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Trichilia catigua is a tree known as ���catuaba���, widely distributed in Brazil. Studies carried out with T. catigua barks suggest that plant has antidepressant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, and preventive against brain damage. The aim of this work was to isolate and characterise compounds from the semipurified fraction of T. catigua barks, and to conduct microbiological screening against bacteria and fungi. The crude extract (CE) of ���catuaba��� was produced by turbo extraction with acetone-water, and later, partitioned to yield ethyl-acetate (EAF) and aqueous (AqF) fractions. From AqF the new catechin-3-O-��-L-rhamnoside-(4�����8)-epicatechin was isolated, identified, and described here for the first time. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the extracts presented impressive results, mainly for Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) with MIC of 156.5 ��g/mL. The results suggest that extract of T. catigua could potentially be used as an adjuvant to treatment and is a promising candidate for the development of new antimicrobial drugs.

In vitro activity of the essential oil from Piper diospyrifolium leaves was tested using disk diffusion techniques. The antifungal assay showed significant potencial antifungal activity: the oil was effective against several clinical fungal strains. The majority compounds in the essential oil were identified as sesquiterpenoids by GC-MS and GC-FID techniques.

Ethanolic crude extracts from the roots of Chaptalia nutans, traditionally used in Brazilian folk medicine, were screened against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using the disk diffusion test technique. S. aureus with 14 mm inhibition zone was considered susceptible. E. coli and P. aeruginosa without such a zone were considered resistant. As a result of this finding, the ethanolic crude extract was fractionated on silica gel column chromatography into five fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction was active against S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Further column chromatography separation of the ethyl acetate fraction afforded 30 fractions, which were assayed against S. aureus. Fractions 16 and 17 showed inhibition zones with S. aureus, indicating the presence of active compounds, and were subjected to purification by repeated preparative thin layer chromatography. The pure compound 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-nutanocoumarin inhibited B. subtilis and S. aureus at concentrations of 62.5 µg/ml and 125 µg/ml, respectively. The antibacterial property of C. nutans appears to have justified its use for the treatment of wounds, which are contaminated through bacterial infections.

The essential oil obtained from the leaves of Piper amalago L. by hydrodistillation was analyzed by CG-MS. The yield essential oil from fresh plant material was 0.1%. The main compounds found were β-copaen-4-α-ol (26 %), 7-epi-α-eudesmol (21.84 %), epi-α-cadinol (12.70 %), and n-hexyl-benzoate (12.29 %). The essential oil demonstrated antifungal activity against nine Candida strains, as shown using the agar-diffusion method., Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

The high incidence of diarrhea in the population demands a search for new therapeutic options and easy access, mainly from plant-based sources. Leaves and bark of Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (Sterculiaceae) are popularly employed against diarrhea. However, no information was found in the literature about this supposed property of the drug. In this study we evaluated in vivo antidiarrheal activity of stem bark extracts from G. ulmifolia in mice, and in vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella sp., Shigella flexneri, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using the microdilution method. The n-BuOH semipurified fraction (GU#3) significantly reduced intestinal motility. The extracts did not show antimicrobial activity. G. ulmifolia Lam. had non-specific antidiarrheal, and antimotility activity in the experimental models studied, and could be used as an alternative treatment for non-infectious diarrhea., Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

The wastewater from academical chemical laboratories is generally composed of organic matter and a wide range of chemicals and heavy metals, being one of the most difficult wastewaters for treating. The treatment consisted of hydroxide precipitation and of a biological treatment using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Each cycle of the SBR system was operated for 24h with FILL/REACT, SETTLE and DRAW/IDLE periods in the ratio of 20:3.5:0.5. The reactor was fed with a mixture of domestic and laboratory wastewaters to minimize the inhibitory effect of laboratory wastewater on the microorganisms bioactivity. Kinetic studies conducted for the FILL/REACT and SETTLE periods showed that the effluent has difficult biodegradability, reaching a COD reduction of 11%. O efluente gerado em laboratórios acadêmicos de análises químicas é composto, de maneira geral, por matéria orgânica e uma grande variedade de resíduos químicos e metais pesados e consiste em um dos mais difíceis de serem tratados. O método de tratamento empregado consistia na precipitação com hidróxido e tratamento biológico em reator batelada seqüencial (RBS). Cada ciclo do sistema RBS foi operado por um período de 24h com as etapas de ENCHIMENTO/REAÇÃO, SEDIMENTAÇÃO e RETIRADA/REPOUSO na razão 20:3,5:0,5. O reator foi alimentado com uma mistura de efluente doméstico e efluente de laboratório a fim de minimizar o efeito inibitório do efluente de laboratório na bio-atividade dos microrganismos. Estudos cinéticos conduzidos para as etapas de ENCHIMENTO/REAÇÃO e SEDIMENTAÇÃO mostraram que o efluente é de difícil biodegradabilidade, alcançando uma redução de DQO de 11%.

In this work polymeric membranes were produced seeking the drinkableness of waters contaminated by the Escherichia coli bacteria removal. This bacterium was chosen because it is commonly found in polluted water and its control indicated by the Ministry of Health. The process for preparing the membranes was the Phase Inversion and the membranes were prepared from a polymeric solution using either the polysulfone (PSF) or poly(vililidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymers and as solvent N,N-dimethylformamide, in accordance with a factorial planning 23. Samples of deionized water were contaminated with bacterial mass (E.coli) around 107-108 CFU (colony unit formation) for ml, being this quite high bacterial load and of very difficult removal. The results show an E.coli removal above 95%, with a permeated flux around 300 kg/h.m2 Neste trabalho membranas poliméricas foram fabricadas visando a potabilidade de águas pela remoção da bactéria Escherichia coli. A escolha desta bactéria deveu-se por esta ser comumente encontrada em águas contaminadas e seu controle indicado pelo Ministério de Saúde. O processo para o preparo das membranas foi a Inversão de Fase e as membranas foram preparadas a partir de uma solução polimérica usando ora o polímero polisulfona (PSF) ora o fluoreto de polivililideno (PVDF) e como solvente, o N,N-dimetilformamida, seguindo um planejamento fatorial 23. Amostras de água deionizada foram contaminadas com uma massa bacteriana (E.coli) em torno de 107-108 UFC (unidade formadora de colônias) por ml, sendo esta uma carga bacteriana bastante elevada e de difícil remoção. Os resultados mostram uma remoção da E.coli acima de 95%, com fluxos permeados em torno de 300 kg/h.m2

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), there is a strong relationship between bladder, colon and rectal cancer and the ingestion of water treated with trihalomethanes (THM) present. These compounds are carcinogens to laboratory animals (Singer, 1993) in certain concentrations. The objective of this work is the study of the THM formation in the water treatment plant in order to verify the THM levels reached, as well as the behavior of THM formation based in the minimum and maximum quantities of organic matter present in the in-natura water. Results obtained for two distinct periods (rainy and dry) have demonstrated that the THM concentrations found during the rainy period were much higher than those found during the dry period Segundo a Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos (USEPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency) existe uma forte relação entre o câncer de bexiga, cólon e reto e a ingestão de água potável contendo trialometanos (TAMs). Estes compostos, em determinadas concentrações, são comprovadamente carcinogênicos para animais de laboratório (Singer, 1993). Como parte de um amplo estudo, que abrange desde a estação de tratamento de água passando pela rede de distribuição e finalizando nos reservatórios domiciliares, este trabalho tem como objetivo o estudo da formação de trialometanos na estação de tratamento, para verificar os níveis formados, bem como estudar a relação entre a quantidade de trialometanos com as quantidades de matéria orgânica ao longo de todo o processo. Estudos e análises foram realizados para dois períodos distintos: um período de estiagem e um período chuvoso. Os valores de trialometanos encontrados no período chuvoso foram bem maiores do que os encontrados para o período de estiagem

The known oxadiazoles 3,5-bis-(phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (3a); the 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole (3b); and the new 3,5-diphenylchlorinated-1,2,4-oxadiazoles 3c-e were synthesized from the reaction of benzamidoximes with an appropriated acid chloride and cyclisation of the resulting O-acylbenzamidoxime intermediate. The compounds synthesized were characterized on the basis of their IR, NMR (1D and 2D) and mass spectral data. Compounds 3a-e were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity and for their toxicity towards brine shrimp (Artemia salina Leach). Os oxadiazóis 3,5-bis-(fenil)-1,2,4-oxadiazol (3a) e 3-(4-clorofenil)-5-fenil-1,2,4-oxadiazol (3b), já descritos na literatura, e, os 1,2,4-oxadiazóis-3,5-fenilclorados inéditos 3c-e, foram sintetizados pela reação de bezamidoximas com um cloreto de ácido apropriado, seguido da ciclização do intermediário O-acilíco resultante. Os compostos obtidos foram caracterizados com base nas análises dos dados espectroscópicos de IV, EM e RMN (uni- e bidimensionais). Os compostos 3a-e foram submetidos a bioensaios para avaliação de atividade antimicrobiana e, de toxicidade frente ao microcrustáceo Artemia salina Leach

Chemical studies of the leaves of L. divaricata afforded 3beta-p-hydroxybenzoyl-tormentic acid, a triterpene with an ursene-type skeleton, a mixture whose main compound was an oleanene derivative, the maslinic acid, a C-glycoside flavone, vitexin and glucopyranosylsitosterol. A flavonoid, characterized as (-)-epicatechin, which belongs to the flavan-3-ol class, was isolated from the stem's bark. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The antibacterial, antifungal and antiproliferative activities of the crude methanolic extracts of leaves and bark were evaluated and the antibacterial properties of the fractions of the barks were also investigated.

This study describes the screening of extracts obtained from 19 species of plants used in Brazilian traditional medicine for treatment of a variety of diseases. The extracts were tested against axenic amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis, and epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, and Tanacetum vulgare showed significant effects against one or both parasites, with a percentage of growth inhibition between 49.5 and 99%. The extracts showed no cytotoxic effect on sheep erythrocytes. These medicinal plants may be sources of new compounds that are clinically active against L. amazonensis and T. cruzi. Este estudo descreve a triagem de extratos obtidos de 19 espécies de plantas usadas na medicina tradicional brasileira para o tratamento de várias doenças. Os extratos foram testados contra formas amastigota axênica e promastigota de Leishmania (L.) amazonensis, e formas epimastigota de Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro na concentração de 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, e Tanacetum vulgare apresentaram efeito significante contra um ou ambos parasitas, com a porcentagem de inibição de crescimento entre 49,5 e 99%. Os extratos não mostraram efeito citotóxico em hemácias de carneiro. Essas plantas medicinais podem ser fontes alternativas de novos compostos clinicamente ativos contra L. amazonensis e T. cruzi.

Chemical investigation of the leaves of Alchornea glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae) afforded a mixture of b-sitosterol and stigmasterol, the terpenoid loliolide, the guanidine alkaloid N-1,N-2,N-3-triisopentenylguanidine and the phenolic compound corilagin. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The antimicrobial and antiproliferative properties of the crude methanolic extract of the leaves and of fractions from its fractionation, were investigated against a series of bacteria and fungi, as well as against four human cancer cell lines.