Anesthesia of Epinephelus marginatus with essential oil of Aloysia polystachya: an approach on blood parameters

This study investigated the anesthetic potential of the essential oil (EO) of Aloysia polystachya in juveniles of dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus). Fish were exposed to different concentrations of EO of A. polystachya to evaluate time of induction and recovery from anesthesia. In the second experiment, fish were divided into four groups: control, ethanol and 50 or 300 mu L L-1 EO of A. polystachya, and each group was submitted to induction for 3.5 min and recovery for 5 or 10 min. The blood gases and glucose levels showed alterations as a function of the recovery times, but Na+ and K+ levels did not show any alteration. In conclusion, the EO from leaves of A. polystachya is an effective anesthetic for dusky grouper, because anesthesia was reached within the recommended time at EO concentrations of 300 and 400 mu L L-1. However, most evaluated blood parameters showed compensatory responses due to EO exposure.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul/Programa de Apoio a Nucleos de Excelencia (FAPERGS/PRONEX) [10/0016-8]; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) [470964/2009-0]; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, Brazil (CAPES)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clinopodium gilliesii (Benth.) Kuntze

Clinopodium gilliesii (Benth.) Kuntze is an aromatic species from the Andean region, from southern Peru to northern-central Argentina. It is mainly known as muña-muña and its leaves and tender stems are used as a flavoring and medicinal: stimulant, against mountain sickness, aphrodisiac, digestive, antispasmodic, among others traditional uses. Its bioactive constituents are essential oils, to which the plant owes its aroma and many of its therapeutic properties. The presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds has also been detected. The essential oil composition of aerial organs is variable according to geographical location and ecological conditions, soil-type, weather-conditions and altitude of the population. Regarding its popular uses, the majority of uses has not been validate by pre-clinical tests, therefore they require experimental founding. Some of its biological activities, e.g.: aphrodisiac (in particular, erectile dysfunction), against some gastrointestinal disorders, antibacterial, antifungal, antiplasmodial, trypanocidal, insect repellent, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities have already been analyzed. Some data about the similar species: C. bolivianum (Benth.) Kuntze and C. odorun (Griseb.) Harley is additionally commented.Fil: Hurrell, Julio Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentin

Nanocatalysis: size- and shape-dependent chemisorption and catalytic reactivity

In recent years, the field of catalysis has experienced an astonishing transformation, driven in part by more demanding environmental standards and critical societal and industrial needs such as the search for alternative energy sources. Thanks to the advent of nanotechnology, major steps have been made towards the rational design of novel catalysts. Striking new catalytic properties, including greatly enhanced reactivities and selectivities, have been reported for nanoparticle (NP) catalysts as compared to their bulk counterparts. However, in order to harness the power of these nanocatalysts, a detailed understanding of the origin of their enhanced performance is needed. The present review focuses on the role of the NP size and shape on chemisorption and catalytic performance. Since homogeneity in NP size and shape is a prerequisite for the understanding of structure–reactivity correlations, we first review different synthesis methods that result in narrow NP size distributions and shape controlled NPs. Next, size-dependent phenomena which influence the chemical reactivity of NPs, including quantum size-effects and the presence of under-coordinated surface atoms are examined. The effect of the NP shape on catalytic performance is discussed and explained based on the existence of different atomic structures on the NP surface with distinct chemisorption properties. The influence of additional factors, such as the oxidation state of the NPs and NP–support interactions, is also considered in the frame of the size- and shape-dependency that these phenomena present. Ultimately, our review highlights the importance of achieving a systematic understanding of the factors that control the activity and selectivity of a catalyst in order to avoid trial and error methods in the rational design of the new generation of nanocatalysts with properties tunable at the atomic level