Measuring loneliness: Psychometric properties of the three-item loneliness scale among community-dwelling adults.

Loneliness is a prevalent set of negative feelings associated with unsatisfactory and reduced social interactions, inadequate social support, poor satisfaction with life and health, negative emotions, and economic burden. Thus, its measurement is of foremost importance. Therefore, this study aimed (i) to devise the Portuguese version of the three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS), which is ideal for epidemiological studies, and (ii) to evaluate its psychometric properties.

Antioxidant Action and Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activities of Fruit Peels: Possible Involvement of Opioidergic System.

This work evaluated the antioxidant properties and antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of extracts obtained from fruit peels of (H. West ex Willd.) O.

Age-friendly Coimbra city, Portugal, perception and quality of life in a sample of elderly persons.

The "Age-Friendly Cities" project was developed by the World Health Organization to address two contemporary issues of increasing relevance: urbanization and demographic ageing. The Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities that stemmed from this project is a tool designed for a city's self-assessment, comprising eight dimensions of urban living associated with active ageing. This study aims to adapt the Checklist as a quantitative assessment tool, evaluate the level of Coimbra's "Age-Friendliness" and analyze the relation between the Checklists' eight dimensions and quality of life (QoL).

Evaluation of cytotoxic potential, oral toxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity of organic extracts of Pityrocarpa moniliformis.

The objective of this study was to determine the cytotoxicity of organic extracts of P. moniliformis in vitro and identify the acute toxicity and genotoxicity in vivo. The leaves were extracted using three organic solvents (cyclohexane [EP1], ethyl acetate [EP2], and methanol [EP3]).

Hexane extract from Spondias tuberosa (Anacardiaceae) leaves has antioxidant activity and is an anti-Candida agent by causing mitochondrial and lysosomal damages.

Background: Spondias tuberosa is a plant that produces a fruit crop with high economic relevance at Brazilian Caatinga. Its roots and leaves are used in folk medicine.

Methods: Chemical composition of a hexane extract from S.

The chemical composition and trypanocidal activity of volatile oils from Brazilian Caatinga plants.

Essential/volatile oils (EOs) from plants used in the traditional medicine are known as a rich source of chemically diverse compounds with relevant biological activities. In this work we analysed the chemical composition and the in vitro effects of EOs from leaves of Eugenia brejoensis (EBEO), Hyptis pectinata (HPEO), Hypenia salzmannii (HSEO), Lippia macrophylla (LMEO) and seeds of Syagrus coronata (SCEO) on Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. The EOs were extracted through hydrodistillation and its chemical composition analysed by GC/MS.

Essential Oils from Leaves of Medicinal Plants of Brazilian Flora: Chemical Composition and Activity against Candida Species.

: The biotechnological potential of medicinal plants from Brazilian Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest has not been extensively studied. Thus, screening programs are important in prospecting for compounds for developing new drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition and to evaluate the anti- activity of essential oils from leaves of var.

Preliminary validation of the Portuguese Edinburgh Handedness Inventory in an adult sample.

The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) is persistently the most used inventory to evaluate handedness, being neuropsychological investigation and clinical practice. Despite this, there is no information on how this instrument functions in a Portuguese population. The objective of this study was therefore to examine the sociodemographic influences on handedness and establish psychometric properties of the EHI in a Portuguese sample.

The Caatinga endemic Manilkara rufula possesses remarkable activity against Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus.

Tritrichomonas foetus infects the bovine urogenital tract, causing bovine trichomoniasis. Significant economic losses may occur due to infertility and abortion among cattle. Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of trichomoniasis; the most common but overlooked non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide.

(E)-Caryophyllene and α-Humulene: Aedes aegypti Oviposition Deterrents Elucidated by Gas Chromatography-Electrophysiological Assay of Commiphora leptophloeos Leaf Oil.

Aedes aegypti is responsible for the transmission of dengue, a disease that infects millions of people each year. Although essential oils are well recognized as sources of compounds with repellent and larvicidal activities against the dengue mosquito, much less is known about their oviposition deterrent effects. Commiphora leptophloeos, a tree native to South America, has important pharmacological properties, but the chemical profile and applicability of its essential oil in controlling the spread of the dengue mosquito have not been investigated.

Purification, characterization and antibacterial potential of a lectin isolated from Apuleia leiocarpa seeds.

Apuleia leiocarpa is a tree found in Caatinga that has great value in the timber industry. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins with several biotechnological applications. This study shows the isolation, characterization, and antibacterial activity of A.

Anti-infective effects of Brazilian Caatinga plants against pathogenic bacterial biofilm formation.

Context: The local communities living in the Brazilian Caatinga biome have a significant body of traditional knowledge on a considerable number of medicinal plants used to heal several maladies.

Objective: Based on ethnopharmacological data, this study screened 23 aqueous plant extracts against two well-known models of biofilm-forming bacteria: Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Materials And Methods: Crystal violet assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to evaluate the effect of extracts on biofilm formation and measurements of the absorbance at 600 nm to assess bacterial growth.

Antimicrobial activity and phytochemical screening of Buchenavia tetraphylla (Aubl.) R. A. Howard (Combretaceae: Combretoideae).

This study evaluated the antimicrobial and hemolytic activities and phytochemical constituents of hydroalcoholic extract and its fractions from Buchenavia tetraphylla leaves. Cyclohexane (BTCF), ethyl acetate (BTEF), and n-butanol-soluble (BTSBF) and non-soluble (BTNBF) fractions were obtained from a liquid-liquid partition of hydroalcoholic extract (BTHE) from B. tetraphylla leaves.

First report of anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity of the medicinal plant Polygala decumbens from the Brazilian semi-arid region, Caatinga.

Trichomonosis, caused by the flagellate protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Actually, the infection treatment is based on 5-nitroimidazole drugs. However, an emergent number of resistant isolates makes important the search for new therapeutic arsenal.

Potential of medicinal plants from the Brazilian semi-arid region (Caatinga) against Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic and biofilm lifestyles.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Medicinal plants from the Caatinga, a Brazilian xeric shrubland, are used in folk medicine to treat infections. These ethnopharmacological data can contribute to obtaining new antimicrobial/antibiofilm extracts and natural product prototypes for the development of new drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiofilm and antibacterial activities of 45 aqueous extracts from 24 Caatinga plant species.