Alexis Fonseca Welker

Introduction: Contradictory claims about the efficacy of several medicinal plants to promote glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been explained by divergences in the administration form and by extrapolation of data obtained from healthy individuals. It is not known whether the antidiabetic effects of traditional herbal medicines are influenced by gelatin capsules. This randomized crossover trial aimed to evaluate the acute effect of a single dose of raw cinnamon consumed orally either dissolved in water as a beverage or as ordinary hard gelatin capsules on postprandial hyperglycemia (>140 mg/dL; >7.8 mmol/L) in T2DM patients elicited by a nutritionally-balanced meal providing 50 g of complex carbohydrates. Methods: Fasting T2DM patients (n = 19) randomly ingested a standardized meal in five experimental sessions, one alone (Control) and the other after prior intake of 3 or 6 g of crude cinnamon in the form of hard gelatin capsules or powder dissolved in water. Blood glucose was measured at fasting and at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5 and 2 hours postprandially. After each breakfast, its palatability scores for visual appeal, smell and pleasantness of taste were assessed, as well as the taste intensity sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness and creaminess. Results: The intake of raw cinnamon dissolved in water, independently of the dose, decreased the meal-induced large glucose spike (peak-rise of +87 mg/dL and Δ1-hour glycemia of +79 mg/dL) and the hyperglycemic blood glucose peak. When cinnamon was taken as capsules, these anti-hyperglycemic effects were lost or significantly diminished. Raw cinnamon intake did not change time-to-peak or the 2-h post-meal glycaemia, but flattened the glycemic curve (lower iAUC) without changing the shape that is typical of T2DM patients. Conclusions: This cinnamon’s antihyperglycemic action confirms its acarbose-like property to inhibit the activities of the carbohydrate-digesting enzymes α-amylases/α-glucosidases, which is in accordance with its exceptionally high content of raw insoluble fiber. The efficacy of using raw cinnamon as a diabetes treatment strategy seems to require its intake at a specific time before/concomitantly the main hyperglycemic daily meals. Trial registration: Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC), number RBR-98tx28b.

Background: Postprandial glycemic excursions are associated with impairment control of diabetes mellitus. Long-term consumption of flaxseed can lower blood glucose levels; however, its effects on the postprandial glycemic response remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of raw flaxseed consumption on the 2 h postprandial glycemic curve in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This was a randomized crossover clinical trial. Nineteen men with T2DM were randomly assigned a standardized breakfast without (control) or with a previous intake of 15 g of ground raw golden flaxseed (flax). Glycemia was measured at fasting and postprandial at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min. Palatability markers (visual appeal, smell, and pleasantness of taste) and taste intensity (sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness, and creaminess) were evaluated. Results: The peak glucose rise and the 2 h AUC glycemic response reduced in the flax group by 17% (p = 0.001) and 24% (p < 0.001), respectively. The glucose peak time, palatability, and taste parameters did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions: Ingestion of 15 g of ground raw golden flaxseed before breakfast decreases the 2 h postprandial glycemic response in men with T2DM.

Background: This article reports an experiment based on the measurement of the academic about the use of medicinal plants is increasing, this article aims to analyze the behavior of future health professionals regarding the use of medicinal plants, since they will be responsible for the orientation and education of patients and the population. Methods: The present study involved 50 students of the academic health care Anhanguera College of Brasilia (Biological Sciences, Biomedicine, Nursing and Pharmacy), selected randomly. Questions about the use of medicinal plants were made and 96% confirmed having used medicinal plants. We used the Descriptive statistic to compare the answers. Results: Most academics reported self-consumption of medicinal plants, with a positive result after use (*p<0.001). The most used medicinal plants were, in addition to the mixture of herbs, boldo and Mexican tea, for the treatment of stomach pains, headaches, coughs, and colds. Self-usage was mainly due to the recommendation of a family member and most of their knowledge of herbal medicine come from non-evidence based sources. The prevalence of plant use was higher among females(84%) in all undergraduate courses observed when purchased as males (22%). Conclusions: The consumption of medicinal plants among academics is high, but it is within the literature. However, as the study was conducted among health professionals, they were expected to have greater knowledge of the adverse effects and on the plant to be used.

Background: This article reports an experiment based on the measurement of the academic achievement of students submitted to self-experiments during practical classes compared with students who attended regular practical classes (control group) to assess whether this intervention could help assess the influence of self-experiments on student learning. Methods: This study involved 71 students in the second terms of the degree of Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, studying the Cell Biology unit. Experiments were conducted using the students themselves as subjects under conditions that mimic situations observed in daily life, fasting and ingestion of carbohydrates. The performance of students in health college student assessments and the degree of motivation in performing these experiments was assessed at the Anhanguera college, Brasilia, Brazil. In total, 33 students (46.5%) participated actively in the experiment and the rest only observed the experiment carried out by the first group. In Cell Biology, the students study cell types, cell components and their respective functions, during one term, with a total workload of 60 h. Results: In the test that preceded the experiment carried out in the present study, the grades of the students that participated actively and of those that only observed were not statistically different (p > 0.05). In the test applied after the experiment, both groups reached higher grades (p < 0.01), but the individuals that participated actively in the experiment obtained higher grades than those that only observed it (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that active learning, in which the students use their own organism and blood in practical classes, can increase their grades in knowledge tests. The teaching tool showed in the present study is a positive alternative for university students in health sciences.

Background: Scientific writing guidelines recommend that a scientific text should be straightforward, without prolixity, and informative, without obscurity. However, the extent to which researchers follow these recommendations is unknown. Considering that the most cited journals provide more detailed instructions for authors, we aimed to investigate the degree of relative prolixity (i.e., length versus amount of information) among journals with different citation impact scores. Methods: We analyzed journals whose articles follow the classic Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion structure, written in English and with a CiteScore value ≥ 0.01 classified in the ‘Pharmaceutical Science’ area. Relative prolixity was calculated as the ratio between the number of characters and the number of citations contained in the introductory section of original articles. Additionally, we collected the number of paragraphs and words. Results: The number of characters, words and citations in the Introduction section were significantly higher in the journals with higher CiteScore values. The median number of paragraphs in the Introduction was not affected by the citation impact of the journals. The degree of relative prolixity in the Introduction section of the articles was negatively correlated with the CiteScore values. Conclusions: Articles published in journals with higher CiteScore values have lower degrees of relative prolixity (i.e., shorter texts to transmit a certain amount of information) and obscurity.

Background: Active learning strategies and the use of technology in classes have been widely indicated to enhance learning. Although much has been discussed on these topics, few studies have addressed them with adequate experimental designs. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of a strategy coupling active learning methodology and technology –video lectures production by students – on the students’ learning in comparison with traditional approaches. Methods: To investigate the impact of video production on students’ learning, approximately half of one class of undergraduate students in a Pharmacy program attended traditional classes on one of its modules, while the other half was instructed to elaborate video lectures about the same content. We recorded their scores in two exams on the topic covered by the video lectures, one prior to intervention and the second after the intervention. We also recorded their score in a final exam at the end of the course, which covered all modules in the course, and applied a questionnaire to assess students’ perceptions about the applied methodology. Results: The average score of the students in the video group became 46% higher than the control group’s score. The score on the final exam at the end of the course showed no difference between groups. Most of the students reported that the video lectures they produced in class improved their academic performance. Conclusions: The video lecture production activity, a teaching instrument that relies on active learning and technology, was able to improve learning indicators of a group of randomly selected students in comparison with a control group of students who attended traditional expository classes given by an instructor.

Juvenile tegu lizards (Salvator merianae) experience gradual and mild temperature changes from autumn to winter in their habitat. This tropical/subtropical reptile enter a state of dormancy, with an 80% reduction in metabolic rate, that remains almost constant during winter. The redox metabolism in non-mammalian vertebrates that hibernate under such distinguished conditions is poorly understood. We analyzed the redox metabolism in the intestine of juvenile tegus during different stages of their first annual cycle. The effect of food deprivation (in spring) was also studied to compare with fasting during hibernation. Both winter dormancy and food deprivation caused decreases in reduced glutathione levels and glutathione transferase activity. While glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase activities decreased during winter dormancy, as well as glutathione (GSH) levels, other antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase) remained unchanged. Notably, levels of disulfide glutathione (GSSG) were 2.1-fold higher in late autumn, when animals were in the process of depressing metabolism towards hibernation. This increased “oxidative tonus” could be due to a disruption in NADPH-dependent antioxidant systems. In dormancy, GSSG and lipid hydroperoxides were diminished by 60–70%. The results suggest that the entrance into hibernation is the main challenge for the redox homeostasis in the intestine of juvenile tegus.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Kinesio Taping (KT) of the orbicularis oris muscles as an adjunct to standard therapy for drooling. Methods: Fifteen children with neurological disorders and drooling received speech therapy and twice-weekly KT of the orbicularis muscles over a 30-day period. Drooling was assessed by six parameters: impact on the life of the child and caregiver; severity of drooling; frequency of drooling; drooling volume (estimated by number of bibs used); salivary leak; and interlabial gap. Seven markers of oral motor skills were also assessed. Results: KT of the orbicularis oris region reduced the interlabial gap. All oral motor skills and almost all markers of drooling improved after 15 days of treatment. Conclusion: In this sample of children with neurological disorders, adding KT of the orbicularis oris muscles to speech therapy caused rapid improvement in oral motor skills and drooling.

Humans and most mammals suffer severe damage when exposed to ischemia and reperfusion episodes due to an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, several hypoxia/anoxia-tolerant animals survive very similar situations. We evaluated herein the redox metabolism in the anoxia-tolerant land snail Helix aspersa after catalase inhibition by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ) injection during a cycle of wide and abrupt change in oxygen availability. The exposure to anoxia for 5 h caused a change of only one of several parameters related to free radical metabolism: a rise in selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPX) activity in muscle of both saline- and ATZ-injected animals (by 1.9- and 1.8-fold, respectively). Catalase suppression had no effect in animals under normoxia or anoxia. However, during reoxygenation catalase suppression kept high levels of muscle Se-GPX activity (twofold higher than in saline-injected snails up to 30 min reoxygenation) and induced the increase in hepatopancreas SOD activity (by 22 %), indicating higher levels of ROS in both organs than in saline-injected animals. Additionally, catalase-suppressed snails showed 12 % higher levels of carbonyl protein—a sign of mild oxidative stress—in muscle during reoxygenation than those animals with intact catalase. No changes were observed in glutathione parameters (GSH, GSSG and GSSG:GSH ratio), TBARS, and GST activity in any of the experimental groups, in both organs. These results indicate that catalase inhibition inflicts changes in the free radical metabolism during reoxygenation, prompting a stress-response that is a reorganization in other enzymatic antioxidant defenses to minimize alterations in the redox homeostasis in land snails.