The schistosomicidal activity of ethanolic extracts from branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos (Bignoniaceae) plant and metabolic profile characterization by UPLC-ESI-QTOF analysis.

Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, is a severe and widely distributed parasitic disease, affecting about 200 million people worldwide. The disease is recognized by elevated mortality rates, especially among those living in areas of poor sanitation. Currently, the chemotherapeutic treatment is solely based on using the praziquantel drug. Therefore, there is a need for the discovery of new medicines for the treatment of this parasitosis. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the schistosomicidal activity of ethanolic crude extracts from the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart ex DC.) Masttos and characterize its metabolic profile by UPLC-ESI-QTOF analysis. Evaluation of plant extract on S. mansoni was carried out in adult worms in vitro, in which the mortality rate was quantified, and the damages in the tegument of the worms were monitored. All extracts induced changes in the viability of adult males of S. mansoni, causing the death of the parasites, which was directly dependent of the concentration.

Bovine colostrum enriched with lyophilized bovine colostrum stimulates intestinal epithelium renewal of Holstein calves in the first days of life.

Consumption of a second meal of colostrum with high quality could contribute to the intestinal epithelium development, especially if there is poor supply of colostrum just after birth. The effect of a second colostrum meal was evaluated on histomorphometry of the intestinal mucosa of newborn Holstein calves fed with high- and low-quality first colostrum. Seventy-two calves were fed with a first colostrum meal with high (HFM, close to 100 mg/ml) or low (LFM, close to 30 mg/ml) IgG concentration. At 12 hr of life, three treatments of second colostrum feeding were applied to the calves either fed high or low first colostrum: calves fed with low (LOW-close to 30 mg/ml) or high (HIGH-close to 100 mg/ml) IgG concentration; and colostrum enriched with lyophilized bovine colostrum with high IgG concentration (ENRICHED-higher than 120 mg/ml), resulting in six groups. Intestinal samples were collected after 24 and 72 hr of life. In the distal jejunum and ileum, LOW showed higher villus height than ENRICHED (p < .05). In the distal jejunum, greater villus perimeter was observed in the LOW compared to ENRICHED at 24 hr (p < .05). In ileum, LFM showed higher villus perimeter compared to HFM (p < .05). LOW showed the highest villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in the medium and distal jejunum and ileum, p < .05. ENRICHED and HFM showed decreased muscle layer thickness in the proximal and distal jejunum respectively (p < .05). The results reveal that the high concentration of total solids, crude protein, IgG and IGF-I of colostrum with high quality worsened the absorptive area, but may have stimulated the activity of cell division in intestinal crypts. Considering the present results, bovine colostrum enriched with lyophilized bovine colostrum stimulates intestinal epithelium renewal of Holstein calves in the first days of life.

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of an extract, fractions, and compounds isolated from Gochnatia pulchra aerial parts.

This paper reports on the in vitro antibacterial and in vivo anti-inflammatory properties of a hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Gochnatia pulchra (HEGP). It also describes the antibacterial activity of HEGP fractions and of the isolated compounds genkwanin, scutellarin, apigenin, and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, as evaluated by a broth microdilution method. While HEGP and its fractions did not provide promising results, the isolated compounds exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity. The most sensitive microorganism was Streptococcus pyogenes, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 100, 50 and 25 µg/mL for genkwanin and the flavonoids apigenin and scutellarin, respectively. Genkwanin produced an MIC value of 25 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis. A paw edema model in rats and a pleurisy inflammation model in mice aided investigation of the anti-inflammatory effects of HEGP. This study also evaluated the ability of HEGP to modulate carrageenan-induced interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production. Orally administered HEGP (250 and 500 mg/kg) inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema. Regarding carrageenan-induced pleurisy, HEGP at 50, 100, and 250 mg/kg diminished leukocyte migration by 71.43%, 69.24%, and 73.34% (P<0.05), respectively. HEGP suppressed IL-1ß and MCP-1 production by 55% and 50% at 50 mg/kg (P<0.05) and 60% and 25% at 100 mg/kg (P<0.05), respectively. HEGP abated TNF-α production by macrophages by 6.6%, 33.3%, and 53.3% at 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg (P<0.05), respectively. HEGP probably exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, and MCP-1.

Enteric, hepatic and muscle tissue development of goat kids fed with lyophilized bovine colostrum.

The objective of this study was to investigate the development of the enteric, hepatic and muscle tissues in goat kids fed with lyophilized bovine colostrum in the transition period of passive immunity to early active immunity. At 0, 7 and 14 h of life, 15 male newborns received 5% of their body weight of lyophilized bovine colostrum and 14 male newborns received goat colostrum, both with 55 mg/ml of IgG. Samples of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, liver and muscle were collected at 18, 36 and 96 h of life to quantify total protein, DNA and RNA contents. In the jejunum and ileum, the highest levels of total protein and higher protein/RNA ratio were observed at 18 h (p < 0.05). There were no differences in DNA contents in any intestinal segment (p > 0.05). At 96 h, maximum levels of RNA were observed in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05) and higher RNA/DNA ratio in the three intestinal segments (p < 0.05), showing increased ability to synthesize intracellular RNA and proteins. The LBC group showed higher protein content and higher protein/DNA and protein/RNA ratios in the jejunum, a higher DNA content in the liver (p < 0.05) and a higher protein/RNA ratio in the muscle tissue (p < 0.05). In the muscle, higher protein and DNA levels were also found at 96 h (p < 0.05). Indicators of cellular activity suggest greater absorption of proteins from lyophilized bovine colostrum and increased cell maturity in the enteric and muscle tissues in the first hours of goat kids' life.

IgG absorption by Santa Ines lambs fed Holstein bovine colostrum or Santa Ines ovine colostrum.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunoglobulin G (IgG) absorption by Santa Ines lambs under two colostrum management systems usually used by producers. Twenty-seven Santa Ines newborn lambs received two meals of 250 ml of bovine colostrum from Holstein cows (BC group) or ovine colostrum from Santa Ines ewes (OC group) at 0 and 6 h of life. Pools of BC and OC were analyzed by radial immunodiffusion to quantify IgG. Results are expressed as least-square means and standard errors of mean (means ± s.e.m.). The concentration of IgG in bovine and ovine pools averaged 115.7 ± 20.5 and 48.1 ± 5.0 mg/ml, respectively, levels of concentration found in similar regular colostrum managements. The efficiency of IgG absorption was evaluated under two aspects, maximum apparent efficiency of absorption and total apparent efficiency of absorption (AEAmax and AEAtotal, respectively). The AEAmax was calculated taking into account the mass of IgG ingested just in the first meal of colostrum at birth and the serum IgG concentration at 6 h while the AEAtotal took into account the serum IgG concentration at 24 h of life that reflects the first colostrum offered at birth and the second meal at 6 h. The IgG and apparent efficiency of absorption results were transformed into the square root and log base 10, respectively, and were presented as geometric least-square means. In BC, lower (P < 0.05) AEAmax and AEAtotal were verified (14.2% and 15.6%, respectively), in relation to OC (23.6% and 24.4%, respectively). Serum IgG concentrations at 24 h were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in BC (31.4 mg/ml, respectively) compared with OC (22.2 mg/ml, respectively). The results in this study confirm that there is a limitation to the process of IgG absorption by the enterocytes of newborn lambs, which determined a nonlinear behavior of passive immunity acquisition. Similar values of AEAmax and AEAtotal for the two sources of colostrum reveal that the process of IgG absorption from the first and second meals during the first 6 h of life did not change and indicates that the ingestion of a second feeding of quality colostrum can enhance the acquisition of immune protection of newborn lambs.

In vitro antileishmanial, antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activities of phenolics and triterpenoids from Baccharis dracunculifolia D. C. (Asteraceae).

Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae), the most important plant source of the Brazilian green propolis (GPE), displayed in vitro activity against Leishmania donovani, with an IC(50) value of 45 microg/mL, while GPE presented an IC(50) value of 49 microg/mL. Among the isolated compounds of B. dracunculifolia, ursolic acid, and hautriwaic acid lactone showed IC(50) values of 3.7 microg/mL and 7.0 microg/mL, respectively. Uvaol, acacetin, and ermanin displayed moderate antileishmanial activity. Regarding the antiplasmodial assay against Plasmodium falciparum, BdE and GPE gave similar IC(50) values (about 20 microg/mL), while Hautriwaic acid lactone led to an IC(50) value of 0.8 microg/mL (D6 clone).

nor-Lignans from the leaves of Styrax ferrugineus (Styracaceae) with antibacterial and antifungal activity.

Chemical examination of the leaves of Styrax ferrugineus yielded 5-[3''-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)propyl]-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl) benzofuran, along with the known nor-lignans 5-(3''-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl) benzofuran, 5-(3''-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)benzofuran, 5-[3''-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)propyl]-7-methoxy-2-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)benzofuran and the lignan, dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol. All arylpropanoids isolated showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. The structures of the isolates were established by spectroscopic analysis.