ABSTRACT
In recent years, the determination of the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of essential oils in wild plants, such as Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth), has become increasingly important. The objective was to compare the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Mexican oregano essential oil obtained from plants occurring naturally in semiarid areas (Wild1 and Wild2), and those cultivated in the field (CField) and greenhouse (CGreenhouse) in northern Mexico. The Mexican oregano essential oil extraction was performed using the hydrodistillation method, the antioxidant activity was determined using the ABTS method, and the antibacterial activity was assessed through bioassays under the microwell method at nine different concentrations. The aim was to determine the diameter of the inhibition zone and, consequently, understand the sensitivity level for four bacterial species. The results revealed an antioxidant activity ranging from 90% to 94% at the sampling sites, with Wild1 standing out for having the highest average antioxidant activity values. Likewise, six out of the nine concentrations analyzed showed some degree of sensitivity for all the sampling sites. In this regard, the 25 µL mL-1 concentration showed the highest diameter of inhibition zone values, highlighting the Wild2 site, which showed an average diameter greater than 30 mm for the four bacteria tested. Only in the case of S. typhi did the CGreenhouse site surpass the Wild2, with an average diameter of the inhibition zone of 36.7 mm. These findings contribute to the search for new antioxidant and antibacterial options, addressing the challenges that humanity faces in the quest for opportunities to increase life expectancy.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity (OB), overweight (OW), and metabolic syndrome (MS) has increased worldwide. That imposes a substantial risk for type 2 diabetes and premature cardiovascular disease. However, to date no unified criteria exist to asses risk or outcomes in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To establish the presence of OB/OW and MS and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adolescents. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Male (n = 514) and female (n = 429) adolescents from high school were studied (11-14 yr). Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure were determined in all subjects. Glucose, lipoprotein profile, apolipoprotein B (apoB), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured. Triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (TG/HDL-cholesterol) ratio was calculated. RESULTS: The frequency of OB/OW and MS were 22.2 and 3.7%, respectively. In comparison to healthy adolescents, TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio was increased in OB/OW (2.9 ± 2.5 vs. 1.6 ± 1.0) and MS groups (4.0 ± 2.5 vs. 1.6 ± 0.9), p < 0.001. OB/OW adolescents presented higher values of hs-CRP in comparison to non-obese, median (range): 1.9 (0.1-9.4) vs. 1.4 (0.1-9.9), mg/L, p < 0.001. ApoB (mean ± SD) was 71 ± 21 mg/dL in MS group and 59 ± 17 mg/dL in those without MS (p < 0.001). TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.18, p < 0.001), WC (r = 0.24, p < 0.001), and apoB (r = 0.24, p < 0.001); hs-CRP correlated with WC (r = 0.14, p < 0.001) and BMI (r = 0.17, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Even when the frequency of OB, OW, and MS in adolescents was low, those subjects presented an atherogenic lipoprotein. These findings emphasize the importance to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents to assess strategies to prevent future disease.
