Thermal treatment of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) increases the antioxidant content and the inhibitory effect on human neutrophil burst.

The aim of this study was to compare the amount and activity of phytonutrients in raw, grilled, and boiled eggplant fruit using chemical measures and a biological assay of oxidative bursts in human neutrophils. The thermally treated samples showed various changes in their chemical composition (dry matter, soluble solids, acidity, and the amount of alcohol insoluble substances) due to the cooking processes and were much richer in the main phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic and caffeic acids, which are known to be antioxidants. Consequently, their free radical scavenging activity was significantly higher, especially that of superoxide anion. The biological assay of oxidative bursts from human neutrophils in the presence of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine confirmed the greater activity of extracts of the cooked eggplants with respect to raw eggplants. Successive extract dilutions showed a significant activity up to 1.25 microg/mL after cooking, while raw fruits resulted in an activity up to 10.00 microg/mL. These results showed that the thermal treatment commonly used before consumption can increase the content and biological activity of antioxidant compounds of eggplants.

Vaginal gel adsorption and retention by human vaginal cells: visual analysis by means of inorganic and organic markers.

To improve efficiency and prolong protection, modern gynecological preparations frequently incorporate polymeric molecules that add a certain degree of viscosity in order to increase adhesion with vaginal cells and prolong local delivery of active molecules. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of visualising the ability of a commercial medicated gynecological gel to bind to and be retained by human vaginal cells. The gel formulation included the essential oils of Thymus vulgaris and Eugenia cariophylla, which contain active molecules such as thymol and eugenol that are known to have useful antibacterial and antimycotic activities. The adherence of different dilutions of the gel to human vaginal cells was visualised by means of Nomarski interference contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy using ferric oxide particles and Escherichia coli as inorganic and organic markers, both of which made it possible to visualise the binding of the thin transparent layer of gel and the retaining effect, which was proportional to the degree of dilution.