Garlic is a health promoter that has important bioactive compounds. The bioactive extraction is an important step in the analysis of constituents present in plant preparations. The purpose of this study is to optimize the extraction with the best proportion of solvents to obtain total phenolic compounds (TPC) and thiosulfinates (TS) from dried garlic powder, and evaluate the antioxidant activities of the optimized extracts. A statistical mixture simplex axial design was used to evaluate the effect of solvents (water, ethanol, and acetone), as well as mixtures of these solvents, after two ultrasound extraction cycles of 15 min. Results showed that solvent mixtures with a high portion of water and pure water were efficient for TPC and TS recovery through this extraction procedure. According to the regression model computed, the most significant solvent mixtures to obtain high TPC and TS recovery from dried garlic powder are, respectively, the binary mixture with 75% water and 25% acetone and pure water. These optimized extracts presented oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Pure water was better for total antioxidant capacity, and the binary mixture of water–acetone (75:25) was better for DPPH scavenging activity. These optimized extracts can be used for industrial and research applications.

In function of the green revolution the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals and pesticides in agriculture has been also shown in the production of medicinal plants, resulting in the increase of productivity but with high residual contamination and low rates in the production of secondary metabolites responsible for the biological and pharmacological activity in vegetable drugs. In another hand, new techniques of elicitation has been applied to stimulate the medicinal plants production through the organic and agroecological management, contributing for the increase of performance, quality and production. In this context, it is aimed with this review to present such as the humic substances: fulvic acid, humic acid and efficient microorganisms which influence and help the ontogeny and the secondary metabolites production of medicinal plants. The reviewed articles show that the use of fulvic acid, humic acid and efficient microorganisms in the production of medicinal plants contributes on the increase of biosynthesis, secondary metabolites production such as coumarins, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids and essential oils, as well as the increase of nutrients absorption, growth and development of species.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is not endemic in Brazil; however, it is a symbolic plant for traditional peoples and was present in ancestral cultural resistance. Several species were introduced to Brazil through the slave trade on the Africa-Brazil transatlantic route. In addition, the active constituents of basil are of great pharmaceutical and biological importance, and the plant has been used for therapeutic purposes by a wide variety of people, from quilombola communities to the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, based on African ethnobotany and modern science, this review article aimed to contextualize the endemic and epistemic importance of the origin, traditional, ancestral, medicinal and therapeutic uses of basil, consumed en masse in Brazil (during and after) the slavery period. The bibliographic review was carried out by consulting historical books and Scopus scientific databases. Scielo, transatlantic slave traffic database and Web of Science. The results showed that traditional communities, quilombos and terreiros, already made medicinal and liturgical uses of basil, before its use by the pharmaceutical industry. And that after the period of slavery, several studies carried out by researchers with basil proved that this species has several therapeutic properties, already reported by traditional communities. Thus, it is concluded that O. basilicum L. is an endemic species of the African continent, introduced in Brazil on the transatlantic route and that the traditional and ancestral knowledge for therapeutic use and application was already present in the territory, before the studies of proof of activity, post slavery period. Currently, the species is widely applied in the pharmaceutical and biological industry. However, there is a need for strategies that recognize, value and integrate the knowledge of the traditional peoples of the African diaspora, scientific productions.

The homeopathic preparations can influence the growth, secondary metabolites production, essential oil yield and phytochemical profile when applied in the grown of medicinal plants. To compile this review articles from existing literature about basic research related to the use of homeopathic preparation on the cultivation of medicinal plants and its influence on the phytochemical profile, growth, yield and composition of essential oil were collected. The bibliographic research was carried out in scientific databases sites—Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed. Seventeen publications were found in which homeopathy was applied in the cultivation of medicinal plants. Its use changed the phytochemical profile, increased the essential oil yield, the production of secondary metabolites (coumarins, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids), the the nutrients absorption and the growth of the medicinal plant species were studied. This review shows that the application of homeopathic preparations in the cultivation of medicinal plants increases the production of secondary metabolites and essential oils that are important for human and animal health therapeutic treatments.The homeopathic preparation application is an alternative for the growth of medicinal plants with ecological balance, and without soil and water contamination. It is also affordable to farmers and researchers. However, further studies are required on its influence on the phytochemical profile of the cultivated medicinal species.

The objective this stud was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oils (organic vs. conventional) of Origanum vulgare L. in the action against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The inoculation of rhizobacteria (environmental (ME) and Bacillus subtilis) potentiated the antimicrobial action.  The essential oils of Traditional (organic) cultivation presented antibacterial action and antifungal, while the essential oil of conventional cultivation (NPK) showed no any antibacterial or antifungal activity. It was concluded that the formulation of vermicomposting and the use of rhizobacteria are potential technologies and tools for family farmers and traditional community in the cultivation of orégano.