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10.1089/jmf.2023.0028

New Evidence on the Antiproliferative Activity of Campomanesia Adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg Extracts in Melanoma Lung Metastasis

Given the importance of discovering plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado biome with anticancer potential, this study evaluated the antitumor activity of two extracts of Campomanesi adamantium fruits in in vitro and in vivo models of melanoma lung metastasis. Pulp and peel extracts (DEGPU and DEGPE, respectively) were extracted from fresh fruit using dichloromethane as a solvent. As cytotoxicity parameter, concentration values that inhibited 50% cell growth (GI50), total growth inhibition (TGI), and selectivity index (SI) were established. The melanoma lung metastasis model was obtained by injecting 5 × 105/50 μL B16-F10 cells via the tail vein of mice, which received treatment on the 15th day. Metastatic lungs were collected for fluorescence analysis with the IR-780 marker and also macro- and microscopic assessment. In vitro analyses showed that DEGPU was active in K562 (GI50 32.99; TGI 47.93) and U-251 (GI50 32.10; TGI 249.92), whereas DEGPE showed better cytotoxicity results for all tumor cell lines, but was more efficient in K562 (GI50 27.42; TGI 40.20) and U-251 (GI50 4.89; TGI 12.77). Both showed a cytocidal effect on B16F10 at the highest concentration tested, with approximately 25% (DEGPU) and 88% (DEGPE) of cell death. In vivo analyzes showed that both extracts showed significant activity in metastatic lung. Fluorescence images showed differences in intensity between groups owing to greater tumor involvement. Macro- and microscopic images showed that treatments with extracts limited tumor growth and prevented proliferation. The extracts tested have promising activity, thus requiring further research on their active compounds.

This work was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001.

Journal of Medicinal Food

2024-05-02

2024-05-02

2024-05-02

de Andrade Salomão, Evelyn; do Nascimento, Valter Aragão; Silva, Iandara Schettert; Hiane, Priscila Aiko; Macedo, Maria Ligia Rodrigues; Gielow, Karine Freitas; de Cassia Avellaneda Guimarães, Rita; Palhares, Murillo Augusto; Bogo, Danielle

10.1080/14786419.2024.2347447

Preclinical safety evaluation of the ethanolic extract from campomanesia guazumifolia (cambess.) O. Berg fruits peels in rats

The toxicological potential of the ethanolic extract from Campomanesia guazumifolia (EECG), a species traditionally recognised for its antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and hypercholesterolemic properties, was investigated in acute and subacute toxicity models in rats. In the acute toxicity test, 2000 mg/kg of EECG was administered orally in female rats, while male and female rats received 250, 500 or 750 mg/kg of EECG for the subacute toxicity test. No evidence of toxicity was observed in the animals acutely exposed, indicating that the LD50 is above 2000 mg/kg. However, repeated exposure to this extract resulted in alterations in important biochemical parameters indicative of hepatic and renal toxicity, including AST, ALT, creatinine, urea, and cholesterol. Additionally, some hematological parameters were also changed by the treatment. EECG demonstrated low toxicological potential. Nevertheless, given the observed changes in liver and kidney enzymes, further investigations into the protective effects of this extract following repeated administration are warranted.

The study was funded by FUNDECT and FAPESP [Grant number 2019/03284-6].

Natural Product Research

2024-04-29

2024-04-29

2024-04-29

de Toledo, Laura Leonel; Jorge, Bárbara Campos; Stein, Júlia; Nagaoka, Livia Trippe; de Matos Manoel, Beatriz; Cardoso, Claudia Andrea Lima; Kassuya, Cândida Aparecida Leite; Arena, Arielle Cristina

10.1111/brv.13092

Biocultural heritage of the Caatinga: a systematic review of Myrtaceae and its multiple uses

The Caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome, stands as a reservoir of remarkable biodiversity. Its significance transcends ecological dimensions, given the direct reliance of the local population on its resources for sustenance and healthcare. While Myrtaceae, a pivotal botanical family within the Brazilian flora, has been extensively explored for its medicinal and nutritional attributes, scant attention has been directed towards its contextual relevance within the Caatinga's local communities. Consequently, this inaugural systematic review addresses the ethnobotanical roles of Myrtaceae within the Caatinga, meticulously anchored in the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We searched Scopus, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Scielo, and LILIACS. No date-range filter was applied. An initial pool of 203 articles was carefully scrutinized, ultimately yielding 31 pertinent ethnobotanical studies elucidating the utility of Myrtaceae amongst the Caatinga's indigenous populations. Collectively, they revealed seven distinct utilization categories spanning ~54 species and 11 genera. Psidium and Eugenia were the genera with the most applications. The most cited categories of use were food (27 species) and medicinal (22 species). The importance of accurate species identification was highlighted, as many studies did not provide enough information for reliable identification. Additionally, the potential contribution of Myrtaceae fruits to food security and human health was explored. The diversity of uses demonstrates how this family is a valuable resource for local communities, providing sources of food, medicine, energy, and construction materials. This systematic review also highlights the need for more ethnobotanical studies to understand fully the relevance of Myrtaceae species in the Caatinga, promoting biodiversity conservation, as well as support for local populations.

Biological Reviews

2024-05-03

2024-05-03

2024-05-03

P S, Santos-Neves; Bezerra-Silva, Alexsandro; Gomes, Maria Thereza Dantas; A C A, Fagundes; M I U, Oliveira; Voeks, Robert A; E M, Costa Neto; Funch, Ligia Silveira

10.1590/1519-6984.281448

Use of cerrado plants as an alternative in the control of bacterial contamination in the alcoholic fermentation process

Bacterial contamination causes irreparable losses in the performance of alcoholic fermentation. Antibiotics are used to control these microorganisms, but they generate residues and cause microbial resistance. Today the only commercial product used by the mills is hops, but it is very expensive. As an alternative, the objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using extracts from plants grown in the Cerrado for antimicrobial control during an alcoholic fermentation to replace antibiotics. Hydraethanolic extracts of leaves and essential oil of the following species were tested: Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Serjania erecta, Serjania marginata, Campomanesia adamantium and Syzygium cumini. Only the extract of Serjania marginata did not show any activity against the bacterium Bacillus sp. Both the essential oils as well as the hydroalcoholic extracts of S. terebinthifolius and C. adamantium and the extract of S. erecta showed antibacterial activity without harming the yeast, with potential to replace the hops.

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Fermentation; Plant Extracts; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacillus; Oils, Volatile; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Bacteria

Lima, M. C.; Dias, K. S.; Fonseca, G. G.; Leite, R. S. R.; Batistote, M.; Paz, M. F.

10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27232

Influence of sample preparation methods on FTIR spectra for taxonomic identification of tropical trees in the Atlantic forest

The Atlantic forest is one of the world's major tropical biomes due to its rich biodiversity. Its vast diversity of plant species poses challenges in floristic surveys. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) enables rapid and residue-free data collection, providing diverse applications in organic sample analysis. FTIR spectra quality depends on the sample preparation methodology. However, no research on FTIR spectroscopy methodology for taxonomy has been conducted with tropical tree species. Hence, this study addresses the sample preparation influence on FTIR spectra for the taxonomic classification of 12 tree species collected in the Serra do Mar State Park (PESM) - Cunha Nucleus - São Paulo State, Brazil. Spectra were obtained from intact fresh (FL), intact dried (DL), and heat-dried ground (GL) leaves. The spectra were evaluated through chemometrics using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) with validation by LDA-PCA. The results demonstrate that sample preparation directly influences tropical species FTIR spectra categorization capability. The best taxonomic classification result for all techniques, validated by LDA-PCA, was obtained from GL. FTIR spectra evaluation through PCA, HCA, and LDA allow for the observation of phylogenetic relationships among the species. FTIR spectroscopy proves to be a viable technique for taxonomic evaluation of tree species in floristic exploration of tropical biomes which can complement traditional tools used for taxonomic studies.

2024-02-27

2024-02-27

Pereira, Douglas Cubas; Pupin, Breno; de Simone Borma, Laura

10.1371/journal.pone.0299669

Variation of sugar compounds in Phoebe chekiangensis seeds during natural desiccation

To investigate the role of sugar metabolism in desiccation-sensitive seeds, we performed a natural desiccation treatment on Phoebe chekiangensis seeds in a room and systematically analyzed the changes in seed germination, sugar compounds, malondialdehyde, and relative electrical conductivity during the seed desiccation. The results revealed that the initial moisture content of P. chekiangensis seed was very high (37.06%) and the seed was sensitive to desiccation, the germination percentage of the seed decreased to 5.33% when the seed was desiccated to 22.04% of moisture content, therefore, the seeds were considered recalcitrant. Based on the logistic model, we know that the moisture content of the seeds is 29.05% when the germination percentage drops to 50% and that it is desirable to keep the seed moisture content above 31.74% during ambient transportation. During seed desiccation, sucrose and trehalose contents exhibited increasing trends, and raffinose also increased during the late stage of desiccation, however, low levels of the non-reducing sugar accumulations may not prevent the loss of seed viability caused by desiccation. Glucose and fructose predominated among sugar compounds, and they showed a slight increase followed by a significant decrease. Their depletion may have contributed to the accumulation of sucrose and raffinose family oligosaccharides. Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between the accumulation of sucrose, trehalose, and soluble sugars, and the reduction in seed viability. Sucrose showed a significant negative correlation with glucose and fructose. Trehalose also exhibited the same pattern of correlation. These results provided additional data and theoretical support for understanding the mechanism of sugar metabolism in seed desiccation sensitivity.

This study was supported by Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX22_1110) (Huangpan He), which funded the cost of sampling and testing of samples.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

PLOS ONE

Meenakshi Thakur

Sugars; Desiccation; Raffinose; Trehalose; Seeds; Germination; Sucrose; Glucose; Fructose

2024-03-07

2024-03-07

He, Huangpan; Gao, Handong; Xue, Xiaoming; Ren, Jiahui; Chen, Xueqi; Niu, Ben

10.1590/1519-6984.279931

Diameter growth and age of jaboticaba trees (Plinia peruviana (Poir.) Govaerts) native from Southwest of Paraná, Brazil, based on growth-rings

The jaboticaba tree (Plinia peruviana (Poir.) Govaerts) is a native Brazilian species, and its fruits are very popular in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to model the diameter growth, and determine the age of jaboticaba trees in four natural populations in Southwest of Paraná State, Brazil. The knowledge of the growth dynamics of this species is essential to assist management and conservation strategies and to discover when this species was established in the region. Core samples were collected to obtain complete growth series by measurement of annual growth rings. The series were crossdated, seven growth models were adjusted, and the best model for each site and a general model were selected using statistics rules. The time series spanned periods of ~75 to ~100 years, and growth ranged between 0.27 and 0.37 cm year-1. Chapman-Richards' model showed better adherence for locations individually, and Monomolecular when grouped. Because to the age reached by the jaboticaba trees and the high density of this species in these natural populations, consequently named "jaboticabais", it was inferred that there was an anthropogenic action in the dispersion and formation of the settlements through the indigenous and caboclos that inhabited the region before 1940. Also, this is the first work to register and verify the fusion of trunks for species of the Plinia genus using double piths found in samples, a feature that must be considered to avoid overestimating the age of jaboticaba trees based solely on measuring tree diameter.

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Trees; Brazil; Myrtaceae; Fruit

Moura, A. P. C.; Canetti, A.; Braz, E. M.; Mattos, P. P.; Danner, M. A.

10.1002/ajb2.16330

Towards a species‐level phylogeny for Neotropical Myrtaceae: Notes on topology and resources for future studies

PREMISE: Increasingly complete phylogenies underpin studies in systematics, ecology, and evolution. Myrteae (Myrtaceae), with ~2700 species, is a key component of the exceptionally diverse Neotropical flora, but given its complicated taxonomy, automated assembling of molecular supermatrices from public databases often lead to unreliable topologies due to poor species identification.
METHODS: Here, we build a taxonomically verified molecular supermatrix of Neotropical Myrteae by assembling 3909 published and 1004 unpublished sequences from two nuclear and seven plastid molecular markers. We infer a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree that covers 712 species of Myrteae (~28% of the total diversity in the clade) and evaluate geographic and taxonomic gaps in sampling.
RESULTS: The tree inferred from the fully concatenated matrix mostly reflects the topology of the plastid data set and there is a moderate to strong incongruence between trees inferred from nuclear and plastid partitions. Large, species-rich genera are still the poorest sampled within the group. Eastern South America is the best-represented area in proportion to its species diversity, while Western Amazon, Mesoamerica, and the Caribbean are the least represented.
CONCLUSIONS: We provide a time-calibrated tree that can be more reliably used to address finer-scale eco-evolutionary questions that involve this group in the Neotropics. Gaps to be filled by future studies include improving representation of taxa and areas that remain poorly sampled, investigating causes of conflict between nuclear and plastid partitions, and the role of hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting in relationships that are poorly supported.

American Journal of Botany

Phylogeny; Myrtaceae; South America; Plastids

2024-05-10

2024-05-10

Group, The Neotropical Myrtaceae Working; Staggemeier, Vanessa G.; Amorim, Bruno; Bünger, Mariana; Costa, Itayguara R.; de Faria, Jair Eustáquio Quintino; Flickinger, Jonathan; Giaretta, Augusto; Kubo, Marcelo T.; Lima, Duane Fernandes; dos Santos, Leidiana Lima; Lourenço, Ana Raquel; Lucas, Eve; Mazine, Fiorella Fernanda; Murillo‐A, José; de Oliveira, Marla Ibrahim Uehbe; Parra‐O, Carlos; Proença, Carolyn E. B.; Reginato, Marcelo; Rosa, Priscila Oliveira; Santos, Matheus Fortes; Stadnik, Aline; Tuler, Amélia Carlos; Valdemarin, Karinne Sampaio; Vasconcelos, Thais

10.1080/15287394.2024.2358352

Phytochemical profile and determination of cytotoxicity, acute oral toxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Pseudobombax marginatum (A. St.-Hil.) A. Robyns

Pseudobombax marginatum, popularly known as "embiratanha," is widely used by traditional communities as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical profile as well as cytotoxicity, acute oral toxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity attributed to exposure to aqueous (AqEx) and ethanolic (EtEx) extracts of embiratanha bark. Phytochemical screening was conducted using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Cell viability was analyzed using MTT assay with human mammary gland adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) and macrophage (J774A.1) cell lines, exposed to concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, or 100 µg/ml of either extract. For acute oral toxicity, comet assay and micronucleus (MN) tests, a single dose of 2,000 mg/kg of either extract was administered orally to Wistar rats. TLC analysis identified classes of metabolites in the extracts, including cinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoids, hydrolyzable tannins, condensed tannins, coumarins, and terpenes/steroids. In the cytotoxicity assay, the varying concentrations of extracts derived from embiratanha induced no significant alterations in the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells. The lowest concentration of EtEx significantly increased macrophage J774A.1 viability. However, the higher concentrations of AqEx markedly lowered macrophage J774A.1 viability. Animals exhibited no toxicity in the parameters analyzed in acute oral toxicity, comet assay, and MN tests. Further, EtEx promoted a significant reduction in DNA damage index and DNA damage frequency utilizing the comet assay, while the group treated with AqEx exhibited no marked differences. Thus, data demonstrated that AqEx or EtEx of embiratanha may be considered safe at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg orgally under our experimental conditions tested.

This work [Process No.: 28/2022] was supported by the “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico” (CNPq), “Coordenaçao de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)” [Process No.: 88887.814458/2023-00] and “Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco” (FACEPE).

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A

Plant Extracts; Animals; Humans; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Cell Line, Tumor; Male; Comet Assay; Micronucleus Tests; Female; Cell Survival; Phytochemicals; Mice; Plant Bark; Mutagens; Mutagenicity Tests; Ethanol

2024-05-29

2024-05-29

2024-08-17

da Silva Santana, Keila Tamires; Do Nascimento Marinho, Ketsia Sabrina; de Melo Alcântara, Lucas Felipe; da Silva Carvalho, Carolayne Maria; da Silva, Wliana Alves Viturino; Ferreira, Magda Rhayanny Assunção; da Silva, Marllyn Marques; dos Santos Souza, Talita Giselly; Soares, Luiz Alberto Lira; Chagas, Cristiano Aparecido; de Aguiar Júnior, Francisco Carlos Amanajás; da Silva Santos, Noemia Pereira; Napoleão, Thiago Henrique; dos Santos Correia, Maria Tereza; dos Santos, Katharine Raquel Pereira; da Silva, Márcia Vanusa

10.46471/gigabyte.107

Citizen science data on urban forageable plants: a case study in Brazil

This paper presents two key data sets derived from the Pomar Urbano project. The first data set is a comprehensive catalog of edible fruit-bearing plant species, native or introduced to Brazil. The second data set, sourced from the iNaturalist platform, tracks the distribution and monitoring of these plants within urban landscapes across Brazil. The study includes data from the capitals of all 27 federative units of Brazil, focusing on the ten cities that contributed the most observations as of August 2023. The research emphasizes the significance of citizen science in urban biodiversity monitoring and its potential to contribute to various fields, including food and nutrition, creative industry, study of plant phenology, and machine learning applications. We expect the data sets presented in this paper to serve as resources for further studies in urban foraging, food security, cultural ecosystem services, and environmental sustainability.

FMS thanks the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (Process number: 21/15125-0, and 22/08385-8). BCMSM thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Process number: 303650/2019-2). AMS, NPGL, SK, and FMS thank FAPESP (Process number: 2018/14994-1). SK thanks FAPESP (Process number: 2019/26760-8). FMS thanks the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (Process number: 21/15125-0, and 22/08385-8). BCMSM thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Process number: 303650/2019-2). AMS, NPGL, SK, and FMS thank FAPESP (Process number: 2018/14994-1). SK thanks FAPESP (Process number: 2019/26760-8). FMS agradece à Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (Número do processo: 21/15125-0, e 22/08385-8). BCMSM agradece ao Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Número do processo: 303650/2019-2). AMS, NPGL, SK e FMS agradecem à FAPESP (Número do processo: 2018/14994-1). SK agradece à FAPESP (Número do processo: 2019/26760-8).

2024-02-21

2024-02-21

Soares, Filipi Miranda; Pires, Luís Ferreira; Garcia, Maria Carolina; Coradin, Lidio; Ghilardi-Lopes, Natalia Pirani; Silva, Rubens Rangel; de Carvalho, Aline Martins; Gavai, Anand; Bouzembrak, Yamine; dos Santos Maculan, Benildes Coura Moreira; Koffler, Sheina; Montedo, Uiara Bandineli; Drucker, Debora Pignatari; Santiago, Raquel; de Carvalho, Maria Clara Peres; da Silva Lima, Ana Carolina; Gabriel, Hillary Dandara Elias; de França, Stephanie Gabriele Mendonça; de Almeida, Karoline Reis; dos Santos, Bárbara Junqueira; Saraiva, Antonio Mauro

10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140162

A new plant-based probiotic from juá: Source of phenolics, fibers and antioxidant properties

The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of juá pulp for fermentation by monoculture L. casei (Lc - 01) and L. acidophilus (La - 05) and co-culture (25 and 37 °C) for 72 h. Viable strain values (> 7 log CFU/g), pH reduction (below 3.7), fructose and glucose and increased of lactic acid showed that the pulp of juá served as a good matrix for fermentation. Catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin procyanidin B1, and gallic acid were the main phenolics that contributed to antioxidant activity. Fermentation by mono or co-culture increased or reduced the content of phenolics and antioxidant activity. Results showed that culture, time and temperature have effects in the fermentation of juá pulp. The co-cultivation of La - 05 + Lc - 01 contributed to improving the bioaccessibility of gallic acid (72.9%) of the jua pulp. Finding indicate juá pulp as a promising substrate to obtaining a new probiotic plant-based fermented beverage.

Food Chemistry

2024-06-19

2024-06-19

Fernandes, Flávio Gomes; da Costa, Whyara Karoline Almeida; Dos Santos Lima, Marcos; de Lima Costa, Igor Henrique; Magnani, Marciane; da Silva Campelo Borges, Graciele

10.3897/bdj.12.e105688

Checklist of vascular plant species on inselbergs in the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas, Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Background: Inselbergs are granitic and/or gneissic rocky outcrops and, in Brazil, the dome-shaped ones in the Atlantic Forest Domain are called sugarloaves (pães de açúcar). They have an extremely specialised vegetation with high levels of endemism. Even though, they are poorly studied and highly degraded. In north-eastern Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil, the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas (MONAPC) is a federal protected area created to guard some inselbergs mainly threatened by mining, which is one of the main economic activities in the State. In this work, we provide the first checklist of the vascular plant species in this protected area.
New information: We recorded 108 species in 36 families and 75 genera that inhabit the vegetation islands on the inselbergs within the official limits of MONAPC. A new species of Pleroma (Melastomataceae) and a new species of Cololobus (Asteraceae) were discovered as new to science and they are being described in other articles.

Biodiversity Data Journal

2024-01-09

2024-01-09

Arantes, Fabiula Moreno; de Paula, Luiza F.A.; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini

10.1080/14786419.2024.2324377

Natural 3,4-dihydro-2(1h)-quinolinones- Part II: animal, bacterial, and fungal sources

While natural products have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in drug discovery, their potential as lead compounds has been hindered by challenges such as limited accessibility and complex synthesis processes. At the core of numerous natural and synthetic compounds, each exhibiting remarkable biological traits, lies the foundational structure of 3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone, also recognised as 2-oxo-tetrahydroquinoline (2 O-THQ). This article extensively examines the occurrence of 2 O-THQ alkaloids across diverse organisms including animals, fungi, and bacteria, exploring their capacity to serve as a source for innovative bioactive natural products. Despite the undeniable significance of these compounds, the existing body of review literature has yet to provide comprehensive coverage, underscoring the pivotal contribution of this present article in investigating their prevalence in nature.

This research received no external funding.

Natural Product Research

2024-04-02

2024-04-02

2024-04-02

Khadem, Shahriar; Marles, Robin J.

10.3390/foods13111653

Effects of Pelletized and Coated Organic Fertilizers on Flavor Compounds of Tomato Fruits and Leaves

The application of organic fertilizers is one of the most important agricultural measures aimed at improving the flavor and productivity of Lycopersicon esculentum, with the granulation and coating of organic fertilizers, which can reduce seepage losses of great significance to the ecosystem. In this study, Jingcai 8 tomato was selected as the test material. Headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) methods were used to investigate the effects of different pelletized organic fertilizers and various coating materials on the flavor profile of the tomatoes. The results indicated that 67 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the tomato fruits and 62 volatile compounds were identified in the leaves under different fertilizer treatments. The volatile compound content of the fruits in the BP treatment group was 35.38 μg/g, which was higher than that in other treatment groups, and the volatile compound content of the leaves was lower. A differential compound analysis with log2|fold change| ≥ 1 and variable important in projection (VIP) > 1 highlighted styrene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal as the major up-regulated compounds and methyl salicylate as the major down-regulated compound in the tomato fruit BCK (control) vs. BP. Moreover, the α-phellandrene content decreased in the tomato leaves. In addition, an analysis of the tomato fruit differential compounds and compounds with odor activity values (OAV) of ≥ 1, considering the OAV values of characteristic aroma compounds, identified key compounds affecting the flavor of the tomato fruits under the BP treatment. These included 2-nonenal, (E)-2-pentylfuran, trans-β-ionone, 1-penten-3-one, (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal, and 3-hexenol (fruity, floral, and herbaceous odors), (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal (fatty odor), and hexanal (green odor). The combined results analysis of the volatile compound content, differential compounds, and OAV values of characteristic aroma compounds aimed to clarify that the BP treatment group, which applied pelletized, large-grain organic fertilizer with polyurethane (pozzolanic + small-grain oil-coated + 2% paraffinic + 4% polyurethane) as a coating material, proved to be most effective in influencing the flavor of the tomato fruits. This finding lays the foundation for its potential commercial application in artificial orchards.

This work is financially supported by grants from Innovation Capacity Building Project of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (KJCX20240405, KJCX20240409, KJCX20240506).

2024-05-25

2024-05-25

Jiao, Huiying; Wu, Sijia; Li, Jingming; Sun, Yanxin

10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150140

Myricetin reduces platelet PANoptosis in sepsis to delay disseminated intravascular coagulation

Sepsis is a severe inflammatory disease characterized by cytokine storm, often accompanied by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). PANoptosis is a novel form of cell death triggered by cytokine storms, characterized by a cascade reaction of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. It exists in septic platelets and is closely associated with the onset and progression of DIC. However, there remains an unmet need for drugs targeting PANoptosis. The anti-PANoptosis effect of myricetin was predicted using network pharmacology and confirmed through molecular docking. In vitro platelet activation models demonstrated that myricetin significantly attenuated platelet particle release, integrin activation, adhesion, spreading, clot retraction, and aggregation. Moreover, in a sepsis model, myricetin reduced inflammatory infiltration in lung tissue and platelet activation while improving DIC. Additionally, whole blood sequencing samples from sepsis patients and healthy individuals were analyzed to elucidate the up-regulation of the PANoptosis targets. Our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of myricetin on septic platelet PANoptosis, indicating its potential as a novel anti-cellular PANoptosis candidate and therapeutic agent for septic DIC. Furthermore, our study establishes a foundation for utilizing network pharmacology in the discovery of new drugs to treat various diseases.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Flavonoids; Sepsis; Humans; Blood Platelets; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Animals; Male; Molecular Docking Simulation; Platelet Activation; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice; Pyroptosis

2024-05-29

2024-05-29

2024-09

Zhou, Xiaoli; Xin, Guang; Wan, Chengyu; Li, Fan; Wang, Yilan; Zhang, Kun; Yu, Xiuxian; Li, Shiyi; Huang, Wen

10.1007/s11130-024-01153-2

In vitro and In vivo Determination of Biological Activities of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Peel, Flesh and Seeds

Momordica charantia L. has been remained a well-known medicinal vegetable used traditionally. However, which part is most effective against which disorder, has been remained undiscovered yet. The objective of this study was to examine the antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities of peel, flesh, and seeds of bitter gourd, through in vitro and in vivo assays. Ethanolic extracts from powders of three fractions of bitter gourd were assessed for antimicrobial potential against bacterial and fungal strains, whereas, powders of these fractions were used to determine antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activity, in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Our results showed that BSE exhibited better antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, whereas BFE exhibited better against Escherichia coli. Blood glucose was significantly lowered by all three powders in a dose dependent manner, when fed to diabetic rats, with the highest decrease by BSP, which reduced the glucose level from 296.20 ± 2.00 mg/dl to 123.10 ± 0.80 mg/dl, at 15 mg dose, after 28 days trial. Elevated levels of TC (101.18 ± 0.65 mg/dl), TG (83.69 ± 0.61 mg/dl) and LDL–C (25.90 ± 0.09 mg/dl) in positive control rats were lowered down in well manners by BSP at 15 mg dose, to 86.30 ± 0.53, 67.70 ± 0.53 and 19.32 ± 0.06 mg/dl, respectively. As compared to BFP and BPP, BSP showed significant involvement in antibacterial, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic actions. Along with the edible flesh, peels and seeds, which are usually discarded as waste, could also be utilized for development of pharma foods capable of promoting health.

No funds in any form, from any source were availed for this research work.

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition

Momordica charantia; Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Seeds; Hypoglycemic Agents; Plant Extracts; Hypolipidemic Agents; Blood Glucose; Rats; Male; Fruit; Escherichia coli; Rats, Wistar; Bacillus cereus; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents

2024-02-15

2024-02-15

2024-06

Hussain, Ashiq; Korma, Sameh A.; Kabir, Khurram; Kauser, Samina; Arif, Muhmmad Rehan; Fatima, Haya; Ali, Shafiqa; Ali, Muhammad Qasim; Yaqub, Shazia; Shehzad, Anjum; Akram, Saima; Ali, Atif

10.3390/foods13101490

Volatile Constituents of Some Myrtaceous Edible and Medicinal Fruits from the Brazilian Amazon

Native and exotic fruits from the Amazon have varied characteristics, with aroma being a decisive factor in their acceptance for medicinal use as a nutraceutical supplement. This work aimed to analyze the chemical constituents of the volatile concentrates of some Myrtaceous fruit species sampled in the Brazilian Amazon. The fruit's pulps were subjected to simultaneous distillation-extraction, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze their volatile chemical composition. In the volatile concentrate of Eugenia stipitata (Araçá-boi) α-pinene (17.5%), citronellyl butanoate (15.6%), and pogostol (13.5%) were identified as primary constituents; Eugenia uniflora (Ginja) concentrate comprised curzerene (30.5%), germacrone (15.4%), atractylone (13.1%), and (E)-β-ocimene (11.1%); in Myrciaria dubia (Camu-Camu), α-pinene (55.8%), (E)-β-ocimene (13.1%), and α-terpineol (10.0%) were present; in Psidium guajava (Goiaba) were (2E)-hexenal (21.7%), hexanal (15.4%), caryophylla-4(12),8(13)-dien-5-β-ol (10.5%), caryophyllene oxide (9.2%), and pogostol (8.3%); and in Psidium guineense (Araçá), limonene (25.2%), ethyl butanoate (12.1%), epi-β-bisabolol (9.8%), and α-pinene (9.2%) were the main constituents. The analyzed volatile concentrates of these fruit species presented a significant diversity of constituents with a predominance of functional groups, such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and fatty acid derivatives, originating from the plant's secondary metabolism and playing an important role in their nutritional and medicinal uses.

This research received no external funding.

2024-05-11

2024-05-11

Barroso, Adenilson S.; Massing, Lais T.; Suemitsu, Chieno; Mourão, Rosa Helena V.; Figueiredo, Pablo Luis B.; Maia, José Guilherme S.

10.1038/s41598-024-56158-3

A new R package to parse plant species occurrence records into unique collection events efficiently reduces data redundancy

Biodiversity data aggregators, such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) suffer from inflation of the number of occurrence records when data from different databases are merged but not fully reconciled. The ParseGBIF workflow is designed to parse duplicate GBIF species occurrence records into unique collection events (gatherings) and to optimise the quality of the spatial data associated with them. ParseGBIF provides tools to verify and standardize species scientific names according to the World Checklist of Vascular Plants taxonomic backbone, and to parse duplicate records into unique ‘collection events’, in the process compiling the most informative spatial data, where more than one duplicate is available, and providing crude estimates of taxonomic and spatial data quality. When GBIF occurrence records for a medium-sized vascular plant family, the Myrtaceae, were processed by ParseGBIF, the average number of records useful for spatial analysis increased by 180%. ParseGBIF could therefore be valuable in the evaluation of species’ occurrences at the national scale in support for national biodiversity plans, identification of plant areas important for biodiversity, sample bias estimation to inform future sampling efforts, and to forecast species range shifts in response to global climate change.

Scientific Reports

Tracheophyta; Biodiversity; Checklist; Climate Change; Data Accuracy

2024-03-05

2024-03-05

de Melo, Pablo Hendrigo Alves; Bystriakova, Nadia; Lucas, Eve; Monro, Alexandre K.

10.1007/s11130-024-01183-w

Valorization of Pineapple (Ananas comosus) By-Products in Milk Coffee Beverage: Influence on Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds

The industrial processing of pineapples generates a substantial quantity of by-products, including shell, crown, and core. Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found naturally in pineapple, including its by-products, may positively influence the bioaccessibility of phenolics from milk coffee. Therefore, this study aimed to assess how the inclusion of extracts from pineapple by-products, namely shell, crown and core, could impact the bioaccessibility of coffee phenolics when combined with milk. After measuring the proteolytic activity of pineapple by-products, the standardized in vitro digestion model of INFOGEST was employed to evaluate changes in total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, and individual phenolic compounds in different coffee formulations. The results showed that incorporating extracts from the crown or core in both black and milk coffee increased the bioaccessibility of total phenolics (from 93 to 114% to 105–129%) and antioxidants (from 54 to 56% to 84–87%), while this effect was not observed for the shell. Moreover, adding core extracts also enhanced the bioaccessibility of caffeoylquinic acids and gallic acid in milk coffee (from 0.72 to 0.85% and 109–155%, respectively). Overall, the findings of this study highlight that bromelain from pineapple core may have a favorable effect on the recovery of phenolic compounds in milk coffee, possibly due to its ability to cleave proteins. These outcomes point out that industrial by-products can be transformed into economic value by being reintroduced into the production process through suitable treatment instead of disposal.

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition

Ananas; Phenols; Antioxidants; Coffee; Milk; Bromelains; Animals; Gallic Acid; Digestion; Biological Availability; Plant Extracts; Quinic Acid; Food Handling

2024-05-02

2024-05-02

2024-06

Kocakaplan, Zeynep Buse; Ozkan, Gulay; Kamiloglu, Senem; Capanoglu, Esra

10.3390/microorganisms12010207

Potential Effects of Essential Oil from Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel on Leishmania: In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Approaches

In the search for new chemotherapeutic alternatives for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), essential oils are promising due to their diverse biological potential. In this study, we aimed to investigate the chemical composition and leishmanicidal and anti-inflammatory potential of the essential oil isolated from the leaves of Plinia cauliflora (PCEO). The chemical composition of PCEO showed β-cis-Caryophyllene (24.4%), epi-γ-Eudesmol (8%), 2-Naphthalenemethanol[decahydro-alpha] (8%), and trans-Calamenene (6.6%) as its major constituents. Our results showed that the PCEO has moderate cytotoxicity (CC50) of 137.4 and 143.7 μg/mL on mice peritoneal exudate cells (mPEC) and Vero cells, respectively. The PCEO was able to significantly decrease mPEC infection by Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis. The value of the inhibitory concentration (IC50) on amastigote forms was about 7.3 µg/mL (L. amazonensis) and 7.2 µg/mL (L. braziliensis). We showed that PCEO induced drastic ultrastructural changes in both species of Leishmania and had a high selectivity index (SI) > 18. The in silico ADMET analysis pointed out that PCEO can be used for the development of oral and/or topical formulation in the treatment of CL. In addition, we also demonstrated the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect, with a 95% reduction in paw edema and a decrease by at least 21.4% in migration immune cells in animals treated with 50 mg/kg of PCEO. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PCEO is a promising topical therapeutic agent against CL.

This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE, BFT-109-2.08/18), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, V.L.M.L. Proc. PQ- 315699/2021-3), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, R.X.C. code 001), and Instituto Aggeu Magalhães and Inova-Fiocruz Program (VPPCB-007-FIO-18-2-85). Vanderlan Nogueira Holanda would like to thank FACEPE for the graduate scholarship (IBPG-0333-2.08/18).

Microorganisms

Luiz Felipe Domingues Passero, Mãrcia Dalastra Laurenti

2024-01-19

2024-01-19

Holanda, Vanderlan N.; Brito, Thaíse G. S.; de Oliveira, João R. S.; da Cunha, Rebeca X.; da Silva, Ana P. S.; da Silva, Welson V.; Araújo, Tiago F. S.; Tavares, Josean F.; dos Santos, Sócrates G.; Figueiredo, Regina C. B. Q.; Lima, Vera L. M.

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132413

Targeted delivery of 5-fluorouracil and shikonin by blended and coated chitosan/pectin nanoparticles for treatment of colon cancer

Herein, 5-fluorouracil and shikonin (extracted from Fusarium tricinctum) were loaded in chitosan/pectin nanoparticle (CS/PEC-NPs), prepared by blending (B-CS/PEC-NPs) and coating (C-CS/PEC-NPs) methods. The nanoparticles characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Differential Light Scattering (DLS). Then, some properties of the nanoparticles such as drug release rate and the nanoparticles cytotoxicity were studied. The FTIR, XRD, EDX, SEM and DLS results showed that the nanoparticles synthesized properly with an almost spherical morphology, an average size of 82-93 nm for B-CS/PEC-NPs, an average diameter of below 100 nm (mostly 66-89 nm) for C-CS/PEC-NPs, and hydrodynamic diameter of 310-817 nm. The drug release results indicated the lower release rate of drugs for B-CS/PEC-NPs relative to C-CS/PEC-NPs at different pHs, high release rate of drugs for the nanoparticles in the simulated large intestinal fluids containing pectinase, and Korsmeyer-Peppas model for release of the drugs. The results showed more cytotoxicity of B-CS/PEC-NPs containing drugs, especially B-CS/PEC-NPs containing both drugs (B-CS/PEC/5-FU/SHK-NPs) after treating with pectinase (IC50 of 18.6 μg/mL). In conclusion, despite the limitation of C-CS/PEC-NPs for simultaneous loading of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, B-CS/PEC-NPs showed suitable potency for loading and targeted delivery of the drugs.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Fluorouracil; Chitosan; Pectins; Naphthoquinones; Nanoparticles; Drug Liberation; Drug Carriers; Humans; Colonic Neoplasms; Drug Delivery Systems; Cell Line, Tumor; Particle Size

2024-05-17

2024-05-17

2024-06

Daneshmehr, Maryam; Pazhang, Mohammad; Mollaei, Saeed; Ebadi, Mostafa; Pazhang, Yaghub

10.1126/science.abq5099

Comprehensive conservation assessments reveal high extinction risks across Atlantic Forest trees

Biodiversity is declining globally, yet many biodiversity hotspots still lack comprehensive species conservation assessments. Using multiple International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria to evaluate extinction risks and millions of herbarium and forest inventory records, we present automated conservation assessments for all tree species of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, including ~1100 heretofore unassessed species. About 65% of all species and 82% of endemic species are classified as threatened. We rediscovered five species classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List and identified 13 endemics as possibly extinct. Uncertainties in species information had little influence on the assessments, but using fewer Red List criteria severely underestimated threat levels. We suggest that the conservation status of tropical forests worldwide is worse than previously reported.

Animals; Biodiversity; Endangered Species; Extinction, Biological; Forests; Trees

2024-01-11

2024-01-11

2024-01-12

de Lima, Renato A F; Dauby, Gilles; de Gasper, André L; Fernandez, Eduardo P; Vibrans, Alexander C; Oliveira, Alexandre A de; Prado, Paulo I; Souza, Vinícius C; F de Siqueira, Marinez; Ter Steege, Hans

10.1590/1519-6984.259454

Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm. a bromeliad from the savanna: seed morpho-anatomy and histochemistry

Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L.B.Sm. is a wild pineapple, commonly found in the savannas. This study aimed to describe the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of its seed. The observations were made in the longitudinal and transverse sections, using an optical microscope. The cell arrangement in the seed coat, ripples in the integument, the ratio of embryo size and endosperm amount, and the number of strata in the aleurone layer are anatomical characteristics that may contribute to distinguishing this species. The starch in the endosperm, lipids and proteins in the embryo, constitute the seed's main nutritional reserves. The homogeneous embryo and phenolic compounds present in the seed coat and in the aleurone layer possibly contribute to the dormancy in this species. This study presents information relevant to the taxonomy and physiology of A. ananassoides, which represents contributions to the global knowledge of this species with a high potential as ornamental.

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Ananas; Endosperm; Grassland; Seeds

Lidueña-Peréz, K. I.; Martelo-Solórzano, A. M.; Payares-Díaz, I. R.; Santos-Amaya, O. F.; Corredor-Prado, J. P.

10.1002/cbdv.202301467

Evaluation of the Antiproliferative Potential of Yellow Jaboticaba (Myrciaria glazioviana) Extracts Against Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa cells line) and the Analysis of Their Chemical Composition by HPLC‐HRESIMS

Cervical cancer is a specific type of cancer that affects women around the world, with an incidence of 604 thousand new cases per year and 341 thousand deaths. There is a high demand for new effective antineoplastic drugs with few side effects. In this sense, recent research highlights the potential of compounds of natural origin in treating and preventing different types of cancer. Myrciaria glazioviana is a Brazilian native species belonging to the Myrtaceae family, which has previously described biological activities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study aims to evaluate the anticancer activity of the dichloromethane extract (MGD) and ethyl acetate extract (MGA) of M. glazioviana leaves against human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa), as well as to identify their bioactive compounds. Using HPLC-HRESIMS technique, ten compounds were characterized in both samples: quinic acid, ellagic acid, Tri-O-methyl ellagic acid, two derivatives of Tetra-O-methyl flavellagic acid, quercetrin, Di-O-methyl ellagic acid, and three derivatives of pentamethyl coruleoellagic acid. Through MTT assays using HeLa cells and NIH/3T3 cells, it was observed that MGD and MGA were selective against tumor cells, with IC50 values of 24.31 and 12.62 μg/mL, respectively. The samples induced the tumor cell death by apoptosis, as evidenced by the activation of caspases 3/7, cell shrinkage, and pyknotic nuclei. Both samples were also able to inhibit the migration of HeLa cells after 24 hours of treatment, indicating a potential antimetastatic effect. Therefore, the present research highlights the antiproliferative and antimigratory potential of this species against HeLa cells.

Chemistry & Biodiversity

Humans; HeLa Cells; Plant Extracts; Cell Proliferation; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Myrtaceae; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Apoptosis; Female; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Mice; Plant Leaves; Animals; Cell Survival; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

2024-04-10

2024-04-10

Pereira, Mariana Toledo Martins; Charret, Thiago Sardou; Wermelinger, Guilherme Freimann; Nogueira, Thalya Soares Ribeiro; Robbs, Bruno Kaufmann; Castiglione, Raquel Carvalho; Simões, Rafael Loureiro; Machado, Ricardo Luiz Dantas; Vieira, Ivo José Curcino; Abreu, Lucas Silva; Pascoal, Vinicius D'Avila Bitencourt; Pascoal, Aislan Cristina Rheder Fagundes

10.3390/cimb46050235

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Seed Oil and Its Nanoemulsion: Chemical Characterisation, Toxicity Evaluation, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

This study explores a nanoemulsion formulated with açaí seed oil, known for its rich fatty acid composition and diverse biological activities. This study aimed to characterise a nanoemulsion formulated with açaí seed oil and explore its cytotoxic effects on HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines, alongside assessing its antioxidant and toxicity properties both in vitro and in vivo. Extracted from fruits sourced in Brazil, the oil underwent thorough chemical characterization using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The resulting nanoemulsion was prepared and evaluated for stability, particle size, and antioxidant properties. The nanoemulsion exhibited translucency, fluidity, and stability post centrifugation and temperature tests, with a droplet size of 238.37, PDI -9.59, pH 7, and turbidity 0.267. In vitro assessments on cervical cancer cell lines revealed antitumour effects, including inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation. Toxicity tests conducted in cell cultures and female Swiss mice demonstrated no adverse effects of both açaí seed oil and nanoemulsion. Overall, açaí seed oil, particularly when formulated into a nanoemulsion, presents potential for cancer treatment due to its bioactive properties and safety profile.

This research was funded by CAPES—PROCAD AMAZÔNIA, CAPES CAPES FINANCE CODE 001. EDITAL FAPEMA Nº 002/2019—UNIVERSAL Solicitação: UNIVERSAL-01183/19. EDITAL PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE COOPERAÇÃO ACADÊMICA NA AMAZÔNIA n° 21/2018. PROCESSO No 23038.005350/2018-78. This work was supported by the Research Center of the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (project no. PI86-CI-IPOP-66-2017); by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI-Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program, and National Funds by FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under projects UID/AGR/04033/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04033/2020), UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and by UIDB/00511/2020 and UIDP/00511/2020 (LEPABE), and LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC).

Current Issues in Molecular Biology

2024-04-23

2024-04-23

Borges, Katia Regina Assunção; Wolff, Lais Araújo Souza; da Silva, Marcos Antonio Custódio Neto; de Carvalho Silva, Allysson Kayron; Campos, Carmem Duarte Lima; Souza, Franscristhiany Silva; Teles, Amanda Mara; Vale, André Álvares Marques; Pascoa, Henrique; Lima, Eliana Martins; de Sousa, Eduardo Martins; Nunes, Ana Clara Silva; da Costa, Rui M. Gil; Faustino-Rocha, Ana Isabel; Carvalho, Rafael Cardoso; do Desterro Soares Brandão Nascimento, Maria

10.1590/1519-6984.276160

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, phosphorus and organic residues in Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. seedlings

Studies have underscored a growingdemand for innovative practices in the cultivation of seedlings from forest species, with a notable emphasis on the utilization of organic waste, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and phosphate fertilization. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of organic residues, inoculation with AMF, and phosphorus on the growth and quality of Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. seedlings. Two independent experiments were conducted. In Experiment I, treatments included inoculation with various AMF species: control (without inoculation), Clareoideoglomus etunicatum, Rhizophagus heterosporum, Rhizophagus clarum, and MIX (a combination of the three AMF species), all in conjunction with varying doses of phosphorus (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 mg kg-1 soil). In Experiment II, treatments comprised a control group (without AMF) and inoculation with Glomus clarum, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora albida, Clareoideoglomus etunicatum, and MIX (a combination of the four AMF species), each associated with four substrates: S1) soil + coarse sand - SCS, S2) SCS + poultry manure, S3) SCS + cattle manure, and S4) SCS + sheep manure. Peltophorum dubium seedlings exhibited heightened growth with the inoculation of R. heterosporum, R. clarum, and MIX. Positive responses were observed in seedlings when exposed to organic residues, particularly sheep manure, resulting in increased biomass production and enhanced Dickson quality index. The AMF inoculation, specifically with R. heterosporum, R. clarum, and MIX, provided optimal growth conditions for P. dubium seedlings. Remarkably, the utilization of organic residues, notably substrates with chicken manure and cattle manure, exerted substantial positive effects on both growth and quality of P. dubium seedlings.

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Animals; Cattle; Sheep; Mycorrhizae; Seedlings; Plant Roots; Phosphorus; Manure; Soil

Trovato, V W; Souza, G G de; Santos, S C; Carvalho, L G V de; Medeiros, E S de; Biazatti, R M; Santos, C C; Torales, E P; Carvalho, R L; Santos, V C

10.1007/s13744-024-01165-2

A New Species of the Anastrepha pseudoparallela Group (Diptera: Tephritidae) with a Synopsis of the Group in Brazil

The genus Anastrepha contains some of the most important fruit pests in the Americas. It comprises more than 300 species, of which 129 occur in Brazil. The genus is divided into 26 species groups, including the pseudoparallela group with 31 species, whose known host plants are primarily fruits of the genus Passiflora (Passifloraceae). Fourteen species are recorded in Brazil. Here, a new species of Anastrepha reared from fruits of Passiflora actinia Hook. and Passiflora elegans Mast. from southern Brazil is described and illustrated. In addition, a synopsis of the Brazilian species of the pseudoparallela group is provided.

Neotropical Entomology

Animals; Brazil; Tephritidae; Male; Female; Passiflora; Fruit

2024-07-03

2024-07-03

2024-08

Araújo, Alexandre S.; Norrbom, Allen L.; Zucchi, Roberto A.; Savaris, Marcoandre

10.1007/s00284-023-03604-6

Effective Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes Biofilm Formation by Satureja rechingeri Essential Oil: Mechanisms and Implications

Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens, particularly Listeria monocytogenes, poses a significant challenge in food industry facilities. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory potential of Satureja rechingeri essential oil (Sr-EO) against L. monocytogenes growth and biofilm formation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed a high carvacrol content in Sr-EO, a compound with known antimicrobial properties. We examined the effects of Sr-EO on initial attachment and preformed biofilms, using crystal violet and MTT assays to quantify attached biomass and metabolic activity, respectively. Our results demonstrated that Sr-EO not only prevented initial attachment but also effectively disrupted preformed biofilms, indicating its potential as a biofilm-control agent. Microscopy analysis revealed alterations in bacterial cell membranes upon Sr-EO treatment, leading to increased permeability and cell death. Additionally, Sr-EO significantly suppressed bacterial motility, with concentrations exceeding 0.25 μL/mL completely inhibiting motility. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed the down regulation of genes associated with biofilm formation, attachment, and quorum sensing, suggesting that Sr-EO modulates bacterial gene transcription. These findings suggest that Sr-EO can be a promising candidate for controlling biofilm formation and bacterial contamination in food processing environments.

This work is supported by the Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz Grant No. SCU.VF1400.534 to Siavash Maktabi.

Current Microbiology

Listeria monocytogenes; Oils, Volatile; Satureja; Biofilms; Quorum Sensing

2024-01-27

2024-01-27

Maktabi, Siavash; Rashnavadi, Roya; Tabandeh, Mohammad Reza; Sourestani, Mohammad Mahmoodi

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132914

Understanding the dynamic evolution of hemicellulose during Pinus taeda L. growth

Pinus taeda L. is a fast-growing softwood with significant commercial value. Understanding structural changes in hemicellulose during growth is essential to understanding the biosynthesis processes occurring in the cell walls of this tree. In this study, alkaline extraction is applied to isolate hemicellulose from Pinus taeda L. stem segments of different ages (1, 2, 3, and 4 years old). The results show that the extracted hemicellulose is mainly comprised of O-acetylgalactoglucomannan (GGM) and 4-O-methylglucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX), with the molecular weights and ratios (i.e., GGM:GAX) of GGM and GAX increasing alongside Pinus taeda L. age. Mature Pinus taeda L. hemicellulose is mainly composed of GGM, and the ratio of (mannose:glucose) in the GGM main chain gradually increases from 2.45 to 3.60 with growth, while the galactose substitution of GGM decreases gradually from 21.36% to 14.65%. The acetylation of GGM gradually increases from 0.33 to 0.45 with the acetyl groups mainly substituting into the O-3 position in the mannan. Furthermore, the contents of arabinose and glucuronic acid in GAX gradually decrease with growth. This study can provide useful information to the research in genetic breeding and high-value utilization of Pinus taeda L.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Polysaccharides; Pinus taeda; Xylans; Mannans; Molecular Weight; Cell Wall; Acetylation

2024-06-04

2024-06-04

2024-07

Zheng, Biao; Zhang, Liuyang; Zhou, Zibin; Chen, Siyi; Chen, Luoting; Li, Yuanhua; Wu, Aimin; Li, Huiling

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132099

Physicochemical, structural and functional properties of low methoxyl pectin‑iron (III) complex and its effect on rats with iron deficiency anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional disease worldwide. In this study, a low methoxyl pectin (LMP)‑iron(III) complex was prepared. The physicochemical and structural properties were characterized by HPSEC, HPIC, CV, FTIR, 1H NMR, XRD, SEM and CD. The results showed that iron increased the molecular weight of the LMP‑iron(III) from 11.50 ± 0.32 to 12.70 ± 0.45 kDa and improved its crystallinity. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that -OH and -COOH groups in LMP coordinate with Fe3+ to form β-FeOOH. The water-holding capacity, emulsion stability, and antioxidant activities of the LMP‑iron(III) were lower than those of LMP. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of LMP‑iron(III) on IDA were investigated in rats. Following LMP‑iron(III) supplementation, compared with the model group, the administration of LMP‑iron(III) significantly increased the body weight, hemoglobin concentration, and serum iron concentration as well as decreased free erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentration. Therefore, the LMP‑iron(III) can potentially treat IDA in rats experiments, providing a theoretical basis for the development of a promising iron supplement.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Animals; Pectins; Rats; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Iron; Male; Antioxidants; Chemical Phenomena; Hemoglobins; Molecular Weight; Body Weight; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

2024-05-04

2024-05-04

2024-06

Jing, Jing; Zhang, Zhijun; Hu, Zhiyong; Ma, Xuemei; Cui, Jianlan; Zhu, Hailin; Bai, Xueli; Zhai, Lijun

10.3389/fmicb.2023.1330029

Helicobacter pylori infection in humans and phytotherapy, probiotics, and emerging therapeutic interventions: a review

The global prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains high, indicating a persistent presence of this pathogenic bacterium capable of infecting humans. This review summarizes the population demographics, transmission routes, as well as conventional and novel therapeutic approaches for H. pylori infection. The prevalence of H. pylori infection exceeds 30% in numerous countries worldwide and can be transmitted through interpersonal and zoonotic routes. Cytotoxin-related gene A (CagA) and vacuolar cytotoxin A (VacA) are the main virulence factors of H. pylori, contributing to its steep global infection rate. Preventative measures should be taken from people's living habits and dietary factors to reduce H. pylori infection. Phytotherapy, probiotics therapies and some emerging therapies have emerged as alternative treatments for H. pylori infection, addressing the issue of elevated antibiotic resistance rates. Plant extracts primarily target urease activity and adhesion activity to treat H. pylori, while probiotics prevent H. pylori infection through both immune and non-immune pathways. In the future, the primary research focus will be on combining multiple treatment methods to effectively eradicate H. pylori infection.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was funded by the Qingdao People’s Livelihood Science and Technology Plan Project (23-3-8-xdny-l-nsh and 23-2-8-xdny-6-nsh), Qingdao Natural Science Foundation project (23-2-1-180-zyyd-jch), Key project of Shandong Province (2023TZXD047, 2023TZXD078), Innovation Ability Improvement Project of Science and Technology smes in Shandong Province (2022TSGC2520 and 2023TSGC0892), the Two Hundred Talents project of Yantai City in 2020, Major agricultural application technology Innovation projects of Shandong Province in 2018, and Demonstration and promotion project of talent introduction achievements in Shandong Province in 2019.

Frontiers in Microbiology

2024-01-10

2024-01-10

Liu, Mengkai; Gao, Hui; Miao, Jinlai; Zhang, Ziyan; Zheng, Lili; Li, Fei; Zhou, Sen; Zhang, Zhiran; Li, Shengxin; Liu, He; Sun, Jie

10.1371/journal.pone.0301346

Complete plastid genome of Iris orchioides and comparative analysis with 19 Iris plastomes

Iris is a cosmopolitan genus comprising approximately 280 species distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although Iris is the most diverse group in the Iridaceae, the number of taxa is debatable owing to various taxonomic issues. Plastid genomes have been widely used for phylogenetic research in plants; however, only limited number of plastid DNA markers are available for phylogenetic study of the Iris. To understand the genomic features of plastids within the genus, including its structural and genetic variation, we newly sequenced and analyzed the complete plastid genome of I. orchioides and compared it with those of 19 other Iris taxa. Potential plastid markers for phylogenetic research were identified by computing the sequence divergence and phylogenetic informativeness. We then tested the utility of the markers with the phylogenies inferred from the markers and whole-plastome data. The average size of the plastid genome was 152,926 bp, and the overall genomic content and organization were nearly identical among the 20 Iris taxa, except for minor variations in the inverted repeats. We identified 10 highly informative regions (matK, ndhF, rpoC2, ycf1, ycf2, rps15-ycf, rpoB-trnC, petA-psbJ, ndhG-ndhI and psbK-trnQ) and inferred a phylogeny from each region individually, as well as from their concatenated data. Remarkably, the phylogeny reconstructed from the concatenated data comprising three selected regions (rpoC2, ycf1 and ycf2) exhibited the highest congruence with the phylogeny derived from the entire plastome dataset. The result suggests that this subset of data could serve as a viable alternative to the complete plastome data, especially for molecular diagnoses among closely related Iris taxa, and at a lower cost.

This research was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. RS-2023-00212808).

PLOS ONE

Branislav T. Šiler

Iris Plant; Phylogeny; Genome, Plastid; Genomics; Plastids; Evolution, Molecular

2024-04-05

2024-04-05

Choi, Tae-Young; Lee, Soo-Rang

10.3389/fchem.2024.1341308

Anti-oxidant and neuro-modulatory effects of bioactive Byttneria pilosa leaf extract in swiss albino mice using behavioral models

Byttneria pilosa, a flowering plant from the Malvaceae family traditionally used to treat ailments such as boils and scabies, is here investigated for its potential health benefits. The study focused on evaluating its antioxidant and antidiabetic properties in vitro, as well as the in vivo anxiolytic and antidepressant activities of the methanol extract of B. pilosa leaf (MEBP). The study employed various assays to evaluate antioxidant activity, including 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, reducing power capacity, and quantification of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of MEBP. Additionally, anxiolytic and antidepressant activities were evaluated through four tests: elevated plus-maze test (EPMT), light-dark box test (LDBT), forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). Antidiabetic effect was determined using α-amylase inhibition assay. Docking analysis was performed using BIOVIA and Schrödinger Maestro (v11.1), and the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity (ADME/T) properties of bioactive substances were investigated using a web-based technique. MEBP exhibited moderate antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power capacity assays, with a dose-dependent response. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents measured were 70 ± 1.53 mg and 22.33 ± 1.20 mg, respectively. MEBP demonstrated significant effects in α-amylase inhibition comparable to acarbose. In behavioral tests, MEBP dose-dependently altered time spent in open arms/light box and closed arms/dark box, indicating anxiolytic effects. Moreover, MEBP significantly reduced immobility duration in FST and TST, suggesting antidepressant properties. Molecular docking analysis revealed favorable interactions between beta-sitosterol and specific targets, suggesting the potential mediation of anxiolytic and antidiabetic effects. Overall, MEBP exhibits notable anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, along with moderate antioxidant and antidiabetic activities.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was partially supported by the Municipal Public Welfare Self-financing Technology Application Research Project of Lishui (2022SJZC074 and 2022SJZC079) and Postdoctoral Research Start-Up Fund of Lishui People’s Hospital (2023bsh001).

Frontiers in Chemistry

2024-02-08

2024-02-08

Jyoti, Mifta Ahmed; Shah, Shahin; Uddin, Mohammad Najim; Hossain, Mohammed Kamrul; Han, Aixia; Geng, Peiwu; Islam, Mohammad Nazmul; Mamun, Abdullah Al

10.3390/molecules29133105

Polysaccharides from Porphyra haitanensis: A Review of Their Extraction, Modification, Structures, and Bioactivities

Porphyra haitanensis (P. haitanensis), an important food source for coastal residents in China, has a long history of medicinal and edible value. P. haitanensis polysaccharides are some of the main active ingredients in P. haitanensis. It is worth noting that P. haitanensis polysaccharides have a surprising and satisfactory biological activity, which explains the various benefits of P. haitanensis to human health, such as anti-oxidation, immune regulation, anti-allergy, and anticancer properties. Hence, a systematic review aimed at comprehensively summarizing the recent research advances in P. haitanensis polysaccharides is necessary for promoting their better understanding. In this review, we systematically and comprehensively summarize the research progress on the extraction, purification, structural characterization, modification, and biological activity of P. haitanensis polysaccharides and address the shortcomings of the published research and suggest area of focus for future research, providing a new reference for the exploitation of polysaccharides from P. haitanensis in the fields of medicine and functional foods.

This review was funded by the Postdoctoral Scientific Research Development Fund of Heilongjiang Province, grant number LBH-Q21045, the Special Project by Heilongjiang Administration of TCM for Research on the Popularization of Classic Traditional Chinese Medicine, grant number ZYW2022-066, Chief Scientist of Qi-Huang Project of National Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance and Innovation “One Hundred Million” Talent Project, grant number (2021) No. 7, Qi-Huang Scholar of National Traditional Chinese Medicine Leading Talents Support Program, grant number (2018) No. 284, National Famous Old Traditional Chinese Medicine Experts Inheritance Studio Construction Program of the National Administration of TCM, grant number (2022) No. 75, the Seventh Batch of the National Famous Old Traditional Chinese Medicine Experts Experience Heritage Construction Program of the National Administration of TCM, grant number (2022) No.76, and Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program, grant number (2019) No. 5.

Molecules

Ericsson Coy-Barrera

Porphyra; Polysaccharides; Humans; Antioxidants; Plant Extracts; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents

2024-06-29

2024-06-29

Sun, Minghao; Zhang, Yuping; Gao, Wuyou; He, Yujia; Wang, Yu; Sun, Yanping; Kuang, Haixue

10.1590/0001-3765202420230974

The importance of Brazilian Conservation Units for the diversity of gall-inducing insects: a study on gall-inducing insect richness in the Chapada Diamantina National Park, state of Bahia, Brazil

Conservation Units (CUs) tend to have a high richness of herbivorous insects, including gall-inducing insects. Despite this, gall surveys carried out in these environments are punctual and some units have never had their galls investigated, such as the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia (Chapada Diamantina Parna). Aiming to reduce this gap and contribute to future studies in CUs, this study aimed to survey the galls of the Chapada Diamantina Parna, Lençóis, as well as to investigate trends in research on galls in CUs in Brazil. For that, collections were carried out on monthly trips for one year. Published gall surveys were compiled. A total of 107 morphotypes induced in 88 host species were recorded. Most galls are formed in leaves, globoid in shape, green in color, and induced by Cecidomyiidae. This park has a relatively high richness of galls compared to other CUs, demonstrating its importance in the conservation of gall-inducing insects. The results also revealed that the number of surveys has been increasing over the years and that the Southeast concentrates the largest number of studies, a region that also gathers the largest number of specialists, demonstrating a geographic bias in the data.

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Animals; Brazil; Plant Tumors; Biodiversity; Insecta; Parks, Recreational; Conservation of Natural Resources

Campos, Gabriela B D; Maia, Valéria C; Santos-Silva, Juliana

10.3390/plants13091243

Biochemical Responses in Populus tremula: Defending against Sucking and Leaf-Chewing Insect Herbivores

The main biochemical traits were estimated in poplar leaves under biotic attack (aphids and spongy moth infestation). Changes in the abundance of bioactive compounds in genetically uniform individuals of European aspen (Populus tremula), such as proline, polyphenolic compounds, chlorophylls a and b, and volatile compounds, were determined between leaves damaged by sucking insects (aphid-Chaitophorus nassonowi) and chewing insects (spongy moth-Lymantria dispar) compared to uninfected leaves. Among the nine analyzed phenolic compounds, only catechin and procyanidin showed significant differences between the control leaves and leaves affected by spongy moths or aphids. GC-TOF-MS volatile metabolome analysis showed the clear separation of the control versus aphids-infested and moth-infested leaves. In total, the compounds that proved to have the highest explanatory power for aphid-infested leaves were 3-hexenal and 5-methyl-2-furanone, and for moth-infested leaves, trans-α-farnesene and 4-cyanocyclohexane. The aphid-infested leaves contained around half the amount of chlorophylls and twice the amount of proline compared to uninfected leaves, and these results evidenced that aphids influence plant physiology more than chewing insects.

This research was supported by the grant “EVA4.”, No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000803 financed by OP RDE and by grant “EXTEMIT–K”, No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000433 financed by OP RDE.

2024-04-30

2024-04-30

Pastierovič, Filip; Kalyniukova, Alina; Hradecký, Jaromír; Dvořák, Ondřej; Vítámvás, Jan; Mogilicherla, Kanakachari; Tomášková, Ivana

10.3390/foods13050744

Shelf Life and Functional Quality of Almond Bagasse Powders as Influenced by Dehydration and Storing Conditions

Almond bagasse resulting after the production of almond-based drinks represents a promising by-product with potential for use as a functional ingredient. To facilitate its utilization, the stability of this material can be achieved through dehydration processes such as hot air drying or freeze-drying. Nevertheless, owing to its high fat content, almond bagasse is prone to lipid oxidation, which could result in undesirable quality. Therefore, the objective of this work was to assess the impact of dehydration (by hot air drying at 60 and 70 °C and by freeze-drying) and storage (at room temperature and in accelerated conditions) on the functional quality and stability of almond bagasse powder. Throughout the dehydration process, it was observed that antioxidant compounds were preserved without significant differences among dehydration treatments. These compounds increased over the storage period, especially in the samples treated with hot air. Regarding antiradical capacity, the hot-air-dried samples showed higher values than the freeze-dried ones, although in all cases, it increased during storage. For total phenols in samples air-dried at 70 °C, increases of more than 50% were observed. The acidity and peroxide index were increased in the extended storage period, although they did not reach critical values. Samples stored for 180 days showed peroxide values ranging from 10 to 12.8 meq O2/kg dry matter for samples stored at room temperature and from 14.7 to 23 meq O2/kg dry matter for samples subjected to accelerated storage.

This research was funded by “Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universitat Politècnica de València, PAID-11-21”.

Zisheng Luo

2024-02-28

2024-02-28

Duarte, Stevens; Betoret, Ester; Betoret, Noelia

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132886

Physicochemical properties of pectin-Fe(III) gained by HG-type hawthorn with different esterification degree

In this study, the complexation ability of HG-type hawthorn pectin with trivalent iron ions after de-esterification was investigated. The moderate esterification reaction could significantly increase the iron content in HG-type hawthorn pectin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiments proved that -OH and -COOH in the pectin acted as a bridge connecting Fe3+ leading to the formation of β-FeOOH structure, and the trivalent iron ions were successfully complexed into the HG-type hawthorn pectin. In addition, infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopic scans, particle size, and potentiometric measurements were carried out to demonstrate the complexation coordination mechanism of hawthorn pectin with Fe3+, and there were differences in the complexation effect of HG-type hawthorn pectin with different degrees of esterification. The gelling properties of HG-type hawthorn pectin were subsequently verified by in vitro gastrointestinal tract simulation experiments to aid the smooth passage of ferric ions through the gastric juices and reduce irritation. The success of the experiments demonstrated that HG-type hawthorn pectin is an excellent raw material for metal complexation, and the degree of esterification is one of the important factors affecting its complexation effect, which proves its potential application value as an iron supplement.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

2024-06-05

2024-06-05

2024-08

Sun, Wenxian; Bu, Kaixuan; Meng, Huanmei; Zhu, Chuanhe

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131593

Structural identification and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of a pectin–arabinoglucuronogalactan complex, AOPB-1-1, isolated from Asparagus officinalis

Asparagus officinalis L. is a horticultural crop that contains a variety of bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory effects. Aqueous extracts of A. officinalis can noticeably improve the learning and memory function of model mice. Herein, a pectin-arabinoglucuronogalactan complex (AOPB-1-1) with a relative molecular weight of 90.8 kDa was isolated from A. officinalis. The repeating structural unit of AOPB-1-1 was identified through monosaccharide composition, methylation analysis, uronic acid reduction, partial acid hydrolysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AOPB-1-1 contains the rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) domain of pectin polysaccharides (PPs) and arabinoglucuronogalactan (AGG) regions. The backbone of the AGG region is composed of →3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→ and →4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→ residues substituted at the 4-position to the →4)-α-D-GalAp-(1→ residues of the RG-I main chain. The anti-neuroinflammatory activity of AOPB-1-1 suggests that it can significantly reduce the content of inflammatory cytokines, including nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inhibit the expression of inflammatory genes including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), TNF-α, IL-6, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Furthermore, its inhibitory effects on TNF-α and IL-6 levels were even better than those of minocycline. The significant anti-neuroinflammatory activity of AOPB-1-1 suggests its applicability as a therapeutic option for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Pectins; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Asparagus Plant; Animals; Mice; Galactans; Cytokines; Nitric Oxide; Molecular Weight

2024-04-16

2024-04-16

Yang, Junqiang; Liao, Yuechan; Cao, Chao; Yu, Qian; Zhang, Dawei; Yan, Chunyan

10.3390/ijms25063263

The Biological Active Substances of Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa from the Siberian Federal District

Currently, scientists are increasingly focusing on utilizing the natural flora of the planet to search for and isolate individual bioactive substances that prevent various diseases, contribute to increased life expectancy, and affect all major life-supporting systems in the human body. This study describes the examination of the composition of plant raw materials from the Siberian Federal District. The research focuses on plant specimens from the root parts of Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa, collected in the Kemerovo region. The study determines the contents of the water-soluble vitamins B and C in the research subjects. The investigation includes assessing antioxidant properties, antimicrobial activity, and flavonoid content in extracts based on plant raw materials. All samples show a high percentage of antioxidant activity, with the highest antioxidant activity for T. officinale at 85.51 and that for A. lappa at 88.97. The results indicate low antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (growth inhibition zone up to 15.5 mm). Plant extracts contain significant amounts of B-group vitamins, with pyridoxine in T. officinale (156.40 μg/mL) and thiamine (46.20 μg/mL) and pyridoxine (357.10 μg/mL) in Arctium lappa. Flavonoids (rutin and quercetin) are identified in T. officinale and A. lappa extracts based on the study results.

This research was funded by Russian Science Foundation grant number 23-16-00113.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

David Arráez-Román

Humans; Antioxidants; Arctium; Taraxacum; Pyridoxine; Plant Extracts; Vitamins; Anti-Infective Agents

2024-03-13

2024-03-13

Frolova, Anna S.; Fokina, Anna D.; Milentyeva, Irina S.; Asyakina, Lyudmila K.; Proskuryakova, Larisa A.; Prosekov, Alexander Y.

10.1007/s10719-024-10156-9

Structural elucidation a complex galactosyl and glucosyl-rich pectin from the pericarp of immature fruits of Juglans mandshurica Maxim.

A glucosyl-rich pectin, JMMP-3 (Mw, 2.572 × 104 g/mol, O-methyl % = 3.62%), was isolated and purified from the pericarp of the immature fruit of Juglans mandshurica Maxim. (QingLongYi). The structure of JMMP-3 was studied systematically by infrared spectroscopy, monosaccharide compositions, methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, and 1/2D-NMR. The backbone of JMMP-3 possessed a smooth region (→ 4GalA1 →) and a hairy region (→ 4GalA1 → 2Rha1 →) with a molar ratio of 2: 5. The substitution of four characteristic side chains (R1-R4) occurs at C-4 of → 2,4)-α-Rhap-(1→, where R1 is composed of → 5)-α-Araf-(1→, R2 is composed of → 4)-β-Galp-(1 → and β-Galp-(1→, R3 is composed of α-Glcp-(1→, →4)-α-Glcp-(1 → and → 4,6)-α-Glcp-(1→, and R4 is composed of → 5)-α-Araf-(1→, β-Galp-(1→, → 4)-β-Galp-(1→, → 3,4)-β-Galp-(1→, → 4,6)-β-Galp-(1 → and → 2,4)-β-Galp-(1 → . In addition, the antitumor activity of JMMP-3 on HepG2 cells was preliminarily investigated.

This work was funded by Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine graduate innovative research project (2020yjscx010), Discipline collaborative innovation achievement project of Heilongjiang Province (LJGXCG2023-017), Training plan for Young Qihuang Scholars of Heilongjiang Province (202336) and Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program (2019539).

Glycoconjugate Journal

2024-07-02

2024-07-02

2024-07-02

Sun, Xi-Zhe; Zhang, Qing-Yu; Jiang, Si-Liang; Zhu, Rong-Jian; Chai, Jun-Hong; Liang, Jun; Kuang, Hai-Xue; Xia, Yong-Gang

10.1016/j.foodres.2024.113956

Ripening stage impacts nutritional components, antiglycemic potential, digestibility and antioxidant properties of grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lam.) fruit

This study aimed to determine the nutritional components (macronutrients ans minerals) and α-amylase inhibition capacity of freeze-dried grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lam) seeds (S) and pulp/peel (P) portions, at ripe and mid-ripe stages. In vitro digestion was also performed on S and P from grumixama to assess the bioaccessibility of total phenolic compound (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and anthocyanins (TAC), as well as to examine their impact on antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP). The ripening process impacts the bioactive compounds and individual phenolics of S and P portions. The ripe S was source of myricetin and exhibited higher antioxidant activity, while mid-ripe S was high in flavonoids and cinnamic acid with higher antiglycemic potential. Ripe P showed higher soluble fiber, carbohydrate, TAC, and caffeic acid content, whereas mid-ripe P had increased mineral content (calcium, potassium, manganese), catechin, and TPC. After in vitro digestion, the P portion showed a bioaccessibility of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) exceeding 40% at intestinal phase. In contrast, the S portions had better release of TPC and TFC and antioxidant activity at gastric phase. Considering the outstanding nutritional and biological properties of grumixama fruit, freeze-dried S and P portions from both ripening stages possess could be explored as valuable sources of nutrients and antioxidant compounds.

Food Research International

Antioxidants; Anthocyanins; Fruit; Eugenia; Flavonoids; Phenols; Minerals

2024-01-03

2024-01-03

2024-02

Bonin, Anna Maria Forcelini; Ávila, Suelen; Etgeton, Schaina Andriela Pontarollo; de Lima, Jair José; Dos Santos, Mayara Padovan; Grassi, Marco Tadeu; Krüger, Claudia Carneiro Hecke

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131705

Rice proteins: A review of their extraction, modification techniques and applications

Rice protein is highly nutritious and easy to digest and absorb. Its hydrolyzed peptides have significant effects on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. First, a detailed and comprehensive explanation of rice protein extraction methods was given, and it was found that the combination of enzymatic and physical methods could improve the extraction rate of rice protein, but it was only suitable for laboratory studies. Second, the methods for improving the functional properties of rice protein were introduced, including physical modification, chemical modification, and enzymatic modification. Enzymatic modification of the solubility of rice protein to improve its functional properties has certain limitations due to the low degree of hydrolysis, the long time required, the low utilization of the enzyme, and the possible undesirable taste of the product. Finally, the development and utilization of rice protein was summarized and the future research direction was suggested. This paper lists the advantages and disadvantages of various extraction techniques, points out the shortcomings of existing extraction techniques, aims to fill the gap in the field of rice protein extraction, and then provides a possible improvement method for the extraction and development of rice protein in the future.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Oryza; Plant Proteins; Solubility; Hydrolysis; Chemical Fractionation

2024-04-21

2024-04-21

Zheng, Li; San, Yue; Xing, Yuejiao; Regenstein, Joe M

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132002

Structural and functional characteristics of pectins from three cultivars of apple (Malus pumila Mill.) pomaces

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, structural properties, and biological properties of pectin polysaccharides (AP-FS, AP-QG, and AP-HG) isolated from different varieties of apple pomace. Based on the methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, the structure of AP-FS was determined to be composed of an α-1,4-linked homogalacturonan backbone that exhibited high levels of O-6 methylation. All pectins exhibit potent inhibitory activity against human colon cancer and human liver cancer cells, along with immunostimulatory effects. Among them, AP-FS exhibited the highest activity level. Finally, we further investigated the underlying mechanism behind the effect of AP-FS on RAW 264.7 cells using proteomics analysis. Our findings revealed that AP-FS triggers RAW 264.7 macrophage activation via NOD-like receptor (NLR), NF-κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Therefore, our research contributes to a better understanding of the structure-function relationship among apple pectins, and AP-FS has the potential to be applied to dietary supplements targeting immunomodulation.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Pectins; Malus; Mice; Animals; RAW 264.7 Cells; Humans; Structure-Activity Relationship; Methylation; NF-kappa B

2024-05-01

2024-05-01

2024-06

Guo, Huan; Li, Hang; Ran, Wenyi; Yu, Wenyue; Xiao, Yue; Gan, Renyou; Gao, Hong

10.1007/s10123-024-00514-w

Essential oils and their blends: mechanism of antibacterial activity and antibiofilm potential on food-grade maize starch packaging films

Essential oils are highly complex volatile chemical compounds utilized for food preservation. The present study compares the antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities of essential oils (EOs) and their blends. Three EOs—basil, clove, and lemongrass—and their blends were evaluated against five food-borne bacterial pathogens. A concentration-dependent effect with maximum inhibition at minimum inhibitory concentration values was recorded while no synergistic activity was observed on blending of EOs. The mechanism of antibacterial action was identified as ROS burst, leakage of cytoplasmic content, and DNA degradation through fluorescence microscopy, electrical conductivity, and DNA cleavage studies. The role of EOs on biofilm growth was deciphered with lemongrass EO being most effective as it curbed biofilm formation on the surface of corn-starch packaging films. This work highlights the antibacterial action mechanism of EOs and their potential role in curtailing biofilm growth on food-grade packaging material.

This research was funded by DST (Department of Science and Technology) Women scientist scheme-A (WOS reference no. DST/WOS-A/LS-1/2020).

International Microbiology

2024-03-20

2024-03-20

2024-03-20

Kaur, Manpreet; Sharma, Shivani; Kalia, Anu; Sandhu, Nitika

10.3390/antiox13040488

Clove Essential Oil: Chemical Profile, Biological Activities, Encapsulation Strategies, and Food Applications

Plants have proven to be important sources for discovering new compounds that are useful in the treatment of various diseases due to their phytoconstituents. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), an aromatic plant widely cultivated around the world, has been traditionally used for food preservation and medicinal purposes. In particular, clove essential oil (CEO) has attracted attention for containing various bioactive compounds, such as phenolics (eugenol and eugenol acetate), terpenes (β-caryophyllene and α-humulene), and hydrocarbons. These constituents have found applications in cosmetics, food, and medicine industries due to their bioactivity. Pharmacologically, CEO has been tested against a variety of parasites and pathogenic microorganisms, demonstrating antibacterial and antifungal properties. Additionally, many studies have also demonstrated the analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory effects of this essential oil. However, CEO could degrade for different reasons, impacting its quality and bioactivity. To address this challenge, encapsulation is viewed as a promising strategy that could prolong the shelf life of CEO, improving its physicochemical stability and application in various areas. This review examines the phytochemical composition and biological activities of CEO and its constituents, as well as extraction methods to obtain it. Moreover, encapsulation strategies for CEO and numerous applications in different food fields are also highlighted.

Open Access Funding by the University of Vienna.

Antioxidants

2024-04-19

2024-04-19

Liñán-Atero, Rafael; Aghababaei, Fatemeh; García, Samuel Rodríguez; Hasiri, Zahra; Ziogkas, Dimitrios; Moreno, Andres; Hadidi, Milad

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130213

Chitosan/alginate/pectin biopolymer-based Nanoemulsions for improving the shelf life of refrigerated chicken breast

This study investigated the use of nanoemulsions and various polymer coatings to enhance the quality and shelf life of chicken breast. This comprehensive study explored the antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the characterization of nanoemulsions (Nes) and nanoemulsion-based coatings. The antimicrobial potential of EOs, such as cinnamon, tea tree, jojoba, thyme, and black cumin seed oil, was evaluated against microorganisms, and thyme oil exhibited the highest inhibitory effect, followed by cinnamon and tea tree oil by disk diffusion analysis. The MIC and MBC values of EOs were found between 0.16-2.5 mg/mL and 0.16-5 mg/mL, respectively, while thyme EO resulted in the lowest values showing its antimicrobial potential. Then, the essential oil nanoemulsions (EONe) and their coatings, formulated with thyme oil, alginate, chitosan, and pectin, were successfully characterized. Optical microscope observations confirmed the uniform distribution of droplets in all (EONe), while particle size analysis demonstrated multimodal droplet size distributions. The EONe-chitosan coating showed the highest efficacy in reducing cooking loss, while the EONe-chitosan, EONe-alginate, and EONe-pectin coatings displayed promising outcomes in preserving color stability. Microbial analysis revealed the significant inhibitory effects of the EONe-chitosan coating against mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, and yeasts, leading to an extended shelf life of chicken breast. These results suggest the potential application of thyme oil and NE-based coatings in various industries for antimicrobial activity and quality preservation.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Animals; Alginates; Chitosan; Chickens; Pectins; Oils, Volatile; Anti-Infective Agents; Biopolymers; Escherichia coli; Plant Oils; Thymol; Thymus Plant

2024-02-15

2024-02-15

2024-04

Elsherief, Mai F; Devecioglu, Dilara; Saleh, Mohamed N; Karbancioglu-Guler, Funda; Capanoglu, Esra

10.1002/pca.3350

Exploring anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant‐related quality markers of Artemisia absinthium L. based on spectrum–effect relationship

INTRODUCTION: Artemisia absinthium L. is a well-known medicinal, aromatic, and edible plant with important medicinal and economic properties and a long history of use in treating liver inflammation and other diseases; however, there has been insufficient progress in quality control.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the quality markers for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of A. absinthium based on spectrum-effect relationship analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen batches of A. absinthium from different origins were used. Chemical fingerprints were obtained by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The chemical compositions were identified by quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and 15-lipoxygenase in vitro and inhibition of nitric oxide release in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 cells. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The relationship between bioactivity and chemical fingerprints was then analyzed using chemometrics including gray relational analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares analysis.
RESULTS: Different batches of A. absinthium extracts possessed significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities to varying degrees. Eighty compounds were identified from A. absinthium, and 12 main common peaks were obtained from the UPLC fingerprints. P3 (chlorogenic acid), P5 (isochlorogenic acid A), and P6 (isochlorogenic acid C) were screened as the most promising active compounds by correlation analysis and further validated for their remarkable anti-inflammatory effects.
CONCLUSION: This is the first study to screen the quality markers of A. absinthium by establishing the spectrum-effect relationship, which can provide a reference for the development of quality standards and further research on A. absinthium.

Phytochemical Analysis

Antioxidants; Artemisia absinthium; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Mice; Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Nitric Oxide; Plant Extracts; Lipopolysaccharides; Cell Line

2024-04-09

2024-04-09

2024-07

Wubuli, Ayixiamuguli; Abdulla, Rahima; Zhao, Jiangyu; Wu, Tao; Aisa, Haji Akber

10.1038/s41598-024-51763-8

Humid and cold forest connections in South America between the eastern Andes and the southern Atlantic coast during the LGM

The presence of Andean plant genera in moist forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Coast has been historically hypothesized as the result of cross-continental migrations starting at the eastern Andean flanks. Here we test hypotheses of former connections between the Atlantic and Andean forests by examining distribution patterns of selected cool and moist-adapted plant arboreal taxa present in 54 South American pollen records of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), ca. 19–23 cal ka, known to occur in both plant domains. Pollen taxa studied include Araucaria, Drimys, Hedyosmum, Ilex, Myrsine, Podocarpus, Symplocos, Weinmannia, Myrtaceae, Ericaceae and Arecaceae. Past connectivity patterns between these two neotropical regions as well as individual ecological niches during the LGM were explored by cluster analysis of fossil assemblages and modern plant distributions. Additionally, we examined the ecological niche of 137 plant species with shared distributions between the Andes and coastal Brazil. Our results revealed five complex connectivity patterns for South American vegetation linking Andean, Amazonian and Atlantic Forests and one disjunction distribution in southern Chile. This study also provides a better understanding of vegetation cover on the large and shallow South American continental shelf that was exposed due to a global sea level drop.

Scientific Reports

Forests; Brazil; Ecosystem; Chile; Trees

2024-01-24

2024-01-24

Pinaya, Jorge Luiz Diaz; Pitman, Nigel C. A.; Cruz, Francisco William; Akabane, Thomas K.; Lopez, Maria del Carmen Sanz; Pereira-Filho, Augusto José; Grohman, Carlos H.; Reis, Luiza Santos; Rodrigues, Erika S. Ferreira; Ceccantini, Gregório C. T.; De Oliveira, Paulo Eduardo

10.3390/molecules29081810

Physicochemical Characterization, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activity Evaluation of an Acidic Polysaccharide from Alpinia officinarum Hance

AHP-3a, a triple-helix acidic polysaccharide isolated from Alpinia officinarum Hance, was evaluated for its anticancer and antioxidant activities. The physicochemical properties and structure of AHP-3a were investigated through gel permeation chromatography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The weight-average molecular weight of AHP-3a was 484 kDa, with the molar percentages of GalA, Gal, Ara, Xyl, Rha, Glc, GlcA, and Fuc being 35.4%, 21.4%, 16.9%, 11.8%, 8.9%, 3.1%, 2.0%, and 0.5%, respectively. Based on the results of the monosaccharide composition analysis, methylation analysis, and NMR spectroscopy, the main chain of AHP-3a was presumed to consist of (1→4)-α-D-GalpA and (1→2)-α-L-Rhap residues, which is a pectic polysaccharide with homogalacturonan (HG) and rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) structural domains containing side chains. In addition, the results of the antioxidant activity assay revealed that the ability of AHP-3a to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and OH free radicals increased with an increase in its concentration. Moreover, according to the results from the EdU, wound healing, and Transwell assays, AHP-3a can control the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG2 and Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells without causing any damage to healthy cells. Thus, AHP-3a may be a natural antioxidant and anticancer component.

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82360836), Hainan Province Clinical Medical Center, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for Students of Hainan Medical University (X202311810007), the Hainan Medical University Graduate Student Innovative Research Project (HYYB2022A08), Supported by the Joint Program on Health Science and Technology Innovation of Hainan Province (WSJK2024QN062).

Molecules

Alpinia; Polysaccharides; Humans; Antioxidants; Cell Proliferation; Antineoplastic Agents; Hep G2 Cells; Molecular Weight; Cell Line, Tumor; Monosaccharides; Plant Extracts; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Picrates; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Biphenyl Compounds

2024-04-16

2024-04-16

Wen, Huan; Kuang, Yangjun; Lian, Xiuxia; Li, Hailong; Zhou, Mingyan; Tan, Yinfeng; Zhang, Xuguang; Pan, Yipeng; Zhang, Junqing; Xu, Jian

10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140080

Plant-derived and dietary phenolic cinnamic acid derivatives: Anti-inflammatory properties

Cinnamic acids are aromatic acids primarily found in plants and plant-derived food. Phenolic cinnamic acids, with one or more hydroxyl groups in the aromatic ring, often contribute to the biological activities attributed to these compounds. The presence of hydroxyl groups and a carboxyl group makes cinnamic acids very hydrophilic, preventing them from crossing biological membranes and exerting their biological activities. To alleviate this condition, a panel of synthetic modifications have been made leading to a diverse set of phenolic cinnamic structures. In this review, an overview of the natural phenolic cinnamic acid derivatives and their plant sources (more than 200) is described. The synthetic approaches to obtain the referred derivatives (more than 200) namely esters and amides are reviewed. Further, their anti-inflammatory activity (more than 70 compounds) is scrutinized. Finally, future directions will be indicated to translate the research on phenolic cinnamic derivatives into potentially effective anti-inflammatory drugs.

Food Chemistry

2024-06-26

2024-06-26

Freitas, Marisa; Ribeiro, Daniela; Janela, João S; Varela, Carla L; Costa, Saul C; da Silva, Elisiário Tavares; Fernandes, Eduarda; Roleira, Fernanda M F

10.1155/2024/6678557

The Meaning of Plants’ Names: A New Discovering Approach to Its Medicinal and/or Toxic Properties

Some of the vernacular or scientific names are related to possible medicinal and/or toxic properties that can reveal the presence of potential bioactive agents, contributing to the discovery of new drugs and/or knowledge of the risks associated with their use. This study sought to list the scientific and vernacular names of plants whose lexicons are related to those possible properties of plants and to compare them with the "ethno" (ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological) and pharmacological data available in the scientific literature. A floating reading of the two classical and reference works on Brazilian medicinal plants was performed, and plants with vernacular and/or scientific names related to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties were listed. Correlations between the meanings of the species' names (lexicon) and their possible biological properties were made from their translation from Latin by consulting dictionaries. A bibliographic survey was conducted on the "ethno" and pharmacological data for each species. Finally, data from these three dimensions (lexicon, "ethno," and pharmacology) were classified and compared using a bioprospection classification. It resulted in a list of 90 plant species belonging to 47 families. 66 of the 90 species presented "ethno" data from the scientific literature, while 46 species presented pharmacological data. Of these, 46 (69.7%) and 27 (58.7%), respectively, showed equivalence with the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties of plants according to their lexicons. According to this study, half of the plants investigated demonstrate equivalence in the three dimensions analyzed (lexicons, "ethno," and pharmacological data from the scientific literature). Gastrointestinal and nervous system categories are among the most common in all three dimensions. Plant lexicons may be closely linked to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties and the study of plant lexicons may represent one more approach for the search for new drugs, mainly considering the gastrointestinal, nervous, and parasites categories.

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Rajeev K. Singla

2024-02-19

2024-02-19

2024-02-19

dos Santos Dantas Lima, Letícia; Passero, Luiz Felipe Domingues; Indriunas, Alexandre; de Souza Santos, Ingrid; Coqueiro, Luíza Francisco Uchôa; da Cruz, Kayo Alexandre Souza; de Almeida, Adriana Batista; Galduróz, José Carlos Fernandes; Rodrigues, Eliana

10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122351

Renewable hemicellulose-based materials for value-added applications

The importance of renewable resources and environmentally friendly materials has grown globally in recent time. Hemicellulose is renewable lignocellulosic materials that have been the subject of substantial valorisation research. Due to its distinctive benefits, including its wide availability, low cost, renewability, biodegradability, simplicity of chemical modification, etc., it has attracted increasing interest in a number of value-added fields. In this review, a systematic summarizes of the structure, extraction method, and characterization technique for hemicellulose-based materials was carried out. Also, their most current developments in a variety of value-added adsorbents, biomedical, energy-related, 3D-printed materials, sensors, food packaging applications were discussed. Additionally, the most recent challenges and prospects of hemicellulose-based materials are emphasized and examined in-depth. It is anticipated that in the near future, persistent scientific efforts will enable the renewable hemicellulose-based products to achieve practical applications.

Carbohydrate Polymers

2024-06-03

2024-06-03

Liao, Guangfu; Sun, Enhui; Kana, E B Gueguim; Huang, Hongying; Sanusi, Isaac A; Qu, Ping; Jin, Hongmei; Liu, Jun; Shuai, Li

10.1002/ptr.8211

Herbal remedies in the management of hyperuricemia and gout: A review of in vitro, in vivo and clinical evidences

Gout, or hyperuricemia is a multifactorial and multi-faceted metabolic disease that is quite difficult to manage and/or treat. Conventional therapies such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as allopurinol, corticosteroids and colchicine amongst others, have helped in its management and treatment to some extent. This study aimed to compile and analyze the different herbal remedies used in the management of hyperuricemia and gout. A literature search was conducted from key databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar) using relevant keywords via the PRISMA model. Smilax riparia A.DC. from Traditional Chinese Medicine is used in many countries for its therapeutic effect on lowering serum urate levels. No single study was able to establish the efficacy of a specific traditionally used herb via in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Patients were found to use a panoply of natural remedies, mainly plants to treat hyperuricemia and gout, which have been validated to some extent by in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Nonetheless, further research is needed to better understand the ethnopharmacological relationship of such herbal remedies.

This study was funded by the Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia (Project number ISP23‐81).

Phytotherapy Research

Hyperuricemia; Gout; Humans; Animals; Phytotherapy; Smilax; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Uric Acid; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal

2024-04-24

2024-04-24

2024-07

Mahomoodally, Mohamad Fawzi; Coodian, Kaisavadee; Hosenally, Muzzammil; Zengin, Gokhan; Shariati, Mohammad Ali; Abdalla, Ashraf N.; Alhazmi, Hassan A.; Khuwaja, Gulrana; Mohan, Syam; Khalid, Asaad

10.1007/s12225-024-10178-4

Campomanesia lorenziana as a replacement name for Abbevillea langsdorffii (Myrtaceae), a rare and endemic fruiting species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

This study was initially driven by efforts to identify a species of Campomanesia from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest that was introduced into cultivation because of it excellent fruits, using seeds collected in 2007. Tentatively interpreted as a new taxon, after examination of the types of synonyms of its apparent close relatives, we found that this taxon corresponds closely to the type and original description of Abbevillea langsdorffii, which is currently considered a synonym of Campomanesia sessiliflora var. sessiliflora. Examination of original descriptions, types, historical and modern herbarium collections and cultivated individuals support the recognition of A. langsdorffii as a distinct species. The existence of C. langsdorffii prevents using this combination, and, therefore, we propose Campomanesia lorenziana as a necessary replacement name. We provide herein an updated morphological description for C. lorenziana, including a report on fruit taste, morphological photographs and drawings and a taxonomic discussion. Campomanesia lorenziana is similar to C. hirsuta and C. phaea, so we provide morphological data to distinguish them and a brief historical overview regarding the cultivation of C. lorenziana is also presented.

Kew Bulletin

2024-06-11

2024-06-11

Fernandes, Thiago; da Silva de Cicco Maruyama, Adriano; de Melo, Eugenio Arantes; de Lacerda, Marco Túlio Côrtes; de Faria, Jair Eustáquio Quintino; Luber, Jaquelini; de Oliveira, Marla Ibrahim Uehbe; Braga, João Marcelo Alvarenga

10.18677/encibio_2024b7

BIOMETRIA DE FRUTOS, GERMINAÇÃO DE SEMENTES, MORFOLOGIA E ANATOMIA FOLIAR DE Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg

Enciclopédia Biosfera

2024-06-30

2024-06-30

2024-06-30

Reis, João; Holanda, Maria; Silvestre, Gleiciane; Carvalho, Plauto; Miranda, Sabrina

10.1002/adts.202400236

Application of Physical Statistical Modeling in the Adsorption of the Drug Ketoprofen and the 2,4‐D Herbicide using the Bark Campomanesia Guazumifolia Forest Species Modified with H2SO4 as an Adsorbent

Abstract Emerging pollutants are a widespread environmental concern, andadsorption represents one of the choices available for the removal of suchcompounds from polluted waters. However, the set‐up of a new adsorption system requiresthe experimental determination of adsorption isotherms and their thoroughmodelling, for the sake of a convenient optimization. In this work, the Campomanesia guazumifolia biomass is adopted as precursor for the synthesis of anew adsorbent and then tested for the adsorption of KTP and 2,4‐D. Theadsorption performances of this biomass are significantly improved through atreatment with sulfuric acid, which allows obtaining higher removal efficiency ofthe target organic molecules. The experimental isotherms are measured at 298 – 328 K and pH 2. An ETAM model is employed for amodeling analysis of the experimental data, for the comprehension of theoccurring adsorption mechanism. Results demonstrated that adsorption of KTP isendothermic and occurs in multilayer with a multimolecular process, in whichthe molecular aggregation can be predicted. On the contrary, the adsorption of 2,4‐D on this functionalized biomass is exothermic. The adsorption energiesresulted to be < 40 kJ mol −1 , indicating that physical adsorption forces are involved inthe removal of these organic molecules.

Advanced Theory and Simulations

2024-06-25

2024-06-25

Aouaini, Fatma; Dhaouadi, Fatma; Georgin, Jordana; Franco, Dison S. P.; Alyousef, Haifa; Erto, Alessandro; Lamine, Abdelmottaleb Ben

10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102490

The Atlantic forest is a potentially climatic suitable habitat for four Neotropical Myrtaceae species through time

Myrtaceae is one of the most species-rich botanical families and is a critical floristic component in regions with high diversity, such as the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. In the Neotropical region, Myrteae is the main tribe of Myrtaceae and includes the most diverse genera Eugenia, Myrcia, Psidium, Myrceugenia, and Campomanesia. Here, we investigated the climatic suitability selected Myrteae species - Campomanesia guazumifolia, C. xanthocarpa, Eugenia pyriformis, and Psidium cattleyanum - across South America. This study spans the present day, three historical periods, and two future climate change scenarios. Our modeling analysis (ENSEMBLE) included environmental variables applied at the times evaluated. Our results suggest that temperature seasonality and precipitation in the driest month were the variables that most influenced climate suitability in the species. The Atlantic Forest lato sensu is a potentially climate suitable habitat for these four species over time, which matches the center of diversification and richness of Myrtaceae, in regions where they coexist and share habitats sympatrically. Historical glaciation events have influenced the retraction and expansion of species distribution, ultimately contributing to their current coexistence in select neotropical ecoregions. Our projections for the future indicate climate suitable habitats in areas similar to present models despite the different effects of climate change. The Atlantic Forest is the key to maintaining Myrteae biodiversity over time. Therefore, it is necessary to combine other approaches (e.g., evolutionary, ecological, and genetic studies) to deeply understand the evolutionary history of this region, its protection, and the maintenance of the biodiversity it harbors.

Ecological Informatics

Barrientos-Díaz, Ossman; Báez-Lizarazo, Mabel R.; Enderle, Fernanda; Segatto, Ana Lucia Anversa; Reginato, Marcelo; Turchetto-Zolet, Andreia Carina

10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114241

Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.): A critical review for the food industry

This review aimed to critically and comparatively analyze the physicochemical, proximate, nutritional, phytochemical composition, and bioactivities of araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) (AAc), a fruit from the Brazilian Cerrado. Additionally, the potential applications of this fruit in the food industry were reviewed. Data and information were collected from the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. AAc, a fruit mainly studied in the Brazilian regions of Minas Gerais and Goiás, has well-documented physicochemical, proximate, and nutritional characteristics. It is rich in fiber, sugars, vitamins A and C, minerals, and oil, making it attractive to the food industry. However, there are research gaps, such as the impact of climatic conditions on the AAc chemical composition. Additional studies are needed, especially for the peel and seeds, and investigations of pre-treatments effect on the chemical composition are recommended. The application of AAc in food products is mainly limited to pulp, but there is potential for using peels and seeds. AAc is a rich source of phytochemical compounds with various biological properties, such as antioxidants, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial activities. Future studies should explore other phytochemicals present in the fruit beyond phenolic compounds. The consumption of AAc can contribute to combating food insecurity malnutrition, and promoting the conservation of the Brazilian Cerrado.

Food Research International

Annona; Food Industry; Fruit; Seeds; Phytochemicals

2024-03-16

2024-03-16

Fernandes Almeida, Rafael; Ferreira Moreno, Isabela; Paula Oliveira Machado, Ana; Angela A Meireles, Maria; Karla Figueira da Silva, Lilian; Augusto Caldas Batista, Eduardo

10.1002/jctb.7663

Valorization of guabirobeira leaf extracts (Campomanesia xanthocarpa) through pressurized liquid extraction and aqueous infusion: assessment of phytochemical composition, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities

Abstract BACKGROUND The leaves of guabirobeira contain important phenolic and flavonoid compounds, known for their antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and antinociceptive activities. The purpose of this work was to obtain extracts from guabirobeira leaves through aqueous infusion and pressurized liquid extraction with water, ethanol, and a combination of water–ethanol (ratio 1:1, v/v; PLE‐W:E). Subsequently, we used liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to identify the chemical compounds, and to study the antioxidant activity in rat brain cells; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) antibacterial activity against Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria were also seen. RESULTS According to the findings, all four extracts contained a significant amount of phytochemical compounds. Among them, the PLE‐W:E extract showed a higher concentration of flavonoids, demonstrating significant antioxidant activity in in vitro assays of TBARS and ROS in rat brain cells. It also exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. CONCLUSION Guabirobeira leaf extracts hold promise as a potential source of bioactive compounds. These extracts can be applied across various sectors, including cosmetics and skincare products, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, natural preservatives, and functional materials. By exploring these potential applications, valuable contributions can be made to the field of sustainable chemistry and pharmacy, furthering the utilization of guabirobeira leaf extracts in diverse industries. This approach also aligns with the promotion of environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology

2024-05-13

2024-05-13

2024-08

Bagatini, Lucíola; Fischer, Bruno; Zandoná, Giovana Paula; Moroni, Liziane Schittler; Junges, Alexander; Kempka, Aniela Pinto; Rombaldi, Cesar Valmor

10.1590/1519-6984.281308

Isolation and molecular identification of endophytic fungi associated with Campomanesia adamantium, a Brazilian Cerrado plant

Abstract This work presents the isolation of endophytic fungi from the leaves of Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg (Myrtaceae), a native species found in Brazil and popularly known as “guabiroba-do-campo”, with abundant distribution in the Brazilian Cerrado. It has been popularly used for its anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, blood cholesterol-reducing, urinary antiseptic, and depurative properties. Theese fungi are microorganisms that live inside higher plants, at least for a period of their life cycle, occupying the intercellular spaces of plant tissues such as leaves and stems. These fungi are harmless to the host plant, and their secondary metabolites promote protection, regulate growth, combat bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and promote resistance to abiotic stress, as well as insecticidal effects. Endophytic fungi associated with the leaves of C. adamantium were isolated using the culture medium isolation technique. After growth, the fungi were divided into groups based on morphotypes. Fungal genomic DNA was extracted, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to amplify the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions of rRNA, and the nucleotide sequences obtained were compared with those available in the GenBank database for molecular identification of the isolates. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 11 software. The results showed representatives of the Ascomycota phylum, and it was possible to identify at the genus level 18 fungi of the genera Colletotrichum, Diaporthe, Epicoccum, and Neofusicoccum.
Resumo Este trabalho apresenta o isolamento de fungos endofíticos de folhas de Campomanesia adamantium(Cambess.) O. Berg (Myrtaceae), espécie nativa encontrada no Brasil, com distribuição abundante no Cerrado brasileiro, popularmente conhecida como “guabiroba-do-campo. Têm sido utilizadas popularmente por suas atividades anti-reumáticas anti-inflamatórias, antidiarreicas, redutoras de colesterol no sangue, antisséptica urinária e depurativas. Fungos endofíticos são microrganismos que vivem no interior de plantas superiores, ao menos por um período de seu ciclo de vida, ocupando os espaços intercelulares dos tecidos vegetais, como folhas e caules. Esses fungos, além de serem inofensivos à planta hospedeira, produzem benefícios a partir de metabólitos secundários que promovem proteção, regulam o crescimento, combatem bactérias, vírus e fungos e promovem resistência a estresse abiótico, além de efeitos inseticidas. Os fungos endófitos associados às folhas de C. adamantiumforam isolados utilizando-se a técnica de isolamento em meio de cultura. Logo após o crescimento, os fungos foram divididos em grupos baseados em morfotipos. O DNA genômico fúngico foi extraído A reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) foi conduzida para amplificação da região ITS-1-5.8S-ITS2 de rRNA e as sequências de nucleotídeos obtidas foram comparados com aqueles disponíveis na base de dados GenBank para a identificação molecular dos isolados. A construção da filogenia da árvore foi realizada utilizando o software MEGA 11. Os resultados apresentaram representantes do filo Ascomycota e em nível de gênero foi possível identificar 18 fungos dos gêneros Colletotrichum, Diaporthe, Epicoccum e Neofusicoccum.

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Ricci, A. P.; Loosli, A. W. M.; Roel, A. R.; Carvalho, C. M. E.; Almeida, T. T.

10.1007/s11240-024-02735-3

In vitro culture of Rio Grande cherry (Eugenia involucrata DC.)

The Rio Grande cherry (RGC) (Eugenia involucrata DC.) is a native fruit species from the Atlantic Forest, in Brazil. The fruits from RGC show high potential for fresh consumption and industrial processing, besides their medicinal properties. The cultivation of RGC can also presents afforestation and reforestation purposes. This species is usually propagated by seed, but challenges with this method have been reported, such as low seed viability after storage and limited seed availability throughout the year. To develop a different propagation protocol and facilitate propagation for this species, we evaluated the response of in vitro cultivated RGC using nodal explants from aseptic in vitro germinated seedlings. We evaluated the effects of nine culture media compositions (MS, ½ MS, ¼ MS, WPM, ½ WPM, ¼ WPM, JADS, SP and modified SP); combinations of plant growth regulators, 6-benzylaminapurine (BAP; 0.0; 4.4; 11.1 and 22.2 µM) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA; 0.0 and 0.5 µM); and different substrates for plant acclimatization. The use of JADS medium supplemented with 11.1 µM BAP for in vitro bud initial induction followed by subculture of in vitro obtained shoots in JADS supplemented with 4.4 µM BAP were indicated in the multiplication process. JADS medium without plant growth regulators was superior for shoot development and rooting formation. Plants were acclimated with the use a combination of commercial potting with vermiculite. Therefore, a robust protocol for the in vitro establishment, multiplication and acclimation of this native fruit species was obtained.

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Grant No. 429044/2018-6, 134406/2018-4 and 133734/2020-0), and Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC)

2024-04-15

2024-04-15

2024-04

Oliveira Junior, Marcelo Almeida de; Brogio Colli, Bruna do Amaral; Libório Stipp, Liliane Cristina; Latado, Rodrigo Rocha; Stefano Piedade, Sônia Maria De; Mourão Filho, Francisco de Assis Alves

10.1039/d4fo00182f

Emerging berries from the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes: new sources of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits

Brazil has a broad geographic biodiversity spread across its six different biomes. However, it has been suffering from the abusive exploitation of its resources, which poses a threat to the local fauna and flora. The Amazon and Atlantic Forest, for example, are birthplaces to rare and edible native species, such as bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba, Arecaceae) and camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia, Myrtaceae), and cereja-do-Rio Grande (Eugenia involucrata, Myrtaceae) and grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis, Myrtaceae), respectively. These plants produce fruits which are sources of macro and micronutrients, including sugars, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and/or lipids. Nutritionally, their consumption have the ability to reach partially or totally the daily recommendations for adults of some nutrients. More recently, these fruits have also been exposed as interesting sources of minor bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, terpenes, and/or polyphenols, the latter which include anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and tannins. Particularly, bacaba stands out for being a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (around 22%, dry weight) and dietary fibers (6.5-21%, dry weight); camu-camu has very high contents of vitamin C (up to 5000 mg per 100 g of pulp, dry basis); and cereja-do-Rio-Grande and grumixama are abundant sources of anthocyanins. Although they are still underexplored, several in vitro and in vivo studies with different parts of the fruits, including the peel, seed, and pulp, indicate their health potential through anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, antihyperglycemic, antidyslipidemic, antimicrobial, and/or anticancer effects. All things considered, the focus of this research was to highlight the bioactive potential and health impact of native fruits from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes.

Food & Function

Fruit; Brazil; Humans; Myrtaceae; Arecaceae; Forests; Eugenia; Phytochemicals; Antioxidants; Plant Extracts

2024-06-04

2024-06-04

Noguera, Nathan Hargreaves; Noguera, Dyana Carla Lima Hargreaves; Machado, Ana Paula da Fonseca; Reguengo, Livia Mateus; Nascimento, Roberto de Paula do

10.52945/rac.v37i1.1816

Parasitoides associados à mosca-das-frutas sul-americana em frutíferas nativas em Santa Catarina, Brasil

No Sul do Brasil, a mosca-das-frutas sul-americana (Anastrepha fraterculus) é o principal inseto-praga das frutíferas nativas e exóticas. O estudo foi realizado em áreas agrícolas de sete municípios pertencentes à região do Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe, em Santa Catarina, Brasil, no período de 2015 a 2022. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a entomofauna de micro-himenópteros parasitoides associados à A. fraterculus em frutíferas nativas. Uma amostra de 200 frutos de Eugenia involucrata (cerejeira-do-mato), Eugenia pyriformis (uvaieira), Acca sellowiana (‘feijoa’), Psidium cattleianum (araçazeiros amarelo e vermelho), Campomanesia xanthocarpa (guabirobeira) e Campomanesia guazumifolia (sete-capotes) foram coletadas por município e em cada safra agrícola para determinar os índices de parasitismo e a análise faunística das espécies de parasitoides. Foram registradas sete espécies de parasitoides, três da família Figitidae e quatro de Braconidae. A espécie mais frequente foi Aganaspis pelleranoi, apresentando ocorrência constante, muito abundante e dominante na região. Os índices de parasitismo variaram entre 0,2 a 39%, reforçando a necessidade de estudos sobre controle biológico, por conservação e/ou aplicado.

Agropecuária Catarinense

2024-05-14

2024-05-14

Dos Santos, Janaína Pereira; Menezes-Netto, Alexandre Carlos; Lins Junior, Juracy Caldeira

10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.129047

Recent advances in Platycodon grandiflorum polysaccharides: Preparation techniques, structural features, and bioactivities

Platycodon grandiflorum, a globally recognized medicinal and edible plant, possesses significant nutritional value and pharmacological value. In traditional Chinese medicine, it has the effects of tonifying the spleen and replenishing the Qi, moistening the lung and relieving the cough, clearing the heat and detoxifying, and relieving the pain. Accumulating evidence has revealed that the polysaccharides from P. grandiflorum (PGPs) are one of the major and representative biologically active macromolecules and have diverse biological activities, such as immunomodulatory activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-tumor activity, regulation of the gut microbiota, anti-oxidant activity, anti-apoptosis activity, anti-angiogenesis activity, hypoglycemic activity, anti-microbial activity, and so on. Although the polysaccharides extracted from P. grandiflorum have been extensively studied for the extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics, and pharmacological activities, the knowledge of their structures and bioactivity relationship, toxicologic effects, and pharmacokinetic profile is limited. The main purpose of the present review is to provide comprehensively and systematically reorganized information on extraction and purification, structure characterizations, and biological functions as well as toxicities of PGPs to support their therapeutic potentials and sanitarian functions. New valuable insights for future research regarding PGPs were also proposed in the fields of therapeutic agents and functional foods.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Humans; Platycodon; Polysaccharides; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Spleen; Cough

2024-01-01

2024-01-01

2024-02

Feng, Lile; Shi, Yajun; Zou, Junbo; Zhang, Xiaofei; Zhai, Bingtao; Guo, Dongyan; Sun, Jing; Wang, Mei; Luan, Fei

10.55905/rdelosv17.n56-002

A importância dos saberes etnobotânicos para a construção de agroecossistemas sustentáveis: o exemplo do cambuci (Campomanesia phaea)

A biodiversidade, a qual é fundamental para a segurança e soberania alimentar e nutricional, está empobrecendo, colocando em risco o meio ambiente, a saúde e os alimentos. Com o avanço da degradação ambiental e a ameaça da emergência climática, são necessárias novas alternativas para os sistemas agroalimentares, as quais levem em consideração os princípios da agroecologia, da conservação on farm e dos policultivos, fomentando a bioeconomia da sociobiodiversidade. Para isso, merece a atenção o uso de espécies nativas do Brasil, como a Campomanesia phaea, o cambucizeiro ou cambuci, visto que os saberes para essas mudanças podem ser encontrados nos povos e comunidades tradicionais. Assim, analisaram-se aqui, registros etnobotânicos do cambucizeiro, descrevendo sobre a planta, seus usos e benefícios, apresentando-a como uma opção de produção e geração de renda. Tais registros foram obtidos de revisão da bibliografia científica. O cambucizeiro é muito utilizado popularmente para fins alimentares e medicinais. Por ser rico em nutrientes e compostos bioativos têm potenciais para as indústrias alimentícias e farmacêuticas. Devido aos usos e potenciais, pode ser considerada uma ótima opção e inovações para agroecossistemas, gerando novas cadeias produtivas da bioeconomia da sociobiodiversidade.

DELOS Desarrollo Local Sostenible

2024-06-11

2024-06-11

Lamarca, Edmir Vicente; Rodrigues, Domingos Sávio; Barbedo, Claudio José; Oliveira Júnior, Clóvis José Fernandes de

10.11606/t.11.2024.tde-14032024-164410

Propriedades biológicas, digestão in vitro e transporte celular de duas frutas nativas da Mata Atlântica: Cambuci e Uvaia

Nas últimas décadas, observa-se um crescente interesse no meio científico em caracterizar e estudar as propriedades biológicas e nutricionais das frutas nativas do Brasil, visando sua inclusão na dieta...

2024-02

Batista, Pollyanna Souza

10.55905/revconv.17n.5-236

In vitro culture of Campomanesia pubescens under different light qualities: a morphoanatomical and physiological characterization

Campomanesia pubescens (gabiroba) is a fruit tree that is native to the Cerrado and that has commercial potential and medicinal properties. It has recalcitrant seeds that do not tolerate desiccation and storage. Here, C. pubescens plants were grown in vitro under different light qualities. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used at wavelengths for white (W) and blue in combination with red in the proportions BR (1:1), BR (1:3) and BR (3:1), at 100 ± 5 μmol m-2 s-1 over a 16-hour photoperiod. The leaf anatomy, chlorophyll a fluorescence, chloroplast pigments and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were evaluated. Studies on Cerrado plants grown in vitro focusing on light quality and its effects on plant development and growth are scarce. Records of anatomical and physiological C. pubescens characteristics when grown in vitro under different lighting qualities using LEDs are nonexistent. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the anatomical and physiological responses of C. pubescens seedlings from in vitro cultivation under different light qualities, to support future studies on the propagation and conservation of this species. This work is a pioneer for this species. When the plants were cultivated in combinations of blue/red LEDs 1:1 and 3:1, they yielded higher biomass, presenting higher epidermis and chlorenchyma values with greater stomatal density and functionality, better photosynthetic efficiency, higher Y(II) values, qP and higher total chlorophyll concentrations, and thus these lights did not cause oxidative damage compared to the white (control) LEDs. This study contributed to a better understanding of the anatomical and physiological changes in C. pubescens plants grown in vitro under different light qualities. C. pubescens plants exhibited varied anatomical and physiological characteristics depending on the spectrum of light used here. The combinations of BR (1:1) or BR (3:1) LEDs are promising for the propagation of the species, given their positive influence on most of the studied traits.

Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales

2024-05-29

2024-05-29

Centofante, Agda Rabelo; Silva, Fabiano Guimarães; Neto, Aurélio Rubio; Rosa, Márcio; Silva, Fernando Higino de Lima e; Rodrigues, Arthur Almeida; Oliveira, Erica Alves; Centofante, Christopher Rabelo

10.2174/1573401319666230719155449

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Chemical, Bioactive Profile, and Anti-oxidant Potential of Gabiroba (Campomanesia cambessedeana): An Underexplored Fruit from Brazil

Background: The Cerrado region has one of the world's largest and most diverse tropical biodiversity, hosting several species of exotic fruits little explored. In this context, we can highlight the gabiroba (Campomanesia cambessedeana), a native fruit tree belonging to the Myrtaceae family. However, its fruits are not used frequently, except by the local population who consume them, and are also reported as nutritional. Objective: This work evaluated the chemical composition of the whole fruit, pulp, peel, and seed of gabiroba. Methods: Physicochemical characterization, bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential, and mineral profile (ICP-OES) were evaluated. Individual phenolic compounds and organic acids by liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) of the pulp, peel, and seed fractions of gabiroba were also explored. Results: The results showed that the gabiroba fruit has a low lipid content (1.09 g 100 g-1), high magnesium content (12.60 μg g-1), and significant values of total phenolics (153.17 mg EAG 100 g-1), vitamin C (51.20 mg AA 100 g-1) and antioxidant potential by DPPH radical scavenging (15.35 g sample g-1 DPPH). The analysis of organic acids showed that the pulp and peel are rich in malic acid (7.29 and 8.15 mg 100 g-1, respectively) and the seed in citric acid (10.26 mg 100 g-1). On the other hand, both pulp, peel, and seed fractions showed similar individual phenolic composition, mainly being composed of catechin (3.36, 2.71, and 2.70 mg 100 g-1), gallic acid (1.67, 1.66, and 1.68 mg 100 g-1) and rutin (0.85, 1.39 and 1.16 mg 100 g-1, respectively). Conclusion: The individual phenolics in the gabiroba fractions may have been responsible for the high antioxidant activity. In this way, gabiroba has demonstrated its technological potential for its full use in producing food products and applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry.

Current Nutrition & Food Science

da Silva, Diana Lopes; Morais, Rômulo Alves; da Silva Sousa, Hermanny Matos; Gualberto, Larissa daSilva; Serra, Guilherme Rodrigues; de Souza Martins, Glêndara Aparecida

10.1016/j.flora.2023.152436

Foliar non-structural carbohydrates and resprouting ability of woody species in a tropical dry forest

Diverse disturbances contribute to biomass loss in tropical dry forests (TDF), of which slash-and-burn agriculture (SBA) may be the most severe; it is practiced by large populations of residents. Plant species capable of resprouting in response to such disturbances often possess above-ground structures that survive and mobilize resources for resprouting, in addition to below-ground structures. In Brazilian TDF, woody species regenerating from stem pieces that persist after SBA events are common. In this study, we evaluated the foliar concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and mineral nutrients during the first six months after an SBA event in all species that resprouted within the experimental area. Almost all the species resprouted exclusively from the stems. The measured nutrient concentrations did not change drastically after an SBA event. Two patterns were observed with respect to NSC concentrations among the species. Half of the studied species exhibited high concentrations of NSC before the SBA event, which gradually decreased three and six months after the disturbance. In contrast, the remaining species maintained consistent NSC concentrations throughout the study period. The cost of building new leaf tissue was similar for all species before the SBA event. However, after disturbance, the species invested different amounts of carbon into the new leaves. Those species that decreased NSC leaf concentration after SBA showed the highest regrowth intensity through the number of new tillers. Our results suggest that the intense translocation of NSC from the leaves before SBA may support the increased activity of the buds present in the remaining stem piece.

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (APQ/PRONEM- FACEPE - 0336-2.03/14). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.

Baião, Ellen; Carvalho, Wanessa S.; Oliveira, Fernanda M.P.; Bezerra, Jakelyne S.; Santos, Mariana; Santos, Mauro G.

10.1590/1983-40632024v5477226

Interception loss by yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in production systems in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT The partitioning of precipitation into interception, throughfall and stemflow is essential for the hydrological balance in forests, particularly in the Brazilian forest system, regulating the amount of water input and leaf distribution in the ecosystem. This study aimed to present the dynamics of interception loss in yerba mate monoculture, agroforestry and native mixed ombrophilous forest systems, in experimental producing areas in the municipality of Guarapuava, Southern Brazil. The total gross rainfall was 788 mm, distributed in 33 events between July 2019 and March 2020. The throughfall, stemfow and interception loss of rainfall were respectively 78.7, 0.2 and 21.1 % in the native mixed ombrophilous forest; 85.3, 0.1 and 14.6 % in the agroforestry system; and 86.1, 0.3 and 13.6 % in the monoculture system. It was observed that diferent canopy characteristics infuence the variability of rainfall partitioning. The mixed ombrophilous forest showed a higher interception capacity, when compared to the monoculture and agroforestry systems, determined by plant density and meteorological conditions.
RESUMO A partição da precipitação em interceptação, precipitação interna e escoamento pelo tronco é essencial para o equilíbrio hídrico em forestas, especialmente no sistema forestal brasileiro, regulando a quantidade de entrada de água e a distribuição de folhas no ecossistema. Objetivou-se apresentar a dinâmica de perda por interceptação em sistemas de monocultura, agroforesta e foresta ombrófla mista nativa de erva-mate, em áreas experimentais de produção no município de Guarapuava, no Sul do Brasil. A chuva total foi de 788 mm, distribuída em 33 eventos entre julho de 2019 e março de 2020. A precipitação interna, escoamento pelo tronco e perda por interceptação da precipitação foram, respectivamente, de 78,7; 0,2; e 21,1 % na foresta ombrófla mista nativa; 85,3; 0,1; e 14,6 % no sistema agroforestal; e 86,1; 0,3; e 13,6 % no sistema de monocultura. Observou-se que diferentes características de dossel infuenciam a variabilidade na partição da precipitação. A foresta ombrófla mista apresentou capacidade de interceptação superior, em comparação aos sistemas de monocultura e agroforesta, determinada pela densidade de plantas e condições meteorológicas.

Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical

dos Santos, Ezequias Rodrigues; Vestena, Leandro Redin; Serrato, Francisco Belmonte

10.1007/s11947-024-03410-3

Obtaining Extracts and Hydrolysates from Cambuci Peel Through Subcritical Water: An In-line Detection Approach

The cambuci is a fruit that has been attracting interest due to its rich composition of phenolic compounds. However, the fruit’s peel is an understudied agro-industrial by-product. This study is aimed at assessing the effects of temperature and pH in an innovative system. This system integrates an in-line UV-VIS analysis detector into the process of extracting and hydrolyzing bioactive compounds from cambuci peel, enhancing process monitoring. The system operated with 2 g of cambuci peel in the reactor for 60 min, using a water flow rate of 2 mL min−1, 15 MPa, temperatures ranging from 40 to 160 °C, and pH levels from 4 to 7. The results indicated that increasing the temperature led to a more favorable response in total phenolic compounds (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity of the samples. At the same time, the selected pH range had a minimal impact. Furthermore, the obtained material revealed the presence of citric acid, glucose, arabinose, and fructose, with fructose showing the highest concentration. The in-line coupling system proved to be highly effective in real-time monitoring and determining the completion of the extraction or hydrolysis process, as it allowed for the observation of decreasing concentrations of the compounds of interest. Thus, this study contributes to the understanding and optimization of the extraction of bioactive compounds from cambuci peel, providing valuable insights for future applications in the food and natural products industry.

This study received support from Brazilian Science and Research Foundation (CNPq) (productivity grant 302451/2021-8 and 302610/2021-9) and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) number 2018/14938-4 (Tânia Forster Carneiro), 2018/14582-5 (Mauricio Ariel Rostagno), 2020/03623-2 (Letícia Sanches Contieri), 2022/11690-7 (Leonardo de Freitas Marinho), 2023/02064-8 (Tiago Linhares Cruz Tabosa Barroso), and 2023/04479-0 (Juver Andrey Jimenez Moreno).

Food and Bioprocess Technology

2024-05-07

2024-05-07

Jimenez Moreno, Juver Andrey; de Freitas Marinho, Leonardo; Sanches Contieri, Letícia; Barroso, Tiago Linhares Cruz Tabosa; Rostagno, Mauricio Ariel; Forster Carneiro, Tânia

10.5039/agraria.v19i2a3583

Gabiroba (Campomanesia pubescens): Physicochemical and physiological characteristics of fruit during the development

Revista Brasileira de Ciências Agrárias

2024-07-04

2024-07-04

Machado, G.G.L.; Barros, H.E.A.; Natarelli, C.V.L.; Araújo, A.B.S.; Ribeiro, C.H.M.H.; Vilas Boas, E.V.B.

10.21577/0103-5053.20230147

Development and Validation of Analytical Method by HPLC-PDA and Seasonality from Gallic Acid, Catechin, and Epicatechin in Leaf Extracts from Campomanesia adamantium

Campomanesia adamantium is native of the Brazilian Cerrado, and its leaves are popularly used as anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, and antiseptic in the urinary tract. This study aimed to develop and validate an analytical method by high-performance liquid chromatography for the simultaneous quantification and evaluation of the seasonal variability of gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin, during 12 months, in C. adamantium leaf extracts. Chromatographic separations were performed with a mobile phase gradient of acetonitrile and 0.05% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid solution, flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1, detection at 210 nm, C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and column oven temperature of 35 °C. The analytical method developed was selective, linear, precise, accurate, robust, and without matrix effect. The parameters obtained in the present study meet the requirements established by national and international guidelines. The best time for leaves harvesting, with the highest levels reached, was in September (0.0626%, m/v) and August (0.044%, m/v) for gallic acid, in June (0.3953%, m/v) and July (0.3804%, m/v) for catechin, and from May (0.1622%, m/v) and June (0.1415%, m/v) for epicatechin, in the dry season. Therefore, this study contributes by providing parameters for quality control of the raw material C. adamantium.

Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society

Cabral, Raphael; Borges, Leonardo; de Oliveira, Matheus; Romano, Camila; Fiuza, Tatiana; de Paula, José

10.55905/revconv.17n.6-170

Etnoveterinária: plantas do cerrado como fitoterápicos

Em sua larga área territorial, o Brasil apresenta inúmeros biomas sendo um deles o Cerrado, que possui grande parte da variedade biológica de espécies vegetais do país, tornando-se um importante local de pesquisa para investigar plantas utilizadas na fitoterapia e opoterapia (própolis), áreas de estudos importantes dentro da etnoveterinária. Diversas espécies botânicas de plantas nativas e introduzidas no Brasil são indicadas e utilizadas em tratamentos de algumas patologias em animais domésticos e silvestres, porém a validação de seus usos ainda são escassas. Das plantas da flora do cerrado indicadas como fitoterápicos e com estudos em modelos experimentais, estão a cavalinha (Equisetum pyramidale), curriola (Pouteria ramiflora) e guabiroba do campo (Campomanesia adamantium). Dessa maneira, o presente artigo buscou apresentar de maneira mais aprofundada uma caracterização dessas espécies indicando sua presença em diferentes áreas do país, propriedades químicas e formas de uso já presente na vida da população, para assim instigar maiores pesquisas sobre seu uso.

Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales

2024-06-18

2024-06-18

Ourives, Amanda Auto; Matias, Rosemary; Facco, Gilberto Gonçalves

10.2174/0115734013246333230927061119

Eugenia pyriformis Cambess-Myrtaceae: An Unexplored Brazilian Species with Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potential

Background: Eugenia pyriformis produces a round fruit with a sweet and aromatic flavor known as uvaia and contains a range of nutrients and bioactive compounds with potential for industrialization. Objective: This literature review addresses the nutritional composition, chemical and biological activities of uvaia (seeds and leaves), in addition to listing important factors for the post-harvest and industrialization of uvaia. Results: A wide range of studies describe the chemical and nutritional composition of fruits and seeds. Among these studies, one considers the residue after processing the fruit and two evaluate leaves. The pulp and peel have a high content of carbohydrates, fibers and sugars with low caloric value and high content of vitamin C. Fruits contain phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids and the leaves have flavonoids, volatile compounds and tannins. Fruit can be eaten fresh; however, because it is highly perishable and difficult to handle postharvest, industrialization seems to be an interesting alternative to prolong shelf life. Conclusion: E. pyriformis fruits have excellent attributes for consumer health, but industrialization may be necessary to extend their shelf life. Fruits and leaves have a high antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial potential against bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Essential oils from leaves and trunks have antiproliferative, antileishmanial and anti-inflammatory potential. Mainly fruits and leaves have the potential for use in the pharmaceutical and food industry.

This research was financed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corp., the Federal University of Pelotas, as well as by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ).

Current Nutrition & Food Science

2024-01-01

2024-01-01

2024-07

de Oliveira Raphaelli, Chirle; Camargo, Taiane Mota; Radünz, Marjana; dos Santos Pereira, Elisa; da Rocha Concenço, Fernanda Izabel Garcia; Vizzotto, Márcia; da Rosa Zavareze, Elessandra; Nora, Leonardo

10.55905/cuadv16n7-087

Microencapsulação em polpa de guavira: estratégia para preservação de Vitamina C após a colheita

A polpa deguavira (Campomanesia adamantium Cambess. O. Berg) apresenta alto teor de vitamina C. Porem, a perecibilidade e a sazonalidade dos frutos dificultam a sua disponibilidade após o período de colheita. A secagem por atomização é uma técnica que favorece a obtenção de produtos em pó conservando constituintes nutritivos ou funcionais pelo uso de agentes carreadores. Portanto, o objetivo do trabalho foi desidratar polpa de guavira por atomização e obter polpa em pó com maior retenção de vitamina C. utilizando distintos agentes carreadores e metodologia de superfície de resposta. Os agentes carreadores maltodextrina, goma arábica e quitosana favoreceram à formação de microcápsulas esféricas. As análises dos diagramas ternários mostraram que amistura dos três agentes apresentou efeito sinérgico nas microcápsulas de polpa de guavira, obtendo-se maior rendimento e retenção da vitamina C. A maltodextrina forneceu pós com menor umidade e atividade de água. O processo de secagem por atomização com o uso simultâneo de 8% maltodextrina, 8% goma arábica e 8% quitosana foi eficaz na produção de polpa em pó, fornecendo um produto com maior retenção de vitamina C nas condições estudadas.

Cuadernos de Educación y Desarrollo

2024-07-16

2024-07-16

Oliveira, Vinícius Soares; Anastácio, Thais de Oliveira; Oliveira, Isabela Soares de; Silva, Lucas de Melo da; Vilalba, Ana Carolina de Castro; Correa, Nidian Souza Ribeiro; Santos, José Alexandre dos

10.1007/s42690-023-01153-w

Review of host use and host reproduction number for New World fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) to optimise surveillance, management and trade

Hosts of tephritids are known to vary in their capacity to support the life cycle from egg lay to adult. The Host Reproduction Number (HRN) is a measure of this capability and is defined as the number of adults that emerge from one kg of fruit. We collected data from the literature covering 26 New World fruit fly species in the genera, Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Ceratitis and Rhagoletis, on > 350 plant hosts. We provide the HRN where possible but only about 13% of tephritid-host data had HRN figures. More research is required to better understand the risks posed by New World tephritid-host relationships. For the tephritids of the world, there is a need to develop an appendix to ISPM 37 or new ISPM for each tephritid covering different hosts in different countries because one HRN does not fit all situations. A more country-based HRN will help to better inform and triage hosts for targeted surveillance programs, pest management and incursion response. Also, HRN would inform disinfestation activities associated with market access protocols. Therefore, a more HRN informed world will be better able to feed a growing world population using optimised risk management and trade.

Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions Open access publishing was facilitated by New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, as part of the Springer-New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment agreement via the Council of Australian University librarians.

International Journal of Tropical Insect Science

2024-02-13

2024-02-13

2024-04-01

Dominiak, Bernard Charles; Follett, Peter A.

10.1590/2236-8906e482022

Potential of floral and fruit resources for wildlife of tree species suitable for urban afforestation in São Paulo: in search of a biodiverse city

RESUMO Árvores fornecem habitat e recursos para a fauna residente e transiente nas cidades. A escolha de espécies arbóreas para plantio urbano segue critérios multifatoriais, mas pouco considera os recursos que elas disponibilizam para a fauna. Objetivamos identificar grupos funcionais de 154 espécies arbóreas nativas indicadas para plantio urbano do município de São Paulo a partir dos recursos florais e frutíferos disponibilizados para visitantes florais e frutíferos potenciais. Observamos um número proporcional de espécies com dispersão abiótica e biótica e um predomínio de espécies de arbóreas polinizadas por abelhas ou com frutos carnosos consumidos por aves. Propusemos oito grupos funcionais caracterizados pelo compartilhamento de visitantes florais e frugívoros potenciais que apresentaram uma riqueza desigual. Uma escolha focada na identificação taxonômica e porte das espécies pode promover uma alta redundância funcional e impactar a riqueza de interações planta-animal e diminuir a permeabilidade das cidades para fauna.
ABSTRACT Trees provide habitat and resources for resident and transient fauna on the cities. The choice of tree species for urban planting follows multifactorial criteria, but little consideration is given to the resources they provide. We aimed to identify functional groups of 154 native tree species indicated for urban afforestation in the municipality of São Paulo from the floral and fruiting resources made available to potential floral and fruiting visitors. We observed a proportional number of species with abiotic and biotic dispersal and a predominance of bee-pollinated tree species or fleshy fruits consumed by birds. We proposed eight functional groups characterized by sharing potential floral and frugivorous visitors that showed uneven richness. A choice focused on taxonomic identification and species size may promote high functional redundancy and impact the richness of plant-animal interactions and decrease the permeability of cities for fauna.

do Prado Figueiredo, Daniele; de Oliveira, Tamiris; Meireles, Leonardo Dias

10.2174/0122103155271537231006074854

Potential Herbal Remedies for Treatment of Depression: A Mini Review

Background:: Depression is a psychiatric and mood disorder that impacts a person's mental health and behavior and is frequently linked to suicide. As per the World Health Organization's estimate, depressive disorder will be the main cause of mental disorders by the year 2030, and it has a huge impact on the burden of disease in the world. To treat depression, there are pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapy alternatives. With little to no consideration of other neurochemicals altered in depression, most antidepressant preparations are based on the monoamines, neuroendocrine, and neuro-inflammation concepts. Objective:: The present study aims to provide comprehensive data related to depression, the factors associated, the mechanism involved, herbal plants effective for managing depression, and novel formulations along with patents and clinical trials. Methods:: A thorough assessment of herbs and novel formulations that have been proven effective in treating depression was conducted. After extensive review, the present study includes a mechanism of action of herbal plants showing antidepressant effects, novel formulations, patents, and clinical trials related to depression. Results:: Numerous studies reported that diverse herbal plants have been found to have a positive effect on depression management, such as Panax ginseng, Melissa officinalis, Piper methysticum, Schinus molle L, Kielmeyera coriacea Mart, Elaeocarpus ganitrus, Hypericum perforatum, Lavandula angustifolia Mill, Crocus Sativus L. Conclusion:: Herbal plant research could help establish the potential of isolated compounds from plants with medicinal properties for managing depressive illnesses.

The Natural Products Journal

2024-01-01

2024-01-01

2024-08

Yadav, Khushbu; Rani, Anjna; Dua, Kamal

10.1007/s13762-023-05443-1

Biosorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid pesticide on powdered peach and apricot stones

The purpose of this work is to analyze the potential of two lignocellulosic wastes, namely peach and apricots stones, to adsorb 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) pesticide from an aqueous solution. Both equilibrium and kinetic adsorption tests were performed. The maximum adsorption capacity achieved was 41.5 mg g−1 at 50 °C. The fitting of the experimental results to several empirical equilibrium models was studied, being Langmuir model the one that best fitted the adsorption data for both adsorbents. The thermodynamic analyses confirmed that 2,4-D adsorption on both lignocellulosic wastes was endothermic, spontaneous, and of a physisorption nature. For the kinetic study, the effects of multiple factors were examined including initial pH, adsorption temperature, 2,4-D initial concentration, and adsorbent dose. The results support the feasible use of these wastes as adsorbents in water treatment applications.Graphical abstract

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

2024-01-21

2024-01-21

Harabi, S.; Guiza, S.; Bedia, J.; Belver, C.; Bagané, M.

10.1080/22311866.2024.2335153

Formulation of phytosomes with sun protection factor using Agave americana ethanolic extract

Over-exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays is a major environmental risk factor for skin cancer. Shortcomings associated with the use of synthetic sunscreens can be overcome by the use of herbal based sunscreens. Plant phytochemicals have antioxidant activity and Sun Protection Factor (SPF) activity, however their hydrophilic nature limits their ability to penetrate into deeper areas of the skin thereby affecting their bioavailability. The aim of this study was to formulate phytosomes with antioxidant and SPF activity using ethanolic extracts of Agave americana americana and Agave americana marginata leaves. Soxhlet extraction was used to extract phytochemicals from dried leaves. The presence of phenols, flavonoids, and tannins were confirmed using various tests. The antioxidant activity was determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay while SPF activity was determined using UV spectroscopy. Phytosomes were formulated and characterized for size, Polydispersity Index (PDI) and zeta potential. A. americana americana had a higher content of flavonoids, phenols, and tannins which also resulted in better antioxidant activity (IC50) 4.77 μg/ml versus 5.66 μg/ml and SPF activity of 9.95 versus 5.84, when compared to A. americana marginata. The phytosome formulations using A. americana americana had SPF activity of 9.96 to 13.3 with 40 mg extract and 60 mg soy lecithin having the highest activity. This formulation had the smallest particle size of 91nm, PDI and zeta potential of 0.235 and -4.95, respectively. These results indicate the formulation of the extracts into phytosomes enhances their SPF activity.

Journal of Biologically Active Products from Nature

2024-03-03

2024-04-30

2024-03-03

Vaghela, Heeral N.; Mbatia, Betty N.; Omolo, Calvin A.; Farukh, Sania; Otoo, Eugene; Wambui, Lucy M.; Govender, Thirumala

10.1016/j.cpb.2024.100365

In vitro morphogenesis and micro-morpho-anatomical developments in Moringa concanensis Nimmo.: An endemic tree of Indian sub-continent

Moringa concanensis Nimmo. is a regionally important and underutilized medicinal tree of the Indian subcontinent. An in vitro morphogenesis protocol for Moringa concanensis has been developed using seedling-derived explants. The cotyledonary node explants were found to be the most suitable exhibiting cent-percent bud break with each regenerating 2.33±0.76 shoots of 1.32±0.69 cm length within 15 days on 1.0 mg/L 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) supplemented modified Murashige and Skoog Medium (MMS) media. The rate of shoot multiplication increased up to 10.17±2.54 shoots/inoculum by sub-culturing of regenerated shoots on 0.5 mg/L BAP along with 0.1 mg/L Indole acetic acid (IAA). The in vitro cloned shoots were rooted using both in vitro and ex-vitro methods by applications of root-inducing auxins, indole butyric acid (IBA), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). IBA proved to be more effective and induced roots in all in vitro raised shoots. It produced 17.72±4.83 roots/shoot with 2.12±0.88 cm length on 1/4th strength MMS media fortified with 1.0 mg/L of IBA. Ex vitro rooted plantlets with concurrent acclimatization were achieved by pre-treating shoot bases with IBA at 250 ppm for 5 min. Comparative micro-morpho-anatomical evaluation of leaf and stem revealed differentiation of non-glandular trichomes, anomocytic stomata, and vascular tissue development under applied in vitro conditions, which suggests the survivability of plantlets. Sixty percent of the in vitro regenerated plants survived in the field. It is the foremost report on in vitro morphogenesis of Moringa concanensis protocol using cotyledonary nodal explant and ex vitro rooting method. The tissue culture methods defined and developed can be used for large-scale multiplications of Moringa concanensis as non-conventional approaches.

Current Plant Biology

2024-09

2024-09

Gautam, Nikita; Faroda, Priyanka; Ameta, Kiran; Sharma, Anjali; Gupta, Amit Kumar

10.1080/01140671.2024.2373294

Physicochemical characterisation of a new Myrtaceae fruit native to Brazilian Cerrado

A new fruit of the Myrtaceae, Eugenia bonita, was recently discovered. Its composition is unknown, which makes its physicochemical characterisation and its development profile during maturation necessary. Therefore, this work constitutes the first study aimed at determining the quality parameters and bioactive compounds of new fruit of E. bonita, at different stages of maturation. The fruits were collected in the city of Bonito de Minas, Minas Gerais in five stages of maturation and submitted for analysis of the physicochemical characteristics. The advance of maturation caused increase in all biometric characteristics of E. bonita fruits and reduction in all constituents of the proximate composition, except moisture. In addition, the ripe fruit was characterised by high water content, high acidity, and good sweetness. Moreover, there was change in the fruit color from green to yellow-orange, after maturity. In turn, although some phytochemicals have degraded during maturation, the high levels of vitamin C (61.17 mg/100 g) and total phenolics (587.92 mg GAE/100 g) in the ripe fruits characterise E. bonita as an important source of bioactive compounds. These data are of great importance to the scientific community, food industry, and popular culture since this fruit has interesting functional properties and great nutritional value.

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science

2024-07-03

2024-07-03

Santos, Thalita Cordeiro; Fonseca, Hugo Calixto; Durães, Carla Adriana Ferreira; Fonseca, Rúbia Santos; de Lima, Juliana Pinto

10.5902/1980509874054

Influência de <i>Hedychium coronarium</i> J. Koenig na sucessão secundária de um remanescente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Aluvial

Hedychium coronarium J.Koenig is a rhizomatous herbaceous species native to Asia and invasive in most states of Brazil. We aimed to evaluate the influence of H. coronarium on terrestrial herbaceous communities and natural regeneration of woody plants in a remnant of Alluvial Araucaria Forest in Curitiba - PR. The communities were sampled considering two treatments: (EC) high coverage of H. coronarium (>60%); (BC) low coverage of H. coronarium (<30%). Two communities were recorded: i) herbaceous vascular species (including subshrubs) and ii) seedlings of woody species between 15-130 cm height. In EC H. coronarium had an average cover of 78.06%, with only five native herbaceous species and 24 native woody species. The average cover of the invasive in BC was 6.29%, with 17 native herbaceous and 37 woody native species. The most representative native herbaceous was Christella dentata (Forssk.) Brownsey & Jermy, while among the woody species Myrcia selloi (Spreng.) N.Silveira stood out for its frequency and abundance. The abundance of woody plants in the EC was approximately four times less than in the BC, showing that the high density of H. coronarium negatively influences native plant communities. The high cover of the invasive species results in a decrease in species richness and the number of individuals in the communities, both herbaceous and woody regeneration.

Ciência Florestal

2024-03-27

2024-03-27

Pereira, Larissa Martins; Barbosa, Felipe Manzoni; Chagas, Kyvia Pontes Teixeira das; Velazco, Santiago José Elías; Montagna, Tiago; Carlucci, Marcos Bergmann; Blum, Christopher Thomas

10.1590/2317-1545v46281133

Physiological quality of Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Griseb.) Altschul seeds by the tetrazolium test

RESUMO: O teste de tetrazólio avalia de forma rápida a viabilidade das sementes, cuja eficiência depende de ajustes metodológicos para cada espécie. Com isso, objetivou-se avaliar a viabilidade em sementes de Anadenanthera colubrina por meio desse teste. As sementes foram envelhecidas por 12 e 24 horas para obter diferenças na qualidade fisiológica. A qualidade inicial foi avaliada pelos testes de germinação; emergência; IVG e IVE; TMG e TME. Para o teste de tetrazólio utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3 x 9 e os tratamentos constaram: três condições de envelhecimento acelerado - EA (0, 12 e 24 h de EA) e nove combinações entre concentrações e tempo de imersão no sal de tetrazólio: 0,075%/4 h; 0,075%/6 h; 0,075%/8 h; 0,1%/4 h; 0,1%/6 h; 0,1%/8 h; 0,5%/4 h; 0,5%/6 h; 0,5%/8 h, com quatro repetições de 25 sementes, avaliados sob as temperaturas de 35 e 40 °C. As sementes foram classificadas em viáveis e vigorosas, viáveis e não vigorosas e inviáveis. O teste de tetrazólio foi eficiente para estimar a viabilidade de sementes de A. colubrina. Para isso, deve-se realizar o desponte na região oposta a micrópila, com pré-umedecimento em água por 10 h, seguido da remoção do tegumento e imersão na solução de tetrazólio a 0,1%, por 4 h, a 35 °C. Nessa condição, o teste de tetrazólio foi eficiente para identificar diferenças na qualidade fisiológica de sementes não envelhecidas e envelhecidas por 12 e 24 horas.
ABSTRACT: The tetrazolium test quickly assesses seed viability, the efficiency of which depends on methodological adjustments for each species. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the viability of Anadenanthera colubrina seeds using this test. The seeds were aged for 12 h and 24 h to obtain differences in physiological quality. Initial quality was assessed by the following tests: germination, emergence, GSI and ESI, and MGT and MET. For the tetrazolium test, a completely randomized experimental design was used in a 3 × 9 factorial arrangement consisting of three accelerated aging (AA) conditions (0, 12, and 24 h of AA) and nine combinations between concentrations of tetrazolium salt and immersion time in this salt (0.075% / 4 h, 0.075% / 6h, 0.075% / 8h, 0.1% / 4 h, 0.1% / 6 h, 0.1% / 8 h, 0.5% / 4 h, 0.5% / 6 h, and 0.5% / 8 h), with four replications of 25 seeds, evaluated at temperatures of 35 °C and 40 °C. The seeds were classified as viable and vigorous, viable and not vigorous, and inviable. The tetrazolium test was effective for estimating the viability of A. colubrina seeds. To make this estimation, the seeds should be chipped in the region opposite the micropyle, then pre-moistened in water for 10 h, followed by removal of the seed coat and immersion in a 0.1% tetrazolium solution for 4 h at 35 °C. Under these conditions, the tetrazolium test successfully identified differences in the physiological quality of unaged seeds and seeds aged for 12 h and 24 h.

Journal of Seed Science

Pereira, Kleane Targino Oliveira; Benedito, Clarisse Pereira; de Souza, Maria Lilia; Barros, Emerson Serafim; de Albuquerque, Cynthia Cavalcanti; Torres, Salvador Barros

10.1002/vjch.202300251

Antiproliferative, antioxidant and phytochemical analysis of Loranthus europaeus fruits

Abstract Loranthus europaeus with numerous therapeutic usages was chosen for further bioactivity assays and phytochemical analysis. The air‐dried grounded L. europaeus fruits were solvent extracted via Soxhlet apparatus. Afterwards, methanol extract was fractionated via different chromatographic methods and structures of the isolated pure compounds were elucidated with relative nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Additionally, L. europaeus fruits essential oil was achieved through hydrodistillation and analyzed via gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Besides, the in vitro DPPH and nitric oxide antioxidant property of L. europaeus methanol extract alongside its phenolic and flavonoids content were evaluated. MTT (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was carried out in A549 cancer cells and normal HUVECs cells for evaluating cytotoxicity of the plant extract and essential oil. Structure of the isolated major compounds of the extract were determined as two flavonoids. Analysis of the L. europaeus essential oil showed that it principally contained germacrene D (32.8%), β‐caryophyllene (19.2%) and alloaromadendrene (11.0%). In the MTT assay, 300 µg/mL of methanol extract caused ≈60% A549 cells death after 48 h with IC 50 of 226 µg/mL. Likewise, the IC 50 of the essential oil against A‐549 cell line for the 100 µg/mL L. europaeus fruits in 48 h was equal to 69 µg/mL. Overall, the present study is the first report on the phytochemical analysis of L. europaeus revealing occurrence of rhamnocitrin‐3‐ O ‐rhamnoside and rhamnetin‐3‐ O ‐rhamnoside in the plant extract alongside its high content of sesquiterpenoids in its essential oil. The observed antiproliferative activity of L. europaeus methanol extract against A549 cancer cells rather than healthy cells indicated its anti‐tumor properties which might be related to the high values of phenolic and flavonoids content in the methanol extract of the plant associated with its superior in vitro antioxidant activities.

Vietnam Journal of Chemistry

2024-04-23

2024-04-23

Najjarsadeghi, Shadi; Nazemiyeh, Hossein; Vandghanooni, Somayeh; Ghanbari, Hadi; Hamedeyazdan, Sanaz

10.1111/efp.12869

First report of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum theobromicola on Myrciaria dubia in Brazil

Abstract Plants of the genus Myrciaria are commonly cultivated in the northern region of Brazil for fruit production. Symptoms of leaf spot in camu‐camu ( Myrciaria dubia ) trees are frequently observed. The objective of this study was to identify the etiological agent associated with anthracnose in camu‐camu using the concept of morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Leaves with symptoms of anthracnose were collected from camu‐camu plants in the state of Roraima, Brazil. Morphological identification; sequencing analysis of CAL , GAPDH , CHS‐1 and TUB2 gene regions; a pathogenicity test and reisolation of the fungus from symptomatic artificially inoculated plants confirmed C. theobromicola as the causal agent of the disease. This is the first record of C . theobromicola causing anthracnose in camu‐camu in Brazil.

Forest Pathology

2024-06-27

2024-06-27

2024-06

Sachet, Marieli Teresinha Guerrezi; de Farias Machado, Juliana; Rincón, Deisy Ximena Vianchá; da Silva, Gilvan Ferreira; Sousa, Thiago Fernandes; Chagas, Edvan Alves; da Rocha Araújo, Maria da Conceição; da Silva Matos, Kedma

10.2174/0122115501289941240109061526

Factors Affecting the Micropropagation of Sapindus trifoliatus from Nodal Explants of Mature Tree

Background:: Explant recalcitrance is one of the major challenges during the tissue culture of a tree species, especially when explants are derived from mature plants. It is mainly as-sociated with the genotypes/species, source and physiological status of explants, seasonal variations, and competency/incompetency of explants towards PGRs for in vitro manipulations. There-fore, to optimize the appropriate conditions and minimize explant recalcitrance, it is necessary to elucidate the different factors influencing the tissue culture of a tree species. Objective:: Several factors influencing in vitro shoot induction from nodal explants derived from mature plants of Sapindus trifoliatus were investigated. Methods:: Nodal segment obtained from mature plants was used as an explant for shoot regeneration. The factors assessed in this study included the types and concentrations of plant growth regulators, nutrient composition of MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium, sucrose concentrations, the position of nodes on their respective branches, seasonal variations, and successive transfers of mother explant. Results:: The performance of nodal explants was better on modified MS medium, i.e., M4 medium (half-strength of MS major salts and full-strengths of MS minor salts, Fe-EDTA and MS organic nutrients each) than the full-strength MS medium. The addition of BAP in the medium resulted in a higher shoot induction rate than other cytokinins i.e., Kin, Zeatin, TDZ. M4 medium supplemented with 3.0 mg l-1 BAP and 2% sucrose was optimum for shoot proliferation. However, elongation of shoots was observed only when induced shoots, along with the mother explant, were subcultured on a medium containing 1.0 mg l-1 BAP. The shoot multiplication was positively affected by the repeated transfer of the mother explant for different passages on the multiplica-tion medium. Mother explant transferred to multiplication medium (0.8% agar-solidified M4 medium + 2% sucrose + 1.0 mg l-1 BAP) proliferated maximum shoots after fourth passages. Regenerated shoots were rooted in vitro and further successfully acclimatized in field conditions. Conclusion:: The in vitro regeneration system developed from an explant obtained from mature trees can be successfully exploited for mass multiplication of Sapindus trifoliatus, a medicinally and commercially important tree.

Current Biotechnology

2024-01-01

2024-01-01

Asthana, Pooja; K., Manoj; Jaiswal, Uma

10.1590/01047760202430013353

Molecular and quantitative genetic analysis of the neotropical tree Jacaranda micrantha Cham.

Urban and peri-urban fragments are vital for biodiversity conservation, requiring genetic assessment of tree species in fragmented forests. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic variability and diversity for adult individuals of J. micrantha along an urban-rural gradient in the Araucaria Forest. Fifteen individuals were sampled, with five from each remaining forest type. Initially, 10 ISRR primers were tested. Five mother trees were chosen from each site (urban, peri-urban, and rural) with a minimum distance of 100 m. The experimental design was a RCBD with 15 progenies, three provenances, three blocks, and 20 plants per plot, totaling 900 seedlings. The average percentage of polymorphic loci was 93.33%. The urban population showed a greater loss of genetic diversity (H=0.1806). 79% of the genetic diversity was found within populations. The observed gene flow value (Nm) was 1.8790, indicating that there were no random losses of alleles within populations. The fragments did not exhibit significant differences, but there were significant differences among the progenies. The stem diameter (SD) and the height-diameter relationship (H/SD) emerged as the key traits for selecting new individuals due to their higher heritability (< 0.50), accuracy (< 0.70), and relative coefficient of variation (< 7%). The urban fragment is the most affected, but gene flow between fragments prevents the random loss of alleles. The analysis suggests that these fragments form a unique population, despite geographic barriers. Thus, the three fragments can be considered when choosing superior individuals for future progeny tests in genetic improvement programs for the species.

Sanson, Daniela; Homczinski, Isabel; Roque, Rafael Henrique; Bobrowski, Rogério; Peres, Fabiana Schmidt Bandeira; Tambarussi, Evandro Vagner

10.15517/am.2024.54103

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) seedlings formation under different intensities of violet, blue and red LED light

Introduction. Seedlings formation under controlled conditions is essential for growing species of importance as strawberry. Since the artificial LED lighting technologic has allowed greater control of light, the variation of components such as the wavelength and intensity can be manipulated to form seedlings with different characteristics. However, it is necessary to generate original scientific information for the development of precise and efficient practices on light control. Objective. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the strawberry seedlings formation under different intensities of violet, blue and red LED light. Material and methods. The study was performed in 2020 at the Plant Genetics Laboratory of the Agronomy Department of the Universidad de Guanajuato, in the municipality of Irapuato, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Seeds were recovered from San Andreas cultivar fruits and seedlings were formed under violet, blue and red LED light at high, medium, and low intensities. Color determination of cotiledon area, chroma saturation index and Hue angle were performed. Physiotechnical variables, chemical and antioxidant activity were measured. Results. The most suitable treatments were violet light of high and medium intensities; as well as blue light of high intensity, due to the germination percentage exceeded at least 60 %. Seedlings did not lengthen or thin, presented the largest cotyledons areas and the highest chlorophyll concentrations. In addition, these light treatments consumed 31.2 % less electrical energy on average. Conclusions. Besides the white light, the most suitable treatments for strawberry seedlings formation were violet light at high and medium intensities, as well as blue light at high intensity. It is suggested that the violet and blue light treatments be evaluated in other cultivars to confirm the beneficial effect on the strawberry seedlings. Red light limited germination and the highest antioxidant activity was observed in this treatment.

Agronomía Mesoamericana

2024-01-09

2024-01-09

Nieto, Jorge Eric Ruiz; Arriaga, Ana Isabel Mireles; Ruiz, Jesús Hernández; Estrada, María Isabel Laguna; Núñez, Adolfo Rafael López; Zárate-Castrejón, José Luis

10.11606/d.11.2024.tde-09052024-120508

Germinação in vitro de embriões de Allagoptera leucocalyx (Drude) Kuntze, uma palmeira em perigo de extinção, sob diferentes espectros de luz

Allagoptera leucocalyx (Drude) Kuntz (coco-da-chapada) é uma espécie nativa da região do cerrado brasileiro, de importância para o paisagismo e sua fauna de pequeno porte. A escolha do coco-da-chapada...

Rangel, Fábio Santos

10.2174/2215083809666230301085620

A Comprehensive Review on the Anti-inflammatory Activity of Chalcones-derived Moieties

Background: In recent decades, all-embracing research accounting for thousands of natural bioactive compounds have been detailed on behalf of their origin, pharmacological activity, active phytoconstituents, and therapeutic applications. Chalcones, secondary metabolites have shown therapeutic potential against various forms of inflammation, pain, and cancer in multiple research papers targeting their pathway inhibition and their significant therapeutic activity. Area Covered: Diverse aspects of chalcones have been focused on with their biological source, pathway inhibition, and pharmacological activity. Objectives: This study aims to focus on the chalcones being the origin of ethnopharmacological, possess extensive pharmacological activities, including anti-neoplastic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-acne, anti-aging, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, psychoactive, anti-parasitic, and many others. Method: Chalcones display anti-inflammatory activity via COX-2, NO synthase, and TNF-α inhibition. Furthermore, comprehensive studies will be discussed with a viewpoint of the chalcones’s role in the alleviation of inflammation. According to recent advancements, chalcones clinically have been used in the treatment of inflammation, anti-aging, oxidative stress reduction, autophagy, and apoptosis. Conclusion: This article focuses on the molecular progression of inflammation and the chalcone role in combating inflammation by targeting inflammatory mediators and pathways.

Current Traditional Medicine

2024-01-01

2024-01-01

2024-02

Mittal, Roopal; Sharma, Shailesh; Kushwah, Ajay Singh; Yaqoob, Obaid; Kumari, Deepika

10.1590/1677-941x-abb-2023-0169

Soil-vegetation relationships influence the regeneration after fire in the species composition and structural parameters of Cerrado-Amazonia ecotone

In ecotonal Cerrado areas, the addition of Amazonian and Atlantic Forest species mainly occurs through connections between forest areas and forest physiognomies. In this context, the biome is a unique region for research on the influence of geographical and historical factors on its biota. In tropical ecotonal regions, integrated communities can exist on soils that present variations in fertility, physical properties and depth, which results in heterogeneity of physiognomies. It was tested the hypothesis that edaphic conditions related to calcium availability are significantly related to species composition and structural parameters in two physiognomies. The study was conducted in the Cerrado of the Chapada das Mesas National Park (CMNP) in the city of Carolina, Northeast Brazil, and the sample universe consisted of 18 areas in two physiognomies. The initial hypothesis was confirmed. The results and inferences about the vegetation structure and physical-chemical parameters of the soil, suggest that the management for conservation of the CMNP must consider the particularities of the Cerrado physiognomies and the vegetation responses to environmental filters, such as edaphic conditions and associations with other organisms.

Acta Botanica Brasilica

Saraiva, Raysa Valéria Carvalho; Leonel, Léo Vieira; Carvalho, Izadora Santos de; Silva, Maurício Santos da; Fonseca, Paloma Drielle Mourão da; Costa, Niedja Bezerra; Sousa, José Roberto Pereira de; Reis, Fabrício de Oliveira; Muniz, Francisca Helena; Ferraz, Tiago Massi

10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.104657

In-situ growth of Al/Ni layered double hydroxide onto polyaniline-wrapped sisal fibers for highly efficient removal of pharmaceutical Ketoprofen and Ibuprofen contaminants: Batch and fixed-bed column studies

The present study focuses on the in-situ growth of Al/Ni layered double hydroxide onto polyaniline/sisal fibers (SF/PANI/LDH). The main purpose is investigating the effectiveness of this composite material in removing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory artificial pharmaceutical contaminants (ketoprofen (KTP) and ibuprofen (IBP)). The present investigation involves conducting batch and fixed-bed column experiments. Various analytical techniques, namely SEM, FTIR, and XRD, were conducted to analyze prepared adsorbent features. These analyses indicated that Al/Ni layered double hydroxide was successfully coated on the polyaniline-wrapped sisal fibers. The batch study was mainly focused on assessing influencing parameters (solution pH, adsorbent dosage, pollutant concentration, and time), equilibrium curves, kinetic behavior, and the determination of thermodynamic parameters. In particular, the findings illustrate that adsorption results were well correlated to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Temkin isotherm models, in which the maximum adsorption capacities for IBP and KTP were measured to be about 86.03 and 38.68 mg/g, respectively. The adsorbent showed having an acceptable efficiency even after six cycles of regeneration, where adsorption capacity decreased <15 % compared to primary adsorbent. In addition, the fixed-bed column study was conducted, and the results revealed that the service volume reduced with the increase in the flow rate.

Journal of Water Process Engineering

Negarestani, Mehrdad; Reisi, Saba; Sohrabi, Mina; Shayesteh, Hadi; Farimaniraad, Hamidreza; Mollahosseini, Afsaneh; Hosseinzadeh, Majid; Tavassoli, Soheil

10.3934/biophy.2024006

Increasing growth of monobulb garlic through the application of corona glow discharge plasma radiation and organic fertilizers

Monobulb garlic, distinguished by its elevated allic.in content, has garnered heightened consumer interest due to its perceived health benefits. However, the challenge lies in scaling up production to meet this demand. This study investigates the potential enhancement of monobulb garlic growth by employing a novel approach that combines corona glow discharge plasma radiation technology and organic fertilizers. By employing a factorial complete randomized design with nine treatments and three repetitions, the research evaluates the impact of varying durations of plasma radiation (0, 15, and 30 minutes) and levels of organic fertilizers (0, 31.25, and 62.5 grams). Key growth parameters, including plant height, leaf count, root length, and root quantity, were measured. Results indicate that the optimal combination for growth enhancement involves 30 minutes of radiation coupled with 31.25 grams of organic fertilization. In conclusion, the integration of corona glow discharge plasma radiation technology and organic fertilization proves effective in promoting the growth of monobulb garlic plants.

AIMS Biophysics

Prihastanti, Erma; Sumariyah, Sumariyah; Nugraheni, Febiasasti Trias

10.17097/agricultureatauni.1418238

Walnut Seed Coat (Juglans regia L.), a Plant Effective in Human Health: Antioxidant Activity and in Rats Nephroprotective Effect

In the study, the seed coat (WSC) of Posof (Ardahan/Türkiye) walnuts was extracted to determine their phytochemical components and antioxidant capacities. The effects of bioactive components in the ethanol extract of WSC (E-WSC) on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors were investigated. Additionally, antioxidant enzyme activity parameters were measured in the kidney tissues of Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Bioactive compounds in WSC were identified by GC-MS system. The antioxidant properties of WSC were measured using Fe+3, Cu+2 and Fe+3-2,4,6-tripyridyl-s-triazine (TPTZ) reducing agent, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'- azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activities. In this analysis, using 30 male Wistar rats (300 ± 30 g) randomly divided into five groups were treated as follows; K1: Healthy control group, K2: E-WSC (150 mg) o.d., K3: E-WSC (300 mg) o.d., K4: Hyperlipidemic group i.p., K5: Hyperlipidemic group i.p. + E-WSC (300 mg) o.d. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) analyzes were performed in kidney tissues. Based on these results, it was clearly determined that E-WSC has significant antioxidant activity due to its bioactive components, has an inhibitory effect on AChE and BChE enzymes, and has a protective effect against oxidative stress by improving hyperlipidemia-related kidney damage.

Research in Agricultural Sciences

2024-05-29

2024-05-29

Palabıyık, Esra; Uğuz, Handan; Aşkın, Hakan; Aşkın, Seda; Akıncıoğlu, Hülya

10.3390/conservation4010005

Co-Creating Strategies to Optimize Traditional Silvopastoral Systems through the Management of Native Trees in Caívas in Southern Brazil

The conservation of forest remnants in southern Brazil is closely related to historical land use, for example in systems such as caívas that occur within remnants of the Araucaria Forest and include livestock production and the extraction of yerba mate. Over the last decade, technologies adapted for these systems have been developed that promote a significant increase in animal productivity, without harming forest regeneration or the maintenance of the tree layer. However, the fertilization of pastures proposed in the technology has also promoted greater growth of native trees, with a consequent increase in shade levels. This, in turn, has affected the maintenance of pasture and yerba mate in the understory. Thus, this study sought to develop a methodology to adjust shade levels based on forest management that adheres to the limits permitted by current legislation. The objective was to evaluate the effect of tree management to maintain 50% shade levels on environmental indicators in a caíva that has been implementing pasture improvement technology since 2013. Native tree management occurred in 2020 and 2022 and the results were compared with data from the floristic survey of the area carried out in 2013. The results indicate that although the adoption of forest management to adjust shade levels reduced the density of individuals, it did not affect forest diversity, nor the basal area of the caíva tree layer. As such, it is possible to maintain pasture and yerba mate production in the area. Strategies like this are fundamental so that the forest landscape can continue to offer a source of production while also supporting environmental conservation.

This research was made possible through the financial and technical support of Epagri—Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina, regarding the Project nº 6314698 entitled Management of the tree layer in caíva areas to control shading, carried out from 10/2019 to 12/2022.

Conservation

2024-02-20

2024-02-20

Hanisch, Ana Lúcia; Pinotti, Lígia Carolina Alcântara

10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113012

Effect of temperature, 1-methylcyclopropene, and modified atmosphere packaging on the post-harvest behavior of lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam)

Lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam) is a tropical fruit with high market potential but short shelf life. In this work, the effect of temperature, the application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), and the use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were evaluated on the preservation of fresh lulo fruits. Three independent experiments were made sequentially: in the first one, an adequate refrigeration temperature was established (between 5 and 18 °C), then in the second experiment, a suitable dose and application time of 1-MCP (0.35–1.0 μL L−1 and 10–15 min) were found and finally, the combined effect of refrigeration, 1-MCP, and MAP were determined in the last experiment. In the experiments with 1-MCP and MAP, some fruits were stored at refrigeration (5 °C) and then at room temperature (23 °C) while others were kept at room temperature the whole test. Different properties such as respiration, ethylene production, color index, and gas level were evaluated in the samples to determine post-harvest changes. Given the fruit behavior during cold storage, 5 °C proved to be more favorable for preservation. Likewise, samples treated with 0.70 μL L−1 1-MCP + 15 min immersion showed lower CO2 and ethylene production throughout cold storage and shelf time compared with other 1-MCP treatments. For the tests with MAP, the combined treatment with 1-MCP and at 5 °C resulted in a lower respiratory rate, ethylene production, and physicochemical changes during the evaluation (24 days of cold storage + 16 days of shelf time). The results obtained can contribute to increasing the possibilities of lulo commercialization and marketing.

Scientia Horticulturae

2024-04

2024-04

Reyes, Andrea J.; Balaguera-López, Helber E.; Castellanos, Diego A.