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Stress that can occur at different levels of a person’s life can cause and exacerbate various diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation underlie this process at the cellular level. There is an urgent need to identify new and more effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-induced behavioral disorders and specific drugs that affect these targets. Isatis tinctoria L. is a herbaceous species in the Brassicaceae family. Due to its potential antioxidant, nitric oxide- (NO-) inhibiting, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, I. tinctoria could be used to treat depression, anxiety, and stress resistance. Hence, the present study is aimed at delineating whether administration of I. tinctoria leaf extract may improve stress-induced disorders in mice. A set of four behavioral tests was selected that together are suitable for phenotyping acute restraint stress-associated behaviors in mice, namely locomotor activity, social integration, dark/light box, and splash tests. The plasma and brains were collected. A brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein, corticosterone, NO, reactive oxygen species levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power were measured. In mice stressed by immobilization, decreased locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and contact with other individuals were observed, as well as increased oxidative stress and increased levels of nitric oxide in the brain and plasma C-reactive protein. A single administration of I. tinctoria leaf extract was able to reverse the behavioral response to restraint by a mechanism partially dependent on the modulation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and NO reduction. In conclusion, Isatis tinctoria hydroalcoholic leaf extract can reduce stress-induced behavioral disturbances by regulating neurooxidative, neuronitrosative, and neuroimmune pathways. Therefore, it could be recommended for further research on clinical efficacy in depression and anxiety disorder treatment.

Euphorbia dendroides L. is a rounded shrub commonly found in the Mediterranean area well-known, since ancient times, for its traditional use. The aim of the present study was to investigate the phytochemical profile as well as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of flower (FE), leaf (LE), fruit (FrE), and branch (BE) hydroalcoholic extracts. For this purpose, a preliminary phytochemical screening followed by RP-LC-DAD-ESI-MS analysis, as well as several in vitro cell-free colorimetric assays, were carried out. Moreover, the toxicity of the extracts was investigated by the brine shrimp lethality assay. All extracts showed a high content of polyphenols, in particular phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid 0.74–13.80 g/100 g) and flavonoids (rutin 0.05–2.76 g/100 g and isovitexin 8.02 in BE). All the extracts showed strong and concentration-dependent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with, on average, the following order of potency: FE, LE, FrE, and BE. Interestingly, all the extracts investigated did not show any toxicity on Artemia salina. Moreover, the only LD50 found (BE, 8.82 mg/mL) is well above the concentration range, which has been shown the biological properties. Considering this, this study offers the first evidence of the possible use of the polyphenol extracts from the aerial parts of E. dendroides as promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Gli acari fitoseiidi sono divenuti interesse di studio in Sicilia a partire dai primi anni '70. Ricerche costanti nel tempo hanno arricchito le conoscenze sulla fauna siciliana con la segnalazione di 48 specie valide, cinque delle quali nuove per la Scienza. Nel presente lavoro riassumiamo i dati raccolti in circa cinquant'anni, con l’aggiunta di 12 nuove segnalazioni per la fauna isolana. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cryptus Athias-Henriot stata confermata la specie pi frequente (39,4%), seguita da Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa (32,6%), Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) (22,9%), Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) rhenanoides Athias-Henriot (19,4%) (18,9%). Alcune specie hanno mostrato una forte presenza in localit dal clima pi mite (zone costiere o di pianura) o zone pi fresche (localit di alta collina o montagna), mentre altre hanno mostrato una distribuzione pi ampia. Gli indici Sorensen-Dice hanno mostrato valori pi alti tra localit contigue per altitudine (0,65 e 0,60 rispettivamente per i siti di collina-montagna e di pianura-collina), mentre la somiglianza tra la fauna di fitoseidi presente sulle piante in aree distanti tra loro (pianura-montagna) era inferiore (0,53). L’analisi cladistica della composizione specifica dei fitoseidi su piante coltivate e spontanee nei tre piani altitudinali ha mostrato un netto distacco tra i due gruppi di piante con un gradiente progressivo che segue l’aumento altitudinale. Phytoseiid mites became an interesting issue in Sicily in the early 70’s. Constant surveys enriched the knowledge on Sicilian fauna with 48 valid species, five of them new to Science. In the present paper we summarise data collected in about 50 years of surveys, adding 12 records new for the Sicily fauna. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cryptus Athias-Henriot has been confirmed as the most frequent species (39.4%), followed by Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa (32.6%), Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) (22.9%), Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) rhenanoides Athias-Henriot (19.4%) (19.6%) and Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) (18.9%). Some species showed a strict association with warmer or cooler sites, while others showed a wider distribution. Sorensen-Dice indices showed higher values between contiguous localities for altitude (0.65 and 0.60 for hill-mountain and plainhill sites respectively), while the similarity among Phytoseiidae fauna present on plants in areas far from each other (plain-mountain) was lower (0.53).

Considering the growing interest that wild brassicas have as sources of bioactive molecules as well as a genetic resource, the authors review and update the taxonomy of Brassica sect. Brassica, limited to the native flora of Sicily, an island considered to be an active diversification center for the group of species of the aforementioned section. Regarding the taxonomic aspects, Brassica tardarae is here considered a subspecies of B. rupestris; the distinction at the subspe- cific level of B. raimondoi, a critical taxon included in B. incana, is also confirmed. In addition, two new subspecies are proposed, respectively in B. incana and B. rupestris. The taxonomic information relating to the taxa reported is enriched by synthetic chorological data. A thorough examination of the literature concerning the chemical aspects and biological activity of some Sicilian taxa referred to Brassica sect. Brassica, allowed to highlight not only important bioac- tive molecules such as glucosinolates, but also the demonstrated biological activities. From these studies, therefore, the enormous potential of Sicilian wild cabbages emerges, not only as a recognized genetic resource, but also as a biological and nutraceutical one. This would demonstrate the considerable economic importance of these plants which can have positive effects on the innovation of agricultural production.

Isatis tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae), which is commonly known as woad, is a species with an ancient and well-documented history as an indigo dye and medicinal plant. Currently, I. tinctoria is utilized more often as medicinal remedy and also as a cosmetic ingredient. In 2011, I. tinctoria root was accepted in the offcial European phytotherapy by introducing its monograph in the European Pharmacopoeia. The biological properties of raw material have been known from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Over recent decades, I. tinctoria has been investigated both from a phytochemical and a biological point of view. The modern in vitro and in vivo scientific studies proved anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, and antioxidant activities. The phytochemical composition of I. tinctoria has been thoroughly investigated and the plant was proven to contain many valuable biologically active compounds, including several alkaloids, among which tryptanthrin, indirubin, indolinone, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides as well as glucosinolates, carotenoids, volatile constituents, and fatty acids. This article provides a general botanical and ethnobotanical overview that summarizes the up-to-date knowledge on the phytochemistry and biological properties of this valuable plant in order to support its therapeutic potential. Moreover, the biotechnological studies on I. tinctoria, which mainly focused on hairy root cultures for the enhanced production of flavonoids and alkaloids as well as on the establishment of shoot cultures and micropropagation protocols, were reviewed. They provide input for future research prospects. Isatis tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae), which is commonly known as woad, is a species with an ancient and well-documented history as an indigo dye and medicinal plant. Currently, I. tinctoria is utilized more often as medicinal remedy and also as a cosmetic ingredient. In 2011, I. tinctoria root was accepted in the offcial European phytotherapy by introducing its monograph in the European Pharmacopoeia. The biological properties of raw material have been known from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Over recent decades, I. tinctoria has been investigated both from a phytochemical and a biological point of view. The modern in vitro and in vivo scientific studies proved anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, and antioxidant activities. The phytochemical composition of I. tinctoria has been thoroughly investigated and the plant was proven to contain many valuable biologically active compounds, including several alkaloids, among which tryptanthrin, indirubin, indolinone, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides as well as glucosinolates, carotenoids, volatile constituents, and fatty acids. This article provides a general botanical and ethnobotanical overview that summarizes the up-to-date knowledge on the phytochemistry and biological properties of this valuable plant in order to support its therapeutic potential. Moreover, the biotechnological studies on I. tinctoria, which mainly focused on hairy root cultures for the enhanced production of flavonoids and alkaloids as well as on the establishment of shoot cultures and micropropagation protocols, were reviewed. They provide input for future research prospects.

Bergamot flavonoids counteract dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia but fail to induce a significant weight loss. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of bergamot polyphenol extract complex (BPE-C), a novel bergamot juice-derived formulation enriched with flavonoids and pectins, on several metabolic syndrome parameters. Obese patients with atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) over 0.34 and mild hyperglycemia were recruited to a double-blind randomized trial comparing two doses of BPE-C (650 and 1300 mg daily) with placebo. Fifty-two subjects met the inclusion criteria and were assigned to three experimental groups. Fifteen subjects per group completed 90 days-trial. BPE-C reduced significantly fasting glucose by 18.1%, triglycerides by 32% and cholesterol parameters by up to 41.4%, leading to a powerful reduction of AIP (below 0.2) in the high dose group. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin levels were also reduced. Moreover, BPE-C decreased body weight by 14.8% and body mass index by 15.9% in BPE-C high group. This correlated with a significant reduction of circulating hormones balancing caloric intake, including leptin, ghrelin and upregulation of adiponectin. All effects showed a dose-dependent tendency. This study suggests that food supplements, containing full spectrum of bergamot juice components, such as BPE-C efficiently induce a combination of weight loss and insulin sensitivity effects together with a robust reduction of atherosclerosis risk.

This study was designed to define and compare the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of polar extracts obtained from basal leaves (It-BL), cauline leaves (It-CL) and flowers (It-F) of Isatis tinctoria L. growing wild around Acireale (Sicily, Italy). The phenolic profile was characterized by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS analysis and the correlation between phenolic content and the observed biological effects was established. Further, LC/MS analysis showed that the extracts contain glucosinolates at very low concentrations. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was tested in vitro; It-F was the most effective in the DPPH test (IC50 = 0.437 ± 0.003 mg/mL), whilst It-CL showed the best reducing power (1.546 ± 0.006 ASE/mL) and ferrous ions chelating activity (IC50 = 0.564 ± 0.011 mg/mL). The extracts exhibited anti-proliferative effects against three different human thyroid carcinoma cell lines, and It-BL displayed the strongest activity; particularly, it markedly inhibited the growth of CAL-62 cells, causing...

A new iridoid diglucoside has been isolated from an ethanolic extract of Antirrhinum siculum, together with five-known compounds. Its structure has been assigned as 5-O-glucopyranosyl-7α-hydroxyharpagide by spectroscopic means.

Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) is a broadly commercialised phytoseiid mite used in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes especially in northern and southern America. However, its taxonomic status was, until now, equivocal because no redescription based on type material had ever been made. The authors redescribe N. fallacis from type material in Garman’s collection, designating the lectotype and paralectotypes for the species. Moreover, a new species of the fallacis complex, discovered among the fallacis type material, is described and named N. garmani sp. nov. in honour of Philip Garman.

Berberis aetnensisC. Presl (Berberidaceae) is a bushy-spiny shrub common on Mount Etna (Sicily). We demonstrated that the alkaloid extract of roots ofB. aetnensisC. Presl contains prevalently berberine and berbamine, possesses antimicrobial properties, and was able to counteract the upregulation evoked by glutamate of tissue transglutaminase in primary rat astroglial cell cultures. Until now, there are no reports regarding antioxidant properties ofB. aetnensisC. Presl collected in Sicily. Air-dried, powdered roots ofB. aetnensisC. Presl were extracted, identified, and quantified by HPLC. We assessed in cellular free system its effect on superoxide anion, radicals scavenging activity of antioxidants against free radicals like the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, and the inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. In primary rat astroglial cell cultures, exposed to glutamate, we evaluated the effect of the extract on glutathione levels and on intracellular production of reactive oxygen species generated by glutamate. The alkaloid extract ofB. aetnensisC. Presl inhibited superoxide anion, restored to control values, the decrease of GSH levels, and the production of reactive oxygen species. Potent antioxidant activities of the alkaloid extract of roots ofB. aetnensisC. Presl may be one of the mechanisms by which the extract is effective against health disorders associated to oxidative stress.

Momordica foetida Schumach. et Thonn. (Cucurbitaceae) is a perennial climbing herb with tendrils, found in swampy areas in Central Uganda. Antidiabetic and antilipogenic activities were reported for some Momordica species, however the mechanism of action is still unknown. Oxidative stress may represent an important pathogenic mechanism in obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. The present study evaluated free radical scavenging capacity of different concentrations of aqueous, methanolic and dichloromethane leaf extracts of Momordica foetida Schumach. et Thonn. and the ability of these extracts to inhibit in vitro plasma lipid peroxidation; in addition, healthy human adipose mesenchymal stem cell cultures were used in order to test the hypothesis that these extracts may affect adipocyte differentiation. Results obtained in this study suggested that aqueous extract might be useful in preventing metabolic syndrome.

Two species of Brassicaceae (Crucifer) family, used and appreciated as traditional wild vegetables, including Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. and Brassica incana Ten., were examined as potential source of bioactive volatile compounds. The volatile constituents released by the chopped leaves and roots were extracted and analyzed by solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS). A large number of volatile constituents were identified: alcohols, aldehydes, esters, acids, ketones, terpenes, C13-norisoprenoides and sulfur compounds. Volatiles included isothiocyanates with a well known anticancer activity – the largest amount resulted in the roots, with 3-butenyl isothiocyanate the most represented in both species; of great interest also the good amount revealed in the leaves of Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. The revaluation of these plants, a vegetable source of high antioxidant power, will be interesting for consumer health by the production of new commercial herbal products and/or dietar...

The composition of the volatile oil from the leaves of Italian Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. et Link was investigated in detail by a solid-phase microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. Sixty-two compounds were identified; the major aroma constituents were carvacrol (72.8%), γ-terpinene (6.4%), p-cymene (2.3%), β-caryophyllene (3.1%) and β-linalool (2.1%). The method developed for the volatile constituent analysis allowed the identification of a large number of sesquiterpenes not reported previously in Thymus oil, including α-guryunene, β- and γ-elemene, α-bergamotene, α- and β- himachalene, β-farnesene, α-muurolene, valencene, calamenene, humulene oxide I and II, and α-bisabolol.

Contact: tixier@supagro.inra.fr; Species of the mite family Phytoseiidae are well known as predators of mite pests all over the world. Their identification is thus of great interest for biological control. The specimens examined in this study belong to the species Cydnodromus idaeus (described from Brazil) and C. picanus (described from Chile). They were collected together on the same plant in Argentina. These species are mainly differentiated by the presence/absence of the dorsal solenostomes (gland openings) gd2. Some morphometric differences were observed between the Argentinian specimens and the type material of C. idaeus and C. picanus; however, they were not sufficient to support a species separation. Morphological and molecular analyses with two mtDNA (12S rRNA, CytB) and a nuclear DNA (ITS) marker showed no difference between Argentinian specimens with and without the solenostome gd2. Also, molecular differentiation between these latter specimens, C. picanus and C. idaeus, was very low, suggesting that all these individuals belong to the same species. Biological experiments confirm these results, as 75% of the progeny resulting from females with gd2 had gd2 present whereas all the descendants resulting from the females without gd2 had gd2 present too. The presence/absence of this solenostome seems thus to be variable within a species and cannot be used diagnostically. We conclude that all specimens from Argentina belong to C. idaeus and that C. picanus is a junior synonym of C. idaeus. The present results were unexpected as the presence/absence of solenostomes is used in Phytoseiidae identification keys and as one of a suite of diagnostic characters for discriminating between species. The consequences of these findings for the taxonomy of Phytoseiidae are discussed.

Laboratory trials were carried out to evaluate the toxicity and the influence of a commercial mixture of vegetal, essential oils, and potassium salts of fatty acids (Acaridoil 13SL) on the population growth rate (r(i)--instantaneous rate of increase) of two mite species, the phytophagous Tetranychus urticae Koch and the predator Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. A residue of 1.3 mg/cm(2) of pesticide solution was harmless for Ph. persimilis eggs, while a moderate mortality of eggs and of larvae from treated eggs of T. urticae, was observed (53.8%). The pesticide also caused a delay in the postembryonic development of the tetranychid. Moreover, 83.4% mortality was reported for treated females tetranychids and only 24.0% for Ph. persimilis females. The pesticide influenced negatively the population growth of T. urticae which showed a very low rate of increase (r(i)=0.07), compared to that obtained in the control (r(i)=0.68). The pesticide did not affect negatively the reproductive potential of Ph. persimilis (r(i)=0.54 and r(i)=0.57 for test and control, respectively). These results suggest a considerable acaricidal activity of potassium salts of fatty acids and caraway oil on T. urticae and a good selectivity on Ph. persimilis.

Large fluctuation of OFDM signal amplitude represents an important problem for amplification in mobile communication systems. In this paper, we propose a new Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) reduction technique. It is based on the well known clipping and filtering technique. Our technique, called "invertible clipping", is performed thanks to an invertible clipping function. It generates less intermodulation product noise than classical clipping and filtering. Furthermore, since this invertible clipping function could be inverted in reception side, degradations are compensated. The derived method benefits from the advantages (e.g., PAPR reduction) of classical clipping and filtering technique but it exhibits small computational complexity as compared to other peak reduction methods.

The dried aqueous extract of Trichilia roka Chiov. (Meliaceae) root was evaluated for its potential antipyretic activity on yeast-induced hyperthermia in rats. The drug showed a significant reduction of body temperature when administered orally at the doses of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg. The antipyretic activity of T. roka was compared to indomethacin treatment (50 mg/kg), used as a reference drug. The results of this study confirm the validity of traditional usage of T. roka as an antipyretic agent. Moreover, micromorphological investigations were carried out by scanning electron microscopy obtaining useful phytognostic elements for the correct identification of the drugs both in scraped and powdered forms because this is of great interest for quality control in basic research and drug production, especially for imported items and for raw material sold by traditional herborists.

Antiinflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities and toxicity of different extracts (decoction, petroleum ether, ethanol and aqueous extracts) of : Afrormosia laxiflora (Benth. ex Bak.) Harms (leaves), Cyathula prostrata (L.) Blume (whole plant), Ficus glomerata Roxb. (leaves), Lantana camara L. (leaves), Lippia geminata H.B.K. (leaves), Lippia nodiflora (L.) Michx. (leaves) and Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. (whole plant), were evaluated in pharmacological tests using rats and mice.