Asthma allergic disease is caused by airway chronic inflammation. Some intracellular signaling pathways, such as MAPK and STAT3-SOCS3, are involved in the control of airway inflammation in asthma. The flavonoid sakuranetin demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect in different asthma models. Our aim was to clarify how sakuranetin treatment affects MAPK and STAT3-SOCS3 pathways in a murine experimental asthma model. Mice were submitted to an asthma ovalbumin-induction protocol and were treated with vehicle, sakuranetin, or dexamethasone. We assayed the inflammatory profile, mucus production, and serum antibody, STAT3-SOCS3, and MAPK levels in the lungs. Morphological alterations were also evaluated in the liver. LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were used to evaluate the effects of sakuranetin on nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine production.In vivo, sakuranetin treatment reduced serum IgE levels, lung inflammation (eosinophils, neutrophils, and Th2/Th17 cytokines), and respiratory epithelial mucus production in ovalbumin-sensitized animals. Considering possible mechanisms, sakuranetin inhibits the activation of ERK1/2, JNK, p38, and STAT3 in the lungs. No alterations were found in the liver for treated animals. Sakuranetin did not modifyin vitrocell viability in RAW 264.7 and reduced NO release and gene expression of IL-1βand IL-6 induced by LPS in these cells. In conclusion, our data showed that the inhibitory effects of sakuranetin on eosinophilic lung inflammation can be due to the inhibition of Th2 and Th17 cytokines and the inhibition of MAPK and STAT3 pathways, reinforcing the idea that sakuranetin can be considered a relevant candidate for the treatment of inflammatory allergic airway disease.

Failures in endodontic treatments are mostly associated with the difficulty in eradicating microbes of the root canal system, highlighting the need to develop novel effective antimicrobials. Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaf hydroalcoholic extract may be a potential alternative in canal dressing, owing to its antimicrobial properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Punica granatum (HEPg) alone or in combination with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans in isolation and in mono- and polymicrobial biofilms. Microdilution tests in broth and assays for inhibition of biofilm formation were carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of HEPg and HEPg + Ca(OH)₂ against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. The cytotoxicity of HEPg in HaCaT cells was evaluated by MTT assay. HEPg and HEPg + Ca(OH)₂ exerted significant antimicrobial activity against planktonic cells and mono- and polymicrobial biofilms. The combination of Punica granatum extract with Ca(OH)₂ appears to be a promising alternative in endodontic treatments, which could be tested in vivo to confirm the efficacy of this mixture in disinfecting root canal systems.

Introduction: Although fewer children have been affected by the severe form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) continues to be the leading global cause of child hospitalizations and deaths. Aim: This study investigated the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well its subtypes (RSV A and B), adenovirus (ADV), rhinovirus (HRV), metapneumovirus (HMPV), coronavirus (NL63, OC43, 229E and HKU1), parainfluenza virus subtypes (PI1, PI2 and PI3), bocavirus and influenza A and B viruses (FluA and FluB) in children diagnosed with CAP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 200 children with clinically confirmed CAP were initially recruited, of whom 107 had negative qPCR results for SARS-CoV-2 and were included in this study. Viral subtypes were identified using a real-time polymerase chain reaction in the nasopharyngeal swab samples. Results: Viruses were identified in 69.2% of the patients. RSV infections were the most frequently identified (65.4%), with type RSV B being the most prevalent (63.5%). In addition, HCoV 229E and HRV were detected in 6.5% and 3.7% of the patients, respectively. RSV type B was associated with severe acute respiratory infection (ARI) and a younger age (less than 24 months). Conclusions: New strategies for preventing and treating viral respiratory infections, particularly RSV infections, are necessary.

A fitoterapia apresenta inúmeras possibilidades de tratamento, e tem se mostrado muito eficiente e um importante aliado para a medicina, cuja utilização na área da saúde é crescente em função do fato da busca constante de novos medicamentos com uma alta eficácia e baixa toxicidade, como é o caso da área odontológica, na qual se pode citar em específico a Punica granatum L. (romã). Assim, a finalidade deste trabalho é mostrar, através de pesquisas bibliográficas, a relevância do uso da espécie P. granatum na área odontológica, enfatizando seu potencial de eficácia como agente antimicrobiano sobre os micro-organismos do biofilme dental. Para isso, foi discutido sobre a importância da fitoterapia e da P. granatum na saúde bucal, além da sua aceitabilidade frente à realidade brasileira, fazendo algumas considerações sobre o biofilme dental e, também, sobre a ação antimicrobiana da espécie. Além disso, comparou-se o efeito da clorexidina com a romã, uma caracterização fitoquímica do extrato da romã, a partir da literatura científica e, por último, foi avaliada a eficácia e ação da P. granatum na saúde bucal em comparação com o gluconato de clorexidina. Com a pesquisa foi possível concluir que a ação farmacológica da P. granatum na odontologia é possível pela presença de seus importantes fitoconstituintes, que agem combatendo o biofilme bacteriano. Palavras-chave: Antimicrobiano. Biofilme. Fitoterapia. Romã. Saúde Bucal. AbstractPhytotherapy has many possibilities for treatment, and has proven to be very efficient and an important ally for medicine, where its use in health is growing due to the constant search for new drugs with a high efficacy and low toxicity, as it is the case of the dental area, where it is possible to mention specifically Punica granatum L. (pomegranate). Thus, the aim of this work is to show through bibliographic research the relevance of the use of P. granatum species in the dental area emphasizing its potential as an effective antimicrobial agent on the dental biofilm microorganisms.Therefore, the importance of phytotherapy and P. granatum in oral health were discussed, besides their acceptability to the Brazilian reality, making some considerations about the dental biofilm and also about the species antimicrobial action. In addition, the effect of chlorhexidine with pomegranate was comapted, a phytochemical characterization of pomegranate extract from the scientific literature, and finally evaluated the efficacy and action of P. granatum in oral health compared to chlorhexidine gluconate. With the research it was possible to conclude that the P. granatum pharmacological action in dentistry is possible due to the presence of its important phytochemicals that act against the bacterial biofilm. Keywords: Antimicrobial. Biofilm. Oral health. Phytotherapy. Pomegranate.

Cryptococcal infections are distributed worldwide and mainly caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. The reduced number of antifungals and increasing number of cases of resistance require the search for new therapeutic options, such as natural products. Among these, Punica granatum L. has demonstrated antifungal activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro activity of the hydroethanolic extract of the leaf of P. granatum (HEPg) alone or in antifungal combination against C. neoformans and C. gattii and the interference of P. granatum in the mitochondrial membrane of Cryptococcus using flow cytometry. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined, which showed inhibitory activity against Cryptococcus isolates. The fractional inhibitory concentration resulted in an indifferent interaction between the combination of amphotericin B + HEPg, whereas the combination of fluconazole + HEPg was synergistic against C. gattii. The depolarisation of mitochondrial membranes was more pronounced when C. gattii was previously treated with P. granatum, either individually or in combination with antifungal agents. In contrast, prior treatment of C. gattii with fluconazole promoted the hyperpolarisation of mitochondrial membranes. Considering the growing search for alternative forms of treatment for cryptococcosis, this study highlights the antifungal potential of P. granatum.