Morus nigrahas been used popularly for several proposes, including diabetic. In an attempt to support medicinal value, the acute hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects of the ethanolic extract ofMorus nigra(EEMn 200 or 400 mg/kg b.w.) were evaluated in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic treated for 14 days. Serum biochemical and antioxidant analysis were performed at the end of experiment. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed at 10th and 15th days. Chromatographic analysis by HPLC-DAD of EEMn was performed. Insulin was used as positive control to glycemic metabolism as well as fenofibrate to lipid metabolism. EEMn (400 mg/kg/day) reduced fasting and postprandial glycaemia, improved oral glucose tolerance, and reduced lipolysis and proteolysis in diabetic rats. EEMn decreased the blood levels of total cholesterol and increased HDL level when compared to the diabetic control rats. At higher levels, EEMn reduced triglycerides and VLDL levels in diabetic rats. Also, EEMn reduced malondialdehyde and increased the reduced glutathione levels in liver of diabetic rats. Chromatographic analysis identified the presence of the flavonoids rutin, isoquercetin, and kaempferitrin. Acute EEMn treatment reduced hyperglycemia, improved oral glucose tolerance, and minimized dyslipidemia and oxidative stress leading to a reduction in atherogenic index in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Essential oils have gained significant popularity in various industries due to their biological properties, but their potential toxic effects on living organisms have been poorly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of lemongrass, thyme, and oregano essential oils on zebrafish embryos and larvae as animal models. Embryos were exposed to different concentrations of essential oils, and various endpoints were assessed, including epiboly, mortality (LC50), morphometry, and behavioral changes. All three essential oils reduced epiboly, affecting embryonic development. LC50 values were calculated for lemongrass (3.7 µg/mL), thyme (14.4 µg/mL), and oregano (5.3 µg/mL) oils. Larvae exposed to these oils displayed morphological defects, including growth reduction, spinal deformation, pericardial edema, eye size reduction, and reduced swim-bladder inflation. Morphometric analysis confirmed reduced larval length at higher oil concentrations. Essential-oil exposure altered zebrafish larval swimming behavior, with lemongrass oil reducing dark-cycle activity and oregano oil increasing light-cycle activity, suggesting neurodevelopmental toxicity. These findings illustrate the adverse effects of these oils on zebrafish embryos and larvae and reveal essential-oil toxicity, indicating careful use should be considered, particularly during pregnancy.

Introdução. O sono é um processo fisiológico natural, que exerce um importante papel na restauração de energia, na concentração, na con­solidação da memória e nos processos de aprendizagem. O presente estudo teve por objetivo comparar a qualidade do sono e sonolência diurna dos estudantes universitários de duas áreas do conhecimento, área de exatas e saúde. Método. A amostra foi composta por 173 es­tudantes universitários. Para a coleta dos dados foram utilizados dois questionários autoaplicáveis, o Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pitts­burgh (PSQI) e a Escala de Sonolência de Epworth (ESE). Para análise estatística, utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado e o teste t Student para amostras independentes, sendo considerado como nível de significân­cia estatística um p<0,05. Resultados. Verificou-se que tanto os estu­dantes de saúde como os estudantes de exatas apresentaram, em sua maioria, uma má qualidade do sono, no entanto, a comparação entre a qualidade do sono dos estudantes não apresentou significância. Con­clusão. Desta forma, os escores elevados de má qualidade do sono e de sonolência diurna excessiva presentes na população estudada, podem estar relacionados não somente aos horários irregulares e às altas de­mandas acadêmicas, como também, ao uso do computador no horário noturno, adentrando a madrugada, em atividades não relacionadas à Universidade, como redes sociais e jogos eletrônicos.

Although there are reports that polyphenol resveratrol (Rsv) may cause muscle hypertrophy in basal conditions and attenuate muscle wasting in catabolic situations, its mechanism of action is still unclear. Our study evaluated the ex vivo effects of Rsv on protein metabolism and intracellular signaling in innervated (sham-operated; Sham) and 3-day sciatic denervated (Den) rat skeletal muscles. Rsv (10^-4 M) reduced total proteolysis (40%) in sham muscles. Den increased total proteolysis (~40%) in muscle, which was accompanied by an increase in the activities of ubiquitin-proteasome (~3-fold) and lysosomal (100%) proteolytic systems. Rsv reduced total proteolysis (59%) in Den muscles by inhibiting the hyperactivation of ubiquitin-proteasome (50%) and lysosomal (~70%) systems. Neither Rsv nor Den altered calcium-dependent proteolysis in muscles. Mechanistically, Rsv stimulated PKA/CREB signaling in Den muscles, and PKA blockage by H89 (50μM) abolished the antiproteolytic action of the polyphenol. Rsv reduced FoxO4 phosphorylation (~60%) in both Sham and Den muscles and Akt phosphorylation (36%) in Den muscles. Rsv also caused a homeostatic effect in Den muscles by returning their protein synthesis rates to levels similar to Sham muscles. These data indicate that Rsv directly inhibits the proteolytic activity of lysosomal and ubiquitin-proteasome systems, mainly in Den muscles through, at least in part, the activation of PKA/CREB signaling.