Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Eucalyptus radiata essential oil against Escherichia coli strains isolated from meat products

The present study sought to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-adherent potential of Eucalyptus radiata essential oil against food-borne strains of Escherichia coli. The study was performed using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). In addition, the disk diffusion technique was used to evaluate the association of Eucalyptus radiata essential oil with synthetic antimicrobials. The Minimum Inhibitory Adherence Concentration (MIC) was also performed. The results revealed that E. radiata showed antimicrobial activity against the E. coli strains tested, with MIC values ranging from 500 μg/mL to 1000 μg/mL and MBC values ranging from 500 μg/mL to 1,024 μg/mL. As for the associations, it was observed that E. radiata oil exhibited a synergistic effect for some antibiotics, especially Ceftriaxone, with greater interference from the essential oil. Furthermore, it was effective in inhibiting the adherence of bacterial strains of E. coli, showing a more significant antibiofilm effect than the antibacterial agent 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate. In summary, the essential oil of E. radiata showed antimicrobial potential against strains of E. coli of food origin, and can therefore, through in-depth studies, be used alone or in association with synthetic antimicrobials to combat infections caused by this pathogen.

Nutritional status and lipid profile of young children in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the nutritional status and lipid profile of young children from an urban Brazilian region.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study involving a representative sample of 472 children aged 5-8 years from Jundiai city. The nutritional status was assessed by the body mass index for age. Total cholesterol and fractions (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol) and triglycerides concentrations were determined by automated enzymatic methods. The results were analyzed by the student t-test and Fisher exact test.

RESULTS

Overweight/obesity was observed in 22% of the children and thinness in 3.2%. Girls presented a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (24.0%) and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (22.8%) compared with boys (19.7% and 10.6%), respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of children with elevated and borderline total cholesterol was 32.8% and 26.7%, respectively, although 82.8% had desirable levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of overweight/obesity and dyslipidaemia observed in these children is a matter of concern considering the age group evaluated.

The relationship between cortisol concentrations in pregnancy and systemic vascular resistance in childhood

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between cortisol concentrations in the last trimester of pregnancy and systemic vascular resistance - SVR in childhood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is part of a cohort involving 130 Brazilian pregnant women and their children, ages 5 to 7years. Maternal cortisol was determined in saliva by an enzyme immunoassay utilizing the mean concentration of 9 samples of saliva (3 in each different day), collected at the same time, early in the morning. SVR was assessed by the HDI/PulseWave CR-2000 Cardiovascular Profiling System(R). Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and life style factors were determined by a questionnaire. The nutritional status of the women and children was assessed by the body mass index - BMI. The association between maternal cortisol and SVR in childhood was calculated by multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant associations between maternal cortisol and SVR (p=0.043) and BMI-z score of the children (p=0.027), controlling for maternal BMI, birth weight, age, and gender of the children.

CONCLUSION

As far as we know this is the first study in the literature assessing the association between cortisol concentrations in pregnancy and SVR in childhood. Overall, the data suggest that exposure to excess glucocorticoid in the prenatal period is associated to vascular complications in childhood, predisposing to cardiovascular diseases in later life.