Preparation and cytotoxicity of N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan/alginate beads containing gold nanoparticles.

Polyelectrolyte complex beads based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) and sodium alginate (ALG) were obtained. This biomaterial was characterised by FTIR, TGA/DTG, DSC and SEM analysis. The good properties of polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel beads were associated, for the first time, with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Through a straightforward methodology, AuNPs were encapsulated into the beads. The in vitro cytotoxicity assays on the Caco-2 colon cancer cells and healthy VERO cells showed that the beads presented good biocompatibility on both cell lines, whereas the beads loaded with gold nanoparticles (beads/AuNPs) was slightly cytotoxic on the Caco-2 and VERO cells.

Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity of TMC-graft-poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymers.

N-trimethyl chitosan-graft-poly(vinyl alcohol) (TMC-g-PVA) copolymers were prepared. The grafting reactions were conducted in water changing the feed ratios of poly(vinyl alcohol)/6-O-succinate-N-trimethyl chitosan (PVA/STMC). The structure of TMC-g-PVA copolymers was characterized through (1)H NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The quaternization degree (DQ) and substitution degree (DS) of N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) and 6-O-succinate-N-trimethyl chitosan (STMC) were determined by (1)H NMR, being the spectroscopy 14.0 and 5.5mol-% found, respectively. The viability of HCT-116 cancerous cells was investigated at different concentrations. The effect of PVA/STMC ratios on the cytotoxicity of the TMC-g-PVA copolymers was examined and the CC50 values determined for every case.

Antimicrobial activity of plants used as medicinals on an indigenous reserve in Rio das Cobras, Paraná, Brazil.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A considerable percentage of global biodiversity is located in Brazil, a country that also has rich cultural and ethnic diversity. In the community of Rio das Cobras, Paraná, plants are still widely used in the health care not only by indigenous people but also by the non-indigenous population that inhabits the region. The investigation of the efficacy and safety of these plants in the treatment of infectious diseases provides insights for future studies of these species allowing the appropriated use by the indigenous people, since few or none study has been conducted so far. AIM OF THE STUDY: Evaluate the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of some plants used as medicinal on an indigenous reserve in Rio das Cobras, Paraná, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aqueous extracts were obtained by decoction and the 50% and 70% hydroalcoholic extracts by turbo extraction. The extracts were tested against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Leishmania amazonensis, Poliovirus and HSV-1. Cytotoxicity assay using VERO cells were also performed. RESULTS: None of the extracts had a selectivity index (SI)>1 for any of the tested bacteria. Only Campomanesia eugenioides and Schinus terebinthifolius had an SI>1.0 for all of the tested Candida species. The best anti-Leishmania activity was obtained with Zanthoxylum rhoifolium and Schinus terebinthifolius. Extracts of Cordia americana were the most effective against herpes simplex virus type 1. Zanthoxylum rhoifolium was the most effective against Poliovirus, and Ocimum gratissimum was effective against both Poliovirus and Herpes Simplex virus. Among the plants investigated in the present study, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium had the fewest cytotoxic effect. CONCLUSIONS: The plants investigated in the present study exhibited potential for future pharmacological uses, but additional studies, especially with regard to in vivo toxicity, must be conducted. The results of this preliminary survey are important for the Rio das Cobras Reserve community for the safe and effective use of plants in the treatment of some infectious diseases.

Comparação de métodos de cultivo para o diagnóstico laboratorial da tuberculose pulmonar / Comparison of culture methods in pulmonary tuberculosis laboratorial diagnosis

A vasectomia é um método simples, seguro e uma das mais eficazes práticas de contracepção conhecidas. Há poucos dados sobre a real característica dos pacientes que a escolhem. Este trabalho visa verificar as características dos pacientes submetidos à vasectomia no serviço de Urologia da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Estado do Paraná. A metodologia envolveu o estudo de variáveis: idade, raça, tempo de união, escolaridade, renda, conhecimento deste e de outros métodos de contracepção, o acesso desta população a este tipo de informação, a decisão sobre a operação, o estado marital, a idade dos filhos. Dos 27 pacientes analisados, a maioria estava na faixa etária entre 31 e 40 anos, eram casados, possuía em média dois filhos, baixa escolaridade, renda de até três salários mínimos. O conhecimento do perfil da população estudada permitirá maior esclarecimento sobre a vasectomia, possibilitando difusão e aplicabilidade desta técnica como método contraceptivo.

This study aimed to evaluate different methods for culturing sputum, Ogawa-Kudoh (O - K) and Petroff, using reduced time for decontamination (Petroff - R), expecting to know their effectiveness in tuberculosis laboratory diagnosis. Four hundred and fifty-nine sputum samples of patients with pulmonary symptoms were cultured using O - K and Petroff - R, to be compared with the regular Petroff method. O - K and Petroff - R methods showed efficient sensitivity in isolating Mycobacterium tuberculosis and micobacteria other than tuberculosis, even in samples with negative acid fast smear. Statistics analysis showed similar contamination rate for O - K when compared to Petroff. These data suggest that O-K, being easy to perform, having low costs, presenting low risk of worker contamination and good sensitivity in detecting M. tuberculosis, should be used in clinical laboratories as a good resource at tuberculosis diagnosis.