Oral Health Behaviors in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents: An Educational Issue

Introduction: Oral health education is an important issue that should be given to children and adolescents, allowing the acquisition of correct oral health behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral health behaviors among a sample of portuguese adolescents and verify the association with socio-demographic factors, in order to analyze the main needs related with oral health education to improve oral health status among adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed with a sample of 447 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years old, attending a public school in Sátão, Portugal. A self-administered questionnaire was applied questioning about socio-demographic factors and oral health behaviors to each adolescent in the classroom. Prevalence was expressed in proportions and crude odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to measure the strength of association between oral health behaviors and socio-demographic factors. Results: The prevalence of tooth brushing (twice-a-day or more) was 90.6%. Five point eight percent of adolescents reported daily flossing, more frequent among female gender (female, OR = 2.03, 95% CI = (1.35 to 3.05)) and adolescents older than 15 years (>15 years, OR = 1.90, 95% CI = (1.24 to 2.92)). Sixty-seven percent had at least one dental appointment in the previous twelve months. The prevalence of dental appointments was associated with the father’s professional situation (unemployed, OR = 0.33, 95% CI = (0.17 to 0.65)) and crowding index (>1, OR = 0.4, 95% CI = (0.16 to 0.98)). Thirty-two point nine percent of adolescents referred having at least one episode of dental pain during their lives. Conclusion: Considering the results of the present study that show the need of improvement of some aspects related with oral health among adolescents, oral health community programs and primary preventive strategies, such as improvement of oral health education in schools should be considered in order to reduce the risk level of oral diseases and develop better oral health behaviors.

The effect of salinity on Fucus ceranoides (Ochrophyta,Phaeophyceae) in the Mondego River(Portugal)

Algae(and their extracts)are increasingly important for pharmaceutical applications due to the diversity of useful compounds they contain.The genus Fucus contains one of the most studied species,Fucus vesiculosus.The species F.ceranoides differs from the others of the genus by presenting longitudinal air-vesicles and a capacity to survive at low salinities.It is an alga that inhabits the Mondego River estuary(Portugal),at the southern limit of its distribution,and can serve as a role model to understand the effect of a salt gradient on the production of bioactive compounds.We assessed the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different F.ceranoides extracts(e.g.methanolic,aqueous and polysaccharide)prepared from samples harvested from two different zones to evaluate if the adaptation of F.ceranoides to different salinity levels influenced its chemical composition.The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined using 1,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and 2.2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS)radicals.These assays demonstrated that the methanolic extract of lyophilized F.ceranoides that grew at low salinities was the most bioactive,i.e.DPPH(IC 50=50.39μg/mL)and ABTS(TEAC=2.42).The total phenolic content(Folin-Ciocalteu method)and the methanolic extract of the lyophilized F.ceranoides collected from a low salinity habitat exhibited the highest phenolic content(PGE=49.48μg/mg of lyophilized extract)amongst those sampled.Thin layer chromatography(TLC)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)were used for the identification of compounds in the extracts.This characterization allowed confirmation that the various extracts contained almost the same compounds but with notable quantitative differences.Based on these results,we conclude that there were differences in the quantity of the compounds due to the effect of salinity.The drying methods used were also found to have influenced the quality of the extracted compounds.

Extracts of the seaweed Bifurcaria bifurcata display antifungal activity against human dermatophyte fungi

Bifurcaria bifurcata is a seaweed of the Order Fucales(Ochrophyta,Phaeophyceae)that can be found all year round along the Portuguese Atlantic shore.Although it is considered edible in some countries,its biotechnological potential has not yet been assessed in detail and here we report its antimicrobial potential against human dermatophyte fungi.Three samples were harvested from Baleal Island(Peniche,Portugal)harvested in winter(BbPe);from Aguda Beach(Arcozelo,Vila Nova de Gaia,Portugal),harvested in autumn(BbAg)and a sample obtained by culturing the Aguda sample under laboratory conditions(BbLC).A broth macrodilution assay was applied to determine the MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration)and MLC(minimum lethal concentration)of the B.bifurcata extracts.Results show that the BbPe MeOH extracts were the most effective and had higher antifungal activity against all the tested dermatophyte strains than the BbLC and BaAg extracts[Epidermophyton floccosum FF9(100–200μg/mL MIC;200μg/mL MLC),Microsporum canis FF1(400μg/mL MIC;≥400μg/mL MLC),Trichophyton mentagrophytes FF7(100μg/mL MIC;>800μg/mL MLC),M.gypseum CECT 2908(800μg/mL MIC;≥800μg/mL MLC),T.mentagrophytes var.interdigitale CECT 2958(800μg/mL MIC;≥800μg/mL MLC),T.rubrum CECT 2794(200μg/mL MIC;≥400μg/mL MLC)].In fact,only E.floccosum FF9 was sensitive to BbAg and BbLC MeOH extracts.To our knowledge,this is the first report of antifungal activity of B.bifurcata against human dermatophyte fungi.

Salvia ceratophylla L. from South of Jordan: new insights on chemical composition and biological activities

In Jordan,Salvia ceratophylla L.is traditionally used in the treatment of cancer,microbial infections,and urinary disorders.This study aimed:(1)to chemically characterize S.ceratophylla essential oil(EO)from South Jordan,by gas chromatography(GC)and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS);and(2)to evaluate in vitro the cytotoxic,anti-inflammatory,and antiprotozoal activities of the EO,it’s predominant components,and the hexane(A),ethyl acetate(B),methanol(C)and crude-methanol extracts(D).The analysis revealed that the EO has 71 compounds,with linalool(54.8%)as main constitu-ent.Only the hexane extract(A)showed some cytotoxic activity against SK-MEL,KB,BT-549,SK-OV-3,LLC-PK1 and VERO cells lines with IC50 between 60 and>100μg/mL.The EO inhibited NO production(IC5090μg/mL)and NF-κB activity(IC5038μg/mL).The extracts A,B,and D inhibited NO production and NF-κB activity with IC50 between 32 and 150μg/mL.Linalool considerably inhibited NO production(IC5018μg/mL).The extracts tested did not exhibit antileish-manial activity.Regarding antitrypanosomal activity,the EO exhibited significant results with IC502.65μg/mL.In conclu-sion,Jordan S.ceratophylla EO represents a rich source of linalool and bears a promising therapeutic potential for further antitrypanosomal drug development.

Imidazolium-based ionic liquids as additives to preserve the Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein fluorescent activity

Fluorescent Proteins(FP)can be applied as biomarkers and biosensors in the industrial and medical fields,but their large-scale use,especially for new industrial applications,is limited due to their low stability.Hence,the discovery of additives capable of preserving the activity of FP at room temperature and under stress conditions can help to expand and facilitate their commercial use.With this goal,we evaluated the application of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-based([C_(n)mim]Cl)ionic liquids(ILs)as additives to preserve the activity of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein(EGFP)at different storage times and under unfavorable conditions.All[C_(n)mim]Cl solutions(at 0.100 mol L^(-1))were able to preserve EGFP fluorescence for longer than the phosphatesaline buffer(PBS)and NaCl solutions,increasing its fluorescence manifestation from 1 to 3 months.[C_(n)mim]Cl with shorter to medium cationic alkyl chains were the most effective in preserving EGFP fluorescence.[C_(n)mim]Cl also protected EGFP activity in the presence of the surfactant SDS,the acid guanidine hydrochloride,and H_(2)O_(2).Therefore,[C_(n)mim]Cl can be added to aqueous solutions to preserve EGFP fluorescence activity at room temperature for longer storage times and to reduce the negative impact of denaturing agents on EGFP.Therefore,there is a massive potential for the application of ILs as additives to preserve FP in the long-term without refrigeration and under unfavorable conditions,and this is fundamental to enable expansion of FP in industrial and commercial applications.