31 research outputs found
Repetibilidad y reproducibilidad de las medidas de tejidos in vivo efectuadas con ultrasonidos en ovejas adultas y sus correlaciones con la condición corporal
La evaluación de la condición corporal permite conocer el estado de
reservas de los animales (Santucci et al., 1991; Delfa el al., 1995; Teixeira et al.,
1995), siendo el espesor de los tejidos en la región esternal el punto de elección en
caprinos tal como mostró Morand-Fehr et al. (1989). Este conocimiento permite
adecuar la alimentación de los animales, no obstante esta metodología es muy
susceptible a errores entre operadores (Evans, 1978). Así la substitución de esta
técnica por otras más objetivas presenta interés práctico. Las medidas de
ultrasonidos que permiten determinar las medidas de espesor de los tejidos, con
elevada repetible edad y reproducibilidad, podrán ser una alternativa interesante
Potential therapeutic applications of infusions and hydroalcoholic extracts of Romanian glutinous sage (Salvia glutinosa L.)
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Salvia glutinosa, also known as the glutinous
sage, has been used in Romanian folk medicine in the treatment of
inflammation, injuries, and mild infections. However, there is no direct
scientific evidence to demonstrate these activities. Aim of the Study: The present research was based on evaluating antioxidant,
antiproliferative, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of S. glutinosa extracts, as
well as the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity.
Materials and Methods: Infusions and 70% (v:v) ethanol solution extracts of S.
glutinosa stems and leaves, collected from two different locations in Romania,
were prepared. Ten phenolic compounds were identified and quantified using
the LC-DAD-ESI/MSn method, and total phenolic and flavonoid content, as well
as in vitro antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays), antiproliferative, antiinflammatory
and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities were determined. A rat
model of induced inflammation with turpentine oil was used for the
examination of in vivo effects of the extracts, using diclofenac as an antiinflammatory
control. Results: The highest inhibitory α-glucosidase activity was determined to be
IC50 = 0.546 mg/ml for the hydroalcoholic extract made with plant material
collected on the road to Sighișoara. The highest cytotoxic activity against
HepG2 cell line was determined to be GI50 = 131.68 ± 5.03 μg/ml, for the
hydroalcoholic extract made with plant material from Sighișoara. In vivo
administration of extract (200 mg lyophilized powder/ml) showed a
significant reduction of NO production.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that S. glutinosa extracts exhibit antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, as well as a modest cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cell line. By in vivo administration, the extracts show antiinflammatory
and antioxidant activity, which correlates with the traditional
use of the species. The environmental conditions seemed to induce
important changes in the chemical composition and the bioactivity of the
herbal preparations derived from S. glutinosa.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian
Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS–UEFISCDI,
project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019–5360.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
EMG signal processing for the study of localized muscle fatigue—pilot study to explore the applicability of a novel method
This pilot study aimed to explore a method for characterization of the electromyogram
frequency spectrum during a sustained exertion task, performed by the upper limb. Methods: Nine
participants underwent an isometric localized muscle fatigue protocol on an isokinetic
dynamometer until exhaustion, while monitored with surface electromyography (sEMG) of the
shoulder’s external rotators. Firstly, three methods of signal energy analysis based on primer
frequency contributors were compared to the energy of the entire spectrum. Secondly, the chosen
method of analysis was used to characterize the signal energy at beginning (T1), in the middle (T2)
and at the end (T3) of the fatigue protocol and compared to the torque output and the shift in the
median frequencies during the trial. Results: There were statistically significant differences between
T1 and T3 for signal energy (p < 0.007) and for central frequency of the interval (p = 0.003). Moreover,
the isometric peak torque was also different between T1 and T3 (p < 0.001). Overall, there were no
differences between the signal energy enclosed in the 40 primer frequency contributors and the
analysis of the full spectrum energy; consequently, it was the method of choice. The reported fatigue
and the decrease in the produced muscle torque was consistent with fatigue-induced alterations in
the electromyogram frequency spectrum. In conclusion, the developed protocol has potential to be
considered as an easy-to-use method for EMG-based analysis of isometric muscle exertion until
fatigue. Thus, the novelty of the proposed method is to explore, in muscle fatigue, the use of only
the main contributors in the frequency domain of the EMG spectrum, avoiding surplus information,
that may not represent muscle functioning. However, further studies are needed to investigate the
stability of the present findings in a more comprehensive sample.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)
for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CeDRI (UIDB/05757/2020
and UIDP/05757/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk (wild thyme) and their bioactive potential
An optimized ultrasound-assisted extractive method was developed to obtain a polyphenol-enriched extract from
the aerial parts of Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk. Optimization process was conducted based on
Design of Experiment (DoE) principles, determining the influence of three independent variables (time, ultrasound
amplitude, ethanol concentration) on the total phenolic content of the extract (dependent variable).
Additionally, the phenolic composition of the extract was characterized through UHPLC-HRMS, revealing beside
the most abundant flavonoid-type compounds the presence of salvianolic acids C, D and L in high amounts.
Phytochemical profile of the extract was correlated with its antioxidant activity (tested through five complementary
assays) and enzyme-inhibitory potential, showing important antiglucosidase and anticholinesterase
effects. Overall, it was concluded that the developed method is suitable for obtaining a good recovery of both
phenolic and non-phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus aerial parts, and their presence in the optimized
extract is responsible for its pharmacological potential.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of
Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-
1.1-PD-2019-1245, within PNCDI III”. The authors are grateful to the
Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial
support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), and for the contracts of J. Pinela (CEECIND/01011/2018) and L.
Barros (institutional scientific employment program-contract).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Development of an optimized drying process for the recovery of bioactive compounds from the Autumn Fruits of Berberis vulgaris L. and Crataegus monogyna Jacq
Hot air drying has proven to be an efficient method to preserve specific edible plant materials
with medicinal properties. This is a process involving chemical, physical, and biological
changes in plant matrices. Understanding these processes will lead to an improvement in the yields
of bioactive compounds. This study aims to optimize the drying process of two species’ fruits used
in folk medicine, Berberis vulgaris and Crataegus monogyna. The optimized extracts’ antioxidant capacity
was assessed using various assays, with the barberry extract showing very good activity
(50.85, 30.98, and 302.45 mg TE/g dw for DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Both species
exerted good fungal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.34 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively) but
no activity on mammalian α-glucosidase. Additionally, this study identified and quantified the
main bioactive compounds. The results presented herein are a breakthrough in industrializing this
drying process. Additional studies are necessary to mechanistically understand the drying process
involved in these plant materials.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research,
CNCS–UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-5360.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), the national funding for F.C.T. and P.I. and through the institutional scientific employment program contract for M.I.D., and L.B. The authors are grateful to FEDER—Interreg España—Portugal programme
for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Phytochemical Characterization of Veronica officinalis L., V. teucrium L. and V. orchidea Crantz from Romania and Their Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties
Aerial parts of Veronica species are used in Romanian traditional medicine for the treatment of various conditions like kidney diseases, cough, and catarrh, and are known for their wound-healing properties. In the present study, the phenolic and sterolic content and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of three Veronica species (Plantaginaceae), V. officinalis L., V. teucrium L. and V. orchidea Crantz, were studied. The identification and quantification of several phenolic compounds and phytosterols were performed using LC/MS techniques and the main components were p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, luteoline, hispidulin and β-sitosterol. More than that, hispidulin, eupatorin and eupatilin were detected for the first time in the Veronica genus. Nevertheless, representatives of the Veronica genus were never investigated in terms of their phytosterol content. The antioxidant potential investigated by Trolox equivelents antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and EPR spectroscopy revealed that V. officinalis and V. orchidea extracts presented similar antioxidant capacities, whilst the values registered for V. teucrium extract are lower. Regarding the antimicrobial activity of the investigated species, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria ivanovii were the most sensitive strains with MIC values between 3.9 and 15.62 mg/mL. The results obtained by this study may serve to promote better use of representatives from the genus Veronica as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents
Phytochemical Characterization of Veronica officinalis L., V. teucrium L. and V. orchidea Crantz from Romania and Their Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties
Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench. and Antennaria dioica (L.) Gaertn. Flowers
Antennaria dioica (L.) Gaertn. and Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench. are two species of the Asteraceae family, known in Romanian traditional medicine for their diuretic, choleretic, and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the phenolic and sterolic composition of flowers from the two species and to assess their antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties. LC-MS analyses were performed on methanolic, ethanolic and 70% v/v ethanolic extracts, before and after acid hydrolysis, and revealed high amounts of polyphenols. Chlorogenic acid was found as the main compound for the flowers of A. dioica (502.70 ± 25.11 mg/100 g d.w.), while quercitrin was dominant in H. arenarium (424.28 ± 21.21 mg/100 g d.w.) in 70% v/v ethanolic extracts before hydrolysis. Antioxidant capacity assays showed an important antioxidant potential, which can be correlated with the determined polyphenolic compounds, showing the 70% v/v ethanolic extracts of the two species as being the most effective antioxidant samples for the DPPH assay. Antibacterial and antifungal assays confirm a modest biological potential for the same extract of both species. Results obtained in the present study bring important data and offer scientific evidence on the chemical composition and on the biological activities of the flowers belonging to the two species
Comparative Studies on Polyphenolic Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Schisandra chinensis Leaves and Fruits
The aim of this paper was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and the polyphenolic content of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. leaves and fruits. The leaves are an important source of flavonoids (35.10 ± 1.23 mg RE/g plant material). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the polyphenolic compounds were achieved using a HPLC-UV-MS method. The main flavonoid from the leaves was isoquercitrin (2486.18 ± 5.72 μg/g plant material), followed by quercitrin (1645.14 ± 2.12 μg/g plant material). Regarding the fruit composition, the dominant compound there was rutin (13.02 ± 0.21 μg/g plant material), but comparing with the leaves, fruits can be considered a poor source of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, TEAC, hemoglobin ascorbate peroxidase activity inhibition (HAPX), inhibition of lipid peroxidation catalyzed by cytochrome c and EPR spectroscopic assays, revealing a better antioxidant activity for the S. chinensis leaves extract. In the antimicrobial assay, S. chinensis leaves extract showed efficient activities against the targeted bacteria, being more active than the fruits extract. The results suggest the leaves of S. chinensis as a valuable source of antioxidant compounds with significant antioxidant activity