RESUMO:O uso de plantas medicinais tem sido muito significativo nos últimos anos, sendo incentivado pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS). Synadenium umbellatum Pax, Euphorbiacea (vulgo cola-nota, cancerola, milagrosa) tem o látex usado empiricamente como antitumoral e antiinflamatório. Por existir espécies tóxicas nesta família e visando à segurança no uso de extratos vegetais, tal estudo avaliou a toxicidade pré-clínica do látex e do extrato etanólico das folhas (EEF) de S. umbellatum, por via oral, em ratas Wistar. O estudo seguiu diretrizes do Guideline 423 (toxicidade aguda) e Guideline 407 (toxicidade subaguda) da OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). Na toxicidade aguda do látex e do EEF, não se observou letalidade nem alterações fisiológicas e comportamentais das ratas na dose de 2000 mg/ kg, sendo praticamente atóxico. Porém, na análise histopatológica, o látex ocasionou congestão e infiltrado leucocitário nos rins, fígado e pulmões, efeitos não observados com o EEF. Na toxicidade subaguda, doses de 50, 100 e 200 mg/kg de EEF não produziram alterações dose-dependentes significativas nos parâmetros laboratoriais e fisiológicos, nem alterações macroscópicas e histopatológicas nos órgãos das ratas. Contudo, o uso crônico da planta S. umbellatum merece mais estudos.Unitermos: Synadenium umbellatum, toxicidade aguda, toxicidade subaguda, toxicidade pré-clinica.ABSTRACT: "Acute and subacute toxicity studies of the latex and of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Synadenium umbellatum Pax in rats". The use of medicinal plants has been being very significant in the last years, being the use encouraged by WHO. Synadenium umbellatum Pax, Euphorbiacea (popularly known as cola-note, cancerola, miraculous) has the latex used empirically as anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory. For there being toxic species in this family and aiming at the safety in the use of vegetable extracts, such study evaluated the pre-clinical toxicity of the latex and of the ethanolic extract of the leaves (EEL) of S. umbellatum, administrated by oral route, in Wistar female rats. The study followed OECD's Guidelines for test of acute toxicity (Guideline 423) and for subacute toxicity (Guideline 407). In the acute toxicity of latex and EEL, behavioral and physiological alterations were not observed neither animal's death in the dose level of 2,000 mg/kg. However, the latex caused congestion and leukocytes infiltration of the kidneys, liver and lungs, effects not observed with EEL. In the subacute toxicity, dose levels of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of EEL did not produced significant dose-dependent alterations in the lab results and no physiologic, macroscopic and hystopathological alterations. EEL of S. umbellatum is practically poisonless in acute exposure; already the latex can cause hystological damages. The chronic use of S. umbellatum needs more specific studies.

The objective of the techniques of conservation of anatomical pieces is to preserve the morphology, consistency, color and flexibility of the same. Among the techniques currently used are formaldehyde, glycerin and fill/corrosion, which were compared in the present study. Four pieces were used in the evaluation of each technique. For formalinization, the lungs were washed, dissected and fixed in 10% formalin. For the glycerination technique, the organs were fixed in 10% formaldehyde, washed for 48 hours, and then dried in the shade. Sequentially, the organs were submerged in hydrogen peroxide 10 and again dried in the shade. Then, they remained submerged in absolute alcohol for two months, were removed, dried naturally, and submerged in glycerin for 30 days. For the filling/corrosion technique the lungs were washed, then submerged in 125 Colloquium Agrariae, vol. 13, n. Especial 2, Jan–Jun, 2017, p. 124-128. ISSN: 1809-8215. DOI: 10.5747/ca.2017.v13.nesp2.000217 alcohol for 24 hours. The trachea was cannulated for the fixation step, through the canula a continuous air stream containing alcohol and formalin mixture was introduced into the bronchial tree. Subsequently, the acrylic was inserted, the pieces were placed in the water for 24 hours, and soon the corrosion was carried out with hydrochloric acid. The glycerolation technique proved to be more advantageous when compared to formaldehyde, since it presents a low toxicity and irritation index, which facilitated the management and study, besides requiring a low degree of maintenance. However, for the visualization of the bronchial tree, the filling/corrosion technique proved to be superior to the others, but this technique demands greater care during its handling and storage.