Characterization of the Essential oil of the Bat-Pollinated Passiflora mucronata

The genus Passiflora is an important source of food, therapeutic substances and for the horticultural economy. In the last decades, a detailed chemical composition of the essential oil of Passiflora species has been reported, but only for few species, mainly of agricultural interest, although little attention has been paid to chiropterophilous Passifloraceae, such as P. mucronata. The present study is focused on analyzing the essential oil composition of P. mucronata, a Brazilian bat-pollinated species. From GC/FID and GC/MS analyses of the volatile fraction from fresh flowers and leaves, hydrocarbons were quantified as 47.9% and 42.8% of the total volatiles of flowers and leaves, respectively, esters for 50.8% in flowers and 6.4% in leaves, and alcohols 38.2% and 0.3% of the total volatiles from leaves and flowers, respectively. Other classes of compounds, such as monoterpenes and aldehydes, together with phytol, were detected in higher concentration in leaves compared with flowers. The higher content of methyl and ethyl esters of long chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, i.e. ethyl linolenate (38.3%), methyl linolenate (7.0%) and ethyl palmitate (3.6%), were the most representative suggesting that esters might play a critical role for fertilization of P. mucronata acting as bat attractors

Composition of Volatile Fraction from Inflorescences and Leaves of Dendrobium moschatum (Orchidaceae)

The volatile fractions from fresh inflorescences and leaves of Dendrobium moschatum (Buchanan-Hamilton) Swartz (Orchidaceae) were isolated by steam distillation with a yield of 0.498% and 0.041% (weight/fresh weight basis), respectively. From GC/FID and GC/MS analyses, coumarin was identified to be the most abundant constituent and quantified as 48.8% and 47.8% of the total volatiles from inflorescences and leaves, respectively. Hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, acids and aldehydes were also detected. Long chain mono unsaturated hydrocarbons were quantified in higher amount in leaves and their structures were elucidated by GC/MS of their dimethyl disulfide derivatives. These compounds together with long chain ethyl esters and methyl ketones may represent a particular feature of this plant species and can play a critical role in the interaction with pollinator insect

Maltodextrin-amino acids electrospun scaffolds cross-linked with Maillard-type reaction for skin tissue engineering

The goal of this work is the design and the development of scaffolds based on maltodextrin (MD) to recover chronic lesions. MD was mixed with arginine/lysine/polylysine and the electrospinning was successfully used to prepare scaffolds with uniform and continuous nanofibers having regular shape and smooth surface. A thermal treatment was applied to obtain insoluble scaffolds in aqueous environment, taking the advantage of amino acids-polysaccharide conjugates formed via Maillard-type reaction. The morphological analysis showed that the scaffolds had nanofibrous structures, and that the cross-linking by heating did not significantly change the nanofibers' dimensions and did not alter the system stability. Moreover, the heating process caused a reduction of free amino group and proportionally increased scaffold cross-linking degree. The scaffolds were elastic and resistant to break, and possessed negative zeta potential in physiological fluids. These were characterized by direct antioxidant properties and Fe chelation capability (indirect antioxidant properties). Moreover, the scaffolds were cytocompatible towards fibroblasts and monocytes-derived macrophages, and did not show any significant pro-inflammatory activity. Finally, those proved to accelerate the recovery of the burn/excisional wounds. Considering all the features, MD-poly/amino acids scaffolds could be considered as promising medical devices for the treatment of chronic wounds.Authors thank Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 814607, for funding the research project

Mycelium-based biomaterials as smart devices for skin wound healing

Introduction: Recently, mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus, edible fungi, have been characterized in vitro as self-growing biomaterials for tissue engineering since they are constituted of interconnected fibrous networks resembling the dermal collagen structure.Aim: This work aims to investigate the biopharmaceutical properties of G. lucidum and P. ostreatus mycelia to prove their safety and effectiveness in tissue engineering as dermal substitutes.Methods: The mycelial materials were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach, including physicochemical properties (morphology, thermal behavior, surface charge, and isoelectric point). Moreover, preclinical properties such as gene expression and in vitro wound healing assay have been evaluated using fibroblasts. Finally, these naturally-grown substrates were applied in vivo using a murine burn/excisional wound model.Conclusions: Both G. lucidum and P. ostreatus mycelia are biocompatible and able to safely and effectively enhance tissue repair in vivo in our preclinical model