A. Juss. In Vivo Toxicity-An Updated Review.

The Neem tree, A. Juss., is known for its large spectrum of compounds with biological and pharmacological interest.

Biological Activities of Gedunin-A Limonoid from the Meliaceae Family.

Gedunin is an important limonoid present in several genera of the Meliaceae family, mainly in seeds. Several biological activities have been attributed to gedunin, including antibacterial, insecticidal, antimalarial, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. The discovery of gedunin as a heat shock protein (Hsp) inhibitor represented a very important landmark for its application as a biological therapeutic agent.

Analysis of the microcrystalline inclusion compounds of triclosan with β-cyclodextrin and its tris-O-methylated derivative.

Solid 1:1 inclusion compounds of triclosan with native and permethylated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD and TRIMEB) were prepared by co-crystallisation and co-evaporation, respectively, and studied by FT-IR and (13)C{(1)H} CP/MAS NMR spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations. Results showed that triclosan inclusion into TRIMEB afforded an amorphous solid, whilst β-CD·triclosan is composed of microcrystals belonging to two different phases. In the phase featuring larger crystals, X-ray diffraction was carried out and the β-CD host units, packing head-to-head in infinite channels, were refined; the geometry for the included but highly disordered triclosan molecules was assessed by theoretical calculations.

High-level vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium related to humans and pigs found in dust from pig breeding facilities.

Environmental dust from animal breeding facilities was never screened for the presence of enterococci, nor of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), despite the possibility of being a vehicle of transmission of strains and antibiotic resistance genes between food-producing animals and man. Bio-security measures in pig facilities include disinfection with biocides to avoid the dissemination of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, namely enterococci and in particular VRE. We thus undertook collection of enterococci and VRE in a representative number of breeding pig facilities in Portugal (n=171) and analyzed their susceptibility to benzalkonium chloride (BC) and chlorhexidine (CHX).

Involvement, and dissemination, of the enterococcal small multidrug resistance transporter QacZ in resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds.

Objectives: To investigate the role of a putative small multidrug resistance transporter, annotated in Enterococcus faecalis V583 genome as EFA0010 (we will refer to this gene as qacZ), in decreased susceptibility to biocides.

Methods: A derivative strain of V583, susceptible to erythromycin (V583ErmS), was complemented with pORI23 carrying the qacZ gene (strain EF-SAVE1). MICs of benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine and ethidium bromide were determined for the complemented strain and wild-type.

Cyclodextrins improve the antimicrobial activity of the chloride salt of Ruthenium(II) chloro-phenanthroline-trithiacyclononane.

The complex [Ru([9]aneS(3))phenCl]Cl (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and its synthetic precursor [Ru([9]aneS(3))dmsoCl(2)] were immobilized in permethylated beta-cyclodextrin (TRIMEB). A new crystalline structure of the precursor, obtained from a batch ethanol solution at low temperature (4 degrees C), is fully described from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. [Ru([9]aneS(3))phenCl]Cl was also encapsulated in native beta-cyclodextrin for comparison with the TRIMEB compound.