The genus Zingiberaceae has been widely used for phytotherapeutic purposes in traditional medicine throughout the world for its anti-inflammatory activity. Experimental studies have established that inflammation caused by chronic infections represents a risk factor for different forms of cancer. The objective of this study was focused on determining the anti-inflammatory capacity and cytotoxic activity of aqueous extracts of Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom) and Curcuma Longa (turmeric). The extracts were obtained by maceration and, through GC-MS/MS, a total of 11 different chemical components were determined in the aqueous extract of cardamom and 7 in the extract of turmeric. The main compounds found in cardamom and turmeric were α-terpinyl acetate (54.46%) and β-turmerone (33.45%), respectively. RT-qPCR results showed significantly lower gene expression levels of innate inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) compared to the control (LPS). Also, it was observed that the extracts do not possess cytotoxic activity against different cell lines, where E. cardamomum showed EC50 (µg/mL) of 473.84 (HeLa cells), 237.36 (J774A.1 cells), 257.51 (Vero E6 cells), and 431.16 (Balb/C peritoneal cells) and C. longa showed EC50 (µg/mL) of 351.17 (HeLa cells), 430.96 (J774A.1 cells), 396.24 (Vero E6 cells), and 362.86 (Balb/C peritoneal cells). The results of this research suggest that natural extracts of E. cardamomum and C. longa possess anti-inflammatory effects and no cytotoxic activity against HeLa, J774A.1, Vero E6, and Balb/C peritoneal cell lines, Finally, it was observed that the extracts also decreased nitric oxide (NO) production in peritoneal macrophages.

Introduction: The World Health Organization establishes that 80% of the world's population uses traditional medicine for their primary care, because they contain compounds responsible for their properties. Objective: To evaluate the antifungal effect of the essential oil of Citrus paradisi against C. albicans and the cytotoxic effect in three cell lines in vitro. Methods: The phytochemical characterization of the oil was carried out by chemical methods and Gas chromatography (GC-MS) and the antifungal effect against C. albicans (ATCC 90029) was evaluated by the Kirby-Bauer method, which evaluated concentrations of 0.75-20 μg/mL and compared with nystatin 100,000 Ul/mL as a positive control. The percentage of the relative inhibitory effect was calculated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined at 24 hours. Moreover, the cytotoxic effect on C. albicans and cell lines was determined by the colorimetric MTT tetrazolium assay. Finally, the antifungal effect against Candida strains isolated from clinical samples was evaluated at a concentration of 20 μg/mL. Results: The essential oil showed an antifungal effect with a percentage of inhibition of 123%. The MIC was 2.5 μg/mL, and the cytotoxicity index was 5.44 μg/mL for C. albicans. The IC 50 values were 21.060, 9.482 and 4.176 μg/mL for Vero E6, J774A.1 and MDBK cells respectively. Conclusion: These results show the use of C. paradisi essential oil as an alternative treatment in oral antifungal therapy, it is beneficial due to its antifungal effect and its low toxicity on cell cultures.

The usefulness of traditional plants in Mexico to treat human ailments has been known since ancient times. This work evaluated the antimicrobial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory potential of ethanolic extracts of Aloe vera, Equisetum arvense, Mimosa tenuiflora, Lippia graveolens, and Syzygium aromaticum. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sorbinus; a significant inhibitory effect of the L. graveolens extract on both bacteria was observed at concentration levels of 250 µg/mL and greater. The anticoagulant activity was evaluated in terms of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), A. vera and M. tenuiflora extracts showed no significant difference (p ˂ 0.05) in PT compared with the control, and for APTT the extracts of A. vera, L. graveolens, and S. aromaticum decreased the APTT significantly (p ˂ 0.05) compared with the control. The antioxidant potential by DPPH assay indicated that the E. arvense extract behaved statistically the same as the control. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated in HGF-1 cells using the fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay technique, and none of the extracts was toxic at 125 and 250 µg/mL concentrations. Finally, the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using ELISA, where the A. vera extract showed the best anti-inflammatory capacity. Further research on the search for bioactive metabolites and elucidation of action mechanisms of the most promising extracts will be carried out.

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Adolescents between 12 and 13 years of age suffer social discrimination and low self-esteem because of their physical appearance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of oral manifestations such as dental malposition, gummy smile, halitosis, and bone malformations of the maxillary and jaw, and determine their social impact on adolescents. A descriptive study was performed in secondary school adolescents between 12 and 13 years of age. First, an interview was carried out to identify the impact of oral manifestations as a cause of social discrimination and then clinical examination was performed. It was found that in adolescents, oral manifestations cause social discrimination. Dental malposition was the main cause (81 %), followed by gummy smile (29 %), maxillary and jaw bone malformations (16 %) and halitosis (11 %). Of those interviewed, 90 % expressed having received negative comments about their oral cavity and 81 % referred the need for dental care; 72 % felt discriminated by their classmates and 65 % did not like to speak in public (p <0.005). It was concluded that a relationship exists between oral manifestations and social discrimination in adolescents.

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