Chemical Variation and Pharmacological Properties of Dyssodia decipiens Essential Oil.

Dyssodia decipiens is one of the seven recognized species within the Dyssodia genus, which has economic and social relevance in Mexico. Herein, we report on the volatile characterization and pharmacological activity of D. decipiens. The essential oils (2017-2019) contained verbenone (30.8-60.9 %), limonene (5.6-35.5 %), ß-caryophyllene (7.8-19.8 %) and linalool (4.5-12.4 %) as major constituents along the studied years. Antifungal properties were probed on Candida albicans ATCC 90028, ATCC 10231 (fluconazole resistant) and five clinical isolates (IS1-IS5). Flower essential oils had the best anti-C. albicans activity (MIC 59.2-93.5 µg mL-1 ), and limonene (MIC 125.5-188.4 µg mL-1 ) and ß-caryophyllene (MIC 104.3-184.2 µg mL-1 ) were involved in this effect. SEM examination revealed that D. decipiens essential oils produced an evident lysis on the fungus. Mosquito repellent activity was demonstrated on Aedes aegypti, a vector of dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses. The repellent activity of leaf essential oils (20 %) was effective within 1-5 h post-treatment (>90 %) and it was stronger (p<0.01) than that of commercial DEET. The evaluation of the four major volatiles (10 % each) produced similar results to those of essential oils. Finally, leaf essential oils showed a moderate antiproliferative activity on the lines OVCAR-3 (LD50 56.5-85.7 µg mL-1 ), and verbenone (LD50 65.3 µg mL-1 ) and ß-caryophyllene (LD50 43.6 µg mL-1 ) were linked to this effect.

Revealing the 1H NMR metabolome of mirasol chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) infected by Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii.

The infection of Capsicum annuum cv. mirasol by Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii (16SrVI) causes devastating crop losses in northern Mexico. This study addresses the metabolomics profiling of mirasol chili peppers (Capsicum annuum cv. mirasol) infected by Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii. For this study, 25 diseased fruits and 25 healthy fruits were used. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed dramatic changes in the content of 42 metabolites which were identified in diseased and healthy mirasol chili peppers. The endogenous levels of fructose, glucose and formic acid were substantially decreased in the diseased chili peppers. In the same group of samples, high concentrations of alanine, asparagine, fumaric acid, sucrose and threonine were observed. The content of Choline didnt present a significant difference. This evidence supports the fact that Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii infection reduces de CO2 fixation into carbohydrates, decreases invertase activity, and inhibits glycolysis in the diseased plant tissues. The levels of ascorbic acid, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicinin in diseased fruits were dramatically decreased, suggesting that Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii can reduce the pungency and the nutraceutical value of mirasol chili peppers.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) graft copolymer dense membranes for human mesenchymal stem cell growth

Background: The use of novel materials as an artificial extracellular matrix for stem cell growth is a current strategy of increasing interest for regenerative medicine. Here, we prepare thermal-remolded membrane scaffolds from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafted with 2-amino-ethyl methacrylate hydrochloride. However, it is unclear whether these membranes are useful for tissue engineering. Results: The mechanical properties, tribology, and morphology of the dense membranes were assessed. The results show that tensile strain at break and roughness of the compressed membrane decrease with increasing graft degree. Moreover, graft copolymer membranes showed lower resistance to scratching, greater degree of swelling and higher brittleness than un-grafted P(3HB) films. Thus, it effectively supports the growth of dermal fibroblast, as demonstrated by epifluorescence microscopy. Conclusions: It is concluded that the developed membrane can be properly used in is the restoration of skin tissue. How to cite: González-Torres M, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Solís-Rosales SG, et al. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) graft copolymer dense membranes for human mesenchymal stem cell growth.