Dynamized Aloysia Polystachya (Griseb.) Essential Oil: A Promising Antimicrobial Product.

Background: Compounds from vegetal matter have therapeutic potential to control highly prevalent microorganisms that are resistant to commonly used antimicrobial drugs. Dynamization of compounds can either maintain or improve their therapeutic effects, and make their use safer, especially those compounds whose therapeutic dose is close to the toxic limit. (Griseb.

L. improves airway hyperresponsiveness and suppresses inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a hydroethanolic extract of L. ("bitter melon", Cucurbitaceae) leaves (MCHA) on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model. Balb/c mice were sensitized twice and challenged for 4 alternate days with OVA and then treated with MCHA (500 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days.

Genetic diversity among genotypes of (Aubl.) J.F. Gmel. maintained in an in vitro germplasm bank.

Unlabelled: Phytotherapeutic preparations from (Aubl.) J.F.

Aqueous (Ker Gawl.) Miers extract attenuates allergen-induced asthma in a mouse model via an antioxidant mechanism.

(Ker-Gawl.) Miers (Bignoniaceae) is a perennial invasive vine, distributed worldwide. In folk medicine, its parts are used for the treatment of inflammatory respiratory diseases.

The ethanolic extract from Erythrina mulungu Benth. flowers attenuates allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of asthma.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Erythrina mulungu Benth. ("mulungu", Fabaceae) is a Brazilian native species with ethnopharmacological use for respiratory diseases. However, the effects of E.

Essential oils of Citrus aurantifolia, Anthemis nobile and Lavandula officinalis: in vitro anthelmintic activities against Haemonchus contortus.

Background: Infections of sheep with gastrointestinal parasites, especially Haemonchus contortus, have caused serious losses in livestock production, particularly after the emergence of resistance to conventional anthelmintics. The search for new anthelmintic agents, especially those of botanical origin, has grown substantially due to the perspective of less contamination of meat and milk, as well as other advantages related to their cost and accessibility in less developed countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity of essential oils of the plant species Citrus aurantifolia, Anthemis nobile and Lavandula officinalis against the main developmental stages of the parasite H.

Aqueous extracts from Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. reduce bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a murine model of asthma.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. Ex Schult) DC is used by indigenous tribes in the Amazonian region of Central and South America to treat inflammation, allergies and asthma. The therapeutic properties of U.

Socioeconomic status and biomedical risk factors in migrants and native tuberculosis patients in Italy.

Action on social determinants is a main component of the World Health Organization End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy. The aim of the study was to collect information on socioeconomic characteristics and biomedical risk factors in migrant TB patients in Italy and compare it with data collected among Italian TB patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted among TB patients aged ≥18 years over a 12-months enrolment period in 12 major Italian hospitals.

A standardized methanol extract of Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae) reduces bronchial hyperresponsiveness and production of Th2 cytokines in a murine model of asthma.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae) has been used in Brazilian traditional medicine to treat asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil and its main component thymol: Anthelmintic effects against Haemonchus contortus from sheep.

Haemonchus contortus is an important gastrointestinal parasite on sheep farms in tropical regions. The resistance of the parasite against most anthelmintic drugs represents a great economic problem to sheep farming and is a major challenge that needs to be overcome. The searches for new anthelmintic agents that act on different stages of the parasite's life cycle are necessary for the development of new therapeutic options.

Tuberculosis transmission from healthcare workers to patients and co-workers: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of becoming infected with tuberculosis (TB), and potentially of being infectious themselves when they are ill. To assess the magnitude of healthcare-associated TB (HCA-TB) transmission from HCWs to patients and colleagues, we searched three electronic databases up to February 2014 to select primary studies on HCA-TB incidents in which a HCW was the index case and possibly exposed patients and co-workers were screened.We identified 34 studies out of 2,714 citations.

Chemical composition and therapeutic effects of Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Brown leaves hydro-alcoholic extract in patients with migraine.

Background: There is no universally accepted and effective prophylaxis of migraine headache episodes. Thus we aimed to investigate the effects of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.

Antimicrobial activities of indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana catharinensis.

Tabernaemontana catharinensis root bark ethanol extract, EB2 fraction and the MMV alkaloid (12-methoxy-4-methylvoachalotine) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities. T. catharinensis ethanol extract was effective against both strains of the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum at concentrations of 2.

Design of immunogenic peptides from Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes expressed during macrophage infection.

In vitro diagnosis of MTB-infection uses MTB-proteins coded for by genes of the region of differentiation 1 (RD1) of the MTB genome. This study wants to test if proteins preferentially expressed during MTB-intracellular growth might provide new targets for the diagnosis of MTB-infection. To this end seventy-five multiepitopic HLA-promiscuous MTB-peptides were designed by quantitative implemented peptide-binding motif analysis from 3 MTB-protein genes expressed in activated human macrophages (MA), 4 genes expressed during growth in non-activated human macrophages (MN-A), 12 housekeeping genes (HKG) and 6 genes of the RD1 region (RD1) as control.

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the course of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Functional alterations of the autonomic nervous system have been described in relation to chronic hypoxemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of neuro-vegetative dysfunction during active tuberculosis in the absence of hypoxemia.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients affected by pulmonary tuberculosis under standard therapy and 17 matched controls were enrolled.

[Berylliosis in Italy: a case of "sarcoidosis" under the threshold limit value].

Background: Berylliosis is caused by a chronic immune reaction to beryllium; in Italy the first case of beryllium exposure-related disease was described in 1935 by Fabroni-Marradi and two additional cases of beryllium disease were subsequently described by Ambrosi and co-workers in 1968. No case has since been recognized using the standardized criteria including immunological testing.

Objectives: To describe a case report of clinically significant berylliosis that occurred in a man exposed to beryllium for ten years in the workplace at concentrations below the permitted threshold limit value.

Molecular diagnosis of fatal Nocardia farcinica pneumonia in an HIV-negative patient.

Nocardiosis is a rare and potentially life-threatening infection caused by several species of the Nocardia genus. Most cases occur in immunocompromised patients, and a delay in establishing the diagnosis is common due to the non-specific clinical presentations and the difficulty in cultivating Nocardia. Although the majority of pulmonary nocardiosis cases are caused by Nocardia asteroides, cases of human infection due to N.