Impact of Colored Shade Nets on Biomass Production, Essential Oil Composition and Orientin and Isoorientin Content in Lippia gracilis Schauer.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ChromatiNet on vegetative growth, total antioxidant capacity, phenolic and essential oils (EOs) composition of Lippia gracilis. The plants were cultivated under full sunlight, black, blue and red ChromatiNet. The flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity were quantified spectrophotometrically. The C-glycosylflavone isomers (orientin and isoorientin) were isolated and identified by conventional spectroscopic techniques and measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection. The EO was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Environment influenced growth, total antioxidant capacity and phytochemical levels. Shoot dry weight, thymol, carvacrol and (E)-caryophyllene were favoured under red and black ChromatiNet. Root growth, EOs, caryophyllene oxide, p-cymene, flavonoids, orientin and isoorientin were favoured in sunlight. Growth and accumulation of EOs, flavonoids and photosynthetic pigments increased under blue ChromatiNet. Therefore, Lippia gracilis plants have plasticity related to the spectral quality of light and it cultivate depends of the phytochemicals of interest.

Solvent Mixture Optimization in the Extraction of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activities from Garlic (Allium sativum L.).

Garlic is a health promoter that has important bioactive compounds. The bioactive extraction is an important step in the analysis of constituents present in plant preparations. The purpose of this study is to optimize the extraction with the best proportion of solvents to obtain total phenolic compounds (TPC) and thiosulfinates (TS) from dried garlic powder, and evaluate the antioxidant activities of the optimized extracts. A statistical mixture simplex axial design was used to evaluate the effect of solvents (water, ethanol, and acetone), as well as mixtures of these solvents, after two ultrasound extraction cycles of 15 min. Results showed that solvent mixtures with a high portion of water and pure water were efficient for TPC and TS recovery through this extraction procedure. According to the regression model computed, the most significant solvent mixtures to obtain high TPC and TS recovery from dried garlic powder are, respectively, the binary mixture with 75% water and 25% acetone and pure water. These optimized extracts presented oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Pure water was better for total antioxidant capacity, and the binary mixture of water-acetone (75:25) was better for DPPH scavenging activity. These optimized extracts can be used for industrial and research applications.

Eugenia uniflora, Melaleuca armillaris, and Schinus molle essential oils to manage larvae of the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Populations of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) have shown resistance to insecticides of the carbamate and organophosphate classes. The objective of this study was to assess the susceptibility of C. quinquefasciatus larvae to essential oils from leaves of Eugenia uniflora L., Melaleuca armillaris (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm., and Schinus molle L and C. quinquefasciatus larvae's biochemical responses after their exposure to these leaves. The essential oils were chemically analyzed by GC and GC/MS. First, the lethal concentration for 50% (LC50) values was estimated using different concentrations of essential oils and probit analysis. The larvae were exposed for 1 h at the LC50 estimated for each essential oil. The susceptibility of the larvae to essential oils was evaluated using the following biochemical parameters: concentrations of total protein and reduced glutathione; levels of production of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation; and the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The main chemical constituents in E. uniflora were E-ß-ocimene, curzerene, germacrene B, and germacrone; in M. armillaris were 1,8-cineole and terpinolene; and in S. molle were sabinene, myrcene, and sylvestrene. The essential oils had LC50 values between 31.52 and 60.08 mg/L, all of which were considered effective. All of them also promoted changes in biochemical parameters when compared to the control treatment. The essential oils of S. molle and E. uniflora inhibited the activity of the AChE enzyme, and the essential oil of M. armillaris increased it. All essential oils had larvicidal activity against C. quinquefasciatus, but the essential oil of E. uniflora was the most efficient. Thus, the findings of the present study suggest that the essential oil of E. uniflora can be considered promising for the development of botanical larvicides.