Volatile Composition and Biological Activity of Key Lime Citrus aurantifolia Essential Oil

The essential oil of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle fruits (limes) was studied for its potential spasmolytic effects in relation to its chemical composition. The essential oil, extracted by hydrodistillation (HD), was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The antispasmodic activity was evaluated on isolated rabbit jejunum, aorta and uterus. The results indicated that the essential oil of C aurantifolia possesses important spasmolytic properties, which are likely to be due to its major constituents, limonene (58.4%), β-pinene (15.4%), γ-terpinene (8.5%), and citral (4.4%)

Micro-bore Column Fast Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Essential Oil Analysis:

The present research is focused on the use of micro-bore column fast gas chromatography in combination with rapid-scanning quadrupole mass spectrometry for mediumly-complex essential oil analysis. A basil essential oil sample was initially subjected to conventional GC-MS (analysis time: 25 min) under optimum analytical conditions. Peak identification was carried by using a dual-filtered MS library search procedure: the first filter deleted "hits" with a less than 90% spectral similarity, while the second filter eliminated matches with a linear retention index (LRI) outside a pre-defined LRI window. The same essential oil sample was analyzed under optimized fast GC-MS conditions by using a micro-bore column, with the same aforementioned MS library search process (analysis time: 5.3 min). Resolution was altogether similar in both applications, with the same number of compounds reliably-identified, namely fifty-nine. The experiment demonstrated the usefulness of the rapid GC approach in this type of experiment

Volatiles from steam-distilled leaves of some plant species from Madagascar and New Zealand and evaluation of their biological activity.

Steam-distilled aerial parts of Ravensara Aromatica and Cinnamomum camphora from Madagascar and Leptospermum scoparium from New Zealand have been subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis by means of GC techniques. This allowed the elucidation of conflicting data present in the available literature for these species. Also, the biological activity in vitro was evaluated by measuring MICs and GIZs

Reliable Identification of Terpenoids and Related Compounds by using Linear Retention Indices Interactively with Mass Spectrometry Search

An innovative tool in GC-MS peak assignment procedures is described. Besides considering the conventional spectra similarity matching, Linear Retention Indices are used as filters for enhancing reliability in compounds identification, especially in those cases ruled by ambiguity and uncertainty. This is a common issue when analyzing natural compounds (e.g. terpenoids) present in flavors, essential oils and fragrances that give rise to similar fragmentation patterns, and thus, to approximately identical spectra, making harder the unequivocal identification by the databases. Some applications of the method and its capabilities are reported

Severe Changes In Thymic Microenvironment In A Chronic Experimental Model Of Paracoccidioidomycosis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)T cell maturation takes place within the thymus, a primary lymphoid organ that is commonly targeted during infections. Previous studies showed that acute infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb), the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), promotes thymic atrophy that is associated with the presence of yeast cells in the organ. However, as human PCM is a chronic infection, it is imperative to investigate the consequences of Pb infection over the thymic structure and function in chronic infection. In this sense, we developed a new experimental model where Pb yeast cells are injected through the intraperitoneal route and mice are evaluated over 120 days of infection. Thymuses were analyzed in chronically infected mice and we found that the thymus underwent extensive morphological alterations and severe infiltration of P. brasiliensis yeast cells. Further analyses showed an altered phenotype and function of thymocytes that are commonly found in peripheral mature T lymphocytes. We also observed activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the thymus. Our data provide new information on the severe changes observed in the thymic microenvironment in a model of PCM that more closely mimics the human infection.1110Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [2014/19492-3, 2013/08194-9]FAPESP [2012/22131-7, 2013/01401-9, 2014/02631-0, 2012/03238-5]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Development of an antioxidant formula based on peanut by-products and effects on sensory properties and aroma stability of fortified peanut snacks during storage

An antioxidant formula based on peanut skins and hulls, was developed and characterized for total and single polyphenols, and antioxidant power, considering the contribution provided by each peanut by‐product. Then, it was evaluated for its effect on sensory properties and aroma stability of peanut bars over a 100‐day period. To this purpose, snacks fortified and not with the natural additive were experimentally produced

In Vitro-Generated Hypertrophic-Like Adipocytes Displaying PPARG Isoforms Unbalance Recapitulate Adipocyte Dysfunctions In Vivo

Reduced neo-adipogenesis and dysfunctional lipid-overloaded adipocytes are hallmarks of hypertrophic obesity linked to insulin resistance. Identifying molecular features of hypertrophic adipocytes requires appropriate in vitro models. We describe the generation of a model of human hypertrophic-like adipocytes directly comparable to normal adipose cells and the pathologic evolution toward hypertrophic state. We generate in vitro hypertrophic cells from mature adipocytes, differentiated from human mesenchymal stem cells. Combining optical, confocal, and transmission electron microscopy with mRNA/protein quantification, we characterize this cellular model, confirming specific alterations also in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Specifically, we report the generation and morphological/molecular characterization of human normal and hypertrophic-like adipocytes. The latter displays altered morphology and unbalance between canonical and dominant negative (PPARGΔ5) transcripts of PPARG, paralleled by reduced expression of PPARγ targets, including GLUT4. Furthermore, the unbalance of PPARγ isoforms associates with GLUT4 down-regulation in subcutaneous adipose tissue of individuals with overweight/obesity or impaired glucose tolerance/type 2 diabetes, but not with normal weight or glucose tolerance. In conclusion, the hypertrophic-like cells described herein are an innovative tool for studying molecular dysfunctions in hypertrophic obesity and the unbalance between PPARγ isoforms associates with down-regulation of GLUT4 and other PPARγ targets, representing a new hallmark of hypertrophic adipocytes

Quantitative and physical evaluation of patchouli essential oils obtained from different sources of Pogostemon cablin.

Patchouli essential oil can be obtained from fresh, dried and fermented plant material. It is a highly valuable product in the fragrance industry and its quality changes depending upon raw material age and oil storage. In this work, patchouli essential oils derived from different treatments have been subjected to GC-FID quantitative analysis using an internal standard (ISTD) method with response factors (RF). Samples were obtained from i) fresh plants; ii) hydrodistillation of one year mature and fermented plants; iii) hydrodistillation of one year mature plants; iv) commercial products from Indonesia and Malaysia. Linear Retention Indices (LRI) for both polar and non-polar GC-MS analyses were also measured as a tool for qualitative analysis towards a homologous series of C7-C30 n-alkanes. The results obtained confirmed that, in all samples, patchouli alcohol was the main volatile constituent, with higher amount in lab-scale produced oils, compared with commercial samples. Other major compounds, in lab oils and commercial samples respectively, were: δ-guaiene, α-guaiene, pogostol, seychellene and α-patchoulene. Another 36 compounds were also found

PRESENCE OF ANISAKIS PEGREFFII IN FARMED SEA BASS ( DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX L.) COMMERCIALIZED IN SOUTHERN ITALY: A FIRST REPORT

We examined 151 European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) samples from farms and fish markets of Sicily (Southern Italy) for Anisakidae larvae detection. All the samples were examined by visual inspection and modified chloro-peptic digestion. Two nematode larvae were found in the viscera of only one European sea bass sample from a farm located in Greece (FAO 37.3), giving a total prevalence of infestation of 0.7%. No other parasites were found after chloro-peptic digestion of the samples. The larvae were morphologically ascribed, at genus level, to morphotypes I and molecularly identified as Anisakis pegreffii. To the best if our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of anisakid parasites in farmed European sea bass of Mediterranean Sea. Our findings suggest that the risk of exposure to Anisakidae nematodes in farmed European sea bass remains very low. However, further data on Mediterranean farms are needed to have a detailed risk analysis