Antifungal activity of plant extracts with potential to control plant pathogens in pineapple

Objective:To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of extracts,resins,oils and mother tinctures from plants against the filamentous fungi Fusarium guttiforme(F.guttiforme)and Chalara paradoxa,and to evaluate the control of the pineapple fusariosis in situ using mother tinctures.Methods:The screening of the antifungal potential of 131 extract forms from 63 plant species was performed in vitro by using plate-hole method.To control pineapple fusariosis in situ,preventive and post-infection treatments were performed on detached pineapple leaves of cv.Perola(susceptible).Results:The quantitative study indicated that among the 49 mother tincture samples analyzed,46% were effective against F.guttiforme and 29% for the Chalara paradoxa.The natural plant extracts,mother tincture of Glycyrrhiza glabra(MTGG1),mother tincture of Myroxylon balsamum(MTBT2),mother tincture of Aloe vera(MTAV3),mother tincture of Allium sativum(MTAS4),resin of Protium heptaphyllum(RESAM5) and crude extracts of Rhizophora mangle(CEMV6),exhibited an antifungal activity against F.guttiforme.In the preventive treatment against pineapple fusariosis,MTAV3,MTAS4 and MTGG1 were statistically similar to the treatment with tebuconazol fungicide.The curative treatments with MTAV3,MTAS4,MTGG1 and MTBT2 presented similar activity to fungicide(P < 0.05).Conclusions:The findings of the present study concluded that mother tinctures can effectively control phytopathogens.The mother tincture extract of Myroxylon balsamum showed antifungal activity and was used here for the first time for inhibition of phytopathogenic fungi.This study paves the way for the development of bioactive natural products with phytosanitary applications,with the added benefits of an environmentally safe and economically viable product.

Correlation between the Six-Minute Walk Test and Subjective Functional Class in Patients with Heart Failure

Introduction: The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is an inexpensive method to objectively evaluate physical capacity or limitation and stratify prognosis in patients with Heart Failure (HF). Since the clinical perception of symptoms may be adapted or compromised, regular evaluation from medical interviews often fails to determine functional classification. This study aimed to assess the correlation between New York Heart Association Functional Class (NYHA-FC) and the distance walked in the 6MWT. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study that included patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction followed up at an outpatient service of a teaching hospital, from August 2018 to April 2019. Patients in NYHA-FC I, II, or III were included. We compared NYHA-FC subjectively obtained during the consultation with the 6MWT performed after medical consultation, and the correlation between these two parameters was assessed. Results: The study included 70 patients with HF, 41 (58.6%) of whom were female. The mean age was 61.2 ± 12.7 years. The most prevalent etiologies were dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy (35.7%) followed by ischemic cardiomyopathy (25.7%). The mean ejection fraction was 34.1% ± 9.8%. The average distance walked in the 6MWT by NYHA-FC I patients was 437.8 ± 95.8 meters, NYHA-FC II 360.1 ± 96.4, and NYHA-FC III 248.4 ± 98.3. Functional class measured by the 6MWT was different than that estimated by NYHA-FC in 34 patients (48.6%), 23 (32.9%) for a higher functional class and 11 (15.7%) for a lower one (p = 0.07). Pearson’s correlation coefficient between NYHA-FC and the 6MWT was -0.55. Conclusion: There was a moderate correlation between the subjective NYHA-FC and the 6MWT. The 6MWT revealed a different classification from NYHA-FC in almost half of the patients. Among those who presented discrepancies between methods, 6MWT reclassification towards a higher functional class was more common.

Branch retinal vein thrombosis and visual loss probably associated with pegylated interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis C

Ophthalmological complications with interferon therapy are usually mild and reversible, not requiring the withdrawal of the treatment. We report a case of a patient who had visual loss probably associated with interferon therapy. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection （genotype la） was diagnosed in a 33-year old asymptomatic man. His past medical history was unremarkable and previous routine ophthalmologic check-up was normal. Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin were started. Three weeks later he reported painless reduction of vision. Ophthalmologic examination showed extensive intraretinal hemorrhages and cottonwool spots, associated with inferior branch retinal vein thrombosis. Antiviral therapy was immediately discontinued, but one year later he persists with severely decreased visual acuity. This case illustrates the possibility of unpredictable and severe complications during pegylated interferon therapy.