Search Results (5)

Several members of the Rutaceae (citrus) family are widely cultivated and processed. Tocopherol (T) synthesis and composition are well-documented, while tocotrienols (T3) in most plant families remain underreported. To amend this, mass screening of Rutaceae species’ seed tocochromanols were analysed. Of the 53 analysed species, seed tocochromanols were tocotrienol-dominated in 22 species, including a majority of species Zanthoxyloideae (Choisya, Dictamnus, Melicope, Ptelea, Skimmia, Tetradium, Zanthoxylum) and the Cneoroideae (Cneorum) subfamily. Total tocochromanol content ranged from 0.20–25.98 mg 100 g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) seeds. The highest tocochromanol content was observed in Murraya paniculata, Ruta graveolens seeds, the highest tocotrienol (T3) content was observed in Skimmia anquetilia and Dictamnus albus—19.80 and 19.70 mg 100 g⁻¹ dw, respectively. The major tocochromanols in the seeds were γ-T and γ-T3, while others were present in low concentration or absent. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), principal component analysis (PCA) and non-hierarchal cluster analysis (N-HCA) identified similar tocochromanol content trends in the Rutoideae subfamily species and the Bergera and Murraya genus, while the Zanthoxyloideae subfamily species’ seed tocochromanol composition was highly variable. The efficient extractability of tocochromanols using sustainable solvent–ethanol is demonstrating suitability of this approach for daily samples screening and bioactive extraction. Full article

Huanglongbing (HLB), the most serious disease in citriculture, is caused by the bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp., which is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri. HLB is mainly controlled with insecticides, necessitating the development of alternative methods, e.g., the use of trap plants such as curry leaf Bergera koenigii, which is highly attractive to the ACP. We evaluated the effects of the main systemic insecticides used by citrus growers, applied via drench to adults of D. citri on the curry leaf tree. We tested the persistence of three pesticides: thiamethoxam, thiamethoxam + chlorantraniliprole, and imidacloprid in protected cultivation and the field condition at 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 98, and 154 days after the application. Different concentrations of insecticides containing the active ingredient thiamethoxam were tested on adults to determine the LC₁₀ and LC₅₀. Finally, we assessed the sublethal effects on the oviposition and development of D. citri. The insecticides controlled the adults for long periods. However, in the field experiment, from 42 days after application there was a decrease in mortality caused by pesticides applied via drench, while in the protected cultivation, mortality did not decline until the last day of evaluation. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) for thiamethoxam was 0.031 g of active ingredient per plant, and for thiamethoxam in a mixture, the LC₅₀ was 0.028 g a.i. per plant. In the experiment with sublethal doses, D. citri did not oviposit on the treated plants. Our findings suggest that the attract-and-kill system using the curry leaf tree and systemic insecticides is effective for the control of D. citri and contributes to the integrated management of HLB. Full article

Oropharyngeal avian trichomonosis is a potentially lethal parasitic disease that affects several avian orders. This review is focused on the disease treatments since prophylactic treatment is prohibited in most countries and resistant strains are circulating. A systematic review following the PRISMA procedure was conducted and included 60 articles. Successful and non-toxic treatments of avian oropharyngeal trichomonosis started with enheptin, a drug replaced by dimetridazole, metronidazole, ornidazole, carnidazole and ronidazole. Administration in drinking water was the most employed and recommended method, although hierarchy of the avian flocks and palatability of the medicated water can interfere with the treatments. Besides pigeons, treatments with nitroimidazoles were reported in budgerigars, canaries, finches, bald eagles, a cinereous vulture and several falcon species, but resistant strains were reported mainly in domestic pigeons and budgerigars. Novel treatments include new delivery systems proved with traditional drugs and some plant extracts and its main components. Ethanolic extracts from ginger, curry leaf tree and Dennettia tripetala, alkaloid extracts of Peganum harmala and essential oils of Pelargonium roseum and some Lamiaceae were highly active. Pure active compounds from the above extracts displayed good anti-trichomonal activity, although most studies lack a cytotoxicity or in vivo test. Full article

Films and coatings fabricated with renewable biopolymers and antimicrobial agents have attracted research interest owing to their contribution to food safety and biodegradability. The study aimed to determine the effect of natural plant extracts from the leaves of curry tree, neem, tulsi, and Mexican mint in developing and characterizing biodegradable composite films of talipot starch and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) matrices. Talipot starch isolated from the stem pith of talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera L.) is an underutilized source of starch with a high yield (76%). All composite films were prepared using the solution blending-casting method. The dominant properties of biodegradable films such as structural, morphological, barrier, and antimicrobial properties were studied. The relative crystallinity (RC) of composite films comparatively decreased with native talipot starch film. The surface of the talipot starch film made with CMC and plant extracts showed higher roughness and opacity. Incorporation of plant extracts into talipot starch and CMC matrices decreased water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP), indicating the improved barrier properties of the films. Antimicrobial activity as assessed by the inhibition zone method showed that composite films exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These results revealed that biodegradable composite films from the non-conventional starch of talipot palm can possibly be used as a substitute for the one- time use petroleum-based films and can be used as a bioactive packaging material for food applications. Full article

Garcinia indica (commonly known as kokum), belonging to the Clusiaceae family (mangosteen family), is a tropical evergreen tree distributed in certain regions of India. It has been used in culinary and industrial applications for a variety of purposes, including acidulant in curries, pickles, health drinks, wine, and butter. In particular, G. indica has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, dermatitis, and diarrhea, and to promote digestion. According to several studies, various phytochemicals such as garcinol, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), cyanidin-3-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside were isolated from G. indica, and their pharmacological activities were published. This review highlights recent updates on the various pharmacological activities of G. indica. These studies reported that G. indica has antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects both in vitro and in vivo. These findings, together with previously published reports of pharmacological activity of various components isolated from G. indica, suggest its potential as a promising therapeutic agent to prevent various diseases. Full article