GC-MS Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and In Silico Study of the Essential Oil from Schinus molle L. Leaves in the Presence of Mosquito Juvenile Hormone-Binding Protein (mJHBP) from Aedes aegypti.

Schinus molle is a medicinal plant used as an anti-inflammatory and for rheumatic pain in the traditional medicine of Peru. On the other hand, Aedes aegypti is the main vector of several tropical diseases and the transmitter of yellow fever, chikungunya, malaria, dengue, and Zika virus. In this study, the aim was to investigate the antioxidant activity in vitro and the insecticidal activity in silico, in the presence of the mosquito juvenile hormone-binding protein (mJHBP) from Aedes aegypti, of the essential oil from S. molle leaves. The volatile phytochemicals were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the profile antioxidants were examined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The evaluation in silico was carried out on mJHBP (PDB: 5V13) with an insecticidal approach. The results revealed that EO presented as the main volatile components to alpha-phellandrene (32.68%), D-limonene (12.59%), and beta-phellandrene (12.24%). The antioxidant activity showed values for DPPH = 11.42 ± 0.08 µmol ET/g, ABTS = 134.88 ± 4.37 µmol ET/g, and FRAP = 65.16 ± 1.46 µmol ET/g. Regarding the insecticidal approach in silico, alpha-muurolene and gamma-cadinene had the best biding energy on mJHBP (ΔG = -9.7 kcal/mol), followed by beta-cadinene (ΔG = -9.5 kcal/mol). Additionally, the volatile components did not reveal antioxidant activity, and its potential insecticidal effect would be acting on mJHBP from A. aegypti.

Biomolecules with Antioxidant Capacity from the Seeds and Sprouts of 20 Varieties of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (Quinoa).

Quinoa has acquired a great interest due to its high content of nutrients and biomolecules that have nutritional and medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to compare the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and the antioxidant capacity of 20 varieties of seeds and sprouts of quinoa extract. Quinoa seeds were germinated for 72 h and dried in an oven at 45 °C. The extracts were obtained by dynamic extraction using methanol. Phytochemical analysis with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), TPC, TF, and the antioxidant capacity was carried out and compared between both extracts. The TPC was determined with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, TF with AlCl3, and the antioxidant capacity was determined according to the DPPH and ABTS assays. Sprout extracts showed high values of TPC (31.28 ± 0.42 mg GAE/g; Pasankalla variety), TF (14.31 ± 0.50 mg EQ/g; black Coito variety), and antioxidant capacity (IC50 (DPPH): 12.69 ± 0.29 µg/mL and IC50 (ABTS): 3.51 ± 0.04 µg/mL; Pasankalla). The extracts of the Pasankalla variety revealed 93 and 90 phytochemical constituents in the seeds and sprouts, respectively, such as amino acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, fatty acids, and triterpene saponins, among others. Quinoa sprouts showed a high content of TPC and TF, and high antioxidant capacity compared with seed extracts, especially the Pasankalla variety.

Phytochemical Screening by LC-ESI-MS/MS and Effect of the Ethyl Acetate Fraction from Leaves and Stems of Jatropha macrantha Müll Arg. on Ketamine-Induced Erectile Dysfunction in Rats.

Jatropha macrantha Müll Arg. L is also known as "huanarpo macho" and used in the Peruvian traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac and erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical constituents in leaves and stems ethyl acetate fraction (LEAF and SEAF) of J. macrantha and to compare the antioxidant activity and the ameliorative effect on ketamine-induced erectile dysfunction in rats. The phytochemical constituents were determined by LC-ESI-MS/MS, the total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids (TPC and TF) by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride, respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Experimental groups were divided as follows: I: negative control; II: positive control (ketamine at 50 mg/ kg/d); III: sildenafil 5 mg/kg; IV, V, VI: LEAF at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively, and VII, VIII, IX: SEAF at 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence mainly of coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenes. TPC of LEAF and SEAF were 359 ± 5.21 mg GAE/g and 306 ± 1.93 mg GAE/g, respectively; TF in LEAF and SEAF were 23.7 ± 0.80 mg EQ/g, and 101 ± 1.42 mg EQ/g, respectively. The DPPH, ABTS, FRAP in SEAF were 647 ± 3.27; 668 ± 2.30; and 575 ± 2.86 µmol TE/g, respectively, whilst LEAF showed 796 ± 3.15; 679 ± 0.85; and 806 ± 3.42 µmol TE/g, respectively. Regarding sexual behavior, LEAF showed a better effect in mount frequency, intromission frequency, ejaculation frequency, mount latency, intromission latency, ejaculatory latency, and post ejaculatory latency than SEAF. As conclusion, LEAF of J. macrantha at 50 mg/kg showed a better effect on sexual behavior in male rats with erectile dysfunction than SEAF but not higher than sildenafil.