The carotenoid lutein is thought to play a role in the human eye and to protect against age-related macular degeneration. Lutein transport in the human intestine has not been characterized. We examined lutein transport processes using Caco-2 TC-7 monolayers as a model for human intestinal epithelium. Purified lutein was mixed with phospholipids, lysophospholipids, cholesterol, mono-olein, oleic acid and taurocholate to obtain lutein-rich mixed micelles that mimicked those found under physiological conditions. The micelles were added to the apical side of Caco-2 TC-7 cell monolayers for 30 min or 3 h at 37 degrees C. Absorbed lutein, i.e. the sum of lutein recovered in the scraped cells and in the basolateral chamber, was quantified by HPLC. Transport rate was measured (i) as a function of time (from 15 to 60 min), (ii) as a function of micellar lutein concentration (from 1.5 to 15 microM), (iii) at 4 degrees C, (iv) in the basolateral to apical direction, (v) after trypsin pretreatment, (vi) in the presence of beta-carotene and/or lycopene, (vii) in the presence of increasing concentrations of antibody against SR-BI (scavenger receptor class B type 1) and (viii) in the presence of increasing concentrations of a chemical inhibitor of the selective transfer of lipids mediated by SR-BI, i.e. BLT1 (blocks lipid transport 1). The rate of transport of lutein as a function of time and as a function of concentration was saturable. It was significantly lower at 4 degrees C than at 37 degrees C (approx. 50%), in the basal to apical direction than in the opposite direction (approx. 85%), and after trypsin pretreatment (up to 45%). Co-incubation with beta-carotene, but not lycopene, decreased the lutein absorption rate (approx. 20%) significantly. Anti-SR-BI antibody and BLT1 significantly impaired the absorption rate (approx. 30% and 57% respectively). Overall, these results indicate that lutein absorption is, at least partly, protein-mediated and that some lutein is taken up through SR-BI.

The antifungal effect of the essential oil from Satureja montana L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Lavandula hybrida Reverchon, Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merril and Perry, Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and six chemotypes of Thymus vulgaris L. on Candida albicans growth were studied. The most efficiency was obtained with the essential oil from Thymus vulgaris thymol chemotype (MIC 80% = 0.016 microL/mL and Kaff = 296 microL/mL). The presence in the culture medium of essential oil from Thymus vulgaris thymol chemotype (0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 microg/mL) and amphotericin B involved a decrease of the MIC 80% of amphotericin B. In contrast, the combination of amphotericin B and low concentrations (0.00031-0.0025 microg/mL) of essential oil was antagonistic. The strongest decrease (48%) of the MIC 80% was obtained with medium containing 0.2 microL/mL of essential oil. These results signify that the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris thymol chemotype potentiates the antifungal action of amphotericin B suggesting a possible utilization of this essential oil in addition to antifungal drugs for the treatment of mycoses.

A high intake of tomato products is associated with a lower incidence of upper aerodigestive tract and prostate cancers. This beneficial effect might be explained by a higher intake of carotenoids such as lycopene and/or beta-carotene. Because tomato peels, usually eliminated during tomato processing, are a valuable source of these carotenoids, we designed a study to examine whether a tomato paste enriched in tomato peels (ETP, 6% peel) increases the absorption of these carotenoids compared to a classically made tomato paste (CTP). Carotenoid bioaccessibility was evaluated using an in vitro digestion model by measuring the amount of carotenoids transferred from the pastes to micelles. Carotenoid absorption by human intestinal cells (Caco-2) was evaluated after the addition of carotenoid-rich micelles (obtained from the in vitro digestion of the 2 pastes). Carotenoid bioavailability in humans was assessed by measuring chylomicron carotenoid responses in a postprandial experiment in which 8 healthy men consumed 2 meals containing either the ETP or the CTP. ETP contained 47.6 mg lycopene (58% more than CTP) and 1.75 mg beta-carotene (99% more than CTP) per 100 g of paste. In micelles, 30% more lycopene and 81% more beta-carotene were recovered after ETP than after CTP in vitro digestion. The amount of carotenoids absorbed by Caco-2 cells was 75% greater (P < or = 0.05) for lycopene and 41% greater (P < or = 0.05) for beta-carotene after the addition of micelles from ETP than from CTP. After ETP intake the chylomicron beta-carotene response was 74% greater than after CTP intake, and the lycopene response tended to be greater (34.1%, P = 0.093). Peel enrichment of tomato paste with tomato peel is an interesting option for increasing lycopene and beta-carotene intakes.

Oils obtained from seven chemotypes (thymol, linalool, geraniol, borneol, (E)-sabinene hydrate/terpinene-4-ol, p-cymene and carvacrol) of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) that exist in the South of France were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and characterised. Wild thyme growing in three departments (Bouches du Rhone, Var and Vaucluse) of Provence and in a fourth neighbouring department (Gard) was also studied. This is often the result of a mixture of three chemotypes: thymol, carvacrol and p-cymene. Linalool and (E)-sabinene hydrate/terpinene-4-ol were observed as minor chemotypes. GC/MS was also used to monitor seasonal variations in the composition of the oil obtained from thyme harvested at the same location (Gemenos, near Marseille, Bouches du Rhone) during the plant vegetative and life cycles (19 samples). Four components were determined: the phenols thymol and carvacrol and the monoterpene hydrocarbon precursors p-cymene and γ -terpinene. Results showed maximum oil (34.1 mL kg −1 dry matter) and phenolic terpenoid (95.4 mmol kg −1 dry matter) contents occurring in May, the period of flowering and harvesting. In contrast, in December the oil displayed a higher level of phenolic precursors (p-cymene and γ -terpinene, 72.8 mmol kg −1 dry matter) than phenolic terpenoids. Depending on the harvesting date, the oils isolated from southern French thyme (T. vulgaris) could have different potential biological activities.

Les huiles essentielles sont utilisées en médecine traditionnelle pour leurs activités antiseptiques. Au cours de travaux précédents, le genre Thymus avait montré de bons résultats comme antifongique. L'étude a été poursuivie sur l'activité antibactérienne. Six huiles essentielles (Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula latifolia, Origanum vulgare, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris chémo-type carvacrol, Thymus zygis chémotype thymol) ont été testées sur deux souches : Escherichia coli et Staphylococcus aureus. Pour la souche Escherichia coli, les huiles essentielles d'origan et de thym à thymol sont les plus efficaces.Pour la souche Staphylococcus aureus, on note une moindre efficacité ; l'huile essentielle d'origan est la plus active. Ce sont les phénols présents dans les huiles essentielles qui présentent une bonne activité antibactérienne. Mots clés : CPG-SM -Origan -Thym -Escherichia coliStaphylococcus aureusStudy of six essential oils: chemical composition and antibacterial activity Abstract: Essential oils are used in traditional medicine for their antiseptic action. During previous studies, the Thymus genus had shown good results as an antifungal. Research continued into its antibacterial activity. Six essential oils (Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula latifolia, Origanum vulgare, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris chemotype carvacrol, Thymus zygis chemotype thymol) were tested on two strains: Escherichia coli and Staphylcoccus aureus. Essential oils of oregano and thyme with thymol were most effective with respect to the strain Escherichia coli. For the strain Staphylococcus aureus we observed little effect: essential oil of oregano was the more active. Phenols present in essential oils have a good antibacterial activity.

Abstract.-In a previous study, Thymus numidicus has showed a high antifungal activity. Here, GC/MS analysis was used for the chemical determination of the essential oil from T. numidicus. Samples were obtained by hydrodistillation from plants gathered in three different places during the biological cycle. Essential oils were high in phenolic monoterpens and in their precursors, and in non-phenolic oxygenated and non-oxygenated monoterpens. The arrangement of several statistical tools has enabled a relation between the chemical composition variation of essential oils during the biological cycle and the abiotic conditions of each place. Essential oils collected during the periods: end of March and end of April were low in monoterpens, high in oxygenated monoterpens and phenols. The periods corresponding to July were typical from the biological cycle end, with high level in p-cymene and low level in phenols and linalool.Key words : essential oil -GC/MS -p-cymene -thymol -Thymus numidicus.Résumé.-Dans une étude précédente, Thymus numidicus avait montré une grande activité antifongique. Ici, l'analyse CPG/SM a été utilisée pour la déter-mination chimique de l'huile essentielle de T. numidicus. Les échantillons sont obtenus par hydrodistillation des plantes cueillies dans trois sites différents pendant le cycle biologique. Les huiles essentielles présentent des teneurs élevées en monoterpènes phénoliques et en leurs précurseurs, et en monoterpènes non phénoliques oxygénés et non oxygénés. L'utilisation de plusieurs calculs statistiques a conduit à une relation entre la variation de la composition chimique des huiles essentielles obtenues pendant le cycle biologique et les conditions abiotiques de chaque site. Les huiles essentielles de la période de fin mars et de fin avril présentent une teneur faible en monoterpènes et élevée en monoterpènes oxygénés et en phénols. Les échantillons du début juin contiennent davantage de phénols. Les périodes de juillet sont caractéristiques de la fin du cycle biologique, avec une teneur élevée en p-cymène et faible en phénols et en linalol.Mots clés : huile essentielle -CPG/SM -p-cymène -thymol -Thymus numidicus.

This study evaluated the distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 39 surface sediment samples and four cores collected in Toulon Bay, a semiclosed area submitted to various anthropogenic inputs. The concentration of PCBs in the superficial sediment samples ranged from 1.7 to 2530 ng g−1 dry weight. The spatial distribution of these compounds suggested that the high concentrations of these contaminants are located in the small bay and are related to human activities. In the larger bay, the concentrations were in the same order of magnitude than those reported in others locations around the world. Comparison of the levels with target values from the French legislation shows that, except for four polluted sites with critical values (N2: values ≥1 mg kg−1 dry weight) in the smaller bay, PCBs levels throughout the larger and the smaller bay are lower than the accepted values (N1: values <0.5 mg kg−1 dry weight). The PCBs in the sediment cores ranged from 0.8 to 739 ng g−1 dry weight dependent core. Vertical profiles indicated earlier usage of PCBs which coincided with the history of the Toulon Bay. In this study, using alkane, we could follow the PCBs pollution history over about 80 years and estimate a sedimentation rate of about 0.32 cm year in the small Bay of Toulon.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-016-2715-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

L'huile essentielle (HE) d'Artemisia herba-alba Asso (Asteraceae), obtenue par entraînement à la vapeur des sommités, a été étudiée par CPG-FID et CPG-SM. La détermination de l'HE correspond à 0,95 ml pour 100 g de matière sèche. Quarante-six composés correspondant à 92,61 % ont été identifiés. L'HE contient en majorité de l'acétate de cis-chrysanthényle (25,12 %), du 2E,3Z-2-éthyliden-6-méthyl-3,5-heptadiènal (8,39 %), de l'α-thujone (7,85 %), de l'acétate de myrtényle (7,39 %), de la verbénone (7,19 %), de la chrysanthénone (4,98 %). La composition chimique est très spécifique pour cette plante algérienne.Mots clés : Artemisia herba-alba -Armoise blanche -Composition de l'huile essentielle -Acétate de cis-chrysanthényle -Chémotype Chemical composition of the essential oil of Artemisia herba-alba issued from the district of Biskra (Algeria)Abstract: Artemisia herba-alba Asso (Asteraceae) essential oil (EO), obtained by hydrodistillation from aerial parts, and was investigated using GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. The EO yield, based on dry weight, was 0.95% (v/w). Forty six components corresponding to 92.61% of the oil were identified. The EO contained in majority: cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (25.12%); (2E,3Z) 3,5-heptadienal-2-ethyliden-6-methyl (8.39%); α-thujone (7.85%); myrtenyl acetate (7.39%); verbenone (7.19%), chrysanthenone (4.98%). Chemical composition was very specific for this Algerian plant.