The activities of the crude ethanol extract from Piper cubeba seeds, (-)-cubebin and its semi-synthetic derivatives were evaluated against oral pathogens. The crude ethanol extract was more active against Streptococcus salivarius (MIC value of 80 microg/mL). (-)-Cubebin displayed MIC values ranging from 0.20 mm for Streptococcus mitis to 0.35 mm for Enterococcus faecalis. The natural product (-)-cubebin and its semi-synthetic derivative (-)-hinokinin displayed bacteriostatic activity at all evaluated concentrations, as well as fungicidal activity against Candida albicans at 0.28 mm. The O-benzyl cubebin derivative showed fungistatic and fungicidal effects against C. albicans at 0.28 mm and 0.35 mm, respectively. Also, the other dibenzylbutyrolactone derivatives [(-)-6,6'-dinitrohinokinin and (-)-O-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl)-cubebin] displayed bacteriostatic and fungistatic effects at the evaluated concentrations. Moreover, the semi-synthetic derivative (-)-6,6'-dinitrohinokinin was the most active compound against all the evaluated microorganisms. Therefore, it may be suggested that the presence of the carbonyl group at C-9 plus the introduction of polar groups in the aromatic rings improve the antimicrobial activity of dibenzylbutyrolactone compounds.

A disease named locally as churrío or churrido equino (i.e., equine scours) has occurred for at least 100 years in Uruguay and southern Brazil in farms along both shores of the Merín lake. This report describes cases of churrido equino and provides serologic, pathologic, and DNA-based evidence indicating that the disease is in fact equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Potomac horse fever). Results of an epidemiological investigation conducted on an endemic farm are also presented. Clinical signs in 12 horses were fever, depression, diarrhea, dehydration, and sometimes colic and distal hind limb edema. Postmortem findings of 3 horses were of acute enterocolitis. Inclusion bodies containing ehrlichial organisms were found in the cytoplasm of macrophages of the large colon of 1 horse. Eleven of the 12 horses were serologically positive to Ehrlichia risticii (indirect fluorescent antibody assay) and, of 3 paired samples, 2 showed seroconversion. Ehrlichia risticii DNA was identified by a nested polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood of an affected horse. A healthy horse inoculated with peripheral blood from an affected horse developed the disease and antibodies to E. risticii. The disease had a peak incidence in March (summer) and was statistically associated with a marshy ecosystem near the Merín lake, where large numbers of Pomacea spp. (Ampullariidae) snails were found. Incidence density was almost 8 times higher in nonnative horses than in native horses. It was concluded that the previous diarrheic disease of horses known in Uruguay and southern Brazil as churrido equino is equine monocytic ehrlichiosis.

Descreve-se um surto natural de Ehrlichiose mono-cítica eqüina (EME) ocorrido nos meses de novembro/2001 a fevereiro/2002, em uma propriedade no município de Arroio Grande, localizado à margem oeste da Lagoa Mirim, Rio Grande do Sul. De um total de 50 eqüinos, 13 foram afetados pela enfermidade e seis morreram. A morbidade foi de 26% e a letalidade 46,1%. Os animais acometidos tinham idades entre um e cinco anos e o quadro clínico mais evidente foi o desenvolvimento de diarréia aguda aquosa e profusa. Um dos animais que morreram foi necropsiado e as lesões observadas localizavam-se principalmente no trato intestinal, caracterizando-se por intestino grosso com conteúdo líquido e áreas hemorrágicas difusas na mucosa. Em todo o segmento de intestino delgado observaram-se áreas com mucosa congesta e hemorrágica alternadas com áreas de mucosa normal. Na mucosa de jejuno e íleo observou-se a presença de nódulos contendo secreção purulenta. Os achados histológicos em todo trato intestinal caracterizaram-se pela presença de discreto infiltrado mononuclear restrito a mucosa do órgão, caracterizando uma enterite linfo-histiocitária com predominância de macrófagos. No jejuno e íleo também havia regiões com lesões granulomatosas na lâmina própria, relacionadas a invaginações das criptas das vilosidades intestinais. Para o diagnóstico da infecção por Neorickettsia (Ehrlichia) risticii amostras de sangue de sete eqüinos doentes foram testados pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR), resultando em três amostras positivas (42,8%) com a formação de uma banda de 529pb, típica para N. risticii.

Several methodologies in molecular biology have been used in the investigation of Malassezia pachydermatis and its differentiation into subtypes. Recent molecular research of this species includes the use of samples isolated from canine otitis externa and dermatitis, as well as from healthy animals, having in view an epidemiological study of the yeast. The aim of this study was to identify molecular differences in M. pachydermatis samples isolated from dogs with otitis externa. The M. pachydermatis strains were analyzed by means of the Random Amplification Primer DNA-Polimerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR) for molecular heterogeneity research. DNA extraction was carried out with phenol-chloroform and the RAPD technique using the AGAATCCGCC primer. A variation was observed in the number and arrangement of the bands among the 49 studied isolates, grouped into nine patterns. Isolate groupings were not found to be related to animal breed, age or sex. It was concluded that M. pachydermatis has differences in its molecular profile, as shown by the molecular technique (RAPD-PCR), which allows isolates to be classified into nine subtypes.

RESUMOPlantas com atividades medicinais têm sido utilizados pelo homem ao longo de toda a sua História. Muitas delas são referidas para tratamento e controle de enfermidades infecciosas animais e humanas, inclusive em dermatites. Este trabalho busca avaliar a atividade antifúngica de plantas, utilizadas por agricultores do Rio Grande do Sul, como antimicrobianos. Extratos hidralcoólico (EHA) e decocto (DEC) de cinco plantas, identificadas como Baccharis grupo trimera, Bidens pilosa, Eucalyptus spp., Polygonum punctatum e Tagetes minuta, foram avaliados frente a seis amostras de três espécies de dermatófitos -Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum canis e Trichophyton mentagrophytes -, sempre uma amostra de campo e uma padrão. O método utilizado foi o da diluição em meio líquido. Todos os EHAs apresentaram atividade antifúngica frente às seis amostras testadas, sendo P. punctatum e T. minuta os mais efetivos (p=0,0002). Entre os DECs, apenas B. grupo trimera e P. punctatum apresentaram atividade antifúngica. Esses resultados reafirmam a possibilidade de aplicação de extratos dessas plantas no tratamento e controle de dermatites, onde dermatófitos estejam envolvidos.Descritores: dermatófitos, plantas medicinais, antifúngico. ABSTRACTPlants with medicinal indication have been used for the man throughout all its History. Many of them are related for treatment and control of animal infectious diseases and human beings, also in dermatitis. This work objected to evaluate the antifungical activity of plants used by agriculturists of the Rio Grande do Sul as antimicrobial. Extracts hidroalcoholic (EHA) and decoction (DEC) of five plants, identified as Baccharis group trimera, Bidens pilosa, Eucalyptus spp., Polygonum punctatum and Tagetes minuta had been evaluated front the six samples of three species of dermatophytes: Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, always a sample of field and a standard. The used method was of the dilution in broth. All the EHAs had presented antifungical activity front the six tested samples, being P. punctatum and T. minuta most effective (p=0,0002). The DECs of B. group trimera and P. punctatum only presented antifungical activity. These results reaffirm the possibility of extract application of these plants in the treatment and control of dermatitis where dermatophytes are involved.