The use of medicinal plants represents an alternative method for bacterial control due to their chemical compositions. This study’s objective was to determine the inhibitory capacity of Larrea tridentata extracts against microbial strains of clinical interest. Four extracts were prepared, their phytochemical profiles were determined, and their antioxidant capacities were quantified. Additionally, the minimum concentrations of hemolysis were determined using human blood erythrocytes. For the extracts’ growth inhibitory capacity, six bacterial and two fungal strains were evaluated using the disk diffusion test. Commercial medications specific for each strain were used as controls. The ethanolic extracts registered the greatest diversity of metabolites related to antibacterial activity. The inhibitory activities of the ethanolic extract and the Cedax^® control were similar for Enterococcus faecalis. A principal component analysis was performed with X² and ANOVA tests to identify the relationships and the effects of the extracts on bacterial inhibition, obtaining p > 0.05 with a confidence level of 95%. This research highlights the potential of L. tridentata extracts as an alternative treatment and to mitigate the growing problem of resistance to traditional antibiotics.

Background/Objectives: Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) is intended to restore reparative signaling in diabetic wounds, yet its efficacy and the contribution of delivery systems remain uncertain. This systematic review evaluated its preclinical efficacy, mechanistic responses, safety, risk of bias, certainty, and attribution of effects. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 and an OSF-registered protocol, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were searched from inception to 29 July 2026 for controlled in vivo diabetic wound studies. Compatible outcomes were pooled using random-effects models with restricted maximum-likelihood estimation and Hartung–Knapp adjustment. Non-poolable findings were synthesized using attribution-specific effect direction maps. Risk of bias and certainty were assessed with SYRCLE and preclinical GRADE, respectively. Results: Twenty-nine studies were included from 3844 records. For percentage wound closure at days 10–12, three studies comprising 113 animals yielded a favorable but imprecise pooled estimate (mean difference: 12.94 percentage points; 95% CI: −0.34 to 26.23; p = 0.052; I² = 54.6%). Two studies comprising 45 animals suggested a non-significant 4.28-day reduction in time to complete closure (95% CI: −27.98 to 19.42). In the exploratory effect direction synthesis, directly attributable macroscopic healing showed a favorable direction in 17 of 22 studies and was the only domain meeting the prespecified 70% concordance threshold; four of these studies had confirmed unit-of-analysis concerns, and other reparative domains were heterogeneous. Formulation-level comparisons met the same exploratory threshold across four reparative domains, but the isolated contribution of rhPDGF-BB could not be determined. Safety reporting was sparse. Certainty for the primary outcome was very low. Conclusions: Directly attributable comparisons showed a predominantly favorable study-level pattern for macroscopic wound healing in the exploratory synthesis, but the pooled effects were imprecise and inconclusive. Formulation-level comparisons suggested broader reparative activity, although the independent contribution of rhPDGF-BB could not be isolated. Better controlled and clinically representative studies are required before confident translation.

Gingival inflammation represents one of the most prevalent oral inflammatory conditions worldwide and remains a major contributor to oral morbidity. While its classical etiologies are well established, less attention has been paid to inflammatory responses that arise secondary to pulpal injury and tissue damage. Experimental models that allow controlled evaluation of these responses may provide relevant insight into pulp-associated gingival inflammatory processes. Current pharmacological approaches for inflammatory conditions in dentistry, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and glucocorticoids, are widely used and generally effective. However, their use may be associated with adverse effects in specific clinical contexts, particularly under prolonged or high-dose regimens, highlighting the importance of continued investigation of additional pharmacological strategies. Within this context, pharmacological modulation of inflammatory pathways represents a relevant strategy for exploring alternative therapeutic approaches in pulp-associated gingival inflammation. Accordingly, there is a need to investigate novel molecules with therapeutic potential, such as resiniferatoxin, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. This study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of resiniferatoxin during inflammation of gingival tissue after mechanical pulp damage in a murine experimental model. Six groups of six BALB/c mice were formed as follows: five control groups: a healthy group (H_CG), a healthy group treated with resiniferatoxin (RTX_HG), a group with pulp damage at 14 h (PG_I), two groups with pulp damage treated with ibuprofen (PGI_IBU), dexamethasone (PGI_DEX) at 14 h, and an experimental group with pulp damage treated with resiniferatoxin (PGI_RTX) at 14 h. Gingival inflammation was evaluated after pulp damage was induced through mechanical pulp exposure of the upper first molar. The histopathological parameters of the gingival tissue of all groups were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, while the plasma levels of PGE₂ and TNF-α were quantified by ELISA assay. A significant increase in plasma PGE₂ and TNF-α levels was observed at 14 h after pulp damage. Subsequently, when treatment with resiniferatoxin was administered, it was observed that this significantly decreased (* p < 0.05) the plasmatic levels of PGE₂ and TNF-α, as well as the number of inflammatory cells infiltrated in the gingival tissue 14 h after the pulp damage, similar to treatments with ibuprofen and dexamethasone. Resiniferatoxin exerts an anti-inflammatory effect after pulp damage, significantly decreasing plasma levels of PGE₂ and TNF-α, as well as the number of inflammatory cells infiltrated in the gingival tissue, which places resiniferatoxin as a potential drug, in this case, for the treatment of gingival inflammation.

The Mexican duck (Anas diazi) is an endemic species that has been categorized as threatened because of its practice of living in small populations and because of the condition of the wetlands in which it occurs. Therefore, the preference for wetlands by the species is influenced by the adjacent vegetation composition found in the Mexican Central Plateau in the state of Zacatecas. The inclination of the duck towards the wetlands in relation to the aquatic and adjacent vegetation structure was evaluated in the studied area. Seven wetlands were selected and distinguished by the presence of a population of the species. Vegetation was analyzed in three strata—tree layer, shrub layer and herb layer—and the population of the Mexican duck was calculated through direct counting in each wetland. The results determined a significantly larger number of individuals in artificial wetlands than in lakes. The wetlands’ adjacent vegetation is constituted by graminean and shrub species, with an aquatic vegetation cover. The non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test showed a significant difference between the counts of ducks and the physical structure of wetlands in the examined area. The data obtained indicate that the Mexican Duck occurs mainly in artificial wetlands with mainly graminean vegetation and aquatic plant cover; similar characteristics to those previously described for dabbling ducks.