Intra- and Interspecies Differences of Two Cecropia Species from Tabasco, Mexico, Determined through the Metabolic Analysis and 1H-NMR-Based Fingerprinting of Hydroalcoholic Extracts.

The genus Cecropia is used in the traditional medicine of Tabasco, Mexico, in diabetes and hypertension treatments, mainly without distinction of the species. This contribution aimed to carry out the metabolic analysis and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy-based fingerprinting of the hydroalcoholic leaf extracts of Cecropia peltata (Cp) and Cecropia obtusifolia (Co) collected in five sub-regions of the State of Tabasco (Cp1, "Centro"; Cp2, "Chontalpa"; Cp3, "Pantanos"; Cp4, "Ríos" and Co5, "Sierra"). Firstly, the extracts were evaluated for their Total Phenol Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) by spectrophotometric methods. In addition, metabolic analysis was performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection HPLC-DAD, which allowed the quantification of the chemical markers: chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, and orientin, as well as a vitexin analog. Finally, metabolomic analysis was carried out based on the 1H-NMR spectra. The Cp4 extract (C. peltata from the "Ríos" sub-region) presented the highest values of TPC (155 ± 9.1 mg GAE/g E) and TFC (724 ± 22.2 mg RE/g E). The metabolic analysis was similar among the five samples; the highest concentrations of the four chemical markers were found in Cp3 (C. peltata from the "Pantanos" sub-region) for chlorogenic acid (39.8 ± 2.3 mg/g) and isoorientin (51.5 ± 2.9 mg/g), in Cp4 for orientin (49.9 ± 0.6 mg/g), and in Cp2 (C. peltata from the "Chontalpa" sub-region) for the vitexin analog (6.2 ± 0.2 mg/g). The metabolic analysis and the 1H-NMR fingerprint analysis showed intraspecies differences among the C. peltata samples and interspecies between C. peltata and C. obtusifolia, which were attributed to variations in the metabolite groups as well as in the proportion of sugars such as glucose and xylose.

Ambulatory arterial stiffness index in diabetic patients.

Background The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI), derived from 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can be a good indicator of arterial stiffness. Aim To assess the correlation between AASI and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), ankle-brachial index (ABI) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without hypertension. Material and Methods Cross sectional study in 28 diabetic patients aged 49 ± 7 years (40% women). AASI was calculated as 1 minus the regression slope of diastolic on systolic blood pressure, using ABPM data. ABPM was measured in the arm using an oscillometric device. ABI was calculated as the ratio between ankle and brachial systolic blood pressure. CAVI was derived from pulse wave velocity using the Vasera VS-1000 device. Correlations were calculated using a bivariate Spearman correlation. Results The mean values for AASI, ABI, baPWV and CAVI were 0.39 ± 0.14, 1.14 ± 0.09, 15.15 ± 2.71 m/s and 7.60 ± 1.90, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between AASI and ABI (r = -0.491, p < 0.01). Conclusions In these diabetic patients, there was an association between AASI, an arterial stiffness marker and ABI, an indicator for the presence of atherosclerosis.

Evaluación de la metodología Team Based Learning en cursos de estadística para estudiantes de medicina / Evaluation of team-based learning methodology for teaching statistics to medical students

Background Team-Based Learning methodology (TBL) is used in medicine teaching in different clinical and basic fields, but seldom in statistics courses. Aim To compare the performance of students taught using TBL with those receiving the traditional lecture modality. Materials and Methods The grades and percentage of correct answers obtained in exams written during the statistics course of students that were taught without TBL (years 2009-2011) or using this methodology (years 2013-2016) were compared. Z Test for one mean (Milestone 1) and Student's t test for two independent means assuming equal variances/unequal variances (Milestone 2) were evaluated. The mean and minimum grades and the percentage of grades below the flunking threshold were also evaluated. Students' assessment of the methodology was also recorded. Results The percentage of correct answers was 94.2% and 94% among students taught with and without TBL methodology, respectively (Milestone 1), achieving a similar performance independent of the teaching strategy. The global percentage of correct answers of Milestone 2 increased from 75.3% to 89.5% (P < 0.001) among students using TBL. In 75.0% of questions, the percentage of correct answers increased with TBL. Likewise, there was an increase in mean grades increased from 5.4 to 6.2 (P < 0.05) and mean minimum grades from 2.8 to 3.7 (P = 0.05). The proportion of grades below the flunking threshold decreased from 9.9% to 4.4% (P = 0.054). Almost all students evaluated TBL methodology positively. Conclusions Students taught using TBL methodology performed better in the statistics course evaluation than students attending standard lectures in statistical analysis of greater complexity. TBL was well evaluated.

Algunas especies de Passiflora y su capacidad antioxidante / Some Passiflora species and their antioxidant capacity

Introducción: las frutas y vegetales desempeñan un papel importante en la dieta humana, lo cual se atribuye al hecho de que estos alimentos proveen una mezcla óptima de antioxidantes como la vitamina C y E, polifenoles y carotenoides, que otorgan beneficios para la protección de la salud. Objetivos: evaluar la capacidad antioxidante, el poder reductor y el contenido de fenoles totales de extractos de algunas frutas y hojas del género Passiflora pertenecientes al departamento de Huila. Métodos: la capacidad antioxidante fue medida como la habilidad para atrapar el radical 2.2-difenil-1-picril hidrazilo (DPPH) y 2'-azino-bis (3-etilbenztiazolin-6-sulfonato de amonio (ABTS'+), el potencial para reducir el hierro (FRAP) y, finalmente, el contenido de fenoles totales se determinó mediante el ensayo del reactivo de Folin-Ciocalteu. Resultados: todos los extractos presentaron diferentes grados de capacidad antioxidante. Sin embargo, los extractos de las hojas exhiben mayor capacidad antioxidante que los extractos de las frutas. Estas variaciones pueden deberse a un alto contenido de agentes reductores como el ácido ascórbico, minerales y carotenoides, factores genéticos y ambientales de las especies. Conclusiones: se evidenció la presencia de sustancias antioxidantes en los frutos y en los sustratos provenientes de las hojas de algunas especies del género Passiflora. Específicamente se encontraron valores significativos para los frutos de granadilla silvestre y para las hojas de gulupa.

Introduction: fruits and vegetables play an important role in the human diet because these foods provide an optimal mix of antioxidants like vitamins C and E, polyphenols and carotenoids which is beneficial for health protection. Objectives: to evaluate the antioxidant capacity, the reducing power and the content of total phenols of some fruit and leaf extracts of Passiflora genus in Huila department. Methods: the antioxidant capacity was measured as the ability to catch the radical 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazil (DPPH) and 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzatiazolin-6-ammonium sulphonate (ABTS'+), the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total phenol content were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu´s reagent trial. Results: the extracts demonstrated different degrees of antioxidant capacity. However, leaf extracts exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than the fruit extracts. These variations may be due to high content of reducing agents such as ascorbic acid, minerals and carotenoids, and to genetic and environmental factors of the species. Conclusions: the presence of antioxidants in fruits and substrates from the leaves of some species of Passiflora genus was evinced, especially high significant values were found in wild granadilla fruits and in gulupa leaves.

Nongranulomatous anterior uveitis associated with alendronate therapy.

We describe a case of acute nongranulomatous anterior uveitis associated with alendronate therapy, in an adult woman, without medical history of previous diseases, except for intercurrent problems of osteoporosis. The symptoms disappeared abruptly after anti-inflammatory therapy and discontinuation of alendronate. Side effects associated with ocular inflammation have been recently documented in 3 patients under alendronate therapy. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of ocular inflammation syndromes are also reviewed.

Nongranulomatous anterior uveitis associated with alendronate therapy

We describe a case of acute nongranulomatous anterior uveitis associated with alendronate therapy, in an adult woman, without medical history of previous diseases, except for intercurrent problems of osteoporosis. The symptoms disappeared abruptly after anti-inflammatory therapy and discontinuation of alendronate. Side effects associated with ocular inflammation have been recently documented in 3 patients under alendronate therapy. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of ocular inflammation syndromes are also reviewed.