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This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of three samples of stored olive oils (01 year, 12 years and 33 years) and essential oil of Mentha aquatica L. Two Gram positive bacteria strains: Citrobacter freundii ATCC 8090, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and five Gram negative bacteria strains: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Schigella sonnei were used in the present study. The results show that the olive oil stored for 33 years has evident antibacterial activity against bacteria strains used, especially against Citrobacter freundii ATCC 8090, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, whereas all samples have no effect on klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853.

In bioretention ponds proposed to manage urban runoff, floating elements with anchored macrophytes plants improve nutrient and pollutants removal and provide aesthetic benefits. To prompt the establishment and initial growth of plants in floating elements with substrate, the application of Osmocote (a controlled-release fertilizer) in tablet form was proposed. In a confined environment, eight treatments were compared, combining two substrates (peat and zeolite at a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 v/v), two levels of fertilization (without or with addition of Osmocote plus tablets, 5 g plant&minus, 1), and the presence or absence of Mentha aquatica L. plants. For about 16 weeks, the amount and quality of water, along with plant growth and nutrient content, were monitored. The results showed better plant growth when Osmocote was supplied, with no effect of the substrate. The presence of the plant produced the almost total uptake of the nutrients contained in the tap water and released by the fertilizer. This indicates that the use of a controlled release fertilizer can improve plant growth without compromising water quality, hence being a valuable solution to promote plant establishment usable as routine practice when a bioretention basin is vegetated with floating elements with substrate.

In this work, the first phytochemical comparison performed on the polar fractions of two different phenotypes of Mentha aquatica L. having pink-violet and white flowers, is reported. This comparison was conducted through both a classical phytochemical analysis and a metabolomic one by means of spectroscopic and spectrometric approaches. Twenty-seven compounds were identified in both phenotypes. Most of them were evidenced in both. Anyway, all these compounds possess chemotaxonomic, pharmacological and nutritional value. In particular, one compound represents a new phytochemical for the species and two other compounds are new phytochemicals for the genus, instead. The results obtained allowed us to ascertain, from a phytochemical standpoint, that also this species can be used as possible medicinal plant like all the other species of this genus and as a source of important nutritional factors due to the presence of compounds with high nutritional properties.

Orientador: Ana Lúcia Tasca Gois Ruiz Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba Resumo: Dentre as doenças de comunicação não compulsória, dados atuais da OMS apontam o câncer como um problema de saúde crescente em todo o mundo. Tendo em vista a grande diversidade biológica das neoplasias, há uma constante necessidade de desenvolvimento de novas estratégias terapêuticas. Desde os primórdios da civilização, as plantas têm se mostrado grandes aliadas da humanidade por fornecerem, além de alimento e abrigo, substâncias com inúmeras atividades farmacológicas. Continuando os estudos farmacológicos e toxicológicos de nosso grupo de pesquisa com espécies do gênero Mentha, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar as atividades anticâncer (atividade anti-proliferativa in vitro, efeitos clonogênico e sobre ciclo celular, ação no modelo de tumor sólido de Ehrlich), antioxidante (teste de DPPH e de Folin-Ciocalteu), ação anti/estrogênica (modelo E-screen) e anti-inflamatória (modelo de edema de pata induzido por carragenina) do extrato etanólico total (EET), e suas frações (F0 a F8), obtido a partir das partes aéreas de M. aquatica L. Foi possível evidenciar que o EET não apresentou atividades anti-proliferativa ou antioxidante, porém 4 frações obtidas através de cromatografia em coluna filtrante apresentaram atividade antiproliferativa moderada (F3, F4 e F6) a potente (F2). Destas, a fração F2 inibiu a proliferação das células tumorais de mama (MCF-7) e de pulmão (NCI-H460) mesmo após retirar a exposição desta fração do meio de cultura, sem promover alteração do ciclo celular dessas duas linhagens após 24 h de exposição a F2. A fração F2 também não foi capaz de sequestrar radicais DPPH, apresentou baixo teor de compostos fenólicos totais e não apresentou efeito estrogênico e/ou antiestrogênico. Entretanto, descobriu-se que o armazenamento de F2 em solução (DMSO; 0,1 mg/ml) promoveu alterações químicas que resultaram em perda do efeito antiproliferativo e ganho de ação estrogênica significativa, sem alteração do efeito sobre o ciclo celular. Análise por cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas revelaram diferenças significativas na composição da fração F2 antes e depois do armazenamento. Entretanto, não foi possível identificar a maior parte dos compostos detectados. Com relação a ação (anti)estrogênica, foi evidenciado que o EET apresentou efeito estrogênico (ação agonista) enquanto a fração F3 inibiu totalmente o efeito proliferativo induzido por 17?-estradiol sem apresentar efeito estrogênico. Finalmente, nas condições empregadas foi possível evidenciar que a fração F2 não foi tóxica quando administrada por via oral, porém não foi possível evidenciar ação antitumoral nem efeito anti-inflamatório nos modelos in vivo utilizados. No modelo de tumor sólido de Ehrlich, foi possível evidenciar que as substâncias presentes na fração F2 foram absorvidas, uma vez que o tratamento evitou o aumento no peso relativo do fígado induzido pelo desenvolvimento das células tumorais de Ehrlich. Estes resultados indicam para o potencial uso das partes aéreas de Mentha aquatica para o futuro desenvolvimento de fitoterápico adjuvante para o tratamento de câncer Abstract: Considering the noncommunicable diseases, the current WHO data pointed cancer as a health problem worldwide. Given the great biological diversity of neoplasias, there is a constant need to develop new therapeutic strategies. Since the dawn of civilization, plants have proved to be great allies of humanity to provide, in addition to food and shelter, substances with numerous pharmacological activities. Continuing the pharmacological and toxicological studies of our research group with the genus Mentha, this work aimed the evaluation of anticancer (in vitro anti-proliferative activity, clonogenic action and cell cycle influence, the in vivo Ehrlich solid tumor model), anti-oxidant (DPPH and Folin-Ciocalteu assays), anti-estrogenic (E-screen assay) and anti-inflammatory (carrageenan-induced edema model) activities of total ethanolic extract (TEE), and their fractions (F0 - F8), obtained from M. aquatica aerial parts of L. It was possible to evidence despite the TEE did not present antiproliferative or antioxidant activities, after filtration column chromatography TEE afforded 4 fractions with moderate (F3, F4 and F6) to potent (F2) antiproliferative activity. More, F2 inhibited the proliferation of the breast (MCF-7) and lung (NCI-H460) tumor cells even after F2 removal from the culture medium without promoting cell cycle alteration after 24 h exposure. Also, F2 was not able to sequester the DPPH radicals, presented low phenolic compounds content and did not showed estrogenic and/or antiestrogenic effect. However, the storage of F2 in solution (DMSO, 0.1 mg/ml) promoted the changes that resulted in lost of antiproliferative effect and gain of significant estrogenic action, without effect on the cell cycle. Analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry revealed that there are differences in F2 fraction composition before and after storage. However, it was not possible to identify most of the detected substances. Regarding (anti)estrogenic action, TEE showed estrogenic effect (agonist action) while F3 fraction totally inhibited the 17?-estradiol-induced proliferative effect. Finally, in the in vivo assays, it was possible to show that F2 fraction was not toxic after oral administration in the dose range evaluated. However, the same range was note enough to demonstrate the antitumor and anti-inflammatory activities of F2. Moreover, in the Ehrlich solid tumor model, it was possible to evidence that the substances present in the F2 were absorbed, since the treatment prevented the Ehrlich tumor-induced increase of liver relative weight. These results indicated for the potential use of Mentha aquatica aerial parts for the development of adjuvant therapy for the cancer treatment Mestrado Farmacologia, Anestesiologia e Terapêutica Mestra em Odontologia CNPQ 132448/2016-5; 132207/2017-6 CAPES

Background: The Mentha spices can growth and adaptation with different climatology. Objective: This research was performed to investigate adaptation, suitable growth period, identification of suitable agronomy characters and identification of essential oil compounds of 2 ecotypes of water mint. Methods: This research was performed in Research Institute of Forest and Rangelands during 6 years in 1999 to 2004. Was conducted as a split plot at time by using of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. Main and sub factors were ecotype and year, respectively. Results: There was difference significant between ecotypes on plant height, leaf long and total essential oil yield (α≤0.01) and lateral stem number, essential oil yield of flower and leaf yield (α≤0.05). There was significant difference between difference years on all traits at 0.01level. Investigation effect of year× ecotype showed that there was difference significant between plant heights (α ≤0.01), leaf long, essential oil percent of leaf and yield of flowering shoot (α≤0.05). There was difference significant between ectype2 with lateral stem number (29.44n/p), leaf yield (475579g/ha) and yield of essential oil (3314.5g/ha) than ecotype1 on lateral stem number (25.94n/p), leaf yield (460040g/ha) and yield of leaf essential oil (3224.2 g/ha). Mean comparison of years showed that highest and least flower yield with 48695 g/ha and 27733 g/ha belong to 2th and 6th years, respectively.The highest leaf yield were 506723, 506225 and 549352 g/ha 1n first, second and 3th years. Main components were carvone with 50.58% and 76.03% in Ardabil and ghilan ecotypes, respectively. Conclusion: There was different essential oil compounds between different ecotypes and suitable using period of water mint were 3-4 years

Mentha aquatica (water mint) extracts are regularly used in food flavoring and pharmacology. In the present study, the possible effects of an ethanolic extract from leaves of M. aquatica L. on rat liver mitochondria bioenergetics were evaluated. The plant extract (25 μg•mg protein− 1) but not the vehicle, inhibited the mitochondrial oxidative system, as seen by a depression of respiration (state 3, respiratory control ratio (RCR), FCCP-stimulated respiration) and lower generation of the transmembrane electric potential using glutamate + malate and succinate as respiratory substrates. The depressing effects in oxidative phosphorylation can probably be related with the polyphenolic composition of the extract (mainly eriodictyol-7-O-rutinoside, luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, naringenin-7-O-rutinoside, hesperitin-7-O-rutinoside and rosmarinic acid) that can interact with membrane and change the inner mitochondrial membrane lipidic moiety. Despite decreasing the RCR, the presence of M. aquatica extract did not affect the mitochondrial phosphorylative capacity, as estimated by the ADP/O ratio. No significant increase in inner mitochondrial membrane permeability was observed and induction of mitochondrial permeability transition pore was not altered in the range of concentrations tested (up to 25 μg•mg protein− 1) either. For the highest concentrations tested (25 μg•mg protein− 1 or higher) the inhibition observed on the mitochondrial respiratory chain, as reflected by FCCP-stimulated respiration, revealed that M. aquatica ethanolic extract is toxic for mitochondrial bioenergetics. In conclusion, the present study suggests that a high daily consumption of an ethanolic extract of M. aquatica leaves should be regarded as hazardous.

Free and glycosidically bound volatiles of mentha aquatica L. were investigated. Free volatile compounds were isolated from the dried plant material by hydrodistillation and glycosides by extraction with water during hydrodistillation. Free volatile compounds (essential oil) as well as the aglycones obtained after the hydrolysis of glycosides were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil was composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons (10.47%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (20.09%) and oxygen containing compounds (68.42%). The major components of the essential oil were: menthofuran (3978.08 mg kg-1), 1,8-cineole (1716.44 mg kg-1) and trans-caryophyllene (1109.20 mg kg-1). After enzymatic hydrolysis, the major volatile aglycones were: 1-octen-3-ol (30.22 mg kg-1), eugenol (10.21 mg kg-1), 2-phenylethanol (6.81 mg kg-1), 3-hexen-1-ol (5.35 mg kg-1), perilla alcohol (4.13 mg kg-1), 1-hexanol (3.58 mg kg-1), and 3-octanol (2.44 mg kg-1). Moderate similarity was found between volatile aglycones and the corresponding free volatiles in the essential oil. Acidic hydrolysis, after enzymatic hydrolysis, liberated additional amounts of aglycones. Approx. 38% of the glycosides were not hydrolyzed by the used enzyme.