Plants have been used for thousands of years to flavor and conserve food, to treat health disorders and to prevent diseases including epidemics. The knowledge of their healing properties has been transmitted over the centuries within and among human communities. Active compounds produced during secondary vegetal metabolism are usually responsible for the biological properties of some plant species used throughout the globe for various purposes, including treatment of infectious diseases. Currently, data on the antimicrobial activity of numerous plants, so far considered empirical, have been scientifically confirmed, concomitantly with the increasing number of reports on pathogenic microorganisms resistant to antimicrobials. Products derived from plants may potentially control microbial growth in diverse situations and in the specific case of disease treatment, numerous studies have aimed to describe the chemical composition of these plant antimicrobials and the mechanisms involved in microbial growth inhibition, either separately or associated with conventional antimicrobials. Thus, in the present work, medicinal plants with emphasis on their antimicrobial properties are reviewed.

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/jvatitd/v16n3/a06v16n3.pdf

Biological properties of medicinal plants: a review of their antimicrobial activity

Antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of crude extracts and essential oils from medicinal plants

Este estudo objetivou caracterizar qualitativamente grupos de metabolitos secundarios e alguns constituintes de 9 especies de plantas medicinais nativas do cerrado utilizadas pela comunidade rural do Assentamento Vale Verde, identificando potencialidades biologicas e farmacologicas. As informacoes referentes as plantas de uso medicinal foram obtidas por meio de estudos etnobotânicos e etnofarmacologicos, realizados no periodo de 2010 a 2012. O material botânico coletado foi identificado e depositado no Herbario da Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Porto Nacional (TO). O extrato etanolico e metanolico foi obtido a partir do material seco em estufa, filtrado e concentrado em evaporador rotatorio sob pressao reduzida, pesados e novamente colocados em estufa por 24h a 50oC, obtendo o rendimento (m/m) resultante da relacao entre a massa de extrato concentrado e apos seco. A analise fitoquimica das plantas selecionadas foi feita usando a metodologia da Prospeccao Preliminar, realizando testes para deteccao de alguns constituintes importantes e dos principais grupos de metabolitos: saponinas, fenois e taninos, catequinas, esteroides e triterpenoides, cumarinas, antraquinonas e flavonoides. Os testes foram considerados positivos atraves de reacoes de precipitados com coloracoes, formacoes de espumas e manchas coloridas. Os testes fitoquimicos realizados nos extratos revelarem a presenca de constituintes do metabolismo secundario das plantas que podem contribuir para a identificacao de marcadores quimicos para as especies estudadas, sendo estes indispensaveis para os testes de qualidade e integridade de fitoterapicos e uso popular mais seguro das plantas medicinais, possibilitando melhor controle farmacognostico dessas especies e direcionamento dos seus usos e aplicacoes na pesquisa pela bioatividade preliminarmente conhecida. Neste caso, especialmente devido as atividades antimicrobianas, antioxidantes e contra insetos, sugerindo relacao com a presenca de compostos fenolicos e flavonoidicos, positivos nos extratos da maioria das especies. Estas informacoes sao ineditas no Tocantins e estrategicas para fortalecimento das politicas de conservacao de Areas de Reserva Legal no âmbito do Cerrado, bioma prioritario para conservacao da biodiversidade, melhorando a caracterizacao dos recursos medicinais ainda disponiveis na flora nativa regional bem como vislumbrando suas aplicacoes biologicas e farmacologicas.Palavras-chave: Fitoquimica, Prospeccao, Plantas Medicinais, Cerrado, biodiversidade. ABSTRACT: Preliminary phytochemical

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Prospecção fitoquímica preliminar de plantas nativas do cerrado de uso popular medicinal pela comunidade rural do assentamento vale verde - Tocantins

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar junto a comunidade do bairro dos Tenentes (Extrema, MG) como e feito o tratamento de doencas a partir do uso de plantas medicinais, bem como identificar e relacionar as plantas utilizadas com a literatura cientifica. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas e coletas de plantas utilizadas na medicina popular local as quais, apos processo de herborizacao e identificacao, foram comparadas com informacoes disponiveis em literatura especializada. Foram identificadas 71 especies, pertencentes a 33 familias botânicas, sendo Asteraceae e Lamiaceae as mais expressivas. As folhas e ramos (88%) foram as partes mais utilizadas e a forma de preparo mais frequente foi a infusao (67%). As plantas foram indicadas principalmente para o tratamento de males associados ao aparelho digestorio (23 especies), respiratorio (16), excretor (10), nervoso (6), circulatorio (5), endocrino (4), reprodutor feminino (2), e ainda como cicatrizante (7), antiinflamatorio (4) e para dores no corpo (5).

/pdf/plantas-medicinais-utilizadas-pela-comunidade-do-bairro-dos-54vw701kc5.pdf

Plantas medicinais utilizadas pela comunidade do bairro dos Tenentes - município de Extrema, MG, Brasil

RESUMO: Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar junto a comunidade do bairro dos Tenentes (Extrema, MG) como e feito o tratamento de doencas a partir do uso de plantas medicinais, bem como identificar e relacionar as plantas utilizadas com a literatura cientifica. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas e coletas de plantas utilizadas na medicina popular local as quais, apos processo de herborizacao e identificacao, foram comparadas com informacoes disponiveis em literatura especializada. Foram identificadas 71 especies, pertencentes a 33 familias botânicas, sendo Asteraceae e Lamiaceae as mais expressivas. As folhas e ramos (88%) foram as partes mais utilizadas e a forma de preparo mais frequente foi a infusao (67%). As plantas foram indicadas principalmente para o tratamento de males associados ao aparelho digestorio (23 especies), respiratorio (16), excretor (10), nervoso (6), circulatorio (5), endocrino (4), reprodutor feminino (2), e ainda como cicatrizante (7), antiinflamatorio (4) e para dores no corpo (5). Palavras-chave: etnobotânica, conhecimento popular, Minas Gerais

The microbiological monitoring of the water used for hemodialysis is extremely important, especially because of the debilitated immune system of patients suffering from chronic renal insufficiency. To investigate the occurrence and species diversity of bacteria in waters, water samples were collected monthly from a hemodialysis center in upstate Sao Paulo and tap water samples at the terminal sites of the distribution system was sampled repeatedly (22 times) at each of five points in the distribution system; a further 36 samples were taken from cannulae in 19 hemodialysis machines that were ready for the next patient, four samples from the reuse system and 13 from the water storage system. To identify bacteria, samples were filtered through 0.22 µm-pore membranes; for mycobacteria, 0.45 µm pores were used. Conventional microbiological and molecular methods were used in the analysis. Bacteria were isolated from the distribution system (128 isolates), kidney machine water (43) and reuse system (3). Among these isolates, 32 were Gram-positive rods, 120 Gram-negative rods, 20 Gram-positive cocci and 11 mycobacteria. We propose the continual monitoring of the water supplies in hemodialysis centers and the adoption of effective prophylactic measures that minimize the exposure of these immunodeficient patients to contaminated sources of water.

/pdf/microbiological-contamination-of-a-hemodialysis-center-water-2wpxbe7rv6.pdf

Microbiological contamination of a hemodialysis center water distribution system

Tuberculosis (TB) is a very serious problem worldwide and the increasing number of multiple drugs resistant TB cases makes the search for new anti-TB drugs an urgent need. Indigenous knowledge about the use of native plants to treat illnesses has contributed to the discovery of new medicines. In this study, the antimycobacterial activity of seven medicinal drinks was assessed: Ananas sativus (hydroalcoholic fruit extract), Aristolochia triangularis (aqueous and hydroalcoholic leaf, root and stem extracts), Bromelia antiacantha (hydroalcoholic fruit extract), Stryphnodendron adstringens (hydroalcoholic bark extract), Tabebuia ovellanedae (hydroalcoholic bark extract), Vernonia polyanthes (hydroalcoholic root extract), all used by the Vanuire indigenous community in the treatment of respiratory diseases. The activity was evaluated by using a time-to-kill assay, in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen medium, after thirty minutes, one, three, six, twelve and twenty-four hours contact of the bacteria with each drink. Within half to one hour contact, the hydroalcoholic drinks of A. triangularis, S. adstringens, T. ovellanedae and V. polyanthes reduced the bacterial growth by 2 orders of magnitude in CFU/mL, and all bacterial growth was absent after three hours contact. In contrast, no mycobactericidal effect was detected in the aqueous extract of A. triangularis or in the hydroalcoholic beverages of A. sativus and B. antiacantha, even after twenty-four hours contact.

/pdf/antimycobacterial-activity-of-some-brazilian-indigenous-48gv35dd7r.pdf

Antimycobacterial activity of some Brazilian indigenous medicinal drinks

The use of poorly treated water during hemodialysis may lead to contamination with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). This study aimed to isolate and identify NTM species in the water of a Brazilian hemodialysis center. We collected 210 samples of water from the hydric system of the unit (post-osmosis system, hemodialysis rooms, reuse system, and hemodialysis equipment) and from the municipal supply network; we isolated the NTM by a classic microbiological technique and identified them by the PCR restriction enzyme pattern of the hsp65 gene (PRA). Fifty-one (24.3 %) of the collected samples tested positive for NTM; both the municipal supply network (2 samples, 3.2 %) and the hydric system of the hemodialysis center (49 samples, 96.1 %) contained NTM. We isolated and identified potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Mycobacterium lentiflavum (59.0 %) and M. kansasii (5.0 %), as well as rarely pathogenic bacteria like M. gordonae (24.0 %), M. gastri (8.0 %), and M. szulgai (4.0 %). The ability of NTM to cause diseases is well documented in the literature. Therefore, the identification of NTM in the water of a Brazilian hemodialysis center calls for more effective water disinfection procedures in this unit.

Isolation and identification of environmental mycobacteria in the waters of a hemodialysis center

correspondence: carlos henrique gomes Martins Ave Dr Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Franca 14404-600, Sao Paulo, Brazil Tel +55 16 3711 8756 email martinsc@unifran.br Abstract: The presence of environmental mycobacteria on surfaces in two public health institutions, namely a health center and a hospital in upstate Sao Paulo (Brazil), was identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction enzyme analysis (PRA). The possible sources of contamination by these microorganisms were evaluated, contributing to epidemiology studies. Methods: From June 2005 to June 2006, a total of 632 samples were collected from exposed surfaces, such as washbasins, drinking fountains, and other accessible sites, and the mycobacteria present in the samples were isolated and cultured. Results: Sixty-five mycobacteria were isolated from the 632 samples; 47 of which were detected in samples from the health center and 18 in samples collected from the hospital. The isolates were identified by DNA restriction patterns obtained by PRA, and potentially pathogenic species were found to be prevalent among the identified mycobacteria. This study shows that the PRA technique can be employed as a fast and easy method for identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria in public areas. Conclusions: The isolation of environmental mycobacteria from the two health institutions demonstrates that these surfaces are reservoirs of potentially pathogenic mycobacteria and indicates the need for continuous maintenance and monitoring. These data will add to the study of the epidemiology of these microorganisms.

/pdf/occurrence-of-pathogenic-environmental-mycobacteria-on-30o8zininh.pdf

Karina de Andrade Prince

Papers

Microbiological contamination of a hemodialysis center water distribution system

Antimycobacterial activity of some Brazilian indigenous medicinal drinks

Isolation and identification of environmental mycobacteria in the waters of a hemodialysis center

Occurrence of pathogenic environmental mycobacteria on surfaces in health institutions