Maternal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide causes vascular dysfunction in offspring female rats.

This study analyzed how glyphosate exposure in the gestational period affects vascular function in their female offspring and whether oxidative stress is involved in this effect. To this, pregnant Wistar rats were exposed through drinking water to 0.2% of a glyphosate commercial formulation, and we analyzed the response to acetylcholine and phenylephrine in the aorta from offspring of Glyphosate-based herbicide (O-GBH) and controls (O-CON) rats at six months of age. Relaxation to acetylcholine was reduced in O-GBH than in O-CON. Acute Indomethacin and Apocynin increased relaxation to acetylcholine in O-GBH. The aorta from O-GBH was hyperactive to phenylephrine; the preincubation with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) increased contraction to phenylephrine more in O-CON than O-GBH. TEMPOL similarly reduced phenylephrine response, and L-NAME prevented this effect. The TBARS and GSH levels were increased in O-GBH than in O-CON. Results reinforce the concept that oxidative stress during the perinatal period contributes to the development of vascular changes in adulthood. Results also reveal that oxidative stress parameters altered, and the current levels considered safe for exposure to Glyphosate deserve further investigation, especially in the female gender.

Wound Healing Effect of Lippia sidoides and Myracrodruon urundeuva Nanogel.

Wound healing is a natural regenerative response to tissue injury and the conventional treatments consists of the use wound dressings with local administration of medicines, but, in some cases, are only partially effective and limited by toxicity or ineffective anti-microbial protection. Medicinal plants such as Lippia sidoides and Myracrodruon urundeuva have shown interesting pharmacological activities, allied to this, the association of these medicinal plants and nanotechnology, could mean an advantage in relation to classical approach. This study investigated the effect of a nanogel loaded with Lippia sidoides essential oil and Myracrodruon urundeuva extract (NAA) in an excisional wound healing model in rats. Animals were anesthetized and skin wounds were made using a metal punch. The groups were treated with vehicle, NAA or collagenase gel, for 7, 14 or 21 days and then sacrificed for tissue analysis. NAA did not show acute dermal irritation, further significantly reduced (p<0.05) the final wound area, accelerated the wound contraction and organization of collagen in the group treated for 14 days. The data presented here demonstrate the therapeutic potential for the use of nanotechnology associated with medicinal plants and provides evidence that corroborate with the use of L. sidoides and M. urundeuva as healing medicinal plants.

Corrigendum to: "Inclusion of vitexin in ß-cyclodextrin: preparation, characterization and expectorant/antitussive activities" [Heliyon 6 (12) (December 2020) e05461].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05461.].

Inclusion of vitexin in ß-cyclodextrin: preparation, characterization and expectorant/antitussive activities.

The study aimed to include the isolated vitexin of Jatropha mutabilis in the ß-cyclodextrin cavity to improve the solubility of this flavone. Its characterization was performed by techniques such as 1H NMR/ROESY (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), FT-IR (Infrared Spectroscopy with Fourier Transform), SEM (Morphological analysis of IC by Scanning Electron Microscopy) and dissolution study in vitro. In addition, the following activities were evaluated in the animal models: expectorant, phenol red dosage in bronchoalveolar lavage and antitussive, cough induced by citric acid. In the characterization of the complex, interaction between hydrogens of ring B of vitexin and (H3) of ß-CD was observed, in addition to changes in morphology. In the dissolution test, an increase in the rate of dissolution of vitexin was observed in the first 30 min for the CI vitexin/ß-CD when compared with vitexin. Regarding the pharmacological activity, it was observed that the inclusion complex (IC) vitexin/ß-CD in the equivalent doses of 0.2, 1 and 5 mg/kg of flavone presented higher expectorant activity when compared to vitexin (p < 0.05), suggesting increased bioavailability. As for the antitussive activity, both vitexin and the complex had similar effects and were dose independent. In the toxicity test using Artemia salina, vitexin and IC vitexin/ß-CD were considered non-toxic. At last, the study efficacy of vitexin/ß-CD IC as an expectorant and of vitexin as antitussive. All of these data are being described for the first time.

Relaxant effect of Lippia origanoides essential oil in guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle involves potassium channels and soluble guanylyl cyclase.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lippia origanoides H.B.K. is an aromatic species used in folk medicine to treat respiratory diseases, including asthma. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this work was to evaluate the relaxing potential and mechanism of action of the L. origanoides (LOO) essential oil in isolated guinea-pig trachea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Leaves from L. origanoides were collected at experimental fields under organic cultivation, at the Forest Garden of Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. Essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation, analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS and the volatile constituents were identified. Spasmolytic activity and relaxant mechanism of LOO were assayed in isolated guinea-pig trachea contracted with histamine, carbachol or hyperpolarizing KCl. RESULTS: Chemical analysis revealed the presence of carvacrol (53.89%) as major constituent. LOO relaxed isolated guinea-pig trachea pre-contracted with KCl 60 mM [EC50 = 30.02 µg/mL], histamine 1 µM [EC50 = 9.28 µg/mL] or carbachol 1 µM [EC50 = 51.80 µg/mL]. The pre-incubation of glibenclamide, CsCl, propranolol, indomethacin, hexamethonium, aminophylline or L-NAME in histamine-induced contractions did not alter significantly the relaxant effect of LOO. However, the presence of 4-aminopyridine, tetraethylammonium or methylene blue reduced LOO effect, while the presence of dexamethasone or atropine potentialized the LOO relaxant effect. LOO pre-incubation inhibited carbachol-evoked contractions, with this effect potentialized in the presence of sodium nitroprusside and blocked in the presence of ODQ. CONCLUSIONS: The relaxant mechanism of LOO on the tracheal smooth muscle possibly involves stimulating of soluble guanylyl cyclase with consequent activation of the voltage-gated and Ca2+-activated K+ channels.

Spasmolytic Activity of Carvone and Limonene Enantiomers.

Aromatic plants produce volatile substances with high therapeutic potential. In view of the need for new respiratory and cardiovascular system pharmacological agents, the present study reports on the spasmolytic activity of two enantiomers of carvone and limonene, constituents of essential oils. The enantiomers tested showed pharmacological activity in Guinea pig trachea and rat aorta smooth muscle. No differences were observed in the pharmacological profiles of the enantiomer pairs. The oxygenated monoterpenes (+)-carvone and (-)-carvone were pharmacologically more effective than the hydrocarbon monoterpenes (+)-limonene and (-)-limonene. The results of this study show the therapeutic potential of these compounds found in many aromatic plants for the treatment of respiratory and cardiovascular system diseases.