a b s t r a c tThe purpose of this study was to develop and characterize biodegradable nanospheres containing essential oils from Zanthoxylum rhoifolium leaves and evaluate its insecticidal effect in Bemisia tabaci populations. The essential oil from Z. rhoifolium leaves exhibited an average yield of 0.03% and presented ␤-elemene (31.26%), D-germacrene (18.16%), ␤-caryophyllene (12.09%), ␦-elemene (7.63%), ␤-cedrene (6.69%), bicyclogermacrene (4.57%) and E-caryophyllene (3.63%) as main components. The PCL nanospheres containing this essential oil exhibited encapsulation efficiency higher than 96%, pH close to 5, particle diameter smaller than 500 nm and zeta potential values of approximately −20 mV. The in vitro release profile was characteristic of biphasic release, i.e., a fast initial release, followed by slow release for 12 h or more. The biological assay results were also significant and as such both the in natura and nanoencapsulated essential oils resulted in reductions as high as 95% in the number of eggs and nymphs compared with our control. Collectively these results suggest that both in natura and nanoencapsulated essential oils from Z. rhoifolium leaves can potentially be used in B. tabaci control in association with integrated pest management practices.

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O gênero Ocimum da família Lamiaceae compreende um grupo de plantas bem conhecidas como Ocimum gratissimum L. (alfavaca) e Ocimum basilicum (manjericão). Estudos revelam que essas plantas apresentam atividade antimicrobiana, inseticida, antioxidante, antifúngica, analgésica e imunoestimulante. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a composição química dos óleos essenciais de O. gratissimum e O. basilicum coletadas em diferentes horários e com diferentes tempos de extração, bem como, avaliar sua atividade antioxidante, o teor de fenólicos totais e atividade bactericida sobre Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli. O óleo essencial foi obtido por hidrodestilação em aparelho tipo Clevenger, e a composição química realizada por cromatógrafo gasoso acoplado ao espectrômetro de massas (CG-EM); a análise da atividade antioxidante foi realizada em microplacas de 96 poços com adição de 2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazil (DDPH) em metanol; o teor de fenólicos totais foi realizado em microplacas de 96 poços utilizando Folin-Ciocalteu para determinação do teor de ácido gálico; e a atividade bactericida realizada por método de difusão de discos na placa de Petri e método de difusão em meio Muller-Hinton em placas de 96 poços. O maior rendimento do óleo essencial de O. gratissimum foi de 0,44%, quando coletado no período da manhã, enquanto o óleo essencial de O. basilicum teve rendimento de 0,38% quando coletado no período da tarde, ambos, com quatro horas de extração. Os compostos majoritários de O. gratissimum foram eugenol e eucaliptol, enquanto os compostos majoritários do óleo essencial de O. basilicum foram eugenol, β-linalool e muurolol. A atividade antioxidante foi de 100% de sequestro do radical livre DPPH nas maiores concentrações de óleo essencial 15,6 µg mL-1, tanto para O. gratissimum quanto O. basilicum. O teor de compostos fenólicos totais dos óleos essenciais de O. gratissimum e O. basilicum foi = 17,90 e 16,44 mg EAG 100 g-1, respectivamente. Os óleos essenciais de O. gratissimum e O. basilicum apresentaram 100% e 83% de atividade bactericida sobre Staphylococcus aureus e de 100% a 66% sobre Escherichia coli, respectivamente, destacando assim o potencial biotecnológico desses óleos essenciais.

Currently, dysbiosis, rupture of the intestinal barrier and inflammation have become concerns of industrial poultry, since they culminate in the physiological and productive impairment of birds. The objective was to discuss the role of the intestinal microbiota of birds in animal development, as well as to highlight the benefits and/or losses caused by these microorganisms. The methodology adopted was a descriptive study, with a bibliographic review of scientific papers published in different indexed bases, with a time frame of the last decades. It was found that the use of sequencing the RNA ribosomal gene (rRNA) 16S is an important tool to identify and enumerate the intestinal bacteria present in production birds. Regarding the composition of the microbiota, in the small intestine there are mainly Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, Bacterioides, Clostridium, Fusobacterium and coliforms. In the large intestine, Lactobacillus, Bacterioides, Proteobacteria, Bacillus, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium. In the small intestine, bacteria participate in metabolism by improving nutrient absorption, hydrolyze polysaccharides to produce short-chain fatty acids, which will be absorbed and participate in important metabolic pathways in the supply of carbon and energy sources to birds. Despite the benefits of the microbiota in promoting a stable intestinal environment, in unfavorable situations, such as inadequate breeding, it can act as pathogens, produce toxic metabolites and impair the productive performance of birds.

The poultry industry evolved and reached high production performance, with several zootechnical techniques that contributed to the current scenario, including ambience, genetics and diet - all contributing and optimizing the digestive system of the birds. The gastrointestinal tract is a system with several functions and attributions within the organism, among them, digestion of the host, immunity and proper functioning of the system. The gut microbiota has direct effects on metabolic processes and subsequently on the performance of birds. Issues related to microbiota have acquired relevance both for the maintenance and modulation of these microorganisms. One of the maneuvers used to manipulate the intestinal microflora was the use of antibiotics, acting as growth promoters; however, this type of additive, due to sanitary pressure, should be abolished in the coming years, which makes other options appear on the scene, among them, phytogenic additives. Among the latter, essential oils have gained prominence for their beneficial activity in the microbiota as well as their natural composition and non-residual impacts on the process. Based on this, the aim was to review the guidelines that affect the intestinal microbiota in poultry.

Diferentes grupos vegetais encontrados no bioma Cerrado vêm sendo amplamente estudados quanto as suas possíveis características químicas, apresentando dentre essas biocompostos de interesse para a indústria de alimentos, como na produção de barras de cereais nutritivas e em condimentos alimentares capazes de inibir ações de radicais livres causadores de patologias. No entanto, ainda pouco se sabe sobre a grande variedade destes compostos bioativos, que compõem as características químicas das espécies rasteiras, arbustivas e arbóreas, que coabitam nas mais diversas variantes deste bioma. A descoberta dos efeitos deletérios dos radicais livres sobre as células, agindo como causadores de doenças, impulsionando a busca por novos compostos bioativos na área de alimentos, que a cada ano cresce com a produção de novos produtos alimentícios, com características mais saudáveis, permitindo a prevenção e minimizando os danos oxidativos sobre as células. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade antioxidante pela captura do radical DPPH, conteúdos de fenólicos totais pelo reagente de Folin-Ciocalteau, carotenoides, provitamina A em equivalente de Retinol por métodos espectrofotométricos UV-Vis dos extratos etanólicos foliares das espécies botânicas: Byrsonima coccolobifolia (Kunth.), Dimorphandra mollis (Benth.), Hymenaea stignocarpa (Mart. ex Hayne), Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil.) e Cardiopetalum calophyllum (Schlecht.). Os resultados demonstraram a presença de atividade antioxidante pelo método de sequestro do radical DPPH, expressivos conteúdos de fenólicos totais, teores de β-caroteno, presença de licopeno, exceto nas espécies Dimorphandra mollis e Hymenaea stignocarpa, presença de baixos teores de provitamina A.Palavras-chave: Folhas. DPPH. Licopeno.AbstractDifferent vegetable  groups found in the Cerrado biome have been widely studied as to their possible chemical characteristics, presenting among them biocomposites of interest for the food industry, as in the production of nutritious cereal bars and in food condiments capable of inhibiting actions of free radicals causing  pathologies. But little is known about the great variety of these bioactive compounds that make up the chemical characteristics of the shrub, shrub and tree species that cohabit in the most diverse variants of this biome. The discovery of the deleterious effects of free radicals on cells, acting as cause of disease, driving the search for new bioactive compounds in the area of food that grows every year with the production of new food products with healthier characteristics allowing prevention and minimizing the oxidative damage on  cells. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity by capturing DPPH radical, total phenolic contents by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, carotenoids, provitamin A in Retinol equivalent by UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods of the foliar ethanolic extracts of botanical species: Byrsonima Coccolobifolia (Kunth.), Dimorphandra mollis (Benth.), Hymenaea stignocarpa (Mart. ex Hayne), Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil.) and Cardiopetalum calophyllum (Schlecht.). The results showed the presence of antioxidant activity by the DPPH radical sequestration method, expressive total phenolic content, β-carotene content, lycopene content, except for Dimorphandra mollis and Hymenaea stignocarpa species, with low levels of provitamin A.Keywords: Sheets. DPPH. Lycopene.

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiotic-enhancing effects of the essential oil obtained from Ocimum gratissimum L. (OEOg) alone or in association with light-emitting diodes (LED) lights. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and its chemical composition analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The antibacterial and antibiotic-enhancing activities against multiresistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were evaluated by the gaseous contact method. The analysis of the photoinductive effect on the antibacterial activity of the OEOg and antibiotics was assessed through exposure to different LED lights (red, blue and yellow). The phytochemical analysis identified five compounds, including eugenol, as the major constituent. The OEOg caused a significant inhibition of the halo, indicating a direct antibacterial effect. Exposure to the LED lights significantly enhanced the activity of the OEOg against E. coli. On the other hand, the action of the essential oil against S. aureus was enhanced by exposure to both blue and yellow lights. The effects of LED light exposure on the activity of conventional antibiotics varied significantly according to the drug and the bacterial strain. However, most combinations of LED lights and the OEOg presented synergistic effects against resistant bacterial strains, indicating enhanced antibacterial activity. Thus, these in vitro findings suggest that both OEOg and LED lights have promising antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, further research is required to evaluate in vivo the potential of these therapies for the treatment of infectious skin diseases.

The Cerradodomain has numerous plant species that naturally produce essential oils, that are include in one of several classes of secondary metabolites. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition and to evaluate the antioxidant and antifungal activities of the essential oil from Cochlospermum regiumflowers. The flowers from C. regiumwere collected in an area of Cerrado, in Rio Verde/GO, Brazil. To extract the essential oil, 100 g of flowers were used, and then they were subjected to hydrodistillation in Clevenger-type apparatus, and the essential oil yield, determined in percentage. Then, the essential oil was analyzed for composition by gas chromatography with coupled mass spectrometry GC-MS, and determined as to the antioxidant potential in reducing DPPH and, as antifungal by agar diffusion in the isolate from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatograph associated with mass spectrometry CG-MS and its antioxidant potential was evaluated by the free radical sequestration technique DPPH. The average yield of essential oil was 0.10%. 32 compounds were identified, in especially majority caryophyllene E 9.76%, γ-muurolene 16.69% and bicyclogermacrene 39.82%. The antioxidant activity showed 100% reduction in the DPPH radical, for concentrations between 50 to 2 mg mL-1, and reductions of 85.77 to 13.18% (IC50) for concentrations 1 to 0.031 mg mL-1of the essential oil. It is concluded that the essential oil from C. regiumshowed low yield, however, it contains many hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpenes compounds, presenting itself as an exceptional natural antioxidant and antifungal agent in the fight against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Thus, the essential oil of theflowers from C. regiumpresents itself as strong candidate for new research that can be applied in the areas from health, agricultural and foods.