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During coal mining activities, many compounds are released into the environment that can negatively impact human health. Particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and oxides are part of the complex mixture that can affect nearby populations. Therefore, we designed this study to evaluate the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in individuals chronically exposed to coal residues from peripheral blood lymphocytes and buccal cells. We recruited 150 individuals who lived more than 20 years in La Loma-Colombia and 120 control individuals from the city of Barranquilla without a history of exposure to coal mining. In the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-Cyt) assay, significant differences in the frequency of micronucleus (MN), nucleoplasmic bridge (NPB), nuclear bud (NBUD), and apoptotic cells (APOP) were observed between the two groups. In the buccal micronucleus cytome (BM-Cyt) assay, a significant formation of NBUD, karyorrhexis (KRX), karyolysis (KRL), condensed chromatin (CC), and binucleated (BN) cells was observed in the exposed group. Considering the characteristics of the study group, a significant correlation for CBMN-Cyt was found between NBUD and vitamin consumption, between MN or APOP and meat consumption, and between MN and age. Moreover, a significant correlation for BM-Cyt was found between KRL and vitamin consumption or age, and BN versus alcohol consumption. Using Raman spectroscopy, a significant increase in the concentration of DNA/RNA bases, creatinine, polysaccharides, and fatty acids was detected in the urine of individuals exposed to coal mining compared to the control group. These results contribute to the discussion on the effects of coal mining on nearby populations and the development of diseases due to chronic exposure to these residues.

Lippia alba is a plant widely studied due to both chemical diversity and bioactivities related to its ethnobotanical uses. In this work, the composition of the volatile secondary metabolites (volatile fractions/essential oil, EO) of the flower/leaves of L. alba (from northern region of Colombia) was determined by solid phase micro-extraction/distillation-solvent extraction/microwave-hydrodistillation/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MWHD/GC-MS), along with some in vitro biological properties (cytotoxicity and acetylcholinesterase enzyme [AChe] inhibition) from leaf EO. Outstanding results were found: (i) cis-piperitone oxide (~13%-46%), germacrene D (~11%-30%), and limonene (~10%-22%) characterized the volatile secondary metabolites from different parts of the plant; (ii) leaf EO showed a moderate hemolytic activity (HC50: 580 ± 1 µg/mL), a significant cytotoxicity on lymphocytes (LC50: 127 ± 3 µg/mL), a high cytotoxicity on HEp2 cell line (LC50: 38 ± 2 µg/mL), and a moderate inhibitory effect on AChE (IC50: 28 ± 2 µg/mL). Based on these results, a new chemovar of L. alba is reported (represented by cis-piperitone oxide) along with its promising cytotoxic and AChE inhibiting properties.

Piper eriopodon is one of the Piper species found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and the species has been reported with different compositions of their essential oils (EO). In this study, the volatile fractions/essential oil (by HS-SPME/SDE/MWHD-GC–MS/1H-NMR) of different parts from the plant were characterized, and assessments of the in vitro bio-properties of the leaf EO were conducted. The results indicated the following: (i) in the volatile fractions were β-caryophyllene (~23%)/myrcene (~20%) (inflorescences) and β-caryophyllene (~43%)/β-selinene (~20%) (leaves) using HS-SPME; myrcene (~31%)/β-pinene (~23%) (inflorescences), gibbilimbol B (~60%) (fruits) and gibbilimbol B (~46%)/β-caryophyllene (~11%) (leaves) through SDE; (ii) leaf EO contained gibbilimbol B (~72%), confirmed with 1H-NMR; (iii) the cytotoxic values (µg/mL) in erythrocytes/lymphocytes/Hep-2 were HC50: 115 ± 3 (eryth.), LC50: 71 ± 4 (lymph.) and LC50: 33 ± 2 (cell-line); (iv) the antibacterial susceptibilities (ϕ inh. zone, mm; 4–16 µg EO) were 22.5 ± 0.4–97 ± 4 (Staphylococcus aureus), 23 ± 2–77 ± 4 (Escherichia coli) and 17 ± 1–48 ± 3 (Listeria monocytogenes); (v) the TAA value was 2249 ± 130 mmol Trolox®/kg; (vi) the IC50 value was 13±1 µg/mL (AChE) with 20 ± 0–37 ± 6% repellency (2–4 h, Sitophilus zeamais). Thus, the EO of P. eriopodon leaves from northern Colombia could be a promising species for sustainable exploitation in the future due to its outstanding bioactivities.

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