Preliminary Data Regarding Pharmaceutical Forms Type Gels Based on Marine Algae Extracts with Antioxidant Activity

Particularly interest on herbs and plant extracts is due to their content of active principles with remarkable pharmacological properties. Different vegetal species contain natural antioxidants (polyphenols) used for their dermatological anti-inflammatory and healing activity, justified by their action on free radicals. The aim of this paper was to obtain selected phytopharmaceuticals formulations type gels with an increased antioxidant potential based on a mixture of fluid extracts from seaweeds species in the phylum Chlorophyta, Cladophora vagabunda (L.) C. Hoek, in the family Cladophoraceae, Ulva lactuca (L.) syn. Ulva rigida (L.), in the family Ulvaceae (sea lettuce) and species in the phylum Rhodophyta, Ceramium rubrum C. Agardh, in the famiy Ceramiaceae, frequently presents along the Romanian Black Sea coast. Fluid extracts concentration 10 percent were obtained using cold maceration extraction method, in solvents ethylic alcohol 40 percent and 70 percent. The obtained vegetal extracts were mixed in different ratio and analysed for physico-chemical properties, for the content of total phenols, chlorophylls, cartenoids, flavonoids and antioxidative capacity by photochemiluminescence method (ACL, Analytik Jena AG procedure). The selected mixed fluid extracts with greatest content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity were used for obtaining pharmaceutical forms type gels which were analyzed for the physical-chemical properties appearance, pH, spredability and total antioxidative capacity. Preliminary results emphasized that proposed pharmaceutical forms type gels had an appreciable antioxidant activity correlated with a good stability, an increased polyphenols content and would represent a possible new dermatological anti-inflammatory and healing preparation.

Pharmacognostic assessment and pre-clinical toxicity of ethanolic extract from Aspidosperma subincanum Mart. stem bark (Guatambu)

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects approximately 10% of the world population. As it is a chronic disease, several patients search for alternatives to the traditional allopathic treatment, such as medicinal plants. In Brazil, the Aspidosperma subincanum (Guatambu) is one of the vegetal species commercialized in open markets used for diabetes popular treatment. Objective: To perform the phytochemical prospection and pre-clinical assessment of the ethanolic extract from stem bark of A. subincanum bark (EEAS). Material and methods: A. subincanum stem barks were collected in state of Goiás, Brazil and the EEAS was obtained by cold maceration. The phytochemical prospection was performed and acute and subacute toxicity assessments were performed according to OECD guidelines. Results: Phytochemical prospection identified the presence of steroids, triterpenes, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, coumarins, and resins. The acute toxicity showed no death in EEAS doses administered intraperitoneally (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) and orally (5000 mg/kg). The subacute toxicity showed signs of nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and lung damages in the two highest doses tested (250, 250 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent way. However, the satellite group showed reversion of the lesions after 30 days of EEAS interruption. Conclusion: The acute toxicity of EEAS suggests an LD50 > 5000 mg/kg. The oral use of EEAS during a short period (30 days) or more can be hazardous at doses similar to that tested in this study and may represent a risk for those who consume this kind of extract as a medicinal plant.

Vertical gardens: Manufacturing materials proposal

Vertical gardens emerged with the aim of increasing green areas in large urban centres, thus reducing the negative impacts of this dense urbanization. In general, vertical gardens are able to improve air quality, reduce heat islands, increase biodiversity, among other advantages presented in this work. This study proposes the use of two materials for making panels for vertical gardens. The panels were based on the model developed by the French botanist Patrick Blanc, using “green felt” and “grey cacharel” with each panel measuring 50 x 80 cm and with 24 pockets. These were installed in a residence in the municipality of Ilha Solteira, São Paulo state, Brazil; having with vegetal species Trandescantia zebrina. During January 19 to February 2, 2020, the temperatures of the panels, the wall and the region behind the panels were measured. An average thermal damping of up to 8.71°C was observed; it was concluded that the panels developed were effective for the construction of vertical gardens.

Growth and Biomass Production of Moringa Cultivated in Semiarid Region as Responses to Row Spacing and Cuts

The management of the moringa to produce biomass, as it is for other vegetal species, must consider some aspects that foster productivity. Among these aspects, cultivation density is a crucial element. This research aimed to assess the effects of spacing and cuts on the growth of the moringa. The treatments consisted of four spacings: 0.5 x 1.0 m; 0.83 x 1.0 m; 1.25 x 1.0 m; and 1.66 x 1.0 m. The experimental design was a randomized-block design with five repetitions. The standardization cut of the plants was performed at a one-meter height from the ground, fifty days after the seedlings transplantation. The assessments were performed every sixty days, totaling six cuts. Spacing impacted the growth and biomass production but did not affect the height of the plants. The stem diameter, branch number, and the plant’s mass increased at increasing the spacing. On the other side, the total mass and the masses of the stem, the leaflet, and the petiole per hectare decreased at increasing the spacing. Spacing did not affect the ratio between leaf/stem and leaflet/petiole. Plant growth and dry matter production were highest after the first two cuts and decreased significantly from the third cut on. The spacing of 0.5 x 1.0 m should be used for planting Moringa oleifera Lam. because this configuration, even reducing the gain per plant, increased the production of dry matter per unit area.

Climate as the Major Factor Controlling Phenology

The witnessed aberrance and irregularities in the timing of pheno-phases is an undeniable evidence of the reality of the climate change and hence proves the complete control of climate over phenology. In fact, some researchers mentioned the advance of blooming and the delay of defoliation to the mid of winter as well as the disappearance of many animal and vegetal species. This would visibly illustrates the impact of climate changes which became a factual reality. These facts a long with the rhythmicity of life under the climate control and seasonality makes the importance of this chapter unequivocal, and a backbone for this very book of “Agrometeorology”. Accordingly, this chapter treats each phenophase from dormancy to fructification to cover all the plant life cycle. For each of which we focus on how climate is intimately controlling the biological processes of each life phase and how climatic elements are the strongest and first factor which induces plant to starts the appropriate phenophase according to the fitting season. Plant is indeed very sensitive to seasonal variation in climate elements which induces the transcription of specific genes to produce specific enzymes which to their turn are with specific act on specific cells and tissues. Hence there is a high harmony between plant physiological response and climate seasonality endorsed by the circadian clock which is merely created by the historical subjection of plants to the impact of climate. Nonetheless, the recent climate changes are seemingly to be against this natural harmony between phenology and climate. This should due to their erraticism which may cause damages to the ecosystem and available resources. Thence, this chapter within this book would be inspiring for some strategies of adaptation to the climate changes to avoid such a prejudice against crops by adjusting the agricultural calendar and planting dates to avoid coincidence of fragile phenophases (germination, flowering, and fructification) with climatic hazards.

Viability of Agricultural and Forestry Residues as Biomass Fuels in the Galicia-North Portugal Region: An Experimental Study

In this study, an experimental approach was utilized to assess the viability of three biomass fuels in a small laboratory-scale combustor. Three feedstocks currently considered as residues were selected based on their widespread presence in the Euroregion Galicia-North Portugal, and some were modified to improve their behavior by removing fine particles or adding substances to increase the melting point of the ashes. The experimental facility was a highly modifiable, fixed-bed combustor with air-staging capabilities and a wide array of sensors intended to measure a large quantity of parameters. A series of tests was performed to cover the widest range of total air flows possible for the facility, with values of 0.223, 0.279 and 0.334 kg/m²s being used, while 30% of the total air flow enters from below the combustion bed and 70% over it. Results from the proximate and elemental analyses show high proportions of ash in every fuel compared to commercial wood pellets, and empirical deposition indexes suggest a high risk of fouling and slagging. Testing confirmed the analysis predictions, resulting in the kiwi- and vine-based fuels not being suitable for a facility without ash elimination systems. Some modifications of the gorse fuel showed improved behavior compared to unmodified gorse fuel, namely, the addition of a 2% mass fraction of CaCO3 and the removal of fine particles. The former prevented ash sintering, and the latter greatly decreased the fouling of the heat exchanger tubes. These results suggest that some of the vegetal species studied might be suitable for their use in small-scale biomass burners, and besides the accuracy of one of the deposition indexes used is confirmed.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Rutin Derivatives Carrying Quinoline Moiety

Antimicrobial resistance constitutes a topical subject and it is one of the major threats to public health. According to statistics, the incidence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa has increased in the last decades and it continues to spread. Therefore, the development of novel antimicrobial agents to combat drug-resistant infections is very important, among other research directions in this field. Quinoline ring is a very interesting structure for researchers because of its diverse biological properties (antimicrobial, anticancer, anticonvulsant, antiinflamatory and cardiovascular). On the other hand several studies showed good antibacterial activity (including anti-Pseudomonas effects) and antifungal properties of rutin or vegetal species with a high flavonoids (especially rutin) concentration. Based on the above considerations, eight novel rutin derivatives carrying 4- and 8-aminoquinoline moiety were designed, synthesized and characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against representative Gram-positive, Gram-negative and fungal pathogens. The results indicated that all rutin derivatives exhibited good antibacterial activities, similar to ciprofloxacin.