Bioinsecticide vs Aedes aegypti, vector of dengue, zika and chikungunya
The purpose of this research is to make an ecological insecticide that mixes the extracts of Piper tuberculatum, Annona muricata and Melia azedarach, that together in application cause mortality and repellence of the mosquito Aedes aegypti with the intention to help in the control of the diseases this mosquito is guilty of: dengue, zika and chikungunya, and decrease the risk of infection by a safe and organic way.
Investigating Novel Methods to Reduce Cholesterol Levels
An increase in blood cholesterol contributes to cardiovascular diseases, the number one cause of death worldwide. Statins are currently the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and treating patients with high cholesterol. However, these pharmaceutical agents have been shown to cause several side effects, prompting the need for a more natural solution to increasing cholesterol levels. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the ability of lactic acid bacteria in the removal of cholesterol, explore the mechanism for the removal of cholesterol by lactic acid bacteria, and examine the effectiveness of kidney beans and sunflower seeds in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum was the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and that the mechanism for cholesterol removal included both the binding to cell wall and active uptake into cells. Sunflower seeds and kidney beans were also shown to be effective in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, with sunflower seeds having 100% inhibition of the enzyme, similar to pravastatin, a commercial cholesterol reducing drug, and kidney beans having comparable percentage inhibition of the enzyme compared to pravastatin.