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Nonpsychotic mental diseases (NMDs) affect approximately 15% of pregnant women in the US. Herbal preparations are perceived a safe alternative to placenta-crossing antidepressants or benzodiazepines in the treatment of nonpsychotic mental diseases. But are these drugs really safe for mother and foetus? This question is of great relevance to physicians and patients. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of St. John's wort, valerian, hops, lavender, and California poppy and their compounds hyperforin and hypericin, protopine, valerenic acid, and valtrate, as well as linalool, on immune modulating effects in vitro. For this purpose a variety of methods was applied to assess the effects on viability and function of human primary lymphocytes. Viability was assessed via spectrometric assessment, flow cytometric detection of cell death markers and comet assay for possible genotoxicity. Functional assessment was conducted via flow cytometric assessment of proliferation, cell cycle and immunophenotyping. For California poppy, lavender, hops, and the compounds protopine and linalool, and valerenic acid, no effect was found on the viability, proliferation, and function of primary human lymphocytes. However, St. John's wort and valerian inhibited the proliferation of primary human lymphocytes. Hyperforin, hypericin, and valtrate inhibited viability, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cell division. Calculated maximum concentration of compounds in the body fluid, as well as calculated concentrations based on pharmacokinetic data from the literature, were low and supported that the observed effects in vitro would probably have no relevance on patients. In-silico analyses comparing the structure of studied substances with the structure of relevant control substances and known immunosuppressants revealed structural similarities of hyperforin and valerenic acid to the glucocorticoids. Valtrate showed structural similarities to the T cells signaling modulating drugs.

The placental passage of protopine was investigated with a human ex vivo placental perfusion model. The model was first validated with diazepam and citalopram, 2 compounds known to cross the placental barrier, and antipyrine as a positive control. All compounds were quantified by partially validated U(H)PLC-MS/MS bioanalytical methods. Protopine was transferred from the maternal to the fetal circuit, with a steady-state reached after 90 min. The study compound did not affect placental viability or functionality, as glucose consumption, lactate production, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, and leptin release remained constant. Histopathological evaluation of all placental specimens showed unremarkable, age-appropriate parenchymal maturation with no pathologic findings.

Master; The urban trees result from the action of multiple stakeholders, either private or public. These actors create and maintain ecological continuity between towns, agricultural areas and forests that are beneficial in terms of biodiversity but which can also be exploited by invading species, indigenous or exotic. This is the case of the pine processionary moth (PPM), a forest pest whose urticating larvae cause serious public health problems in urban and peri-urban areas. The work presented in this report was intended to determine whether the choice of different ornamental plantings for different categories of owners, plot size and land tenure and assess associated levels of PPM densities. Owners of private gardens plant a wider range of species in comparison to corporations and more often choose species of conifers unfavorable to PPM. Ornamental practices of corporations lead to less diverse assemblages of species and generally more favorable to the PPM with the use of the main host species such as black pine (P. nigra).; Le patrimoine arboré urbain résulte de l’action d’intervenants multiples, privés ou publics. Ces acteurs créent et entretiennent des continuités écologiques entre villes, zones agricoles et forêts qui sont bénéfiques en matière de biodiversité mais qui peuvent également être exploitées par des espèces envahissantes, autochtones ou exotiques. C’est le cas de la processionnaire du pin (PP), un ravageur forestier dont les larves urticantes posent des problèmes de santé publique dans les milieux urbains et péri-urbains. Le travail présenté dans ce rapport avait pour objectif de déterminer si les choix en matière de plantations ornementales différent selon les catégories de propriétaires, la taille des parcelles et le régime foncier et d’évaluer les variations du niveau de population de la processionnaire du pin suivant le régime de propriété et le cortège d’hôtes potentiels de l’insecte. Les particuliers plantent une gamme d’essences plus large que les personnes morales et choisissent plus souvent des espèces de conifères peu favorables à la PP. Les pratiques ornementales des personnes morales conduisent à des assemblages d’espèces moins diversifiés et globalement plus favorables à la PP avec l’emploi des principales espèces hôtes tels que le pin noir (P. nigra).