Antifungal, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity activities of three varieties of Labisia pumila benth : from microwave obtained extracts.

Background: Labisia pumila, locally known as Kacip Fatimah, is a forest-floor plant that has tremendous potential in the herbal industry. It is one of the five herbal plants identified by the government as one of the national key economic areas to be developed for commercial purposes. There are three varieties of L. pumila namely, L. pumila var. pumila, L. pumila var. alata and L. pumila var. lanceolata and each has its own use.Methods: The leaves and roots of the three varieties of L. pumila Benth. were extracted using microwave assisted extraction (MAE). Antifungal activity of all plant extracts were characterized against Fusarium sp., Candida sp. and Mucor using the agar diffusion disc. Anti-inflammatory assays were performed using NO production by macrophage RAW 264.7 cell lines induced by LPS/IFN-g and cytotoxic activity was determined using several cancer cell lines and one normal cell line.Results: The overall result demonstrated that leaf and root extracts of all three varieties of L. pumila exhibited moderate to appreciable antifungal activity against Fusarium sp., Candida sp. and Mucor compared to streptomycin used as positive control. Leaf and root extracts of all varieties significantly decreased NO release. However, the root extracts showed higher activity compared to the leaf extracts. Cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and Chang cell lines were observed with all extracts.Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential use of L. pumila Benth. as a natural medicine and indicated the possible application of this medicinal plant such anti inflammatory activity and cytotoxic agents

Chemical and physical methodologies for the replacement/reduction of sulfur dioxide use during winemaking: review of their potentialities and limitations

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) is probably one of the most versatile and efficient additives used in winemaking due to its antiseptic and antioxidant properties. This compound is also important for minimizing phenolic polymerization rate and color loss during wine aging. However, allergies caused by SO 2 -derived compounds, namely the sulfites, are becoming more frequent, causing symptoms such as headaches, nausea, gastric irritation, and breathing difficulties in asthma patients. Consequently, the legislated maximum concentration of SO 2 allowed in wines has been gradually reduced. For this reason, it is crucial in a competitive global winemaking market strategy, to reduce or even eliminate the use of SO 2 as a preservative and to search for new healthier and safe strategies. This work gives an overview of the main methodologies that have been proposed so far and that have potential to be used in winemaking as an alternative to SO 2 . The addition of compounds such as dimethyl dicarbonate, bacteriocins, phenolic compounds, and lysozyme, and the use of physical methods, namely pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, ultraviolet radiation, and high pressure are discussed and critically evaluated