The activity of laurel essential oil (crude and fractions) in the control of adult bovine ticks and larvae

Ectoparasites cause direct and indirect losses to farmers, affecting the production of meat and milk and increasing the production costs due to the acquisition of acaricides to maintain cattle health. The financial losses caused by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, which is the main livestock ectoparasite in Brazil, reach approximately US$ 3 billion annually. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acaricidal effect of the crude essential oil (EO) and EO’s fractions (FR) obtained from Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae) leaves on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Eight fractions were obtained, wherein five major compounds were identified (sabinene, α-terpinyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, linalool, and α-terpineol). The acaricidal activity of these FR was tested by the larval packet test. The EO was tested by the adult immersion test, and, at concentrations of 200, 100 and 50 µL/mL, the oil caused mortality of engorged females, egg mass reduction, and hatching inhibition. The fractions with α-terpineol and sabinene, as the major compounds, were the most active larvicides (LC50=0.13 µL/mL, LC99=0.51 µL/mL; and LC50=0.20 µL/mL, LC99=0.56 µL/mL, respectively). This assessment also indicated that fractionation was important since most of the fractions obtained were more active than the EO. Furthermore, this is the first report of laurel EO and its fractions employed in the control of cattle ticks. Thereby, new prospects for the use of this essential oil or its chromatographic fractions in products applied for cattle tick control can be opened up. However, studies in other stages of development of cattle ticks for the active fractions, and studies under field conditions, the effect on non-target organisms and residual effect on the environment are still needed to evaluate the acaricidal activity of EO and its active fractions

Lentinus crinitus basidiocarp stipe and pileus: chemical composition, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity

Lentinus crinitus is a wild fungus, which produces mushrooms consumed by some Amazonian Indians. Besides, it is recognized for its diverse biological activities and biotechnological applications. However, there are few reports with limited information on basidiocarp chemical composition and cytotoxicity. Our study determined and evaluated the chemical composition, cytotoxicity, and antioxidant activity of L. crinitus pileus and stipe separately. Chromatographic methods were used to evaluate basidiocarp chemical composition. Cytotoxicity was verified using a cell culture from porcine liver and against a panel of human tumor cells from different models. Antioxidant activity was assessed by different in vitro methods. The pileus had higher levels of protein, ash, tocopherols, and organic acids, mainly malic acid, than the stipe. The stipe revealed higher contents of carbohydrates, energy, soluble sugars, and phenolic acids, mostly p-hydroxybenzoic acid. L. crinitus basidiocarp has mainly trehalose as soluble sugar, and less than 1% fat being ~60% polyunsaturated fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic acids), and ~13% saturated fatty acids (mostly palmitic acid). L. crinitus revealed high antioxidant activity for most methods and no cytotoxic activity against tumor and non-tumor cells. L. crinitus basidiocarp can be considered a functional food with applicability in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]This research was supported by Universidade Paranaense, UniCesumar, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brazil (CAPES)—finance code 001—, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Fundação Araucária. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); to the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agaricus subrufescens: substratum nitrogen concentration and mycelial extraction method on antitumor activity

ABSTRACT Antitumor activity of Agaricus subrufescens has been shown on vegetative mycelium and basidiocarp. However, few studies have assessed the effect of A. subrufescens cultivation conditions and extraction methods on antitumor activity. This study evaluated the effect of nitrogen concentration on the cultivation medium of A. subrufescens and the extraction method of mycelial antineoplastic actives against sarcoma 180 cells implanted in mice. Two nitrogen sources (isolated soybean protein and NaNO3) and 10 nitrogen concentrations (0.25 to 8.0 g/L) were used. Dried mycelium extract was obtained by hot water infusion (1:10 mass:volume; 90 °C) or by aqueous mixture (1:10 mass:volume, ambient temperature) in ultrapure water. The doses were administered daily by gavage to mice implanted with sarcoma 180 cells. Isolated soy protein is more efficient to mycelial biomass production than NaNO3. The mycelial biomass production increases when the cultivation medium is added with high nitrogen concentrations as well as the splenic index and the antitumor activity of the moistened mycelial powder. Hot water extract is more effective than the moistened mycelial powder to reduce tumor. The antitumor activity of hot water mycelial extract is similar to the one of basidiocarps, presenting lower metabolic demand on the spleen, keeping blood parameters normal and promoting animal wellness

Decolorization of remazol brilliant blue R with laccase from Lentinus crinitus grown in agro-industrial by-products

ABSTRACT Lentinus crinitus is a white-rot fungus that produces laccase, an enzyme used for dye decolorization. Enzyme production depends on cultivation conditions, mainly agro-industrial by-products. We aimed to produce laccase from Lentinus crinitus with agro-industrial by-products for dye decolorization. Culture medium had coffee husk (CH) or citric pulp pellet (CP) and different nitrogen sources (urea, yeast extract, ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate) at concentrations of 0, 0.7, 1.4, 2.8, 5.6 and 11.2 g/L. Enzymatic extract was used in the decolorization of remazol brilliant blue R. CH medium promoted greater laccase production than CP in all evaluated conditions. Urea provided the greatest laccase production for CH (37280 U/L) as well as for CP (34107 U/L). In CH medium, laccase activity was suppressed when carbon-to-nitrogen ratio changed from 4.5 to 1.56, but the other nitrogen concentrations did not affect laccase activity. For CP medium, reduction in carbon-to-nitrogen ratio from 6 to 1.76 increased laccase activity in 17%. The peak of laccase activity in CH medium occurred on the 11th day (41246 U/L) and in CP medium on the 12th day (32660 U/L). The maximum decolorization within 24 h was observed with CP enzymatic extract (74%) and with CH extract (76%)