The market medicinal plants of Monterrey,Nuevo León,México

The purpose of this study is to record the popular uses of various medicinal plants collected in the market medicinal stalls of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. One hundred and thirty-five medicinal plants were collected from 11 hierberias (stalls) of two mercados (markets) and two additional medicinal plant sources. Included is a total of 70 species in 65 genera of 38 plant families. The plant vendors of the hierberias were interviewed to determine the folk uses of these plants. Eighty-five folk uses, of both general and specific nature, are reported for the specimens collected.     

Ichthyofauna from wetlands of San Pedro, Balancán, Tabasco, México

San Pedro River's wetlands sustain trophic nets in the fluvial system, due to the high habitat availability, and space and temporal variations. In order to describe the relationship between environmental parameters and ichthyofauna, this study evaluated fish assemblages composition, distribution, abundance, density, biomass, richness species, diversity and equitability in the wetlands. Sampling considered three different sites and climatic seasons (dry, rainy and cold fronts). The physical and chemical parameters considered were dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, water transparency and the depth. Fishes were caught with a shrimp net, after six minutes towings and were identified afterwards. A total of 1 049 organisms of 25 fish species were caught, two of which were exotic species: Oreochromis niloticus and Parachromis managuense. A total of 23 species were found at site I (with the highest density 0.23 ind./m2), 17 at site II (0.23 ind./m2) and 14 at site III (0.12 ind./m2). The dry season had the highest species number with 21 species, followed by the rainy season with 17 species, and the cold season with five species. Similarly, the highest biomass (8.30 g/m2) was found in dry season, followed by the rainy (2.16 g/m2) and the cold seasons (0.03 g/m2). Considering seasons, highest density was found during the dry (0.436 ind./m2), followed by the rainy (0.213 ind./m2) and the cold (0.023 ind./m2) seasons. The dominant density species during the study period, according to the quadrants graphic of Olmstead-Tukey were: Petenia splendida, Vieja heterospila, Vieja synspila, Dorosoma petenense and Astyanax aeneus. There were significant differences in the species richness among sites. Temperature, depth and transparency showed differences among the seasons. The canonical correspondence analysis indicated that fish distribution was governed by environmental parameters during all seasons. In terms of fish abundance and composition, environmental parameters play an important role showing spatial and temporal differences in the ecosystem, this could be explained with the fact that most of young fishes have a movement behavior to the wetlands, searching refuge and feed during the dry season. Considering the diversity indexes variation, it may be concluded that San Pedro River's wetlands correspond to a system where the ichthyofauna composition fluctuates spatial and seasonally.     

Biological physics in México

Biological and physical sciences possess a long-standing tradition of cooperativity as separate but related subfields of science. For some time, this cooperativity has been limited by their obvious differences in methods and views. Biological physics has recently experienced a kind of revival (or better a rebirth) due to the growth of molecular research on animate matter. New avenues for research have been opened for both theoretical and experimental physicists. Nevertheless, in order to better travel for such paths, the contemporary biological physicist should be armed with a set of specialized tools and methods but also with a new attitude toward multidisciplinarity. In this review article, we intend to somehow summarize what has been done in the past (in particular, as an example we will take a closer look at the Mexican case), to show some examples of fruitful investigations in the biological physics area and also to set a proposal of new curricula for physics students and professionals interested in applying their science to get a better understanding of the physical basis of biological function.     

Ethnobotany in the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, Nuevo León, México

The archives of Flora Medicinal, an ancient pharmaceutical laboratory that supported ethnomedical research in Brazil for more than 30 years, were searched for plants with antimalarial use. Forty plant species indicated to treat malaria were described by Dr. J. Monteiro da Silva (Flora Medicinal leader) and his co-workers. Eight species, Bathysa cuspidata, Cosmos sulphureus, Cecropia hololeuca, Erisma calcaratum, Gomphrena arborescens, Musa paradisiaca, Ocotea odorifera, and Pradosia lactescens, are related as antimalarial for the first time in ethnobotanical studies. Some species, including Mikania glomerata, Melampodium divaricatum, Galipea multiflora, Aspidosperma polyneuron, and Coutarea hexandra, were reported to have activity in malaria patients under clinical observation. In the information obtained, also, there were many details about the appropriate indication of each plant. For example, some plants are indicated to increase others' potency. There are also plants that are traditionally employed for specific symptoms or conditions that often accompany malaria, such as weakness, renal failure or cerebral malaria. Many plants that have been considered to lack activity against malaria due to absence of in vitro activity against Plasmodium can have other mechanisms of action. Thus researchers should observe ethnomedical information before deciding which kind of screening should be used in the search of antimalarial drugs.     

Optimization of native agar extraction from Hydropuntia cornea from Yucatán, México

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine optimum extraction conditions for yield, gelling temperature, melting temperature and apparent viscosity of native agar from the red alga Hydropuntia cornea. Two independent variables were selected during extraction, temperature (80, 90 and 100 degrees C) and time (2, 3 and 4 h). The extraction procedure using 100 degrees C and 3 h produced the greatest yield (43.3%), the greatest gelling temperature (32 degrees C) and the greatest melting temperature (78 degrees C). The extraction using 65 degrees C and 4 h produced the optimum statistical apparent viscosity (80.73 cPs), though agar yield under these conditions had low quality for industrial purposes. Temperature and time do not affect melting temperature, but do play an important role in gelling temperature. From the independent variables studied, extraction temperature is most important in producing an increase in yield, and time is the only variable that contributes significantly to increasing viscosity. Most of the physicochemical properties found in the native agar from H. cornea extracted at 100 degrees C/3 h were similar to commercial samples. These findings suggest the feasibility of using this colloid in spreads and soft-texture food products.     

Terrestrial gastropods zoogeography in Southern Tamaulipas, México

Biogeography of Mexican terrestrial mollusks is poorly known, although many studies have described some of their biological aspects. This study aimed to contribute with new information on the distribution of terrestrial mollusks in this region of high altitudinal, topographic and climatic variations of Southern Tamaulipas State, México. For this, terrestrial gastropods were surveyed from December 1990 to November 2006. A total of 525 samples were obtained from 121 localities, characterized with different vegetation types. The primary zoogeographical feature was the presence of many endemic taxa, with 45 species or subspecies, representing the 43%, the highest value for Northeastern México. In addition, a total of 24 species (23%), were of Neotropical and Neartic distributions, and 15 species or subspecies (14%) exhibited Neotropical distributions. Furthermore, the family Spiraxidae showed the largest number of endemic species, with 17 species and two subspecies, and had the largest number of endemic species (27) for Northeastern México.     

La Micología Médica En México Revisión De La Bibliografía Aparecida Durante El Período De 1946 A 1958

Resumen Se presenta una revisión general de algunas de las publicaciones mexicanas sobre micología médica aparecidas durante los años de 1946 a 1958. Se divide el trabajo en secciones de acuerdo con las micosis que se han observado en México y se comentan los trabajos publicados correspondientes a cada tema.Se observa que las micosis más frecuentes en México, además de las dermatomicosis, son el micetoma actinomicósico producido porNocardia brasiliensis, la esporotricosis, la coccidioidomicosis, la actinomicosis, la cromomicosis y la infección primaria pulmonar epidémica porH. capsulatum. Las demás se presentan en forma escasa y sólo en ocasiones se encuentran comunicaciones en la literatura.Se proporciona la bibliografía de los trabajos comentados.

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Summary A general review is presented of some of the mexican literature dealing with medical mycology appeared during the 1946–1958 period.This paper is divided in several sections in accordance with the mycoses that have been observed in Mexico; brief comments are made of each reference.It can be observed that in addition to the dermatomycosis, the most frequent mycoses in Mexico are the actinomycotic mycetoma produced byNocardia brasiliensis, sporotrichosis, coccidioidomycosis, actinomycosis, chromomycosis and the acute pulmonar primoinfection of histoplasmosis. The other mycoses are not very common in Mexico and are only occasionally observed.A complete list of the reviewed papers is appended.

     

The opossum Didelphis virginiana as a synanthropic reservoir of Trypanosoma cruzi in Dzidzilché, Yucatán,México

In México, the role of mammals in the transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi is poorly known. In the State of Yucatán, an endemic area of Chagas disease, both Didelphis virginiana and D. marsupialis occur sympatrically. However, until now, only the former species had been found infected with T. cruzi. To evaluate the role of D. virginiana in a peridomestic transmission, nine periods of capture-recapture were performed around the village of Dzidzilché, Yucatán. The sex, age, reproductive status, location, and presence of infection with T. cruzi were recorded for each opossum. The chromosome morphology was used to identify the opossum species. T. cruzi was identified by the presence of pseudocysts of amastigotes in cardiac muscle fibers of Balb/c mice inoculated with strains isolated from opossums. However, xenodiagnosis was the best diagnostic method. Triatoma dimidiata, the vector, were collected in and around the opossums' nests, and human dwellings; and were checked for T. cruzi. From 102 blood samples of D. virginiana examined 55 (53.9%) were positive to T. cruzi, the only two D. marsupialis captured were negative. Significant differences were found between infection, and both sex and reproductive condition. Eight out of 14 triatomines collected in peridomestic nests (57.1%), and 32 of 197 captured inside houses (16.3%) were found infected, suggesting a peridomestic transmission. The statistically high abundance of infected opossums and triatomines during the dry season (March to May) suggested the existence of a seasonality in the peridomestic transmission of T. cruzi in Dzidzilché.     

A new glossiphoniid leech from Catemaco Lake, Veracruz, México

Haementeria acuecueyetzin n. sp. from Catemaco Lake, Veracruz, Mexico, is described based on the examination of 6 specimens. This new hematophagous leech species resembles other members of the genus in the number and position of the eyespots, number of compact salivary glands, and in the presence of 2 pairs of spheroidal mycetomes, but it is distinguished from the other species by having 6 rows of longitudinal smooth white papillae in the dorsal surface and numerous tubercles in dorsal and ventral surfaces. This new species represents the third species of Haementeria in the Northern Hemisphere of the Americas.     

Medicinal plants in the southern region of the State of Nuevo León,México

Background

Although the flora of the State of Nuevo León is well known, there are few records of ethnobotancial information. An ethnobotanical study was undertaken in order to know the medicinal plants used by people living at the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas in the southern Nuevo León. Collection of plants specimens and interviews were carried out among the people of the municipalities of Aramberri, Galeana, and Zaragoza. Since former studies in the region are scarce, the aim of this work was to record the medicinal species and their uses in the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas, of southern Nuevo León, Mexico, and also to know if there are differences in the number of species and number of uses knowledge by people.

Methods

Field work was carried out over a 2 years period; useful plants were collected and a total of 105 people from 46 different villages were interviewed. A database was compiled using data collected by means of semi structured interviews. The data were analyzed by means of non-parametric statistics, using goodness-of-fit test (Chi-squared) (number of species known by people of each municipality, number of uses known by people of each municipality), Chi-squared modified to incorporate the Yates Correction (number of species known by people living at scrublands and oak-pine forest); the Kruskall-Wallis test (number of species known by women and men of the three municipalities), and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (age and number of species known, and age and number of uses).

Results

A total of 163 medicinal plant species were recorded in the study area, comprising 108 wild and 55 cultivated plants. A total of 117 species were recorded in the oak-pine forest, and 111 in the scrublands area, a total of 68 were recorded in both areas; 68 medicinal species are used in all three municipalities, 40 wild and 28 cultivated. We documented 235 different medicinal uses. The most common plant parts used for medicinal purposes were found to be leaves (123 species), stems (55), fruits (28), roots (17), and bark (14). No differences were noted in the number of medicinal plant species identified among people, but differences were significant in their knowledge with respect to the number of uses among people of the three municipalities studied; people from both, scrublands and oak-pine forest know similar number of species and number of uses. Men and women of the three different municipalities knew statistically the same number of species and number of uses. There was no correlation between resident’s age and number of species known and resident’s age and number of uses either in Galeana or in Aramberri, but, there was high correlation among these variables in Zaragoza.

Conclusion

In southern Nuevo León people use at least 5% of the total State flora as medicinal plants, and most of these species are included in few plant families. Most of medicinal species are wild and indigenous to the region. The two most important major plant communities, scrublands and oak-pine forest provide almost the same number of medicinal species. A third of the medicinal flora recorded are used in all three municipalities, most of them are wild. Leaves, stems and fruits are the plant parts most commonly used for healing, and boiling is the most common method used for this purpose. Men and women from the three municipalities are familiar with nearly the same number of species; however, their knowledge of the number of uses varies significantly. In Galeana and Aramberri there was no correlation between a person’s age and number of species recognized, however, in Zaragoza, there existed a high correlation between these two factors.

     

Mammals of "La Sepultura" Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, México

A species list was elaborated for La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. Line transects and direct observations were made. national and international databases were consulted, and animal traces were registered. Animals were captured during the period May 1994 - December 1999. A total of 848 specimen (248 furs and skulls), 32 tracks in plaster, and 9 osseous fragments were collected. A total of 98 species, 70 genera, 29 families, and 10 orders compose the species list. Of these species 87.7% belong to the orders Chiroptera, Rodentia and Carnivora and 21 species were classified according to some kind of legal protection. These data represent a solid and actualized database useful for designing management and conservation plans for this Biosphere Reserve.     

Diversity of native bee visitors of cucurbit crops (Cucurbitaceae) in Yucatán, México

Native bees in Yucatán, México are treatened by agricultural land uses that limit their food resources, alter their reproductive habitats and increase their mortality. Various species may disappear before their importance for regional agricultural productivity and ecosystem maintenance is known. In order to assess their assemblage as visitors of cucurbit crops, we sampled more than 2000 bee specimens on fourteen fields of pumpkin, cucumber, melon and watermelon from five localities between 1995 and 1997; sample units consisted of all bees collected by net sweeping in a given field during 25–30 accumulated hours on separate days. The fourteen samples comprised bees of six families, 29 genera and 58 species. Composition per sample ranged between 10 and 27 species and abundance between 28 and 444 individuals. Seven species (six genera) of Apidae, Anthophoridae and Halictidae comprised around 80% of all the individuals collected. Yet, diversity measures indicated intermediate to high evenness in most sampled bee assemblages, i.e. despite the frequent abundance of some species of Augochlora, Partamona, Ceratina, Trigona or Peponapis, other bee visitors were also relatively important, particularly in small samples. Individual samples of pumpkin bee visitors had significantly different evenness among themselves and to other cucurbit crops. The percent similarity and number of shared species among the fourteen samples were both usually low; lumping data per crop and locality showed, however, higher evenness and more common species than individual samples. Results are discussed in terms of future research priorities: natural history of tropical native bees and strategies to monitor bee community changes for conservation purposes.     

Discoloration of microalgal blooms as a bioindicating parameter in the Bahia de Mazatlán, México

In order to verify whether harmful algal blooms increased since 1979, a long-term project for the study of harmful algal blooms in Mazatlán Bay began 25 years ago (1979-2003). Observations were done daily and results indicate five trend types: (I) years without discoloration related to El Ni?o events; (II) years with days of sudden occurrence of discoloration, related to the release of accumulated energy after El Ni?o events; (III) years with similar number of discoloration events (days); (IV) years with a progressive decrease of the occurrence (days) of discoloration events; (V) years with gradual increase of discoloration events. The annual mean average of discoloration is of 25.3 days. Ninety-six discoloration events were recorded during year 2000, and represent the highest number of events in the last 25 years. Discoloration events are more common in March (174 days), harmful and toxic blooms included. This indicates continuity in the occurrence of the highest content of microalgae, and therefore, it is concluded that they play an important role for a better understanding of the environmental deterioration undergone by the coastal zone due to an increase of harmful and toxic microalgae blooms.     

Patterns of care of radiotherapy in México

Aim

This survey is performed to learn about the structure of radiotherapy in México.

Background

Radiation oncology practice is increasing because of the higher incidence of cancer. There is no published data about radiotherapy in México.

Materials and methods

A questionnaire was sent to the 83 registered centers in the database of the Mexican regulatory agency. One out of the 32 states has no radiotherapy. 27 centers from 14 states provided their answers.

Results

829 patients are treated annually with any radiotherapy modality in each center. Two centers have one cobalt machine, 7 have a cobalt and a linac and 10 have more than one linac. Five centers use 2D planning systems, 22 use 3D; 9, conventional simulators; 22, CT based simulation, and 1 center has no simulation. Most of the centers verify beams with films, electronic portal image devices and cone beam CTs are also used. Intensity modulated and image guided radiotherapy are performed in 5 states. Breast, prostate, cervix, lung, rectum and head and neck cancer are the six most common locations. There are 45 public and 38 private centers, 2 dedicated to children. Two gamma knife units, 5 Novalis systems, 1 tomotherapy and 2 cyberknife machines are working. All centers have at least one radiation oncologist, one physicist and one radiotherapist.

Conclusions

Definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from this limited feedback due to a low participation of centers. This survey about radiotherapy in Mexico shows the heterogeneity of equipment as well as medical and technical staff in the whole country.     

Species composition,richness, and distribution of marine bivalve molluscs in Bahía de Mazatlán,México

We describe the composition and distribution of bivalve molluscs from the sandy and rocky intertidal and the shallow subtidal environments of Bahía de Mazatlán, México. The bivalve fauna of the bay is represented by 89 living species in 28 families, including 37 new records and four range extensions: Lithophaga hastasia, Adula soleniformis, Mactrellona subalata, and Strigilla ervilia. The number of species increases from the upper (44) and lower intertidal (53) to the shallow subtidal (76), but only 11 (17%) have a wide distribution in the bay (i.e., found in all sampling sites and environments). The bivalve assemblages are composed of four main life forms: 27 epifaunal species, 26 infaunal, 16 semi-infaunal, and 20 endolithic. A taxonomic distinctness analysis identified the sampling sites and environments that contribute the most to the taxonomic diversity (species to suborder categories) of the bay. The present work increased significantly (31%) to 132 species previous inventories of bivalves of Bahía de Mazatlán. These species represent 34% of the bivalve diversity of the southern Golfo de California and approximately 15% of the Eastern Tropical Pacific region.     

Helminth parasites of the blue-footed booby on Isla Isabel, México

A survey of the helminth fauna of the blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii, on Isla Isabel, off the Pacific coast of México, is presented. Eight parasite species were found: 4 digeneans (Galactosomum puffini , Mesostephanus microbursa, Opisthometra planicollis, and Renicola thapari), 3 nematodes (Contracaecum sp., Porrocaecum sp., and Tetrameres sp.), and 1 cestode (Tetrabothrius sp). All these species are reported for the first time in the blue-footed booby, and they represent 8 new locality records as well. Species accumulation curves suggest these 8 parasite species comprise the total helminth fauna of this population of boobies. The most frequent and abundant parasite was R. thapari, inhabiting the kidney of its host. In male boobies, a significant negative correlation was found between abundance of R. thapari and host body condition.     

Distribution and abundance of Tillandsia spp. (Bromeliaceae) in the Zapotitlán Valley,Puebla, México

Seed germination of woody species was studied in treefall gaps in NewZealand to assess how environmental heterogeneity affects regeneration fromseed. Gaps were created in a relictual Pinus radiataplantation destined for restoration to native forest. Seeds of the nativespecies Alectryon excelsus, Macropiperexcelsum, and Fuchsia excorticata, and theinvasive alien species Cytisus scoparius andBerberis darwinii were sown in sites differing inexposure,with and without 3 cm of pine litter. Litter promoted germinationof Alectryon and Macropiper,independent of site. Without litter, percent germination ofMacropiper was negatively correlated with percent open skyoverhead. Germination of Fuchsia was significantly higherin treefall gaps than in the forest understory, with litter having littleeffect. Cytisus germinated most successfully in sitesexposed to direct solar radiation, with or without litter. Percent germinationof Berberis was high in all sites, and was consistentlypromoted by litter. Glasshouse trials for each species showed the same effectsof litter cover as found in the field. These results suggest thatmicroenvironmental heterogeneity can be an important influence on the speciescomposition of regenerating vegetation within and around treefall gaps.     

Somatic production of two species: Crassostrea virginica and Ischadium recurvum Bivalvia in Mecoacán, Tabasco, México

The Mexican oyster fishery, 90% supported by the coastal lagoons of the Gulf of Mexico, has decreased drastically in the last six years as a result of anthropogenic pollution and improper management. The mussel Ischadium recurvum has proliferated and competes with oysters for space and probably food. Crassostrea virginica and Ischadium recurvum were studied to evaluate somatic production with biometry and physiological condition indices (PCI's) during an annual cycle. A random sample of 200 organisms was taken montly for each species. Condition indices wet flesh weigth: wet shell weight ratio (WFW/WSW), dry flesh weight: wet flesh weight ratio (DFW/WFW), dry flesh wet: dry shell weight ratio (DFW/DSW), and ash free dry weight: tissue dry weight (AFDW/TDW) were calculated. In order to stablish physiological condition and temporal variability, these indices were compared between species and months. The somatic production of mussels was higher than in oysters. This enhancement in production could be explained by: 1) Mussel uses less energy for shell production, 2) a constant recruitment of mussel almost year-round, and 3) the mesohalin lagoon was more favourable to the mussel.     

Waterbirds (other than Laridae) nesting in the middle section of Laguna Cuyutlán, Colima, México

Laguna de Cuyutlán, in the state of Colima, Mexico, is the only large coastal wetland in a span of roughly 1150 km. Despite this, the study of its birds has been largely neglected. Between 2003 and 2006 we assessed the waterbirds nesting in the middle portion of Laguna Cuyutlán, a large tropical coastal lagoon, through field visits. We documented the nesting of 15 species of non-Laridae waterbirds: Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), Tricolored Egret (Egretta tricolor), Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), Great Egret (Ardea alba), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea), Green Heron (Butorides virescens), Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis), Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris), Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). These add to six species of Laridae known to nest in that area: Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla), Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus), Gull-billed Terns (Gelochelidon nilotica), Forster's Terns (S. forsteri), Least Terns (Sternula antillarum), and Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), and to at least 57 species using it during the non-breeding season. With such bird assemblages, Laguna Cuyutlán is an important site for waterbirds, which should be given conservation status.