Plants utilized as medicines by residents of Quilombo da Fazenda, Núcleo Picinguaba, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil: A participatory survey.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Participatory research can help to broaden the understanding of medical systems and beliefs of traditional communities. An ethnopharmacological survey in collaboration with local people focused on plants used in quilombos located in Southeast Region in Brazil identified cultural factors that influence plant and recipe choice. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the factors related to the therapeutic efficiency of medicinal plants from the perspective of Quilombo da Fazenda residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: University researchers collaborated with community residents for both aims and methods of the study. The local partners were trained in the gathering of ethnopharmacological data and then selected and interviewed the residents considered experts on the use of medicinal plants. Data on the use of each species were supported by voucher specimens collected by the local partners and university researchers. Participant observations and field diaries by the university researchers supplemented the data. RESULTS: Eight interviewees mentioned 92 medicinal species with 60 therapeutic uses, applied in 208 recipes or remedies. Asteraceae (13 species), Lamiaceae (5) and Urticaceae (5) contributed most medicinal plant species. Of the 12 etic categories of use, the circulatory system category had the highest number of plants mentioned. Decoction was the most commonly used preparation method (66.8%), and most remedies were administered orally (76.4%). Eighty-six recipes included more than one plant species and/or the addition of other components, such as sugar, salt or animal products. Several cultural factors influence medicinal plant use. Popular beliefs on the quality of blood or the humoral properties of plants and illnesses, characteristics of the plants and other factors determine which plant is used and why. CONCLUSIONS: The participatory method identified a large number of factors that influence medicinal plant use: the patient's blood type; the condition of the plant and the disease (hot-cold system); the route of administration and dosage; the preventive uses of the plants; and the influence of other factors, such as the sun, the moon and dew. The participatory approach is useful for gaining insight on the decision processes of medicinal plant use in traditional societies, and also for those communities wanting to document their knowledge with or without the participation of the academy.

Differential Recruitment of Dendritic Cells Subsets to Lymph Nodes Correlates with a Protective or Permissive T-Cell Response during Leishmania (Viannia) Braziliensis or Leishmania (Leishmania) Amazonensis Infection.

Leishmania (L.) amazonensis (La) and L. (V.) braziliensis (Lb) are responsible for a large clinical and immunopathological spectrum in human disease; while La may be responsible for anergic disease, Lb infection leads to cellular hypersensitivity. To better understand the dichotomy in the immune response caused by these Leishmania species, we evaluated subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocyte in draining lymph nodes during the course of La and Lb infection in BALB/c mice. Our results demonstrated a high involvement of DCs in La infection, which was characterized by the greater accumulation of Langerhans cells (LCs); conversely, Lb infection led to an increase in dermal DCs (dDCs) throughout the infection. Considering the T lymphocyte response, an increase of effector, activated, and memory CD4(+) T-cells was observed in Lb infection. Interleukin- (IL-) 4- and IL-10-producing CD4(+)and CD8(+) T-cells were present in both La and Lb infection; however, interferon- (IFN-) γ-producing CD4(+)and CD8(+) T-cells were detected only in Lb infection. The results suggest that during Lb infection, the dDCs were the predominant subset of DCs that in turn was associated with the development of Th1 immune response; in contrast La infection was associated with a preferential accumulation of LCs and total blockage of the development of Th1 immune response.

Analysis of iron superoxide dismutase-encoding DNA vaccine on the evolution of the Leishmania amazonensis experimental infection.

The present work aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of Leishmania amazonensis iron superoxide dismutase (SOD)-encoding DNA experimental vaccine and the protective properties of this DNA vaccine during infection. The SOD gene was subcloned into the pVAX1 plasmid, and it was used to immunize BALB/c mice. Twenty-one days after the last immunization, mice were sacrificed (immunogenicity studies) or subcutaneously challenged with L. amazonensis (studies of protection), and alterations in cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated, as well as the course of infection. Mice only immunized with pVAX1-SOD presented increased frequencies of CD4(+) IFN-γ(+), CD8(+)IFN-γ(+) and CD8(+)IL-4(+) lymphocytes; moreover, high levels of IgG2a were detected. After challenge, mice that were immunized with pVAX1-SOD had increased frequencies of the CD4(+)IL-4(+), CD8(+)IFN-γ(+) and CD8(+)IL-4(+) T lymphocytes. In addition, the lymph node cells produced high amounts of IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokines. Increased IgG2a was also detected. The pattern of immunity induced by pVAX1-SOD partially protected the BALB/c mice from a challenge with L. amazonensis, as the animals presented reduced parasitism and lesion size when compared to controls. Taken together, these results indicate that leishmanial SOD modulates the lymphocyte response, and that the elevation in IFN-γ possibly accounted for the decreased skin parasitism observed in immunized animals.

Leishmania (V.) braziliensis and L. (L.) amazonensis promote differential expression of dendritic cells and cellular immune response in murine model.

The expression of Langerhans cell (LC) and dermal dendritic cell (dDC) as well as T CD4(+) and CD8(+) immune responses was evaluated in the skin of BALB/c mice experimentally infected by L. (L.) amazonensis (La) and L. (V.) braziliensis (Lb). At 4th and 8th weeks post infection (PI), skin biopsies were collected to determine the parasite load and CD207(+), CD11c(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), iNOS(+) cellular densities. Cytokine (IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10) profiles were also analysed in draining lymph node. At 4th week, the densities of CD207(+) and CD11c(+) were higher in the La infection, while in the Lb infection, these markers revealed a significant increase at 8th week. At 4th week, CD4(+) and CD8(+) were higher in the La infection, but at 8th week, there was a substantial increase in both markers in the Lb infection. iNOS(+) was higher in the Lb infection at 4th and 8th weeks. In contrast, the parasite load was higher in the La infection at 4th and 8th weeks. The concentration of IFN-γ was higher in the Lb infection, but IL-4 and IL-10 were higher in the La infection at 4th and 8th weeks. These results confirm the role of the Leishmania species in the BALB/c mice disease characterized by differences in the expression of dendritic cells and cellular immune response.

Comparative studies of the anti-leishmanial activity of three Crotalus durissus ssp. venoms.

In this study, we compared the anti-leishmanial activity of three crotalic venoms (Crotalus durissus terrificus-Cdt, Crotalus durissus cascavella-Cdca, and Crotalus durissus collilineatus-Cdcol). Different concentrations of each venom incubated with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigotes were used. Cdt venom exhibited a higher anti-leishmanial activity (Inhibitory concentration-IC50-value of 4.70+/-1.72 microg/ml) in comparison with that of Cdca venom (IC50 value of 9.41+/-1.21 microg/ml), while Cdcol venom increased parasite numbers in 50% at a concentration of 44.30+/-2.18 microg/ml. In addition, this venom showed a low anti-leishmanial activity in higher concentrations (IC50 value of 281.00+/-9.50 microg/ml). The main fractions of Cdca venom were isolated and assayed under similar conditions used for assessing crude venom. The most active fractions were gyroxin and crotamine that had IC50 values of 3.80+/-0.52 microg/ml and 19.95+/-4.21 microg/ml, respectively. Convulxin also inhibited parasite growth rate, although this effect was not dose-dependent. Crotoxin was the least effective fraction with an IC50 value of 99.80+/-2.21 microg/ml. None of the protein fractions presented cytotoxic effects against J774 cells in culture. In vivo assays using BALB/c mice revealed that crotoxin and crotamine were the main toxic fractions. In conclusion, C. durissus cascavella venom has three main fractions with anti-leishmanial activity. These results open new possibilities to find proteins that might be used as possible agents against cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Anti-leishmania activity of semi-purified fraction of Jacaranda puberula leaves.

The crude methanolic extract from leaves of Jacaranda puberula showed activity against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. The extract presented active against promastigote forms with an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC(50)) value of 88.0 mug/ml, but only moderated activity against amastigote forms; however in higher concentrations the extract showed cytotoxic effects. The bio-guided chromatographic fractionation the crude methanolic extract against amastigotes yielded a fraction with an IC(50) value of 14.0 mug/ml (without cytotoxic activity) in relation to the crude extract (IC(50) value, 359.0 microg/ml). These data indicate that J. puberula leaves contain active compounds, which should be further investigated for the development of new potential drugs against cutaneous leishmaniasis.