Pre-harvest herbicide application reduces the Italian ryegrass seed viability.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a troublesome weed found in temperate agricultural fields, wherein the future infestations depend on the soil seed bank. The aim of this research was to evaluate Italian ryegrass seed viability subjected to herbicide application in different phenological stages of development. Experiments were carried out in a completely randomized experimental design with four repetitions. Paraquat, ammonium-glufosinate, iodosulfuron-methyl and clethodim herbicides were applied in three development stages (pre-spike, anthesis, and grain filling) and compared to the control. The effects were evaluated by percentage of control at seven, 14, and 28 days after application (DAA), seeds per plant, 1000 seeds weight, and percentage of germination, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds, viable and non-viable dormant seeds. Control was greater than 97% at 28 DAA, with a decrease of more 90% for seed per plant, and strong reduction of 1000 seeds weight for the herbicides applied up to the anthesis stage. At the grain filling stage, clethodim reduced seed production by 18% and 1000-seeds weight by 36% compared to the control. Ammonium-glufosinate and paraquat herbicides applied up to the anthesis stage reduced seed viability by more than 98%. Overall, herbicide application reduces seed production, seed weight and viability, especially when applied before the grain filling stage. Highlighted Conclusions 1. Herbicide application up to the anthesis developmental stages reduces seed production, 1000 seeds weight, and seed viability. 2. Paraquat was the best herbicide to reduce seed production per plant, 1000-seeds weight and, viability of Italian ryegrass seeds, regardless of development stages. 3. Reducing future infestations of Italian ryegrass in cropping systems depends on herbicide application before the grain filling

Araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine): bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibition.

A fruta araçá tem sido destacada por suas diferentes atividades biológicas como antioxidante, antiproliferativa e antimicrobiana, além de inibidores de enzimas digestivas. A enzima digestiva lipase tem papel fundamental no metabolismo lipídico, e sua inibição tem sido estudada como alvo para o tratamento da obesidade. Este estudo teve como objetivo quantificar os compostos bioativos presentes em diferentes partes do fruto do araçá e avaliar sua atividade antioxidante e propriedades de inibição da lipase. Três amostras foram analisadas quanto a antocianinas totais, compostos fenólicos totais, atividade antioxidante e inibição da lipase pancreática. Antocianinas foram encontradas apenas na polpa-casca da amostra de araçá vermelho. A concentração de compostos fenólicos foi maior na polpa-casca do que nas sementes para todas as amostras. A atividade antioxidante seguiu a mesma tendência. Os compostos fenólicos totais, a atividade antioxidante e a inibição da lipase apresentaram uma correlação positiva. A atividade de inibição da lipase foi ligeiramente superior para a polpa-casca em comparação com as sementes. No geral, os resultados revelaram que os extratos da fruta do araçá podem ser benéficos para o tratamento da obesidade

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of Aqueous Extract and Essential Oil of Thymus Serrulatus Hochst. Ex Benth.

Thymus serrulatus, an endemic plant of Ethiopia, is traditionally used to cure various diseases and as a food ingredient. In the Ethiopian folk medicine, the decoction is orally taken as a remedy to treat diabetes and high blood pressure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects of the aqueous extract and of the essential oil of Thymus serrulatus. The chemical composition of the aqueous extract was determined by LC-MS and the essential oil was characterized by GC-MS analysis. Radical scavenging assays, namely scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH?), hydroxyl (?OH), and nitric oxide (?NO), were used as a first approach to screen the potential antioxidant abilities of the samples. Alpha-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory studies were also employed to evaluate the in vitro antihyperglycemic potential of the plant. The in vivo blood glucose lowering effect of the extracts was assessed using hypoglycemic activity and the oral glucose tolerance test in normal and in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. When compared to the aqueous extract, the essential oil showed superior radical scavenging activity, particularly for ?NO, as well as greater inhibitory potency against α-amylase and α-glucosidase (IC50 0.01 mg/ml and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively). Both tested samples showed a statistically significant antihyperglycemic effect. The aqueous extract at 600 mg/kg exerted maximum antihyperglycemic activity (44.14%), followed by the essential oil (30.82%). Body weight and glucose tolerance parameters were also improved by the samples both in normal and diabetic mice. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that aqueous extract and essential oil of T. serrulatus are promising therapeutic agents

Phenolic-rich apple extracts have photoprotective and anti-cancer effect in dermal cells.

Skin cancer is the most common type of malignancy in light-skinned populations and phenolics are promising anticarcinogenic agents.To characterise and evaluate the protective potential of apple extracts against the DNA damage caused by UV-radiation in culture of human fibroblasts as well as to verify the anticarcinogenic effect of these extracts in murine and human melanoma cells