Essential oil composition and antimicrobial activity of Ballota nigra L. ssp foetida.

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Ballota nigra L. ssp foetida obtained from the flowering aerial parts was analyzed by GC/MS. From the 37 identified constituents of the oil, β-caryophyllene (20.0%), germacrene D (18.0%) and caryophyllene oxide (15.0%) were the major components. The oil was active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as against three Candida species

Biological potential of an ethanolic extract from “Mela Rosa Marchigiana” pulp callus culture

The biological effects of the ethanolic extract from Mela Rosa Marchigiana pulp callus were investigated. In terms of the antioxidant activity, the extract exhibited free radical scavenging activity of 67% and 39% using the DPPH assay and ABTS assay respectively. Furthermore, it reduced the ROS production in the keratinocyte cell model of H2O2 induced oxidative stress. The genoprotective effect was evaluated using the DNA nicking assay, which revealed significant protection up to 70%. The anti-inflammatory response was detected at 0.5 mg/ml through the release of nitric oxide using bacterial LPS and RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, preliminary studies on keratinocytes suggested a possible positive effect of the extract on mitochondrial biogenesis and wound healing. The obtained results encourage further studies to deep the biological effects of this callus with the future objective to propose a product for nutraceutical, cosmetic and food-tech industries, as well as an alternative to normal ways of chemical synthesis

In vitro Plant Regeneration from Callus of Citrus x monstruosa (Pompia), an Endemic Citrus of Sardinia

A regeneration protocol was developed from callus obtained from various explants taken from in vitro cultured seedlings (root, leaf and stem internodes) of Citrus x monstruosa. The best treatment in terms of response frequency and mean number of shoots for explants was 35.0 μM BA with 5.5 uM NAA. The best shoot regeneration was obtained with internodal stem segments cut longitudinally with the cut surface in contact with the culture medium and pre-treatment of 21 days of these explants in darkness. The best rooting of explants was obtained on half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with either NAA or IBA at 5.4 μM and 2.5 μM, respectively. Hardening of Citrus x monstruosa was accomplished in 40 days, with 95% survival rate

Prunus spinosa fresh fruit juice: antioxidant activity in cell-free and cellular systems.

The antioxidant activity was assessed of fresh juice from Prunus spinosa L. fruit (Rosaceae) growing wild in Urbino (central Italy) by using different cell-free in vitro analytical methods: 5-lipoxygenase test, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Trolox was used as the reference antioxidant compound. In the 5-lipoxygenase and DPPH tests the fresh fruit juice of P. spinosa showed good antioxidant activity when compared with Trolox, while the ORAC value was 36.0 μmol eq. Trolox /g of fruit. These values are in accord with data reported in the literature for small fruits such as Vaccinium, Rubus and Ribes. The antioxidant capacity in cell-free systems of P. spinosa juice has been compared with its cytoprotective – bona fide antioxidant activity in cultured human promonocytes (U937 cells) exposed to hydrogen peroxide. The antioxidant activity of red berries has been correlated with their anthocyanin content. The results of this study indicate that the three most representative anthocyanins in P.spinosa fruit juice (cyanidin-3-rutinoside, peonidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside) are likely to play an important role in its antioxidant properties

Ferulago campestris Essential Oil as Active Ingredient in Chitosan Seed-Coating: Chemical Analyses, Allelopathic Effects, and Protective Activity against the Common Bean Pest Acanthoscelides obtectus

Ferulago campestris is an aromatic plant, distributed in Mediterranean Europe, and a source of essential oils (EOs) regarded as promising alternatives to synthetic herbicides and pesticides. F. campestris EO, hydrodistilled and analyzed, was tested for its antigerminative activity and for its effect on radicle elongation, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and lipid peroxidation on four infesting weed species (Papaver rhoeas, Taraxacum campylodes, Poa annua, and Setaria verticillata) and on Phaseolus vulgaris. Its repellent ability was also tested against Acanthoscelides obtectus, a pest commonly affecting P. vulgaris during storage. Moreover, a chitosan coating layer was developed with the addition of F. campestris EO and tested for its toxic and oviposition-deterring effects against A. obtectus. Myrcene, -pinene, and -terpinene were detected as the main compounds in F. campestris EO. The EO demonstrated a selective in vitro antigerminative activity towards the weed species, without affecting the bean seeds. Moreover, the chitosan coating layer exerted a dose-dependent repellent effect against A. obtectus adults, thus effectively protecting the bean seeds, while preserving their germinative ability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a chitosan–EO coating proposed with the aim of protecting bean seeds for sowing from insect attack

Antioxidant Activity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Extracts in Cell-free and Cell culture Systems

Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) fruits have been widely used in folk medicine; a number of therapeutic properties of pomegranate preparations has been reported (Duke and Ayensu, 1985), including vermifugal, taenicidal, astringent, antispasmodic, antihysteric, diuretic, carminative, emmenagogue and antiinflammatory. More recently, De Nigris et al. (2005) reported that pomegranate juice may exert a preventive role in atherosclerotic disease. These actions have been ascribed to the presence of anthocyanins, cyanidin, ellagitannins, punicalagin and vitamin C. It has been reported (Gil et al., 2000) that industrial pomegranate juice (obtained from both arils and rinds) displays antioxidant activity against reactive oxygen species; this activity has been found to be higher than that of red wine and green tea; arils-only juice seems to be less active than whole fruit juice. Further studies, including one from our group (Ricci et al., in press), dealt with the antioxidant activity of whole, arils or rinds pomegranate juices/extracts: however, these research works have been carried out exclusively in cell-free systems

Cytoprotective effect of preparations from various parts of Punica granatum L. fruits in oxidatively injured mammalian cells in comparison with their antioxidant capacity in cell free systems

none9Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice (PJ) is being increasingly proposed as a nutritional supplement to prevent atherosclerosis in humans. This therapeutically valuable potential has been attributed to PJ antioxidant capacity which has been mostly tested by means of cell-free assays: indeed, to the best of our knowledge, no study has focused on the direct antioxidant capacity of PJ in cultured cells. Here, the antioxidant capacity in cell free-systems of preparations from various parts of pomegranate has been compared with their cytoprotective – bona fide antioxidant – activity in cultured human cells (U937 promonocytes and HUVEC endothelial cells) exposed to an array of oxidizing agents. Pomegranate derivatives were PJ, arils only juice (AJ) and aqueous rinds extract (RE). In cell-free assays – 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), chemiluminescence luminol/xanthine/xanthine oxidase and lipoxygenase assays – all the preparations displayed good antioxidant capacity, the relative potency order being RE > PJ > AJ. On the contrary, only RE was capable of preventing the deleterious effects – cytotoxicity, DNA damage and depletion of non protein sulphydrils (NPSH) pool – caused by treatment of cells with H2O2, tert-butylhydroperoxide (tB-OOH) or oxidized lipoproteins (Ox-LDL) via a mechanism which is likely to involve both direct scavenging of radical species and iron chelation. Surprisingly, AJ and PJ slightly sensitized cells to the cytotoxic effects of the three agents. Then it would appear that AJ, the major and tasty part of PJ, does not contain ellagic acid and punicalagin (i.e. the polyphenols highly represented in RE which are reputed to be responsible for the antioxidant capacity) in amounts sufficient to exert cytoprotection in oxidatively injured, living cells. Based on these results, the development and evaluation of rinds-only based derivatives for antiatherogenic preventive purposes in humans should be encouraged.openSESTILI P; MARTINELLI C; RICCI D; FRATERNALE D; BUCCHINI A; GIAMPERI L; CURCIO R; PICCOLI G; STOCCHI V.Sestili, Piero; Martinelli, Chiara; Ricci, Donata; Fraternale, Daniele; Bucchini, ANAHI ELENA ADA; Giamperi, Laura; Curcio, R; Piccoli, Giovanni; Stocchi, Vilbert

Cydonia oblonga Mill. Pulp Callus Inhibits Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Injured Cells

The pharmacological activity of a callus extract from the pulp of Cydonia oblonga Mill., also known as quince, was investigated in murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) and human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell lines. In particular, the anti-inflammatory activity of C. oblonga Mill. pulp callus extract was assessed in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 by the Griess test and in LPS-treated HaCaT human keratinocytes by examining the expression of genes involved in the inflammatory process, including nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 (IL-1 ), nuclear factor-kappa-B inhibitor alfa (ikB ), and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by quantizing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide-injured HaCaT cell line. The obtained results indicate that C. oblonga callus from fruit pulp extract has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, suggesting its possible application in delaying and preventing acute or chronic diseases associated with aging or in the treatment of wound dressing

Extracellular pH, osmolarity, temperature and humidity could discourage SARS-CoV-2 cell docking and propagation via intercellular signaling pathways

open9sì: The COVID-19 pandemic and its virus variants continue to pose a serious and long-lasting threat worldwide. To combat the pandemic, the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign is currently ongoing. As of July 19th 2021, 26.2% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (1.04 billion), and one billion has been fully vaccinated, with very high vaccination rates in countries like Israel, Malta, and the UEA. Conversely, only 1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose with examples of vaccination frequency as low as 0.07% in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is thus of paramount importance that more research on alternate methods to counter cell infection and propagation is undertaken that could be implemented in low-income countries. Moreover, an adjunctive therapeutic intervention would help to avoid disease exacerbation in high-rate vaccinated countries too. Based on experimental biochemical evidence on viral cell fusion and propagation, herein we identify (i) extracellular pH (epH), (ii) temperature, and (iii) humidity and osmolarity as critical factors. These factors are here in discussed along with their implications on mucus thick layer, proteases, abundance of sialic acid, vascular permeability and exudate/edema. Heated, humidified air containing sodium bicarbonate has long been used in the treatment of certain diseases, and here we argue that warm inhalation of sodium bicarbonate might successfully target these endpoints. Although we highlight the molecular/cellular basis and the signalling pathways to support this intervention, we underscore the need for clinical investigations to encourage further research and clinical trials. In addition, we think that such an approach is also important in light of the high mutation rate of this virus originating from a rapid increase.openCicconetti, Franco; Sestili, Piero; Madiai, Valeria; Albertini, Maria Cristina; Campanella, Luigi; Coppari, Sofia; Fraternale, Daniele; Saunders, Bryan; Teodori, LauraCicconetti, Franco; Sestili, Piero; Madiai, Valeria; Albertini, Maria Cristina; Campanella, Luigi; Coppari, Sofia; Fraternale, Daniele; Saunders, Bryan; Teodori, Laur