What Is a School Farm? Results of a Scoping Review.

As school farms become more prominent programs to teach food education, research is needed to support school farms' implementation and sustainability. This scoping review included 94 articles on school farms from three bibliometric databases covering broad international literature. Vocational agricultural training, animal husbandry, and crop production were common characteristics of school farms across 103 years of publications. Themes of sustainability, healthy eating, and food systems were more prominent in recent literature. Peer-reviewed studies (1985-2019) provided some empirical research showing school farms' impact on students. This review discusses school farms' structures and objectives as promising food education and production programming.

Anemia Prevalence and Anthropometric Status of Indigenous Women and Young Children in Rural Botswana: The San People.

In Botswana, there is limited data available on the health and nutritional status of the San People (also known as the Basarwa or Bushmen), an Indigenous minority group primarily living in the Ghanzi District. Our aim in this study was to assess anemia prevalence among and anthropometric indices of women and young children in Ghanzi District through a cross-sectional survey. We recruited 367 mother-child pairs (women 15-49 years and children 6-59 months) in nine randomly selected areas. A capillary blood sample was collected, and weight and height were measured. Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was measured with use of a hemoglobinometer (HemoCue, AB), as per global recommendations. Overall, adjusted anemia prevalence was 12% in non-pregnant women (Hb < 120 g/L), 26% in pregnant women (Hb < 110 g/L), and 42% in children (Hb < 110 g/L), but it varied widely depending on whether or not the controversial factor of ethnicity was adjusted for (range of 6-26%, 22-30%, and 35-68% prevalence, respectively). Thirty-nine percent (n = 133/344) of non-pregnant women and 52% (n = 12/23) of pregnant women were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). In children aged 6-23 months, 41% were underweight (weight-for-age z-score < -2 SD), 13% were wasted (weight-for-height z-score < -2 SD), and 65% were stunted (height-for-age z-score < -2 SD); in children aged 24-59 months, 57% were underweight, 13% were wasted, and 66% were stunted. Fifty-six percent (n = 205/367) of women self-reported smoking in any form (rolled cigarettes or snuffing). The high prevalence of smoking among women, underweight status among pregnant women, and anemia, stunting, and wasting among children is of the highest concern for public health and should be addressed in future health and nutrition programming.

Effects of rosemary, thyme and lemongrass oils and their major constituents on detoxifying enzyme activity and insecticidal activity in Trichoplusia ni.

Although there have been many reports on the synergistic interactions among the major constituents of plant essential oils regarding insecticidal activity, their underlying mechanism of synergy is poorly understood. In our previous studies, we found each of the two most abundant constituents of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf.) essential oils can be synergistic against the larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni at their natural proportion or equivalent blending ratios. In the present study, we investigated whether the enhanced toxicity between the major constituents could be the result of inhibited enzyme activity of cytochrome P450s, general esterases or glutathione S-transferases which are highly related to the development of insecticide resistance. Overall, although some combinations showed mild inhibitory activity, at least for these essential oils and their major constituents, inhibition of detoxication enzyme activity is unlikely to be a direct cause of increased toxicity in the cabbage looper. The results point to other factors, such as multiple modes-of-action or enhanced penetration through the cuticular layer, playing important roles in the elevated insecticidal activity. Moreover, application of enzyme inhibitors sometimes resulted in decreased activity when mixed with the target compounds, but these antagonistic interactions disappeared when they were applied separately, suggesting that the enzyme inhibitors can sometimes influence the penetrations of toxicants.

Comparative and synergistic activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil constituents against the larvae and an ovarian cell line of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

BACKGROUND: Plant essential oils are usually complex mixtures, and many factors can affect their chemical composition. To identify relationships between the composition and bioactivity of the constituents, comparative and synergistic interactions of the major constituents of rosemary essential oil were evaluated against third-instar larvae and an ovarian cell line of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, via different methods of application. RESULTS: The major constituents of the rosemary oil we used were 1,8-cineole, (±)-camphor, (+)-α-pinene and camphene. Via topical application to larvae, 1,8-cineole was identified as the major active compound, whereas via fumigation, 1,8-cineole and (±)-camphor, and in a cytotoxicity assay, (+)-α-pinene, were determined to be the major active principles. Several combinations of these constituents exhibited synergistic insecticidal activities when topically applied, particularly among combinations of three major constituents, (±)-camphor, (+)-α-pinene and camphene. A binary mixture of 1,8-cineole and (±)-camphor showed enhanced activity, with a synergy ratio of 1.72. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, the insecticidal activity of rosemary oil appears to be a consequence of the synergistic interaction between 1,8-cineole and (±)-camphor, and (±)-camphor should be considered a promising synergizing agent.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of the active compounds from Rosa nutkana and quantitative analysis of ascorbic acid by HPLC.

Rosa nutkana Presl. (Rosaceae) is distributed abundantly throughout central and southern areas of British Columbia, Canada. Aboriginal people in the Pacific Northwest have traditionally used R. nutkana as a food, medicine, and source of cultural material. The methanolic extract of the fruits of R. nutkana was previously found to have inhibitory activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In our study, bioactivity-guided fractionation of the methanol extract from R. nutkana led to the isolation of the following 10 compounds: (i) tormentic acid, (ii) euscaphic acid, (iii) ursolic acid, (iv) maslinic acid, (v) quercetin, (vi) catechin gallate, (vii) quercetin-3-O-glucoside, (viii) 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucoside, (ix) L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and (x) 1,6-digalloyl-beta-D-glucoside. Structures were elucidated by ultraviolet, infrared, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance data, as well as by comparison with those of the literature. The compounds quercetin, catechin gallate, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucoside, and 1,6-digalloyl-beta-D-glucoside exhibited weak antibacterial activity against MRSA. Our research demonstrates the value of traditional knowledge held by Aboriginal people in the Pacific Northwest with respect to uses of R. nutkana. Some described uses in the ethnobotanical literature correspond to activities observed under laboratory conditions. Further work on British Columbia Rosa spp. may contribute to identifying other potential therapeutic uses.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of native Rosa sp. from British Columbia, Canada.

Indigenous traditional knowledge and western science have revealed the potential for significant nutritional and therapeutic benefits among natural antioxidants. We investigated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of rose hip extracts (Rosa nutkana, Rosa pisocarpa and Rosa woodsii) from wild British Columbia populations using liposome oxidation and disc diffusion assays. All extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity. R. nutkana pericarp extracts contained high phenolic concentrations and showed greater antioxidant and antimicrobial activity than seed extracts. R. woodsii seed extracts had a higher phenolic concentration and greater antioxidant activity than pericarp extracts. Antioxidant activity was correlated with antimicrobial activity, and both extracts showed antimicrobial activity against yeast and Gram-positive bacteria. Our study is the first to demonstrate the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of wild British Columbia roses. The effectiveness of selected species compared with standards demonstrates the significance of this natural resource to the continued health of human populations, and the need for conservation practices.

Concentraciones de mercurio total en sangre y cabello por ingesta de pescado en niños, mujeres embarazadas y en edad reproductiva residentes de los municipios aledaños al lago de Chapala, Jalisco - México / Concentrations of total mercury in blood and hair and fish intake in children, residents of the municipalities bordering to the Chapala lake, Mexico

Environmental pollution (water, sediment and fish) poses serious threats to the Chapala lake, Mexico. We seek to identify the concentrations of totalMercury (Hg) in children, pregnant women and in reproductive age from the communities around the lake. We will use blood samples and hair samples as biomarkers. Exposure will be assessed by dietary habits (quantity, frequency, species and type of fish consumed).Taking in consideration that some groups may be more susceptible to Mercury (Hg). In particular, the fetus, newborn babies and infants are at high risk because their nervous system is particularly delicate. Exposure to Hg during pregnancy can affect the neuronal connection and the mielinization of the nervous system, which may result in reduced number of cells neurons " in active" at the end of life. Very limited data exists in Mexico, protection measures are difficult to support without reliable information (e.g., possible damage from fish consumption). Therefore, this investigation seeks to generate hypothesis (cross sectional study) regarding the concentrations of Hg inside the organism soon after the fish consumption. We will evaluate the possible health risk e.g., children'sneurological damages, pregnant women and those in reproductive age.