Ambient Air Waste Sorting Facilities Could Be a Source of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

( Ana Calheiros ),( Joana Santos ),( Carla Ramos ),( Marta Vasconcelos ),( Paulo Fernandes ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2021 한국미생물·생명공학회지 Vol.49 No.3

The antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus spp. and Gram negative strains present in air samples from waste sorting facilities was assessed. Phenotypic studies have revealed a high percentage of strains of Staphylococcus spp. resistant to methicillin. Genotypically and by RT-PCR, it was found that the mecA gene usually associated with methicillin resistance was present in 8% of the Staphylococcus strains isolated. About 30% of the Gram negative strains from the same samples also displayed resistance to meropenem and 79% of these were resistant to multiple antibiotics from different classes, namely cephalosporins and β- lactams. The results suggest that in professional activities with high levels of exposure to biological agents, the quantification and identification of the microbial flora in the work environment, with the determination of the presence of potential agents displaying multi-resistances is of relevance to the risk assessment. The personal protection of workers is particularly important relevance in these cases, since many of the strains that exhibit multi-resistance are potential opportunistic agents.

Chemical Profile and Antinociceptive Efficacy of Rheedia longifolia Leaf Extract

José A.A. Santos,Andrea Calheiros,Diogo D. Nascimento,Ana Luiza R. Bérenger,Fábio C. Amendoeira,Hugo C. Castro-Faria-Neto,Maria Raquel Figueiredo,Luiz A. Alves,Valber da Silva Frutuoso 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.9

Different species of the family Clusiaceae, including Rheedia longifolia, are used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory diseases. This family is largely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of Brazil, but their chemical and pharmacological properties have been the subject of a few studies. In previous studies, we found that the aqueous extract from R. longifolia leaves presented important anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. We investigated the chemical profile of R. longifolia and characterized the pharmacological effect of different chemically identified fractions in pharmacological models of neurogenic and inflammatory nociception. The pharmacological tests showed that oral treatment with aqueous crude extract and fractions of methanol extract of R. longifolia leaf induced a significant antinociceptive effect using von Frey filaments. In addition, the most polar fractions presented antinociceptive activity in a neurogenic model of nociception (capsaicin model). The chromatographic analysis indicated the presence of bisflavonoids in the fractions obtained from the methanol extract. These results suggest that bisflavonoids found in methanol-extracted fractions are involved in the inhibition of inflammatory and neurogenic nociception. It is important that the R. longifolia aqueous extract treatment inhibited ulcer formation induced by indomethacin, suggesting an anti-ulcerogenic activity closely associated with its analgesic effect.

Severe Weather Events over Northeastern Brasil:The January 2004 Event

Tenorio Ricardo Sarmento,Kwon Byung-Hyuk,Molion Luiz Caries Baldicero,Calheiros Alan James Peixoto The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation 2006 한국정보통신학회논문지 Vol.10 No.5

리오그랑디주에서 바이아주 남부까지 약 300 km에 이르는 길고 좁은 브라질 북동부 지역에서는 남동무역풍의 교란, 전선의 침투, 해륙풍 순환 그리고 지형과 수증기 플럭스에 기인하는 국지 대류와 같은 다양한 강수 시스템이 나타난다. 연간 총강수량은 내륙에서는 600 mm, 해안지역에서는 3000 mm의 분포를 보이고 있다. 지역 기후 평균에 5-12배의 강수량이 2004년 1월에 알라고아스주 여러 지역에서 기록되었다. 46,000명의 수재민이 발생했고, 10,000,000 US$의 재산 피해였다. 이 폭우는 $21^{\circ}W,\;12^{\circ}S$에서 형성된 UTCV가 1월 내내 브라질 북동부 지역에 머물면서 영향을 미쳤기 때문이라는 것을 GOES 적외선 영상 분석으로 알 수 있었다. The eastern coast of northeastern Brazil (NEB), a coastal land-strip up to 300 km wide and stretching out from Rio Grande do Norte $(5^{\circ}S)$ State down to the south of Bahia State $(17^{\circ}S)$, experiences different rain producing systems, such as distrubances in the south-east trade winds, frontal systems penetration, land-sea breeze circulation and local convection associated with the topography and moisture flux convergence. The annual total rainfall ranges from 600 inland to 3000 mm on the coast. Rainfall totals 5 to 12 times the focal climatic means were recorded in various regions of Alagoas state in January 2004. It was estimated that 46,000 people were homeless, with material damages exceeding US$10 million as a consequence of the ensuing floods. GOES infrared images analysis showed that the main weather system responsible for this anomalously high rainfall totals was an Upper Troposphere Cyclonic Vortex (UTCV), which formed at about a $27^{\underline{\circ}}W\;e\;12^{\underline{\circ}}S$ and remained active for the entire month of January over NEB.

Antinociceptive Activity of Aqueous Extract of Bowdichia virgilioides in Mice

Juliane P. Silva,Renato S. Rodarte,Andrea S. Calheiros,Cristiane Z. Souza,Fabio C. Amendoeira,Marco A. Martins,Patrı´cia Machado R. Silva,Valber S. Frutuoso,Emiliano Barreto 한국식품영양과학회 2010 Journal of medicinal food Vol.13 No.2

Bowdichia virgilioides Kunth (Family Fabaceae) is a plant that is distributed widely in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In the northeast region of Brazil, where B. virgilioides is called “sucupira-preta,” the stem bark is used in folk medicine to treatment of inflammatory and painful diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of the aqueous extract of the dried stem bark of B. virgilioides. The aqueous extract of B. virgilioides in doses of 50, 100, 200, and 400mg/kg was administered orally 1 hour prior to pain induction. Only the doses of 200 and 400mg/kg produced an inhibition by 61% and 74%, respectively, in the number of abdominal writhings induced by acetic acid. This antinociceptive effect was not reversed by pretreatment with naloxone, indicating that the effect is not associated with the activation of opioid receptors. In the formalin test, using the two highest doses, the extract had no effect in the first phase but produced an analgesic effect on the second phase with the inhibition of licking time (P<.001). In the hot plate test, no effect was seen at the dose of 400mg/㎏ p.o. Our findings show that B. virgilioides contains pharmacologically active constituents that possess antinociceptive activity justifying its popular therapeutic use in treating conditions associated with the painful conditions.

Effect of Rheedia longifolia Leaf Extract and Fractions on the P2X_7 Receptor In Vitro: Novel Antagonists?

José A.A. Santos,Antonio Augusto Fidalgo-Neto,Robson X. Faria,Ana Simo˜es,Andrea S. Calheiros,Ana Luiza Be´renger,Hugo C.C. Faria-Neto,Maria Raquel Figueiredo,Valber S. Luiz Frutuoso,Luiz Anastacio Al 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.9

Recently, the P2X_7 receptor has been reported to be associated with chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Because Rheedia longifolia extract has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, we evaluated the in vitro inhibitory potential of methanol extract and fractions from its leaves on the P2X_7 purinergic receptor. The activity of P2X_7 was studied with a dye uptake assay and with the whole-cell patch clamp technique in mouse peritoneal macrophages treated with methanol extract of R. longifolia leaves and fractions. The dye uptake was evaluated by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The R. longifolia extract and some fractions showed an inhibitory effect on the P2X_7 purinergic receptor in a dose-dependent manner. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the most potent inhibitory effects. The methanol extract and the butanol fraction showed the same inhibitory effects, despite their lower potency compared with the other fractions. The R. longifolia extract and some of its fractions may be anti-inflammatory because of their inhibitory effect on the P2X_7 receptor. Further investigation is needed to determine the pattern of inhibition and selectivity. Chromatographic analysis indicated the presence of bisflavonoids in the methanol extract fractions. A member of this chemical family is the most probable active compound responsible for the P2X_7 inhibitory effects present in the R. Longifolia extract and fractions.

New Insights in Purinergic Therapy: Novel Antagonists for Uridine 5′-Triphosphate-Activated P2Y Receptors from Brazilian Flora

Natiele Carla da Silva Ferreira,Roˆmulo Jose´ Soares-Bezerra,Rebeca Ferreira Couto da Silveira,Clayton Menezes da Silva,Carla Santos de Oliveira,Andrea Surrage Calheiros,Taˆnia Maria Alves,Carlos Leom 한국식품영양과학회 2019 Journal of medicinal food Vol.22 No.2

P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors are physiologically activated by uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP) and are widely expressed in many cell types in humans. P2Y2 plays an important role in inflammation and proliferation of tumor cells, which could be attenuated with the use of antagonists. However, little is known about the physiological functions related to P2Y4, due to the lack of selective ligands for these receptors. This can be solved through the search for novel compounds with antagonistic activity. The aim of this study was to discover new potential antagonist candidates for P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors from natural products. We applied a calcium measurement methodology to identify new antagonist candidates for these receptors. First, we established optimal conditions for the calcium assay using J774.G8, a murine macrophage cell line, which expresses functional P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors and then, we performed the screening of plant extracts at a cutoff concentration of 50 μg/mL. ATP and ionomycin, known intracellular calcium inductors, were used to stimulate cells. The calculated EC50 were 11 μM and 103 nM, respectively. These cells also responded to the UTP stimulation with an EC50 of 1.021 μM. Screening assays were performed and a total of 100 extracts from Brazilian plants were tested. Joannesia princeps Vell. (stem) and Peixotoa A. Juss (flower and leaf) extracts stood out due to their ability to inhibit UTP-induced responses without causing cytotoxicity, and presented an IC50 of 32.32, 14.99, and 12.98 μg/mL, respectively. Collectively, our results point to the discovery of potential antagonist candidates from Brazilian flora for UTP-activated receptors.