Lysergic acid diethylamide induces behavioral changes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic psychedelic compound with potential therapeutic value for psychiatric disorders. This study aims to establish Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model for examining LSD's effects on locomotor behavior. Our results demonstrate that LSD is absorbed by C. elegans and that the acute treatment reduces animal speed, similar to the role of endogenous serotonin. This response is mediated in part by the serotonergic receptors SER-1 and SER-4. Our findings highlight the potential of this nematode as a new experimental model in psychedelic research.

Chemical variability of Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. from environmentally contrasting populations.

Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. is recognised as one of most famous medicinal and economic species of Copaiba, occurring in several distinct biomes. An untargeted metabolomic approach was used to evaluate the chemical variability of C. langsdorffii from contrasting climates biomes (Atlantic Rainflorest and the semiarid Cerrado). Metabolomic analysis enabled the identification of 11 compounds, including glycosylated flavonoids and galloylquinic acid derivatives. Multivariate analysis highlighted that Cerrado population had a significantly higher concentrations of galloylquinic acid derivatives in comparison to the rainforest biome. Meanwhile, Atlantic Rainforest populations presented higher content of flavonols. Semiarid biome, reduced the concentration of flavonoids, mainly concerning quercetin and kaempferol derivatives, however, in this biome flavonoids were more diverse. Both chemical classes presented relevance to be used as geographical origin chemical markers by qualitative and quantitative features.

Systematic analysis of glycerol: colourimetric screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric confirmation.

Glycerol is a naturally occurring polyol in the human body, essential for several metabolic processes. It is widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and medical industries and in clinical practice as a plasma volume expander (PVE). Athletes, however, may use glycerol to mask the presence of forbidden substances or to enhance performance, inclusively through hyperhydration achieved by glycerol ingestion with added fluid. These practices are considered doping, and are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Therefore, glycerol was introduced in the prohibited list. Doping through glycerol ingestion can readily be identified by detection of elevated glycerol concentrations in urine. In this paper, a protocol for the fast detection of glycerol in urine is proposed. It consists of a previous visual colourimetric screening, followed by a quantitative/qualitative confirmation analysis by mass spectrometry. The screening procedure involves a reaction in which polyhydric alcohols are oxidized by periodate to formic acid and formaldehyde, which is detected by the addition of a fuchsin solution. For the subsequent qualitative/quantitative confirmation analysis, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based approach with a non-deuterated internal standard and a drying step of only 10 min is proposed. The linear correlation was demonstrated within WADA´s threshold range. The calculated RSD were 2.1% for within-day precision and 2.8% for between-day precision. The uncertainty estimation was calculated, and a value of 2.7% was obtained. The procedure may also be used for the analysis of other polyols in urine, as for example the PVE mannitol.

Influência da técnica de extração e do tamanho de partícula do material vegetal no teor de compostos fenólicos totais da tintura das folhas de Alpinia zerumbet

A espécie Alpinia zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) tem amplo emprego na medicina tradicional e popular como diurética e anti-hipertensiva. O Formulário de Fitoterápicos da Farmacopeia Brasileira padroniza o uso de A. zerumbet na forma de tintura, indicada para o tratamento de hipertensão arterial leve. O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a influência da técnica de extração e do tamanho de partícula do material vegetal no processo extrativo de compostos fenólicos totais das folhas de Alpinia zerumbet. Folhas secas foram extraídas com etanol:água (7:3 v/v), comparando-se quatro técnicas de extração (percolação, maceração estática, extração por ultrassom e maceração dinâmica), cada uma combinada a quatro faixas de tamanhos de partícula do material vegetal (não tamisado, 16-32 mesh, 32-60 mesh e 60-100 mesh) totalizando 16 extrações. Os compostos fenólicos totais foram quantificados utilizando o método espectrofotométrico de Folin-Denis. A percolação demonstrou ser a técnica mais eficiente, seguida da maceração dinâmica, extração por ultrassom e, com menor eficiência, a maceração estática. A variação no tamanho de partícula do material vegetal demonstrou não influenciar significativamente na extração de fenólicos totais. A percolação e a faixa de tamanho de partícula padronizado entre 60 e 100 mesh, demonstrou ser a combinação mais eficiente avaliada neste estudo.