From traditional resource to global commodities: a comparison of Rhodiola species using NMR spectroscopy - metabolomics and HPTLC

The fast developing international trade of products based on traditional knowledge and their value chains has become an important aspect of the ethnopharmacological debate. The structure and diversity of value chains and their impact on the phytochemical composition of herbal medicinal products has been overlooked in the debate about quality problems in transnational trade. Different government policies and regulations governing trade in herbal medicinal products impact on such value chains. Medicinal Rhodiola species, including Rhodiola rosea L. and Rhodiola crenulata (Hook.f. & Thomson) H.Ohba, have been used widely in Europe and Asia as traditional herbal medicines with numerous claims for their therapeutic effects. Faced with resource depletion and environment destruction, R. rosea and R. crenulata are becoming endangered, making them more economically valuable to collectors and middlemen, and also increasing the risk of adulteration and low quality. We compare the phytochemical differences among Rhodiola raw materials available on the market to provide a practical method for Rhodiola authentication and the detection of potential adulterant compounds. Samples were collected from Europe and Asia and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis software and high performance thin layer chromatography techniques were used to analyse the samples. A method was developed to quantify the amount of adulterant species contained within mixtures. We compared the phytochemical composition of collected Rhodiola samples to authenticated samples. Rosavin and rosarin were mainly present in R. rosea whereas crenulatin was only present in R. crenulata. 30% of the Rhodiola samples purchased from the Chinese market were adulterated by other Rhodiola spp. Moreover, 7 % of the raw-material samples were not labelled satifactorily. The utilisation of both 1H-NMR and HPTLC methods provided an integrated analysis of the phytochemical differences and novel identification method for R. rosea and R. crenulata. Using 1H-NMR spectroscopy it was possible to quantify the presence of R. crenulata in admixtures with R. rosea. This quantitative technique could be used in the future to assess a variety of herbal drugs and products. This project also highlights the need to further study the links between producers and consumers in national and trans-national trade

Microorganisms and spatial distribution of the sinkholes of the Yucatan Peninsula, underestimated biotechnological potential?

Investigación basada en el potencial bio-tecnológico de las micro-especies que habitan los cenotes de la Península de YucatánAbstract Objective: To detect the spatial distribution of the sinkholes of the Peninsula of Yucatan (SPY) and identify those cenotes where microorganisms have been registered. Methods: The geographic coordinates of the SPYs were obtained from various databases, as well as from scientific publications relating to the terminology ‘sinkholes’, ‘karst systems’ and ‘cenotes’. All coordinates were transformed into the Universal Transverse Mercator reference system (UTM) with datum WGS84. An infrared composite image was created with 432 RGB bands from the Landsat 8 satellite. The points with the location of the cenotes were imported into the Software TerrSet. Results: Total 1026 coordinates of sinkholes were recorded in the Yucatan Peninsula. In 18 sinkholes (<2%), microorganisms have been recovered and identified in various taxonomic levels, and only 6 sinkholes (<0.6%) has their biotechnological potential been evaluated. Conclusions: The microorganisms that inhabit the sinkholes of the Yucatan Peninsula are a reservoir with practically unexplored biotechnological potential.CONACY

Topical hydrogels with escin β-sitosterol phytosome and escin: Formulation development and in vivo assessment of antihyperalgesic activity

The physicochemical properties, stability, in vivo antihyperalgesic activity, and skin irritation potential of the carbomer hydrogels with the new chemical entity escin β-sitosterol (ES) phytosome were characterized and compared with those containing escin. Physicochemical characterization of the hydrogels (performed 48 hr after preparation) included organoleptic examination, pH measurement, light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and rheological tests. The obtained results showed that increasing concentration of the active substances within 1–5% affected the appearance (color and transparency) of the hydrogels, their pH, consistency, and rheological behavior. Unlike acidic escin, which was dissolved in the liquid phase of the pseudoplastic hydrogels E1–E5 and reduced their maximal apparent viscosity (ηmax), minimal apparent viscosity (ηmin), and hysteresis area (H) in comparison to the plain carbomer hydrogel, amphiphilic ES-enhanced ηmax, ηmin, and thixotropy of the hydrogels ES1–ES5, which is favorable for prolonged retention at skin surface. Evaluation of in-use stability of the hydrogels showed that organoleptic characteristics, flow behavior, and pH values could be preserved for 3 months under ambient conditions. The rat ear test results suggested that the hydrogels are safe to be used on human skin. Both escin and ES-loaded hydrogels exerted significant, concentration-dependent antihyperalgesic effect in inflammatory pain model in rats. ES-loaded hydrogels were significantly more effective than those loaded with escin. This is a first report on the antihyperalgesic effect of topically applied escin as well as ES in a model of inflammatory pain