Therapeutic switching: from antidermatophytic essential oils to new leishmanicidal products.

This study examined whether the antidermatophytic activity of essential oils (EOs) can be used as an indicator for the discovery of active natural products against Leishmania amazonensis. The aerial parts of seven plants were hydrodistilled. Using broth microdilution techniques, the obtained EOs were tested against three strains of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis). To compare the EOs antifungal and antiparasitic effects, the EOs activities against axenic amastigotes of L. amazonensis were concurrently evaluated. For the most promising EOs, their antileishmanial activities against parasites infecting peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice were measured. The most interesting antifungal candidates were the EOs from Cymbopogon citratus, Otacanthus azureus and Protium heptaphyllum, whereas O. azureus, Piper hispidum and P. heptaphyllum EOs exhibited the lowest 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against axenic amastigotes, thus revealing a certain correspondence between both activities. The P. hispidum EO was identified as the most promising product in the results from the infected macrophages model (IC50: 4.7 µg/mL, safety index: 8). The most abundant compounds found in this EO were sesquiterpenes, notably curzerene and furanodiene. Eventually, the evaluation of the antidermatophytic activity of EOs appears to be an efficient method for identifying new potential drugs for the treatment of L. amazonensis.

Organic and conventional fertilisation procedures on the nitrate, antioxidants and pesticide content in parts of vegetables.

Different parts of plant foods are generally discarded by consumers such as peel, stalk and leaves, which could however possess a nutritional value. However, few studies have analysed the composition of these marginal foods. The phenolic compound, flavonoid, polyamine, nitrate and pesticide contents of parts of vegetables that are usually discarded--but which were cultivated according to conventional and non-conventional procedures--were analysed to provide suggestions on how to improve the consumption of these parts and to reduce the production of urban solid waste. Few, but significant, differences between the two manuring procedures were observed. Higher nitrate content and the presence of organochlorine pesticides were found in conventional cultivated papaya peel, lemon balm leaves, jack fruit pulp, and beet stalk and peel. Discarded parts of plant foods such as stalk, leaves and peels can be used as a source of antioxidant compounds, such as phenolic compounds.

Controle fitopatológico do Fusarium subglutinans pelo óleo essencial do capim-citronela (Cymbopogon nardus L. ) e do composto citronelal / Fungitoxic activity of essential oil of citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus L. ) and compound citronellal

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito fungitóxico do óleo essencial de capim-citronela e do seu constituinte majoritário citronelal sobre a inibição micelial do fitopatógeno Fusarium subglutinans, agente causal da fusariose da cultura do abacaxi (Ananas comosus). Para avaliar o efeito do óleo essencial no crescimento micelial do fungo, foram utilizadas seis alíquotas (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25 ìL) do óleo e do citronelal que foram distribuídas na superfície do meio BDA (batata-dextrose-ágar) antes da repicagem do fungo. O crescimento micelial foi medido após 48 h de instalação do experimento e em cinco épocas de avaliação (2, 4, 6, 8 e 10 dias após repicagem). Os resultados indicaram que o óleo essencial do capim-citronela demonstrou maior efeito inibitório do crescimento micelial do fungo F. subglutinans do que o composto citronelal. Em todas as alíquotas utilizadas o óleo essencial proporcionou menor taxa de crescimento micelial do que o citronelal.

This study aimed to evaluate the fungitoxic effect of the essential oil of citronella grass and its major constituent citronellal on the inhibition of mycelial pathogen Fusarium subglutinans, the causal agent of Fusarium culture of pineapple (Ananas comosus). To evaluate the effect of essential oil in the mycelial growth of the fungus were used six rates (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mL) of oil that were distributed on the surface of PDA medium (potato dextrose agar) before subculturing of the fungus. Mycelial growth was measured after 48 h of the experiment and five times of assessment (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days after subculturing). The results indicated that the essential oil of citronella grass showed higher inhibitory effect of mycelial growth of the fungus F. subglutinans than compound citronellal. In all rates used of the essential oil gave lower growth rate than the mycelial citronellal.