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Quipá (Tacinga inamoena) is a plant native to Northwestern Brazil which contains valuable minerals in its composition that are of great interest to the scientific community. The purpose of this study was to assess the physicochemical, antioxidant, sensory and microbiological properties of a quipá-based gelatinous sweet. The jelly presented a high concentration of carbohydrates and soluble fibers, being free of microbiological contamination, a good sensorial acceptance, and was therapeutic in terms of antioxidant effects. Due to its ability to chelate copper and ferric ions, the jelly was also responsible for an 80% reduction in DPPH and a preventative activity against oxidative damage. This product contains a high amount of active ingredients, such as phenolic compounds, which have biological benefits effects in disease prevention and health promotion. The quipá jelly provides benefits, functional properties, and advantages, which may be of interest to the industrial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indiscriminate use of oral ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) doses induces significant oxidative damage to health. However, carotene-rich foods such as buriti oil can help the endogenous antioxidant defense and still maintain other body functions. This study aimed to assess the effects of buriti oil intake in iron-overloaded rats by FeSO4 administration. Buriti oil has β-carotene (787.05 mg/kg), α-tocopherol (689.02 mg/kg), and a predominance of monounsaturated fatty acids (91.30 g/100 g). Wistar rats (n = 32) were subdivided into two control groups that were fed a diet containing either soybean or buriti oil; and two groups which received a high daily oral dose of FeSO4 (60 mg/kg body weight) and fed a diet containing either soybean (SFe) or buriti oil (Bfe). The somatic and hematological parameters, serum lipids, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined after 17 days of iron overload. Somatic parameters were similar among groups. BFe showed a decrease in low-density lipoprotein (38.43%) and hemoglobin (7.51%); an increase in monocytes (50.98%), SOD activity in serum (87.16%), and liver (645.50%) hepatic GPx (1017.82%); and maintained serum GPx compared to SFe. Buriti oil showed systemic and hepatic antioxidant protection in iron-overloaded rats, which may be related to its high carotenoid, tocopherol, and fatty acid profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian plant biodiversity is a rich alternative source of bioactive compounds since plant-derived extracts and/or their secondary metabolites exhibit potential properties to treat several diseases. In this context, Licania rigida Benth (Chrysobalanaceae Family), a large evergreen tree distributed in Brazilian semi-arid regions, deserves attention for its widespread use in popular medicine, although its biological properties are still poorly studied. The aim of this study was to examine (1) acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity at 2000 mg/kg dose; (2) in vitro cytotoxicity at 0.1; 1; 10; 100 or 1000 µg/ml; (3) in vivo mutagenicity at 5, 10 or 20 mg/ml, and (4) potential antioxidant protective effect of L. rigida aqueous leaf extract of (AELr). No marked apparent toxic and genotoxic effects were observed using in vitro and in vivo assays after in vitro treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO-K1) with AELr or in vivo exposure of Wistar rats and Drosophila melanogaster to different extract concentrations. Concerning the antioxidant effect, the extract exhibited a protective effect by decreasing lipid peroxidation as determined by malondialdehyde levels. No significant changes were observed for glutathione (GSH) levels and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Data demonstrate the beneficial potential of AELr to be employed for therapeutic purposes. However, further studies are required to validate the pharmacological application of this plant extract to develop as a phytotherapeutic formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of abnormal nutritional status has increased in children and adolescents. Nutritional assessment is important for monitoring the health and nutritional status. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) combines changes in tissue hydration and structure and body composition that can be assessed. Objectives: The objective of this study was to use BIVA to evaluate nutritional status in 60 prepubertal children, aged between 8 and 9 years, supplemented with zinc, to detect possible changes in body composition. Design: We performed a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. The children were divided into the control group (CG; sorbitol 10%, n=29) or the experimental group (EG; 10 mg Zn/day, n=31), and the duration of the experiment was 3 months. Anthropometric assessments were performed for all of the children. Results: The body mass index-for-age increased after oral zinc supplementation in the EG (p=0.005). BIVA indicated that the CG demonstrated a tendency for dehydration and decreased soft tissue and the EG demonstrated a tendency for increased soft tissue, primarily the fat-free mass. After analyses of BIVA ellipses, we observed that this method could detect improvements in body composition in healthy children supplemented with zinc. Conclusions: These results suggest that BIVA could be an auxiliary method for studying a small population undergoing zinc intervention [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To apprehend the social representations of Portuguese nurses regarding the stress that they experience in emergency care. Method: This research was based on the Social Representations Theory. Through the use of the free recall technique, used on a sample of 80 nurses, it was possible to identify the probable central and peripheral elements of the social representations from the semantic universe of the inductive terminology stress. The answers collected were analyzed using the EVOC software. Results: The EVOC analysis permitted clarification of the links between the categories, and to visualize the structural aspect of the representations. Discussion: Nurses regard stress in emergency care as harmful to their health, indicated by such words as “overload”, “work” and “search” being mentioned more frequently and considered more important by the respondents. Conclusion: The study of the elements of social representation of these workers needs to be taken to a greater depth. This complementation is very important in order to better understand and describe the social representations from the stress experienced by nurses in emergency care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Discusses information on water-holding bromeliads, which serves as a resource for gecko lizards, found in restinga habitats in Northeastern Brazil. Importance of restinga bromeliads' phytotelm or water-holding tank to the plant's survival; Interest of ecological engineers in phytotelm bromeliads; Importance of phytotelm bromeliads to geckos; Species of gekkos found in the area.

Focuses on the role of phytotelm bromeliads as a keystone resource for the conservation of the scorpion Tityus neglectus in eastern Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Description of the morphological characteristics of the scorpion.

The parameters derived from bioelectrical impedance, phase angle (PA) and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) have been associated with cell membrane integrity and body cell mass. Zinc is a micronutrient that exerts important structural functions and acts in maintaining cellular functionality. To evaluate cell integrity and body cell mass, PA and BIVA were evaluated in children orally supplemented with zinc at different concentrations. Anthropometric, bioelectrical (resistance and reactance) and serum zinc variables were collected from two randomized, triple-blind, controlled clinical trials. Sampling was composed of 71 children consisting of three groups: a control group who received a placebo and two experimental groups who received oral supplementation of 5 or 10 mg-Zn/day for three months. The three groups presented increases ( p < 0.001) in the linear height and weight. In the group supplemented with 10 mg-Zn/day, there was an increase in reactance values ( p = 0.036) and PA ( p = 0.002), in addition to vector displacement ( p < 0.001) in relation to the confidence ellipses. An increase in serum zinc concentration was found ( p < 0.001) in all three groups. Whit this, the supplementation with 10 mg-Zn/day promotes changes in the integrity of the cell membrane associated with the increase in the cellular mass of healthy children., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: The negative effects of type 1 diabetes (T1D) on growth factors of bone metabolism lead to a reduction in bone mineral density. This study aimed to evaluate the association between bone mineral density and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) expressions in children and adolescents with T1D. Moreover, the influences of age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, glycaemic control and albuminuria on bone mineral density were investigated., Methods: Eighty-six T1D children/adolescents (T1D group) and ninety normoglycaemic controls (normoglycaemic group) were included. T1D patients were analysed as a whole and also in subsets of patients with good glycaemic control (glycated hemoglobin concentration ≤7.5%) and with poor glycaemic control (glycated hemoglobin concentration >7.5%). Bone mineral density was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Glycaemic control, renal function and bone markers were also assessed. IGF1, IGF1R and TGFB1 expressions were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction., Results: Patients with T1D showed low bone mineral density and poor glycaemic control. Serum total calcium and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio were higher in patients with poor glycaemic control compared to those with good glycemic control (p = 0.003 and p = 0.035, respectively). There was a reduction of IGF1, IGF1R and TGFB1 expressions in the T1D patients and in the subset with poor glycaemic control compared to normoglycaemic controls (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The decreased IGF1, IGF1R and TGFB1 expressions in the T1D patients, who presented with T1D at an early age, had been diagnosed with T1D for a longer time, had poor glycaemic control and albuminuria may contribute to low bone mineral density. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: The prevalence of abnormal nutritional status has increased in children and adolescents. Nutritional assessment is important for monitoring the health and nutritional status. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) combines changes in tissue hydration and structure and body composition that can be assessed., Objectives: The objective of this study was to use BIVA to evaluate nutritional status in 60 prepubertal children, aged between 8 and 9 years, supplemented with zinc, to detect possible changes in body composition., Design: We performed a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. The children were divided into the control group (CG; sorbitol 10%, n=29) or the experimental group (EG; 10 mg Zn/day, n=31), and the duration of the experiment was 3 months. Anthropometric assessments were performed for all of the children., Results: The body mass index-for-age increased after oral zinc supplementation in the EG (p=0.005). BIVA indicated that the CG demonstrated a tendency for dehydration and decreased soft tissue and the EG demonstrated a tendency for increased soft tissue, primarily the fat-free mass. After analyses of BIVA ellipses, we observed that this method could detect improvements in body composition in healthy children supplemented with zinc., Conclusions: These results suggest that BIVA could be an auxiliary method for studying a small population undergoing zinc intervention.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to investigate the kinetics of zinc in schoolchildren between the ages of 6 and 9 years, of both sexes, and to verify its sensitivity in detecting alterations in body zinc status., Methods: Nutritional assessment was performed by body mass index. Food intake, venous zinc tolerance test, and zinc kinetics were carried out before and after 3-month oral zinc supplementation., Results: Of the 42 children studied, 76.2% had healthy weight. Only energy, calcium, and fiber intake were suboptimal before and after oral zinc supplementation. Serum zinc and total-body zinc clearance, although at normal levels, increased significantly after zinc supplementation., Conclusion: We concluded, therefore, that kinetics is a sensitive tool for detecting changes in body zinc status, even in children without a deficiency of this mineral. Furthermore, kinetics showed a positive response to supplementation and may be a sensitive parameter for evaluating the efficacy of this therapy.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of oral zinc supplementation in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) on metabolic control and zinc blood concentrations. The sample consisted of 20 patients with T1DM and a control group (n=17). Metabolic control was evaluated by glycemia at fast, 24 h glycosuria, and HbA1c. Zinc concentrations were measured in plasma and erythrocytes. After the first collection of biological material, oral zinc supplementation was initiated and continued for 4 mo in T1MD patients (T1). Daily dosages were established based on Dietary Recommended Intakes (DRIs), considering zinc intake based on data from other studies previously performed with this population. All analyses were repeated after supplementation (T2). Metabolic control was unsatisfactory, with an HbA1c increase at T2. There was no difference in zinc concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes between patients with T1DM and control. Zinc concentrations in plasma were within the normal range in T1MD before and after supplementation and the control. Zinc concentrations in erythrocyte presented lower than normal values for all groups. A zinc increase in erythrocyte after supplementation was observed in T1DM patients, although without statistical significance. More studies are needed to confirm oral zinc supplementation as nutritional management in diabetes.