Ethnobotanical insights on the management of plant pests and diseases by smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Pests and diseases are a major contributor to yield losses in sub-Saharan Africa, prompting smallholder farmers to seek cost-effective, accessible and ecologically friendly alternatives for crop protection. This study explored the management of pests and diseases affecting crops across eight selected villages in Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. METHODS: A total of 120 smallholder farmers were purposefully selected utilising the snowball technique. Information on the management of plant pests and diseases was collected through interviews and focus group discussions using semi-structured interview schedules. Ethnobotanical indices, including relative frequency of citation (RFC), use-value (UV) and informant consensus factor (Fic), were used to quantify and rank the plants used for crop protection in the study area. RESULTS: Twenty-three plant species (16 naturalised exotics and seven indigenous plants) belonging to 16 families were used for managing pests (vertebrates and invertebrates) and diseases (fungal and bacterial related) affecting crops in the study area. The dominant (100%) crops cultivated by the participants were Allium cepa L., Mangifera indica L., Solanum lycopersicum L. and Zea mays L. The RFC value ranged from 0.08 to 0.83 and the three most popular plants for crop protection were Capsium annuum L. (0.83), A. cepa (0.63) and Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn. (0.43). In terms of the UV, the five most promising plants used as biocontrol were Tulbaghia violacea (0.13), A. cepa (0.12), C. annuum L. (0.09), Solanum campylacanthum Hochst. Ex A.Rich.(0.09) and Pinus pinaster (0.08). Based on the Fic, four categories were established and dominated by fungal diseases (0.64). Furthermore, T. violacea and A. cepa were the most often mentioned plants used against fungal conditions. Other categories cited were bacterial diseases (0.3), invertebrate pests (0.11) and vertebrate pests (0.14), an indication that smallholder farmers had limited agreement or common knowledge about the plants used for their management. The preparation methods included maceration (38%), decoction (38%) and burning (24%). Foliar application (67%) and soil drenching (33%) were used for administering plant extracts during the management of crop pests and diseases. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of botanicals and associated indigenous knowledge among smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. It is pertinent to explore the valorisation of these botanicals by generating empirical data on their biological efficacies and phytochemical profiles.

Mechanisms of intestinal pharmacokinetic natural product-drug interactions.

The growing co-consumption of botanical natural products with conventional medications has intensified the need to understand potential effects on drug safety and efficacy. This review delves into the intricacies of intestinal pharmacokinetic interactions between botanical natural products and drugs, such as alterations in drug solubility, permeability, transporter activity, and enzyme-mediated metabolism. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how drug solubility, dissolution, and osmolality interplay with botanical constituents in the gastrointestinal tract, potentially altering drug absorption and systemic exposure. Unlike reviews that focus primarily on enzyme and transporter mechanisms, this article highlights the lesser known but equally important mechanisms of interaction. Applying the Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS) can serve as a framework for predicting and understanding these interactions. Through a comprehensive examination of specific botanical natural products such as byakkokaninjinto, green tea catechins, goldenseal, spinach extract, and quercetin, we illustrate the diversity of these interactions and their dependence on the physicochemical properties of the drug and the botanical constituents involved. This understanding is vital for healthcare professionals to effectively anticipate and manage potential natural product-drug interactions, ensuring optimal patient therapeutic outcomes. By exploring these emerging mechanisms, we aim to broaden the scope of natural product-drug interaction research and encourage comprehensive studies to better elucidate complex mechanisms.

Management of androgenic alopecia: a systematic review of the literature.

We aimed to determine the efficacy of the various available oral, topical, and procedural treatment options for hair loss in individuals with androgenic alopecia. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review of the National Library of Medicine was performed. Overall, 141 unique studies met our inclusion criteria. We demonstrate that many over the counter (e.g. topical minoxidil, supplements, low-level light treatment), prescription (e.g. oral minoxidil, finasteride, dutasteride), and procedural (e.g. platelet-rich plasma, fractionated lasers, hair transplantation) treatments successfully promote hair growth, highlighting the superiority of a multifaceted and individualized approach to management.

Holstein calves fed a milk replacer with a direct fed microbial (DFM) and a starter containing a botanical extract or a DFM alone or in combination.

Botanical extracts (BE; Apex, Adisseo, North America) have demonstrated enhanced DMI and improved gut health, while direct fed microbials (DFM), such as Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product (EX: Excell, Pacer Technology, Inc.), has demonstrated improved gut health and growth performance of growing Holstein calves. The hypothesis was this combination may be synergistic to neonatal calf growth performance and intestinal health. Eighty, 2-5-d old Holstein bull calves were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to one of 8 treatments arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial using a randomized complete block design. The main factors were milk replacer (MR) without (Control) and with EX added at 5 g/d fed and calf starter (CS). The CS containing no additives (Control); CS containing BE at 496 mg/kg; CS containing EX at 2.50 g/kg; and CS containing BE and EX at the same inclusion rates. The MR were fed 2x/d at 0630 and 1800 h along with free choice CS (amounts and orts weighed d) and water. Weaning occurred after d 42 for the 56-d experiment. No MR by CS main effects interactions were detected for BW, ADG, CS intake, total DMI, feed efficiency or body frame gain parameters. The BW gain (38.0 and 39.3 kg for control and EX, respectively) for MR main effect was similar for calves fed both MR, while CS main effects (38.7, 39.7, 39.2, and 37.2 kg for control, BE, EX, and BE&EX, respectively) was similar among all CS. Gains in body length (10.6 and 10.8 cm), hip width (4.5 and 4.5 cm), withers height, (10.5 and 10.6 cm) heart girth (18.6 and 19.9 cm) and body length (9.1 and 7.9 cm) were similar for calves fed both MR, while CS main effects for hip height (10.5, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.9 cm), hip width (4.7, 4.6, 4.4, and 4.3 cm) withers height (10.7, 10.9, 10.3 and 10.6 cm), heart girth (19.9, 18.9, 18.9, and 19.4 cm), and body length (11.7, 9.1, 8.3, and 8.4 cm) were similar. Total days of a fecal score = 0 was greater for calves fed Control MR and BE CS compared with calves fed Contol MR and the combination of BE&EX with calves fed the remaining treatments being intermediated and similar. This study demonstrated little calf growth performance and health benefits when feeding a BE or EX alone or in combination compared with calves fed control.

Botrytis fruit rot management: What have we achieved so far?

Botrytis cinerea is a destructive necrotrophic phytopathogen causing overwhelming diseases in more than 1400 plant species, especially fruit crops, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. The pathogen causes rotting of fruits at both pre-harvest and postharvest stages. Aside from causing gray mold of the mature fruits, the fungus infects leaves, flowers, and seeds, which makes it a notorious phytopathogen. Worldwide, in the majority of fruit crops, B. cinerea causes gray mold. In order to effectively control this pathogen, extensive research has been conducted due to its wide host range and the huge economic losses it causes. It is advantageous to explore detection and diagnosis techniques of B. cinerea to provide the fundamental basis for mitigation strategies. Botrytis cinerea has been identified and quantified in fruit/plant samples at pre- and post-infection levels using various detection techniques including DNA markers, volatile organic compounds, qPCR, chip-digital PCR, and PCR-based nucleic acid sensors. In addition, cultural, physical, chemical, biological, and botanical methods have all been used to combat Botrytis fruit rot. This review discusses research progress made on estimating economic losses, detection and diagnosis, as well as management strategies, including cultural, physical, chemical, and biological studies on B. cinerea along with knowledge gaps and potential areas for future research.

Lessons for Cardiovascular Clinical Investigators: The Tumultuous 2,500-Year Journey of Physicians Who Ignited Our Fire.

Whereas medical practice stems from Hippocrates, cardiovascular science originates with Aristotle. The Hippocratic philosophy was championed by Galen (129-216 CE), whose advocacy of a tripartite soul found favor in the early Christian Church. In contrast, Aristotle's works were banned as heresy by ecclesiastical authority, only to survive and prosper in the Islamic Golden Age (775-1258 CE). Galen theorized that the circulation consisted of separate venous and arterial systems. Blood was produced in the liver and traveled centrifugally through veins. When arriving in the right ventricle, venous blood passed through tiny pores in the ventricular septum into the left ventricle, where it became aerated by air passing from the lungs through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart. Following arrival at distal sites, arterial blood disappeared, being consumed by the tissues, requiring that the liver needed to continually synthesize new blood. The heart was viewed as a sucking organ, and the peripheral pulse was deemed to result from changes in arterial tone, rather than cardiac systole. Galen's framework remained undisputed and dominated medical thought for 1,300 years, but the reintroduction of Aristotelian principles from the Islamic world into Europe (through the efforts of the Toledo School of Translators) were nurtured by the academic freedom and iconoclastic environment uniquely cultivated at the University of Padua, made possible by Venetian rebellion against papal authority. At Padua, the work of Andreas Vesalius, Realdo Colombo, Hieronymus Fabricius ab Acquapendente, and William Harvey (1543-1628) methodically destroyed Galen's model, leading to the modern concept of a closed-ended circulation. Yet, due to political forces, Harvey was ridiculed, as was James Lind, who performed the first prospective controlled trial, involving citrus fruits for scurvy (1747); it took nearly 50 years for his work to be accepted. Even the work of William Withering (1785), the father of cardiovascular pharmacology, was tarnished by professional jealously and the marketing campaign of a pharmaceutical company. Today's cardiovascular investigators should understand that major advances are routinely derided by the medical establishment for political or personal reasons; and it may take decades or centuries for important work to be accepted.

Field efficacy of a biopesticide and a predatory mite for suppression of Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in strawberry.

Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) has emerged as a severe invasive pest of strawberry Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne in the United States. The objective of this study was to assess the field efficacy of a biopesticide and thrips predator, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot for S. dorsalis management in field grown strawberry compared to synthetic insecticide applications that are current industry standard (spinetoram) conducted at UF/IFAS GCREC, FL during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 in a 2-year field study. The following treatments were applied in the field: (1) biopesticide, capsicum oleoresin extract + garlic oil + canola oil application at maximum label rate; (2) predatory mite of thrips, A. swirskii released at 30 predators per plot; (3) spinetoram applied at maximum label rate; and (4) biopesticide applied 24 h before release of A. swirskii. A control plot with no insecticide or predatory mite releases was maintained. Results show that the capsicum extract can be used for management of S. dorsalis, especially during the latter stages of strawberry field season when resistance to spinetoram is high. The field performance of A. swirskii was variable and extensive research is needed to highlight factors affecting field performance of predatory mites for thrips management.

Risk assessment of feed components of botanical origin - Approaches taken in the European Union.

In view of a continuous trend in replacing synthetic feed additives and especially flavouring compounds by botanical preparations, different aspects of the safety evaluations of plants and plant-derived preparations and components in feed are discussed. This includes risk assessment approaches developed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for phytotoxins regarding unintentional exposure of target animals and of consumers to animal derived food via carry-over from feed. Relevant regulatory frameworks for feed additives and feed contaminants in the European Union are summarised and the essentials of existing guidelines used in the safety evaluation of botanicals and their preparations and components in feed are outlined. The examples presented illustrate how the safety of the botanicals, their preparations and components present in feed is assessed. An outlook on possible future developments in risk assessment by applying new in vitro and in silico methodologies is given.

Antagonistic and additive effect when combining biopesticides against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda.

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW) is a cosmopolitan crop pest species that has recently become established in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Current FAW control is almost entirely dependent on synthetic pesticides. Biopesticides offer a more sustainable alternative but have limitations. For example, pyrethrum is an effective botanical insecticide with low mammalian toxicity but is highly UV labile, resulting in a rapid loss of efficacy in the field. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that is more persistent, but there is a time lag of several days before it causes insect mortality and leads to effective control. The combination of these biopesticides could mitigate their drawbacks for FAW control. Here we evaluated the efficacy of pyrethrum and B. bassiana as individual treatments and in combination against 3rd instar FAW. Four different combinations of these two biopesticides were tested, resulting in an antagonistic relationship at the lowest concentrations of B. bassiana and pyrethrum (1 × 104 conidia mL-1 with 25 ppm) and an additive effect for the other 3 combined treatments (1 × 104 conidia mL-1 with 100 ppm and 1 × 105 conidia mL-1 with 25 ppm and 100 ppm pyrethrum). Additionally, a delay in efficacy from B. bassiana was observed when combined with pyrethrum as well as a general inhibition of growth on agar plates. These results appear to show that this particular combination of biopesticides is not universally beneficial or detrimental to pest control strategies and is dependent on the doses of each biopesticide applied. However, the additive effect shown here at specific concentrations does indicate that combining biopesticides could help overcome the challenges of persistence seen in botanical pesticides and the slow establishment of EPF, with the potential to improve effectiveness of biopesticides for IPM.

Identification and semi-quantification of protein allergens in complex mixtures using proteomic and AllerCatPro 2.0 bioinformatic analyses: a proof-of-concept investigation.

The demand for botanicals and natural substances in consumer products has increased in recent years. These substances usually contain proteins and these, in turn, can pose a risk for immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated sensitization and allergy. However, no method has yet been accepted or validated for assessment of potential allergenic hazards in such materials. In the studies here, a dual proteomic-bioinformatic approach is proposed to evaluate holistically allergenic hazards in complex mixtures of plants, insects, or animal proteins. Twelve commercial preparations of source materials (plant products, dust mite extract, and preparations of animal dander) known to contain allergenic proteins were analyzed by label-free proteomic analyses to identify and semi-quantify proteins. These were then evaluated by bioinformatics using AllerCatPro 2.0 (https://allercatpro.bii.a-star.edu.sg/) to predict no, weak, or strong evidence for allergenicity and similarity to source-specific allergens. In total, 4,586 protein sequences were identified in the 12 source materials combined. Of these, 1,665 sequences were predicted with weak or strong evidence for allergenic potential. This first-tier approach provided top-level information about the occurrence and abundance of proteins and potential allergens. With regards to source-specific allergens, 129 allergens were identified. The sum of the relative abundance of these allergens ranged from 0.8% (lamb's quarters) to 63% (olive pollen). It is proposed here that this dual proteomic-bioinformatic approach has the potential to provide detailed information on the presence and relative abundance of allergens, and can play an important role in identifying potential allergenic hazards in complex protein mixtures for the purposes of safety assessments.

Implementation of Virtual Integrative Oncology Shared Medical Appointment Series (VIOSMAS) Within Mixed Diagnosis Population.

BACKGROUND: Integrative oncology [IO] is sought-after by patients, endorsed by clinical guidelines, and valued within National Cancer Institute Centers. Shared Medical Appointments [SMA] leverage health education and social connection to deliver enhanced patient experience, population health, cost-reduction, and clinician well-being. Integrative Oncology Shared Medical Appointments increase access to integrative medicine but delivering these services via telehealth have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We created, and pilot tested a Virtual Integrative Oncology Shared Medical Appointment Series (VIOSMAS) to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy at an urban academic teaching hospital. METHODS: The 7-session hour-long Living Well with and after Cancer series included didactics, multi-disciplinary experiential sessions, and group discussion. Topics included (1) Introduction, (2) Herbs/Botanicals/Fungi, (3) Mindful Movement, (4) Acupuncture, (5) Narratives and Nature, (6) Diet and Culinary Medicine, and (7) Vitamins/Supplements. Virtual visits via telehealth were offered to enhance patient participation during the pandemic. Outcome measures included recruitment, retention, pre/post-series patient survey and qualitative clinician feedback. RESULTS: Between 9/2021 and 4/2023, 72 unique patients were recruited to 5 cohorts and had a total of 332 VIOSMAS visits. A total of 50 patients (69%) attended 4 or more of the 7-session series; 60 (83% were women); patients ranged in age from 28 to 93 years (median 66); 36 (50%) lived outside the city center; the most common cancer diagnoses were breast, lymphoma, and lung cancer. Patients were from diverse demographics. Pre-program, patients reported desiring assistance in addressing diverse symptoms including fatigue, insomnia, pain, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Post-series, patients reported that the VIOSMAS addressed their goals and symptoms; they also reported incorporating recommended lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management; they were satisfied with the number of sessions and telehealth format. The participating clinicians reported high levels of satisfaction with VIOSMAS. Revenue to the institution from VIOSMAS exceeded the revenue potential of equivalent time spent for individual visits while supporting extended physician-patient contact. CONCLUSION: VIOSMAS is feasible for patients and clinicians, addresses patients' symptoms and questions about lifestyle and complementary therapies, and generates more revenue than individual visits. Larger implementation trials with appropriate comparison groups are recommended.

Lactational performance, enteric methane emission, and nutrient utilization of dairy cows supplemented with botanicals.

The objective of this study was to evaluate lactational performance, enteric gas emissions, ruminal fermentation, nutrient use efficiency, milk fatty acid profile, and energy and inflammatory markers in blood of peak-lactation dairy cows fed diets supplemented with Capsicum oleoresin or a combination of Capsicum oleoresin and clove oil. A 10-wk randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with 18 primiparous and 30 multiparous Holstein cows. Cows were blocked based on parity, days in milk, and milk yield (MY), and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (16 cows/treatment): (1) basal diet (CON); (2) basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/cow per day of Capsicum oleoresin (CAP); and (3) basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/cow per day of a combination of Capsicum oleoresin and clove oil (CAPCO). Premixes containing ground corn (CON), CAP, or CAPCO were mixed daily with the basal diet at 0.8% of dry matter intake (DMI). Supplementation of the diet with CAP or CAPCO did not affect DMI, MY, milk components, and feed efficiency of the cows. Body weight (BW) was increased during the last 2 wk of the experiment by CAP and CAPCO, compared with CON. The botanicals improved BW gain (0.85 and 0.66 kg/d for CAP and CAPCO, respectively, compared with -0.01 kg/d for CON) and CAP enhanced the efficiency of energy utilization, compared with CON (94.5% vs. 78.4%, respectively). Daily CH4 emission was not affected by treatments, but CH4 emission yield (per kg of DMI) and intensity (per kg of MY) were decreased by up to 11% by CAPCO supplementation, compared with CON and CAP. A treatment × parity interaction indicated that the CH4 mitigation effect was pronounced in primiparous but not in multiparous cows. Ruminal molar proportion of propionate was decreased by botanicals, compared with CON. Concentrations of trans-10 C18:1 and total trans fatty acids in milk fat were decreased by CAP and tended to be decreased by CAPCO, compared with CON. Total-tract apparent digestibility of nutrients was not affected by treatments, except for a tendency for decreased starch digestibility in cows supplemented with botanicals. Blood concentrations of ß-hydroxybutyrate, total fatty acids, and insulin were not affected by botanicals. Blood haptoglobin concentration was increased by CAP in multiparous but not in primiparous cows. Lactational performance of peak-lactation dairy cows was not affected by the botanicals in this study, but they appeared to improve efficiency of energy utilization and partitioned energy toward BW gain. In addition, CH4 yield and intensity were decreased in primiparous cows fed CAPCO, suggesting a potential positive environmental effect of the combination of Capsicum oleoresin and clove oil supplementation.

Non-targeted chemical analysis of consumer botanical products labeled as blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), or yohimbe bark (Pausinystalia yohimbe) by NMR and MS.

Consumers have unprecedented access to botanical dietary supplements through online retailers, making it difficult to ensure product quality and authenticity. Therefore, methods to survey and compare chemical compositions across botanical products are needed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and non-targeted mass spectrometry (MS) were used to chemically analyze commercial products labeled as containing one of three botanicals: blue cohosh, goldenseal, and yohimbe bark. Aqueous and organic phase extracts were prepared and analyzed in tandem with NMR followed by MS. We processed the non-targeted data using multivariate statistics to analyze the compositional similarity across extracts. In each case, there were several product outliers that were identified using principal component analysis (PCA). Evaluation of select known constituents proved useful to contextualize PCA subgroups, which in some cases supported or refuted product authenticity. The NMR and MS data reached similar conclusions independently but were also complementary.

Minoxidil sulfotransferase enzymatical activity in plants: A novel paradigm in increasing minoxidil response in androgenetic alopecia.

BACKGROUND: Minoxidil is the only US FDA approved topical drug for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Minoxidil is effective in hair re-growth in 30%-40% of patients and 50% of males. To exert its hair growing effect, minoxidil must be sulfonated in the scalp by the minoxidil sulfotransferase enzyme (SULT1A1). Low scalp SULT1A1 correlates with lack of minoxidil response; thus, supplementing the scalp SULT1A1 with naturally occurring minoxidil sulfotransferase enzymes could potentially improve treatment outcomes in AGA patients. METHODS: In this study, we set to characterize SULT1A1 activity in various plants. RESULTS: From the 10 common botanical extracts we have studied, seven exhibited significant activity toward minoxidil as a substrate; thus, providing a potential novel paradigm to increase minoxidil response with natural supplements. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize naturally occurring minoxidil sulfotransferase enzymes in plants.

Safety considerations for dietary supplement manufacturers in the United States.

Due to significant dietary supplement use in the US, product manufacturers must understand the importance of implementing a robust approach to establishing safety for all ingredients, including dietary ingredients, components, and finished dietary supplement products. Different regulatory pathways exist by which the safety of dietary ingredients can be established, and thus allowed to be marketed in a dietary supplement. For individual dietary ingredients, safety information may come from a variety of sources including history of safe use, presence of the ingredient in foods, and/or non-clinical and clinical data. On occasion safety data gaps are identified for a specific ingredient, particularly those of botanical origin. Modern toxicological methods and models can prove helpful in satisfying data gaps and are presented in this review. For finished dietary supplement products, issues potentially impacting safety to consider include claims, product labeling, overages, contaminants, residual solvents, heavy metals, packaging, and product stability. In addition, a safety assessment does not end once a product is marketed. It is important that manufacturers actively monitor and record the occurrence of adverse events reported in association with the use of their products, in accordance with the law. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of considerations for assessing dietary supplement safety.

Essential oils and isolated compounds for tick control: advances beyond the laboratory.

BACKGROUND: Tick control is a worldwide challenge due to its resistance to acaricides. Essential oils (EOs) and isolated compounds (EOCs) are potential alternatives for tick control technologies. METHODS: A review with EOs and EOCs, under field and semi-field conditions, was performed based on Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed databases. Thirty-one studies published between 1991 and 2022 were selected. The search was performed using the following keywords: "essential oil" combined with "tick," "Ixodes," "Argas," "Rhipicephalus," "Amblyomma," "Hyalomma," "Dermacentor," "Haemaphysalis" and "Ornithodoros." The words "essential oil" and "tick" were searched in the singular and plural. RESULTS: The number of studies increased over the years. Brazil stands out with the largest number (51.6%) of publications. The most studied tick species were Rhipicephalus microplus (48.4%), Ixodes scapularis (19.4%), Amblyomma americanum and R. sanguineus sensu lato (9.7% each). Cattle (70%) and dogs (13%) were the main target animal species. Regarding the application of EOs/EOCs formulations, 74% of the studies were conducted with topical application (spray, pour-on, foam, drop) and 26% with environmental treatment (spray). Efficacy results are difficult to evaluate because of the lack of information on the methodology and standardization. The nanotechnology and combination with synthetic acaricides were reported as an alternative to enhance the efficacy of EOs/EOCs. No adverse reactions were observed in 86.6% of the studies evaluating EOs/EOCs clinical safety. Studies regarding toxicity in non-target species and residues are scarce. CONCLUSIONS: This article provides a comprehensive review on the use of EOs and EOCs to reduce tick infestations, in both the hosts and the environment. As future directions, we recommend the chemical characterization of EOs, methodology standardization, combination of EOs/EOCs with potential synergists, nanotechnology for new formulations and safety studies for target and non-target organisms, also considering the environmental friendliness.

Formation, Evolution, and Antioxidant Activity of Melanoidins in Black Garlic under Different Storage Conditions.

Melanoidins (MLDs) are formed through the reaction of carbonyl compounds and amino compounds in the Maillard reaction (MR) during the heating or storage of food. In this study, the formation, chemical composition, and structural characteristics of black garlic (BG) MLDs stored at different temperatures (4 °C, 20 °C, and 35 °C) over a period of 6 months were investigated. The initial products of the MR formed more often at 4 °C and 20 °C, while higher temperatures (35 °C) promoted the reaction in the middle and late stages of the MR. The higher temperature promoted an increase in molecular weight and MLD content, which can be attributed to the increase in protein and phenolic content. Elemental analysis confirmed an increase in nitrogen (N) content and the continuous incorporation of nitrogen-rich substances into the skeleton. Amino acids, particularly aspartic acid and threonine, were the primary N-containing compounds involved in MLD formation. Additionally, the infrared analysis revealed that the changes in MLDs during storage were characterized by amide I and amide II groups. The MR enhanced the yields of heterocyclic compounds (from 56.60% to 78.89%), especially that of O-heterocyclic compounds, at the higher temperature according to Py-GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the higher temperature enhanced the molecular weight, maximum height, and roughness of MLDs compared to the control. The antioxidant ability of MLDs was positively correlated with storage temperatures. In summary, temperature had an impact on the formation, evolution, and antioxidant activity of MLDs.

Anti-oomycete activities from essential oils and their major compounds on Phytophthora infestans.

Botanicals are various plant-based products like plant extracts or essential oils. Anti-fungal activities of selected essential oils were tested on the pathogen causing potato and tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Tests to evaluate anti-oomycete activities of commercial essential oils and their major compounds were carried out in vitro in microplate in liquid media. Anti-oomycete activities on Phytophthora infestans strain were obtained from essential oils/major compounds: Eucalyptus citriodora/citronellal; Syzygium aromaticum (clove)/eugenol; Mentha spicata/D-Carvone, L-Carvone; Origanum compactum/carvacrol; Satureja montana (savory)/carvacrol; Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree)/terpinen-4-ol, and Thymus vulgaris/thymol. As an active substance of mineral origin, copper sulfate was chosen as a control. All selected essential oils showed an anti-oomycete activity calculated with IC50 indicator. The essential oils of clove, savory, and thyme showed the best anti-oomycete activities similar to copper sulfate, while oregano, eucalyptus, mint, and tea tree essential oils exhibited significantly weaker activities than copper sulfate. Clove essential oil showed the best activity (IC50 = 28 mg/L), while tea tree essential oil showed the worst activity (IC50 = 476 mg/L). For major compounds, three results were obtained: they were statistically more active than their essential oils (carvacrol for oregano, D- and L-Carvone for mint) or as active as their essential oils sources (thymol for thyme, carvacrol for savory, terpinen-4-ol for tea tree) or less active than their original essential oils (eugenol for clove, citronellal for eucalyptus). Microscopical observations carried out with the seven essential oils showed that they were all responsible for a modification of the morphology of the mycelium. The results demonstrated that various essential oils show different anti-oomycete activities, sometimes related to a major compound and sometimes unrelated, indicating that other compounds must play a role in total anti-oomycete activity.

Wrangling Whole Mixtures Risk Assessment: Recent Advances in Determining Sufficient Similarity.

Human health risk assessments for complex mixtures can address real-world exposures and protect public health. While risk assessors typically prefer whole mixture approaches over component-based approaches, data from the precise exposure of interest are often unavailable and surrogate data from a sufficiently similar mixture(s) are required. This review describes recent advances in determining sufficient similarity of whole, complex mixtures spanning the comparison of chemical features, bioactivity profiles, and statistical evaluation to determine "thresholds of similarity". Case studies, including water disinfection byproducts, botanical ingredients, and wildfire emissions, are used to highlight tools and methods. Limitations to application of sufficient similarity in risk-based decision making are reviewed and recommendations presented for developing best practice guidelines.