Dietary supplementation of benzoic acid and essential oils combination enhances intestinal resilience against LPS stimulation in weaned piglets

Background The benefits of combining benzoic acid and essential oils(BAO)to mitigate intestinal impairment during the weaning process have been well established,while the detailed underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated.Previous research has primarily focused on the reparative effects of BAO on intestinal injury,while neglecting its potential in enhancing intestinal stress resistance.Methods In this study,we investigated the pre-protective effect of BAO against LPS-induced stress using a modified experimental procedure.Piglets were pre-supplemented with BAO for 14 d,followed by a challenge with LPS or saline to collect blood and intestinal samples.Results Our findings demonstrated that BAO supplementation led to significant improvements in piglets’final weight,average daily gain,and feed intake/body gain ratio.Additionally,BAO supplementation positively influenced the composition of intestinal microbiota,increasing beneficial Actinobacteriota and Alloprevotella while reducing harmful Desulfobacterota,Prevotella and Oscillospira.Furthermore,BAO supplementation effectively mitigated oxidative disturbances and inflammatory responses induced by acute LPS challenge.This was evidenced by elevated levels of T-AOC,SOD,and GSH,as well as decreased levels of MDA,TNF-α,and IL-6 in the plasma.Moreover,piglets subjected to LPS challenge and pre-supplemented with BAO exhibited significant improvements in intestinal morphological structure and enhanced integrity,as indicated by restored expression levels of Occludin and Claudin-1 compared to the non-supplemented counterparts.Further analysis revealed that BAO supplementation enhanced the jejunal antioxidative capacity by increasing GSH-Px levels and decreasing MDA levels under the LPS challenge and stimulated the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.Additionally,the reduction of TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways activation and proinflammatory factor were also observed in the jejunal of those piglets fed with BAO.Conclusions In summary,our study demonstrates that pre-supplementation of BAO enhances the anti-stress capacity of weaned piglets by improving intestinal microbiota composition,reinforcing the intestinal barrier,and enhancing antioxidative and anti-inflammatory capabilities.These effects are closely associated with the activation of Nrf2 and TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways.

Cardioprotective Potential of Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oil against Isoproterenol-induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy:Possible Involvement of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Oxidative Phosphorylation Complex Subunits

Objective:Cymbopogon citratus(DC.)Stapf is a medicinal and edible herb that is widely used for the treatment of gastric,nervous and hypertensive disorders.In this study,we investigated the cardioprotective effects and mechanisms of the essential oil,the main active ingredient of Cymbopogon citratus,on isoproterenol(ISO)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.Methods:The compositions of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil(CCEO)were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Cardiomyocytes were pretreated with 16.9µg/L CCEO for 1 h followed by 10µmol/L ISO for 24 h.Cardiac hypertrophy-related indicators and NLRP3 inflammasome expression were evaluated.Subsequently,transcriptome sequencing(RNA-seq)and target verification were used to further explore the underlying mechanism.Results:Our results showed that the CCEO mainly included citronellal(45.66%),geraniol(23.32%),and citronellol(10.37%).CCEO inhibited ISO-induced increases in cell surface area and protein content,as well as the upregulation of fetal gene expression.Moreover,CCEO inhibited ISO-induced NLRP3 inflammasome expression,as evidenced by decreased lactate dehydrogenase content and downregulated mRNA levels of NLRP3,ASC,CASP1,GSDMD,and IL-1β,as well as reduced protein levels of NLRP3,ASC,pro-caspase-1,caspase-1(p20),GSDMD-FL,GSDMD-N,and pro-IL-1β.The RNA-seq results showed that CCEO inhibited the increase in the mRNA levels of 26 oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits in ISO-treated cardiomyocytes.Our further experiments confirmed that CCEO suppressed ISO-induced upregulation of mt-Nd1,Sdhd,mt-Cytb,Uqcrq,and mt-Atp6 but had no obvious effects on mt-Col expression.Conclusion:CCEO inhibits ISO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome expression and the regulation of several oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits.

Profiles of the Headspace Volatile Organic and Essential Oil Compounds from the Tunisian Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. and Its Leaf and Stem Epidermal Micromorphology

In this work, we investigated aroma volatiles emanated by dry roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Cardariadraba (L.) Desv. growing wild in Tunisia and its aerial part essential oils (EOs) composition. A total of 37 volatileorganic compounds (96.7%–98.9%) were identified;4 esters, 4 alcohols, 7 hydrocarbons, 12 aldehydes, 5 ketones,1 lactone, 1 organosulfur compound, 2 organonitrogen compounds, and 1 acid. The hydrocarbons form the maingroup, representing 49.5%–84.6% of the total detected volatiles. The main constituent was 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethylheptane(44.5%–76.2%) reaching the highest relative percentages. Forty-two compounds were determined in thetwo fractions of EOs, representing 98.8% and 97.2% of the total oil composition, respectively. The principal componentswere hexadecanoic acid (34.6%), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (18.3%), decanal (15.0%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (13.2%), and n-pentacosane (13%). Micromorphological details of the leaf and stem epidermisusing light microscopy revealed polygonal cells with sinuous walls in the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces andnearly rectangular and long ones with linear and thick walls for the stem epidermis. The stomata complexes wereanisocytic in the leaf epidermis and mainly anisocytic and rarely paracytic in the stem epidermis. Non-glandulartrichomes were unbranched and long with an acute apex or short with a convex apex. The glandular ones wereidentified for the first time in this species. They were short-stalked with a large secretory head. The highest stomatalindex (17.02%) was recorded in the abaxial leaf surface. The identification of headspace volatiles and essentialoil compounds can be used to characterize this species, and the various epidermis micromorphologicalfeatures are very useful for biosystematics taxonomic studies within Brassicaceae.

Antibacterial,antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from Chinese mugwort(Artemisia vulgaris L.)leaf in Shanxi

Background:Artemisia vulgaris,a medicinal aromatic plant,is widely used as a food item,tonic pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industry additive owing to its antibacterial,antihypertensive,hepatoprotective,antioxidant,and antispasmodic properties.But the effect of different geographic locations on the chemical composition and bioactivities of its extracts is unclear.Methods:Biological activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of three varieties of Artemisia vulgaris leaves,which are grown in Shanxi province China,were studied.Results:Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main components of essential oils were terpenes and ketones.Essential oils and ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves possessed good antioxidant activities,and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)assays were 57.0 and 22.9μg/mL,respectively.The essential oils also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against three foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains.The ethanol extract presented a high anticancer activity against the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line.Conclusion:These biological activities were well correlated with the composition of the extract and EOs,which in turn is affected by the genetic composition of Artemisia vulgaris and geographic location and diverse climatic condition under which it is grown.These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of Artemisia vulgaris as a valuable source of antioxidant,antibacterial,and anticancer agents.

Comparative Chemical Research in Essential Oils from Six Apiaceae Species Growing in the Northern Region of Vietnam

Our study aimed to compare the essential oil(EO)concentration and composition of several Apiaceae species growing in the Northern region of Vietnam.The yields of EOs from materials ranged from 0.03%(root EO of Angelica acutiloba and aerial parts EO of Heracleum bivittatum)-0.27%(leaf EO of Xyloselinum vietnamense).Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)allowed the identification of 74 components in the EOs of six Apiaceae species,making up 94.4%–100.0%of the oils.In EO from Angelica acutiloba,(Z)-ligustilide accounted for an extremely large proportion(94.9%).EO of Angelica pubescens was dominated by six character-istic components includingα-pinene(21.5%),β-phellandrene(18.1%),p-cymene(12.2%),3-methylnonane(8.7%),o-cymene(8.1%),and D-sylvestrene(6.2%).The EO from Cryptotaenia japonica was characterized by high amounts ofα-selinene(48.7%),β-selinene(23.7%),and trans-β-farnesene(5.4%).The EOs from leaves and stems of Xyloselinum vietnamense were characterized by high concentrations of sabinene(69.8%and 33.8%),4-terpineol(8.7%and 7.4%)andβ-pinene(4.0%and 6.5%)while EOs from aerial parts and root of Xylo-selinum leonidii comprise four characteristic monoterpenes includingα-pinene(28.2%and 52.8%),β-pinene(7.9%and 10.3%),β-phellandrene(7.6%and 15.3%),and sabinene(3.0%and 4.1%).Additionally,cryptone is also one of the major components in the EO of Xyloselinum leonidii(13.2%in the aerial parts oil and 2.8%in the root oil).In the EOs isolated from the aerial parts and root of Heracleum bivittatum,α-pinene(22.5%and 70.2%)andβ-pinene(43.2%and 20.0%)were the predominant monoterpenes.Sabinene appeared in the EO from aerial parts of Heracleum bivittatum with a relatively high concentration(13.5%)while bornyl acetate(5.1%)was also one of the main components in the EO from its aerial parts but was not detected in other Apiaceae species in the present study.These databases help identify and control the quality of plant material studied from the family Apiaceae growing in Vietnam.

The Essential Oil of Ocimum americanum from Senegal and Gambia as a Source of Methyleugenol for the Control of Bactrocera dorsalis, Fruit Fly

The fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most important pests in all mango-producing areas, particularly in West Africa. In Senegal, O. americanum leaves have been used for several years to control this fly. However, to our knowledge, no chemical studies have been carried out. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of O. americanum leaves collected in Senegal and Gambia. The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of these leaves is analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Yields of essential oils from O. americanum leaves are 3.84% and 2.13%, respectively. Analysis of these essential oils by GC/FID and GC/MS allowed the identification of 23 compounds representing almost 100% of the total compositions. These essential oils are mainly dominated by methyleugenol (72.0% and 75.8%, respectively). Other components in significant percent are trans-β-caryophyllene (13.9% and 13.0%, respectively), germacrene D (4.1% and 3.7%, respectively), β-elemene (3.3% and 0.9%, respectively). Due to the high methyleugenol content, this study explains the attractive potential of O. americanum towards B. dorsalis. In perspective, we plan to evaluate the attractive effect of the essential oil and leaf powder of O. americanum against B. dorsalis, a real pest of mango orchards in Senegal.

Fusarium wilt of banana:Current update and sustainable disease control using classical and essential oils approaches

Fusarium species were reported to produce biofilms.Biofilms are superficial societies of microbes bounded and endangered by being situated or taking place outside a cell or cells.The most destructive fungal diseases caused by phytopathogens are as a result of biofilms formation.Fusarium wilt of banana(Panama disease)is caused by a soil-borne pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense.Fusarium oxysporum occurs in a form of a species complex(FOSC)which encompasses a crowd of strains.Horizontal genetic factor transfer may donate to the observed assortment in pathogenic strains,while sexual reproduction is unknown in the FOSC.Fusarium wilt is a notorious disease on several crops worldwide.Yield loss caused by this pathogen is huge,and significant to destroy crop yields annually,thereby affecting the producer countries in various continents of the world.The disease is also resistant to various synthetic chemical fungicides.However,excessive use of synthetic fungicides during disease control could be lethal to humans,animals,and plants.This calls for alternative eco-friendly management of this disease by targeting the biofilms formation and finally suppressing this devastating phytopathogen.In this review,we,therefore,described the damage caused by Fusarium wilt disease,the concept of filamentous fungal biofilms,classical control strategies,sustainable disease control strategies using essential oils,and prevention and control of vegetables Fusarium wilt diseases.

Dietary supplemental coated essential oils and organic acids mixture improves growth performance and gut health along with reduces Salmonella load of broiler chickens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis

Background Reducing Salmonella infection in broiler chickens by using effective and safe alternatives to antibiotics is vital to provide safer poultry meat and minimize the emergence of drug-resistant Salmonella and the spread of salmonellosis to humans.This study was to first evaluate the protective efficacy of feeding coated essential oils and organic acids mixture(EOA)on broiler chickens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis(S.Enteritidis,SE),and then its action mechanism was further explored.Methods A total of 4801-day-old Arbor Acres male chickens were randomly assigned into five treatments with six replicates,including non-challenged control fed with basal diet(A),SE-challenged control(B),and SE-infected birds fed a basal diet with 300 mg/kg of EOA(BL),500 mg/kg of EOA(BM)and 800 mg/kg of EOA(BH),respectively.All birds on challenged groups were infected with Salmonella Enteritidis on d 13.Results Feeding EOA showed a reversed ability on negative effects caused by SE infection,as evidenced by decreasing the feed conversion rate(FCR)and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth(VH/CD)(P<0.05),obviously decreasing intestinal and internal organs Salmonella load along with increasing cecal butyric acid-producing bacteria abundance(P<0.05).Moreover,supplemental different levels of EOA notably up-regulated claudin-1(CLDN-1),occludin(OCLN),zonula occludens-1(ZO-1),mucin-2(MUC-2),fatty acid binding protein-2(FABP-2),nuclear factor kappa-light-chainenhancer of activated B cells(NF-κB),myeloid differential protein-88(MyD88)and interleukin-6(IL-6)mRNA levels in the ileum of the infected chickens after challenge,whereas down-regulated toll-like receptor-4(TLR-4)mRNA levels(P<0.05).Linear discriminant analysis combined effect size measurements analysis(LEfSe)showed that the relative abundance of g_Butyricicoccus,g_Anaerotruncus and g_unclassified_f_Bacillaceae significantly was enriched in infected birds given EOA.Also,phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states(PICRUSt)analysis showed that alpha-linolenic acid metabolism,fatty acid metabolism and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids were significantly enriched in the EOA group.Conclusion Our data suggest that the essential oils and organic acids mixture can be used as an effective strategy to ameliorate and alleviate Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broilers.

Extraction of Cinnamomum longepaniculatum deciduous leaves essential oil using solvent-free microwave extraction: Process optimization and quality evaluation

The optimal process conditions for solvent-free microwave extraction(SFME)of essential oils from Cinnamomum longepaniculatum deciduous leaves after moisture conditioning were established by response surface methodology(RSM).A Box-Behnken design(BBD)was applied to evaluate the effects of three independent variables:moisture content(A:54%–74%),microwave power(B:300–500 W)and microwave time(C:20–40 min),on the extraction yield of essential oil.The compounds of the essential oils obtained by SFME,hydro-distillation and microwaveassisted hydro-distillation(MADE)were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),and the total lipids of C.longepaniculatum fresh leaves and deciduous leaves were analyzed.The correlation analysis of the response regression model indicated that quadratic polynomial model could be employed to optimize the extraction of essential oil.The optimal extraction condition was A:58%,B:400 W and C:28 min.In the optimal condition,the maximum extraction yield was 4.475 mL/100 g dw and higher than that by MADE.The main compound of the essential oil was eucalyptol(63.54%),and total oxygenated compounds was 78.95%,mainly caused by SFME and the metabolism of endophytic bacteria with decreasing content of phospholipids and fatty acids.Analysis of variance under the extraction condition illustrated high fitness of the model and the success of RSM for optimizing and reflecting the expected process condition.SFME combined with moisture regulation was an effective method for extracting essential oil from C.longepaniculatum deciduous leaves.

To Blend or Not to Blend? Anxiety Buffering Effects of Essential Oil Aromas

Essential oils of pure lavender and lavender blends have been employed as potential anxiolytic aromas in aromatherapy, but a direct comparison of their effectiveness is lacking. The current study investigated the effects of aroma on induced anxiety in non-clinical adults, comparing pure lavender, a commercially available blend and a no aroma control. An experimental, quantitative, mixed factorial design with an opportunity sample of 60 participants was employed. Participants were randomly allocated to three equal groups, one tested in a room infused with lavender aroma, the second with the doTerra Peace® blend, and the third free from any aroma. Participants’ state anxiety scores were measured before and after a novel video-based anxiety induction procedure. Data analysis revealed that the anxiety induction was successful and that both aromas delivered small to medium-sized buffering effects compared to no aroma. The findings add to a small body of research in an area where the practice is global yet has limited scientific evaluation. Future studies utilising brain imaging and blood serum analysis to investigate the anxiolytic mechanism of aromas would be beneficial to further our understanding.

Biological properties of essential oil emphasized on the feasibility as antibiotic substitute in feedstuff

The discovery and application of antibiotics in animal feeds have boomed the development of intensive animal husbandry in the last century,until the emergence of antibiotics-resistant bacteria.To alleviate the risks aroused by antibiotics-resistant bacteria,effective antibiotic substitutes are urgently needed to replace antibiotics.Essential oils(EOs)derived from plants are illustrated as the promising antibiotic substitutes used in animal feeds,as same as their current views for poultry and livestock industries in the future.It has been widely demonstrated that the phytochemicals in EOs show multiple biofunctionability and are less likely to induce resistance in bacteria.The beneficial effects of EOs feed supplementation on the intestinal inflammation,intestinal flora,immunity,digestion,and growth performances have been already extensively examined.However,the cost-effectiveness,odor,volatility,instability and bioavailability are the challenges in effectively utilizing EOs in animal intestines.Based on previous researches,and these challenges can partially be resolved by microencapsulation and nanotechnology are promising techniques to deal with these challenges.This article presents the feasibility and foundation of EOs application as antibiotic substitutes in animal feeds,and illustrates the mechanisms,functional performances and superiority of EOs compared with antibiotics.

Essential Oils as an Alternative to Antibiotics to Reduce the Incidence and Severity of Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens: A Short Review

Due to the removal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) and consumer pressure for antibiotic-free (ABF) or no antibiotics ever (NAE) poultry production, there is a need for sustainable alternatives to prevent disease in commercial poultry operations. Without AGPs, there has been a rise in diseases that were traditionally controlled by subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics in the diet. This has impacted the health of commercial poultry and has been a significant cost to poultry producers. To mitigate this, the industry has started to investigate alternatives to antibiotics to treat these forthcoming health issues, such as necrotic enteritis (NE). NE is an enteric disease caused by an over proliferation of toxigenic Clostridium perfringens (CP) in the gastrointestinal tract. Although CP is a commensal in the avian intestinal tract, dysbiosis caused by inflammation and impaired intestinal integrity facilitates uncontrolled replication of CP. Infectious agents, such as Eimeria maxima, appear to be a predominant predisposing factor that promotes NE. However, non-infectious stressors, including dietary changes, have also been associated with NE to some degree. As a result of increased pressure to restrict the use of antibiotics, there is a need for research evaluating the efficacy of alternatives, such as plant-derived essential oils, as potential tools to mitigate NE in commercial poultry flocks. The aim of this study is to review the effects of essential oils as an alternative to antibiotics to reduce the incidence and severity of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens.

Termiticidal and Biochemical Activity of Combinatorial Essential Oil Ingredients of Tagetes erecta on Indian White Termite Odontotermes obesus

In present investigation, various bio-molecular parameters i.e. glycogen, protein, amino acid, DNA, RNA and lipid, were determined for evaluation of anti-termite efficacy of Tagetes erecta essential oil based combinatorial formulations against Indian white termite Odontotermes obesus. For this purpose, 40% and 80% of 24 hrs of LD50 values of various formulations were provided for treatment of termite workers. Observations were taken at 4 hrs time interval up to 16 hrs to know inhibitory activity of these combinatorial mixtures on termite species Odontotermes obesus. Significant (p > 0.05) alterations were observed in the level above mentioned bio-molecules when termites were treated with different combinatorial essential oils ingredients of Citrus maxima. Combinatorial mixtures of Tagetes erecta essential oils have shown synergistic activity against termites. This study will provide an overall sustainable way to termite control in crop field, gardens and houses. It also suggests use of essential oils as better alternative of synthetic termiticides as these are safer for environmental and human health.

Biochemical Alterations and Termiticidal Activity of Combinatorial Essential Oil Ingredients of Citrus maxima on Indian White Termite Odontotermes obesus

Essential oils are better alternative for synthetic termiticides with the inherent resistance by insects, environmental and health effects on humans. In present investigation, various bio-molecules i.e. glycogen, protein, amino acid, DNA, RNA and lipid were evaluated to determine the anti-termite efficacy of Citrus maxima essential oil based combinatorial formulations against Indian white termite Odontotermes obesus. For this purpose, termites were treated topically with 40% and 80% of 24 hr LD50 values of various combinatorial formulations. A significant (p > 0.05) alteration was noted in all the above biomolecules at various time intervals. Both dose response and time period was found important in physiological alteration in levels of various bio-molecules. Combinatorial mixtures of Citrus essential oils have shown synergistic activity against termites. The research outcomes of present investigation would help to open sustainable way to termite control in crop field, gardens and houses.

Toxicity of Tagetes erecta Essential Oil Based Combinatorial Formulations on Various Metabolic Enzymes in Indian White Termite Odontotermes obesus

Plant essential oils and their constituents have proven to be very effective against insects, especially termites. They are the best alternative to synthetic pesticides that are harmless to the environment and human health. In the present study, different enzymes, namely alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and acetylcholinesterase, were evaluated in Indian termite Odontotermes obesus in a combination preparation based on Tagetes erecta essential oil. For the study of anti-termite effects against worker termites were treated topically with 40% and 80% of the 24-hour LD50 values of various combination formulations. Subsequent bioassays at 40% and 80% of LD50 of combinatorial preparations S-AST-A, S-AST-B, and S-AST-C resulted in a significant (p > 0.05) decrease in glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase. After 16 hours of treatment, they were 87.92%, 80.17%, 89.30%, 79.17%, 81.92% and 73.17% respectively. In vivo exposures of 40% and 80% of the LD50 of the combination formulation caused a highly significant (p > 0.05) reduction (p > 0.05) of all test enzymes tested compared to controls. The effects of different oil formulations exhibited time- and dose-dependent responses, resulting in physiological changes in the concentrations of various enzymes. The combined mixture of Tagetes erecta essential oils has significantly better anti-termite ability compared to inorganic insecticides. Findings from this study will help support termite control in fields, gardens and homes in a sustainable way, without the downsides of insecticide resistance and pollution. These could potentially be used to produce commercial formulations for use against pests.

Extraction Conditions of Essential Oil from Eucalyptus Leaves by Distillation

[Objectives]To explore the extraction conditions of essential oil from eucalyptus leaves.[Methods]The essential oil of eucalyptus leaves was extracted by steam distillation,and the yields of essential oil from eucalyptus leaves under different extraction times,soaking times and different solid-liquid ratios were analyzed through orthogonal test with three factors and three variables.[Results]The effects of various factors on extraction results were:distillation time>solid-liquid ratio>soaking time.When the extraction time and soaking time were 1.5 and 2 h,and the solid-liquid ratio of eucalyptus leaves to distilled water was 1:10,the yield of essential oil was the highest(0.8%).The yield of essential oil increased with the increase of extraction and soaking time,but when reaching the optimal value,the yield decreased with the extension of time.Increasing the solid-liquid ratio can improve the yield of essential oil,but beyond a certain value the yield increased gradually while the cost performance decreased.[Conclusions]The results will provide some reference for the recovery and utilization of eucalyptus leaves.

Preservation Potentials of Essential Oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from Two Agro-Ecological Zones on Freshwater Smoke-Dried Oreochromis niloticus Fish Sold in Some Local Markets in Cameroon

Dried fish are susceptible to bacteria and fungi attack and are liable to chemical changes which cause losses in quality and reduction of shelf-life. It is important therefore to maintain the quality of fish because continuous consumption of contaminated fish and their products may predispose consumers to health hazards. Maintenance of high quality fish therefore calls for adequate and effective preservation techniques. The study examined the effectiveness of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from two Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon in limiting the microbial proliferation and preserving the quality of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus fish stored at 25˚C for two months. The plant materials were harvested from the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest agroecological zones of Cameroon. Extraction of the essential oil from the plants was done by hydro-distillation. The fish species (Oreochromis niloticus) used in this study was chosen based on a survey study on the most consumed species of freshwater smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon. Heterotrophic bacteria counts, fungi counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts were used to assess the level heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae respectively in the fish samples during storage and were done by culture techniques using total plate count agar, potato dextrose agar and violet red bile glucose agar respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assays were used as spoilage indices to assess the nutritional quality of the fish during storage. From the survey study, Oreochromis niloticus was the most consumed smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands (35.45%) and Monomodal Humid Forest (34.55%) agroecological zones. All the EOs caused a significant reduction in the microbial loads, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus as storage progressed. However, the reduction in these values was more pronounced in samples treated with essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands, with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 5.89, 6.97 and 4.59 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 6.11, 7.79 and 4.86 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. Also, essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands was more effective in preserving the fish quality as lowest total volatile basic nitrogen (12.29 mg/100g), peroxide value (2.79 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (1.695 mg MDA/Kg) values were observed for fish samples treated with this extract at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with total volatile basic nitrogen (14.95 mgN/100g), Peroxide value (3.23 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (2.354 mg MDA/Kg) at the end of the storage period. From the results obtained, essential oils from O. gratissimum were more effective than that from O. basilicum in the two agroecological zones and should be considered as natural alternative to chemical preservatives for further application in food preservation.

Chemotaxonomic Study of the Covid-Organics of Madagascar Based on the Chemical Composition of Their Essential Oils

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oils of “Covid-Organics” of Madagascar (62% Artemisia annua and two other undisclosed medicinal plants) used as curative and preventive treatments of Covid-19, to identify its constituent species. The essential oils isolated by hydro-distillation from two samples (curative and preventive) were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. These essential oils (curative and preventive) were mainly dominated by camphor (17.9% and 11.9%, respectively), spathulenol (4.8% and 11.8%, respectively), α-acorenol (4.3% and 3.7%, respectively), (E)-β-caryophyllene (3.4% and 4.2%, respectively), 1,8-cineole (3.1% and 3.6%, respectively), hexadecanoïc acid (3.8% and 3.2%, respectively) and caryophyllene oxide (3.4% and 2.4%, respectively). From the chemical composition, two species were identified, A. annua characterised by camphor and Cinnamomumcamphora (Ravintsara) characterised by 1,8-cineole and sabinene. However, we were unable to identify the third species.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils of Thymus vulgaris and Cymbopogon citratus on Some Strains of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Agent Responsible for White Rot of Beans

The present work was aimed to the study of the antifungal activity of essential oils of two aromatic plants against three strains of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum responsible for white rot of bean. The two essential oils (EO) of the studied plants: Thymus vulgaris (HET) and Cymbopogon citratrus (HEC), used at different concentrations: C1 (0.75 ml/ml), C2 (1.5 ml/ml) and C3 (3 ml/ml) presented significant inhibitory activities on the three tested fungal strains namely Bia 1, Bia 2, and Njo 2. Two control treatments (T-: containing no antifungal substance and T+: synthetic fungicide) were also used. The antifungal activity here is related to the inhibition of mycelial growth especially with high concentrations of essential oils. Thus, against S. sclerotiorum, HET showed the highest activity comparable to that of T+ (100% inhibition) at all concentrations on the Bia 1 and Bia 2 strains and at concentration C3 on the Njo 2 strain compared to that of HEC, which certainly inhibited the mycelial growth of the different strains considerably (with a maximum of 78.15% on the Njo 2 strain) but not completely. According to their sensitivity, the Bia 2 strain showed a higher sensitivity to essential oils than the others while the Njo 2 strain was more aggressive. On the basis of MIC50 and MIC90 obtained on the Njo 2 strain, the HET turns out to be the most efficient with respective lower values of (1.73 and 23.34 ml/ml) against (4.76 and 26.03 ml/ml) for the HEC. These EO could thus be exploited as biodegradable antifungal substances, likely to control white rot of bean.

Aromatic Essential Oil Acupressure Combined with Music Therapy in Cancer Pain Management

Objective: To explore the effect of aroma oil acupressure combined with music therapy in pain intervention for tumor patients. Methods: 60 patients with malignant tumors accompanied by cancer pain who were hospitalized in the oncology department of a tertiary-level hospital in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, from January 2022 to December 2022 were selected as the study subjects, and were divided into 30 cases in the control group and 30 cases in the intervention group according to the stratified sampling method. The control group was divided into 30 cases of control group and 30 cases of intervention group according to the stratified sampling method. The control group was given medicine according to the conventional step analgesia, and the intervention group was given medicine according to the conventional step analgesia with the addition of aromatic oil acupressure combined with music therapy, and the effect of the intervention was valued by the NRS, the SAS and the SDS. Results: The NRS, SAS and SDS of patients in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group (p Conclusion: Aromatic oil acupressure combined with music therapy can effectively improve the pain symptoms of tumor patients, relieve anxiety and improve the quality of sleep of patients. Combined with pharmacological methods of pain relief, it can reduce the dose of pain medication and the frequency of administration of medication, and find a safe, low-cost, non-pharmacological pain complementary alternative therapy for tumor patients with cancer pain.