Fermentation of yam (Dioscorea spp. L.) by indigenous phytase-producing lactic acid bacteria strains.

The use of lactic bacteria in the development of functional foods has increased in recent years. In addition to their probiotic characteristics, they can ferment a variety of substrates, such as cereals, roots, and tubers. Phytase producer lactic acid bacteria strains and their behavior during the fermentation process of yam-based food were studied. Leuconostoc lactis CCMA 0415, Lactobacillus plantarum CCMA 0744, and Lactobacillus fermentum CCMA 0745 were selected due to phytase production, pH reduction, and growth during 24 h of fermentation. Oxalate activity was not detected in all assays, suggesting its concentration was reduced due to the bleaching process. Among the selected strains, L. lactis CCMA 0415 appeared to be a promising strain in yam-based fermentations because it maintained a cell viability above 8 log CFU/mL and did not reduce diosgenin concentrations (around 8.0 µg/mL) after fermentation for 24 h, thereby, generating a potentially functional yam food. Furthermore, this strain promoted the decrease of pH value from 6.1 to 3.8 and produced 8.1 g/L lactic acid, at 6 h of fermentation. The L. lactis CCMA 0415 was reported as a starter culture in fermented products based on cereals, roots, and tubers.

Hyperpigmentant activity of leaves and flowers extracts of Pyrostegia venusta on murine B16F10 melanoma.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pyrostegia venusta is a native Brazilian plant which has a variety of uses in traditional folk medicine including the treatment of vitiligo. However, its effectiveness on melanogenesis is not yet elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the melanogenic activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from the leaves and flowers of P. venusta on murine B16F10 melanoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different concentrations of the hydroalcoholic extracts of flowers and leaves of P. venusta were evaluated in trials of spontaneous melanin content (4 days), and cell viability by the MTT assay in murine B16F10 cells, and in the mushroom tyrosinase activity in vitro. RESULTS: Both extracts, leaves (0.1; 0.3; 1 and 3 µg/mL) and flowers (0.03 and 0.1 µg/mL) increased the melanin content in a concentration dependent manner after 4 days of incubation on melanoma cells. Leaves extract promoted enhancement of melanogenesis with maximum effect of 33.3±3% (3 µg/mL), and the flower extract increased in 23.4±3% (0.1 µg/mL). The cell viability test using MTT showed that in the same tested concentrations of both extracts no cell death was detected. Actually, either extract was not able to cause any change in the tyrosinase activity. HPLC analysis of P. venusta extracts found 0.09% and 1.08% of allantoin on leaves and flowers extracts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The leaves and flowers extracts of P. venusta stimulates B16F10 melanogenesis at very low concentrations. These findings support the folk medicinal use of P. venusta on the treatment of hypopigmentation diseases, such as vitiligo.

Development and validation of a method for allantoin determination in liposomes and pharmaceutical formulations.

The aim of this work was to develop and validate an ultraviolet derivative spectrophotometric (UVDS) method for the quantitative determination of allantoin (ALL) in liposomes, gels and creams. Liposomes were prepared by methods of thin film hydration and mechanical agitation. Solutions of ALL in 0.1 mol/L NaOH with ethanol:water (70:30, v/v) were prepared in order to destroy liposome vesicles. Spectral interference from components of liposomes, cream, gel and ALL degradation products was eliminated using the second-order derivative of the zero-order spectrum. Characterization of ALL in 0.1 mol/L NaOH was carried out by direct infusion mass spectrometry. Absorbances of ALL solutions were measured at 266.6 nm of the second-derivative spectrum and linearity was observed in the ALL concentration range of 50-300 µgmL(-1) (correlation coefficient (r)=0.9961). The mean recovery percentage was 100.68 ± 1.61, repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.07 and 2.12%, and intermediate precision (RSD) was 2.16%. The proposed UVDS method was found to be linear, precise, accurate, robust and selective, providing rapid and specific determination of ALL in raw materials and in topical formulations.

Estudo clínico, monocego, da tolerabilidade cutânea e eficácia preventiva de assaduras de um produto tópico*, em condições reais de uso / A monoblind clinical trial study of cutaneous tolerability and preventive efficacy for diaper's rash os a topic product in real life or real use conditions

O uso crescente de produtos cosméticos tem sido cada vez mais comum em nosso meio, fazendo parte do receituário médico. O presente estudo tem por finalidade determinar a prevalência de reações adversas, em condições reais de uso, de um hidratante infantil contendo alantoína e alfa-bisabolol. Também foi avaliada a eficácia preventiva de assaduras.

Relación entre el flujo de proteína microbiana hacia el duodeno y algunos parámetros metabólicos y productivos en vacas lactantes de un hato lechero del Oriente Antioqueño / Relationship between the microbial protein flow to the duodenum and some metabolic and productive parameters of lactating cows in a dairy herd of the Antioquia east

Con la finalidad de estimar el flujo de proteína microbial hacia el duodeno (PMFD) en vacas lactantes a partir de la excreción urinaria de alantoína y establecer su relación con algunos parámetros del comportamiento productivo, se utilizaron ocho vacas (4 Holstein y 4 BON x Holstein) en diferente estado de lactancia (55 a 361 días en lactancia) que permanecieron bajo estabulación durante nueve días consumiendo pasto kikuyo (Pennisetum clandestinum), concentrado comercial y sal mineralizada. Durante los tres últimos días se registró la producción de leche (PL) y se tomaron muestras para analizar la concentración de proteína cruda (PCL) y nitrógeno ureico (NUL). En muestras del pasto ydel concentrado se determinó la materia seca (MS), la proteína cruda (PC), las cenizas (Cen), el extracto etéreo (EE), la fibra en detergente neutro (FDN), el nitrógeno insoluble en detergente neutro (PCIDN) y los carbohidratos no estructurales (CNE) y se estimó la concentración de nutrientes digestibles totales (NDT). Se determinó el consumo de materia seca (CMS) (11.63 ± 1.8 kg/vaca/d), el nitrógeno ingerido total (NIT) (249.9 ± 57.7 gr/vaca/d), la proteína degradable en rumen (PDR) del pasto y delconcentrado mediante la técnica in situ, y la relación CNE: PDR (1.1 ± 0.15 gr: gr). Los dos últimos días se recolectó la orina excretada por cada vaca (OR) donde se determinó la concentración de nitrógeno (NO) (23.08 ± 5.64 kg/vaca/d) y de alantoina (16.9 ± 15.1 g/d) a partir de la cual se estimó laPMFD (482.9 ± 509.7 g/vaca/d). Asimismo, con base en los NDT consumidos se estimó la PMFD (PMFDNRC) (769.80 ± 161.20 g/cow/d). Se establecieron relaciones mediante ecuaciones de regresión lineal entre el NO y la OR (p<0.03), la PMFD con el CMS (p<0.04) y con el NIT (p<0.04), y entre la PL (p<0.05), la PCL (p<0.03) y el NUL (p<0.06) con la PMFD. La relación con CNE: PDR no fue estadísticamente significativa (p>0.7). Los datos sugieren que la excreción de alantoína en orina sepuede usar para....

Determinaçäo quantitativa de alantoina em Cordia ecalyculata vell / Allantoin determination in Cordia ecalyculata vell

Cordia ecalyculata vell. é planta da família Boraginaceae, de porte arbóreo, que vem sendo muito utilizada popularmente como diurético, emagrecedor e cicatrizante. Neste trabalho é apresentado método espectrofotométrico para quantificaçäo de um de seus componentes principais, a alantoina. Este componente foi encontrado em teores variando de 0,36 a 1,77% nos extratos fluidos e drogas de diferentes procedências e épocas de colheita