Vibrational spectroscopy as a rapid quality control method for Melaleuca alternifolia cheel (tea tree oil).

Introduction: Tea tree oil (TTO) is an important commercial oil which has found application in the flavour, fragrance and cosmetic industries. The quality is determined by the relative concentration of its major constituents: 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, α-terpinene, terpinolene, γ-terpinene and limonene. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is traditionally used for qualitative and quantitative analyses but is expensive and time consuming.

Contamination of bananas with beauvericin and fusaric acid produced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense.

Background: Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), is one of the most destructive diseases of banana.

The need for combination drug therapies in patients with complex dyslipidemia.

Statins are first line therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Only 30 %-70 % of high risk patients will attain standard low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets. Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and genetic mixed hyperlipidemias do not meet goals with standard therapy.

The In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Other Aroma-Therapeutic Oils.

The antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil was assessed in combination with 45 other oils to establish possible interactive properties. The composition of the selected essential oils was confirmed using GC-MS with a flame ionization detector. The microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was undertaken, whereby the fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) was calculated for the oil combinations.

New therapies to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Purpose Of Review: Lipid-lowering is an intervention that reduces atherosclerosis and its complications. Statins currently form the standard of care but are not able to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) adequately in all patients - particularly those with familial hypercholesterolaemia and those with statin intolerance.

Recent Findings: Combination therapy with statins is well established and ezetimibe is often used as an additional LDL-C-lowering agent reducing LDL-C by 20%.

Basilar skull fracture in a Thoroughbred colt: radiography or computed tomography?

A two-year-old Thoroughbred colt was presented to the Equine Clinic, Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital for head trauma after rearing and falling backwards, hitting his head on the ground. Following medical therapy for acute onset neurological impairment secondary to a suspected basilar skull fracture, the horse was anaesthetised and computed tomography of the skull was performed. A diagnosis of a comminuted basilar skull fracture was made and skull radiographs were taken for comparison.

Camphor--a fumigant during the Black Death and a coveted fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon--a review.

The fragrant camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) and its products, such as camphor oil, have been coveted since ancient times. Having a rich history of traditional use, it was particularly used as a fumigant during the era of the Black Death and considered as a valuable ingredient in both perfume and embalming fluid. Camphor has been widely used as a fragrance in cosmetics, as a food flavourant, as a common ingredient in household cleaners, as well as in topically applied analgesics and rubefacients for the treatment of minor muscle aches and pains.

Ergothioneine is a secreted antioxidant in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Ergothioneine (ERG) and mycothiol (MSH) are two low-molecular-weight thiols synthesized by mycobacteria. The role of MSH has been extensively investigated in mycobacteria; however, little is known about the role of ERG in mycobacterial physiology. In this study, quantification of ERG at various points in the growth cycle of Mycobacterium smegmatis revealed that a significant portion of ERG is found in the culture media, suggesting that it is actively secreted.

A novel approach in herbal quality control using hyperspectral imaging: discriminating between Sceletium tortuosum and Sceletium crassicaule.

Introduction: Sceletium tortuosum is the most sought after species of the genus Sceletium and is commonly included in commercial products for the treatment of psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. However, this species exhibits several morphological and phytochemical similarities to S. crassicaule.

Antimicrobial activity of southern African medicinal plants with dermatological relevance: From an ethnopharmacological screening approach, to combination studies and the isolation of a bioactive compound.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ethnobotanical reports on more than 100 southern African medicinal plants with dermatological relevance have been highlighted, yet there is still limited scientific data to support claims for their antimicrobial effectiveness against skin pathogens. Guided by ethnobotanical data, this paper explores the antimicrobial efficacies of southern African medicinal plants used to treat skin ailments.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate the antimicrobial properties of southern African medicinal plants against dermatologically relevant pathogens.

Altered Rolandic gamma-band activation associated with motor impairment and ictal network desynchronization in childhood epilepsy.

Epilepsy is associated with an abnormal expression of neural oscillations and their synchronization across brain regions. Oscillatory brain activation and synchronization also play an important role in cognition, perception and motor control. Childhood epilepsy is associated with a variety of cognitive and motor deficits, but the relationship between altered functional brain responses in various frequency ranges and functional impairment in these children remains poorly understood.

One fungus, one name: defining the genus Fusarium in a scientifically robust way that preserves longstanding use.

In this letter, we advocate recognizing the genus Fusarium as the sole name for a group that includes virtually all Fusarium species of importance in plant pathology, mycotoxicology, medicine, and basic research. This phylogenetically guided circumscription will free scientists from any obligation to use other genus names, including teleomorphs, for species nested within this clade, and preserve the application of the name Fusarium in the way it has been used for almost a century. Due to recent changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, this is an urgent matter that requires community attention.

Hyperspectral imaging in the quality control of herbal medicines - the case of neurotoxic Japanese star anise.

Illicium verum (Chinese star anise) dried fruit is popularly used as a remedy to treat infant colic. However, instances of life-threatening adverse events in infants have been recorded after use, in some cases due to substitution and/or adulteration of I. verum with Illicium anisatum (Japanese star anise), which is toxic.

Insulin resistance: a risk marker for disease and disability in the older person.

Clinical metabolic studies have demonstrated that insulin action declines progressively with age in humans. In addition to its close association with Type 2 diabetes, which reduces life expectancy in older people, age-related insulin resistance is implicated in pathogenesis of several highly prevalent disorders for which ageing is a major risk factor. These include atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, dementia, frailty and cancer.

Alipogene tiparvovec: gene therapy for lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

Homozygous lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency is an ultra-orphan disease associated with increased rates of pancreatitis. Current treatments based on acute plasmapheresis allied with ultra-low fat diets are inadequate as responses to fibrates or other triglyceride-lowering therapies tend to be poor. Alipogene tiparvovec is an adeno-associated virus type I (AAV1) gene therapy using a hyper-functional LPL serine(447)-stop (S447X) insert administered intramuscularly under general anaesthetic with allied immunosuppression.

An untargeted metabolomic approach in the chemotaxonomic assessment of two Salvia species as a potential source of α-bisabolol.

α-Bisabolol is a commercially important aroma chemical currently obtained from the Candeia tree (Vanillosmopsis erythropappa). Continuous unsustainable harvesting of the Candeia tree has prompted the urgent need to identify alternative crops as a source of this commercially important sesquiterpene alcohol. A chemotaxonomic assessment of two Salvia species indigenous to South Africa is presented and recommended as a potential source of α-bisabolol.

Devil's Claw-a review of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological activity of Harpagophytum procumbens.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Harpagophytum procumbens subps. procumbens (Burch.) DC.

Phylogenetic and Biological Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum Isolates Associated with Onion in South Africa.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae causes Fusarium basal rot of onion, a disease of worldwide importance.

A comparison of the eating quality of selected potato cultivars from two potato production regions in South Africa.

Background: Limited scientific information is available on the eating quality of potato cultivars in South Africa. This study aimed to determine, describe and compare the eating quality of three potato cultivars from two production regions (dry land and irrigated land) in South Africa, through sensory and physical evaluation. Sensory descriptors were identified for the sensory attributes and a lexicon was developed.

In Vitro Drug Absorption Enhancement Effects of Aloe vera and Aloe ferox.

The effect of whole leaf and gel materials from two aloe species (Aloe vera and A. ferox) was compared with that of the precipitated polysaccharides from these aloe materials on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) as well as transport of a model compound (atenolol) in the apical-to-basolateral direction across rat intestinal tissue. All the aloe leaf materials and precipitated polysaccharides had a statistically significant effect of lowering the TEER (P < 0.

Transcriptome profiling of resistant and susceptible Cavendish banana roots following inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4.

Background: Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is considered the most lethal disease of Cavendish bananas in the world.

Eugenol--from the remote Maluku Islands to the international market place: a review of a remarkable and versatile molecule.

Eugenol is a major volatile constituent of clove essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation of mainly Eugenia caryophyllata (=Syzygium aromaticum) buds and leaves. It is a remarkably versatile molecule incorporated as a functional ingredient in numerous products and has found application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, fragrance, flavour, cosmetic and various other industries. Its vast range of pharmacological activities has been well-researched and includes antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-oxidant and anticancer activities, amongst others.

Resistance in Maize Inbred Lines to Fusarium verticillioides and Fumonisin Accumulation in South Africa.

Fusarium ear rot of maize, caused by Fusarium verticillioides, is an important disease affecting maize production worldwide. Apart from reducing yield and grain quality, F. verticillioides produces fumonisins which have been associated with mycotoxicoses of animals and humans.

Sanitation of a South African Forestry Nursery Contaminated with Fusarium circinatum Using Hydrogen Peroxide at Specific Oxidation Reduction Potentials.

Pitch canker, caused by Fusarium circinatum, was first reported in a forestry nursery in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa in 1990, and it has since spread to almost all forestry nurseries in the country, where it causes significant economic losses. The aim of the current study was to (i) identify sources of F. circinatum contamination in the Karatara forestry nursery in the Western Cape Province and (ii) manage the disease by implementing an oxidation reduction potential (ORP)-based sanitation method using hydrogen peroxide.

Triglycerides: a case for treatment?

Purpose Of Review: To discuss the relevance of triglycerides to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Recent Findings: Triglycerides are a commonly measured component of lipid profiles. Raised triglycerides are a component of the metabolic syndrome and are strongly associated with future risk of diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.