Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Perception of hypertensive patients about their non-adherence to the use of medication

This qualitative study aims to analyze the perception of patients with hypertension on their non-adherence to medication. 13 participants were interviewed, classified as non-adherent.The analysis was performed using the technique of thematic content analysis. Data points to contradictions in the approach of what is being adherent or not, the difficulty of adhering to the use of medication due to lifestyle habits, that forgetting is understood as a justification for non-compliance, and reinforces factors that hinder such practice, such as the use of many drugs, the presence of signs and symptoms and changes in daily routine. With complex conditions that involve non-adherence to treatment and the current context of the predominance of chronic diseases, it is essential to invest in innovative strategies of care for such people

Effect of protocatechuic acid on insulin responsiveness and inflammation in visceral adipose tissue from obese individuals: possible role for PTP1B

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Influência de fatores estruturais e organizacionais no desempenho da atenção primária à saúde em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, na avaliação de gestores e enfermeiros

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho da atenção primária à saúde (APS) em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, utilizando o questionário PCATool entre enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família e gerentes. O escore total da APS foi 0,75 (bom); o primeiro contato (0,95), a longitudinalidade (0,83), a integralidade (0,83) e a coordenação (0,78) apresentaram melhor desempenho. O enfoque familiar, a orientação comunitária e o acesso receberam as piores pontuações (0,68, 0,56 e 0,45). Os fatores associados (p < 0,05) à melhor performance da APS foram: disponibilidade de equipamentos e outros insumos (RP ajustada = 1,57), formação dos profissionais em saúde da família (RP = 1,44), presença do médico por mais de 30 horas semanais (RP = 1,42) e quatro ou mais equipes por unidade básica de saúde (RP = 1,09). Os resultados revelaram a importância de fatores estruturais (sistemas logísticos adequados, formação da equipe em saúde da família) e organizacionais (médico em tempo integral, número de equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família por unidades básicas de saúde) na performance da APS e na melhoria da qualidade