Essential Oils: Chemistry and Pharmacological Activities-Part II.

The importance of essential oils and their components in the industrial sector is attributed to their chemical characteristics and their application in the development of products in the areas of cosmetology, food, and pharmaceuticals. However, the pharmacological properties of this class of natural products have been extensively investigated and indicate their applicability for obtaining new drugs. Therefore, this review discusses the use of these oils as starting materials to synthesize more complex molecules and products with greater commercial value and clinic potential. Furthermore, the antiulcer, cardiovascular, and antidiabetic mechanisms of action are discussed. The main mechanistic aspects of the chemopreventive properties of oils against cancer are also presented. The data highlight essential oils and their derivatives as a strategic chemical group in the search for effective therapeutic agents against various diseases.

The Isopropyl Gallate Counteracts Cyclophosphamide-Induced Hemorrhagic Cystitis in Mice.

Hemorrhagic cystitis is the main adverse effect associated with the clinical use of oxazaphosphorine, resulting in increased oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines, which culminate in injury of the bladder tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of isopropyl gallate (IPG) against ifosfamide (IFOS)-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in mice. The induction of the hemorrhagic cystitis model was carried out using a single dose of IFOS (400 mg/kg, i.p.) four hours after oral pretreatment with IPG (6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) or saline (vehicle). Mesna (positive control; 80 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered four hours before and eight hours after induction of cystitis. In the present study, IPG 25 mg/kg significantly decreased edema and hemorrhage, with a reduction of the bladder wet weight (36.86%), hemoglobin content (54.55%), and peritoneal vascular permeability (42.94%) in urinary bladders of mice. Interestingly, IPG increased SOD activity (89.27%) and reduced MDA levels (35.53%), as well as displayed anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing TNF-α (88.77%), IL-1ß (62.87%), and C-reactive protein (56.41%) levels. Our findings demonstrate that IPG has a substantial protective role against IFOS-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in mice by enhancing antioxidant activity and proinflammatory mechanisms. Thus, IPG represents a promising co-adjuvant agent in oxazaphosphorine-based chemotherapy treatments.

Correction to: α-Phellandrene attenuates tissular damage, oxidative stress, and TNF-α levels on acute model ifosfamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in mice.

The published online version contains figure in poor quality.

Ethyl ferulate/ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complex inhibits edema formation.

Ethyl ferulate, a phenylpropanoid derived from rice hulls has aroused interest because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. However, it has low solubility in water which compromises the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, decreases the bioavailability and compromises the reproducibility of the effects in vivo. To increase the solubility of ethyl ferulate, inclusion complexes were obtained by physical mixing, malaxing, lyophilization and spray drying and characterized using thermal analysis, XRD and FTIR. The complexes obtained were evaluated for ethyl ferulate content, stability, dissolution profile and evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity in vivo through carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats. The inclusion complexes obtained resulted in increased solubility and stability compared to the isolated ethyl ferulate. In addition, the complexes obtained by malaxage, lyophilization and spray drying showed greater inhibition of the edema formation induced by carrageenan compared to ethyl ferulate 100 mg/kg v.o. The inclusion of ethyl ferulate in B-cyclodextrin resulted in the formation of stable inclusion complexes with potent antidematogenic activity possibly attributed to the increased solubility, dissolution profile of the active.

α-Terpineol Induces Gastric Retention of Liquids by Inhibiting Vagal Parasympathetic Pathways in Rats.

α-Terpineol is a monoterpene with smooth muscle relaxant properties. In this study, its effects on the gastric emptying rate of awake rats were evaluated with emphasis on the mode by which it induces gastrointestinal actions. Administered by gavage, α-terpineol (50 mg/kg) delayed gastric emptying of a liquid test meal at 10 min postprandial. Hexamethonium or guanethidine did not interfere with the retarding effect induced by α-terpineol, but atropine and L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester abolished it. In vagotomized rats, α-terpineol did not delay gastric emptying. In isolated strips of gastric fundus, concentration-effect curves in response to carbamylcholine were higher in magnitude after treatment with the monoterpene. α-Terpineol (1 to 2000 µM) relaxed sustained contractions induced by carbamylcholine or a high K+ concentration in a concentration-dependent manner. This relaxing effect was not affected by the presence of L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester, 1 H-[1, 2, 4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, tetraethylammonium, or atropine. Smooth muscle contractions induced by electrical field stimulation were inhibited by α-terpineol. In conclusion, α-terpineol induced gastric retention in awake rats through mechanisms that depended on intact vagal innervation to the stomach, which involved cholinergic/nitrergic signalling. Such a retarding effect induced by α-terpineol appears not to result from a direct action of the monoterpene on gastric smooth muscle cells.

Comparação de tamanhos e distâncias de subparcelas aplicadas em processo de amostragem por conglomerado

We conducted a study with sample units of conglomerate structure using cross-database of forest inventory 100% of Annual Production Unit (APU-08), located at the Top Pacajá Martins farm, municipality of Portel-PA to study the effects of variation between and within clusters with reference to three response variables they were: i) VT = Total volume of wood of 77 tree species found in the study area, ii) VO = Total Volume of the 10 most frequent tree species and volume in the study area and, iii) Vt = Total volume of 10 forest species Cikel more commercialized by the company we aimed to determine the ideal size and distance of plots from the Method of Maximum Curvature, once defined the size, its area was fixed and then there was tested five different values to determine the ideal distance from the center of the conglomerate to the plots and between them. Results showed that the size of 0.10 ha plot, the distance of 50 m between plots, and cross-structure with 8 subplots are efficient for estimating the parameters.

Realizou-se um estudo com unidades amostrais conglomeradas de estrutura cruzada usando banco de dados de inventário florestal 100% de uma Unidade de produção Anual (UPA-08), localizada na fazenda Martins no alto Pacajá, Município de Portel, Estado do Pará, para estudar os efeitos da variação entre e dentro dos conglomerados usando como referência três variáveis resposta: i) VT = Volume total de madeira das 77 espécies florestais encontradas na área de estudo; ii) VO = Volume Total das 10 espécies florestais de maior ocorrência e volume na área de estudo; e iii) VC = Volume Total das 10 espécies florestais mais comercializadas pela empresa Cikel, tendo como objetivo determinar o tamanho e a distância ideal de subparcelas a partir do Método da Curvatura Máxima, uma vez definido o tamanho, sua área é fixada e então são estudadas cinco diferentes valores para determinar a distancia ideal do centro do conglomerado até as subparcelas e entre as mesmas. Os resultados permitiram inferir que o tamanho de subparcela 0,10 ha, a distância de 50 m entre as subparcelas, e a estrutura cruzada com 8 (subparcelas) são eficientes para estimar os parâmetros estudados.