Brazilian Tradition Research Articles

Indigenous-based probiotic beverage from peanuts and soybean: development, optimization, and characterization.

This study aimed to develop a probiotic fermented beverage inspired by the traditional Brazilian indigenous beverage Cauim. The beverage was formulated using peanuts and soybeans and fermented using a combination of bacteria and yeast based on traditional methods of Brazilian indigenous cultures. The composition and processing conditions of the beverage were optimized using a Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology. Strains isolated from indigenous Brazilian fermentations, Pediococcus acidilactici CCMA 0347, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCMA 0681, were used in addition to the commercial probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (HOWARU®). The optimized formulation contained 61.2% water-soluble peanut extract, inoculated with 8.00, 6.70, and 5.0 log CFU/ml of P. acidilactici, L. acidophilus, and S. cerevisiae, respectively. The fermented beverage maintained a high level of probiotic cell viability (>107 CFU/ml) over 35 days of storage. The metabolic activity of the microorganisms was sustained throughout storage, mirroring the behavior observed in traditional fermented foods such as Cauim. In addition to high probiotic viability, the beverage presented elevated levels of lactic acid and low pH, indicating the presence of postbiotic components. It also showed nutritional richness in proteins, isoflavones, unsaturated fatty acids, and micronutrients. Sensory analysis demonstrated good acceptance, particularly in appearance and aroma, although further improvements are needed in flavor perception. These results indicate that the optimized plant-based beverage is a promising functional food with probiotic and postbiotic properties, good sensory appeal, and potential to promote health while enhancing the cultural value of Brazilian Indigenous food traditions.

Communicating food-based dietary guidelines culturally sensitive? A comparative argumentation analysis of the German and Brazil dietary guidelines

ObjectiveTo examine the cultural appropriateness and argumentation structure of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) in Germany and Brazil, with the aim of identifying areas for improvement to better align with sociocultural contexts and enhance their impact on dietary choices and public health.DesignA comparative study utilizing the concepts of cultural health communication and culturally sensitive argumentation to analyze the communication materials of FBDGs in both countries.SettingThe analysis focuses on the national FBDGs and associated communication strategies employed in Germany and Brazil.ParticipantsThe study examines how FBDG materials are communicated to policymakers and the general public in Germany and Brazil, without direct participant involvement.ResultsThe Brazilian Dietary Guidelines (BDGs) show a more complex and culturally sensitive argumentation structure than the German Dietary Guidelines (GDGs). They incorporate multi-layered reasoning and culturally rooted examples, aligning dietary recommendations closely with Brazilian food traditions and social norms. In contrast, the GDGs emphasize scientific authority and offer more straightforward, less culturally embedded arguments. This highlights the BDGs’ stronger alignment with local values and practices.

Concerto for guitar and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos: genre and style projections

The relevance of the article is to consider Guitar Concerto by Heitor Villa-Lobos is considered from the standpoint of the interaction of authentic Brazilian genres with the specifics of the individual composer’s style. The article takes into account historiographical information, as well as editorial and performing aspects of comparative analytics by contemporary researchers. Main objective of the study is to identify genre sources of thematicism, linguistic features of Brazilian origin in the Guitar Concerto by Heitor Villa-Lobos in combination with individual and stylistic means of their modern embodiment. The novelty of the publication lies in the introduction of genre and style analytics of H. Villa-Lobos’s Guitar Concerto into Ukrainian musicology, taking into account the specific direction of modernist searches for musical vocabulary, tangentially related to the renewal of the instrument’s idiomatic resources and performance techniques, explanations of the structural logic of pitch phenomena, as well as the expansion of the range of manifestations of the phenomenon of autocitation. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach and methods of historical-theoretical, systemic, structural and functional analysis used to study the rhythmic and intonational primary sources of authentic Brazilian genres, stylistic features of the composer’s work, folk and academic guitar performance techniques, and the relationship between the morphology of modernist thinking and the idiom of new guitar playing techniques. Results and conclusions. The Concerto reveals genre primary sources of thematicism, linguistic features of Brazilian origin in combination with individual and stylistic means of their modern embodiment. The phenomenon of autocitation is identified as one of the main creative methods of the author’s declaration of accumulations and achievements in guitar music. Due to the leading influence of the Brazilian genre traditions of choro, the Concerto contains allusions related to the texts of the author’s own guitar cycles of preludes, choros, and etudes. The novelty of the study also lies in the analytically proven connection between the themes of the concerto and the musical material of Choro’s famous piano piece No. 5 «Alma Brasileira» from the cycle «Choros», created by the composer for different instruments and compositions. The use of the national attribution of Spanish hemiolaic modes as an element of Iberian culture is merged with the modes of octatonic symmetrical harmonies. In the aggregate of techniques, performance methods, melodic, harmonic, rhythmic elements of the language, genre and style projections of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ music deep into national sound mythologies are accumulated.

O estatuto funcional de sintagmas preposicionais dos verbos ‘ir’ e ‘morar’: adjunto ou complemento?

The article takes up the traditional discussion on the distinction between the functions of adjunct and complement, verifying which is the appropriate analysis for the prepositional phrases that appear with the verbs ‘ir’ (to go) and ‘morar’ (to live). We initially present some elements of Apollonio Discolo’s analysis of transitivity through the notion of verbal diathesis and show that indecision about the function of these phrases is present in French, Portuguese and Brazilian grammatical traditions. We identified the difficulty of analysis in the fact that these phrases express locative content, which is not compatible with the proposed analysis of transitive diathesis according to Apollonio Discolo. This view was favored by the Latin adaptation of the Apollonian term ‘hypokeímenón’ as object. Finally, we defend the proposal, based on the notions of function (or predicate) and argument of Frege (2013 [1879]), that these prepositional phrases are arguments capable of saturating a predicate and that they should be analyzed as indirect complements of the verbs ‘ir’ (to go) and ‘morar’ (to live).

Distributed cognition in oral poetry improvisation: a semiosis-centered approach

Abstract We propose a semiotic externalist approach that takes cognition as semiosis, gives central importance to the notion of temporal distribution, describes the elements of distributed cognitive systems (DCSs) as signs, and identifies the DCS itself as a system that enacts a sign. This is a semiosis-centered, and thus a non-agent-centered account of DCSs. In order to develop and illustrate our argument, we describe an example of DCS – the Brazilian verbo-musical improvisational tradition of repente – considering it first as embodiment of the formal structure of a cognitive task, and then as embodiment of a semiotic process. The latter corresponds to a semiotization of the description of repente sessions as DCSs, that focuses on how the DCS can embody a meta semiotic process, semiosis that supervenes on, and determines, distinct types of smaller-scale semiotic process.

Unveiling the Cultural and Entrepreneurial Potential of Música Popular Brasileira

Música popular Brasileira (MPB) is a genre of Brazilian music that emerged in the mid-1960s. It is characterized by its eclectic mix of samba, bossa nova, tropicalia, rock, pop, electronic, and samba-pop incorporating elements from African, European, and indigenous Brazilian music traditions. MPB is known for its rich lyrical content, which often addresses social, political, and cultural themes, and its innovative fusion of traditional and contemporary musical styles. This paper explores the allure and entrepreneurial prospects of MPB in the global music sphere. Through qualitative analysis of insights from industry experts Beatriz Malnic, Bruno Miranda, and Derris Lee, it delves into MPB's distinctive elements, its global influence, and strategies for enhancing its commercial success. Despite barriers, MPB's diversity, rhythmic appeal, and genre fusion captivate audiences globally. The paper advocates for collaborative partnerships with educational institutions, language-inclusive promotion, and digital engagement to expand MPB's reach. Embracing MPB's cultural legacy and entrepreneurial ethos can deepen connections with audiences and enrich the global music landscape with Brazil's musical treasures.

The Heralds of the Gospel: Catholic anti-modernity as new right utopia in Brazil

ABSTRACT The ‘Heralds of the Gospel’ are a Brazilian ultra-Catholic group with a long history of far-right lobbying and activism. Recognized in 2001 by the Vatican as ‘International Private Association of Christ’s Faithfull’, they are also ‘of Pontifical right’ and since 2005 allowed to ordinate their own priests. As ”soldiers of Christ” they are inspired by the Templars and pursue a utopian mission to subvert, transform and ultimately overturn the modern, secular state through their apostolate. The Heralds have also created an international education network and media imperium, underpinned by a robust business model, and are starting to reach out to the US and Europe. The article argues that this kind of exotic, Catholic far-right utopianism matters if we are to understand the diversity of the global new right today, in particular because the Brazilian tradition, which the Heralds refer to, anticipated some of the by now recurrent elements of this strand of the right such as metapolitics and antimodernism. The article explores the century long (neo)integrist tradition that the Heralds grow out of and through their own publications, PR and leaked evidence, show how this tradition is brought to life in the 21st century as communitarian practices and material artifacts.

From quilombo to comic: exploring new frontiers in graphic narratives about ancestry

ABSTRACT This study explores the intersection between graphic narratives and the representation of Quilombola and Indigenous ancestral cultures in Brazil, through the analysis of the graphic novel Urubu-Rei (King Vulture). Employing the traditional technique of woodcut, this work highlights the singularity of the graphic novel in preserving and celebrating Brazilian cultural traditions. At the same time, it discusses how the work transcends the conventional boundaries of comics, acting as an educational tool and promoting intercultural dialogue. The analysis is based on a comprehensive bibliographic review and a critical-dialectical approach that reveals the complexities of representing ancestral worldviews in a contemporary visual language. The study also examines the challenges faced in translating cultural traditions into graphic narratives, addressing issues of authenticity, simplification, and ethical responsibility. Finally, the article proposes future directions for research and practice, emphasizing the potential of graphic narratives as vehicles for education, cultural appreciation, and the inclusion of marginalized voices. Urubu-Rei thus marks a milestone in the exploration of new frontiers in graphic narratives, promoting a deep reflection on identity, miscegenation, and cultural belonging.

THE GREEK MYTH IN AFRO-BRAZILIAN CULTURAL SPACE (STUDYING THE FILM “BLACK ORPHEUS” DIRECTED BY M. CAMUS)

The article focuses on the study of the peculiarities of interpretation of Greek myth in the Afro-Brazilian cultural space using the material of the film “Black Orpheus” directed by M. Camus, based on the play “Orfeu da Conceição” by Vinicius de Moraes. The author traces the origins of the appeal to the image of Orpheus in the works of Camus and Moraes, and reveals the connection with the French dramatic tradition and cinema. M. Camus transforms the Greek story through the prism of the culture of the Afro-Brazilian population of Rio de Janeiro — the inhabitants of the favelas. The film brings to the fore the musical component of the myth, with the help of which the originality of the Afro-Brazilian tradition and carnival practices of Latin America are revealed. Orpheus in the film appears as a tram driver, singer and leader of a samba school. His image combines the Dionysian principle (the carnival tradition into which Orpheus is “inscribed”) and the Apollonian (expressed in lyrical songs and cultural codes of bossa nova). The carnival “building” of mythological reality allows us to touch the spiritual layers of the Brazilian tradition — the syncretic cult of Candomble. The space of the Macumba ritual symbolizes the Kingdom of Hades, in which dialogue with Eurydice is carried out through musical magic that opens doors between the worlds. The passage through the Kingdom of the Dead represents a rite of passage in which the hero dies and is reincarnated in a new form: in the finale, Orpheus “transfers” his musical gift to the boy, symbolically gaining new life in him. The interpretation of the ancient Greek plot in the space of Afro-Brazilian carnival practices helps to reveal the civilizational specificity of Latin America and Orfeus as an “eternal image” that embodies the divine gift of love, the magic of music, and eternal existence through a change of forms.

A arquitetura de terra enquanto patrimônio cultural: o impacto do rompimento da barragem de fundão

Earthen architecture appeared frequently in Brazil’s colonial period. Several earthen constructions have survived in Minas Gerais, representing the Brazilian construction tradition from the 16th to the 19th centuries. However, these buildings face constant threats of disappearance due to a lack of appreciation and protection, and mining is an example of how extractive activities can affect buildings and landscapes. Because of the rupture of the Fundão Dam in 2015, several environmental and human impacts occurred along the Doce River basin, emphasizing the Mariana and Barra Longa municipalities. The article, therefore, intends to discuss how the rupture of the Fundão Dam accelerated a process, already underway, of the loss of a constructive tradition on land in this region and to question the reason for the existence of a gap concerning this fact when it comes to deals with the material losses caused by the disaster. The region’s constructive memory was already compromised before the Fundão dam rupture and that the documental gap, also evident, can have several causes and directly affects the smaller villages.

Prehistory of journalism studies: Discovering the Brazilian tradition

Aiming to broaden and diversify knowledge about the origins of journalism studies, this article proposes a longitudinal examination of research on the press and journalists produced in Brazil, from the 1840s to the 1940s. It is shown that the first intellectuals interested in investigating the subject were doctors, engineers, jurists and theologians, as well as self-taught. Instead of simply classifying the production of this dilettante group under the label of “Whig history,” the study intends to understand the meaning and role that they, in common, attributed to journalism: the beacon of a young nation in progress. The analysis of the set of historical accounts identifies an approach that is at the same time liberal — as it frames absolutist Portugal as the main obstacle to the introduction of the press in Colonial Brazil — and nativist — as it overestimates the development of Brazilian journalism during the period of the Empire, equating it with the British and French cases. Ultimately, these reactions to colonial powers could be seen as early impulses to current efforts to decolonize the field.

Brazilian Black Librarianship

In Brazil, only recently has Brazilian Black Librarianship (Biblioteconomia Negra Brasileira in Portuguese; BNB) experienced renewed interest as an intellectual, professional and bibliographic movement that ranges from professional training and performance to theoretical and epistemological reflections on the critical reflections produced by Black librarians, as well as research on ethnic and racial issues, socioeconomic conditions, and the Black population within Library and Information Science (Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação in Portuguese; BCI). This article presents the BNB movement through its history, praxis, and curricular transformation of the library profession in the context of the epistemologies produced by Black librarians in Brazil. The justification for this study lies in debating how LIS as a field promotes and reproduces whiteness and the death of knowledge of Black librarians (and librarians belonging to non-white ethnic and racial groups), resulting in the exclusion of this knowledge in libraries, praxis, and librarian education training. In other words, whiteness in Brazilian librarianship is instituted as an exercise in epistemicide, nullifying or hiding other epistemologies. For the socio-critical construction of the framework of this research, we analyzed of books, articles, theses, dissertations, annals of scientific events in the field, and manuals published in the period from 1987 to 2020. Such information sources were drawn from databases, websites of scientific events, class councils and professional associations, graduate programs in information science, and the Brazilian platform for researchers' curricula, Currículo Lattes. In this theoretical framework, we sought to uncover the way that Brazilian LIS education promotes Eurocentric (white) thinking and renders racial debate and Black intellectuals invisible, drawing from the philosophies of Grada Kilomba, Sueli Carneiro and Boaventura de Sousa Santos. Anchored in these theoretical references from different areas of knowledge, we debate the fight against the epistemicide of Black thought within the scope of scientific production in Brazilian librarianship. Finally, we bring the profile of Black Brazilian librarians and their performance with ethnic-racial issues, and the scientific production of Black librarians at BNB that gave rise to the movement to introduce Black epistemologies in LIS. The conclusion points to critical perspectives that bring the discussion on race to the center of the field and the formation of a Brazilian tradition of theories and methods through the struggles and resistance of the country's Black communities. Pre-print first published online 7/17/2023

O INCONSCIENTE É A POLÍTICA: SOBRE AS DISTOPIAS NA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA CONTEMPORÂNEA

ABSTRACT. This essay intends to circumscribe in the recent Brazilian social tradition the problem of far right-wing populism, in a resumption and repetition of what happened in the nefarious times of the military dictatorship. For this, we analyzed the debt established by Brazilian society towards the dead, insofar as the crimes committed by the dictatorship were not judged. In addition, this debt refers to other existing debts in Brazilian society, referring to the slavery tradition, as well as gender related patriarchal relations.

O mito da meritocracia: academicismo e falhas metodológicas nos concursos públicos brasileiros

Abstract Is there meritocracy when 58% of administrative assistants and 87% of physicians employed in Brazilian federal higher education institutions (HEI) were selected through public exams based solely on theoretical multiple-choice tests? Is there meritocracy in selection processes that do not assess the candidates’ experience or apply discursive or practical exams? This article addresses a historically constructed assumption assimilated as a kind of myth in Brazil: the idea that the current model for filling government positions is meritocratic. The extreme objectivity of these public exams reduces the Brazilian tradition of nepotism but presents serious flaws. One is academicism, which overvalues educational titles and theoretical knowledge at the expense of essential skills for many government positions. Calls for civil service entrance exams to fill administrative and medical positions in federal HEI throughout Brazil were verified using the descriptive statistics method (via frequency analysis), tabulating the evaluation types used in each selection, and generating tables and graphs. The results suggest adopting assessments more broadly connected with the competencies the positions require and prioritizing skills and practical behaviors instead of theoretical knowledge of little or no applicability. The study points out alternatives for a nation with more than 200 million inhabitants, the vast majority of which do not realize the incalculable damage of real academicism and illusory meritocracy.

CHRISTIAN SECULARISM AND RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN REPUBLICAN BRAZIL

The following work attempts to trace the historic roots of the Brazilian government’s discrimination towards the religious freedom rights of Jews and Sabbatarian Christians exhibited in the application of the ENEM in 2009 and 2010. This research article defends the thesis that the modern Brazilian Constitutional arguments for denying religious accommodations on national exams for Sabbatarians on grounds of laicite, state preference of religion or equality under the laws derive from an anti–liberal legal Brazilian tradition. This paper diachronically argues that this tradition of denying exemptions for minorities developed as a result of Brazil’s republican history and authoritarian dictatorial past in order to promote a particularly secularized Christian establishment.
 This paper begins by tracing the historical roots of legal arguments for denying religious accommodations for religious minorities in Brazilian republican constitutional history. It then shows how Brazilian elites used a secularized Catholic-positivistic discourse in the first half of the 20th century to suppress minority religious rights presupposing that Brazil was uniquely a Christian (i.e Roman Catholic) nation. The paper will then proceed to show how this Catholic positivistic discourse evolved to a more covert “secular” argument such as those from equality under the laws, “isonomy” and the secular nature of the State, “laicité” following the 1960s and thereafter. The second section attempts to show how this covert anti-liberal tradition of secularized Christianity has still been maintained in Brazil’s 1988 social democratic constitution by the discourse of isonomy and laicité. The article then concludes by attempting to show how religious accommodations do not harm government and suggesting that greater coalition building between minority religions can benefit both historically marginalized communities. This paper concludes by proposing that greater coalition building between African religions and Sabbatarian Christians can benefit both historically marginalized groups to attain their full civil and political liberties.

The avant-garde is dead, long live the avant-garde: Glauber Rocha’s rereading of Brazilian Modernismo and Di Cavalcanti

This article examines Glauber Rocha’s Di-Glauber as a filmic rereading and interrogation of Brazilian Modernismo and Emiliano Di Cavalcanti’s position in the Brazilian artistic tradition. Di-Glauber transforms Di Cavalcanti’s funeral into an anthropology of images, exploring established and possible relations between art, death, and society. Its unorthodox cinematic approach deconstructs Modernismo and Di Cavalcanti’s canonisation within Brazil’s “official” and transcendental national identity. First, Di-Glauber presents an affective account of Rocha and Di Cavalcanti’s friendship, diverting the painter’s institutionalisation through an immanent prism. Then, the film deconstructs its own representational status, self-reflexively exposing itself as an audiovisual artefact and hindering its eventual utilisation as part of an essentialist Brazilian identity. Di-Glauber paradoxically draws upon avant-gardist means to question the avant-garde’s canonisation: Rocha’s anthropophagy devours Di Cavalcanti and Modernismo to reclaim the political potential of the Brazilian artistic avant-garde.

Between salubridade and saudade. Food habits of Brazilians living in Italy

ABSTRACT This article deals with the eating habits of Brazilians living in Italy, and their views on the healthiness of the Mediterranean and Brazilian diet. After presenting the theoretical framework of the research, based on the notion of “dietary acculturation,” the results of a list of questions submitted to 58 Brazilians residing in Italy are discussed. The answers highlight the strong attachment of respondents to Brazilian food traditions, but also the systematic consumption of typical Italian dishes and drinks, to which they reserve very positive opinions. We hypothesize that the coincidence between the connotations of the Mediterranean/Italian diet and the indications contained in the “Food Guide for the Brazilian population” of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (2014), which respondents appear to know well, is supporting a process of dietary acculturation of Brazilians in Italy.

Issues of Lyric Diction of Brazilian Portuguese as Applied to José Siqueira’s Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras

Issues of Lyric Diction of Brazilian Portuguese as Applied to José Siqueira's Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras Marcel Ramalho (bio) LANGUAGE AND DICTION In the early twentieth century, the Brazilian nationalist movement in the arts brought concerns about the development of Brazilian art song and pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese in classical singing. Alberto Nepomuceno (1864–1920) was the first Brazilian composer to express his desire to develop a Brazilian art song tradition. He and other composers used the German Kunstlied and its high level of expressivity and symbiosis between words and music as the parameter through which they would measure the excellence and effectiveness of sung Brazilian Portuguese. In order for that excellence to be achieved, a thorough study of the sung national language with the goals of understanding its musical possibilities had to be performed. Spearheaded by Mário de Andrade (the same intellectual who led the Modernist movement and the Week of Modern Art of 1922), the Primeiro Congresso da Língua Nacional Cantada (First Conference for the Sung National Language) happened in São Paulo City in 1937. The main goal of this conference was to "unify the way in which the language was spoken and sung by the elimination or minimization of the use of regional dialects. As with music and other arts, the shift was toward the creation of a national language."1 The intent of establishing a standard pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese for singing was "animated by the desire to serve the cause of Brazilian nationality in the arts of language and singing,"2 with the resulting norms published in 1938. The organizers of this conference had a second conference in mind, which was supposed to occur in 1942. Due to political reasons, this second conference never happened. In 1956, the Primeiro Congresso Brasileiro da Língua Falada no Teatro (First Brazilian Conference for the Language Spoken in Theater) took place in Salvador, but the goal of this congress was not the establishing of a pronunciation standard. According to the organizers of the event, this task would happen naturally through the work of radio, television, and cinema, among other media (with no mention of singing).3 Almost seventy years after the Primeiro Congresso, the pronunciation of sung Brazilian Portuguese once again gained prominent place as a subject for discussion and research among Brazilian and American scholars. In 2007, new norms were published after discussions that took place between [End Page 363] 2003 and 2007 in several different music conferences in Brazil, including the IV Encontro Brasileiro de Canto (4th Brazilian Singing Convention), which happened in São Paulo in 2005. The main goal of the Normas para a Pronúncia do Português Brasileiro no Canto Erudito (Norms for the Pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese in Classical Singing) was "to establish a standard for a recognizable Brazilian pronunciation for classical singing, without foreign or regional features, laying aside the consideration of international influences and of the important regional and historic varieties of our language for future studies."4 An English version of these norms was published in the Journal of Singing in 2008.5 In 2017, Marcía D. Porter published Singing in Brazilian Portuguese: A Guide to Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire, the purpose of which was "to provide professional and amateur singers and pianists, voice teachers, coaches, students of singing and others interested in lyric Brazilian Portuguese (BP) a tool or guide to help with the pronunciation of the language."6 This article discusses aspects related to lyric diction of Brazilian Portuguese as applied to the Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras (Eight Popular Brazilian Songs), by José Siqueira (1907–1985). Given the regional character of Siqueira's overall opus and of these songs in particular, it is this author's understanding that several adaptations of the 2007 norms are necessary because, as stated by Brazilian linguist Thaïs Cristófaro Silva, "linguistic systems are dynamic and, in that sense, any document of a normative character will present limitations."7 The limitations in this case are related to meeting the needs of this specific repertoire and the cultural identities it aims to portray. In that sense, this article is aligned with the...

‘The Life of a Sailor’ (‘A Vida do Marujo’): A Portuguese and Brazilian Shanty

This article deals with a folk song known as ‘The Life of a Sailor’ existing in Portuguese and Brazilian oral tradition. In this song, a sailor complains about the trials of his life on board, mainly the fatiguing tasks he has to perform, for low pay. Although it has been collected in some inland areas, it seems this song was used mainly as a shanty. It was included also in a danced theatrical play about maritime subjects, performed by sailors or fishermen, which is now lost in Portugal but continues in Brazil. This article studies the relationships of this song with three other songs: ‘The Life of a Nun’, ‘The Life of a Friar’, and ‘The Life of a Student’. It also shows the view of life at sea which ‘The Life of a Sailor’ conveys, far removed from the epic tone usually connected with navigation in the Portuguese imaginary.

Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Antischistosomal Activity of Montrichardia linifera (Arruda) Schott (Araceae) Leaf Extracts

With a broad ethnopharmacological tradition in Brazil, Montrichardia linifera has been reported as a potent antirheumatic, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoan agent. However, there is a lack of studies on its effect on bacterial biofilm formation and Schistosoma mansoni worms. This study reports the effects of antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antischistosomal properties of leaf extracts of M. linifera. Phytochemical screening and identification of the main compounds of the extracts were performed. All the extracts evaluated showed antibacterial activity at the concentrations tested. We checked for the presence of flavonoids and derivatives of phenolic acids by the presence of spectra with bands characteristic of these classes in the sample analyzed. The antibacterial assays showed that the best MICs corresponded to 125 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 in all fractions. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts showed the ability to inhibit biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25123. For the antischistosomal activity, only the acetone and ethyl acetate extracts had a significant effect against helminths, with potent activity at a concentration of 50 µg/mL, killing 100% of the worms after 72 h of incubation. The M. linifera leaf extracts showed antibacterial activity, biofilm inhibition capacity, and anthelmintic activity against S. mansoni.