ALBERT

Description: Essential oils (EOs) have gained increasing attention due to their pharmacological effectiveness, and they also constitute some of the most popular natural products. In this study, we present the chemical characterization of the EO from Phania matricarioides and the in vitro activity/selectivity against a wide panel of bacteria, fungi and parasitic protozoa. Forty-five compounds were identified in the studied EO, of which lavandulyl acetate (40.1%) and thymyl isobutyrate (13.9%) were the major components. The EO did not inhibit bacterial or fungal growth at the maximum concentration tested (64 µg/mL), although it displayed activity on all evaluated protozoa (IC50 values ranging from 2.2 to 56.6 µg/mL). In parallel, the EO demonstrated a noteworthy cytotoxic activity against peritoneal macrophages (CC50 values of 28.0 µg/mL). The most sensitive microorganism was Trypanosoma cruzi, which had a superior activity (IC50 = 2.2 µg/mL) and selectivity (SI = 13) in respect to other parasitic protozoa and the reference drug (p 〈 0.05). Further in vivo studies are needed to evaluate the potential use of this EO and the main compounds as antitrypanosomal agents. To our knowledge, this is the first report of chemical characterization and antimicrobial assessment of the EO from P. matricarioides.

Description: Phania matricarioides (Spreng.) Griseb. is a traditionally used plant with various pharmacological properties. However, there are only scarce reports about the phytochemistry and biological activity of this plant. In this work, P. matricarioides was collected from three different localities of Cuba: PmB (collected in Bauta, Artemisa), PmC (collected in Cangrejeras, Artemisa), and PmI (collected in La Lisa, Havana), extracted with aqueous ethanol, and analyzed macroscopically and microscopically. The extracts were screened for phytochemical contents, analyzed by TLC and HPLC, and screened for antioxidant activity using the FRAP and DPPH assays. Macroscopic analysis showed similar results for all samples; however, microscopic, physicochemical and phytochemical studies showed appreciable differences. In particular, the total solid of PmC extract was higher (1.94 ± 0.03%) than the other samples. In HPLC profiles, quercetin was identified in the three samples and a greater similarity between samples PmB and PmI was observed. All samples demonstrated radical-scavenging antioxidant activity by the DPPH assay, which PmC also demonstrated the smaller (p 〈 0.05) value (IC50 = 27.4 ± 0.1 µg/mL), but was statistically superior (p 〈 0.05) to vitamin C (IC50 = 23.7 ± 0 µg/mL). Also, in the FRAP assay, a higher vitamin C equivalent of PmC was significantly superior (p 〈 0.05) to the other extracts at the evaluated concentrations, which is likely due to a higher concentration of quercetin. In conclusion, P. matricarioides could constitute a potential resource in the field of phytotherapeutic products, and the results obtained can contribute to the development of the quality control norms for this species.

Description: Current antileishmanial drugs are toxic, expensive, and resistance to them has emerged. Several studies have focused on natural products as alternatives. In the present work, the chemical composition, in vitro antileishmanial activity, cytotoxicity effects, and the influence on mitochondrial function of the essential oil from Tagetes lucida Cav. was determined, as well its main compound estragole. Forty-nine compounds were detected in the oil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), of which estragole was the main constituent (97%). The oil showed inhibition of the promastigotes of L. tarentolae and L. amazonensis (IC50 = 61.4 and 118.8 µg/mL, respectively), decreased oxygen consumption of L. tarentolae, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential in L. amazonensis, inhibitory activity on the intracellular amastigote of L. amazonensis (IC50 = 14.2 ± 1.6 µg/mL), and cytotoxicity values ranging from 80.8 to 156 µg/mL against murine macrophages and J774 cells. Estragole displayed higher activity on promastigotes (IC50 = 28.5 and 25.5 µg/mL, respectively), amastigotes (IC50 = 1.4 ± 0.1 µg/mL), and cytotoxicity values ranging from 20.6 to 14.5 µg/mL, respectively, while on mitochondria, it caused a decrease of the membrane potential but did not inhibit oxygen consumption. The potential antileishmanial activity of the essential oil from T. lucida and estragole makes these compounds favorable candidates for exploration in further studies.

Description: Leishmaniasis is a group of neglected tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. The absence of effective vaccines and the limitations of current treatments make the search for effective therapies a real need. Different plant-derived essential oils (EOs) have shown antileishmanial effects, in particular from Bixa orellana L. (EO-Bo) and Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (EO-Da). In the present study, the EO-Bo and EO-Da, formulated in nanocochleates (EO-Bo-NC and EO-Da-NC, respectively), were evaluated in vitro and in vivo against L. amazonensis. The EO-Bo-NC and EO-Da-NC did not increase the in vitro inhibitory activity of the EOs, although the EO-Bo-NC showed reduced cytotoxic effects. In the animal model, both formulations (30 mg/kg/intralesional route/every 4 days/4 times) showed no deaths or weight loss greater than 10%. In the animal (mouse) model, EO-Bo-NC contributed to the control of infection (p 〈 0.05) in comparison with EO-Bo treatment, while the mice treated with EO-Da-NC exhibited larger lesions (p 〈 0.05) compared to those treated with EO-Da. The enhanced in vivo activity observed for EO-Bo-NC suggests that lipid-based nanoformulations like nanocochleates should be explored for their potential in the proper delivery of drugs, and in particular, the delivery of hydrophobic materials for effective cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.

Description: Essential oils (EOs) are known for their use in cosmetics, food industries, and traditional medicine. This study presents the chemical composition and therapeutic properties against kinetoplastid and eukaryotic cells of the EO from Melaleucaleucadendra (L.) L. (Myrtaceae). Forty-five compounds were identified in the oil by GC-MS, containing a major component the 1,8-cineole (61%). The EO inhibits the growth of Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma brucei at IC50 values 0.05). This work constitutes the first evidence of antiproliferative potentialities of EO from M. leucadendra growing in Cuba and could promote further preclinical investigations to confirm the medical value of this plant, in particular for leishmaniasis treatment.

Description: Smilax plants are distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions in both hemispheres of the world. They are used extensively in traditional medicines in a number of countries. However, morphological and molecular barcodes analysis, which may assist in the taxonomic identification of species, are lacking in Ecuador. In order to evaluate the micromorphological characteristics of these plants, cross sections of Smilax purhampuy leaves were obtained manually. The rhizome powder, which is typically used in traditional medicines, was analyzed for micromorphological characteristics. All samples were clarified with 1% sodium hypochlorite. Tissues were colored with 1% safranin in water and were fixed with glycerinated gelatin. DNA was extracted from the leaves using a modified CTAB method for molecular barcode characterization and PCR was performed using primers to amplify the different loci including the plastid genome regions atpF-atpH spacer, matK gene, rbcL gene, rpoB gene, rpoC1 gene, psbK–psbI spacer, and trnH–psbA spacer; and the nuclear DNA sequence ITS2. A DNA sequence similarity search was performed using BLAST in the GenBank nr database and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the maximum likelihood method according to the best model identified by MEGAX using a bootstrap test with 1,000 replicates. Results showed that the micromorphological evaluation of a leaf cross section depicted a concave arrangement of the central vein, which was more pronounced in the lower section and had a slight protuberance. The micromorphological analysis of the rhizome powder allowed the visualization of a group of cells with variable sizes in the parenchyma and revealed thickened xylematic vessels associated with other elements of the vascular system. Specific amplicons were detected in DNA barcoding for all the barcodes tested except for the trnH–psbA spacer. BLAST analysis revealed that the Smilax species was predominant in all the samples for each barcode; therefore, the genus Smilax was confirmed through DNA barcode analysis. The barcode sequences psbK-psbI, atpF-atpH, and ITS2 had a better resolution at the species level in phylogenetic analysis than the other barcodes we tested.

Description: Background Mimusops coriacea (A.DC.) Miq., (Sapotaceae), originated from Africa, were introduced to coastal areas in Ecuador where it is not extensively used as a traditional medicine to treat various human diseases. Different therapeutically uses of the species include: analgesic, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, inflammation and pain relieve associated with bone and articulation-related diseases. Furthermore, Mimusops coriacea could be used as anti-oxidant agent. However, botanical, chemical or molecular barcode information related to this much used species is not available from Ecuador. In this study, morphological characterization was performed from leaves, stem and seeds. Furthermore, genetic characterization was performed using molecular barcodes for rbcL, matk, ITS1 and ITS2 using DNA extracted from leaves. Methods Macro-morphological description was performed on fresh leaves, stem and seeds. For anatomical evaluation, tissues were embedded in paraffin and transversal dissections were done following incubation with sodium hypochlorite and safranin for coloration and fixated later in glycerinated gelatin. DNA extraction was performed using a modified CTAB protocol from leaf tissues, while amplification by PCR was accomplished for the molecular barcodes rbcL, matK, ITS1 and ITS2. Sequence analysis was performed using blast in the GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with accessions queried in the GenBank belonging to the subfamily Sapotoideae. Results Leaf size was 13.56 ± 1.46 × 7.49 ± 0.65 cm; where is a macro-morphological description of the stem (see Methods). The peel of the seeds is dark brown. Sequence analysis revealed that amplicons were generated using the four barcodes selected. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the barcodes rbcL and matK, were not discriminated between species within the same genus of the subfamily Sapotoideae. On the other hand, the ITS1 and ITS2 were discriminative at the level of genus and species of the Sapotoideae.