GC-MS analysis of organic fractions of Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A.Juss. and their prokinetic propensity in animal models.

Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A.Juss. is herbaceous, monecious annual plant used traditionally to cure gastrointestinal disorders. The present study was carried out to find the bioactive compounds by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential acute toxicity, and emetic activity present in the ethyl acetate fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (EAFCT) and dichloromethane fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (DCMFCT). The compounds detected in both fractions were mostly fatty acids, with about seven compounds in EAFCT and 10 in DCMFCT. These included pharmacologically active compounds such as imipramine, used to treat depression, or hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, an antioxidant, nematicide, pesticide, hypocholesterolemic, 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)- is used as a cancer preventive, antiarthritic, antihistaminic, hepatoprotective, insectifuge, nematicide, Pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester have antifungal, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, 10-Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester have the property to decrease blood cholesterol, Antioxidant and antimicrobial, 1-Eicosanol is used as an antibacterial, 1-Hexadecene has antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activities. Both DCMFCT and EAFCT fractions inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity with IC50 values of 10 µg and 130 µg, respectively. Both the fractions were found to be toxic in a dose-dependent manner, inducing emesis at 0.5g onward and lethargy and mortality from 3-5 g upwards. Both the fractions combined with distilled water showed highly emetic activity. The significant increase in the number of vomits was shown by EAFCT plus distilled water which are 7.50±1.29, 7.25±3.10, and 11.75±2.22 number of vomits at 1g, 2g, and 3g/kg concentration respectively, while DCMFCT plus distilled water showed 5.25±2.22, 7.50±2.52 and 10.25±2.22 number of vomits at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg correspondingly. The antiemetic standard drug metoclopramide has a higher impact against the emesis induced by both the fractions than dimenhydrinate. Metoclopramide decreases the number of vomits caused by EAFCT to 1.00±0.00, 2.00±0.00, 4.00±1.00 at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg sequentially, while dimenhydrinate decreases the number of vomits to 1.33±0.58, 2.33±1.15, 4.33±0.58 at 1g, 2, and 3g respectively. In the same way, Metochloprimide decreases the number of emesis caused by DcmCt from 5.25±2.22, 7.50±2.52, 10.25±2.22 to 1.33±0.58, 2.33±1.1, 4.33±0.58 at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg concentrations. The present study is the first documented report that scientifically validates the folkloric use of Chrozophora tinctoria as an emetic agent.

2000 CDC or 2007 WHO – What is the most sensitive anthropometric reference for determination of overweight and cardio-metabolic risk in children aged 6–10 years?

Objective To compare the two anthropometric standards for screening of overweight and cardio-metabolic risk in 6–10-year-old children.Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study included 175 subjects attending the Referral Center for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. They were classified according to CDC and WHO BMI z scores as normal-weight (z-score > –1 and < 1), overweight (z-score ≥ 1 and < 2) or obese (z-score ≥ 2). Sensitivities and specificities in predicting systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) blood pressure and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) alterations were calculated.Results There was a major difference in 11 children who rated overweight by the CDC but were reclassified as obese by the WHO. Their mean z-scores for SBP (1.71 ± 1.54), DBP (2.64 ± 1.83) and HOMA-IR (1.84 ± 0.98) were higher than those classified as overweight by both references (SBP = 0.49 ± 1.34, p < 0.023, DBP = 1.45 ± 0.97, p < 0.04 and HOMA = 1.24 ± 0.67, p < 0.04), but were similar to those classified as obese by both criteria (SBP = 1.25 ± 2.04, p = 0.60, DBP = 1.94 ± 1.19, p = 0.50 and HOMA = 2.09 ± 1.12, p = 0.76).Conclusion the 2007 WHO reference was the most sensitive in screening for overweight and alterations in blood pressure and HOMA-IR in 6–10-year-old children. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(3):220-5.

Plants as medicinal stressors, the case of depurative practices in Chazuta valley (Peruvian Amazonia).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Depurative practices, based on taking emetic plants and the restriction of food intake, are very much used in the traditional medicine of Chazuta (Peruvian Amazon) not only to restore health but also to maintain it. AIM OF THE STUDY: To describe Chazuta's depurative practices, within a theoretical framework that involves the stress system and which defines the role played by the medicinal plants used as medicinal stressors. This biomedical model is more inclusive in relation to the variety of medicinal uses found for these practices. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The information was obtained in the valley of Chazuta from October 2004 to August 2005 through semi-structured interviews to the 6.3% of its rural adult population (i.e., 140 individuals, 75% belonging to the San Martin Quechua's ethnic group). Thereafter, results were analysed and confronted to the existing literature. RESULTS: Overall, 191 depurative practices were reported in Chazuta where 114 different plant species were recorded and identified. Depending on their level of severity and duration, depurative practices can be classified as mild or strict. The wide range of medicinal uses reported supports both the involvement of adaptive stress responses in depurative practices and the consideration of the plants employed in this practices as medicinal stressors. CONCLUSIONS: By inducing moderate stress within safe levels, depurative practices in Chazuta could produce adaptive responses that would protect against the detrimental consequences of chronic stress and stress-related diseases. This hypothesis could help to understand the diversity of the medicinal uses recorded in the field. Thus, plant remedies used in these practices in Chazuta could be considered as "medicinal stressors" as through vomiting the necessary neuroendocrine stress activation would be produced. In addition, other bioactivities that plants may harbour could converge with the whole stress reactivity process.

Conditioning taste aversion to Mascagnia rigida (Malpighiaceae) in sheep.

The objective of this study was to determine if sheep could be averted to Mascagnia rigida, a toxic plant found in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Twelve female sheep naïve to M. rigida were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: control (treated with 15 mL water orally by a drenching gun) and lithium group (treated with 150 mg LiCl/kg body weight orally by a drenching gun). For conditioning, sheep were allowed to feed on M. rigida leaves for 15 min, followed by LiCl or water administration. The time spent eating M. rigida leaves was measured. The conditioning was repeated daily until the LiCl-treated sheep stopped eating M. rigida, which occurred at days 2 and 3. Persistence trials were conducted on day 10, 24, 40, 55, and 70 of the trial using single-choice tests. There was no difference between the two treatment groups with respect to the consumption of M. rigida on the first day of aversion conditioning. On the second day, three out of the six sheep in the lithium group did not eat the leaves, but on the third day, all the sheep in the lithium group did not ingest M. rigida. This aversion persisted throughout all the persistence trials. This indicates that sheep can be easily conditioned by using lithium chloride to avoid eating M. rigida.

Enterotoxigenic and genetic profiles of Bacillus cereus strains of food origin in Brazil.

In Brazil, the incidence of Bacillus cereus outbreaks is unknown, and there is little information about B. cereus occurrence in food. In addition, data on toxin production and genetic characterization of the B. cereus isolates cannot be found. This pathogen causes two distinct types of toxin-mediated foodborne illnesses known as diarrheal and emetic syndromes. Diarrheal syndrome has been linked to three different enterotoxins: two protein complexes, hemolysin BL (HBL) and nonhemolytic enterotoxin (NHE); and an enterotoxic protein, cytotoxin K (cytK). Emetic syndrome is related to cereulide, a toxin encoded by the ces gene. In this study, NHE and HBL production capacities of 155 strains of B. cereus isolated from Brazilian food products were evaluated with an immunoassay. Strains were also tested for the presence of the genes of the HBL and NHE complexes, cytK, cytK-1, cytK-2, and ces, using PCR. HBL was detected in 105 (67.7%) strains and NHE in 154 (99.4%) strains. All the strains harbored at least one gene of the NHE complex, while 96.1% of them were positive for at least one of those of the HBL complex. Genes cytK1 and ces were not detected. All strains showed toxigenic capacity and could represent a risk for consumers if good practices are not followed. This is the first report on toxigenic and genetic profiles of B. cereus strains isolated in Brazil.

Ipecacuanha: the South American vomiting root.

The story of ipecacuanha, derived from the plant Cephaelis, is a fascinating one. It was discovered in Brazil in the 1600s and then transported to Paris in the latter part of the same century. It was used there by the physician Helvetius on various members of the French royal court to treat the flux (dysentery) with some success. Later, in the eighteenth century, it was taken up by the physician and privateer Thomas Dover and became, with opium, a fundamental constituent of his celebrated powder, which was used widely to treat fevers and agues for the next 200 years. Progress was then delayed until the early 1800s when the School of Chemistry at Paris established that the dried root of ipecac contained two powerful alkaloids, emetine and cephaeline, that consistently caused vomiting and diarrhoea. The discovery of the pathogenic amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, allowed a distinction to be made between the two main forms of dysentery (amoebic and bacillary). Emetine was shown to be active against the amoebic form of dysentery but ineffective against that caused by bacteria. Ipecacuanha, its root and the pure alkaloid emetine have now been abandoned on the grounds of toxicity. They have been replaced by safer, more effective compounds. Nevertheless, they deserve an honoured place in the history of medicine, especially in the search for an effective treatment for amoebic dysentery.

Possible repair action of Vitamin C on DNA damage induced by methyl methanesulfonate, cyclophosphamide, FeSO4 and CuSO4 in mouse blood cells in vivo.

Interaction between Vitamin C (VitC) and transition metals can induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). VitC may also act as an ROS scavenger and as a metal chelant. To examine these possibilities, we tested in vivo the effect of two doses of VitC (1 and 30 mg/kg of mouse body weight) on the genotoxicity of known mutagens and transition metals. We used the alkaline version of the comet assay to assess DNA damage in peripheral white blood cells of mice. Animals were orally given either water (control), cyclophosphamide (CP), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), cupric sulfate or ferrous sulfate. A single treatment with each VitC dose was administered after treatment with the mutagens or the metal sulfates. Both doses of VitC enhanced DNA damage caused by the metal sulfates. DNA damage caused by MMS was significantly reduced by the lower dose, but not by the higher dose of VitC. For CP, neither post-treatment dose of VitC affected the DNA damage level. These results indicate a modulatory role of Vitamin C in the genotoxicity/repair effect of these compounds. Single treatment with either dose of VitC showed genotoxic effects after 24 h but not after 48 h, indicating repair. Double treatment with VitC (at 0 and 24 h) induced a cumulative genotoxic response at 48 h, more intense for the higher dose. The results suggest that VitC can be either genotoxic or a repair stimulant, since the alkaline version of the comet assay does not differentiate "effective" strand breaks from those generated as an intermediate step in excision repair (incomplete excision repair sites). Further data is needed to shed light upon the beneficial/noxious effects of VitC.

Antipsychotic profile of alstonine: ethnopharmacology of a traditional Nigerian botanical remedy

Although recently developed drugs have brought significant improvement, the treatment of psychotic disorders still presents serious drawbacks. Since inherent complexity and lack of satisfactory understanding of the underlying pathophysiology impose limits for rational drug design, resourceful approaches in the search for antipsychotics are pertinent. This paper reports pharmacological properties of alstonine, a heteroyohimbine type alkaloid, Which exbitited an antipsychotic-like profile, inhibiting amphetamine-induced lethaly, apomorphine-induced steotypy and potentiating barbiturate-induced slleping time. Atypical features of alstonine were the prevention of haloperidol-induced catalepsy and lack of direct interaction with D1, D2 and 5-HT2A receptors, classically linked to antipsychotic mechanism of action.

Fisiología del vómito, emesis causada por citostático y antieméticos como tratamiento concomitante a la quimioterapia

En el presente trabajo se revisan los aspectos más relevantes de la fisiología del vómito. Se enfatiza en los niveles relacionados con la emesis inducida por citostático y las nuevas teorías sobre la génesis y desarrollo de dicho proceso. El arsenal terapéutico de que se dispone para tratar estos desagradables efectos adversos, es amplio. Se señalan los principales antieméticos y adyuvantes utilizados para tratar las náuseas y vómitos causados por quimioterapia, así como sus mecanismos de acción y eficacia clínica. Asimismo, se destaca el papel de los antagonistas de los receptores 5-HT3, como los antieméticos más selectivos y de mayor potencia para este tipo de terapia

Jimson weed toxicity: management of anticholinergic plant ingestion.

Jimson weed is a hallucinogenic plant that is common in rural areas. Consumption of any part of the plant can result in severe anticholinergic toxicity. The clinical presentation of jimson weed toxicity is similar to that seen in cases of atropine poisoning. Treatment is aimed at removing plant material from the gastrointestinal tract, keeping the patient safe and reversing severe anticholinergic sequelae.

Ritualistic use of the holly Ilex guayusa by Amazonian Jívaro Indians.

In Amazonian Peru and Ecuador leaf decoctions of the rainforest holly Ilex guayusa with high caffeine concentrations are used as a morning stimulant. After daily ingestion, ritualistic vomiting by male Achuar Indians, better known as Jívaros, reduces excessive caffeine intake, so that blood levels of caffeine and biotransformed dimethylxanthines do not cause undesirable CNS and other effects. Emesis is learned and apparently not due to emetic compounds.

Detergentes aniônicos: método alternativo como emético; estudo comparativo de eficácia e latência com xarope de ipeca

Os autores comparam a eficiência de detergentes aniônicos e xarope de ipeca na induçäo de emese em 26 pacientes. Encontram melhores resultados com os detergentes e admitem sua utilizaçäo como uma forma alternativa