Effects of Ixanthus viscosus extracts on the central nervous system.
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Analgesics↗
Biomedical subjects
L Bravo
Publications and source records attributed to L Bravo.
Possible common properties of dietary fibre constituents and polyphenols.
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Animals↗
[New species of Aeromonas isolated in Cuba].
One hundred and fifty-five strains of Aeromonas isolated in the stools of children under 5 years presenting with acute diarrheal disease were studied. Using the Aerokey II system for the identification of species, 47 strains were identified as Aeromonas caviae, 58 as Aeromonas hydrophila, 23 as Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria, 14 as Aeromonas trota, 9 as Aeromonas veronii biovar veronii, 2 as Aeromonas jandaei and 2 as Aeromonas shubertii, Emphasis is placed on the advantages of this method which allowed for the classification of new species not identified previously in our country.
Acute Disease↗
Detection of the Vibrio cholerae heat-stable enterotoxin gene by polymerase chain reaction.
A polymerase chain reaction assay was developed for detection of the Vibrio cholerae heat-stable enterotoxin gene (sto). The assay is based on two oligonucleotide primers suitable for amplification of the entire sto open reading frame. Reaction conditions were defined to obtain optimal results in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Under these conditions the assay was highly sensitive and enabled good results to be obtained using, as a template, crude DNA preparations from single bacterial colonies. A rapid protocol for direct sequence analysis of the amplification product, which may be used in combination with the PCR assay to confirm the product identity and analyse sequence polymorphisms within the sto gene, was also developed. Twenty-two V. cholerae non-O1 isolates from sporadic cases of V. cholerae non-O1-associated gastroenteritis from Cuba were analysed by this PCR assay. Four strains (18.2%) were found to carry the sto gene. The prevalence of V. cholerae non-O1 strains carrying the sto gene among clinical isolates is higher than that reported for other geographical areas, except in the case of epidemics.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Degradation of polyphenols (catechin and tannic acid) in the rat intestinal tract. Effect on colonic fermentation and faecal output.
Low- and intermediate-molecular-weight polyphenols are usually extracted by using different solvents (e.g. water, methanol, aqueous acetone). The aim of the present work was to study the possible effects of some extractable polyphenols (EPP) on fat and protein digestibilities and on the colonic microflora. Degradability of these compounds through the intestinal tract was also studied. Catechin and tannic acid (TA) were chosen as representatives of the most common basic structures of EPP (flavonoids and gallic acid respectively). Three groups of eight male Wistar rats were given either a control diet free of EPP, or diets containing 20 g/kg dry matter of catechin and TA. Body-weight and food intake were monitored during a 3-week experimental period. Faeces and urine were collected daily during the third experimental week. EPP and fat were determined in faeces, and N in both urine and faeces. Only 3.1 and 4.6% of the ingested catechin and TA respectively were excreted in faeces, indicating that absorption and/or degradation of these EPP had occurred. HPLC analysis of the polyphenolic content of faeces showed qualitative differences between groups. A significant increase of total faecal weight as well as water, fat and N excretion was produced by TA. Catechin only caused an increase in fat excretion. In vitro fermentation assays were also performed to study the effect of EPP on the colonic microflora. Both catechin and TA affected the yield of end-products of fermentation, and were also degraded during the fermentation process.
Animals↗
[Ampicillin resistance mediated by the R plasmid in strains of Shigella flexneri].
Forty Shigella flexneri strains isolated from children attended to at the Children's Hospital of Camagüey during an outbreak of acute diarrheal disease were studied; the minimal inhibitory concentration of ampicillin was determined. 33 strains (82.5%) were resistant to higher concentrations: 8 to 16 micrograms/mL, and 7 were susceptible to 4 micrograms/mL concentrations. Resistance plasmid (R) extraction was carried out in all the isolated strains and a common plasmid was found this plasmid was purified and transferred to Escherichia coli HE 101. Resistance transmission was tested.
Ampicillin Resistance↗
Gastroprotective effect of zinc acexamate against damage induced by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. A morphological study.
The gastroprotective effect of zinc acexamate against gastric damage induced by different nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (indomethacin, diclofenac, and piroxicam) was morphologically assessed in the rat glandular stomach by light and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the capability of these antiinflammatory drugs to inhibit gastric prostaglandin E2 production was compared with their ability to induce gastric lesions. Microscopically, disappearance of mucus glycoprotein and exfoliation of the mucosal surface were the most common findings. Surface ultrastructural lesions varied from minimal lesions of the surface epithelial cells to deep erosions of the gastric mucosa with release of associated cellular elements and sloughing of the denuded lamina propria. Diclofenac elicited the most powerful inhibitory activity on mucosal prostaglandin E2 (98% inhibition vs control), closely followed by piroxicam (97.8%) and indomethacin (91.05%). Pretreatment of animals with zinc acexamate significantly increased the presence of mucus glycoprotein, maintained the continuity of the surface epithelial cells, and decreased the depth of the mucosal erosions. The degree of protection exerted by zinc acexamate varied with the antiinflammatory, but was always evident.
Aminocaproates↗
El fenómeno suicida en cepas de Aeromonas mesófilas aisladas de muestras clínicas [The suicide phenomenon in strains of mesophilic Aeromonas isolated from clinical specimens].
A study was carried out to determine the occurrence of the suicide phenomenon in Aeromonas spp strains, isolated from clinical samples, and to establish its relationship with the clinical manifestations of diarrheal diseases. 23 strains were studied: 10, of Aeromonas sobria; 7, of Aeromonas hydrophila; and 6, of Aeromonas caviae. All suicidal strains were isolated from patients with acute diarrheal disease. 3 out of 8, isolated from non-diarrheic feces, showed an intermediate phenotypic profile. Various growth patterns associated to the suicide phenomenon were reported.
Acute Disease↗
[Protection by zinc acexamate against gastric lesions induced by non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents].
The ability of different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac, indomethacin, ketoprofen, naproxen and piroxicam) to inhibit gastric prostaglandin E2 production in the rat was compared with their damaging potential on gastric mucosa. The influence of treatment with zinc acexamate (ZAC) on these two parameters was also determined. ZAC treatment significantly decreased the degree of gastric damage elicited by all the antiinflammatories tested. The experimental data confirm the complexity of the gastrolesive effect exerted by anti-inflammatory drugs and that only part of such effect would be related with their inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. These results indicate that the gastroprotection of ZAC does not exclusively depend on the effect on the synthesis of prostaglandins by the gastric mucosa, yet it can additionally be exerted through alternative mechanisms.
Aminocaproates↗
Synthesis and preliminary pharmacological study of thiophene analogues of the antipyretic and analgesic agent ethenzamide.
A preliminary pharmacological study of a thiophene analogue 1b of the analgesic and antipyretic agent Ethenzamide and of a closely related compound 1a showed that a great similarity exists among Ethenzamide and the thiophenic compounds for analgesic, antipyretic, ulcerogenic, hypothermic, and sedative effects. However, the acute toxicity in mice for the thiophenic compounds is notably higher than that of Ethenzamide.
Analgesics↗
Effects of dietary fibre and tannins from apple pulp on the composition of faeces in rats.
The present study was undertaken to explore the effect of apple pulp on weight and composition of faeces. This material is rich in dietary fibre (DF; 620 g dry matter/kg) and contains appreciable amounts of polyphenols. Recent reports indicate that both condensed tannins (CT) and soluble polyphenols form cross-links with protein and inhibit digestive enzymes, affecting the protein digestibility, and may produce a stimulation of endogenous nitrogen excretion. Two groups of male Wistar rats were fed on either a control diet free of DF or a diet containing 100 g apple pulp DF/kg during 7 d after a 4 d adaptation period. Body-weight and food intake were monitored daily and faeces and urine were collected once daily. DF, water content and polyphenolic compounds were measured in faeces, and N content in both faeces and urine. Faecal weight increased in the fibre group by 280 and 240% when compared with wet and dry faecal weights of animals fed on the fibre-free diet. Soluble dietary fibre (SDF) excreted in faeces was 10.9% of the SDF ingested, which suggested a low resistance to fermentation of this fraction. Of the insoluble DF, 43% of the ingested fibre was fermented. Polyphenols were degraded in the intestinal tract. Of the ingested CT, 68.6% was recovered in faeces, while the soluble polyphenols were extensively degraded (85.7% of that ingested). On the other hand, a higher faecal N excretion was observed for the fibre-fed group, suggesting a decrease in the digestibility of the dietary protein and lower apparent digestibility of the dietary protein and lower apparent digestibility and N balance indices.
Animals↗
Formation of resistant starch in deproteinized and non-deproteinized beans.
Resistant starch (RS) was determined in deproteinized and non-deproteinized whole and milled beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) after cooking and freezing. The highest RS values were obtained in the whole bean preparations (3.7-8.7%). Milled and milled and deproteinized beans presented lower RS contents (1.64% and 0.91%, respectively). The results suggest that the presence of protein and the particle size are the main factors affecting the formation of RS.
Dietary Fiber↗
Neuroleptic activity of 10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-thieno[3,2-b] [1,5]benzoxazepine and benzothiazepine derivatives.
Two series of compounds, structurally related to clozapine (CAS 5786-21-0), were tested for their neuroleptic activity. The derivatives 7-chloro-10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-thieno[3,2-b][1,5]benzoxazepine and 7-chloro-10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-thieno[3,2-b][1,5]benzothiazepine at high doses were not cataleptogenic and only very weakly antagonized the amphetamine-or apomorphine-induced stereotyped behaviour in the rat, whereas at low doses they antagonized the amphetamine-induced hypermotility in mice. Thus these compounds might be efficient neuroleptics with little propensity to cause extrapyramidal side effects. On the other hand, the unsubstituted compound 10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-thieno[3,2-b][1,5]benzothiazepine appeared to be an efficient neuroleptic agent with a greater propensity to cause these side effects.
Animals↗
Effect of zinc acexamate on gastric lesions induced by aspirin: a morphological study.
The morphology of gastric lesions induced by aspirin in the rat and their modification by pretreatment with zinc acexamate (100 mg/kg) were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The influence of mucosal levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the development of these lesions was also investigated. High (200 mg/kg) or low (50 mg/kg) doses of aspirin inhibited PGE2 production similarly, but the morphology of these lesions differed considerably. While gross exfoliation of extensive areas of gastric mucosa was observed after 200 mg/kg aspirin, only ultrastructural lesions of surface epithelial cells were present after 50 mg/kg aspirin. Regardless of the dose of aspirin administered, pretreatment with zinc acexamate raised PGE2 levels and increased the presence of mucus. Our results showed that after zinc acexamate, the development of deep erosions appearing with high doses of aspirin was prevented and the ultrastructural lesions induced by low doses of aspirin were not observed. The fact that zinc acexamate did not modify the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin in the carrageenin-induced oedema model suggests that the protective effect of zinc acexamate is exerted locally on the gastric mucosa.
Aminocaproates↗
Cytostatic and antibacterial activity of some compounds isolated from several lamiaceae species from the canary islands.
A chemotherapeutic study has been carried out on thirteen products Eeleven diterpenes, one lignan, (+)-sesamin, and a coumarin, siderin] isolated from SALVIA and SIDERITIS species considered endemic to the Canarian flora. The data obtained suggest that some diterpenoid compounds show an interesting cytostatic activity, specially galdosol ( 6) with an ID (50) value of 0.5 microg/ml. These compounds also evidence a moderate antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria.
Journal Article↗
New contribution to the ethnopharmacological study of the Canary Islands.
We present in this paper a report of 155 species used for medicinal purpose in the Canary Islands. These species have been compiled in 13 tables in accordance with their main medicinal use, indicating also other possible popular uses. We have made a short inventory of the rates of the most important medicinal applications. This new compilation shows once more the traditional use of the phytotherapeutic resources by the Canary population and also the wide possibilities of the phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of the Canary Islands Flora.
Atlantic Islands↗
Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of thiophene analogs of lotucaine.
The syntheses of the three possible thiophene analogs of lotucaine, and of other structurally related derivatives, are described. Preliminary data on their local anesthetic as well as antiplatelet aggregation activities are given.
Anesthetics, Local↗
Contribution to the ethnopharmacological study of the Canary Islands.
A large amount of ethnobotanical data of almost 200 botanical species used for medicinal purposes in the Canary Islands is presented. We are endeavouring to avoid the definitive loss of the islands' phytotherapeutic heritage, in view of the rapid social changes taking place over the last few years and hope that this work may serve to promote further pharmacological research that may confirm, scientifically and experimentally, the information presented here. A brief description of the geographical, botanical and historical circumstances is included. The species listed have been classified according to a basically therapeutical criterion.
Analgesics↗