Effectiveness of Cymbopogon citratus Oil Encapsulated in Chitosan on Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Isolated from Capsicum annuum

Identification of Coumarins and Antimicrobial Potential of Ethanolic Extracts of Dipteryx odorata and Dipteryx punctata

Dipteryx odorata and Dipteryx punctata are species native to the Amazonian, traded by extractivists to obtain coumarin. We aimed to analyze the presence of coumarin in the ethanolic extracts of leaves, branches and fruits of D. odorata and D. punctata and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of these extracts against phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria of clinical interest. Chemical analyses were performed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the antifungal assays, the fungi used were Cercospora longissima, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, two isolates of Fusarium spp. and Sclerotium rolfsii, and the antibacterial assay was performed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test with Burkholderia cepacia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In D. odorata seed extracts and in D. punctata husks, endocarps, and seeds, we identified 1,2-benzopyrone. D. odorata endocarp extracts and D. punctata seeds provided the greatest decrease in mycelial growth of the evaluated phytopathogens, showing promise as an alternative control. The husk and endocarp extracts of both species had a weak effect on E. coli. This research is the first to compare the different parts of species of the genus Dipteryx and to evaluate the use of husks and endocarps of D. punctata fruits to obtain coumarin. Chemical analyses used to quantify the compounds existing in the extracts, and tests with phytopathogens in vitro and in vivo are currently being carried out.

Nano chitosan encapsulation of Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract promotes ROS induction leading to apoptosis in human squamous cells (HSC-3)

World-wide, Indonesia is ranked 17th in oral cancers, with deaths reaching 2.326 cases. Of the oral cancers, 90% are squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-3). Unfortunately, conventional cancer therapy still has many ill side effects. Therefore, pharmacologists have looked for natural ingredients to prevent the growth of oral cancer cells. One source is Cymbopogon citratus leaf. Research shows that the active compound of C. citratus leaf is a chemopreventive, doing so by increasing the production of re-active oxygen species (ROS) to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The active compound of C. citratus leaf has low stability and solubility, so it is necessary to use an encapsulation matrix such as chitosan, and modify it into smaller particles to increase its effectiveness.

Purpose is determining the effect of nano chitosan encapsulation of C. citratus leaf ethanol extract (NCECC) on the reactive oxygen species of HSC-3 tongue cancer cells. This study is divided into ten groups – without treatment, doxorubicin (positive control), hydrogen peroxide, nano chitosan and C. citratus leaf extract groups, and five groups of NCECC treatment – concentrations of 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%, respectively. The 100% NCECC group showed the highest ROS concentration (p<0.05), compared to 75%, 50%, 25%, 12.5% NCECC groups, and the 100% NCECC was higher than the positive control group. NCECC is effective in inducing oxidative stress on HSC-3 through increased production of ROS. Moreover, the higher the encapsulation concentration given, the greater the increase in ROS production.