Evaluación antimicrobiana de extractos obtenidos a partir de tithonia diversifolia (hemsl.) a. gray con uso potencial en la industria lechera

El uso de antibióticos en el tratamiento de la mastitis en la industria lechera ha acarreado una problemática con potencial impacto en la salud pública, como la resistencia antimicrobiana. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la acción antimicrobiana del extracto alcohólico de hojas, tallos y flores de Tithonia diversifolia sobre el crecimiento de Staphylococcus aureus y Escherichia coli en cultivo in vitro. Se evaluó el efecto inhibitorio en el crecimiento bacteriano a través de un ensayo de sensibilidad. En ambas bacterias el control positivo presentó un halo de inhibición superior a 30 mm, con diferencia significativa de los extractos de T. diversifolia. Los cuales presentaron para S. aureus un halo de 9,7 y 10,4 mm y para E. coli de 6,5 y 9,4 mm para tallo-hoja y flores respectivamente. El extracto alcohólico de flores de T. diversifolia se perfila como una herramienta potencial para inhibir el crecimiento bacteriano.

Antibiotics used as a treatment for mastitis in the dairy industry have brought a problem with a potential impact on public health, such as antimicrobial resistance. The objective of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial action of alcoholic extract from Tithonia diversifolia's leaves, stems, and flowers on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in in vitro cultures. The inhibitory effect on bacterial growth was evaluated through a sensitivity test. In both bacteria, the positive control presented an inhibition halo greater than 30 mm, with a significant difference from the extracts of T. diversifolia, which presented, for S. aureus, a halo of 9.7 and 10.4 mm and for E. coli of 6.5 and 9.4 mm for stem-leaf and flowers respectively. The alcoholic extract of T. diversifolia flowers is emerging as a potential tool to inhibit bacterial growth.

Effect of three pFSH doses on superovulation and embryo quality in goats during two breeding seasons in north-eastern mexico.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of three pFSH doses (80 mg; 145 mg and 215 mg) on ovarian response and on quantity and quality of transferable embryos of goats during the breeding and the non-breeding seasons. Ovary structures were exposed (laparatomy under general anaesthesia) and numbers of follicles and corpora lutea were registered. Surgical embryo flushing was conducted to count and classify embryos. There were more follicles (3.4 ± 1.1) in does administered 80 mg of pFSH (p < 0.05) than in goats administered 145 mg of pFSH (2.2 ± 1.1) and 215 mg of pFSH (0.9 ± 0.6). Numbers of corpora lutea, blastocysts, and recovered and transferable embryos of goats administered 145 mg pFSH (13.4 ± 3.7, 2.42 ± 1.0, 3.4 ± 1.2 and 3.2 ± 1.1, respectively) and those of goats administered 215 mg pFSH (11.6 ± 2.6, 3.2 ± 0.9, 5.7 ± 1.5, and 5.6 ± 1.5) were greater (p < 0.05) than values obtained from goats administered 80 mg pFSH (4.0 ± 1.5, 0.5 ± 0.3, 1.0 ± 0.5, and 0.8 ± 0.5). Numbers of morula of does administered 80 and 145 mg pFSH (0.4 ± 0.4 and 0.8 ± 0.3) were lower (p < 0.05) than those obtained from animals treated with 215 mg pFSH (2.4 ± 0.9). There was no effect of season upon the analyzed variables. In conclusion, under the prevalent conditions in north-eastern Mexico, administration of 145 or 215 mg pFSH in a decreasing dose schedule over 3.5 days to bred goats provided a satisfactory superovulatory result.

First Report of Sour Rot Caused by Geotrichum citri-aurantii on Key Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) in Colima State, Mexico.

Sour rot caused by Geotrichum citri-aurantii (Ferraris) R. Cif. & F. Cif. (synonym G. candidum Link) is a disease that causes postharvest losses of lemon (Citrus limon Burm, f.), mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco), and orange (C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck) (2-4) worldwide, but it has not been described on key lime (C. aurantifolia (Chistm.) Swingle) from the State of Colima, Mexico. During the agricultural cycle from 2005 to 2007, 300 fruits of key lime were analyzed. Symptoms observed on approximately 40% of the fruits were wounds with a sour, fermented smell with 30% of the softened area covered with white mycelium. A Geotrichum sp. was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). On the basis of morphological criteria (1) and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8s-ITS2) region of rDNA (GenBank Accession No. EU131181), the fungus was identified as G. citri-aurantii. A sample of the fungus was deposited in the Biology Collection of Yeast and Fungi (Reg. No. CLT20) of Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Mexico. Key limes were inoculated with G. citri-aurantii by placing three drops (20 µl each) of a sterile water suspension of 106 arthroconidia/ml in three punctured wounds of 3-mm diameter produced with a sterile scalpel on the fruit surface. Ten plastic boxes with five fruit each were stored for 2 weeks at 20°C and 85% relative humidity. Sour rot symptoms on key lime inoculated with G. citri-aurantii were identical to fruit in the field. The control fruit inoculated with sterile water did not develop symptoms. The fungus was reisolated, confirming Koch's postulates. The test was repeated three times to confirm our diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. citri-aurantii causing sour rot on key lime in Colima, Mexico. References: (1) S. Gente et al. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 33:1019, 2006. (2) P. Plaza et al. J. Hortic. Sci. Biotechnol. 79:935, 2004. (3) J. L. Smilanick et al. Post. Biol. Tech. 47:226, 2008. (4) V. H. Tournas and E. Katsoudas, J. Food. Microbiol. 105:11, 2005.

[Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in sexual partners of women with condylomatous cervical dysplasia]. / Infección por el virus del papiloma humano (VPH) en parejas sexuales de mujeres afectas de displasia cervical condilomatosa.

OBJECTIVES: Human papillomavirus (HPV) genital infection is a sexually transmitted disease that appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of various tumors of the genitourinary system, especially carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Diagnosis and treatment of sexual partners of female carriers is fundamental in preventing reinfection after treatment. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 118 male partners of females diagnosed as having HPV infection by cytology and, in some cases, dysplasia or carcinoma in situ of the cervix. RESULTS: Patient mean age was 38.5 years; 40 had a history of other sexually transmitted diseases. Peneoscopy was performed in all cases, 44 were biopsied and 47 had a urethral cytology. The infection rate was 55%. Peneoscopy and biopsy were the best diagnostic methods. CONCLUSIONS: HPV infection in male partners of female carriers can be diagnosed by peneoscopy and biopsy of the suspected lesions. Treatment and complete eradication of the infection are fundamental since HPV has been implicated in the pathogenesis of carcinoma of the cervix and other urogenital tumors.

[Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, clinical and epidemiological aspects in the population of La Plata]. / Diabetes mellitus e hipertensión arterial. Aspectos clínicos y epidemiológicos en la población de La Plata.

The purpose of this study was to determine socio-demographic characteristics, habits, most frequent morbid associations and degree of compliance with the control and treatment of their illness in a population of diabetic and hypertense patients of the La Plata area. A representative sample (890 people) was selected through a home survey (413 housing units). The results obtained show that diabetic and hypertense people a) are in average older than the general population and that the percentage of sedentary habits among them is also higher; b) show multiple typical symptoms of the illness but do not identify them as such and consequently diagnosis is frequently haphazardous; c) have a higher frequency of association with other risk factors, intercurrencies and hospitalization; d) are treated mainly by giving priority to drugs over changes in their detrimental habits; e) tend to ignore those indications that prescribe a change in their habits and f) control their illness at an inadequate periodicity. Consequently, it would be advisable to emphasize the incorporation of education strategies into the treatment of these patients in order to give more importance to preventive and health promoting actions. Education programmes should include not only patients and their families but also members of the health team and the community in general.

Diabetes mellitus e hipertensión arterial. Aspectos clínicos y epidemiológicos en la población de La Plata. / [Diabetes mellitus and hypertension, clinical and epidemiological aspects in the population of La Plata]

The purpose of this study was to determine socio-demographic characteristics, habits, most frequent morbid associations and degree of compliance with the control and treatment of their illness in a population of diabetic and hypertense patients of the La Plata area. A representative sample (890 people) was selected through a home survey (413 housing units). The results obtained show that diabetic and hypertense people a) are in average older than the general population and that the percentage of sedentary habits among them is also higher; b) show multiple typical symptoms of the illness but do not identify them as such and consequently diagnosis is frequently haphazardous; c) have a higher frequency of association with other risk factors, intercurrencies and hospitalization; d) are treated mainly by giving priority to drugs over changes in their detrimental habits; e) tend to ignore those indications that prescribe a change in their habits and f) control their illness at an inadequate periodicity. Consequently, it would be advisable to emphasize the incorporation of education strategies into the treatment of these patients in order to give more importance to preventive and health promoting actions. Education programmes should include not only patients and their families but also members of the health team and the community in general.

A simple economic evaluation model for selecting diabetes health care strategies.

The aim of this work was to develop a simple model to evaluate the health care cost of diabetes in order to help decision-makers in selecting strategies for the prevention, control, and treatment of the disease. The model assesses the cost of full coverage of health care of diabetic patients free of chronic complications and in comparison with those of the treatment of acute and chronic complications. For that purpose, standardized cost figures were obtained from both annual control and treatment of uncomplicated diabetic patients and the treatment of one episode of ketoacidosis, acute myocardial infarction, and amputation of two toes. The treatment/prevention cost ratio obtained showed that prevention of a single episode of any of these late-complication-related events would provide enough funds to cover either the total or partial annual cost of control and treatment of several uncomplicated diabetic patients. These facts would favour the allocation of funds in such a way as to allow adequate control and treatment of diabetic patients to keep them free of the chronic complications of the disease. This would be a wise investment of funds, which would result in a reduction in the socioeconomic cost of the disease and in a better quality of life for the diabetic patients and their families.

Rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of 3-methylindole (skatole) in faeces of various species.

A rapid method for the determination of skatole (3-methylindole) in faeces by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Samples of 0.5 g were extracted with 2 ml of methanol. The extract was purified on Amberlite XAD-8. The lower limit of detection was 2.5 ng per injection (0.2 microgram/g faeces). The mean recovery of skatole was 95%, and the mean coefficients of variation were 7.0% (intra-assay) and 11.8% (inter-assay). Skatole concentrations were clearly lower in faeces from ruminants (average 2.6 micrograms/g for goat, sheep and cattle) than in those from monogastrics. Mean concentrations in human samples were 15.5 micrograms/g, and 10 micrograms/g in mature domestic pigs. An effect of the anabolic status on skatole concentrations in faeces of pigs is likely.

Costos directos en diabetes: estrategias para disminuir su repercusion socioeconómica / Direct costs in diabetes: strategies for reducing socioeconomic repercussion

Hasta ahora no existián en Argentina estadisticas publicados respecto a los costos directas de la diabetes. En este trabalho se consederan los gastos anuales del control y tratamiento de un paciente con Diabetes mellitus no insulinodependiente (DMNID) y otro con diabetes mellitus insulinodependiend (DMID) sin complicaciones, estos han sido estandarizados, adjedicandoles un valor en dolares VS. Luego se consideró el gasto de internación y tratamiento estandarizado di un infarto agudo de miocardio y de una amputación no traumática de miembros inferiores, asi como el gasto mensual de hemodiálise. Los resultados son concluuentes: por ejemplo el gasto ocasionado por un solo y simple episodio de citoacedosis equivale a 133% del gastro de insulina consusmido por en paciente con DMID en un año 0 a 4 veces el de las tivas seactivas para su automonitoreo y al 67% de su control y tratamiento en igual lapso. Este diagnóstico de situación justifica la puesta en marcha de un programa que contemple la educación diabetológica, el automo y la proviensña de tixas reactivas, insulina y material descartable (AU)

Costos directos en diabetes: estrategias para disminuir su repercusion socioeconómica / Direct costs in diabetes: strategies for reducing socioeconomic repercussion

Hasta ahora no existián en Argentina estadisticas publicados respecto a los costos directas de la diabetes. En este trabalho se consederan los gastos anuales del control y tratamiento de un paciente con Diabetes mellitus no insulinodependiente (DMNID) y otro con diabetes mellitus insulinodependiend (DMID) sin complicaciones, estos han sido estandarizados, adjedicandoles un valor en dolares VS. Luego se consideró el gasto de internación y tratamiento estandarizado di un infarto agudo de miocardio y de una amputación no traumática de miembros inferiores, asi como el gasto mensual de hemodiálise. Los resultados son concluuentes: por ejemplo el gasto ocasionado por un solo y simple episodio de citoacedosis equivale a 133% del gastro de insulina consusmido por en paciente con DMID en un año 0 a 4 veces el de las tivas seactivas para su automonitoreo y al 67% de su control y tratamiento en igual lapso. Este diagnóstico de situación justifica la puesta en marcha de un programa que contemple la educación diabetológica, el automo y la proviensña de tixas reactivas, insulina y material descartable