLUSIONS: We contributed to reducing the risks represented by Africanized honeybee swarms in urban areas, by collecting swarms and disseminating strategic information for preventing accidents.

Antioxidant and intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of plant-derived coumarin derivatives.

BACKGROUND: Coumarins, also known as benzopyrones, are plant-derived products with several pharmacological properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Based on the wide distribution of coumarin derivatives in plant-based foods and beverages in the human diet, our objective was to evaluate both the antioxidant and intestinal anti-inflammatory activities of six coumarin derivatives of plant origin (scopoletin, scoparone, fraxetin, 4-methyl-umbeliferone, esculin and daphnetin) to verify if potential intestinal anti-inflammatory activity was related to antioxidant properties. METHODS: Intestinal inflammation was induced by intracolonic instillation of TNBS in rats. The animals were treated with coumarins by oral route. The animals were killed 48 h after colitis induction. The colonic segments were obtained after laparotomy and macroscopic and biochemical parameters (determination of glutathione level and myeloperoxidase and alkaline phosphatase activities) were evaluated. The antioxidant properties of these coumarins were examined by lipid peroxidation and DPPH assays. RESULTS: Treatment with esculin, scoparone and daphnetin produced the best protective effects. All coumarin derivatives showed antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, while daphnetin and fraxetin also showed antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Coumarins, except 4-methyl-umbeliferone, also showed antioxidant activity through the counteraction of glutathione levels or through the inhibition of myeloperoxidase activity. DISCUSSION: The intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of coumarin derivatives were related to their antioxidant properties, suggesting that consumption of coumarins and/or foods rich in coumarin derivatives, particularly daphnetin, esculin and scoparone, could prevent intestinal inflammatory disease.

Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne: a Brazilian medicinal plant with gastric and duodenal anti-ulcer and antidiarrheal effects in experimental rodent models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne (Fabaceae) is a medicinal species commonly found in the Brazilian savannah. The stem bark of this medicinal plant, popularly known as "jatobá-do-cerrado", is widely used in tea form to treat gastric pain, ulcers, diarrhoea and inflammation, whereas its fruits pulp is edible. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiarrheal and anti-ulcer effects of a methanolic extract derived from the stem bark (MHs) and diet with fruit pulp of H. stigonocarpa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antidiarrheal action of MHs was measured against the intestinal motility and diarrhoea induced by castor oil in mice. The preventive action of MHs (50, 100, 150 and 200mg/Kg, by oral route (p.o.)) against peptic ulcers was evaluated in experimental rodent models challenged with absolute ethanol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) (200mg/Kg, p.o.) and cysteamine (200mg/Kg, p.o.). The main anti-ulcer mechanisms of action of MHs were analysed as follows: evaluation of the gastric juice parameters, assessment of mucus adherence to the gastric wall, determination of the role of nitric oxide (NO) and sulfhydryl compounds (SH), glutathione (GSH) levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The healing effects from MHs (200mg/Kg) and diet with fruit pulp (10%) against gastric and duodenal ulcers induced by acetic acid were also evaluated by treating rats over 7 or 14 consecutive days of treatment. RESULTS: The phytochemical profile of MHs and fruit pulp indicated the presence of phenolic compounds (mainly flavonoids and condensed tannins). MHs (200mg/Kg, p.o.) displayed an antidiarrheal effect and were able to protect gastric mucosa against absolute ethanol (68% protection) and also against the injurious effect of NSAIDs (86% protection) when compared to the group treated with vehicle. These results were accompanied by the prevention of GSH depletion and an inhibition of MPO activity when compared to animals treated with vehicle (P<0.05). MHs markedly protected duodenal mucosa against injuries caused by cysteamine (98%) and also against I/R induced gastric ulceration (80%) when compared to the group treated with vehicle. Furthermore, MHs also prevented the GSH depletion of gastric mucosa relative to the control group treated with vehicle. NO appeared to be involved in this gastroprotective effect. MHs and diet with fruit pulp clearly demonstrated gastric healing actions after treatment for 7 (MHs - 53% inhibition) or 14 days (MHs - 60% inhibition and fruit pulp - 61% inhibition). Treatment with diet with fruit pulp for 7 days demonstrates a significant duodenal healing effect (71% inhibition) without any signs of toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: MHs clearly demonstrate antidiarrheal, gastroprotective and cicatrising effects in experimental gastric and duodenal ulcers, and the diet with fruit pulp displays duodenal healing effects. The observed effects may be associated with the antioxidant effect, which may be due the presence of condensed tannins and flavonoids in the bark and fruit of H. stigonocarpa.

Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of coumarin and 4-hydroxycoumarin in the trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid model of rat colitis.

Coumarins represent an important class of phenolic compounds with multiple biological activities, including inhibition of lipidic peroxidation and neutrophil-dependent anion superoxide generation, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressor actions. All of these proprieties are essential for that a drug may be used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The present study examined intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of coumarin and its derivative, the 4-hydroxycoumarin on experimental ulcerative colitis in rats. This was performed in two different experimental settings, i.e. when the colonic mucosa is intact or when the mucosa is in process of recovery after an initial insult. The results obtained revealed that the coumarin and 4-hydroxycoumarin, at doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg, significantly attenuated the colonic damage induced by trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) in both situations, as evidenced macroscopically, microscopically and biochemically. This effect was related to an improvement in the colonic oxidative status, since coumarin and 4-hydroxycoumarin prevented the glutathione depletion that occurred as a consequence of the colonic inflammation.