Denise Fernandes Coutinho

Avaliação da qualidade de drogas vegetais comercializadas em São Luís/Maranhão

Qualitative analysis of plants commercialized for medical purposes in public markets in Sao Luis/MA. Its made a research on strange materials, evaluation of macroscopic characteristics, determination of humidity level and research on microbiological contamination, this way proving the bad quality of vegetable material available for the population in Maranhao state.

Plant Derived Essential Oils Against Aedes aegypti L. and Their Biotechnological Production

Aedes aegyti L. is the main vector of important viruses like Dengue, Yellow, Zika and Chikungunya fevers. In many countries, these diseases are considered as great public health problems due to the serious consequences they can cause such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, neurological disorders and internal hemorrhagic problems, which may lead to death. The transmission of these diseases occurs through the bite of infected female of A. aegypti. According to World Health Organization, the major way to avoid the spread of these diseases is to control the vector by using larvicides and insecticides products. Many efforts have been done to find natural products that can be used to eliminate different phases of the life cycle of this mosquito. Among these, essential oils are recognized as important plant-derived products to control A. aegypti. Essential oils are complex mixture of mono, sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids and normally have a nice odor. Several studies have shown the larvicidal and insecticides properties of essential oils in plants belonging to different families. The literature studies indicated that in most of the cases monoterpenes like geraniol and citronellol, and phenylpropanoids; eugenol were the main components of essential oils that can control A. aegypti spread. In vitro studies suggested that composition and production of essential oils could be manipulated by the use of different concentrations and combinations of growth regulators and elicitors.

Exploring the anticancer properties of essential oils from family Lamiaceae

ABSTRACT Lamiaceae is among the largest families of flowering plants with about 250 genera and over 7,000 species distributed around the world. It is considered as the important source of essential oils, for example, menthol, geraniol, eucalyptol, camphor and thymol. Therefore, it is imperative to study these economically important compounds under in vitro conditions for their sustainable and enhanced production. In addition to proven biological activities, essential oils from this family have recently been evaluated for anticancer activities and considered as a source of anticancer drugs. Mechanisms involved in the essential oils-mediated antiproliferative activity include cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA repair mechanisms. Essential oils also act in the reduction of tumors, inhibiting metastasis and as anti-multidrug resistance molecules. The aim of this review is to assess the anticancer properties of essential oils obtained from different members of family Lamiaceae. The available reports on active components of essential oils and their effect on cancer type and cell line have been discussed. Biotechnological studies to improve the production of essential oils have also been highlighted. Various methods have been adopted to obtain essential oils under in vitro conditions from different plant species of family Lamiaceae, and their production is affected by culture conditions, cultivation mode, utilization of nutrient media and plant growth regulators. The literature survey suggests that essential oils obtained from family Lamiaceae have perspective for the development of new alternatives for disease treatment and prevention.