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Investigations were carried out to assess the efficiency of five plant essential oils: thyme, myrtle, laurel, sage, and orange oils as natural food preservatives. The effect of the plant essential oils against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans at concentrations of 5-20 microL/disk (diameter 6 mm) and 0.5-3% (v/v) was studied in agar diffusion test medium and milk medium. The essential oils of these extracts exhibited markedly antibacterial and bacteriostatic activity, with thyme showing the highest inhibition and orange the lowest. However, with thyme extract, high inhibitory activity was observed for all tested concentrations, L. monocytogenes showed less sensitivity towards essential oil extracts.

The aim of this study was to examine the physicochemical properties and amino acid composition of rabbit meat after the enrichment of rabbit diet with oregano, sage, and Eleutherococcus senticosus extracts, and to make a comparison with the commercial product XTRACT and control samples. The addition of oregano and sage extracts as well as El. senticosus in the rabbit diet positively influenced the physicochemical properties of rabbit meat by increasing its energy value (P less than 0.05 - sage). Supplementing rabbits feed with oregano and sage extracts led to an improvement of the amino acid composition (P less than 0.01). These findings are also supported by the good health state of rabbits. The diet enriched with the plant extracts is beneficial for the health state of rabbits and the nutritional quality of rabbit meat.

Sage plants were dried in passive dryers in different times of the year. Different passive solar dryers were used to achieve the socio-economical benefits from drying the medicinal plants growing in Sinai area. Four drying methods were used in this investigation to dry sage in two seasons, namely August 2009 and March 2010, before flowering stage. Plants were dried in an Unglazed transpired passive solar dryer with 100% exposure to direct sun's rays, in a greenhouse dryer covered with shading cloth with 50% exposure to direct sun's rays, and with 0% sun's rays in a shaded barn. Investigations were carried out under the environmental weather conditions of Ismailia, Egypt. The study revealed that sage can be dried at different times of the year even before the flowering stage of the plants.

Fifty-five strains of enterococci isolated from the piglet intestine were characterized in vitro for probiotic activity. Identification of the isolates revealed Enterococcus faecium as the predominant species (84 %). Forty strains were found to produce bacteriocin-like substances (only into solid media) with activity almost only toward Gram-positive genera. Thirty-eight % of strains were resistant to tetracycline, 27 % to chloramphenicol, 18 % to erythromycin and 16 % to vancomycin. In addition to control of strain safety, 6 % of isolates were beta-hemolytic and 16 % produced gelatinase. Seven strains selected for further probiotic assays exhibited sufficient survival rate at pH 3.0 after 3 h, in the presence of 1 % ox-bile and lysozyme after 1 d (over 10*7 CFU/mL in all tests). The adhesion of tested strains to porcine and human intestinal mucus was found in a similar range (1.4-14.0 % and 1.4-17.6 %, respectively). In accordance with current research effort to use and/or to combine various health promoting substances, the sensitivity of all isolates toward plant extracts and toward bacteriocins produced by animal and environmental strains was determined. All enterococci were sensitive toward oregano and sage extracts and toward one (E. faecium EF55 - chicken isolate, activity of 25,600 AU/mL) of ten bacteriocin substances. It means that a similar anti-enterococcal potential of some bacteriocin substances may be observed as for certain plant extracts.

Californian coastal sage scrub, a soft-leaved mediterranean-climate shrubland, is disappearing rapidly as urbanization spreads. Previous researchers classified the community on a regional spatial scale: three associations within the full range of southern coastal sage scrub and 11 subassociations within two of the geographic associations were identified. Ordination analysis of 54 sites at Starr Ranch in Orange County, CA, revealed that subassociations similar to some regional groupings are found at the local level. Whereas gradients in temperature and precipitation are the strongest predictors of distribution at the regional scale, topographic and edaphic variables were most influential at our site. Five subassociations of coastal sage scrub and their environmental relationships were derived: Salvia apiana-Artemisia californica-Eriogonum fasciculatum dominated sites with southerly aspects and coarser soils; Artemisia californica-Lotus scoparius was prevalent on northerly aspects; no correlation with environmental factors was found for Salvia mellifera. There were two transitional groups. The variation in floristics and habitat found at our relatively small study site has strong implications for conservation planning. We urge land managers to identify local subassociations in order to protect the variability over short distances (± 50 m) characteristic of southern coastal sage scrub.

The antioxidant capacity of some herbs used in dietology practice was determined by the DPPH free radical method, which was calibrated with ascorbic acid. Partially hydrophilic phenolic compounds are the most active compounds in plants, and therefore water was used as the extraction agent. Besides antioxidant capacity, the content of total phenolic compounds was also measured and a strong correlation between these two variables was found. The extracts of Melissa officinalis, Mentha x piperita, Origanom vulgare, Origanum heracleoticum, Salvia officinalis and Satureja montana showed very significant activity. It was comparable with the activity of green tea in the case of oregano and peppermint. Lower activity was observed in the case of Rosmarinus officinalis, Majorana hortensis, Hyssopus officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, and Levisticum officinale. The inhibitory activity of the herb extracts was monitored also during the autooxidation of lard. Very high antioxidant capacity was observed mainly in sage samples, but also in marjoram and Greek oregano. The extracts of peppermint, oregano, rosemary, winter savory, lemon balm and hyssop showed middle activity comparable to that of alpha-tocopherol. The antioxidant capacity of sweet basil and lovage was insignificant.

Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Salvia L. (Lamiaceae), denominada Salvia vargas-llosae Sagást. & E. Rodr. sp. nov. perteneciente a la sección Cylindriflorae (Epling) Epling, procedente de los andes del Norte del Perú (provincia Celendín, departamento Cajamarca), típica de la jalca Sendamal-Kumulca-Challuayaco sobre los 3000 m de altitud y aparentemente endémica a esta parte del país. Se discute con sus relacionadas y adicionalmente se presentan datos sobre su distribución geográfica, ecológica y estado de conservación. Salvia vargas-llosae Sagást. & E. Rodr. sp. nov. is described and illustrated as a new species of Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) from the Andes of Northern Peru (province of Celendin, department of Cajamarca). This new species belongs to the section Cylindriflorae (Epling) Epling and typically restricted to the region jalca (Sendamal- Kumulca-Challuayaco) above the 3000 m of altitude and apparently endemic to this part of the country. It is discussed with its closest relatives and additionally data on its geographical distribution, ecology and state of conservation are provided.