Chemical composition, antifungal and antioxidant activity of essential oils from Baccharis dracunculifolia and Pogostemon cablin against Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium graminearum Schw. is associated with diseases in seeds and seedlings, mainly in maize, and causes damage to crops and food production. We determined the chemical compositions of essential oils from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth and Baccharis dracunculifolia DC., and evaluated their antioxidant and antifungal activity against F. graminearum. The oils were applied to the fungus using disc diffusion technique at concentrations of 8.0, 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 µL mL-1. Fungistatic effects of P. cablin oil were detectable at 8.0 µL mL-1, with 80.0% inhibition of fungal growth. This oil contains mono and sesquiterpenes that may be toxic to fungal cell structures. P. cablin oil also had antioxidant activity in free radical sequestration experiments, where as oil from B. dracunculifolia had limited effects. We conclude that essential oil from P. cablin has greater anti-phytopathogenic and antioxidant activity than that from B. dracunculifolia.

Influence of Polymorphism (-G308A) TNF-α on the Periportal Fibrosis Regression of Schistosomiasis After Specific Treatment.

AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine and important mediator of severity for periportal fibrosis (PPF). We hypothesized that the (-G380A) polymorphism in the TNF-α gene is associated with regression of PPF after treatment for schistosomiasis mansoni. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study, involving 124 Brazilian patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni, who were followed for 2 years after treatment to estimate the likelihood of PPF regression. Sociodemographic and clinical factors were also identified, with emphasis on specific treatment. RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed between sociodemographic and clinical factors among the exposed groups. Genotypes (-308) GA/AA were positively associated with the degree of PFF regression (relative risk [RR] = 0.52; ρ = 0.025), as well as in the image pattern of PPF (RR = 0.56; ρ = 0.048), when compared with the genotype (-308) GG. There was no statistical difference in TNF-α serum levels between the exposed groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the (-G308A) polymorphism of the TNF-α gene may be one of the factors that prevents the regression of the degree and pattern of PPF in the Brazilian population, and thus it may potentially be a predictive factor of PPF intensity in schistosomiasis.