Extraction and Study of the Essential Oil of Copal (Dacryodes peruviana), an Amazonian Fruit with the Highest Yield Worldwide

Essential oils are highly demanded substances worldwide. They can be used without modification due to their different chemical and biological properties or as natural sources of chemical compounds. The limit in the use of these metabolites is their low yield. In the present investigation, the essential oil of fruits from Dacryodes peruviana collected in the Ecuadorian Amazon was extracted and studied. The essential oil was released from the plant matrix and isolated by hydrodistillation. The yields obtained were 4.8 ± 0.2% and 11.3 ± 0.2% for fresh and dried fruits, respectively, one of the highest yields on record to date. Twenty-five chemical compounds were identified by GC/MS and GC/FID techniques. The principal constituent was α-phellandrene, with 50.32 ± 3.32%. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was assayed against five Gram negative bacteria, two Gram positive bacteria and two fungi. The essential oil exerted a moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The repellent activity of the oil was assayed against mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); the samples with 3%, 2% and 1% essential oil were class 4, and the sample with 0.5% showed to be class 3. The essential oil showed a weak antioxidant activity through the DPPH and ABTS methods.

Phytochemical profile, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oil extracted from Ecuadorian species Piper ecuadorense sodiro

In the present research, the essential oil from Piper ecuadorense was analysed by GC/MS and GC/FID techniques. A total of forty-four chemical compounds were identified which represent 98.65% of the essential oil composition. The main compounds were bicyclogermacrene (12.98%), 3-thujopsanone (11.59%), α-phellandrene (6.89%), (E)-nerolidol (6.88%), δ-elemene (6.83%) and shyobunol (5.79%). The essential oil from P. ecuadorense exerted a strong activity against Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) with an MIC of 250 μg/mL, and a very strong activity against Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28188) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (ATCC 28185) with an MIC of 62.5 μg/mL in both cases. The antioxidant activity of essential oil was explored using DPPH and ABTS method, through ABTS assay. The oils showed an IC₅₀ of 1.81 ± 0.09 mg/mL. This is the first report on the chemical composition and biological activity of essential oil from this species.

Natural Inorganic Ingredients in Wound Healing

Background:

One of the major clinical challenges is to achieve a rapid and efficient treatment of complex chronic wounds. Nowadays, most wound dressings currently available are unable to find a solution the challenges of resistance to bacterial infection, protein adsorption and increased levels of exudates. Natural inorganic ingredients (clay minerals, metal cations, zeolites, etc) could be the key to solve the problem satisfactorily. Some of these materials have shown biocompatibility and ability to enhance cell adhesion, proliferation and cellular differentiation and uptake. Besides, some natural inorganic ingredients effectively retain drugs, allowing the design of drug delivery matrices.

Objective:

possibilities of natural inorganic ingredients in wound healing treatments have been reviewed, the following sections have been included: 1. Introduction 2. Functions of Inorganic Ingredients in wound healing 2.1. Antimicrobial effects 2.2. Hemostatic effects 3. Clay minerals for wound healing 3.1. Clay minerals 3.2. Clay mineral semisolid formulations 3.3. Clay/polymer composites and nanocomposites 3.4. Clay minerals in wound dressings 4. Other inorganic materials for wound healing 4.1. Zeolites 4.2. Silica and other silicates 4.3. Other minerals 4.4. Transition metals 5. Conclusion

Conclusion:

inorganic ingredients possess useful features in the development of chronic wounds advanced treatments. They improve physical (mechanical resistance and water vapor transmission), chemical (release of drugs, hemostasis and/or adsorption of exudates and moisture) and biological (antimicrobial effects and improvement of healing) properties of wound dressings. In summary, inorganic ingredients have proved to be a promising and easily accessible products in the treatment of wounds and, more importantly, chronic wounds.