Objective: To describe study protocol and initial results of research project COVID-Inconfidentes. Method: This paper described the methodological procedures adopted and the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population. A household survey was conducted between October and December 2020, in two historic cities of Brazil's mining region. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody was detected using the Wondfo® rapid test. The face-to-face interview consisted of administration of a questionnaire containing registration data, sociodemographic and economic variables, living habits, general health condition, mental health, sleep habits, and eating and nutrition. Results: We evaluated 1,762 residents, of which 764 (43.4 %) were in Mariana and 998 (56.6 %) in Ouro Preto. For both cities, 51.9 % of the interviewees were female, with a predominance of the age range 35 to 59 years old (47.2 %). The prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5.5 % in both cities, 6.2 % in Ouro Preto, and 4.7 % in Mariana (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The study was effective to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by the virus and its findings will enable further analyses of the health conditions of the population related to social isolation and the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Jaboticaba ( Myrciaria cauliflora ), a Brazilian fruit, is a good source of dietary fiber and phenolic compounds, which are concentrated mainly in the peel. These compounds have been considered promising in prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hepatic steatosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of 4% jaboticaba peel powder (JPP) supplementation on cholesterol metabolism and hepatic steatosis in livers of rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet. The rats were fed a standard AIN-93M (control) diet or an HF diet containing 32% lard and 1% cholesterol, both with and without 4% JPP. The M. cauliflora peel composition revealed a low-lipid high-fiber content and phenolic compounds. The phenolic compounds in JPP, tentatively identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis, were confirmed to contain phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Moreover, JPP presented significant antioxidant activity in vitro and was not cytotoxic to HepG2 cells, as determined by the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. After 6 weeks of treatment, our results showed that JPP supplementation increased lipid excretion in feces, reduced serum levels of total cholesterol and nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, and attenuated hepatic steatosis severity in rats fed the HF diet. Furthermore, JPP treatment downregulated expression of ACAT-1 , LXR-α , CYP7A1 , and ABCG5 genes. Therefore, jaboticaba peel may represent a viable dietary strategy to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as the JPP treatment alleviated hepatic steatosis through improvement of serum lipid profiles and modulation of mRNA expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism.

Background: A population study is an important tool that can be used to understand the actual epidemiological scenario of the Covid-19 in different territories, identify its magnitude, understand its transmission dynamics, and its demographic, geographical, and social distribution. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population of two Brazilian cities during the pandemic first wave and subsequent socioeconomic and health effects. Materials & methods: This paper described the methodological procedures adopted and the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population. A household survey was conducted between October and December 2020, in two historic cities of Brazil's mining region. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody was detected using the Wondfo® rapid test. The face-to-face interview consisted of administration of a questionnaire containing registration data, sociodemographic and economic variables, living habits, general health condition, mental health, sleep habits, and eating and nutrition. Results: We evaluated 1,762 residents, of which 764 (43.4%) were in Mariana and 998 (56.6%) in Ouro Preto. For both cities, 51.9% of the interviewees were female, with a predominance of the age range 35 to 59 years old (47.2%). The prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5.5% in all cities, 6.2% in Ouro Preto, and 4.7% in Mariana. The prevalence was similar between cities (P>0.05). Conclusion: The study was effective in verifying the seroprevalence of infection by the virus and its findings will enable further analyses of the health conditions of the population related to social isolation and the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Accurate and rapid testing for COVID-19 is critical for effective disease management and control. The One-Step-COVID-2019-Test was developed as a rapid serological test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Objective: To estimate the accuracy of the rapid serological test for COVID-19 using One-Step-COVID-2019. Methods: We conducted a population-based serological survey with a stratified sampling of 593 adults between October and December 2020, prior to mass vaccination and during a period of limited availability of rapid tests. Participants provided 7.5 mL of serum, which was tested using the One-Step-COVID-2019-Test for IgM-IgG antibodies without distinction, as well as an in-house ELISA for IgG against the spike protein. Statistical analysis accounted for sampling weights, with accuracy assessed through sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Youden index, and kappa coefficient, using ELISA as the reference standard. McNemar’s test identified significant differences between the test results. Results: The ELISA-based prevalence of infection was 11.1%. The One-Step-COVID-2019-Test showed low sensitivity (27.0–30.8%) but high specificity (89.9–96.6%), with poor agreement (kappa: 0.290–0.337), particularly among asymptomatic individuals. Conclusions: The One-Step-COVID-2019 rapid test for COVID-19 demonstrated inadequate performance, characterized by low sensitivity and poor reliability, making it unsuitable for effective serological surveillance.

A doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica (DHGNA) afeta indivíduos em todo o mundo e é caracterizada por esteatose, estresse oxidativo, lipotoxicidade e inflamação. Nesse contexto, os antioxidantes dietéticos são importantes para a defesa eficiente contra os danos oxidativos. Nossa hipótese é que a amêndoa de baru (Dipteryx Alata Vog.) pode ser um agente terapêutico promissor para o tratamento da DHGNA. Assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito da farinha de amêndoa de baru (BAF) no perfil lipídico e nas defesas antioxidantes em ratos alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica. Quarenta ratos Fisher foram divididos no grupo controle (C) (dieta AIN-93M); controle de baru (CB) (AIN-93M com 2% de BAF); alto teor de gordura (H) (AIN-93M com 2% de colesterol e 25% de óleo de soja); e baru com alto teor de gordura (HB) (dieta hiperlipídica com 2% de BAF) por 12 semanas. A dieta hiperlipídica reduziu o HDL-colesterol, aumentou os níveis séricos da fração não-HDL, colesterol total. Além disso, induziu esteatose hepática, dano hepático e estresse oxidativo, como demonstrado pela presença de ALT elevadas e níveis de GSSG. A amêndoa de baru demonstrou alto teor de compostos fenólicos e atividade antioxidante. O tratamento com BAF atenuou os níveis séricos de colesterol. Além disso, BAF melhorou o sistema de glutationa hepática, aumentando o conteúdo de glutationa. Esses resultados mostram que o BAF é uma fonte promissora de antioxidantes alimentares naturais e tem efeitos benéficos no estado redox in vivo. Mais estudos para elucidar suas propriedades funcionais e mecanismos subjacentes são, portanto, necessários. Palavras-chave: Dipteryx Alata Vog. Dieta hiperlipídica. Antioxidante. Fígado.

Background and Objectives: At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the absence of a national protocol for epidemiological surveillance and control hindered the understanding of the true prevalence of Covid-19 in Brazil. This study aimed to estimate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies prevalence and describe the serological profile according to socioeconomic, geographic, and health characteristics in Mariana and Ouro Preto municipalities, Minas Gerais. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based serological survey was conducted with 1,762 adults from October to December 2020. A qualitative immunochromatographic rapid test assessed infection; georeferencing and statistical inference analyses were performed. Results: The infection prevalence was 5.2%. Multivariate analysis revealed that lower per capita family income (≤ 0.5 minimum wage) (OR: 3.63; 95% CI: 1.70–7.76), higher density of occupants per room (≥ 1.0) (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.23–0.76), and previous contact with suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.16–5.73) were significantly associated with seropositivity. Seropositive individuals reported higher frequencies of fatigue (14.8%), dyspnea (9.3%), ageusia (9.3%), and anosmia (8.8%), in addition to lower educational performance (p=0.024), lower per capita family income (p=0.018), and a greater number of comorbidities (p=0.041). A heterogenous geographic distribution was observed, with concentrations in census sectors with average incomes of one to three minimum wages. Conclusion: The study highlights a heterogeneous distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections, with seropositive individuals predominantly coming from lower socioeconomic segments and presenting greater health vulnerabilities. These findings emphasize the need for targeted public health strategies and interventions to improve disease surveillance and mitigate health disparities in similar contexts.