Vitex agnus-castus L.: Essential oil increases human erythrocyte membrane fluidity

Fluidnost membrane eritrocita uslovljava njihove reološke karakteristike, svojevrsne dinamičke kvalitete, izmenjene u hipertenziji i aterosklerozi. Rizik od navedenih i drugih kardiovaskularnih oboljenja se kod žena povećava sa starenjem. Tegobe koje prate menopauzu se obično ublažavaju supstitucionom hormonskom terapijom, koja može povećati rizik od pojave malignih oboljenja. Esencijalno ulje biljke Vitex agnus-castus L. sadrži različita organska jedinjenja (monoterpene, seskviterpene i terpenoide) i sve češće se koristi kao alternativno terapijsko sredstvo za simptome menopauze. Navedene komponente esencijalnog ulja mogu se ugraditi u ćelijske membrane i menjati njihovu fluidnost. Cilj studije bio je da se utvrde efekti esencijalnog ulja biljke Vitex agnus-castus na fluidnost membrane eritrocita po njenoj du bini. Korišćena je spektroskopija elektronske paramagnetne rezonance i masnokiselinske spinske probe (5-doksil stearinska i 12-doksil stearinska kiselina), čiji spektri za vise od fluidnosti membrane. Nakon tretmana eritrocita esencijalnim uljem biljke Vitex agnus-castus utvrđeno je značajno (p=0,029) i reverzibilno povećanje fluidnosti njihove membrane u dubljim, hidrofobnim regionima, dok u površinskim, hidrofilnim regionima eritrocitne membrane nisu utvrđene značajne promene (p>0,05). Ovi rezultati ukazuju na povećanje fluidnosti eritrocitne membrane nakon tretmana esencijalnim uljem biljke Vitex agnus-castus, što može biti koristan efekat pri tretmanu pacijentkinja sa hipertenzijom i drugim kardiovaskularnim oboljenjima u menopauzi.Erythrocyte membrane fluidity is related to their rheologic behavior, the dynamic quality of erythrocytes, which is tempted in hypertension and atherosclerosis. An increased risk of these and other cardiovascular diseases occurs in ageing women. Menopause-related conditions are often treated with hormone replacement therapy that may increase the risk of malignancies. Vitex agnus-castus L. essential oil contains various organic compounds (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and terpenoids), and is increasingly used as an alternative therapy for menopausal symptoms. These components of the oil may be incorporated into cell membranes, thereby changing the membrane fluidity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Vitex agnuscastus essential oil on human erythrocyte membrane fluidity at graded depths. We used Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy and fatty acid spin probes (5-doxyl stearic acid and 12-doxyl stearic acid), whose spectra depend on membrane fluidity. After treatment with Vitex agnus-castus essential oil the erythrocytes had a significant (p=0.029) and reversible increase in membrane fluidity in the deeper hydrophobic membrane regions, with no change (p>0.05) in fluidity near the membrane's hydrophilic surface. These results document increased fluidity of the human erythrocyte membrane by Vitex agnus-castus essential oil, and this action may be useful in patients with menopause-related hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions

THE EFFECTS OF ESTRADIOL AND HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN ON ACTH CELLS IN PERIPUBERTAL FEMALE RATS: A HISTOLOGICAL AND STEREOLOGICAL STUDY

The effects of estradiol (EDP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on histological and stereological features of adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) cells in peripubertal female rats were examined. The first group of females received five injections of EDP (0.25 mg/kg b.w.), every second day from the 4th to 14th day after birth, and was killed at the peripubertal stage. The second group of females was given two injections of pregnyl-gonadotrophinum chorionicum (HCG; 50 IU/kg body weight) on the 36th and 37th days after birth, and it was killed 24 h after the last treatment. The controls were injected with an equivalent volume of the corresponding vehicle. ACTH cells were immunohistochemically labeled and stereologically evaluated. Stereological analysis showed that the volume of ACTH cells and their volume density in peripubertal females treated with EDP, were decreased by 15.6\% and 53.8\% (p < 0.05), respectively, compared to the controls. In HCG-treated animals, the observed parameters were increased by 39.2\% and 15.4\% (p < 0.05), respectively, in comparison with the control females. These findings suggest that the application of EDP or HCG exerted opposite effects on the stereological features of pituitary ACTH cells.Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia {[}ON 173009

Upcycling of food waste streams to valuable biopigments pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine

&lt;p&gt;Phenazines, including pyocyanin (PYO) and 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-HP) are extracellular&nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/secondary-metabolite"&gt;secondary metabolites&lt;/a&gt;&nbsp;and multifunctional pigments of&nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/pseudomonas-aeruginosa"&gt;Pseudomonas aeruginosa&lt;/a&gt;&nbsp;responsible for its blue-green color. These versatile molecules are electrochemically active, involved in significant biological activities giving fitness to the host, but also recognized as antimicrobial and anticancer agents. Their wider application is still limited partly due to the cost of carbon substrate for production, which can be solved by the utilization of carbon from food waste within the biorefinery concept. In this study, a variety of food waste streams (banana peel, potato peel, potato washing, stale bread, yoghurt, processed meat, boiled eggs and mixed canteen waste) was used as sole nutrient source in submerged cultures of&nbsp;&lt;em&gt;P. aeruginosa&lt;/em&gt;&nbsp;BK25H. Stale bread was identified as the most suitable substrate to support phenazine biopigments production and bacterial growth. This was further increased in 5-liter fermenter when on average 5.2&nbsp;mg&nbsp;L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&nbsp;of PYO and 4.4&nbsp;mg&nbsp;L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&nbsp;of 1-HP were purified after 24&nbsp;h batch cultivations from the fermentation medium consisting of homogenized stale bread in tap water. Purified biopigments showed moderate&nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/antimicrobial-activity"&gt;antimicrobial activity&lt;/a&gt;, and showed different toxicity profiles, with PYO not being toxic against&nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/caenorhabditis-elegans"&gt;Caenorhabditis elegans&lt;/a&gt;, a free-living soil nematode up to 300&nbsp;&micro;g&nbsp;mL&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&nbsp;and 1-HP showing lethal effects at 75&nbsp;&micro;g&nbsp;mL&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;. Therefore, stale bread waste stream with minimal pretreatment should be considered as suitable biorefinery feedstock, as it can support the production of valuable biopigments such as phenazines.&lt;/p&gt