Conhecimento etnobotânico sobre plantas medicinais utilizadas por moradores de um município ribeirinho no interior do estado do Amazonas, Brasil / Ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal plants used by residents of a riverside city in the Amazonas state, Brazil

Mesmo com a evolução do conhecimento científico, a utilização de plantas medicinais é uma das práticas mais antigas ainda realizadas pelo homem, especialmente pelos habitantes de comunidades e municípios do interior do Brasil, principalmente em regiões com baixos índices de desenvolvimento humano. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um estudo etnobotânico sobre as plantas medicinais utilizadas pelos moradores de um bairro localizado em um município ribeirinho do interior do estado do Amazonas. Participaram do estudo cem indivíduos, e os dados obtidos pela pesquisa foram compilados por meio de um formulário, contendo 14 questões (objetivas e discursivas). Os resultados demonstraram que 95% dos moradores faziam uso de plantas medicinais. Foram citadas 89 espécies, pertencentes a 48 famílias botânicas, com destaque para a Lamiaceae. As plantas mais citadas foram: Plectranthus barbatus (boldo) ­ 6,1%, Citrus sinensis (laranjeira) ­ 5,8% e Allium sativum (alho) ­ 4,7%. No entanto, quando analisado o índice de concordância (porcentagem de uso principal = CUP), a Citrus sinensis (laranjeira) apresentou um CUP de 80,9%, seguida por Plectranthus barbatus (boldo) e Disphania ambrosioides (mastruz), com 68,1% e 61,5%, respectivamente. Com relação ao modo de preparo, 61,1% citaram infusão, e as principais enfermidades tratadas foram as dores de estômago, com 13,1%. É importante enfatizar a necessidade de mais estudos acerca dos reais benefícios dessas ervas, a fim de que a divulgação de tais informações possa complementar o conhecimento empírico já difundido entre a população local. Dessa forma, será possível ampliar o conhecimento etnobotânico como um todo e, consequentemente, promover saúde e bem-estar.

Despite the evolution of scientific knowledge, the use of medicinal plants is one of the oldest practices still used by men and, especially by the inhabitants of communities and municipalities of the interior of Brazil, mainly in regions with low human development rates. The purpose of this work was to perform an ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by residents of a neighborhood located in a riverside city in the interior of the state of Amazonas. A total of 100 individuals participated in the study, with data being obtained through the use of a form containing 14 open and closed-ended questions. The results showed that 95% of the residents used medicinal plants. A total of 89 species, belonging to 48 botanical families were mentioned, with emphasis to Lamiaceae. The plants that were most frequently mentioned were Plectranthus barbatus (locally known as boldo) ­ 6.1%; Citrus sinensis (orange tree) ­ 5.8%; and Allium sativum (garlic) ­ 4.7%. However, when analyzing the agreement index (percentage of main use = CUP), Citrus sinensis (orange tree) presented a CUP of 80.9%, followed by Plectranthus barbatus (boldo) and Disphania ambrosioides (Mexican tea), with 68.1 and 61.5%, respectively. In relation to the method of preparation, 61.1% cited infusion, with the main disorder treated being stomachache, with 13.1%. It is important to emphasize the need for further studies on the actual benefits of these herbs so that the dissemination of the information can complement the already widespread empirical knowledge among the local population. Thus, it will be possible to expand the ethnobotanical knowledge as a whole and, consequently, promote health and well-being.

Efeitos da ingestão do suco de laranja Pera e suco de laranja Moro na microbiota intestinal e marcadores inflamatórios em indivíduos com obesidade / Effect of Pera and Moro orange juice consumption on the gut microbiota and inflammatory parameters in volunteers with obesity

A obesidade é uma doença complexa que está associada inflamação crônica de baixo grau que contribui para o desenvolvimento de diversos distúrbios metabólicos como a resistência à insulina e estudos recentes sugerem a influência da microbiota intestinal no desenvolvimento e manutenção da doença. Diversos estudos apontam para o benefício da ingestão de frutas e vegetais na prevenção e tratamento de doenças crônicas. O suco de laranja contém diversos compostos bioativos com ações anti-inflamatórias, antioxidantes com efeitos na composição da microbiota intestinal. Deste modo, o objetivo principal deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da ingestão do suco de laranja Pera e Moro sobre a composição da microbiota intestinal e de parâmetros inflamatórios em voluntários com obesidade e resistência à insulina. Foi realizado um ensaio clínico crossover com suplementação de suco de laranja (400ml/dia) por 15 dias com um período de washout de 40 dias. As análises de sangue, fezes, urina, composição corporal, consumo alimentar foram realizadas antes e após cada intervenção. A comparação entre os tratamentos foi realizada utilizando equações de estimativas generalizadas e adotou-se um nível de significância de 5%. Em relação à microbiota intestinal, em ambos os tratamentos, os dois filos mais abundantes foram Firmicutes e Actinobateria. Dos gêneros analisados, observou-se maior abundância de Bifidobacterium após a suplementação com o suco de laranja Moro. O suco de laranja Pera promoveu uma diminuição da zonulina e o suco de laranja Moro contribuiu para redução de citocinas inflamatórias, diminuição da pressão arterial e aumento nos níveis de acetato nas fezes. Após a separação dos voluntários por grau de obesidade, observamos que o suco de laranja Moro contribuiu para o aumento na abundância de Akkermansia, Alistipes, Bacteroides e Catenibacterium em indivíduos com obesidade grau 3. Além disso, em ambos os sucos encontramos redução da razão Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes e aumento da excreção de metabólitos de flavonoides após os tratamentos. Diante destes resultados, conclui-se que o suco de laranja Pera apresentou ações positivas sobre a permeabilidade intestinal e o suco de laranja Moro promoveu efeitos mais expressivos na modulação da inflamação associada à obesidade e da microbiota intestinal

Obesity is a complex disease that is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation, and it contributes to the development of several metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, and recent studies suggest the influence of the intestinal microbiota in the development and maintenance of the disease. Several studies have suggested the benefit of fruits and vegetables consumption in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The orange juice contains some bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions with effects in the composition of the gut microbiota. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Pera and Moro orange juice consumption on the composition of the gut microbiota and inflammatory parameters in volunteers with obesity and insulin resistance. A crossover clinical trial was carried out with orange juice supplementation (400ml/day) for 15 days with a washout period of 40 days. Blood, feces, urine, body composition, food consumption were analyzed before and after each intervention. Comparison between treatments was performed using generalized estimating equations and a significance level of 5% was adopted. In relation to gut microbiota, in both treatments, the two most abundant phyla were Firmicutes and Actinobateria. In the analysis of bacterial genera, a greater abundance of Bifidobacterium was observed after supplementation with Moro orange juice. The Pera orange juice reduced zonulin and Moro orange juice contributed to a reduction on inflammatory cytokines, a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in acetate levels in the stool. After separating the volunteers by degree of obesity, we observed that Moro orange juice contributed to the increase in the abundance of Akkermansia, Alistipes, Bacteroides and Catenibacterium in individuals with grade 3 obesity. Furthermore, in both juices we found a reduction in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increased excretion of flavonoid metabolites after treatments. Therefore, we concluded that Pera orange juice had positive actions on intestinal permeability and Moro orange juice promoted more expressive effects on the modulation of inflammation associated with obesity and on the intestinal microbiota

Identification of gibberellin-regulated protein as a new allergen in orange allergy.

BACKGROUND: To date, three orange allergens have been reported. However, it is still unclear whether gibberellin-regulated proteins (GRPs), identified as new allergens in other fruit allergies, are also involved in orange allergy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the allergenicity of orange GRP and to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with orange allergy who are sensitized to orange GRP. METHODS: We enrolled 14 patients (four men, 10 women, mean age: 29.6 years) who were diagnosed with orange allergy based on relevant clinical history, positive skin test, and/or positive challenge test. Orange GRP (molecular weight: 6941.6 Da) was purified by ion-exchange column chromatography. To test for orange GRP-specific IgE, we performed ELISA, basophil activation tests, and skin prick tests. Cross-reactivity of orange GRP with native peach allergen nPru p 7 and Japanese apricot nPru m 7 was analysed by ELISA inhibition assays. IgE specific for orange, grapefruit, and peach allergens rPru p 1, rPru p 3, and rPru p 4 was measured using ImmunoCAP. RESULTS: Twelve of the 14 patients (85.7%) were positive for orange GRP allergy in at least one test: 71.4% (10/14) were positive by ELISA, 50% (3/6) were positive in the basophil activation test, and 100% (4/4) were positive in the skin prick test. ELISA inhibition assays revealed cross-reactivity of orange GRP with both nPru p 7 and nPru m 7. The patients showed variable positivity for specific IgE against orange, grapefruit, rPru p 1, rPru p 3, and rPru p 4 (57.1%, 71.4%, 7.1%, 0%, and 21.4%, respectively). The most frequent symptoms of orange GRP allergy were facial swelling and oropharyngeal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Orange GRP may be involved in orange allergy and may be a cross-reactive allergen between citrus fruits and the Rosaceae family of fruits.

A novel approach to study in situ enamel erosion and abrasion lesions.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated previous hypotheses that the tongue can abrade acid softened/eroded enamel surfaces. METHODS: Twelve upper removable appliances each retaining 2 anterior and 2 posterior human enamel specimens were constructed. Each specimen was exposed to acid on both surfaces, but only one surface was allowed contact with the tongue. Therefore, 96 surfaces were assessed. Appliances were worn from 9.30 to 17.00 Monday to Friday for 22days. Acid eroded lesions were created by immersing the specimens for 5min in 50ml orange juice three times daily. Enamel loss was measured using Quantitative light- induced fluorescence (QLF) and Non- contact profilometry (NCLP) and the differences (D) between tongue (Dt) and palate facing (DP) surfaces determined. RESULTS: %ΔFD(t-p) from the two anterior specimens were greater than from those placed posteriorly with mean values of 15.9% (±9.1) and 14.4% (±8.4), 5.6% (±8.7) and 4.5% (±6.6) respectively. Similarly, NCLP data showed anterior specimens had greater differences for mean step height (MSH) between tongue- facing and the palate- facing (control) surfaces than posterior specimens. MSHD(t-p) values were 59.4µm (±30.3) for anterior tongue facing surfaces and 55.5µm (±29.4) for posterior palate facing surfaces. For the posterior specimens MSH was 48.1µm (±26.1) and 51.7µm (±30.4) respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The greater enamel surface loss of the anterior specimens demonstrates that abrasion by the tongue on acid softened/eroded enamel in situ is likely.

A randomised clinical trial to determine the abrasive effect of the tongue on human enamel loss with and without a prior erosive challenge.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the abrasive effect of the tongue on human enamel loss with and without a prior dietary acid challenge in an in situ model. METHODS: A single centre, single blind, randomly allocated, split mouth, four treatment regimen, in situ study in healthy adult volunteers was undertaken. Twenty four subjects wore two lower intra-oral appliances each fitted with 4 human enamel samples 6h/day for 15 days. The samples were treated with either 50ml orange juice or water for 5min ex vivo 4x/day; prior to being licked or not licked with the subject's tongue for 60s. There were 2 samples per group per subject. Surface loss was measured by contact profilometry. RESULTS: 23 subjects completed the study with no adverse events. The mean loss of enamel at 15days was: 0.08µm for water without licking, 0.10µm with water and licking; 1.55µm with orange juice alone, 3.65µm with orange juice and licking. In the absence of erosive challenge, licking had no detectable effect on enamel loss p=0.28. Without licking, orange juice had a highly significant effect on loss compared to water, p<0.001. Erosive challenge followed by licking more than doubled the loss of enamel p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: When enamel was exposed to orange juice prior to licking, tissue loss as a result of tongue abrasion of the eroded surface was increased, and double that of the erosive challenge alone. Licking enamel with the tongue had no perceptible effect on enamel loss in the absence of the erosive challenge. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Enamel wear resulting from tongue abrasion on tooth surfaces softened by acid challenge, can be an unavoidable consequence of oral function. This may account for the pattern of erosive toothwear on palatal and occlusal tooth surfaces, reinforcing the importance of restricting the frequency of dietary acid challenge in susceptible individuals.

Kinetics of salivary pH after acidic beverage intake by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

The saliva of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances can potentially present a delay in the diluting, clearing, and buffering of dietary acids due to an increased number of retention areas. The aim of this clinical trial was to compare salivary pH kinetics of patients with and without orthodontic treatment, following the intake of an acidic beverage. Twenty participants undergoing orthodontic treatment and 20 control counterparts had their saliva assessed for flow rate, pH, and buffering capacity. There was no significant difference between salivary parameters in participants with or without an orthodontic appliance. Salivary pH recovery following acidic beverage intake was slower in the orthodontic subjects compared to controls. Patients with fixed orthodontic appliances, therefore, seem to be at higher risk of dental erosion, suggesting that dietary advice and preventive care need to be implemented during orthodontic treatment.

Profilin as a severe food allergen in allergic patients overexposed to grass pollen.

BACKGROUND: Profilins are ubiquitous proteins that act as panallergens in sensitized patients, considered to be mild or incomplete food allergens. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of profilins as severe food allergens in allergic patients overexposed to grass who were referred for severe food reactions and were sensitized to profilins. METHODS: After a careful in vitro screening, 26 patients were included, classified into two groups, mild (17) and severe reactors (9), based on clinical history and subsequently provoked orally with purified profilin in a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge setup. RESULTS: A significant number of patients presented severe positive food challenge test reactions at low doses of the allergen profilin. Patients prone to suffer from severe reactions had lower IgG4/IgE ratio to major grass allergens than those who did not. CONCLUSION: Profilins are complete food allergens in food-allergic patient populations that are exposed to high levels of grass pollen. This type of patient constitutes an optimal model to understand the link between respiratory and food allergies. The nature of the observed reactions and the low level of allergen eliciting the reactions suggest that intake through the oral mucosa might constitute a relevant route of exposure to food allergens.

Preventive effects of dentifrice containing 5000ppm fluoride against dental erosion in situ.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a dentifrice with 5000ppm fluoride in preventing dental erosion by orange juice in situ in comparison to a control dentifrice with 1450ppm fluoride. METHODS: This was a double-blind and randomized clinical study with a cross-over design. Sixteen subjects wore an intra-oral appliance containing two enamel disks with an exposed surface of approximately 2mm×5mm. Enamel disks in the study group were treated with a dentifrice with 5000ppm fluoride and in the control group with 1450ppm fluoride. The subjects rinsed with slurries of study dentifrices for one minute before immersing the enamel disks in 250ml orange Juice four times in an 8-h period daily. The treatment procedure was repeated for three 5-day phases for each dentifrice. Enamel erosion was measured after each 5-day treatment phase using a focus-variation 3D scanning microscopy. Medians and inter-quartile ranges (IQR) of mean erosion depth were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The mean erosion depths of enamel varied greatly amongst the subjects. Enamel treated with 5000ppm fluoride had less erosion (median 5.7µm, IQR 4.5µm) as compared to the control (median 12.6µm, IQR 12.3µm) after 15 days of fluoride treatment and erosive challenge cycles (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Enamel treated with 5000ppm fluoride had significantly improved resistance to erosion by orange juice. Periodic application of 5000ppm fluoride may be beneficial in individuals at risk of acidic erosion associated with soft drink consumptions.

Radionuclide concentration in tea, cabbage, orange, kiwi and soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Rize, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the activity concentrations of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs were measured in tea, cabbage, orange, kiwi and soil samples collected from different stations using gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector. RESULTS: The average activity concentrations of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs were found to be 8.2 ± 1.8, 17.3 ± 3.3, 465.8 ± 11.8 and 20.9 ± 3.8 Bq kg(-1) in food samples, and 72.4 ± 9.8, 51.1 ± 8.3, 229.3 ± 14.7 and 312.9 ± 11.5 Bq kg(-1) in farm soils, respectively. The internal effective dose to individuals and excess lifetime cancer risk from the consumption of the food type radioactivity ranged between 11.7 and 53.6 µSv y(-1) and between 0.05 × 10(-3) and 0.24 × 10(-3) , respectively. The annual external gamma effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk in the farms due to soil radioactivity ranged between 94.1 and 139.8 µSv y(-1) and between 0.43 × 10(-3) and 0.64 × 10(-3) , respectively. The mean transfer factors of (232) Th, (238) U, (40) K and (137) Cs, from the soil to vegetables and fruit were 0.57, 0.32, 2.12 and 0.04, respectively. CONCLUSION: Annual effective gamma doses were found to be higher than the world's average in soil samples. The excess lifetime cancer risks were only found higher than the world's average in soil samples.

Estabilidade de Cor de uma Resina Composta Indireta / Color Stability of an Indirect Composite Resin

A cor das resinas compostas indiretas é um dos mais importantes fatores no sucesso do tratamento protético. Com este material a estabilidade de cor é aspecto preponderante na longevidade deste trabalho. A proposta deste estudo foi avaliar a estabilidade de cor de resina composta indireta (Resilab Master, Wilcos – Brasil) através de um colorímetro digital. Foram confeccionados 32 corpos-de-prova (CP). Realizou-se o registro inicial da cor de cada CP, através de um colorímetro digital, que foram distribuídos em 4 grupos (n=8) e imersos em diferentes soluções. Grupo 1 (controle): água destilada/estufa; Grupo 2: água destilada/termociclagem; Grupo 3 : suco de laranja/termociclagem e Grupo 4: café/termociclagem. Após termociclagem e imersão em estufa (tempo total aproximado de 60 horas), as amostras foram enxaguadas e o registro final da cor foi obtido. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística (Teste de Dunnet – p<0,005). Os resultados mostraram que os valores de ΔE (diferença de cor) e desvio padrão dos grupos foram: G1: 2,35±0,84; G2: 2,97±1,21; G3: 8,33±5,87; G4: 22,38±5,33. Foi observado que os grupos 3 e 4 diferiram estatisticamente do grupo 1, exceto o grupo 2 que não foi estatisticamente significante. Baseado nos resultados, conclui-se que a termociclagem contribui para uma alteração de cor da resina composta indireta e a solução de café mancha mais do que o suco de laranja.

Allergic reaction after ingestion of orange blossom pollen.

A 31-year-old atopic subject with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with sensitization to several pollens, presented with urticaria and angioedema after ingestion of orange blossom pollen (Citrus sinensis). A positive skin prick test for orange blossom pollen extract (BIAL-Aristegui, Bilbao, Spain) at a concentration of 1.2 mg/ml was obtained. Serum specific IgE antibodies to orange blossom pollen were shown (Unicap Pharmacia System, Uppsala, Sweeden). A conjunctival provocation test was negative with orange blossom pollen extract dilutions of 1:1000, 1:100 and 1:10 w/v. We describe a patient with an IgE-mediated reaction caused by hypersensitivity to orange blossom pollen. Although the pollen is an aeroallergen and the way of sensitization and entrance is the airway, and therefore the symptoms appear in this location, when contact is through some other route such as the digestive tract, it is also able to sensitize reporting urticaria and angioedema like in our case, instead of respiratory symptoms.

Antigenicity and immunocrossreactivity of orange tree pollen and orange fruit allergenic extracts.

BACKGROUND: It is important to study the crossreactivity between orange tree pollen (OTPE) and orange fruit (OFE) due to the high incidence of pollen/food-related allergies worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the antigenic relationship between OTPE and OFE. METHODS: OTPE and OFErabbit antisera as well as sera from patients allergic to OTPE and OFE were comparatively applied in IgG- and/or IgE-specific ELISA inhibition, crossover or inhibition immunoblotting assays using OTPE and OFE allergenic extracts as solid phase. Periodate and proteinase K treatments were used for carbohydrate and protein depletion, respectively. RESULTS: The antigenicity of OTPE and the presence of common structures between OTPE and OFE extracts were demonstrated by rabbit IgG-specific ELISA inhibition and crossover immunoblotting assays. A 30-kDa protein, common target of the IgE response on OTPE, OFE and mandarin extract, but absent in lemon extract, was identified by ELISA and immunoblot inhibition assays in patients suffering from primary sensitization to OTPE in the context of occupational exposure. Moreover, biochemical treatments showed that antigenic epitopes on the 30-kDa protein contain polypeptidic but no carbohydrate moieties. CONCLUSIONS: The antigenicity of OTPE, the presence of common antigenic determinants between pollen and citrus fruits and an IgE-specific crossreactive protein band of 30 kDa sharing carbohydrate-free epitopes were described. After isolation and purification, this common antigen might be useful for allergen immunotherapy in pollen/fruit-related allergic patients.

The erosive potential of some herbal teas.

OBJECTIVES: Many epidemiological studies show a high prevalence of tooth wear, even in young patients. One factor that may be contributing to this problem is the consumption of herbal teas that are often considered to be 'healthy' alternatives to other beverages. The aim of this study was to screen a number of these products for their potential to cause erosion. METHODS: The erosive potential of a variety of herbal teas was assessed in the laboratory by measuring their pH, neutralisable acidity and their ability to erode enamel and these were compared to a positive control, orange juice. RESULTS: The pH of the herbal teas ranged from 3.1 to 7.1 and the neutralisable acidity ranged from 3.5 to 60.3 ml of 0.1M NaOH. The amount of enamel removed following 1h immersion in the herbal teas ranged from 0.00 to 9.6 microm. In comparison, the orange juice control had a pH of 3.7 a neutralisable acidity of 21.4 ml and removed 3.3 microm of enamel. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the herbal teas tested were found to be more erosive than orange juice. This information will be of use to clinicians when counseling patients with tooth surface loss.