Mesalazine-induced esophageal ulcers. a rare adverse effect.

31-year-old woman. Diagnosis of ulcerative proctitis in February/2022. Calprotectin 1832 µg/g. Colonoscopy: erythematous, friable and erosive mucosa up to 10 cm from the anal margin. Pathology: compatible with ulcerative colitis with moderate activity. Start of oral mesalazine (3 gr/24 h granules) and topical (1 gr/24 h suppository). After three months, she achieved clinical remission. Calprotectin 57 µg/g. Two months later, she consulted for solid dysphagia, loss of 10 kg, and low-grade fever for a month. Fifteen days before, she went to an emergency room where Prednisone 50 mg/24 h was started. On the day of the assessment, she was receiving 30 mg with no improvement. The next day, gastroscopy showed 6-12 mm esophageal ulcers with non-confluent shallow geographic borders, biopsies were taken. Viral serologies and HLA B51 were requested. Given the severity of the symptoms, empirical treatment was started with Valaciclovir 1 g/12 h. Serologies: IgG for Ebstein Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes virus with negative IgM. Cytomegalovirus viral load: <30 IU/ml. Pathology: acute extensively ulcerated esophagitis, inflammatory infiltrate and some eosinophils with negative histochemical staining for fungi, cytomegalovirus and herpes virus I and II. HLA B51 was negative. Valaciclovir and mesalazine are discontinued after seven days given the known relationship of the latter with low-grade fever and, exceptionally, with esophageal pathology. Three days later, the patient reported clear improvement in dysphagia from the day the mesalazine was discontinued. After eight months, she was still asymptomatic. Upon resolution of the symptoms, control gastroscopy was not performed, and mesalazine has not been reintroduced due to its probable causal association. Mesalazine has an excellent safety profile. Adverse effects include fever, headache, diarrhea and.

Poor agreement between clinical screening and universal pre-procedure SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing prior to endoscopy.

INTRODUCTION: scientific societies recommend screening for SARS-CoV-2 in patients prior to endoscopy. There is no solid evidence regarding the efficiency of universal screening by PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2. The present study aimed to assess the usefulness of clinical screening and universal pre-procedure PCR testing for the identification of patients capable of transmitting the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Concordance between both strategies was also evaluated. METHOD: a retrospective review was performed in a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing endoscopy at a tertiary teaching hospital between April 22 and June 22, 2020, following a screening protocol. RESULTS: three hundred and sixty-one patients were included. Clinical screening detected 13 patients with a high risk of infection (3.6 %, 95 % CI: 2.62-4.58) while the pre-procedure PCR test was positive in five patients (1.40 %, 95 % CI: 0.20-2.60). Three patients developed COVID-19 and one died from the disease. Agreement between both strategies was poor, with a kappa value of 0.093 (95 % CI: 0.001-0.185). Clinical screening only identified one of the five patients with a positive PCR test. CONCLUSION: clinical screening prior to endoscopy has a poor agreement with pre-procedure PCR testing.

Endoscopic management of duodenal levodopa-carbidopa therapy of advanced Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: treatment of intraduodenal levodopa using percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is an alternative therapy in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. There are few studies that have evaluated the endoscopic aspects of this technique. OBJECTIVES: to describe our experience and adverse events regarding this technique in advanced Parkinson's disease. METHOD: a retrospective study was performed from January 2007 to January 2019 in a tertiary healthcare center. RESULTS: thirty-seven patients aged 65.1 ± 10.3 years were included in the study, 21 were male and the disease duration was ten years (1-26). The median follow-up was 16 months (1-144). The device was successfully placed in all cases. The persistence rate with the PEG-D at the end of follow-up was 62.2%. The system was removed in 14 patients, seven due to neurological impairment, four because of the decision of the patient and three due to related events. Fifty-nine adverse events occurred in 23 patients (62.2%, 0.63 per patient-year), four of which were severe (8.1%, 0.05 per patient-year). Minor adverse events included 14 (37.8%) related to the stoma, six (16.2%) to the gastric tube and 15 (40.5%) to the duodenal tube. Forty-four system replacements were performed in 20 patients (54.1%, 0.52 per patient-year). Male sex, age over 70 and a higher comorbidity index were associated with a greater likelihood of persistence of the system (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.62; OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.86; OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.03-0.99, respectively). No predictors of adverse events associated with PEG-D were identified. CONCLUSIONS: percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for the continuous delivery of duodenal levodopa is a highly effective technique. Adverse events are common, although most are resolved by endoscopy.

[Cerebral cryptococcosis and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Case report]. / Criptococosis cerebral, voriconazol, niveles plasmáticos y síndrome de reconstitución inmune. Reporte de un caso.

We report a 45-year-old male with AIDS who had a Cryptococcus neoformans central nervous system infection. He was treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate subsequently changed to voriconazole due to systemic toxicity of the former. Plasma levels of voriconazole were insufficient with a standard dose (0.7 µg/mL), therefore, the dose was increased thereafter to reach appropriate levels (4.5 µg/mL). Anti-retroviral therapy was started five weeks after voriconazole initiation with non-interacting drugs and he was discharged after a favorable evolution. He was re-admitted three months later due to seizures; a brain magnetic resonance showed new sub-cortical nodules. After excluding alternative causes and demonstrating fungal eradication, an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) event was suspected and treated with a short course of steroids. His evolution was satisfactory.

The origin of the bifurcating style in Asteraceae (Compositae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The plant family Asteraceae (Compositae) exhibits remarkable morphological variation in the styles of its members. Lack of studies on the styles of the sister families to Asteraceae, Goodeniaceae and Calyceraceae, obscures our understanding of the origin and evolution of this reproductive feature in these groups. The aim of this work was to perform a comparative study of style morphology and to discuss the relevance of important features in the evolution of Asteraceae and its sister families. METHODS: The histochemistry, venation and general morphology of the styles of members of Goodeniaceae, Calyceraceae and early branching lineages of Asteraceae were analysed and put in a phylogenetic framework to discuss the relevance of style features in the evolution of these families. KEY RESULTS: The location of lipophilic substances allowed differentiation of receptive from non-receptive style papillae, and the style venation in Goodeniaceae and Calyceraceae proved to be distinctive. There were several stages of style evolution from Goodeniaceae to Asteraceae involving connation and elongation of veins, development of bilobation from an initially cup-shaped style, and a redistribution of the receptive and non-receptive papillae. CONCLUSIONS: These developments resulted in bifurcation in the styles of Asteraceae, with each branch face having a different function, and it is suggested here as a mechanism that promoted outcrossing, which in turn led to the great diversification in the family.

The Bloody Board Game: A Game-Based Approach for Learning High-Value Care Principles in the Setting of Anemia Diagnosis.

Introduction: With growing health care costs, high-value care is an increasingly important subject for medical training. Many resident and medical student curricula have incorporated lectures-based material about this topic. However, practical-type experiences are needed to refine critical-thinking skills essential for high-value care. Methods: To provide such practical experiences, we developed an instructional game for resident-level education that incorporated cost-constraint-based approaches in the workup of anemia. To play the game, teams of learners were given patients with anemia of unknown cause. To pay for their diagnostic tests of choice, teams earned money by correctly answering internal medicine resident-level anemia questions. The first team to successfully work up and diagnose three patients won. Results: Resident learners had very positive reviews of our game. As a team, groups of residents across all levels were able to develop cost-effective strategies for diagnosis. Our game also served as a resource for anemia education. Residents on average felt the game enhanced their ability to apply medical knowledge and clinical reasoning (M = 4.7 out of 5, where 5 = strongly agree), as well as high-value care (4.6), and should remain in the program for the high-value care curriculum (4.9). Discussion: Game-based learning provides a fun, orthogonal approach to learning critical-thinking skills used during anemia diagnostic patient workups. Although we did not quantify change in diagnostic test ordering, according to resident-learners, our high-value care game improved their ability to integrate cost-effective strategies into their practice of medicine.

[D-Leu1]MC-LR and MC-LR: A Small-Large Difference: Significantly Different Effects on Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae) Growth and Phototropic Response after Single Contact during Imbibition with Each of These Microcystin Variants.

[D-Leu1]MC-LR and MC-LR, two microcystins differing in one amino acid, constitute a sanitary and environmental problem owing to their frequent and concomitant presence in water bodies of the Americas and their association with human intoxication during recreational exposure to cyanobacterial bloom. Present in reservoirs used for irrigation as well, they can generate problems in the development of crops such as Phaseolus vulgaris, of nutritional and economic interest to the region. Although numerous works address the toxic effects of MC-LR, information on the toxicity of [D-Leu1]MC-LR is limited. Our objective was to study the toxic effects of [D-Leu1]MC-LR and MC-LR (3.5 µg/ml) on P. vulgaris after a single contact at the imbibition stage. Our findings indicate that 10 days post treatment, [D-Leu1]MC-LR generates morphological and physiological alterations more pronounced than those caused by MC-LR. In addition to the alterations produced by [D-Leu1]MC-LR in the development of seedlings and the structure of the leaves, roots and stems, we also found alterations in leaf stomatal density and conductivity, a longer delay in the phototropic response and a decrease in the maximum curvature angles achieved with respect to that observed for MC-LR. Our findings indicate that these alterations are linked to the greater inhibition of phosphatase activity generated by [D-Leu1]MC-LR, rather than to oxidative damage. We observed that 30 days after treatment with MC-LR, plants presented better development and recovery than those treated with [D-Leu1]MC-LR. Further studies are required on [D-Leu1]MC-LR and MC-LR toxicity and their underlying mechanisms of action.

Technique for the identification of osmophores in flowers of herbarium material (TIOFH).

The histochemical studies that search for osmophores differ in the protocol they follow for fixation and discoloration of the samples, and also in the type and number of stains utilized. Despite these differences, all the studies have one point in common: the use of fresh material either collected directly in the field or cultivated in botanical gardens and greenhouses. This is an obvious limitation for the studies of osmophores. Flower parts of herbarium specimens of different dates of collection and different plant families were exposed to variable times and percentages of discoloration agents and under different stains for finding if it is possible to positively test osmophores in this type of material. We obtained positive results discoloring the samples with ethyl alcohol 96° and sodium hypochlorite, and staining with Lugol, Oil Red O, and Neutral Red (TIOFH). A protocol (TIOFH3) for osmophore testing that combines these three stains into a single procedure is proposed.

Hyponatremia in Heart Failure: Pathogenesis and Management.

Hyponatremia is a very common electrolyte abnormality, associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Two opposite processes can result in hyponatremia in this setting: Volume overload with dilutional hypervolemic hyponatremia from congestion, and hypovolemic hyponatremia from excessive use of natriuretics. These two conditions require different therapeutic approaches. While sodium in the form of normal saline can be lifesaving in the second case, the same treatment would exacerbate hyponatremia in the first case. Hypervolemic hyponatremia in HF patients is multifactorial and occurs mainly due to the persistent release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the setting of ineffective renal perfusion secondary to low cardiac output. Fluid restriction and loop diuretics remain mainstay treatments for hypervolemic/ dilutional hyponatremia in patients with HF. In recent years, a few strategies, such as AVP antagonists (Tolvaptan, Conivaptan, and Lixivaptan), and hypertonic saline in addition to loop diuretics, have been proposed as potentially promising treatment options for this condition. This review aimed to summarize the current literature on pathogenesis and management of hyponatremia in patients with HF.

Chronic kidney disease and associated risk factors in two Salvadoran farming communities, 2012.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease is a global pandemic, affecting the majority of countries in the world. Its prevalence is approximately 10% and it is associated mainly with diabetes and high blood pressure. In El Salvador, it is the leading cause of hospital deaths among men. OBJECTIVE: Determine prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors in two Salvadoran farming communities. METHODS: From March through September 2012, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in two Salvadoran farming communities: Dimas Rodríguez (El Paisnal municipality) and El Jícaro (San Agustín municipality). The research involved both epidemiological and clinical methods. An active search for chronic kidney disease and its risk factors was carried out in the population aged >15 years. House-to-house visits were carried out to take family and individual health histories and gather data on social conditions and risk factors. A physical examination was performed, along with laboratory tests (urinalysis and blood chemistry) to measure renal function and detect markers for renal damage. RESULTS: A total of 223 persons of both sexes were studied. Overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease was 50.2%. Prevalence of chronic renal failure was 16.1%, with slight variations between the sexes. In El Jícaro, 77.3% of participants reported contact with agrochemicals and 76.6% were farmworkers; the respective figures for Dimas Rodríguez were 75.8% and 73.7%. The next most frequently reported risk factor was NSAID use, at 61.7% in El Jícaro and 77.9% in Dimas Rodríguez. CONCLUSIONS: CKD prevalence is alarming in these communities, among both young and old, men and women, independently of occupation. Health services must cope with the increased CKD burden observed, and are challenged to implement preventive strategies.

Criptococosis cerebral, voriconazol, niveles plasmáticos y síndrome de reconstitución inmune: reporte de un caso / Cerebral cryptococcosis and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: case report

We report a 45-year-old male with AIDS who had a Cryptococcus neoformans central nervous system infection. He was treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate subsequently changed to voriconazole due to systemic toxicity of the former. Plasma levels of voriconazole were insufficient with a standard dose (0.7 μg/mL), therefore, the dose was increased thereafter to reach appropriate levels (4.5 μg/mL). Anti-retroviral therapy was started five weeks after voriconazole initiation with non-interacting drugs and he was discharged after a favorable evolution. He was re-admitted three months later due to seizures; a brain magnetic resonance showed new sub-cortical nodules. After excluding alternative causes and demonstrating fungal eradication, an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) event was suspected and treated with a short course of steroids. His evolution was satisfactory.

Plantas medicinales y para condimento usadas en el sudeste del Partido de Berisso (Buenos Aires, Argentina) / Medicinal plants and for seasoning used in the southeast of the Berisso Party (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

El objetivo de este trabajo fue relevar las plantas usadas con fines terapéuticos por los habitantes de un sector costanero del Río de la Plata entre los balnearios Bagliardi y La Balandra. Se identificaron 36 especies utilizadas en la medicina popular, 10 de las cuales también se usan como condimento.

Anatomía comparada de raíces medicinales de hierbas terrestres rioplatenses (Buenos Aires, República Argentina) / Comparative anatomy of medicinal roots of rioplatenses terrestrial herbs (Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic)

Se estudió la anatomía de la raíz de 22 hierbas terrestres pertenecientes a 10 familias que se utilizan en medicina vernácula en la región rioplatense. Para disponer de un patrón que defina la autenticidad botánica se planteó el objetivo de generar una clave diacrítica basada en la micrografía de las raíces. Se utilizó material fresco y de herbario que fue fijado en formalina-aceto-alcohólica, y en el caso de ejemplares de herbario fueron rehidratados previo a su fijación. Para las preparaciones se realizaron cortes a mano alzada y con micrótomo de rotación, para luego efectuar la tinción y el montaje de acuerdo con técnicas convencionales. Se realizaron análisis histoquímicos para la identificación de almidón, sustancias lipídicas y fenólicas. Algunos de los principales caracteres micrográficos de identificación de las raíces fueron: presencia de estructura secundaria anómala en Alternanthera philoxeroides y A. pungens, Dysphania ambrosioides y Mirabilis jalapa; presencia de corteza aerenquimática en Hyptis mutabilis y Pluchea sagittalis; tipo y distribución de estructuras secretoras: esquizógenas en Bidens pilosa, Conyza bonariensis, Solidago chilensis y Xanthium spinosum, lisígenas en M. jalapa y tubos laticíferos en Cichorium intybus y Taraxacum officinale; presencia de drusas en A. philoxeroides y A. pungens , rafidios en Cyclopogon elatus y M. jalapa o arena cristalina en D. ambrosioides y Salpichroa origanifolia; presencia de xilema secundario con poros solitarios dispuestos al azar en Marrubium vulgare, múltiples radiales en Raphanus sativus, solitarios y múltiples radiales en Lepidium auriculatum y L. bonariense. Como resultado de los estudios histoquímicos se hallaron sustancias lipídicas en las paredes celulares de la endodermis, en el súber, y en forma de gotas oleosas en las estructuras secretoras esquizógenas de las Asteraceae; se observó inulina en el parénquima de las raíces de especies de la familia Asteraceae y amiloplastos en las raíces de Lepidium, Mirabilis, Raphanus y Salpichroa. (AU)

Aspectos endoscópicos del tratamiento de la enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada con levodopa/carbidopa intraduodenal / Endoscopic management of duodenal levodopa-carbidopa therapy of advanced Parkinson's disease

Introducción: el tratamiento con levodopa intraduodenal mediante gastrostomía endoscópica percutánea constituye una alternativa terapéutica en pacientes con enfermedad de Parkinson. Disponemos de pocos estudios que evalúen los aspectos endoscópicos en esta indicación. Objetivos: describir nuestra experiencia en esta técnica e identificar factores asociados a la aparición de complicaciones. Métodos: estudio observacional retrospectivo en centro terciario entre enero de 2007 y enero de 2019. Resultados: se incluyeron 37 pacientes (21 varones, edad 65,1 +/- 10,3 años, diez años [rango 25] de evolución de la enfermedad) seguidos durante una mediana de 16 meses (rango 143). El sistema se colocó con éxito en el 100% de los casos. La tasa de persistencia con el tratamiento al final del seguimiento fue del 62,2%. El sistema se retiró en 14 pacientes: siete por empeoramiento, cuatro por deseo del paciente y tres por complicaciones. Hubo 53 complicaciones en 23 pacientes (62,2%; 0,63 por paciente-año), cuatro mayores (8,1%, 0,05 por paciente-año). Complicaciones menores: 14 (37,8%) relacionados con el estoma, seis (16,2%) con la gastrostomía y 15 (40,5%) con la sonda duodenal. La mayoría se resolvieron endoscópicamente. Se realizaron 44 recambios de sonda en 20 pacientes (54,1%; 0,52 por paciente-año). El sexo masculino, la edad mayor de 70 años y un mayor índice de comorbilidad se asociaron a mayor probabilidad de persistencia del sistema. No se identificaron factores predictores de complicaciones asociadas a la gastrostomía. Conclusiones: la gastrostomía para infusión de levodopa intraduodenal presenta una alta tasa de éxito técnico. Las complicaciones son frecuentes, pero la mayoría se resuelven endoscópicamente

Background: treatment of intraduodenal levodopa using percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is an alternative therapy in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. There are few studies that have evaluated the endoscopic aspects of this technique. Objectives: to describe our experience and adverse events regarding this technique in advanced Parkinson's disease. Method: a retrospective study was performed from January 2007 to January 2019 in a tertiary healthcare center. Results: thirty-seven patients aged 65.1 +/- 10.3 years were included in the study, 21 were male and the disease duration was ten years (1-26). The median follow-up was 16 months (1-144). The device was successfully placed in all cases. The persistence rate with the PEG-D at the end of follow-up was 62.2%. The system was removed in 14 patients, seven due to neurological impairment, four because of the decision of the patient and three due to related events. Fifty-nine adverse events occurred in 23 patients (62.2%, 0.63 per patient-year), four of which were severe (8.1%, 0.05 per patient-year). Minor adverse events included 14 (37.8%) related to the stoma, six (16.2%) to the gastric tube and 15 (40.5%) to the duodenal tube. Forty-four system replacements were performed in 20 patients (54.1%, 0.52 per patient-year). Male sex, age over 70 and a higher comorbidity index were associated with a greater likelihood of persistence of the system (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.62; OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.86; OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.03-0.99, respectively). No predictors of adverse events associated with PEG-D were identified. Conclusions: percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for the continuous delivery of duodenal levodopa is a highly effective technique. Adverse events are common, although most are resolved by endoscopy

Plantas usadas en medicina popular en la Isla Santiago, Buenos Aires, Argentina / Plants used in popular medicine in the Santiago Island, Buenos Aires, Argentina

This work constitutes a record of vascular plant species used for therapeutic purposes on Santiago Island, located in the Rio de La Plata, southeast of the Party of Ensenada, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The island has an area of 8 km2 and consists of alluvial land, with natural and rich floristic environments. Eighty three households were sampled, plant specimens were collected “in-situ”, were identified using specific literature and binocular magnifying glass, and a digital photographic record was made. We identified 40 species of vascular plants, used by the islanders in folk medicine, mostly exotic and herbaceous. Also, 32 therapeutic uses and 11 affections were reported. The digestive and skin disorders were the most representative.

Este trabajo constituye un registro de especies de plantas vasculares utilizadas con fines terapéuticos en la Isla Santiago, ubicada en el Río de La Plata, al SE del Partido de Ensenada, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. La isla, tiene una superficie de 8 km2 y está formada por tierras de origen aluvional, con ambientes naturales de gran riqueza florística. Se muestrearon 83 unidades domésticas, se recolectaron ejemplares vegetales “in-situ”, se identificaron utilizando bibliografía específica y lupa binocular y se hizo un registro fotográfico digital. Se identificaron 40 especies de plantas vasculares, utilizadas por los isleños en medicina popular, la mayoría exóticas y herbáceas. Asimismo, se reportaron 32 usos terapéuticos y 11 afecciones; los trastornos digestivos y de la piel fueron los más representativos.

Anatomía foliar de arbustos y árboles medicinales de la región chaqueña semiárida de la Argentina / Foliar anatomy of medicinal trees and shrubs of the semi-arid Chaco region of Argentina

Se estudió la anatomía foliar de 32 arbustos y árboles medicinales de los Distritos Chaqueños Occidental y Serrano (Argentina). El objetivo de este trabajo fue proveer una clave para el reconocimiento de estos taxones a partir de hojas fragmentadas, desmenuzadas o pulverizadas. Para el estudio las muestras de herbario fueron reconstituidas y fijadas en FAA; y, en cuanto a las preparaciones, se utilizaron técnicas histológicas convencionales. Algunos de los principales caracteres de identificación fueron: los tricomas estrellados en Capparicordis tweediana y Ruprechtia triflora, cistolíticos en Celtis spp.; escamoso-peltados en Zanthoxylum coco; epidermis papilosa (e.g., Schinopsis lorentzii); los estomas ciclocíticos en Bulnesia sarmientoi, Maytenus vitis-idaea, Moya spinosa y Schinopsis spp.; idioblastos cristalíferos epidérmicos en Scutia buxifolia; la epidermis cristalífera en Maytenus vitis-idaea; la epidermis pluristrata en Jodina rhombifolia; la presencia de hipodermis en Castela coccinea, Maytenus vitis-idaea, Prosopis ruscifolia y Ziziphus mistol; los haces bicolaterales en Lycium cestroides; la presencia de arena cristalina en Calycophyllum multiflorum y Lycium cestroides; la ausencia total de cristales en la familia Capparaceae. Para la identificación de las especies estudiadas se presenta una clave dicotómica e ilustraciones originales.

Uso medicinal popular de plantas y líquenes de la Isla Paulino, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina / Popular medical use of plants and lichens from Paulino Island, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Este trabajo da a conocer las plantas utilizadas con fines terapéuticos en la Isla Paulino, ubicada en el Río de La Plata, al NE del Partido de Berisso, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Este sector aluvional abarca una superficie de 18 Km2. Se realizaron quince entrevistas, revisión de archivos, recolección de ejemplares vegetales “in-situ” y determinación sistemática de los mismos, consulta bibliográfica específica y registro fotográfico digital. Como resultado de esta investigación, se identificaron cuarenta especies vegetales y una especie de líquen, utilizadas por los lugareños, en medicina popular. Las especies vegetales más utilizadas en la isla son: Equisetum giganteum L. (Equisetaceae) y Aloe vera (L.) Burm f.. Se registraron los siguientes usos terapéuticos: abortivo, antiartrítico, antiasmático, anticefalágico, antidiabético, antiinflamatorio, antilítico, antinefrítico, antipediculósico, antipruritoso, antirreumático, antiséptico, antitusivo, cardiotónico, colirio, depurativo, digestivo, diurético, estomacal, expectorante, hepático, hipotensor, pectoral, purgante, refrescante y vulnerario.

This paper deals with the species of plants used for therapeutic purposes on the Paulino island, situated north-east of Berisso city, an alluvial sector that comprises an area of 18 km2. Fifteen persons were interviewed, and other data were gathered from the revision of files, collection of plants “in-situ” and later determination with optic instruments, specific bibliography and digital pictures. As a result of this research, we identified forty species of plants and one species of lichen used by villagers in popular medicine. The species mostly used were: Equisetum giganteum L.(Equisetaceae) and Aloe vera (L.) Burm f. (Asphodelaceae). The following therapeutic uses were recorded: abortifacient, antiarthritic, antiasthmatic, headache prevention (anticefalalgic), antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, antilytic, antinephritic, lice prevention (antipediculosic), antipruritouse, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antitussive (against coughing), cardiotonic, depurative, digestive, diuretic, stomach, expectorant, hepatic, hypotensive, pectoral, purgative, refreshing and vulnerary.

Conservación del ombusillo, planta amenazada de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina / Conserving ombusillo, an endangered plant from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phytolacca tetramera Hauman "ombusillo", es una especie vegetal endémica del SE de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, que se halla en peligro crítico de extinción. Su principal factor de amenaza es la reducción del hábitat por acción antrópica. Esta especie presenta principios activos fungicidas y, posiblemente, dada su afinidad con otras especies del mismo género, presente compuestos antivirales, antitumorales, bactericidas e insecticidas. Se realizaron ensayos de macropropagación con distintas concentraciones de reguladores de crecimiento de tipo auxínicos que muestran claramente un enraizamiento óptimo correspondiente a segmentos de ejes aéreos vegetales “estacas” sometidas a 300 ppm de ácido indol butírico y a segmentos de tallos subterráneos sin aplicación de hormonas. Así mismo, se realizaron ensayos de germinación, en condiciones de luz y de oscuridad, comprobándose que las semillas presentan fotoblastismo positivo con un porcentaje de germinación del 65%, el cual disminuye enormemente luego del año de cosecha.

Phytolacca tetramera Hauman "ombusillo" is an endemic plant species which is in critical danger of becoming extinct; it comes from the south-east of the province of Buenos Aires. The main factor threatening this species is the reduction of its natural environment by antropic action.This species has antifungal properties and, due to its relationship with other species from the same genus, it could also have antiviral, antitumour, antibacterial and insecticidal compounds. Macropropagation experiments were carried out using different concentrations of auxinic growth regulators. Segements of aerial axis “stakes” treated with 300 ppm of indol-butiric acid and segments of underground stems without hormonal treatment provided optimum rooting. Germination experiments in dark and light conditions were also carried out, finding that seeds showed positive photoblastisme with a 65% germination rate which declined considerably after the crop had been harvested.