Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of the volatile oil compounds from Tropaeolum majus L. (Nasturtium)

This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of some chemical compounds of the volatile oil extracted from Tropaeolum majus L. The chemical compounds extracted from the flowers and leaves of T. majus L. have been identified through color reactions and gas-chromatographic analysis combined with mass spectrometry. Quantitative testing and the ascertaining of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) have been done through the binary micro dilution method for liquid environments against the following microbial types and species. The qualitative evaluation of the sensitivity of microbial stems against these compounds has been done through methods that have been adapted from the diffusimetric method. Of the qualitative methods used for the control of the antimicrobial activity, the method of diffusion on filter paper discs proved to be the most efficient, the results correlating well with the MIC. Our studies have demonstrated the efficiency of the natural compounds’ of T. majus L. in anti-inflammatory treatments in animals. The antimicrobial activity proved to be selective, depending on the pathogen. These results are in agreement with those of other studies. Our results supported the selection and utilization of these compounds’ as antimicrobial agents in the treatment of infections with microorganisms resistant to existent antibiotics.Key words: Chemical compounds, Tropaeolum majus L, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity

F-transforms for the definition of contextual fuzzy partitions

Fuzzy partitions can be defined in many different ways, but usually, it is done taking into account the whole universe. In this paper, we present a method to define fuzzy partitions according to those elements in the universe holding certain fuzzy attribute. Specifically, we show how to define those fuzzy partitions by means of F-transforms.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science by the projects TIN15-70266-C2-P-1 and TIN2016-76653-

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop. This study evaluated the occurrence of parasitoids in eggs of the stink bug, Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius, 1794) (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) found on lettuce crop in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Samples were collected in the vegetable garden "Cheiro Verde", in the municipality of Tangará da Serra, in curly lettuce. A bed of lettuce was selected randomly, where the eggs of E. meditabunda were collected. Five-hundred and seventy eight eggs of E. meditabunda were collected, 86.3% of them parasitized by Telenomus podisi Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), Trissolcus urichi Crawford, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) and Neorileya albipes Girault, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae), representing respectively 57.0%, 38.2% and 4.8% of the emerged individuals. This is the first record of these three species parasitizing eggs of E. meditabunda in lettuce.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Pearl Millet: a green bridge for Lepidopteran Pests.

Abstract: This study evaluated the occurrence of lepidopteran pests on millet cultivated in off-season in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Larvae were collected from May to July 2013 in an area of 145 hectares located in Tangará da Serra, MT. After being collected, caterpillars were kept in the laboratory and fed an artificial diet until the pupal stage. After emergence, adults were dry mounted, identified, and deposited in the entomological collection of Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Adults obtained from 117 caterpillars were identified as Mocis latipes (Guenée), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), H. zea (Boddie), Mythimna (Pseudaletia) sequax Franclemont, Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus), and Leucania latiuscula Herrich-Schäffer. This study describes the first record of lepidopteran pests on millet plants in the state of Mato Grosso, and the incidence of lepidopterans in the system that uses millet as cover crop represents a risk of the occurrence of insect pests on subsequent crops on the straw of this grass

Lepidópteros ocorrentes na safra e entressafra da soja no sudoeste do Mato Grosso.

Esta pesquisa verificou a ocorrência de lepidópteros desfolhadores durante a safra e entressafra da soja na região sudoeste do estado de Mato Grosso. O estudo foi conduzido na fazenda Aparecida da Serra (14°18'59"S, 57°45'16"W) (14°20'23"S, 57°42'39"W), localizada entre os municípios de Tangará da Serra e Nova Marilândia. No cultivo da soja (TMG 132RR), as coletas foram na safra 2012/13, em um talhão de 50 ha. Foram avaliados quatro transectos contendo 10 estacas cada, distantes 50 metros entre si, totalizando 40 pontos de coleta. Durante a entressafra, as avaliações ocorreram em um talhão de 145 ha contendo milheto (ADR 7010) e próximo ao cultivo de soja anterior. Nesse, foram estabelecidos 12 pontos de coleta, distribuídos em um transecto, cuja distância foi de 67 metros entre cada ponto, e de 134 m a cada quatro pontos. Na soja, 10 coletas foram feitas semanalmente (dezembro a fevereiro) com pano-de-batida, e no milheto, oito coletas quinzenalmente (maio a julho) por metro linear, além de coleta manual, por procura ativa, em ambos. O manejo utilizado pelo produtor na soja foi com defensivos químicos e, no milheto, não houve aplicação de produtos. Os lepidópteros coletados na soja foram Chrysodeixis includens Walker), Spodoptera sp., Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) e Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner. No milheto ocorreram os noctuídeos Mocis latipes (Guenée), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), Helicoverpa sp., Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Mythimna sequax Franclemont, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), Leucania latiuscula Herrich-Schäffer, o hesperíideo Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus), e um espécime de Geometridae. Conclui-se que o número de lepidópteros foi maior no milheto do que na soja, e, que exemplares da sub-família Heliothiinae e do gênero Spodoptera estiveram presentes durante os dois cultivos avaliados. Estes resultados contribuem para o conhecimento do complexo de insetos ocorrentes na safra e entressafra da soja e, potencialmente, para o manejo integrado de pragas

Apigenin role as cell-signaling pathways modulator: implications in cancer prevention and treatment

Cancer is a complex disease orchestrated by various extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. In recent years, there has been a keen interest towards the development of natural extracts-based cancer therapeutics with minimum adverse effects. In pursuit of effective strategy, a wide variety of natural products-derived compounds have been addressed for their anticancer effects. Apigenin is a naturally-occurring flavonoid present abundantly in various fruits and vegetables. Decades of research have delineated the pharmacological and biological properties of apigenin. Specifically, the apigenin-mediated anticancer activities have been documented in various types of cancer, but the generalized scientific evidence encompassing various molecular interactions and processes, such as regulation of the apoptotic machinery, aberrant cell signaling and oncogenic protein network have not been comprehensively covered. In this sense, in this review we have attempted to focus on the apigenin-mediated regulation of oncogenic pathways in various cancers. We have also addressed the cutting-edge research which has unveiled the remarkable abilities of apigenin to interact with microRNAs to modulate key cellular processes, with special emphasis on the nano-formulations of apigenin that can help their targeted delivery and can be a therapeutic solution for the treatment of various cancers.N.C.-M. acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/28076/2017)

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop. This study evaluated the occurrence of parasitoids in eggs of the stink bug, Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius, 1794) (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) found on lettuce crop in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Samples were collected in the vegetable garden "Cheiro Verde", in the municipality of Tangará da Serra, in curly lettuce. A bed of lettuce was selected randomly, where the eggs of E. meditabunda were collected. Five-hundred and seventy eight eggs of E. meditabunda were collected, 86.3% of them parasitized by Telenomus podisi Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), Trissolcus urichi Crawford, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) and Neorileya albipes Girault, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae), representing respectively 57.0%, 38.2% and 4.8% of the emerged individuals. This is the first record of these three species parasitizing eggs of E. meditabunda in lettuce.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Sharp and fuzzy observables on effect algebras

Observables on effect algebras and their fuzzy versions obtained by means of confidence measures (Markov kernels) are studied. It is shown that, on effect algebras with the (E)-property, given an observable and a confidence measure, there exists a fuzzy version of the observable. Ordering of observables according to their fuzzy properties is introduced, and some minimality conditions with respect to this ordering are found. Applications of some results of classical theory of experiments are considered.Comment: 23 page