The aim of this study was to develop a formulation, containing the propolis standardized extract (EPP-AF®), which can assist in the healing of skin lesions. To achieve this objective the antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of the propolis extract was determined. The final product was subjected to in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical evaluation. The broth macrodilution method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts and formulations against the microorganisms most commonly found in burns, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Wistar rats with puncture wounded skin were used to evaluate the wound healing properties of propolis. The results of chemical and biological characterization demonstrated the batch-to-batch reproducibility of the standardized extract which is an unprecedented result. The antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the pharmaceutical studied showed the best results when samples contain 3.6% propolis, suggesting that this is the most promising composition.

The results of this investigation will help nurses and other professionals in selecting the C recutita dosage used to manage oral mucositis in patients undergoing HSCT.

A sensitive and reliable RP-HPLC method was developed using a C18 CLC-ODS (M) - 4.6x250 mm(2)column and gradient elution for the analysis of phenolic compounds in propolis raw material and its products. A procedure for the extraction of phenolic compounds using aqueous ethanol (90%) with the addition of veratraldehyde as the internal standard (IS) was developed allowing to quantify ten compounds: caffeic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, aromadendrin-4'-methyl ether (AME), isosakuranetin, drupanin, artepellin C, baccharin, and 2,2-dimethyl-6-carboxyethenyl-2H-1-benzopyran acid (DCBEN). The developed method gave good detection response and linearity in the range of 20.83-533.33 microg/mL.

Baccharis dracunculifolia DC (Asteraceae) is the main botanical source used by honeybees to produce Brazilian green propolis whose hepatoprotective properties have been already described. In this work we investigated the protective effects of the glycolic extract of B. dracunculifolia (GEBd) against oxidative stress in isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM). The GEBd was prepared by fractionated percolation using propylene glycol as solvent. The total phenols and flavonoids, which are substances with recognized antioxidant action, were quantified in GEBd and the phytochemical analysis was carried out by HPLC. GEBd exhibited significant scavenger activity towards DPPH radicals and superoxide anions in a concentration-dependent manner, and also a Fe2+ chelating activity. GEBd decreased the basal H2O2 generation and the Fe2+- or t-BuOOH-induced ROS production in isolated mitochondria. Lipid oxidation of mitochondrial membranes, protein thiol groups and GSH oxidation were also prevented by GEBd. This shows that B. dracunculifolia exhibit potent antioxidant activity protecting liver mitochondria against oxidative damage and such action probably contribute to the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of green propolis.

Since the beginning of propolis research, several groups have studied its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. However, most of these studies have only employed propolis ethanolic extract (PEE) leading to little knowledge about the biological activities of propolis water extract (PWE). Based on this, in a previous study, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of PWE. In order to better understand the equilibrium between effectiveness and toxicity, which is essential for a new medicine, the characteristics of PWE were analyzed. We developed and validated an RP-HPLC method to chemically characterize PWE and PEE and evaluated the in vitro antioxidant/antimicrobial activity for both extracts and the safety of PWE via determining genotoxic potential using in vitro and in vivo mammalian micronucleus assays. We have concluded that the proposed analytical methodology was reliable, and both extracts showed similar chemical composition. The extracts presented antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, while PWE demonstrated higher antioxidant activity and more efficacious for the most of the microorganisms tested than PEE. Finally, PWE was shown to be safe using micronucleus assays.

Baccharis dracunculifolia D.C. (Asteraceae), a shrub which grows wild in Brazil, is the main botanical source of Brazilian green propolis. Since Brazilian propolis shows an immunomodulatory activity, the goal of this work was to evaluate the action of B. dracunculifolia extracts and some of its isolated compounds on reactive oxygen intermediate (H(2)O(2)) production by macrophages obtained from male BALB/c mice. The results showed that the leaf (Bd-L) (25, 50, and 100 microg mL(-1)), leaf rinse (Bd-LR) (25 microg mL(-1)), and the root (Bd-R) (25 microg mL(-1)) extracts enhanced H2O2 release by macrophages. A phytochemical study of the root and leaves of B. dracunculifolia was carried out. The chromatographic fractionation of Bd-R, using several techniques, afforded the isolation of baccharis oxide (1), friedelanol (2), viscidone (11), 11-hydroxy-10,11-dihydro-euparin (12), and 6hydroxy-tremetona (13), while Bd-LR gave the following isolated compounds: baccharis oxide (1), friedelanol (2), isosakuranetin (3), aromadendrin-4'-methyl ether (4), dihydrocumaric acid (5), baccharin (6), hautriwaic acid lactone (7), hautriwaic acid acetate (8), drupanin (9), and cumaric acid (10). Among the isolated compounds, baccharis oxide (1) and friedelanol (2) increased H2O2 production at a concentration of 100 microM. This is the first time that the presence of compounds 7, 8, 12, and 13 in B. dracunculifolia has been reported. Based on these results it is suggested that the crude extracts and some isolated compounds from B. dracunculifolia display an immunomodulatory action.

Legume species are an important source of protein and other nutrients for human and livestock consumption, playing a central role in food security. Besides, legumes benefit agriculture because of their ability to establish symbiotic interactions with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, providing nitrogen for subsequent crops, which is very much appreciated for sustainable agricultural practices. However, like other food crops, legumes are highly vulnerable to climate variations, water stresses being the main constraint that negatively affects both crop quality and productivity. Because of this, the development of strategies to improve the tolerance of such cultivars against water stresses, as well as the study of effective approaches to monitor these improvements, have gained special attention during the last years. Among these strategies, metabolomics has been considered one of the most promising approaches for the detection and/or quantification of primary and secondary stress-responsive metabolites in abiotic stresses. In plant science, many research groups have been using metabolomics to evaluate the success of genetic modifications by the analysis of chemical markers that can be altered in breeding programs. In addition, metabolomics is a powerful tool for the evaluation and selection of wild specimens with desirable traits that can be used in the development of improved new cultivars. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is to review the recent progress made in the field of metabolomics and plant breeding, especially concerning the adaptive responses of legume species to abiotic stresses as well as to point out the key primary and secondary metabolites involved in the adaptation and sensing mechanisms.

This experimental and dose-response curve study aimed to carry out the quality control of the Chamomilla recutita sample, as well as to estimate the ideal dose, for anti-inflammatory effect, of the extract of its capitula, in patients with phlebitis due to peripheral intravenous infusion of antineoplastic chemotherapy and to evaluate the toxicity of this extract in human beings. The therapeutic efficacy, concerning the anti-inflammatory potential, of different doses of Chamomilla recutita extract were analyzed and compared in 25 patients. Aplicação clínica da Chamomilla recutita em flebites: estudo de curva dose-resposta Neste estudo, buscou-se realizar o controle de qualidade da amostra de Chamomilla recutita, bem como estimar a dose ideal, para efeito anti-inflamatório, do infuso dos seus capítulos florais, em pacientes com flebite, decorrente de infusão intravenosa periférica de quimioterapia antineoplásica, e avaliar a toxicidade desse infuso em seres humanos. Trata-se de estudo experimental, do tipo curva dose-resposta, no qual foi analisada e comparada a eficácia terapêutica, quanto ao potencial anti-inflamatório, de diferentes doses do infuso da Chamomilla recutita, em 25 pacientes. O tempo de regressão da flebite foi menor para os grupos com concentração 2,5% (média=29,2h, desvio padrão=8,98) e 5% (média=38,8h, desvio padrão=17,47) e praticamente não se observou toxicidade local. Esta pesquisa contribui para a inovação da prática clínica em enfermagem, uma vez que sugere alternativa para o tratamento de flebites, por meio da utilização clínica de fitoterápicos (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 00989599).Descritores: Matricaria; Flebite; Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga. Aplicación clínica de la Chamomilla recutita en flebitis: estudio de la curva dosis-respuestaEn este estudio, se buscó realizar el control de calidad de la muestra de Chamomilla recutita, así como estimar la dosis ideal, para efecto antiinflamatorio, de la infusión de sus inflorescencias, en pacientes con flebitis proveniente de introducción intravenosa periférica de quimioterapia antineoplásica y evaluar la toxicidad de esta infusión en los seres humanos. Se trata de estudio experimental, del tipo curva dosis-respuesta, en el cual fue analizada y comparada la eficacia terapéutica, en cuanto al potencial antiinflamatorio, de diferentes dosis de la infusión de la Chamomilla recutita en 25 pacientes. El tiempo de regresión de la flebitis fue menor para los grupos con concentración 2,5% (promedio = 29,2h, desviación estándar = 8,98) y 5% (promedio = 38,8h, desviación estándar = 17,47) y prácticamente no se observó toxicidad local. Esta investigación contribuye para la innovación de la práctica clínica en enfermería, una vez que sugiere una alternativa para el tratamiento de la flebitis por medio de la utilización clínica de fitoterapéuticos.(ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 00989599) Descriptores: Matricaria; Flebitis; Relación Dosis-Respuesta A Droga.