Context:Echinacea (Asteraceae) is used because of its pharmacological properties. However, there are few studies that integrate phytochemical analyses with pharmacological effects.Objective: Evaluate the chemical profile and biological activity of hydroalcoholic Echinacea extracts.Materials and methods: Density, dry matter, phenols (Folin–Ciocalteu method), flavonoids (AlCl3 method), alkylamides (GC-MS analysis), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS methods), antiproliferative effect (SRB assay), anti-inflammatory effect (paw oedema assay, 11 days/Wistar rats; 0.4 mL/kg) and hypoglycaemic effect (33 days/Wistar rats; 0.4 mL/kg) were determined in three Echinacea extracts which were labelled as A, B and C (A, roots of Echinacea purpurea L. Moench; B, roots, leaves, flowers and seeds of Echinacea purpurea; C, aerial parts and roots of Echinacea purpurea and roots of Echinacea angustifolia DC).Results: Extract C showed higher density (0.97 g/mL), dry matter (0.23 g/mL), phenols (137.5 ± 2.3 mEAG/mL), flavonoids (0.62 ± 0.02 mEQ/mL), and caffeic acid (0.048 mg/L) compared to A and B. A, B presented 11 alkylamides, whereas C presented those 11 and three more. B decreased the oedema (40%) on day 2 similar to indomethacin. A and C showed hypoglycaemic activity similar to glibenclamide. Antiproliferative effect was only detected for C (IC50 270 μg/mL; 8171 μg/mL; 9338 μg/mL in HeLa, MCF-7, HCT-15, respectively).Discussion and conclusion: The difference in the chemical and pharmacological properties among extracts highlights the need to consider strategies and policies for standardization of commercial herbal extracts in order to guarantee the safety and identity of this type of products.

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Background: The xoconostle (Opuntia joconostle Web.) plant is produced mainly in the Central Highlands region of Mexico. The main aim of this research was to determine the effect of pasteurization on chemical and functional properties of xoconostle juice. Methods: Total Soluble Solids (TSS), pH, Titratable Acidity (TA), total phenolic and flavonoid content, betacyanins, betaxanthins, and reducing and non-reducing sugars contents were determined in both unpasteurized and pasteurized xoconostle juices. In vivo assay using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) was done in male rats to evaluate the anti-hyperglycemic effect of juice. Data were statistically analyzed using SigmaPlot. Results: There was a meaningful increasing (p<0.05) in the pigment contents after the pasteurization process, as betacyanins and betaxanthins contents increased to 0.112 and 0.096 µg/g, respectively. In spite of pasteurized xoconostle, the unpasteurized group showed anti-hyperglycemic effects at 60 min of OGTT. Conclusion: Pasteurization temperature had no adverse effect on the antioxidant activities of xoconostle fruit. Although fresh xoconostle juice revealed considerable anti-hyperglycemic properties in rats, this effect was not found in the pasteurized xoconostle juice.

Las plantas, al ser organismos sésiles sufren diferentes tipos de estreses bióticos y abióticos. En este trabajo se cultivaron  in vitro plantas de orégano, bajo condiciones de estrés salino (NaCl 25 mM), en diferentes fuentes de luz: blanca (CTL), ultravioleta tipo C (UV-C) y de amplio espectro (AE). Se evaluaron cambios morfológicos en las plantas tratadas, así como parámetros fitoquímicos (fenoles y flavonoides totales y la capacidad antioxidante). Los tratamientos NaCl/CTL y AE mostraron el mayor número de yemas activadas. La luz UV-C mostró la menor cantidad de yemas y de altura de planta, sin embargo, no se observó efecto de la salinidad. La luz UV-C causó el menor número de hojas, así como raíces adventicias. No parece haber injerencia de la condición salinidad en estos resultados. La condición que provocó el mayor contenido de fenoles fue la luz UV-C y la que provocó el mayor contenido de flavonoides fue la combinación NaCl/UV-C. La combinación NaCl/AE causó la mayor capacidad antioxidante con el método DPPH y ABTS. No se observó una correlación entre el contenido de fenoles y la capacidad antioxidante.

Lippia graveolens, commonly known as Mexican oregano, is an aromatic plant of great industrial, nutritional, and medicinal value, principally for its essential oils. Regeneration via axillary buds was established in MS medium supplemented with 6-benzyladenine (BA) (0.5 mgL−1) as a growth regulator. Three genotypes and three stages of cultivation were considered in the study. On average, 3.5, 4.2, and 6.4 shoots induced per explant were obtained for genotypes B, C, and D, respectively. Several doses (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%) of ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) and different exposure times (1, 2, and 3 h) were applied to investigate the effect of the chemical mutagen on the formation of axillary buds. Genetic variation among the collected plants, the micro-propagated plants during three sub-cultivations, and the plants regenerated in the presence of the mutagen was evaluated by means of randomly amplified microsatellite polymorphism (RAMP) markers. A high genetic stability was observed in the micro-propagation of Mexican oregano for the three genotypes and three sub-cultivations, presenting 100% of monomorphic bands. The genetic variation observed in the different collections of wild populations (A, R, and V) and after treatment with EMS regarded 34 and 35% of polymorphic loci, respectively.

Las rizobacterias son un vasto y muy diverso grupo de bacterias que habitan en las inmediaciones de las raíces. Estas desarrollan relaciones tanto benéficas, neutrales e incluso perjudiciales, aunque estas últimas en menor medida. Las interacciones entre las bacterias y las raíces de las plantas han jugado un papel determinante en la adaptación y productividad de las especies vegetales a través del tiempo. Diversos estudios ponen en evidencia que las rizobacterias han mejorado el crecimiento, la producción y la salud de las plantas, directamente: mediante mecanismos que incluyen la asimilación de nutrientes vitales como la fijación de nitrógeno, solubilización de fósforo y potasio, y la fitoestimulación mediante la producción de diversas fitohormonas; e indirectamente: afectando el crecimiento de importantes fitopatógenos, activando la inmunidad en las plantas y mejorando los problemas ocasionados por estrés abiótico. Por su diversidad metabólica las rizobacterias podrían contribuir positivamente en la mejora de la productividad agrícola y la solución de problemas ambientales ocasionados por los métodos utilizados en la agricultura actual. Diversos géneros como: Acidithiobacillus, Aminobacter, Arthrobacter, Azoarcus, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Gluconoacetobacter, Pseudomonas, Serratia y Sphingomonas han demostrado su enorme capacidad promotora de crecimiento. Esta revisión proporciona un enfoque sobre los mecanismos mediante los cuales las rizobacterias mejoran el crecimiento de las plantas, su contribución en la agricultura sustentable y su comercialización, un campo que continúa en constante crecimiento.

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