Topical Cyperus rotundus essential oil for treatment of axillary hyperpigmentation: a randomized, double-blind, active- and placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The oil of the grass Cyperus rotundus (purple nutsedge) is an effective and safe treatment option for a variety of conditions. It has anti-inflammatory and antipigmenting properties. There have been no clinical trials comparing topical C. rotundus oil with skin-lightening treatments for axillary hyperpigmentation. AIM: To assess the efficacy of C. rotundus essential oil (CREO) in treating axillary hyperpigmentation, and compare with another active treatment hydroquinone (HQ) and a placebo (cold cream) in this study. METHODS: The study included 153 participants, who were assigned to one of three study groups: CREO, HQ group or placebo group. A tri-stimulus colorimeter was used to assess pigmentation and erythema. Two independent experts completed the Physician Global Assessment, and the patients completed a self-assessment questionnaire. RESULTS: CREO had significantly (P < 0.001) better depigmenting effects than HQ. CREO and HQ did not differ significantly in terms of depigmentation effects (P > 0.05); however, there were statistically significant differences in anti-inflammatory effects and decrease in hair growth (P < 0.05) in favour of CREO. CONCLUSIONS: CREO is a cost-effective and safe treatment for axillary hyperpigmentation.

Genetic variability in G2 and F2 region between biological clones of human respiratory syncytial virus with or without host immune selection pressure

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is an important respiratory pathogens among children between zero-five years old. Host immunity and viral genetic variability are important factors that can make vaccine production difficult. In this work, differences between biological clones of HRSV were detected in clinical samples in the absence and presence of serum collected from children in the convalescent phase of the illness and from their biological mothers. Viral clones were selected by plaque assay in the absence and presence of serum and nucleotide sequences of the G2 and F2 genes of HRSV biological clones were compared. One non-synonymous mutation was found in the F gene (Ile5Asn) in one clone of an HRSV-B sample and one non-synonymous mutation was found in the G gene (Ser291Pro) in four clones of the same HRSV-B sample. Only one of these clones was obtained after treatment with the child's serum. In addition, some synonymous mutations were determined in two clones of the HRSV-A samples. In conclusion, it is possible that minor sequences could be selected by host antibodies contributing to the HRSV evolutionary process, hampering the development of an effective vaccine, since we verify the same codon alteration in absence and presence of human sera in individual clones of BR-85 sample.

Changes in growth, essential oil yield and composition of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) as affected by growing media.

BACKGROUND: Using proper growing medium is known to be an effective way to improve crop growth and yield. However, the effects of growing media on geranium essential oil have scarcely ever been examined in detail. In this research, the effects of different growing media (soil, sand, pumice, perlite and perlite + cocopeat) on growth, oil yield and composition of geranium were studied. RESULTS: Growth was significantly improved in soilless-grown plants compared with soil-grown plants. Oil yield of soilless-grown plants (except for pumice) was about threefold higher than that of soil-grown plants. The increase in oil yield was correlated with higher leaf dry weight (r² = 0.96), as oil content was not affected. The citronellol/geranium ratio of oil was clearly affected by growing media, ranging from 5:1 in soil culture to 3:1 in soilless culture. The latter is acceptable for perfumery. CONCLUSION: Compared with soil, soilless media could produce higher yields of high-quality geranium oil that fits market requirements. Growth, oil yield and composition of plants grown in sand (a cheap and abundant growing medium) were not significantly different from those of plants grown in perlite and perlite + cocopeat.

Essential oil biosynthesis and regulation in the genus Cymbopogon.

Essential oils distilled from Cymbopogon species are of immense commercial value as flavors and fragrances in the perfumery, cosmetics, soaps, and detergents and in pharmaceutical industries. Two major constituents of the essential oil, geraniol and citral, due to their specific rose and lemon like aromas are widely used as flavors, fragrances and cosmetics. Citral is also used for the synthesis of vitamin A and ionones (for example, beta-ionone, methyl ionone). Moreover, Cymbopogon essential oils and constituents possess many useful biological activities including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Despite the immense commercial and biological significance of the Cymbopogon essential oils, little is known about their biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms. So far it is known that essential oils are biosynthesized via the classical acetate-MVA route and existence of a newly discovered MEP pathway in Cymbopogon remains as a topic for investigation. The aim of the present review is to discuss the biosynthesis and regulation of essential oils in the genus Cymbopogon with given emphasis to two elite members, lemongrass (C. flexuosus Nees ex Steud) and palmarosa (C. martinii Roxb.). This article highlights the work done so far towards understanding of essential oil biosynthesis and regulation in the genus Cymbopogon. Also, based on our experiences with Cymbopogon species, we would like to propose C. flexuosus as a model system for the study of essential oil metabolism beyond the much studied plant family Lamiaceae.

Assessment of losses in honey yield due to the chalkbrood disease, with reference to the determination of its economic injury levels in Egypt.

In Egypt, the chalk brood (CHB) disease caused by the fungus, Ascosphaera apis Maassen started again infesting the honeybee, Apis melifera L (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies after a cessation pause of seven to nine years. For the first time, an attempt has been made to look into the problem of the CHB disease from the view point of assessing losses in both clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) and chinus (Chinus molus) honey yields. In this regard, two techniques were adopted. Under the natural conditions of the experimental apiary (first technique), loss in clover honey was 18.412 +/- 0.663%, on average, whereas the average loss in chinus honey was 18.332 +/- 1.536%. In the second technique of loss appraisal (artificial infection). The tested honeybee colonies were artificially infected with four sources of A. apis infection, I.e. black mummies, white mummies, pollen grains and water, in addition to controls to create the so-called "different levels of infection". The mean percentages of losses in clover honey were 30.06 +/- 1.807, 27.95 +/- 1.062; 21.13 +/- 0.987; 16.96 +/- 0.672 and 0.00 +/- 0.00 for black mummies, white mummies, pollen grains, water and control, respectively. Taking into account the relationship between number of resulted mummies in each source of infection and % loss in clover honey, it could be concluded that as the resulted mummies increased, the corresponding clover honey yield decreased in each source of infection. It was noticed that the % loss in clover honey differed as the used technique differed. For example, the percentage loss in clover honey produced from colonies exposed to the natural conditions was relatively less than that of the artificially infected ones. This has been discussed in the text. However, the causative pathogen of CHB disease resulted in serious decrease in honey production. Loss appraisal is a perquisite step for the determination of the economic injury levels (EILs). By regressing % loss in clover honey yield against the total number of fallen mummies, the linear equation was worked out to be: Y = 0.242 + 0.040 x (r2 = 0.99, F = 62408.865). Depending on the total costs of controlling CHB disease, the EIL values were 31.875 and 11.250 mummies/colony for cedar oil and thymol granules, subsequently. As to the chinus honey the corresponding EILs were 18.940 and 6.683 mummies/colony for cedar oil and thymol granules, in respect, as a result of adopting the regression formula: Y = -6.762 + 0.101 X. As for the clover honey (artificial infection) the EIL values were 39.844 and 14.063 mummies/ colony in case of using cedar oil and thymol grains, subsequently. These values were worked out using the formula Y = 5.871 + 0.032 X. From the practical point of view, apiarists should not use thymol or cedar oil as fallen mummies don't reach the suggested EILs values to minimize control costs as much as possible.