Are coffee silverskin extracts safe for topical use? An in vitro and in vivo approach

Recent changes in regulatory requirements and social views on animal testing have incremented the development of reliable alternative tests for predicting skin and ocular irritation potential of products based on new raw materials. In this regard, botanical ingredients used in cosmetic products are among those materials, and should be carefully reviewed concerning the potential presence of irritant constituents. In particular, cosmetic products used on the face, in vicinity of the eyes or that may come in contact with mucous membranes, should avoid botanical ingredients that contain, or are suspected to contain, such ingredients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a new cosmetic ingredient, namely, coffee silverskin (CS), with an in vitro skin and ocular irritation assay using reconstructed human epidermis, EpiSkin™, and human corneal epithelial model, SkinEthics™ HCE, and an in vivo assay. Three different extracts of CS were evaluated. The histology of the models after extracts applications was analysed. The in vitro results demonstrated that extracts were not classified as irritant and the histological analyses proved that extracts did not affect both models structure. The content of caffeine, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural and chlorogenic acid was quantified after the epidermal assay. The in vivo test carried out with the most promising extract (hydroalcoholic) showed that, with respect to irritant effects, these extracts can be regarded as safe for topical application.

Isoflavones in food supplements: chemical profile, label accordance and permeability study in Caco-2 cells

Consumers nowadays are playing an active role in their health-care. A special case is the increasing number of women, who are reluctant to use exogenous hormone therapy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and are looking for complementary therapies. However, food supplements are not clearly regulated in Europe. The EFSA has only recently begun to address the issues of botanical safety and purity regulation, leading to a variability of content, standardization, dosage, and purity of available products. In this study, isoflavones (puerarin, daidzin, genistin, daidzein, glycitein, genistein, formononetin, prunetin, and biochanin A) from food supplements (n = 15) for menopausal symptoms relief are evaluated and compared with the labelled information. Only four supplements complied with the recommendations made by the EC on the tolerable thresholds. The intestinal bioavailability of these compounds was investigated using Caco-2 cells. The apparent permeability coefficients of the selected isoflavonoids across the Caco-2 cells were affected by the isoflavone concentration and product matrix.

Larvicidal activity of crude extracts from Larrea cuneifolia (Zygophyllaceae) and of its metabolite nordihydroguaiaretic acid against the vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to analyze the larvicidal activity of different crude extracts of Larrea cuneifolia and its most abundant lignan, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), against Culex quinquefasciatus. METHODS: Chloroform, methanol, and aqueous extracts from L. cuneifolia and NDGA were tested against larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus under laboratory conditions. RESULTS: The chloroform extract showed the highest larvicidal effect, with an estimated LC50 of 0.062 mg/ml. NDGA also demonstrated significant larvicidal activity with an estimated LC50 of 0.092 mg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the chloroform extract of L. cuneifolia and NDGA are promising insecticides of botanical origin that could be useful for controlling Cx. quinquefasciatus.

Approaches towards tick and tick-borne diseases control

Ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals as well as humans, considered to be second worldwide to mosquitoes as vectors of human diseases. Tick-borne diseases are responsible worldwide for great economic losses in terms of mortality and morbidity of livestock animals. This review concerns to the different tick and tick-parasites control methods having a major focus on vaccines. Control of tick infestations has been mainly based on the use of acaricides, a control measure with serious drawbacks, as responsible for the contamination of milk and meat products, as a selective factor for acaricide-resistant ticks and as an environmental contaminant. Research on alternatives to the use of acaricides is strongly represented by tick vaccines considered a more cost-effective and environmentally safe strategy. Vaccines based on the Bm86 tick antigen were used in the first commercially available cattle tick vaccines and showed good results in reducing tick numbers, affecting weight and reproductive performance of female ticks which resulted in reduction of cattle tick populations over time and consequently lower reduction of the pathogen agents they carry.

New pteridophyte records for the territory of Amapá, Brazil.

Eighteen Pteridophyte taxa in 15 genera are reported as new for the Territory of Amapá, Brazil. The collections area a result of a recent Projeto Flora Amazônica/Programa Flora expedition to that region, and update previous lists of taxa for Amapá.In 1975, Tryon and Conant publised a checklist of the ferns of the Brazilian Amazônia reporting 84 taxa for the Territory of Amapá. The paucity of records for Amapá reflects, at least in part, the amount of botanical exploration. The most complete list of taxa occurring in the Territory is an unpublished list of collection compiled by J. M. Pires. This compilation reports 118 taxas for the Territory of Amapá. The following list is intended to update both the Pires compilation an the Tryon and Conant checklist for the Territor. These records are the result of a Projeto Flora Amazônica/Programa Flora expedition to the region in the latter part of 1979. Species were included in this list is not reportes in the compilation of colections for Amapá, or listed as specifically occurrin in Amapá in the monographs and revisions consulted for listed as specifically occurring in Amapá in the monograohs and revisions consulted for identification (Evans, 1969; Kramer, 1957, 1978; de la Sota, 1960; Lellinger, 1972; Maxon & Morton, 1938; Scamman, 1960, Smith, 1971; Tryon, 1941, 1964).This list reports 18 taxa in 15 genera, increasing the number of taxa in Amapá from the 118 listed by Pires to 136. Most of the taxa reported here might have been predicted to occur in Amapá on the basis of their distribution records for surrounding regions.Each species is followed by a collection number. The collection number is that of D. F. Austin, C. E. Nauman, R. S. Secco, C. Rosario, and M. R. Santos except for four collections in which R. S. Secco was absent and B. V. Rabelo was present, and these are indicated after the collection number. Specimens are deposited in the herbaria of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil and the United States. The family system is essentially that used by Tyron and Conant.

Preliminary notes on the macrolichens of Serra do Cachimbo, northcentral Brazil

This paper reports on the April-May 1983 Projeto Flora expedition to Serra do cachimbo in northcentral Brazil, a phytogeographically poorly known area near the transition between the Amazon forest and the central Brazilian planalto. The objective of this expedition was to collect botanical specimens with special emphasis on lichens. Rock outcrops are common in this area and several soil types combined with varied topography give rise to a diversity of vegetation types including Amazon caatinga, campo rupestre, gallery forest and Amazon forest. A preliminary checklist of 91 macrolichens is provided with a discussion of ecological distribution of lichens in each habitat.

Curare - Botany, Chemistry, and Pharmacology

Some aspects of curare research carried out over the last 25 years are discussed. Accepting a pharmacological rather than purely ethnological definition means, that curares are not limited to South America but that they are also known from Central Africa and South-EastAsia. Among the criteria that have been suggested for classifying South American curares: type of container, geographical origin, botanical sourcesof the active, constituent!, and chemical composition. A combination of botanical and geographical criteria leads to much the same regional ;groupings a combination of criteria involving the type of container and the chemical composition. The active principles in curares may derive from members of thr Loganiaceae (Strychnos) and/or Menispermaceae mainly Chondrodendron and Curarea, but also Abuta,Anomospermum, Cissampelos, Sciadotenia, and Telitoxicum). Certain of the Strychnos dimeric indole alkaloids can undergo a variety of cleavages, oxidations, and isomerizations; hence., some of the compounds obtained by normal isolation procedures one almost certainly artefacts. The different genera of, Menispermaceae a wide range of bisbenzyl and other types of isoquinoline alkaloids. Many of the plant additives also contain a variety of isoquinoline bases, and this has to be taken into account in assessing the contribution these ingredients may make to the ovzJuxll activity of, curare. Loganiaceae-bated curares with toxiferinzas major alkaloid tend to be the most toxic. In the case of Menispermaceae-based products, there-is evidence that the process by which they are made may lead to a considerable increase in the toxicity of the finished poisons as compared with the original plant materials. The mechanism of action of the alkaloids it, outlined, and the role of curare alkaloids in the development of, present-day muscle-relaxant drugs used in surgery is indicated. Attention lb drawn to reported medicinal uses of some of the alkaloid-bearing plants incorporated into curares, suggesting that further evaluation of these plants may be of interest.

Ethnoveterinary knowledge of the inhabitants of Marajó Island, Eastern Amazonia, Brazil

There have been ethnoveterinary reports from around the world investigating plant usage in therapeutic protocols; however, there is no information regarding the ethnoveterinary practices in Brazilian Amazonia. The objective of this work was to register and document the ethnoveterinary knowledge of the inhabitants of the Island of Marajó, eastern Amazonia, Brazil. In the study, interviews were conducted with 50 individuals, with the application of semi-structured questionnaires that were quantitatively analyzed using descriptive statistic methods of frequency distribution. Use-value was calculated to determine the most important species. Samples of plants that were reported to have medicinal value were collected and identified by botanical classification. Fifty plants, distributed among 48 genera and 34 families, were indicated for 21 different medicinal uses. The family Asteraceae had the largest number of reported species; Carapa guianensis Aubl., Copaifera martii Hayne, Crescentia cujete L., Caesalpinia ferrea Mart., Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Jatropha curcas L. and Momordica charantia L. were species with highest use- value. The plant parts that were more commonly utilized for the preparation of ethnoveterinary medicines were the leaves (56%), bark (18%), roots (14%), seeds (14%) and fruit (8%). With regard to usage, tea was reported as a usage method by 56% of the informants; most preparations (90.9%) utilized only a single plant. In addition to medicinal plants, informants reported using products of animal and mineral origin. The present study contributed to the construction of an inventory of Marajó Island's ethnoveterinary plants, which might be the basis for future scientific validation studies.

Toxicity and repellency of essential oils to Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in Phaseolus vulgaris L

The effects of tangerine (Phaseolus vulgaris Blanco), lemon (Citrus medica limonum Lush), pear orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), red copaiba (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf.), rosemary (Baccharis dracunculifolia De Candole), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labillardière and E. citriodora Hook), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf.) and citronella (Cimbopogon nardus Linnaeus) oils at several concentrations on Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) were studied. In toxicity tests, grains of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Rajadinho were impregnated with oils and infested with adults of Z. subfasciatus up to 24 hours old. All tested oils were effective in reducing the viable egg-laying and adult emergence of this pest, in function of the concentrations used, highlighting E. citriodora and E. globulus oils which caused 100% effectiveness from 0.5 mL Kg-1 concentration. In repellency tests, two arenas consisting of plastic containers, connected symmetrically to a central box by two plastic tubes were used. In one of the boxes, untreated beans were placed and on the other ones beans treated with each oil concentration were used. In the central box, five couples of Z. subfasciatus were released. Grains of P. vulgaris treated with oils of E. citriodora, C. citratus and C. oleifera reduced the attraction percentage of Z. subfasciatus adults, while the E. globulus increased this percentage. The percentages of reduced viable eggs ranged from 17.9% (C. medica limonum) to 93.3% (C. nardus), while the reduction on the number of emerged insects was 23.9% and 95.9%, respectively for these same oils.

Estudo taxonômico do gênero Abuta (Menispermaceae) no Estado do Pará, Brasil

Abuta é um gênero taxonomicamente complexo devido à sobreposição de variação dos caracteres morfológicos. O presente estudo consiste no tratamento taxonômico de Abuta no Estado do Pará. A análise envolveu amostras provenientes de coletas e exsicatas dos herbários Museu Goeldi (MG), Instituto Agronômico do Norte (IAN), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA), Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB) e New York Botanical Garden (NY). São apresentados chave de identificação, descrições, distribuição geográfica, comentários e ilustrações das espécies. O gênero está representado na área por 11 espécies: A. barbata, A. brevifolia, A. candollei, A. grandifolia, A. grisebachii, A. imene, A. obovata, A. rufescens, A. sandwithiana, A. solimoesensis e A. velutina. Abuta obovata e A. velutina são novos registros para o estado do Pará. A venação foliar foi o principal caractere para a separação das espécies e a formação de capoeira o ecossistema que apresentou o maior número de espécies.

In vivo antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds: facts and gaps

Background: Numerous diseases have been related with free radicals overproduction and oxidative stress. Botanical preparations possess a multitude of bioactive properties, including antioxidant potential, which has been mainly related with the presence of phenolic compounds. However, the mechanisms of action of these phytochemicals, in vivo effects, bioavailability and bio-efficacy still need research. Scope and Approach: The present report aims to provide a critical review on the aspects related with the in vivo antioxidant activity of phenolic extracts and compounds from plant origin. Key findings: Biological functions beyond the human metabolism were discussed, comparing in vivo vs. in vitro studies, as also focusing the conditioning factors for phenolic compounds bioavailability and bio-efficacy. Furthermore, an upcoming perspective about the use of phytochemicals as life expectancy promoters and anti-aging factors in human individuals was provided. Conclusions: Overall, and despite all of those advances, the study of the biological potential of numerous natural matrices still remains a hot topic among the scientific community. In fact, the available knowledge about the responsible phytochemicals for the biological potential, their mechanisms of action, the establishment of therapeutic and prophylactic doses, and even the occurrence of biochemical inter-relations, is considerable scarce.

Use of anatomical root markers for species identification in Catasetum (Orchidaceae) at the Portal da Amazônia region, MT, Brazil

Orchidaceae is one of the largest botanical families, with approximately 780 genera. Among the genera of this family, Catasetum currently comprises 166 species. The aim of this study was to characterize the root anatomy of eight Catasetum species, verifying adaptations related to epiphytic habit and looking for features that could contribute to the vegetative identification of such species. The species studied were collected at the Portal da Amazônia region, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The roots were fixed in FAA 50, cut freehand, and stained with astra blue/fuchsin. Illustrations were obtained with a digital camera mounted on a photomicroscope. The roots of examined species shared most of the anatomical characteristics observed in other species of the Catasetum genus, and many of them have adaptations to the epiphytic habit, such as presence of secondary thickening in the velamen cell walls, exodermis, cortex, and medulla. Some specific features were recognized as having taxonomic application, such as composition of the thickening of velamen cell walls, ornamentation of absorbent root-hair walls, presence of tilosomes, composition and thickening of the cortical cell walls, presence of mycorrhizae, endodermal cell wall thickening, the number of protoxylem poles, and composition and thickening of the central area of the vascular cylinder. These traits are important anatomical markers to separate the species within the genus and to generate a dichotomous identification key for Catasetum. Thus, providing a useful tool for taxonomists of this group

Examen classis dioeciae.

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Examen classis dioeciae.

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Examen classis dioeciae.

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