Assessment of biodiversity goods for the sustainable development of the chagra in an indigenous community of the Colombian Amazon: local values of crops.

BACKGROUND: The chagra is the agroforestry system adapted to the characteristics of the Amazon region. Recently, there has been a reported loss of biodiversity and traditional knowledge associated with the chagras. This paper characterizes the cultivators, exploring knowledge and expressed value perception in the context of the Amazonian chagra of an indigenous community; also, this prioritizes species, under the optics of commercial opportunity. METHODS: A semi-structured instrument was applied to 14 volunteers, asking about marketing preferences and use values of the species; later, a floristic inventory and prioritization workshop was developed. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of the participants were 50 years or older at the time of the interview. Open conversations showed that traditional knowledge is a matter of practice; and is maintained mainly by the older "grandfathers". Thirty-eight species, belonging to 28 different families, were reported, showing considerable diversity. Seventy-nine percent of the participants consider the Leticia market and sales to tourists as the main marketing scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: The Ziora-Amena community centralizes the handling of chagras in the community's older adults, who transmit their traditional knowledge to new generations through oral tradition. Indicators of preference, use, and abundance highlight the food species. The perception of the trade stakeholder encourages research and development of endemic species, with health properties or ingredients for industry, which represent an opportunity of high added value for the region.

Comparison of the antimalarial activity of a Colombian traditional Uitoto remedy with laboratory preparations.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: In Colombian Amazonia, Uitoto indigenous people use a preparation of Curarea toxicofera (Menispermaceae) to prevent and treat malaria. To open the way for the production of a standardized herbal remedy, we compared the activity of the traditional preparation with laboratory preparations. METHODS: People were interviewed on their mode of use and preparation of what is considered the best remedy against fevers in this area. The herbal remedy was prepared according to the healer's recommendations. The plant was also submitted to continuous distillation and percolation extraction. The preparations were then tested against Plasmodium falciparum, in vitro. Traditional preparation and extract obtained by percolation were tested on Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Chemical profiles were also explored by thin-layer chromatography. RESULTS: Yields of extraction were around 7% in the preparations (percolation was the most efficient). The phytochemical profile showed a mix of steroids, flavonoids and alkaloids qualitatively similar in all preparations. In vitro, the extracts showed inhibitory concentration 50 <10µg/mL: the traditional preparation was almost three times less active than laboratory preparations. In vivo, percolation was also more active than traditional preparation, inhibiting 78% of the parasite growth at 400mg/kg/day by oral route. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Pharmacological activities suggest that both the original remedy (prepared according to traditional pharmacopeia) and the extracts obtained by percolation extraction exhibit relevant antiparasitic activity. C. toxicofera should therefore be considered for the elaboration of an improved traditional medicine by implementing toxicological studies and carefully following quality control guidelines for its preparation.

Pharmacological activity of Curarea toxicofera in combination with classical antimalarial treatments.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In the Leticia-Amazonas area, Uitoto indigenous people use a preparation of Curarea toxicofera (Wedd) Barneby & Krukoff (Menispermaceae) alone or combined with prescribed medications to prevent and treat malaria. AIM OF STUDY: To determine the in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activity of traditional preparations of Curarea toxicofera alone and in combination with classical antimalarials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The traditional preparation was evaluated in vitro against P. falciparum FCR3 CQ resistant strain, alone and combined. The preparation was further administered orally alone or combined with chloroquine and artesunate in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain on the four-day antimalarial test model. RESULTS: The herbal remedy used alone was able to significantly decrease the parasitemia both in vitro (IC50 7.3 µg/ml) and in vivo (ED50 328 mg/Kg) but it was less active than chloroquine (IC50 0.29 µg/ml in vitro and ED50 2.3 mg/Kg/day in vivo), and than artesunate (IC50 0.002 µg/ml and ED50 3.7 mg/Kg/day). Interestingly it presented synergism with chloroquine in vitro (Combination Index: 0.39) and in vivo; and was additive with artesunate in vitro (Combination Index: 0.94) and in vivo. CONCLUSION: The traditional preparation showed potential as an antimalarial and, when used in combination, does not negatively affect the efficacy of the drugs evaluated. Pre-clinical studies should be conducted with a standardized preparation to confirm its efficacy and safety alone and in combination with chloroquine and artesunate.

Prevalencia de deterioro cognitivo y demencia en mayores de 65 años en una población urbana colombiana / Prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia in people older 65 years in a colombian urban population

Introducción. El aumento en la expectativa de vida de la población llevará a un aumento en las enfermedadescrónicas, entre ellas el trastorno cognitivo (TC) y la demencia.Objetivo. Conocer la prevalencia y los factores de riesgo asociados al deterioro cognitivo en personas mayoresde 65 años en la ciudad de Manizales.Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio poblacional descriptivo y transversal, con evaluación domiciliaria endistintos estratos socioeconómicos, mediante un instrumento de recolección de información administrado al sujetoy al cuidador. Se evaluaron las AVD instrumentales y se aplicaron tres pruebas de tamizaje para deterioro cognitivo,considerando caso positivo para TC aquel que obtuvo desempeño anormal en cualquiera de las pruebas aplicadas.Se hizo el análisis estadístico mediante el paquete Epi-info, con promedios y desviaciones estándar, empleandouna p < 0.05 como estadísticamente significativa.Resultados. Se encuestaron 317 personas mayores de 65 años con porcentajes similares entre hombres (50.5%)y mujeres (49.5%), con edad promedio de 75.2 ± 6.6 años. En 125 sujetos hubo alteración de alguna de las trespruebas para TC, lo que equivale a 39.4% de la muestra, con asociaciones significativas para mayor edad, bajo niveleducativo, polifarmacia, hipertensión arterial y dislipidemia. Las tres pruebas resultaron alteradas en 6% de lossujetos, cifra similar al 5.6% de los que tuvieron alteradas las 4 AVD instrumentales y que podrían correspondera casos de demencia.Conclusiones. La prevalencia de TC y demencia en esta población está dentro de lo informado, en comparacióncon estudios internacionales. En ancianos con quejas de memoria, del comportamiento y confusión, se recomiendaemplear de manera habitual pruebas de tamizaje para detección de TC, prestando especial atención a polifarmacia,medicamentos con efectos anticolinérgicos, estado anímico y factores de riesgo vascular.

Introduction. Increased expectiva of life of the population will lead to a rise in chronic diseases, includingcognitive impairment (CI) and dementia.Objective. To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with cognitive impairment in people over 65years in the city of Manizales. Material and Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional population-based study with home assessment in differentsocioeconomic levels randomly selected, and by using a data collection instrument administered to the subject orcaregiver. Four instrumental ADL assessment and three screening tests for cognitive impairment were applied.It was considered a positive case if it obtains abnormal performance in relation to cutoffs predefined in any ofapplied tests. Statistical analysis was performed using the Epi-info, with means and standard deviations. A p <0.05was considered significant.Results. 317 people were surveyed over 65 years with similar percentages of men (50.5%) and women (49.5%),with a mean age of 75.2 ± 6.6 years. There were cognitive impairment detected in 125 subjects with any of thethree tests, which equivalent to 39.4% of the sample, with significant association for older, low educational level,polypharmacy, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The three tests were abnormal in 6% of subjects, similar to the5.6% of those who had altered the 4 ADL and could correspond to cases of dementia.Conclusions. Compared with international studies, the prevalence of CI and dementia in this population is withinthe informed range. In elderly patients with memory complaints, confusion or anormal behavior, it´s we recommenduse routinely screened for CI detection, with special attention to medications used, mood and vascular risk factors.