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Aims: The purpose of this study was to compare salivary and dental plaque (DP) composition between disabled children who require home care (DCHC) and a control group (CG) and to correlate it with oral and systemic health factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 15 DCHC and 15 healthy children (aged between 4 and 10 years). The caregivers answered a questionnaire on disease diagnosis, medical history, dental history, and oral hygiene routine. In addition to clinical examination, saliva and DP samples were collected and analyzed using attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Data were collected between January and December 2019. Student's t and Kendall correlation tests were used. Results: Calculus (46.7%), bleeding on toothbrushing (53.3%), and gingival hyperplasia (40.0%) were prevalent in DCHC. The saliva of DCHC presented a higher amount of lipids and collagen and a lower amount of carbohydrates than that of the CG (P < 0.05). DP components were similar in DCHC and CG. Conclusion: DCHC presented oral comorbidities and changes in salivary composition, compared with the CG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chikungunya fever is a disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) that is transmitted by the bite of the female of Aedes sp. mosquito. The symptoms include fever, muscle aches, skin rash, and severe joint pains. The disease may develop into a chronic condition and joint pain for months or years. Currently, there is no effective antiviral treatment against CHIKV infection. Treatments based on natural compounds have been widely studied, as many drugs were produced by using natural molecules and their derivatives. Alpha-phellandrene (α-Phe) is a naturally occurring organic compound that is a ligand for ruthenium, forming the organometallic complex [Ru 2 Cl 4 (p-cymene) 2 ] (RcP). Organometallic complexes have shown promising as candidate molecules to a new generation of compounds that presented relevant biological properties, however, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the anti-CHIKV activity of these complexes. The present work evaluated the effects of the RcP and its precursors, the hydrate ruthenium(III) chloride salt (RuCl 3 ⋅xH 2 O) (Ru) and α-Phe, on CHIKV infection in vitro . To this, BHK-21 cells were infected with CHIKV- nanoluciferase (CHIKV -nanoluc ), a viral construct harboring the nanoluciferase reporter gene, at the presence or absence of the compounds for 16 h. Cytotoxicity and impact on infectivity were analyzed. The results demonstrated that RcP exhibited a strong therapeutic potential judged by the selective index > 40. Antiviral effects of RcP on different stages of the CHIKV replicative cycle were investigated; the results showed that it affected early stages of virus infection reducing virus replication by 77% at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Further assays demonstrated the virucidal activity of the compound that completely blocked virus infectivity. In silico molecular docking calculations suggested different binding interactions between aromatic rings of RcP and the loop of amino acids of the E2 envelope CHIKV glycoprotein mainly through hydrophobic interactions. Additionally, infrared spectroscopy spectral analysis indicated interactions of RcP with CHIKV glycoproteins. These data suggest that RcP may act on CHIKV particles, disrupting virus entry to the host cells. Therefore, RcP may represent a strong candidate for the development of anti-CHIKV drugs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Oliveira, Santos, Martins, Gonçalves, Cardoso-Sousa, Sabino-Silva, Von Poelhsitz, Franca, Nicolau-Junior, Pacca, Merits, Harris and Jardim.)