The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of four Phagnalon species collected in Sicily (Italy) and Greece.

The genus Phagnalon Cass., included in the Asteraceae family, has a wide distribution, expanding from Macaronesia in the West to the Himalayas in the East, from South France and Nord Italy to Ethiopia and Arabian Peninsula. Various species of Phagnalon have been used in the popular medicine of several countries as medicinal herbs and food. The extracts and the secondary metabolites, have a varied application spectrum at several biological levels, with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antitumor, etc. properties having been reported. The essential oils of four taxa, Phagnalon rupestre, Phagnalon saxatile var. viride, and Phagnalon rupestre subsp. illyricum var. metlesicsii collected in Sicily (Italy), never previously investigated, and of Phagnalon graecum collected in Greece, were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All the oils were very rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, with ß-pinene as main constituent. Chemotaxonomic considerations with respect to all the other oils of Phagnalon taxa were carried out.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of some species of Anthemis sect. Anthemis (Asteraceae) from Sicily.

The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis, Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis (Brullo) Giardina & Raimondo and from flowers and leaves of Anthemis cretica subsp. columnae (Ten.) Frezén were determinated by GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Torreyol (85.4%) was recognised as the main constituent of the Anthemis arvensis subsp. arvensis essential oil, while in the essential oils of Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis, collected on the rock and cultivated in Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus, (E)-chrysanthenyl acetate (28.8 and 24.2% resp.), 14-hydroxy-α-humulene (8.1 and 5.3% resp.), santolina triene (8 and 5.8% resp.) and α-pinene (6.7 and 5.4% resp.) prevailed. 18-cineole (13.3 and 12.2% resp.), was the main component of both flower and leaf oils of Anthemis cretica subsp. columnae together with δ-cadinene (9.0 and 8.2% resp.) and (E)-caryophyllene (8.3 and 5.6% resp.).

Asociación de giardiasis y urticaria crónica: eficacia y seguridad del tratamiento con vacunas / Association of giardiasis and chronicle urticaria: efficacy and safety of treatment with vaccine

Tipo de estudio: ensayo clínico controlado. Antecedentes: la inmunoterapia consiste en la administración de extractos alérgicos en dosis crecientes con la finalidad de producir tolerancia. El extracto de giardia se viene utilizando en Cuba con estos fines en la urticaria crónica. Objetivo: valorar la eficacia de la inmunoterapia en pacientes con urticaria crónica sensibilizados a giardina. Materiales y métodos: se realizó punción cutánea con giardina en 146 pacientes con urticaria crónica de edades entre 15 y 60 años. A todos se les realizó punción cutánea con giardina. Los que el prick test fue positivo, a dicho extracto de giardias, se consideraron como grupo de estudio (n=70) y como grupo control los pacientes con prick test negativo (n=76). Se aplicó una pauta de inmunoterapia en el grupo de estudio durante un año. Ambos grupos recibieron tratamiento de rescate según brote y se llevó un control mensual de síntomas. Al año de seguimiento se evaluaron según las escalas: curados, mejorados y sin respuesta y se valoraron las reacciones adversas a la inmunoterapia. La eficacia se estableció al comparar síntomas en los tratados y en los controles, antes y después del período de seguimiento y determinar la fuerza de asociación de la inmunoterapia. Resultados: del total estudiado, eliminaron los síntomas 86, mejoraron la frecuencia e intensidad de brotes 37 y se mantuvieron iguales 23. De los que recibieron inmunoterapia, el total de curados fue de 61 y de los que no recibieron la vacuna se curaron 35, para un RR = 0.13; IC 95 0.05, 0.31. Se concluye que la inmunoterapia con extracto de giardias, es clínicamente segura y eficaz al disminuir en forma significativa los brotes en piel en pacientes con urticaria sensibilizados con extracto de giardias.

Type of study: controlled clinical trial. History: immunotherapy consists in administering allergic extracts in growing doses with the purpose of producing tolerance. The extract of giardia has been used in Cuba with this purpose in the chronicle urticaria. Objective: to value the efficacy of the immunotherapy in patients with chronicle urticaria sensitized with giardia. Materials and Methods: 146 patients with chronicle urticaria from 15 years to 60 years old were practiced cutaneous puncture with giardia. Those whose prick test was positive to such extracto of giardias, were considered a group of study (n=70) and the patients with negative prick test (n=76) as a control group. The group of study was administered a model of immunotherapy for one year. Both groups received rescue treatment according to the outbreak and a monthly control of symptoms was kept. After a year of monitoring they were evaluated based on the scales of: cured patients improved patients and patients without any response; and the adverse reactions to immunotherapy were also valued. The efficacy was established when comparing symptoms in cured patients and in the controls, before and after the period of monitoring and determining the strength of association of the immunotherapy. Results: of the total group studied, 86 eliminated the symptoms, 37 increased the frequency and intensity of the outbreak and 23 kept the same. Out of the patients who received immunotherapy, the total of cured patients was of 61 and out of the patients who didn’t receive the vaccine 35 got better, for a RR= 0.13; IC 95 0.05, 0.31. The immunotherapy with extract of giardias was concluded to be clinically secure and effective to decrease significantly the outbreak in patients with urticaria sensitized with extract of giardias.