Effect of Drought Stress on Essential Oil Composition of Thymus vulgaris L. (Chemotype 1, 8-cineole) from wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula

[EN] 1,8-cineole defines a typical chemotype of Thymus vulgaris L. in Iberian Peninsula. This compound has a wide range of potentially useful bioactive properties. In order to study the influence of drought stress in the essential oil (EO) composition of this chemotype, sixty plants from six wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula were distilled and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The harvest dates (May and August) were selected in such a way that the typical summer drought in Mediterranean climates was the critical factor affecting EO composition. Despite the high intrapopulational variability, significant increases of 1,8-cineole were found after the drought period (21.8%-43.2%, in May, up to 42.6%-68.5% in August). On the other hand, individuals from one of the populations showed different profiles rich in linalool and camphor or sesquiterpenoid compounds, such as a-cadinol.Llorens Molina, JA.; Vacas González, S. (2016). Effect of Drought Stress on Essential Oil Composition of Thymus vulgaris L. (Chemotype 1, 8-cineole) from wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 29(2):145-155. doi:10.1080/10412905.2016.1211561S14515529

A chromosome-level Amaranthus cruentus genome assembly highlights gene family evolution and biosynthetic gene clusters that may underpin the nutritional value of this traditional crop

Traditional crops historically provided accessible and affordable nutrition to millions of rural dwellers but have been neglected, with most modern agricultural systems over reliant on a small number of internationally-traded crops. Traditional crops are typically well-adapted to local agro-ecological conditions and many are nutrient-dense. They can play a vital role in local food systems through enhanced nutrition (especially where diets are dominated by starch crops), food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers, and a climate-resilient and biodiverse agriculture. Using short-read, long-read and phased sequencing technologies we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly for Amaranthus cruentus, an under-researched crop with micronutrient- and protein-rich leaves and gluten-free seed, but lacking improved varieties, with respect to productivity and quality traits. The 370.9 MB genome demonstrates a shared whole genome duplication with a related species, Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Comparative genome analysis indicates chromosomal loss and fusion events following genome duplication that are common to both species, as well as fission of chromosome 2 in A. cruentus alone, giving rise to a haploid chromosome number of 17 (versus 16 in A. hypochondriacus). Genomic features potentially underlying the nutritional value of this crop include two A. cruentus-specific genes with a likely role in phytic acid synthesis (an anti-nutrient), expansion of ion transporter gene families, and identification of biosynthetic gene clusters conserved within the amaranth lineage. The A. cruentus genome assembly will underpin much-needed research and global breeding efforts to develop improved varieties for economically viable cultivation and realisation of the benefits to global nutrition security and agrobiodiversity

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Aroma profile and total phenolics of hop cones and pellets /

Hops are the flowers (cones) of hop plant Humulus lupulus L., a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. Hops are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stabilizing agent in beer; they also valued in herbal medicine for their sedative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, antitumor, anticarcinogenic and other properties. The mentioned health-beneficial effects are attributed to the structural diversity of secondary metabolites present in hops [1-4]. The aim of this study was to compare chemical composition and aroma profile of hop cones (Lithuanian origin) and commercial pellets (German origin), and determine the total phenolic content (TPC) in EOs (essential oils) and WEs (water extracts). Before analysis cones (C) and pellets (P) were ground by an ultra-centrifugal mill ZM 200 using a 0.5 mm hole size sieve. The aroma compounds of hops C and P were collected by headspace solid phase microextraction and analysed by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPMEGC- TOFMS). The EOs were hydrodistilled (HD) in Clevenger type apparatus and further analysed by GCTOFMS. Proximate composition was determined by the standard AOAC methods, total amount of phenolic compounds (TPC) was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu method. It was determined that C were characterized by higher moisture and lipid content, while P were of higher ash and dry matter content: C and P consist of moisture (9.9 and 8.2%), ash (6.6 and 7.7%), lipid (13.9 and 10.4%) and vitamin C (9.9 mg%), respectively. The yields of EO varied from 0.18 (C) to 0.41% (P). The residues after HD were separated to liquid and solid fractions by filtration. The liquid fractions were lyophilized resulting in WEs, yielding from 24.9% (C-WE) to 30.8% (P-WE), respectively. Solid residues yielded from 57.5% (P) to 59.8% (C) of the initial hop raw material subjected to HD. [...]