Honey is a natural product with a sweet flavor. Honey is made by the honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) from the nectar of flowers or other plant secretions that are collected near the hive. These products are mixed with bee saliva and stored. Several studies have demonstrated that honey exhibits antioxidant, antimicrobial, nematicidal, antifungal, anticancer, and anti‐inflammatory activities. These properties are influenced by the plants from which the secretions are harvested, from the naturally occurring compounds present in the nectar. Studies of the properties and applications of honey have distinguished honey from other natural products due to the presence of certain compounds and due its bioactive properties. The focus of this review is to discuss the identified and isolated compounds from monofloral honey produced by A. mellifera , with specific emphasis on antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of honey and its therapeutic health benefits.

En este trabajo se discute la influencia del secado al aire (AD), el horno de convección (CO) y el secado solar (SOD) sobre las propiedades físicas y químicas de las hojas de Ilex guayusa. Seestimaron las cenizas totales (%), las cenizas insolubles en ácido (%), las cenizas solubles en agua (%), la humedad residual (%) y el contenido de cafeína (%). Además, se analizó la presencia los alcaloides, flavonoides, azúcares reductores, saponinas, esteroides, quinonas, grasas, fenoles y taninos en extractos de hojas secas. Los resultados revelaron que los parámetros del análisis físico no se vieron afectados por las técnicas de secado. La mayor cantidad de metabolitos secundarios se detectó en el extracto etanólico y acuoso. En general, las hojas secadas al horno de convección mostraron el mayor contenido de cafeína (3,71%) y el menor tiempo de secado (13 h) en comparación con los otros métodos de secado empleados. Los resultados obtenidos revelaron un método rápido para secar hojas de Ilex guayusa sin alterar el contenido de componentes bioactivos beneficiosos para la salud, estudios que no han sido reportados.

The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP), and semivolatile compounds of Conyza bonariensis L. leave extract and fractions are discussed. A methanolic crude extract was obtained through maceration, and subsequently, n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions were collected using a solvent-solvent partition. Total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity assays were performed in an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, and the results were expressed as Gallic Acid, Quercetin, and Trolox equivalents respectively. The findings achieved indicate that ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging capacity (90.69±3.16%) at 500 µg mL-1, and reduced the ferric tripyridyltriazine complex (Fe3+-TPTZ) with values between 19.68 and 2,355.37 mg Trolox equivalent (TE) g-1. It was identified 28 phytoconstituents through Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The scavenging activity of ethyl acetate fraction could be correlated mostly to the presence of eugenol, trans-isoeugenol, lucenin-2, methyl salicylate, and syringic acid. This study reveals that the ethyl acetate fraction could be used as a good source of antioxidants for health benefits.

Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that carries dengue virus, yellow fever and other diseases transmitted to humans. Organophosphorus larvicides are used to control the proliferation of this mosquito, which has generated a high degree of resistance; hence, new alternatives such as bio-larvicides formulated with plant extracts are of great interest. The aims of this study were to evaluate the ethanolic extract of Azadirachta indica leaves as a larvicide against Aedes aegypti and to determine the main compounds present in it by GC-MS. In the assay, three concentrations of ethanolic extract were used (10 mg L-1, 20 mg L-1, and 50 mg L-1). This was performed thrice against a positive control (commercial larvicide: spores and endotoxic crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis Serotype H-14) and negative control (water). After 72 h of incubation, it was observed higher larval mortality (93%) in the ethanolic extract at a concentration of 50 mg L-1; the extracts at 10 mg L-1 and 20 mg L-1 shown larval mortality of 47% and 70%, respectively. The majority compound determined by the GC-MS analysis was phytol (14.4% area). The results obtained in this study demonstrated the larvicidal potential of the ethanolic extract of A. indica against larvae of A. aegypti.