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During curcumin production in Vietnam, curcumin-removed turmeric oleoresin (CRTO) has been considered as a by-product. It costs to treat the by-product to prevent environmental pollution. In this study, the by-product was utilized as an active ingredient for preparing a botanical fungicide-based nano-emulsion and evaluated for its in vitro and in vivo control efficacy against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a causal agent of anthracnose of litchi, in the laboratory as well as a field trial. The nano-emulsion is colloidally stable and uniform with particle sizes of 95–250 nm. CRTO nano-emulsion significantly affected various Colletotrichum species. Notably, this nano-emulsion showed potent inhibition for the mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides and solidly suppressed the development of anthracnose on litchi fruits. In the in vitro inhibition test, the equivalent half-maximal inhibitory concentration of CRTO in nano-formulation was 0.11 mg·mL−1, which was 3.0× and 6.1× lower than IC50 values of CRTO alone (0.33 mg·mL−1) and a mixture of curcuminoids (0.48 mg·mL−1), respectively. In the field trial, the litchi anthracnose infection was effectively controlled by nano-formulation. These results suggest that CRTO nano-emulsion could be used as an alternative to harmful synthetic fungicides to control anthracnose on litchi fruits.

Introduction: Altered biomechanical properties, due to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and missing nucleus fibrosus, could be thought as one of the reasons for the back pain many herniation patients experience after surgery. It has been suggested to repair annulus fibrosus (AF) to restore stability and allow nucleus pulposus (NP) replacement and furthermore prevent reherniation. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new method for closing a defect in AF for use in herniation surgery. Methods: Our repair method combines a polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold plugging herniation and soft anchors to secure the plug. Ex vivo biomechanical testing was carried out in nine porcine lumbar motion segments. Flexion–extension, lateral bending and rotation were repeated three times: first in healthy specimens, second with a full thickness circular defect applied, and third time with the specimens repaired. Finally push out tests were performed to check whether the plug would remain in. Results: Tests showed that applying a defect to the AF increases the range of motion (ROM), neutral zone (NZ) and neutral zone stiffness (NZS). In flexion/extension it was found significant for ROM, NZ, and NZS. For lateral bending and rotation a significant increase in ROM occurred. After AF repair ROM, NZ and NZS were normalized. All plugs remained in the AF during push out test up until 4000 N, but NP was squeezed out through the pores of the scaffold. Discussion: A defect in the AF changes the biomechanical properties in the motion segment, changes that point to instability. Repairing the defect with a PCL plug and soft anchors brought the biomechanical behavior back to native state. This concept is promising and might be a viable way to repair the IVD after surgery.

Introduction: The osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) was compared with that of dental pulp-derived stromal cells (DPSCs) in vitro and in a pig calvaria critical-size bone defect model. Methods: BMSCs and DPSCs were extracted from the tibia bone marrow and the molar teeth of each pig, respectively. BMSCs and DPSCs were cultured in monolayer and on a three-dimensional (3D) polycaprolactone (PCL) – hyaluronic acid – tricalcium phosphate (HT-PCL) scaffold. Population doubling (PD), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and calcium deposition were measured in monolayer. In the 3D culture ALP activity, DNA content, and calcium deposition were evaluated. Six non-penetrating critical-size defects were made in each calvarium of 14 pigs. Three paired sub-studies were conducted: (1) empty defects vs. HT-PCL scaffolds; (2) PCL scaffolds vs. HT-PCL scaffolds; and (3) autologous BMSCs on HT-PCL scaffolds vs. autologous DPSCs on HT-PCL scaffolds. The observation time was five weeks. Bone volume fractions (BV/TV) were assessed with micro-computed tomography (μCT) and histomorphometry. Results and discussion: The results from the in vitro study revealed a higher ALP activity and calcium deposition of the DPSC cultures compared with BMSC cultures. Significantly more bone was present in the HT-PCL group than in both the pure PCL scaffold group and the empty defect group in vivo. DPSCs generated more bone than BMSCs when seeded on HT-PCL. In conclusion, DPSCs exhibited a higher osteogenic potential compared with BMSCs both in vitro and in vivo, making it a potential cell source for future bone tissue engineering.

Building upon prior research demonstrating the excellent antifungal and nematicidal efficacy of Annona squamosa Lin. seed extracts, this study extends its scope to investigate similar properties in seed extracts from two other Annonaceae species: Annona muricata Lin. and Annona glabra Lin. The focus is on assessing their effectiveness against tomato late blight (TLB) and wheat leaf rust (WLR) diseases, as well as their broader antifungal activity against Colletotrichum sp. and Fusarium sp. The A. glabra seed extract exerted a superior control efficacy against TLB (85 % at 62.5 μg/mL) and WLR (75 % at 125 μg/mL) in vivo. The two Annonaceous extracts also exhibited in vitro antifungal inhibition against Colletotrichum sp. and Fusarium sp., as well as toxicology against pine wilt nematodes and Artemia salina. Besides, they showed phytotoxicity against Raphanus sativus seed germination. Squamocin G, a potent bioactive acetogenin, was isolated from A. glabara, which was found to occur at high contents in the following ascending order in A. glabra, A. muricata and A. squamosa dichloromethane extracts. To investigate the antifungal mechanism, molecular docking and molecular dynamic of squamocin G ligand were also performed for the first time at the active site of succinate dehydrogenase and β‐tubulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the aerial parts of Eupatorium fortunei, four thymol derivatives (1-4) were isolated and structurally elucidated by NMR and mass spectroscopic methods. Of which, a new dimeric thymol derivative (1) was characterized and its absolute configuration was established by electronic circular dichroism quantum method. In addition, the 1D and 2D NMR as well as HR-ESI mass spectral data of 2 were provided for the first time. Compounds 2-4 were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes. All tested compounds showed weak inhibition at the concentration range of 1–256 μg/mL in both enzymatic assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose in citrus is a severe disease caused by Colletotrichum species. Synthetic fungicides have been used to combat this citrus disease; however, they may have adverse health effects on humans and cause harmful environmental impacts. During a search for environmentally friendly fungicides, we successfully prepared organic copper (copper (II) oleate) nanoparticles by using natural chitosan polymer as a coating agent and stabilizer and by combining an exchange reaction and in situ coating method. Organic copper nanoparticles coated with chitosan polymer (Cu‐oleate@CS NPs) with Cu contents ranged from 5.0 to 6.0 % by weight. The nanoparticles have an average particle size ranging from 50 nm to 60 nm (TEM), covered by a layer of polymer with a thickness of about 10 to 12 nm. The analytical results of zeta potential and dynamic solution size showed that the nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed (90–120 nm by DLS), with high stability (zeta potential=−61.7 mV) and low cytoxicity to Vero healthy cell line. Cu‐oleate@CS NPs significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides in vitro at 500 and 1000 μg/mL. In field trials, the best antifungal efficacy of Cu‐oleate@CS NPs against citrus anthracnose on orange plants was found at a spray concentration of 0.33 % with a disease control efficacy of 54.18 % at 14 days after the second spraying. Our study results demonstrated a novel preparation of Cu‐oleate@CS NPs and suggested that it could be used as a promising nanoformulation to control citrus anthracnose in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]