Neuroprotective effect of Portulaca oleracea extracts against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesion of dopaminergic neurons.

The Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacaceae) is a cosmopolitan species with a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant and neuroprotective actions. We investigated the effects of P. oleracea extracts in a 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease, a debilitating disorder without effective treatments. Chemical profiles of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of whole plant were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and the antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazila method. Male Wistar rats received intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine and were treated with vehicle or extracts (oral, 200 and 400 mg/kg) daily for two weeks. The behavioral open field test was conducted at days 1 and 15. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed 4 weeks after surgery to quantify tyrosine-hydroxylase cell counts in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Extracts presented antioxidant activity in concentrations above 300 µg/kg. The chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of Levodopa, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids and polysaccharides. Both extracts improved motor recovery 15 days after lesion and protected from tyrosine-hydroxylase cell loss after 4 weeks, but these effects were more evident for the aqueous extract. Because the dopamine precursor is present, in addition to antioxidant compounds and neuroprotective effects, P. oleracea can be considered as potential strategy for treating Parkinson's disease.

Antimicrobial activity of broth fermented with kefir grains.

Kefir grains originate from the Caucasus region and are used for preparing beverages using sugar solution, milk, and fruit juice. As long as they are formed by a microbial consortium useful in the intestine, the produced drinks can be called probiotics. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity during kefir fermentation in sugar broth. Fermentations with three kinds of carbohydrates (molasses, demerara sugar, and brown sugar) as carbon source were carried out. Brown sugar promoted the greatest antimicrobial activities, producing inhibition halos corresponding to 35, 14, 12, 14, and 14 mm for Candida albicans, Salmonella typhi, Shigella sonnei, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, respectively. Different carbon source concentrations and the time of fermentation influenced the size of the inhibition halos of the pathogenic microorganisms.