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ABSTRACTCymbopogon flexuosus is a medicinal plant with various biological activities. Although its essential oil (EO) is widely used, the effect of C. flexuosus EO on mitochondrial bioenergetics has not been completely elucidated. Here, we report the effect of C. flexuosus EO on electron transport through the mitochondrial respiratory chain using isolated mitochondria from liver rats. The EO decreases the oxygen consumption rate up to −20% at 10 ppm, and −17% at 25 ppm using glutamate and succinate, respectively. The C. flexuosus EO inhibits the NADH oxidase (34%), succinate oxidase (53%), succinate dehydrogenase (44%), and cytochrome c oxidase (69%) activities at 10 ppm, which indicates a robust inhibitory effect on the electron transport chain. Our results show the inhibitory effect of C. flexuosus EO on electron transport through complex II and IV and suggest that this EO could be used as a potential drug to treat mitochondrial diseases, including cancer.

AbstractEssential oils (EOs) represent valuable alternatives in handling pest insects in stored grains. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition as well as the repellent, fumigant, and oviposition inhibition activities of the rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) EOs against Ulomoides dermestoides. Ethyl 3-[acetyl(butyl)amino] propanoate (IR3535), an active ingredient in repellent formulations was used as a positive control. The chemical compositions of the EOs were characterized by GC/MS. The EOs major compounds (>10 %) included 1,8-cineole (24.6 %), α-pinene (17.7 %), camphor (12.4 %), and camphene (11.3 %) for rosemary, whereas for citronella, the most abundant components were citronellal (25.3 %), citronellol (17.9 %) and geraniol (11.6 %). The biological action observed was dependent on the concentration used. Both EOs showed 100 %-repellency at the highest tested concentration (16 μL/mL) with RC50values lower than 2.6 μL/mL after 4 h-exposure. Contact toxicity results showed that all treatments had mortality rates lower than 40 %, while fumigant action did not exceed 25 %. The exposure of adult insects to sublethal concentrations of the two EOs significantly inhibited oviposition at 2 and 4 μL/mL. These data suggest that citronella and rosemary EOs, employing different toxicity mechanisms, could be useful candidates for formulations utilized in the management and pest control in stored products.

ABSTRACTHigh-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is widely used for isolation of biologically active compounds of plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) in preparative scale. The objective of this work was the prefractionation of EOs from Lippia alba, Aloysia citriodora, Lantana armata and Xylopia aromaticaby HSCCC and the evaluation of the antioxidant activity in vitroof their EOs and fractions. The antioxidant capacity was determined by two different in vitro assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2ʹ-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation. EOs and their fractions showed a low-moderate ability to trap the radical cation ABTS+and DPPH radical.

Medicinal properties of papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) fruit and other parts are wellknown in the traditional system of medicine. Papaya plant originated in Central America and now grown in tropical areas of worldwide, most particularly in Africa and Asia. Studies validate that, papaya has several pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antiulcer, antibacterial, woundhealing, anti-inflammatory and anti-sickling, just to name a few. The present review article provides the explicit and updated information on botanical aspects, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of C. papaya plant in order to explore their therapeutic potential. This review conducted a systematic search on C. papaya through electronic database search (Google Scholar, PubMed, SciFinder, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science) and a library search for articles published in peer-reviewed journals, until January of 2018. Constituents of papaya plant belongs to different chemical classes that include alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, tannin, vitamins, quinones, minerals and others. Experimental evidence confirmed that these classes of compounds cure the microbial infections, diabetes, inflammatory, cytotoxic and liver disorders. Conclusively, the present review aimed to summarize the information of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities to prevent and treat the wide range of diseases and disorders. The future research draws the attention of the researcher for intensive investigations relating to phytochemicals, pharmacological activities and industrial applications.

AbstractDalea carthagenensisL. is an American perennial sub-shrub, whose leaves/branches emit a soft pleasant odor. Due to its characteristic odor and the lacking literature reports on the chemistry of the volatile metabolites, in this work the composition by GC-MS of the volatile fractions and essential oils obtained by SDE/HS-SPME and MWHD, respectively, of the species collected in Colombia (Repelón, Atlántico), was established. As a result of the analysis, the main constituents identified in the volatile fractions were: (i.) SDE: leaves, (E)-β-ocimene/β-caryophyllene (each ∼21 %) and β-pinene (∼19 %); branches, (E)-β-ocimene (∼36 %), β-pinene (∼20 %) and trans-pinocarvyl acetate (∼14 %); (ii.) HS-SPME: branches/leaves, β-pinene (∼20-50 %) and β-caryophyllene (∼10-23 %). Likewise, the most abundant compounds found in the essential oils were: (iii.) dry season leaves (2013), trans-caryophyllene oxide (∼32 %) and β-pinene (∼13 %); (iv.) rainy season leaves (2014), β-pinene (∼16 %), (E)-β-ocimene (∼13 %) and trans-caryophyllene oxide/β-caryophyllene/myrcene (each ∼10 %); (v.) rainy season leaves (2017), (E)-β-ocimene (∼36 %), β-caryophyllene (∼21 %) and β-pinene (∼14 %); and finally, (vi.) branches (2017), trans-pinocarvyl acetate (∼29 %) and trans-caryophyllene oxide (∼22 %). From these results, it could be concluded that: i.) the complete profile of the volatile metabolites from leaves/branches of the plant was achieved, which is reported for the first time; and, ii.) the compositional variation of the essential oils was dependent on the collection time and the weather (dry/rainy season).

AbstractColeoptera poses a threat to quality standards in crop production and storage, where it can cause large production losses as a fundamental organism for the transmission of plant diseases. Several synthetic products have been used for their control, with reported adverse effects on the health of exposed animals and humans. The use of essential oils (EOs) is an excellent alternative for the control of pests in crop production and storage, due to their high rate of safety for people and the environment. In the present study, EOs were obtained from three plant species cultivated in Colombia characterized by GC/MS Elettaria cardamomum, Salvia officinalisand Lippia origanoides(Carvacrol chemotype). These three plant species were evaluated for repellent and fumigant functions against Tribolium castaneumand Ulomoides dermestoides.The main component in E. cardamomumand S. officinaliswas 1.8-cineole (23.4 and 30.9 %), whereas in L. origanoidesit was carvacrol (32.3 %). EOs depicted concentration-dependent biological effects. L. origanoidesexhibited the maximum percentage of mortality and the highest repellent potency with RC50of 0.220 % for T castaneum, and 0.207 % for U. dermestoides. These results showed that the EOs from E. cardamomum, S. officinalisand L. origanoidesare promising species for use in integrated pest management.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with low 5-year survival rates, high 3-year recurrence rates, and no known therapeutic targets. Recent studies have indicated that triple-negative breast cancers possess an altered metabolic state with higher rates of glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and increased generation and utilization of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Here, we utilized label-free quantitative proteomics to gain insight into the anticancer mechanisms of a methanolic extract from the Central American plant Lippia origanoideson MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells. The L. origanoidesextract dysregulated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by suppressing the expression of several subunits of Complex I of the electron transport chain, and inhibited cellular metabolism by down-regulating key tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes and mitochondrial lipid and amino-acid metabolic pathways. Our study also revealed that treatment with the extract activated the stress response and pathways related to cell-cycle progression and DNA repair. Overall, our results reveal compelling new evidence that the extract from L. origanodestriggers rapid irreversible apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells by effectively ‘starving’ the cells of metabolites and ATP. We continue to study the specific bioactive components of the extract in the search for novel, highly effective mitochondrial inhibitors to selectively target triple-negative breast cancer.

AbstractThe headspace (HS) composition of volatile compounds of leaf essential oil of medicinally important Morina longifoliaWallich (Wall.) was investigated by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (SPME/GC/FID), and GC/mass spectrometry (MS). Forty six compounds (> 0.1 %) representing 96.20 % of the relative peak area of total chromatogram were detected. The oil was rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with nineteen constituents amounting to 57.40 % of the oil with germacrene D (31.10 %) and α-humulene (5.50 %), as major constituents while trans-crysanthenyl acetate (4.50 %) and β-Phellandrene (3.60 %) were the main compounds in the monoterpene fraction (17.30 %). The results of study indicate the possible use of the volatile fraction of leaves essential oil of M. longifoliaas a source of germacrene-D, a sesquiterpene of high perfumery value. The proposed HS-SPME method can also be applied to routine control analysis of aromatic and medicinal plants.

The search for new insecticides to control dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika vectors has gained relevance in the past decades. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the larvicidal action of essential oils (EOs) from Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, Lippia origanoides, Eucalyptus globulus, Cymbopogon nardus, Cymbopogon martinii, Lippia alba, Pelargonium graveolens, Turnera diffusa, and Swinglea glutinosaon Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti.The EOs were extracted by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The chemical components of the EOs were identified by linear retention indices and mass spectra. Lethal concentrations (LC50and LC95) were determined by probit analysis using larvae of Ae. aegyptibetween the third and the fourth instars. All EOs achieved larvicidal activity at LC50values lower than 115mg/L. The lowest LC50value (45.73mg/L) corresponded to T. vulgarisEO, whereas C. martiniiEO showed the highest LC50(LC50=114.65mg/L). Some EO mixtures showed lower LC50than oils used individually, such as the mixtures of L. origanoides+S. glutinosa(LC50=38.40mg/L), T. diffusa+S. glutinosa(LC50=63.71mg/L), and L. alba+S. glutinosa(LC50=48.87mg/L). The main compounds of the EOs with highest larvicidal activity were thymol (42%) and p-cymene (26.4%).

Dentoalveolar bacterial infections cause localized tissue and bone destruction, but usually remain well-localized within teeth in immunocompetent hosts. However, in certain cases these infections may invade head and neck tissues, resulting in orofacial abscesses, cellulitis and sepsis, with resultant high morbidity and even mortality. In the present studies, we developed a novel model of spreading dentoalveolar infections in mice by treatment with neutralizing antibodies against both interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-1β. Surprisingly male but not female mice given anti-IL-1 antibodies developed orofacial abscesses, weight loss, splenomegaly and sepsis. Female mice developed abscesses and sepsis comparable to males following ovariectomy (OVX), which was reversed by estrogen supplementation. Anti-IL-1 blockade inhibited IL-12, interferon γ (IFNγ) and IL-6 but not IL-10 expression in infrabony lesions, suggestive of a local anti-inflammatory response. There was greater infiltration of neutrophils and other inflammatory cells into lesions in anti-IL-1-treated animals; however, blood leukocytes had reduced bacterial phagocytic and killing activity ex vivo. Estrogen directly stimulated IL-1 production by macrophages, suggesting that the resistance of females to disseminating dentoalveolar infections may be due to their heightened pro-inflammatory responses following bacterial challenge, leading to enhanced localization of these infections.

To develop a systems-level understanding of host-microbial interactions that lead to the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Such an understanding may identify therapeutic targets for developing efficacious treatments for periodontitis.