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BACKGROUND: Decatropis bicolor (Zucc.)Radlk is a plant that has been traditionally used for the treatment of breast cancer in some communities of Mexico. So, the aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of the essential oil of Decatropis bicolor against breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. METHODS: The essential oil obtained from hydrodestillation of leaves of Decatropis bicolor was studied for its biological activity against breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 by MTT assay, Hematoxylin-eosin stain, Annexin V-FITC, TUNEL and western blot assays and for its chemical composition by GC-MS. RESULTS: The results showed a relevant cytotoxic effect of the essential oil towards MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- and time- dependent manner, with an IC50 of 53.81 ± 1.691 µg/ml but not in the epithelial mammary cell line MCF10A (207.51 ± 3.26 µg/ml). Morphological examination displayed apoptotic characteristics in the treated cells like cell size reduction, membrane blebbing and apoptotic bodies. In addition, the apoptotic rate significantly increased as well as DNA fragmentation and western blot analysis revealed that the essential oil induced apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells via intrinsic pathways due to the activation of Bax, caspases 9 and 3. Phytochemical analysis of the Decatropis bicolor essential oil showed the presence of twenty-three compounds. Major components of the oil were 1,5-cyclooctadiene,3-(methyl-2)propenyl (18.38 %), ß-terpineol (8.16 %) and 1-(3-methyl-cyclopent-2-enyl)-cyclohexene (6.12 %). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that essential oil of Decatropis bicolor has a potential cytotoxic and antitumoral effect against breast cancer cells, with the presence of potential bioactive compounds. Our results contribute to the validation of the anticancer activity of the plant in Mexican traditional medicine.

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Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is highly consumed worldwide. This crop is mainly known for its flavor and odor, although the many medicinal properties that are attributed to it, including anticarcinogenic, antiatherosclerotic, and antithrombotic potential, among several others, have called the attention of scientists since very early times. It is known that sulfur-containing volatiles are the principal compounds responsible for such properties. The aims of this work were to develop a solventless extraction method for sulfur-containing volatiles from garlic, as well as their chemical characterization. Since garlic volatiles are rather thermolabile, low-pressure hydrodistillation was chosen as the extracting method. The analysis of all compounds was performed on an HP-FFAP chromatographic column mounted in a GC-MS system. For volatile transfer and injection method, solid-phase microextraction was selected, with the use of eight different fibers. The most abundant volatile compound was diallyl disulfide, followed by diallyl trisulfide. Among the 47 totally identified compounds, 18 were linear sulfur-containing volatile compounds, 6 were of non-sulfur nature, and the other 23 were cyclic compounds. However, linear sulfur volatiles accounted for 94% of the total amount.

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Thirty-six adult male and female Wistar rats were divided into three groups, each of which underwent different training programmes in which greater relevance was attached to the intensity of exercise than to its duration. Samples of the longissimus lumbaris muscle taken between the second and fourth lumbar vertebra, were stained with m-ATPase after acid preincubation at pH 4.4, and with NADH-TR. The most notable results obtained were: (a) none of the training programmes involved gave rise to changes in the ratio of type I: type II fibres; (b) the proportion of IIA fibres increased in all cases, while the proportion of IIB fibres decreased correspondingly; (c) the percentage of FT fibres decreased significantly, and in greater proportion than the decrease recorded in IIb fibres, and (d) specific speed training schedules led to greater changes in the fibre composition of this muscle.

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Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle gluteal muscle of 68 stallions (52 Andalusian [AN] and 16 Arab [AR]) ranging from six to 12 years of age. Seventeen AN horses and eight AR horses were untrained, while the remainder underwent active endurance training for 6 months. Fifteen AN horses were moderately endurance-trained while the other 20 AN horses and eight AR horses were strongly endurance-trained. Percentages of type I and type II fibres were similar in all groups (P greater than 0.05). The group of horses with the hardest training had a higher percentage of type IIA fibres (AN P less than 0.01; AR P less than 0.02) and a lower percentage of type IIB fibres (P less than 0.05 for AN and AR) than the untrained horses. All trained horses had a higher percentage of type IIB oxidative fibres and a lower percentage of type IIB non-oxidative fibres than the untrained horses (P less than 0.01 for both). These results suggest that the proportions of type I and type II fibres are highly stable within a given breed, but the stimulus of training facilitates changes both in contractile properties and, particularly, in the oxidative capacity of type II subgroups.

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The effect of exercise training on the longissimus muscle types was investigated in rats. There were four groups of rats, each exposed to exercise of equal intensity, but of varying duration. A segment of the longissimus muscle between the 2nd and 4th lumbar vertebrae was used for muscle fiber classification with histochemical ATPase classification. With exercise there were no significant changes in the percentage of the muscle comprised of type I muscle fibers. There was, however, significant increase in the percentage of type II A fibers. This paralleled a decrease in type II B fibers. The percentage of FG fiber types decreased significantly in all groups studied. There was a correlation between intensity and duration of exercise and the degree of decrease seen in the latter fiber types. An increase in oxidative muscle capabilities was evidence by the changes observed in the subtypes of class II fibers.

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Thirty-six adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups. One group was used as a control, and the other two underwent different training programmes in which greater relevance was attached to the intensity of exercise than to its duration. Samples of the red and mixed portions of m. gastrocnemius (caput lateralis) were stained with m-ATPase to determine the percentage of type I, IIA and IIB fibres, and with NADH-TR in order to quantify variations in the percentage of low staining intensity (FG) fibres. The most notable results obtained were: a) the ratio of type I type II fibres remained unchanged; b) the proportion of IIA fibres increased, while that of IIB fibres decreased correspondingly; c) FG fibres, which were virtually absent from the red portion, recorded a clear decrease which was more marked, and occurred more rapidly, than in IIB fibres. These differences were all statistically significant in the mixed portion of the muscle. Adaptive changes in fibre composition in the red portion were less marked.

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Samples were taken, at fixed levels, of the vastus lateralis, the caput lateralis of the gastrocnemius muscle and the longissimus lumbaris of 72 Wistar rats which were either sedentary or subjected to various exercise schedules. The samples were analyzed using the histochemical technique of myosin ATPase (m-ATPase) after preincubation at pH 4.2, and the fibre-types I, II (IIA and IIB) and IIC were identified, calculating the percentage of type IIC fibres as well as their minimum diameter. The percentages of these IIC fibres found in the red and mixed parts of the gastrocnemius (caput lateralis) and the longissimus lumbaris were between 0.7% and 2.6%. However, their presence was not detected in the vastus lateralis or in the white part of the gastrocnemius (caput lateralis). The lack of differences in this fibre type between the males and females of the population was shown statistically. Likewise, no significant modification of the IIC fibres between sedentary and exercised animals was seen. With regard to fibrillar size, females showed a smaller minimum diameter than males, the results showing a small increase in the size of these fibres in both sexes after exercise, although in most cases this was not statistically significant.

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Samples taken from the middle gluteal muscle of 95 untrained adult horses of different ages and sex were subjected to histochemical analysis using the myosin adenosine triphosphatase (m-ATPase) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase (NADH-TR) staining techniques. Fibres were classified into types I, IIA and IIB according to m-ATPase activity after preincubation at pH 4.4. The percentage of FT (Fast-Twitch Glycolytic) fibres and the proportion of IIB fibres with "high" and "low" oxidative capacity were determined in serial sections stained for NADH-TR. Statistical analysis revealed a significantly higher proportion of IIB fibres than FT fibres (P less than 0.001), though both percentages were correlated. Thus, 72.2 +/- 17.6% of type IIB fibres showed low oxidative capacity, but the remaining 27.8 +/- 17.6% showed high aerobic potential, and thus did not correspond to FT fibres. These results confirm that the contractile capacity of a muscle fibre does not determine its oxidative profile. The different types of muscle fibre should thus be classified solely according to m-ATPase activity, since this characteristic is related to the molecular structure of contractile proteins. Oxidative capacity should be assessed separately, and not be used as a criterion for fibre classification in horses.

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Forty-eight adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups for experimentation. The group I was used as a control and groups II, III and IV underwent progressive treadmill training. Samples of the red and mixed portions of m. gastrocnemius (lateral head) were stained with the histochemical technique of m-ATPase to determine the percentage of type I, IIA and IIB fibres, and with NADH-TR, in order to quantify variations in "low-oxidative" fibre percentages. The results showed that progressive training did not lead to statistical variations in the percentage of type I fibres. However, the proportion of type IIA fibres rose, while that of IIB fibres fell, in both cases significantly. Variations were more marked in mixed than in red Gastrocnemius muscle. A clear decrease was noted in "low-oxidative" fibres, which were virtually absent from red portion. This decrease was more marked, and occurred more rapidly, than in type IIB fibres.

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Sixty-six Wistar rats of both sexes were divided into six groups. One group was used as control, and the others underwent different training schedules. Muscle samples taken from the red and mixed portions of m. Gastrocnemius (caput lateralis) were stained with m-ATPase in order to identify fibre types I, IIA and IIB. These fibres were measured in order to determine their minimum diameter. The most notable results obtained were: a) the three types of fibre were generally larger in males than in females; b) the mean minimum diameter of fibres from the mixed portion was smaller than those of the red portion, except type IIB fibres, and c) the training schedules involved generally led to slight hypertrophy of all types of fibres, although this finding was more significant in the mixed portion of m. Gastrocnemius.

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