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The effects of intramammary dry cow therapy based on the administration of 5% Melaleuca alternifolia tea tree essential oil (TTO) as an internal teat sealant to Murrah cows were evaluated. A longitudinal prospective and retrospective negative control study was performed using 12 buffaloes from a total of 20 Murrah buffaloes on an organic farm, with the cow used as a control for herself. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for treatments with pure oil (TTO) and medication containing 5% TTO (O5) were determined. The buffaloes were clinically examined, and the teats were evaluated using thermography and ultrasound. Udder health was monitored during the first 100 days in milk (DIM) using milk somatic cell count (SCC) and California mastitis test (CMT). Laboratory tests against standard strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC®25,923™, Escherichia coli ATCC®25,922™, and wild bacterial strains showed maximum MIC values of 50 µL/mL for the TTO and O5 treatments. One wild-type S. aureus strain showed no MBC. No adverse effects were observed after the intramammary application of TTO. The CMT and SCC values were similar (P > 0.05) for all observations. The medication containing 5% TTO was effective in vitro and compatible with the intramammary tissue in vivo of Murrah buffaloes. TTO was safe, not inducing inflammatory processes or other modifications of the teat detectable by thermography or ultrasound. It was able to protect buffaloes during the dry period under field conditions, demonstrating potential use as a teat sealant for organic farms.

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BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepines (BZDs), the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs with anxiolytic action, may cause hyposalivation. It has been previously shown that BZDs can cause hypertrophy and decrease the acini cell number. In this study, we investigated the effects of BZDs and pilocarpine on rat parotid glands, specifically on acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells. METHODS: Ninety male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups. Control groups received a saline solution for 30 days (C30) and 60 days (C60), and pilocarpine (PILO) for 60 days. Experimental groups received lorazepam (L30) and midazolam (M30) for 30 days. Another group (LS60 or MS60) received lorazepam or midazolam for 30 days, respectively, and saline for additional 30 days. Finally, other groups (LP60 or MP60) received either lorazepam or midazolam for 30 days, respectively, and pilocarpine for additional 30 days. The expression of calponin in myoepithelial cells and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in acinar and ductal cells were evaluated. RESULTS: Animals treated with lorazepam showed an increase in the number of positive staining cells for calponin as compared to control animals (p < 0.05). Midazolam administered with pilocarpine (MP60) induced an increase in the proliferation of acinar and ductal cells and a decrease in the positive staining cells for calponin as compared to midazolam administered with saline (MS60). CONCLUSION: We found that myoepithelial cells might be more sensitive to the effects of BZD than acinar and ductal cells in rat parotid glands.

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Antifungal drugs belong to few chemical groups and such low diversity limits the therapeutic choices. The urgent need of innovative options has pushed researchers to search new bioactive molecules. Literature regarding the last 15 years reveals that different research groups have used different approaches to achieve such goal. However, the discovery of molecules with different mechanisms of action still demands considerable time and efforts. This review was conceived to present how Pharmaceutical Biotechnology might contribute to the discovery of molecules with antifungal properties by microbial biotransformation procedures. Authors present some aspects of (1) microbial biotransformation of herbal medicines and food; (2) possibility of major and minor molecular amendments in existing molecules by biocatalysis; (3) methodological improvements in processes involving whole cells and immobilized enzymes; (4) potential of endophytic fungi to produce antimicrobials by bioconversions; and (5) in silico research driving to the improvement of molecules. All these issues belong to a new conception of transformation procedures, so-called "green chemistry," which aims the highest possible efficiency with reduced production of waste and the smallest environmental impact.

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The phenotypic pressure exerted by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on autochthonous and pathogenic microbiota remains sparsely known. In this study, we investigated if some NSAIDs increment or diminish the secretion of aspartyl-proteases (Sap) by Candida albicans grown under different phenotypes and oxygen availability using a set of SAP knock-out mutants and other set for genes (EFG1 and CPH1) that codify transcription factors involved in filamentation and protease secretion. Pre-conditioned cells were grown under planktonic and biofilm phenotypes, in normoxia and anoxia, in the presence of plasma concentrations of acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac, indomethacin, nimesulide, piroxicam, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. For diclofenac, indomethacin, nimesulide, and piroxicam the secretion rates of Sap by SAP1-6, EFG1, and CPH1 mutants were similar or, even, inferior to parental wild-type strain. This suggests that neither Sap 1-6 isoenzymes nor Efg1/Cph1 pathways may be entirely responsible for protease release when exposed to these NSAIDs. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen enhanced Sap secretion rates in three environmental conditions (normoxic biofilm, normoxic planktonic and anoxic planktonic). In other hand, aspirin seems to reduce the Sap-related pathogenic behavior of candidal biofilms. Modulation of Sap activity may occur according to candidal phenotypic state, oxygen availability, and type of NSAID to which the cells are exposed.

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As espécies de estreptococos do grupo mutans mais predominantemente isoladas de amostras salivares têm sido S. mutans e S. sobrinus. A detecçäo desses microrganismos em escolares de diferentes classes sócio-econômicas e sua relaçäo com a atividade cariogênica dessas populaçöes foi estudada, em correlaçäo com os parâmetros clínicos CPOD, CPOS, ceo e ceos. Duzentos (200) escolares pertencentes a cinco categorias sócio-econômicas foram separados em subgrupos de acordo com as espécies de microrganismos identificadas em suas amostras salivares. Do total de crianças analisadas, 103 (51,0 por cento) apresentaram apenas S. mutans na saliva, 33 (17,0 por cento) a associaçäo S. mutans/ S. sobrinus, e o restante, 64 (32,0 por cento), outras espécies do grupo mutans (individualmente ou em associaçäo). Nos subgrupos S. mutans e S. mutans/S. sobrinus 79,0 por cento (81) e 76,0 por cento (25), respectivamente, apresentavam cárie dentária, sugerindo um alto índice cariogênico. Para os indivíduos colonizados por S. mutans/S. sobrinus e apenas S. mutans, obtiveram-se valores médios de 9,40 e 6,70, respectivamente, para o índice de ceos, sugerindo que a associaçäo S. mutans/S. sobrinus é potencialmente mais cariogênica que a colonizacäo apenas por S. mutans

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Sistematica e o estudo da diversidade dos organismos e suas relacoes, compreendendo classificacao, nomenclatura e identificacao. O termo classificacao ou taxonomia relaciona-se ao arranjo dos organismos em grupos, nomenclatura e a atribuicao de nomes cientificos internacionais corretos aos organismos e identificacao e a inclusao de linhagens desconhecidas em grupos derivados da classificacao. Portanto, a classificacao requer previamente, uma nomenclatura estavel e uma perfeita identificacao. O limiar da nova era da Sistematica bacteriana, pode ser atribuido a introducao e aplicacao dos novos conceitos taxonomicos, a partir das decadas de 1950 e 1960. Progressos taxonomicos foram conseguidos empregando-se recursos de taxonomia numerica e a taxonomia molecular...

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A aplicaçäo de um questionário aos cirurgiöes-dentistas, objetivando conhecer as expectativas desses profissionais em relaçäo a testes que indicam atividade cariogênica e sua aplicaçäo na clínica como rotina, demonstrou-se, primeiramente, que tais profissionais possuem uma idéia satisfatória sobre o conceito de risco à cárie. Os profissionais mostraram estar cientificamente informados a respeito, revelando um conhecimento suficiente acerca de contagens de S. mutans e Lactobacillus associados a testes bioquímicos de secreçäo salivar e capacidade tampäo como parâmetro de avaliaçäo clínica complementar. Apesar de acreditarem na possibilidade de aplicar tais testes na sua própria clínica, a maioria deles sugere que sejam realizados em local específico, como na universidade ou em laboratório clínico particular. Parte desses profissionais considerou que tais testes näo säo de fácil realizaçäo rotineiramente, necessitando de condiçöes especiais e apropriados para a sua execuçäo. A maioria manifestou-se a favor da adoçäo desses testes como rotina em suas clínicas particulares ou instituiçöes de trabalho, considerando-se muito importantes para a obtençäo de dados preliminares e auxílio ao diagnóstico clínico, principalmente se houver a possibilidade de serem enviadas amostras (saliva) de seus pacientes para análise em local específico. Enfatizam a necessidade de que sejam contornados os problemas característicos de tal atividade, facilitando a sua aplicabilidade

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