Boswellia serrata (BS) is an important traditional medicinal plant that currently represents an interesting topic for pharmaceutical research since it possesses several pharmacological properties (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumour). The safety and versatility of this dietary supplement should allow for its use in numerous pathological conditions; however the quality of the extracts needs to be standardized to increase the clinical success rate resulting from its use. In the present study, different commercially available B. serrata extracts were employed to compare their AKBA content and in vitro antioxidant power. Furthermore, their ability to modulate the immune system regulatory properties was investigated. Our results showed that the AKBA content varied from 3.83 ± 0.10 to 0.03 ± 0.004%, with one sample in which it was not detectable. The highest antioxidant power and phenolic content were shown by the same extract, which also exhibited the highest AKBA concentration. Finally, the BS extracts showed the ability to influence the regulatory and effector T-cell compartments. Our results suggest that frankincense should be further investigated for its promising potentiality to modulate not only inflammation/oxidative stress but also immune dysregulation, but attention should be paid to the composition of the commercial extracts.

Recent findings suggest that progenitor and multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are associated with vascular niches. Cells displaying mesenchymal properties and differentiating to whole components of a functional blood vessel, including endothelial and smooth muscle cells, can be defined as vascular stem cells (VSCs). Recently, we isolated a population of porcine aortic vascular precursor cells (pAVPCs), which have MSC- and pericyte-like properties. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether pAVPCs possess VSC-like properties and assess their differentiation potential toward endothelial and smooth muscle lineages. pAVPCs, maintained in a specific pericyte growth medium, were cultured in high-glucose DMEM + 10% FBS (long-term medium, LTM) or in human endothelial serum-free medium + 5% FBS and 50 ng/ml of hVEGF (endothelial differentiation medium, EDM). After 21 days of culture in LTM, pAVPCs showed an elongated fibroblast-like morphology, and they seem to organize in cord-like structures. qPCR analysis of smooth muscle markers [α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), calponin, and smooth muscle myosin (SMM) heavy chain] showed a significant increment of the transcripts, and immunofluorescence analysis confirmed the presence of α-SMA and SMM proteins. After 21 days of culture in EDM, pAVPCs displayed an endothelial cell-like morphology and revealed the upregulation of the expression of endothelial markers (CD31, vascular endothelial-cadherin, von Willebrand factor, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase) showing the CD31-typical pattern. In conclusion, pAVPCs could be defined as a VSC-like population considering that, if they are maintained in a specific pericyte medium, they express MSC markers, and they have, in addition to the classical mesenchymal trilineage differentiation potential, the capacity to differentiate in vitro toward the smooth muscle and the endothelial cell phenotypes.

Antimicrobial resistance is increasing within the porcine industry with consequential high impact on human health, leading to a need for new antimicrobials. Lately, the scientific community has turned its interest towards natural compounds, and different essential oils have been tested on spermatozoa for preliminary assessment of toxicity before considering them as good substitutes for standard antibiotics. The aim of the present work was to investigate the potential antimicrobial effect of Melaleuca alternifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils, already evaluated for toxicity, on swine artificial insemination doses deprived of spermatozoa and stored at 16 °C for 5 days. This was accomplished by setting up an in vitro model with a standardized quantity of E. coli. Essential oils, previously chemo-characterized by means of gas chromatography, were tested at 0.2 and 0.4 mg/ml.Analyses, performed at 24 and 120 hours, included optical density evaluation, bacterial DNA quantification by qPCR, and colony count. The results demonstrate that both Melaleuca alternifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils, at a concentration of 0.4 mg/ml, are capable of delivering similar effects to ampicillin, used as control, on the experimental samples. At the lower concentration, M. alternifolia essential oil seemed more effective when compared to R. officinalis. Overall, these findings strengthen the hypothesis of the potential use of phyto-complexes as antimicrobial agents for reproductive biotechnologies.

This study is aimed at investigating the cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic activities of two Boswellia serrata extracts on primary culture of porcine aortic endothelial cells (pAECs). Chemical characterization of a dry extract (extract A) and a hydroenzymatic extract (extract G) of B. serrata was performed by HPLC using pure boswellic acids (BAs) as standard. In cultured pAECs, extract G improved cell viability, following LPS challenge, in a dose-dependent manner and did not show any toxic effect. On the other hand, extract A was toxic at higher doses and restored pAEC viability after LPS challenge only at lower doses. Pure BAs, used at the same concentrations as those determined in the phytoextracts, did not contrast LPS-induced cytotoxicity. Extract A showed proangiogenic properties at the lowest dose, and the same result was observed using pure AKBA at the corresponding concentration, whereas extract G did not show any effect on the migration capacity of endothelial cells. In conclusion, an anti-inflammatory activity of B. serrata extracts on endothelial cells was reported, though cytotoxicity or proliferative stimulation can occur instead of a protective effect, depending on the dose and the formulation.

The aim of the present research was to study the effects of an ethanolic extract of Salvia sagittata Ruiz & Pav (SSEE), an endemic Ecuadorian plant traditionally used to treat inflammation and different intestinal affections, on primary cultures of porcine aortic endothelial cells (pAECs). pAECs were cultured in the presence of different concentrations (1-200 μg/mL) of SSEE for 24 h, and cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT assay. SSEE did not negatively affect cellular viability at any concentration tested. Cell cycle was analyzed and no significant change was observed. Then, the anti-inflammatory effects of SSEE on pAECs were analyzed using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as the inflammatory stimulus. Different markers involved in the inflammatory process, such as cytokines and protective molecules, were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. SSEE showed the ability to restore pAEC physiological conditions reducing interleukin-6 and increasing Heme Oxygenase-1 protein levels. The phytochemical composition of SSEE was also evaluated via HPLC-DAD and spectrophotometric assays. The presence of different phenolic acids and flavonoids was revealed, with rosmarinic acid as the most abundant component. SSEE possesses an interesting antioxidant activity, as assessed through both the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. In conclusion, results suggest that SSEE is endowed with an in vitro anti-inflammatory effect. This represents the initial step in finding a possible scientific support for the traditional therapeutic use of this plant.