Shelf life of cooked goat blood sausage prepared with the addition of heart and kidney.

This study focused on the effect of two packaging formats (vacuum packaging and over-wrap packaging) on the shelf life of cooked sausage prepared with blood, heart, kidney and goat meat fragments under storage at 4±1°C for a period of 90 days. The storage time and type of packaging significantly affected the chemical (pH, moisture, protein and TBARS number), physical (shear force) and microbial (mould and yeast) parameters of cooked sausage. Vacuum packaging maintained the microbiological and chemical qualities of cooked goat blood sausage for a longer period of time (63 days) compared to over-wrap packaging (41 days) and could be a viable alternative to refrigerated storage of the product for quality maintenance.

Microemulsão: um promissor carreador para moléculas insolúveis / Microemulsion: a promising carrier system for insoluble compounds

Microemulsão (ME) é um sistema que foi descoberto por Hoar e Schulman no ano de 1943 e que é termodinamicamente estável e isotropicamente translúcido de dois líquidos imiscíveis (óleo/água), estabilizados por um filme interfacial de tensoativos. O estudo de sistemas microemulsionados se baseia nas suas três teorias de formação: (1) teoria da solubilização, (2) teoria da tensão interfacial e (3) teoria termodinâmica. A estrutura formada é influenciada pelas propriedades físico-químicas dos componentes utilizados e da razão entre os componentes. O objetivo desta revisão foi avaliar o estado da arte de sistemas microemulsionados enfatizando uma abordagem teórica. Além disso, os recentes avanços sobre a aplicabilidade clínca e utilização como carreador de moléculas insolúveis foram discutidas.

Microemulsions (ME) are thermodynamically stable and isotropic systems of two immiscible liquids (oil/water), stabilized by an interfacial film of surfactants, discovered by Hoar and Schulman in 1943. The study of ME formation is based on three areas of theory: (1) solubilization, (2) interfacial tension and (3) thermodynamics. ME structures are influenced by the physicochemical properties and proportions of their ingredients. The goal of this review is to assess the state of the art of microemulsified systems, from a theoretical viewpoint. Also, recent progress on their clinical application and use as carriers for insoluble compounds is discussed.

SolEmuls technology: a way to overcome the drawback of parenteral administration of insoluble drugs.

In this article, a nanosuspension of AmB was prepared and mixed with the preformed parenteral emulsion Lipofundin and subjected to high-pressure homogenization (SolEmuls technology). Characterization was performed by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), laser diffractometry (LD), and zeta potential measurements. Drug incorporation was studied by using light microscopy. The produced emulsions were further investigated by comparing them with the commercially available Fungizone in regard to antifungal efficiency and toxicity. Results suggest that through the SolEmuls process the AmB forms a reservoir, out of which it is released in such a manner that it is more efficient and less toxic than Fungizone.

Influence of a lipophilic drug on the stability of emulsions: an important approach on the development of lipidic carriers.

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of a lipophilic drug, Ibuprofen, on the stability of o/w emulsions. Five formulations were prepared by the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method, and Ibuprofen was incorporated into their oil phase. Emulsion stability was evaluated by short- and long-term studies. Concerning the former, stability under centrifugation showed an improved profile for Ibuprofen-loaded emulsions. The latter confirmed such findings. In conclusion, a rather resistant interfacial film may take place when Ibuprofen was incorporated into the emulsions. Therefore, the critical hydrophilic-lipophilic-balance (HLB) of o/w emulsions can be affected by a lipophilic drug into their oil phase. Such approach is of great importance on the development of lipid carriers for therapeutic drug targeting.

A new insight about pharmaceutical dosage forms for benzathine penicillin G

O objetivo desse trabalho foi o de desenvolver e avaliar do ponto de vista físico-químico um sistema micelar de penicilina G benzatina (BPG) em desoxicolato de sódio (NaDC).Foram estudadas as características físicoquímicas da BPG quanto à solubilidade em água e em soluções tampões com diferentes pHs, além do coeficiente de partição octanol-água.Foram avaliadas as propriedades da concentração micelar crítica (CMC) das soluções micelares de Desoxicolato de sódio (NaDC) em baixa e alta força iônica provocada pela presença de cloreto de sódio.O estudo da incorporação da BPG em soluções micelares de NaDC usando várias concentrações de NaDC também foi realizado.O aumento da solubilidade da BPG provocada pela presença de micelas de NaDC foi analisada quantitativamente pelo formalismo do modelo de pseudo-fase.Houve indicação da aplicabilidade do sistema micelar estudado quanto à incorporação de penicilina e aumento se sua solubilidade aparente, com taxa de incorporação de até 90 por cento.Espera-se que a formulação micellar de BPG apresente melhor estabilidade, considerando-se que o antibiótico incorporado na região hidrofóbica das micelas está protegido do meio aquoso externo.

Household structure and urban services: neglected targets in the control of visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania chagasi is a growing public-health problem in many parts of the New World. Although several studies have focused on the consequences of environmental damage, human migration and land occupation on the incidence of VL, the effects on the disease of the substandard living conditions that often result from the process of urbanization have not been investigated in detail. The present study was based in the Brazilian city of Teresina, where, since 1980, there have been two large outbreaks of VL (one in 1981-1985 and the other in 1993-1996), each involving at least 1000 newly reported cases. The role of household structure and the provision of urban services in the city, as predictors of the occurrence of VL, was studied in a case-control investigation. After controlling for age, crowding, and the background incidence of VL in the area where the subjects lived, the risk of acquiring the disease was found to be significantly higher for those who lived in houses with an inadequate sewage system and those who had no regular rubbish collection. Improving household structure and providing basic urban services might be effective strategies for controlling the spread of VL in urban areas.

Inhibition of cyclophosphamide-induced teratogenesis by beta-ionone.

Beta-ionone (BI) is a degraded (C 13) sesquiterpene found in plant essential oils. It has been used in the synthesis of perfume chemicals and vitamin A. Recently, it was reported that BI is a rather potent in vitro inhibitor of CYP2B1-catalysed reactions in rat liver microsomes. The present study was performed to investigate whether inhibition of CYP2B1 reactions by BI could lead to an attenuation of cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced embryotoxicity in the rat. In a preliminary experiment, a dose-dependent prolongation of pentobarbital sleeping time in male and female Wistar rats suggested that BI inhibits CYP2B1 in vivo as well. In a second experiment, rats were treated by gavage with BI (0, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg body wt) 45 min prior to a subcutaneous injection of either CP (7.5 mg/kg body wt) or its vehicle (saline) on day 11 of pregnancy. BI alone, at the highest dose tested, caused a high proportion of resorptions. Lower doses of BI, however, clearly attenuated CP-induced embryolethality and teratogenicity. These results seem to support the view that, as far as rats are concerned, CYP2B1 plays an important role in the conversion of CP into its embryolethal and teratogenic metabolites.

Evaluation of the developmental toxicity of annatto in the rat.

Annatto, a dye extracted from Bixa orellana seeds, is used as a color additive in butter, cheese and in a variety of other foods as well as in drugs and cosmetics. Toxicological data on annatto and on its main carotenoid pigment bixin are still scarce. In this study we evaluated the developmental toxicity of annatto (28% of bixin). Annatto (0, 31.2, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight/day) was given by gavage to Wistar rats on days 6-15 of pregnancy. Ceasarean sections were performed on day 21. Implantations, living and dead fetuses and resorptions were recorded. Fetuses were weighed and examined for externally-visible anomalies. One-third of fetuses from each litter was examined for visceral anomalies by a microsectioning technique. The remaining fetuses were cleared and stained with Alizarin Red S for skeleton evaluation. No adverse effect of annatto on the mothers was noted. No increase in embryolethality and no reduction of fetal body weight were observed among annatto-exposed rats. Annatto did not induce any increase in the incidence of externally-visible, visceral or skeletal anomalies in the exposed offspring. These findings suggest that annatto was neither maternally toxic nor embryotoxic in the rat. Therefore, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for annatto-induced maternal and developmental toxicity was 500 mg/kg body weight/day or greater (or > or = 140 mg bixin/kg body weight/day) by the oral route.

The burden of Leishmania chagasi infection during an urban outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

First noted in the city of Teresina in 1981, the last decades have witnessed a remarkable increase in urban transmission of American visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in many Brazilian cities. Teresina, the site of this study, has faced two large outbreaks of VL. The first occurred from 1981-1985 when almost 1000 new cases were reported. The second started in the 1990s, and between 1993 and 1996 more than 1200 new cases were detected. This report describes the prevalence of infection with Leishmania chagasi in Teresina at the end of the second outbreak and gives estimates of the number of people who became infected during the epidemic. Between June 1995 and May 1996, 200 households were chosen at random from a list of addresses covering about 93% of Teresina's urban households. In each household, one person over the age of 1 year was screened for Leishmania antibodies and skin-tested. Nearly 50% of persons had a positive leishmanin reaction, but only 13.9% had detectable antibodies to L. chagasi. While prevalence estimates based on the leishmanin skin-test increased with age (P<0.001), those based on serological tests showed a lesser, and non significant, variation with age (P=0.31). Using a geometric growth equation, and assuming that the annual distribution of clinical cases may serve as an approximation to what would have been the distribution of infections by year, we estimated that over 320000 persons were infected during the epidemic. Little is known about the epidemiology of VL in urban areas, where social networks, population density, and relationships of housing with the natural environment are more varied and complex than in the rural scene. In those areas, control interventions have failed to eliminate transmission of the parasite and prevent new epidemics. Further epidemiological studies of VL in urban areas might be needed to inform control actions.

Study of the embryofeto-toxicity of Crown-of-Thorns (Euphorbia milii) latex, a natural molluscicide

The crude latex of Crown-of-Thorns (Euphorbia milii var. Hislopii) is a potent plant molluscicide and a promising alternative to the synthetic molluscicides used in schistosomiasis control. The present study was undertaken to investigate the embryofeto-toxic potential of E. Milii latex. The study is part of a comprehensive safety evaluation of this plant molluscicide. Lyophilized latex (0, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) in corn oil was given by gavage to Wistar rats (N = 100) from days 6 to 15 of pregnancy and cesarean sections were performed on day 21 of pegnancy. The numbers of implantation sites, living and dead fetuses, resorptions and corpora lutea were recorded. Fetuses were weighed, examined for external malformations, and fixed for visceral examination, or cleared and stained with Alizarin red S for skeleton evaluation. A reduction of body weight minus uterine weight al term indicated that E. Milii latex was maternally toxic over the dose range tested. No latex-induced embryolethality was noted at the lowest dose (125 mg/kg) but the resorption rate was markedly increased at 250 mg/kg (62.5 percent) and 500 mg/kg (93.4 percent). A higher frequency of fetuses showing signs of delayed ossification (control: 17.4 percent; 125 mg/kg: 27.4 percent and 250 mg/kg: 62.8 percent; P<0.05 vs control) indicated that fetal growth was retarded at doses ³125 mg latex/kg body weight. No increase in the proportion of fetuses with skeletal anomalies was observed at the lowest dose but the incidence of minor skeletal malformations was higher at 250 mg/kg body weight (control: 13.7 percent; 125 mg/kg: 14.8 percent; 250 mg/kg: 45.7 percent; P<0.05 vs control). Since a higher frequency of minor malformations was noted only at very high doses of latex which are embryolethal and maternally toxic, it is reasonable to conclude that this plant molluscicide poses no teratogenic hazard or, at least, that this possibility is of a considerably low order of magnitude.

Study of the embryofeto-toxicity of Crown-of-Thorns (Euphorbia milii) latex, a natural molluscicide.

The crude latex of Crown-of-Thorns (Euphorbia milii var. hislopii) is a potent plant molluscicide and a promising alternative to the synthetic molluscicides used in schistosomiasis control. The present study was undertaken to investigate the embryofeto-toxic potential of E. milii latex. The study is part of a comprehensive safety evaluation of this plant molluscicide. Lyophilized latex (0, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) in corn oil was given by gavage to Wistar rats (N = 100) from days 6 to 15 of pregnancy and cesarean sections were performed on day 21 of pregnancy. The numbers of implantation sites, living and dead fetuses, resorptions and corpora lutea were recorded. Fetuses were weighed, examined for external malformations, and fixed for visceral examination, or cleared and stained with Alizarin red S for skeleton evaluation. A reduction of body weight minus uterine weight at term indicated that E. milii latex was maternally toxic over the dose range tested. No latex-induced embryolethality was noted at the lowest dose (125 mg/kg) but the resorption rate was markedly increased at 250 mg/kg (62.5%) and 500 mg/kg (93.4%). A higher frequency of fetuses showing signs of delayed ossification (control: 17.4%; 125 mg/kg: 27.4% and 250 mg/kg: 62.8%; P < 0.05 vs control) indicated that fetal growth was retarded at doses > or = 125 mg latex/kg body weight. No increase in the proportion of fetuses with skeletal anomalies was observed at the lowest dose but the incidence of minor skeletal malformations was higher at 250 mg/kg body weight (control: 13.7%; 125 mg/kg: 14.8%; 250 mg/kg: 45.7%; P < 0.05 vs control). Since a higher frequency of minor malformations was noted only at very high doses of latex which are embryolethal and maternally toxic, it is reasonable to conclude that this plant molluscicide poses no teratogenic hazard or, at least, that this possibility is of a considerably low order of magnitude.

[Xenodiagnosis in chronic Chagas' disease. I. The sensitivity of Panstrongylus megistus and Triatoma infestans]. / Xenodiagnóstico na doença de Chagas crônica. I--Sensibilidade de Panstrongylus megistus e Triatoma infestans.

From January 1986 to February 1994, 563 xenodiagnosis (XD) were applied in 563 chronic chagasic patients from different areas of Brazil; 292 were women and 271 were men between 6 and 89 years (average: 41.4 +/- 14.7 years). To each XD 40 nymphs on the 4th stage were used: 20 from Panstrongylus megistus (Pm) and 20 from Triatoma infestans (Ti) in fast, during at least 14 days. The exam in each nymph was made 45 days after being applied on the patient, by observation in optical microscopy of the drugs and/or the grinded from the digestive tube. The results are: a) 205 (36.4%) positive XD, including 85 (15.1%) due only nymphs of Pm, 44 (7.8%) Ti and 76 (13.5%) Pm and Ti; b) positively in 4.9% of the nymphs from Pm and in 3.0% of the Ti nymphs examined. These results' analysis showed that the Pm nymphs were more sensitive that Ti's ones to the infection by Trypanosoma cruzi, increasing considerably the xenopositivity, independently from birthplace, sex or age of the patients. These results point out that to increase the efficacy of XD in chronic Chagas' disease, the exam must have more than a species of triatomine with different sensibilities to the T. cruzi infection, and in case of using one species on XD, Pm must substitute Ti.

Study of the embryofoetotoxicity of alpha-terpinene in the rat.

alpha-Terpinene (1-isopropyl-4-methyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene) (TER) is a monoterpene found in the essential oils of a large variety of useful plants. Despite the widespread use of plants and essential oils containing TER in folk medicine potions and cosmetics, and as a flavouring food additive, toxicity studies of this monoterpene are scarce. The present study was undertaken to provide data on the embryofoetotoxic potential of TER in the rat. TER (30, 60, 125 and 250 mg/kg body weight) in corn oil was given by gavage to female Wistar rats from day 6 to 15 of pregnancy. Caesarean sections were performed on day 21 of pregnancy. The number of implantation sites, living and dead foetuses, resorptions and corpora lutea were recorded. All foetuses were weighed, examined for externally visible malformations, numbered with a marker pen and fixed in 5% formalin solution. One-third of the foetuses of each litter, chosen at random, were evaluated for visceral anomalies by a microsectioning technique. Heart, lungs, thymus, liver, spleen and kidneys of foetuses that were microdissected were also weighed. The remaining foetuses were examined for skeletal malformations after clearing with potassium hydroxide and staining with Alizarin Red S. A reduction in body weight minus uterine weight at term indicated that the two highest doses tested [125 and 250 mg TER/kg body weight orally] were maternally toxic. No increase in the ratio of resorptions/implantations was observed over the dose range tested. The highest dose of TER (250 mg/kg body weight) reduced the ratio of pregnant/treated female. A decrease in foetal body weight and an increase in foetal kidney weights were noted at 250 mg TER/kg body weight. Signs of delayed ossification (poorly ossified and not ossified bones as well as irregular spongy bones) and a higher incidence of minor skeletal malformations were observed at doses of 60 mg/kg body weight or more. These findings indicate that the no-observed-adverse-effect level for TER-induced embryofoetotoxicity can be set at 30 mg/kg body weight by the oral route.

Sindrome trico-rino-falangiana. / Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome

Descreve-se um caso da sindrome trico-rino-falangiana em crianca de 10 anos de idade, cujos aspectos clinicos mais caracteristicos coincidem com os descritos na literatura: cabelos finos e esparsos, nariz em pera, aumento da distancia nasolabial, deformidades em falanges com a presenca de epifises em cone. Sao analisados os diversos componentes da sindrome a luz da literatura pertinente