Compositional studies and Biological activities of Perovskia abrotanoides Kar. oils

BACKGROUND: Current study has been designed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential and fixed oils from stem and leaves of Perovskia abrotanoides and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of these oils. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis of essential oil identified 19 compounds with (E)-9-dodecenal being the major component in stem and hexadecanoic acid in leaves. In contrast, GC-MS analysis of fixed oil showed 40 constituents with α-amyrin the major component in stem and α-copaene in leaves. The antioxidant activity showed the highest value of 76.7% in essential oil from leaves in comparison with fixed oil from stem (45.9%) through inhibition of peroxidation in linoleic acid system. The antimicrobial assay tested on different microorganisms (e.g. E. coli, S. aureus, B. cereus, Nitrospira, S. epidermis, A. niger, A. flavus and C. albicans) showed the higher inhibition zone at essential oil from leaves (15.2 mm on B. cereus) as compared to fixed oil from stem (8.34 mm onS. aureus) and leaves (11.2 mm on S. aureus). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the fact that essential oil analyzed from Perovskia abrotanoides stem and leaves could be a promising source of natural products with potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as compared to fixed oil.

Development and evaluation of a hot-melt coating technique for enteric coating

Conventional enteric coating requires the use of organic based polymers which are equally hazardous to the environment and operating personnel. Hot-melt coating avoids the use of solvents and is a safer and time-saving process. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy of hot-melt coating (HMC) as an enteric coating technique. Pellets prepared by extrusion spheronization were selected as the core formulation for a model of the gastric irritant drug diclofenac sodium (DFS) because of their innate advantages over single-unit formulations. Stearic acid (SA) and palmitic acid (PA) were evaluated as enteric hot-melt coating materials. HMC was carried out in a specially modified coating pan by applying SA and PA in molten state onto preheated pellets to achieve a coating level of 5-15 %w/w. Hot-melt coated pellets were evaluated for disintegration pH and in vitro dissolution in the pH range 1.2 to 6.8, along with basic micromeritics. SEM of coated pellets showed a uniform and smooth coating. These results indicated that HMC of both SA and PA exhibited very good enteric coating ability. The coated pellets showed negligible drug release in acidic pH. As the pellets were subsequently transferred to a higher pH level, a gradual increase in release of the drug from the pellets was observed with increasing pH of the dissolution media. The release was dependent upon coating extent, providing sustained enteric release as opposed to abrupt release with mixed release kinetics.

O revestimento entérico convencional requer o uso de polímeros orgânicos os quais são igualmente danosos ao meio ambiente e ao pessoal que o executa. O revestimento por fusão a quente evita o uso de solventes e é processo mais seguro e que consome menos tempo. O presente estudo foi planejado para avaliar a eficácia do revestimento por fusão a quente (RFQ) como técnica de revestimento entérico. Os péletes preparados por esferonização por extrusão foram selecionados como formulação central para modelo de fármaco irritante gástrico, o diclofenaco sódico (DFS) em razão das vantagens inerentes sobre as formulações de única dose. O ácido esteárico (AE) e o ácido palmítico (AP) foram avaliados como materiais para o revestimento de fusão a quente. O RFQ foi realizado em recipiente especialmente modificado, aplicando AS e PA no estado fundido em péletes pré-aquecidos para atingir nível de revestimento de 5 a 15% p/P. Os péletes revestidos por fusão a quente for avaliados quanto ao pH de desintegração e à dissolução in vitro na faixa de pH de 1,2 a 6,8, juntamente com base micromerítica. O SEM dos péletes revestido mostrou revestimento uniforme e plano. Esses resultados indicaram que o RFQ tanto do AE quanto do AP apresentou capacidade de revestimento muito boa. Os péletes revestidos mostraram pouca liberação do fármaco em pH baixo. Como os péletes foram, subsequentemente, transferidos para pH mais altos, observou-se aumento gradual na liberação do fármaco dos péletes com o aumento do pH do meio de dissolução. A liberação foi dependente da extensão do revestimento, sendo a liberação entérica controlada, contrariamente à liberação abrupta com cinéticas mistas.

Modificações no óleo da castanha do Pará (Bertholletia excelsa) / Modification in the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) oil

Óleo da castanha do Pará (Bertholletia excelsa), extraído por prensagem das sementes a frio, foi submetido às modificações de fracionamento, hidrogenação, interesterificação e misturas com as gorduras obtidas na hidrogenação. Na hidrogenação o óleo foi submetido a três reações em reator Parr de 1 L, catalisador de níquel (Pricatt 9920-06 - Unichema), e sob as seguintes condições: 175ºC, 3 atm, 60 min (GH1), 150ºC, 1 atm, 30 min (GH2) e 125ºC, 1 atm, 30 min (GH3). O teor de acido esteárico aumentou de 11,6 por cento (óleo original) a 56,7 por cento, 16,3 por cento e 15,3 por cento em GH1, GH2 e GH3, respectivamente. O ácido oléico, representando 34,5 por cento no óleo original descresceu em GH1 a 25,9 por cento e aumentou em GH2 e GH3 a 59,9 por cento e 53,8 por cento, respectivamente...

Fatty acid composition of beef, pork, and poultry fresh cuts, and some of their processed products

Numerous researchers have shown that dietary fats and oils may affect blood lipid levels and the development of cardiovascular diseases, but consumers are receiving mixed messages about the percentage of fat they should consume in their diets, and they can make proper food choices only when they have the right information. Fatty acid profiles of the meat food products in the Venezuelan diet were determined. Methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography on a PT 10 per cent Silar-10C on Gas-Chrom Q 100/120 mesh column. Beef cuts presented a predominant presence of oleic acid (36.21 per cent), palmitic (25.67 per cent) and stearic (20.97). Oleic and palmitic acids are present in pork meat at 42.83 and 24.15 per cent respectively; with lesser quantities of stearic and higher amounts of linoleic acid than beef. Poultry products showed a high content of linoleic (19.54 per cent) and low content of stearic (8.22 per cent) acids. Pork, poultry products, and beef liver presented a considerable amount of linoleic acid 11.85 per cent, 19.54 per cent, and 12.09 per cent, respectively.

Leprosy-derived chemoautotrophic nocardioform (CAN) bacteria closely resemble, or are identical with, Mycobacterium leprae on mycolate and other lipid profiles.

On the basis of thin layer chromatography and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometric studies, the lipid profiles of all the chemoautotrophic nocardioform (CAN) bacteria derived from human and animal leprosy tissues appear to be identical with each other, and closest to or identical with the most probable profile of M. leprae.