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Nickel exposure is known to induce oxidative stress and inflammation and disrupt critical metabolic pathways, leading to hepatic dysfunction and impaired glucose regulation. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical effects of nickel‐induced metabolic impairments in an animal model, using a variety of techniques, including ELISA and instrumental analysis, with a specific focus on the expression of key genes involved in insulin regulation and glucose homeostasis. The experiment included four groups: Control, Nickel‐exposed, Nickel‐exposed with standard treatment (ascorbic acid, AA), and Nickel‐exposed with resveratrol (RSV). Serum nickel levels, measured via ICP‐MS, showed a significant increase in the exposed group, with a mean value of 125.74 ± 6.20 ppb. The analysis of various metabolic biomarkers demonstrated that nickel exposure resulted in hyperglycemia, elevated HOMA‐IR, HbA1c, and DPP‐4, increased level of inflammatory cytokines, altered lipid profiles, and impaired liver and kidney function. Nickel exposure triggered inflammation, disrupted carbohydrate metabolism, induced oxidative stress, and altered the expression of genes related to hepatic inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and glucose and lipid metabolism. These changes culminated in mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance, as evidenced by reduced expression of GLUT‐2 and GCK—genes critical for glucose uptake and insulin secretion. Elevated serum levels of amino acids, such as glutamate and valine, further indicated disruptions in amino acid metabolism and oxidative stress. Therapeutic interventions with AA and RSV demonstrated significant protective effects: Both compounds mitigated oxidative stress, reduced inflammatory cytokines, and restored normal expression levels of GCK and GLUT‐2, improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Additionally, AA and RSV alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction, suppressing the overexpression of UCP2, a protein linked to impaired energy metabolism. Serum amino acid levels were also normalized, highlighting their role in reestablishing metabolic balance. In conclusion, this study highlights the therapeutic potential of AA and RSV in mitigating nickel‐induced hepatic and metabolic disturbances. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing oxidative stress and inflammation in metabolic disorders and position RSV as promising candidate for restoring metabolic homeostasis. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms underlying their protective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis is a natural product widely used in folk medicine. Among its various applications, its antiparasitic properties stand out. Due to its great biodiversity, Brazil is a major producer of several types of propolis. This study proposes to evaluate the leishmanicidal properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of propolis collected in the southern region of Brazil (Brown propolis – HEBP) and its main isolated compounds: abietic acid (1), 13-epi-cupressic acid (2), 13-epi-torulosol (3), dehydroabietic acid (4), cis-communic acid (5) and ent-agatic acid (6). In general, the diterpenes did not show activity against the promastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis at the evaluated concentrations. However, the HEBP was very active with an inhibition concentration of 50% at 8.32 µg/mL. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) assays showed morphological and structural alterations in promastigote forms of L. (L.) amazonensis when incubated with HEBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) relapse, therapeutic failure, and a poor prognosis. However, Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) is a mushroom that might have anticancer and other medicinal properties. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of combining the acidic RNA protein complex FA‐2‐b‐β extracted from AbM with imatinib (IM) on MDR in the K562/ADR leukemia cell line in vitro and in xenograft mouse models. The combination of FA‐2‐b‐β and IM significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in K562/ADR cells compared with either alone. Western blotting (WB) revealed that the combination significantly reduced p‐PI3K, p‐AKT, and p‐mTOR protein expression. The combination also inhibited tumor growth in mice with K562/ADR xenografts. These findings suggested that FA‐2‐b‐β enhances the effects of IM on K562/ADR cell proliferation and apoptosis, potentially by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and downregulating P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Losses provoked by insect pests on stored cereals and legumes contribute immensely to reduce food security, especially in rural communities in Sub‐Saharan Africa. The application of integrated control strategies, involving the use of synthetic pesticides, is often expensive and hazardous to humans and the environment. This study was conducted to optimize the production and use of biosilica from rice husk ashes, for the control of Sitophilus zeamais and Acanthoscelides obtectus, major insect pests of stored maize and common bean grains. The amorphous nature of the derived silica molecules coupled with the silanol and siloxane groups on their surfaces seemed to account for silica's insecticidal effects on the pests, which were more on A. obtectus on common beans than S. zeamais on maize grains, with full mortalities obtained at doses of about 1.25 g per 50 g bean seeds and about 2.25 g per 50 g maize seeds, within 3 and 12 days, respectively. Similarly, the daily lethal dose (LD50) of silica powder required to obtain the mortality of half of the insects was lower on common beans than on maize seeds. The reduced phytotoxic activity of the biosilica on the stored common bean and maize grains indicates therefore that it could make an ecofriendly alternative to conventional protectants for small quantities of stored grains. However, large‐scale studies are needed in order to evaluate its potential use in grain storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of Araucaria sp. brown propolis (ABP) against trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats. Methods: Animals received vehicle (1% DMSO, 1 ml/kg) or hydroalcoholic extract of ABP (hydroalcoholic extract of Araucaria sp. brown propolis (HEABP), 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) orally, or dexamethasone (25 mg/kg, s.c.) for 5 days. On day 4, the animals received intracolonic TNBS (150 mg/kg), on day 6 they were euthanized. The weight of the animals, the macroscopic and microscopic colonic damage, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured in colon homogenate. The action of HEABP and two isolated compounds in neutrophil migration was recorded. Key findings: HEABP (100 and 300 mg/kg), but not dexamethasone, decreased colonic lesion, and increased colonic mucin staining. In parallel, HEABP decreased MDA and restored GSH levels and the activity of SOD, CAT, and GST in the colon. A dose-dependent inhibition of MPO activity was observed (LogIC50 = 1.9). Moreover, HEBPA and the junicedric and abietic acids inhibited the neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro and HEBPA reduced neutrophil migration in vivo. Conclusion: HEABP may be promising in the therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases, reducing oxidative and inflammatory damage, especially mediated by neutrophils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Kaempferol is a natural flavonoid with a wide range of pharmacological effects. The current study tested whether kaempferol prevents hypertension‐induced renal remodelling in rats. During the 5 weeks of experiments, rats (n = 7/group) were administered Nω‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L‐NAME) (40 mg/kg/day) with either vehicle or kaempferol (20 mg/kg/day) or kaempferol (40 mg/kg/day) or lisinopril (5 mg/kg/day). Results. Kaempferol treatment alleviated haemodynamic changes occurring in hypertensive rats, including increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate (p < 0.05). Kaempferol treatment prevented glomerular hypertrophy by reducing the increased glomerular cross‐sectional area, glomerular tuft area, Bowman's space area, glomerular volume, and the extent of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis induced by hypertension (p < 0.05). Furthermore, animals in the L‐NAME group showed elevated angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) activity and angiotensin II (Ang II) levels compared to those in the kaempferol‐treated group (p < 0.05). Kaempferol treatment also reverted the elevations in levels of superoxide anions and malondialdehyde and reduced catalase and superoxide dismutase activity in hypertensive rats (p < 0.05). L‐NAME‐treated rats showed overexpression of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4), and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) proteins; conversely, the expression of these proteins was reduced in the kaempferol‐treated group (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Kaempferol treatment alleviated renal remodelling induced in rats by chronic hypertension. These mechanisms may be associated with the inhibition of ACE activity and suppression of the Ang II/AT1 receptor/NOX4/MMP‐9 cell signalling pathway in renal tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing soybean productivity can be achieved by treating seeds with biostimulants. To this end, an investigation was conducted into the potential of a formulation prepared with clove es-sential oil (CEO) diluted in soybean oil for seed treatment. Soybean seeds were treated with CEO concentrations between 0.5 to 3.0 mL/L, and subjected to germination, vigor, and sanity analyses. The CEO at 1.6 mL/L exhibited favorable outcomes regarding germination, root length, and re-duced fungal infection. In this way, a two-crop field experiment evaluated soybean seeds treated with CEO at 1.6 mL/L. Soybean seeds treated with CEO in the field in 2021/2022 were not different from the controls. However, in 2019/2020, there was a higher percentage of emergence, nodulation, and production of 749 kg/ha more than in the industrial treatment. These results highlight the potential use of CEO as a biostimulant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is a food rich in bioactive compounds with great antioxidant potential. However, due to the high incidence of pests that affect crop cultivation, phytosanitary management still lacks control methods for agroecological cultivation. Thus, the present research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the potential of the essential oil of the leaves of Piper macedoi in the control of Cerosipha forbesi in laboratory and semi-field conditions. The concentration of essential oil in the leaves of P. macedoi that showed the highest mortality was 2.0 ml/L of oil, with a mortality above 91% under laboratory conditions. A mortality rate of 80% for all concentrations tested was observed after 24 h in all conditions tested. Thus, using essential oil from the leaf of P. macedoi can be a highly viable strategy in managing the aphid C. forbesi since it showed high mortality rates with small doses of oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato is one of the most produced and consumed fruits in the world. However, it is a crop that faces several phytosanitary problems, such as fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate citronella and melaleuca essential oils in vitro potential in the fungus F. oxysporum management. The chemical identification of the components in the essential oils was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometer detectors. The IC50 and IC90 were determined by linear regression and the percentage of inhibition of the fungus by analysis of variance. The major compounds in citronella essential oil were citronellal, Geraniol, and citronellol; in melaleuca (tea tree) oil were terpinen-4-ol and α-terpinene. Both oils promoted more significant inhibition at concentrations of 1.5 and 2.5 μL/mL, besides not presenting significant differences with commercial fungicides, confirming the high potential for using this control method in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study focused on determining the lethal concentrations of essential oils extracted from O. basilicum L. Mentha piperita L. Origanum vulgare L. and Thymus vulgaris L. against the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). This notorious agricultural pest wreaks havoc on various plants, causing widespread damage worldwide, as well as their blends and major compounds, using the fumigation method. GC-MS identified the essential oils and major compounds. The essential oils of O. basilicum, M. piperita, O. vulgare, and T. vulgaris had estragole (91.8%), menthol (39.11%), carvacrol (76,8%), and thymol (45,76%) as major compounds, respectively. The most toxic LC50 value was observed with O. basilicum essential oil (8.02 μL.L−1). Blends 7, 8, and 11 showed better results in terms of mite toxicity. The major compounds also displayed promising results. Thus, this study individual presents promising alternatives with potential for managing the two-spotted spider mite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Origanum vulgare, known for its medicinal value, is officially accepted in many countries. The flowers and leaves are used globally in homeopathy. In Brazilian folk medicine, O. vulgare has been used to treat diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the hypoglycemic activity of an infusion extract (RosCE) of commercially available O. vulgare leaves in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of RosCE resulted in the reduction of blood glucose levels after the first day of treatment, compared to the diabetic control group. These results showed that RosCE displays hypoglycemic activity, which may be due to the combined effect of rosmarinic acid, and other minor compounds. Reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection was used to identify and quantify the major constituents of RosCE. This study presents evidence that supports the folkloric use of O. vulgare for the treatment of hyperglycemia, confirming the use of its infusion as an antidiabetic herbal medicine.