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The protective effect of oral co-administration of Laurus nobilis on Escherichia coli endotoxin-exposed rabbits was studied. Twenty-five (25) rabbits were randomized into five groups containing five rabbits each – Group A, 500 Endotoxin Unit (EU) kg−1 bw, Group B, 500 EU kg−1 bw + 6.6 mg kg−1 bw extract, Group C, 500 EU kg−1 bw + 3.3 mg kg−1 bw extract, Group D, 500 EU kg−1 bw + Ascorbic acid (100 mg kg−1 bw) and Group E (0 EU kg−1 bw). The rabbits were pre-administered with the bay leaf extract in the first 7 days, then endotoxin oral administration was started and repeated daily for 21 d. At the end of days 7 and 21, assays for the serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, reduced glutathione, catalase, and malondialdehyde were done. The animals were sacrificed to collect kidneys and liver. Histopathological analysis of the liver and kidneys showed that exposure to 500 EU kg−1 bw endotoxin for 21 d + bay leaf extract at 6.6 and 3.3 mg kg−1 bw increased specific activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and reduced glutathione and catalase compared to the negative control. There was a decrease in the concentration of malondialdehyde in groups treated with the aqueous extract of bay leaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed an impact of bay leaf value chain intervention programme on household welfare in mountain agroforestry context. We used primary survey data from project and comparison villages and propensity score matching for creating a valid counterfactual. Results indicate that households in the project villages planted 75 per cent more bay leaf trees, produced 170 per cent more bay leaves and sold more quality products at higher prices than households in comparison villages; per-capita household income increased by NPR 5000-7300, share of bay leaf income in total household income increased by 8-10 per cent and level of poverty declined by 6-8 per cent. Households with female respondents benefited more in some aspects but not so in others, especially in enrolling children in school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical composition ofLaurus nobilisessential oils traded as spice and medicinal items was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sixty-four compounds accounting between 91–99% of the total oil was identified. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found among essential oils obtained from bay leaves used both for cooking and medicinal purposes. The oxygenated compounds were the principal fraction in all analyzed oils and consisted in oxygenated monoterpenes (73.13%), in medicinal essential oil and oxygenated monoterpenes (37.60 and 29.82%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (15.98 and 22.99%), and phenylpropanoids (24.78 and 26.33%), respectively, in commercial food items. A high content of methyl eugenol (19 ± 4%; 21 ± 1%) and α-terpinyl acetate (18 ± 5%; 17 ± 7%) was found in commercial food items, whereas 1,8-cineole (51%) and α-terpinyl acetate (10%) were the main compounds in commercial pharmaceutical items. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although enzymes are effective biocatalysts that are widely used in biosensors, a major drawback that hampers many of these biotechnological applications of enzymes is their limited stability. Applications that use very pure, high value proteins need to employ effective stabilization technology, primarily due to cost considerations and availability of the proteins used. For this purpose, interest in bio-imprinting techniques increases because it allows stability characteristics of enzymes to be improved. In this study, a bio-imprinted Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) tissue homogenate biosensor was devised by a very simple way. For this purpose, the enzymes, polyphenol oxidases in the bay leaf tissue, were first complexed by using their competitive inhibitor, thiourea, in aqueous medium and then this enzyme was immobilized on gelatin by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde on a Clark-type oxygen electrode surface. Similarly, noncomplexed polyphenol oxidase with thiourea was also immobilized on a Clark-type oxygen electrode in the same conditions. The aim of the study was to prepare a new biosensor-based Bay leaf tissue homogenate and to improve the stability characteristics such as thermal stability, pH stability, and storage stability, of the biosensor by bio-imprinting method. The results showed that this simple technique should be effectively used to improve the stabilities of a biosensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]