RESUMO
For the Makiritare (Ye'Kuana) native people of the Alto Orinoco (Venezuela), earthworms (Anellida: Glossoscolecidae) are an important component of the diet. Two species in particular are widely consumed: 'kuru' (Andiorrhinus kuru n. sp.) and 'motto' (Andiorrhinus motto). We analysed eviscerated kuru body proper, and whole and smoked preparations of motto for their content of protein and amino acids, fatty acids and 20 minerals and trace elements. The samples contained large amounts of protein (64.5-72.9% of dry weight), essential amino acids, calcium and iron together with notable quantities of other important elements, indicating that these earthworms contain potentially useful quantities of many nutrients that are critical to the health of the humans who consume them.
Assuntos
Indígenas Sul-Americanos , Valor Nutritivo , Oligoquetos , Aminoácidos , Animais , Ácidos Graxos/análise , Humanos , Lipídeos/análise , Oligoelementos/análise , VenezuelaRESUMO
Teas made from medicinal plants are commonly used by a majority of the inhabitants of New Mexico and Mexico to treat various ailments including infections, arthritis, heart disorders, headaches, fever, asthma and menstrual pain. However, little is known about the identity or chemical nature of the bioactive substances and compounds responsible for the therapeutic effects of the teas made from the leaves, seeds, flowers stems, and roots of these medicinal plants. Some of the beneficial effects of these teas may be attributable to antioxidants contained in the medicinal plants from which they are brewed. In the present study we collected 30 medicinal plants that are widely used in the Rio Grande Valley and, using a two-stage Trolox based assay, analyzed the total antioxidant capacity of aqueous extracts prepared from these plants. The antioxidant content of the aqueous extracts was substantial, ranging from 27 to 972 micromol Trolox equivalent per gram dry weight. An extract of the leaves of the plant Ilex paraguensis (Mate leaf) contained the highest amount of antioxidant, followed by the flowers of the Rosa sp. (Rosa de Castillo, 804 micromol/g), the bark of Chinchona sp. (Copalquin, 692 micromol/g), Rumex hymenosepalus stems (Cana Agria, 672 micromol/g) and the leaves of Marrubium vulgare (Mastranzo, 560 micromol/g). The plants that had the lowest antioxidant capacity were the seeds of Linum lewissii (Linasa, 29 micromol/g) and Yucca sp. plant root (Amole, 27 micromol/g). It will be useful to further analyze those plants that contain the most antioxidant activity in order to identify the active principles.
Assuntos
Antioxidantes/análise , Medicina Tradicional , Extratos Vegetais/análise , Plantas Medicinais/química , New Mexico , Plantas Comestíveis/químicaRESUMO
Amoebae were isolated from a natural thermal water source in Michoacán, Mexico, in September 1986. Two 500-ml samples were taken from pools with water at 45 degrees C and 46 degrees C and concentrated at 2,000 g for 15 min. The sediment was seeded on nonnutritive agar plates and incubated at 42 degrees C. The isolates were axenized in bactocasitone-serum medium. The identification of the isolates was based on their morphology, total protein and isoenzyme patterns by agarose isoelectric focusing, serology, fine structure, agglutination with Concanavalin A, sensitivity to trimethoprim, capacity to kill mice, and their cytopathic effect in Vero cells. The results showed several morphophysiological, biochemical and serological differences between the isolates and the type strain Aq/9/1/45D of Naegleria lovaniensis. These remarkable differences provide sufficient evidence to consider one of the isolates a new subspecies, and the other one a morphological variant of N. l. lovaniensis, which can be differentiated from other Naegleriae by their morphology, biochemistry, serology and physiology. The authors propose the name tarasca for the subspecies and purepecha for the morphological variant.
Assuntos
Naegleria/classificação , Amebíase/patologia , Animais , Eletroforese/métodos , Flagelos , Imunofluorescência , Imunodifusão , México , Camundongos , Naegleria/efeitos dos fármacos , Naegleria/isolamento & purificação , Naegleria/patogenicidade , Naegleria/ultraestrutura , Especificidade da Espécie , Trimetoprima/farmacologia , Células VeroRESUMO
Three fluorometric beta-glucosidase assays were compared for their ability to identify Gaucher's disease heterozygotes, using leukocytes as the source of enzyme: the pH 5.5-taurocholate assay of Peters et al.; the conduritol B epoxide dependent variation of that assay; and the newly developed method described herein. While the first two procedures utilize the standard substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside to estimate beta-glucosidase activity, the new assay uses 4-heptylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside as (C7UGlc) substrate. Use of this substrate enhances the specificity of the method for lysosomal glucocerebrosidase, thereby minimizing the contribution of the nonspecific cytosolic beta-glucosidase to estimates of substrate hydrolysis. Using Student's t test for the three assays examined, the C7UGlc assay procedure was determined to have the lowest p value (p less than 0.001) and highest t value (t = 4.95) for the discrimination between the mean glucocerebrosidase value of control and obligate Gaucher heterozygote samples. The high reliability and simplicity of the C7UGlc assay lends adequate reason to favor this assay for regular clinical diagnosis of Gaucher heterozygotes.
Assuntos
Doença de Gaucher/genética , Triagem de Portadores Genéticos/métodos , Umbeliferonas , Encéfalo/enzimologia , Glucosilceramidase/metabolismo , Humanos , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Hidrólise , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Inositol/análogos & derivados , Leucócitos/enzimologia , Fígado/enzimologia , Placenta/enzimologia , Ácido Taurocólico , beta-Glucosidase/sangueRESUMO
Considerable amounts (200 units/ml) of neuraminidase activity were detected in middle ear effusion of children (age 1 month-10 years) and its presence was highly correlated with the presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. When isolates of this organism are cultured, neuraminidase activity appears in the growth medium during the exponential phase of growth. In order to study the role of this enzyme in the pathology of otitis media we have developed a method for its purification. The enzyme was purified over 5,800-fold by removing the organism and passing the culture broth through a series of affinity and ion-exchange columns. The overall yield was 2 mg enzyme protein and the final specific activity was 1.8 X 10(6) units/mg protein. A molecular weight of 65,000 was estimated by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration chromatography. The Stokes radius of neuraminidase was calculated to be 32 A, its isoelectric point was 7.2, and its pH optimum was 6.0. In terms of specificity, the enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of sialic acid linkages in mucin, glycoproteins, and gangliosides: bovine submaxillary mucin supported the highest catalytic efficiency, and alpha-1-antitrypsin the lowest. Neuraminidase acted on at least three linkage classes of substrates, alpha-2,6 and alpha-2,3 linkages of N-acetylneuraminic acid to galactose, and alpha-2,6 linkages to N-acetyl-galactosamine.