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Glandora prostrata (Loisel.) D.C.Thomas (Thomas et al., ), besides being a common plant of western and south-western Europe and north-western Africa, is a species with a wealth of reported uses in traditional and folk medicine. The chloroplast genome of Glandora prostrata subsp. lusitanica (Samp.) D.C.Thomas (Thomas et al., ) isolate BPTPS049 described in this study is the first publicly available complete plastome belonging to the Glandora genus. The chloroplast genome (GenBank accession number: ON641304) is 150,041 bp in length with 37.5% GC content, displaying a quadripartite structure that contains a pair of inverted repeat regions (25,833 bp each), separated by a large (81,222 bp) and small (17,153 bp) single-copy regions. It has 131 annotated genes including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis performed confirms that G. prostrata subsp. lusitanica is placed under the Boraginaceae family, which belongs to the Boraginales order. This study will contribute to conservation, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies that comprise this traditional species relevant to the landscape of aromatic, medicinal, and condiment plants from Portugal.

Despite having many historically reported ethnomedicinal uses, Centaurium erythraea Rafn (Rafn and Buchs, 1800; common centaury) also produces cytotoxic secondary metabolites, and its presence should be carefully monitored. In this study, the complete chloroplast of Centaurium erythraea subsp. majus (Hoffmanns. & Link) M.Laínz (Laínz, 1971) isolate BPTPS121 is described, being the first available plastome belonging to the Centaurium genus. The chloroplast genome (GenBank accession number: ON641347) is 153,107 bp in length with 37.9% GC content, displaying a quadripartite structure that contains a pair of inverted repeat regions (25,166 bp each), separated by a large single-copy (84,388 bp) and small single-copy (18,387 bp) regions. A total of 129 genes were predicted, including 37 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes, and 84 protein-coding genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that isolate BPTPS121 is placed under the Gentianaceae family, belonging to the Gentianales order. The maximum-likelihood tree supports the already described lineage divergence in the Gentianaceae family, with C. erythraea subsp. majus belonging to the Chironieae tribe positioned below the Exaceae tribe and above the Potalieae and the entire Gentianeae tribes. This study will contribute to conservation, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies, as well as DNA barcoding applications for food, feed, and supplements safety purposes.

The predominantly Western Mediterranean weed Nonea vesicaria (L.) Rchb. can be found in agricultural or other man-made environments. Despite containing some beneficial compounds, extracts from this plant have also been described as detrimental and should be carefully monitored. In this study, the complete chloroplast of N. vesicaria isolate BPTPS250 is described, being the first available plastome from an isolate belonging to the Nonea genus. The chloroplast genome is 151,099 bp in length with a 37.3% GC content. It displays a quadripartite structure that contains a pair of inverted repeat regions (27,012 bp) that separate a large single-copy region (80,041 bp) and a small single-copy region (17,034 bp). A total of 134 genes were predicted, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement of N. vesicaria under the Boraginaceae family, belonging to the Boraginales order, with a close relationship with Borago officinalis L. This study will contribute to conservation, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies, as well as DNA barcoding applications for food and feed safety and quality.

Besides being a common weed, the presence of Echium plantagineum L. in food and feed commodities can represent a safety hazard due to their content in pyrrolizidine alkaloids. In this study, the complete chloroplast of E. plantagineum isolate BPTPS251 is described, being the first available plastome from an isolate belonging to the Echium genus. The chloroplast genome is 149,776 bp in length with 37.5% GC content, displaying a quadripartite structure that contains a pair of inverted repeats regions (25,754 bp each), separated by a large single-copy (80,978 bp) and a small single-copy (17,290 bp) regions. A total of 131 genes were predicted, including 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 86 protein-coding genes. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement of E. plantagineum under the Boraginaceae family, belonging to the Boraginales order. This study will contribute to conservation, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies, as well as DNA barcoding applications for food and feed safety purposes.

In the worldwide context of an impending emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, this research combined the advantages of multiple lipid nanoparticles (MLNs) and the promising therapeutic use of essential oils (EOs) as a strategy to fight the antibiotic resistance of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with different cefepime (FEP) resistance profiles. MLNs were prepared by ultrasonication using glyceryl trioleate (GTO) and glyceryl tristearate (GTS) as a liquid and a solid lipid, respectively. Rosemary EO (REO) was selected as the model EO. REO/FEP-loaded MLNs were characterized by their small size (~110 nm), important encapsulation efficiency, and high physical stability over time (60 days). An assessment of the antimicrobial activity was performed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing assays against selected P. aeruginosa strains. The assays showed a considerable increase in the antibacterial property of REO-loaded MLNs compared with the effect of crude EO, especially against P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027, in which the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value decreased from 80 to 0.6 mg/mL upon encapsulation. Furthermore, the incorporation of FEP in MLNs stabilized the drug without affecting its antipseudomonal activity. Thus, the ability to co-encapsulate an essential oil and a hydrophilic antibiotic into MLN has been successfully proved, opening new possibilities for the treatment of serious antimicrobial infections.