Clinical trials

Introduction: This project studies the impact of Ilex paraguariensis harvest time, commonly known as yerba mate, and its consumption mode (mate, tereré, and mate/terere) on the lipid profile of consumers in the Department of Caaguazú, Paraguay. Yerba mate is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, xanthines, and saponins. There are no clinical trials conducted in Paraguay with our Ilex paraguariensis plantations that have analyzed the influence of harvest time on the yerba mate production process and the infusion mode, in relation to its effect on dyslipidemias. General Objective: To establish the effectiveness of Ilex paraguariensis harvest time and the mode of consumption of the produced yerba mate on the lipid profile of consumers in the Department of Caaguazú, Paraguay. Methodology: The research approach will be quantitative, using a triple-blind randomized clinical trial design. Participants will be regular consumers of yerba mate, divided into groups based on harvest time (beginning or end of the harvest) and consumption mode (mate, tereré, or both). Lipid profile measurements will be taken at baseline and at 30, 90, and 180 days after consumption. Yerba mate samples will be analyzed and classified according to their bioactive properties before being blinded to the researchers and participants. Expected results: a report on the social, cultural, and anthropometric characterization of regular consumers of mate and tereré, and a report on the concentrations of the bioactive properties of yerba mate; polyphenols, xanthines, saponins from Ilex paraguariensis harvested at the beginning and end of the harvest and the database of patients with baseline lipid profile results, at 30, 90, and 180 days of mate and tereré consumers with yerba mate prepared randomly according to the harvest time of the Ip (beginning or end of harvest) analyzed.

The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate three tuberculosis (TB) screening and prevention strategies in prisons in Paraguay. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Which strategy is more effective for reducing the incidence rate of active TB? * Which strategy is more effective for reducing the TB infection rate? * Are these strategies safe, feasible, and cost-effective in prison settings? Researchers will compare three cluster-based, non-randomized programmatic strategies implemented in three prisons. These strategies differ in the frequency of screening, the diagnostic methods used, and the approach to tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT). Participants will: * undergo informed consent and clinical evaluation * receive TB screening through symptom assessment, chest digital X-ray with CAD, and rapid molecular testing, depending on site strategy * undergo IGRA testing and preventive therapy assessment, depending on the assigned strategy * be followed for 18 months, with screening rounds every 6 months or annually depending on the prison

This randomized clinical trial evaluates the effect of a mango and chia-based beverage on gut microbiota modulation in 100 Paraguayan children aged 8-16 years with obesity. Participants will consume the intervention beverage for 6 weeks. Fecal samples will be collected before and after each intervention to analyze microbiota composition using 16S rRNA sequencing. This study aims to characterize the gut microbiota of Paraguayan children for the first time and assess whether this functional beverage can positively modulate intestinal bacteria as a potential strategy to address childhood obesity, which affects 1 in 3 school-age children in Paraguay.