Evaluation of Essential Oils and Extracts of Rose Geranium and Rose Petals as Natural Preservatives in Terms of Toxicity, Antimicrobial, and Antiviral Activity

The aim of this study was to detect relationships of bioactive properties (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral antimitotic and cytotoxic activities) of Mediterranean littoral sponges with some of their biological characteristics (growth habits, presence of symbiotic or epibiotic organisms, structural defences) and their systematic position. Antimitotic and cytotoxic activities were present in 80.6% and 73.6% of the species respectively, 42.2% of the species showed antibacterial activity, 29.8% were antiviral and 22.5% were antifungal. Only antiviral and antifungal activities were significantly dependent on taxonomical order, being especially important in the Axinellida. Antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial activities predominated in erect forms, and were poorly represented in encrusting forms, which, however, included a higher percentage of cytotoxic and antimitotic species. Nevertheless, only antiviral activity was significantly related to growth habit. All types of activities were significantly dependent on sponge skeletal features: the highest percentages of species with cytotoxic activity were found among horny and siliceous sponges. Also, antiviral and antibacterial activities were better represented in horny sponges. Antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities were dependent on the presence/absence of epibionts and seemed to be more efficient as antifouling defences than antimitotic and cytotoxic activities. Only cytotoxic activity was significantly more wide-spread in species harbouring cyanophyceae. Correspondence analysis revealed that cytotoxic and antimitotic activities were both related to encrusting forms, a siliceous skeleton, occasional epibiosis and the presence of cyanophyceae. Antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral activities were mainly related to erect or globular form, siliceous and horny skeleton and habitual (species-specific) epibiosis.

Medicinal plants have been used in healthcare since time immemorial, as have their therapeutic activities and the production of plant-based medicines. This study aims to use gene-targeted molecular markers for genetic diversity analysis of 16 medicinal plants. Besides, phytochemical analysis antibacterial and antifungal activities of some medicinal plant extracts commonly used in Egypt are compared to major compounds. DNA-based classification of 16 medicinal species using Conserved DNA-Derived Polymorphism (CDDP) and Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) primers. Three species representing three orders (Pelargonium graveolens, Matricaria chamomilla, and Hyoscyamus muticus were analysed [high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)] and evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against (Escherichia coli O157: H7 ATCC 93111, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300, Bacillus ceruse ATCC 33018, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in comparison with some of their antimicrobial components. Our results revealed 309 and 349 polymorphic bands with 100% polymorphism. Among them, 51 and 57 were unique loci for CDDP and SCoT, respectively. The 16 species were categorised into three groups depending on the similarity matrix. The results of antibacterial and antifungal activities revealed that Pelargonium oil showed significant antifungal and antibacterial activities against the tested pathogens. Gallic acid severely reduced all tested bacteria's growth, but atropine severely reduced the growth of the B. ceruse only. Molecular modelling revealed their activity against sclerotium development. The gene-targeted marker techniques were highly useful tools for the classification of the 16 medicinal plant species, despite displaying high similarities at morphological and phytochemical analyses but, have antifungal and antibacterial activities.

MALAGASY AROMATIC PLANTS: ESSENTIAL OILS, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses are globally of major concern. Plant essential oils produced by various differentiated structures possess varied properties as significant antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-parasitic and insecticidal activities. The essential oil of three lemon odor plants; Cupressus macrocarpa, Cymbopogon citratus and Citrus limon were isolated and evaluated for their antimicrobial activities. The analysis of essential oil components of C. macrocarpa by GC-MS revealed D-limonene (38.00%) as the major component followed by citral (9.72%), carveol (6.86%) and citronellal (5.35%). Analyses of the essential oil of C. citratus resulted in the identification of pseudolimonene (19.2%) as the most abundant component followed by D-limonene (12.34%), Ɣ-terpinene (10.89%), citronellol (9.58%), sabinene hydrate (9.24%), (+)-2-bornanone (8.29%) and α-terpinolene (5.53%). Also, GC-MS detected neral dimethyl acetal (41.56%) was the main component of C. limon EO with carveol (12.39%) and citral (11.21%). A study of the antimicrobial activity of the three essential oils against E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus. and Candida albicans has been evaluated and revealed that C. citratus EO had antibacterial activity against gram-positive organisms and C. limon EO exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

Chemical constituents, in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity of Mentha × Piperita L. (peppermint) essential oils

In the present study, essential oils from four plants including Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Pelargonium graveolens and Leucosidea sericea , traditionally used to treat infectious diseases were tested for antimicrobial activity against seven Gram-positive bacteria, eight Gram-negative bacteria and six yeast species ( Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans ) using the agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the oils were determined by the microdilution technique. The killing kinetics of the oils was further evaluated against specific bacterial and fungal organisms. Both antifungal and antibacterial activities were observed from the essential oil of P. graveolens and M. peripeta against bacterial and fungal strains tested in the present study with the MIC values ranging from 0.95 to 7.5 mg/ml against the bacterial isolates and 0.24 to 7.50 mg/ml 'against the fungal isolates. The oils of P. graveolens were fungicidal to all the yeast isolates tested in the present study with minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values ranging from 0.12 to 7.50 mg/ml while the essential oil from M. piperita was fungicidal to one of the six yeast isolates tested with the smallest MFC of 0.48 mg/ml against Candida tropicalis . Essential oils from P. graveolens were able to kill 90% of the P. aeruginosa cells within three hours. The present study has revealed the antimicrobial activity of P. graveolens and M. piperita and indicated that essential oils are promising sources of natural products with potential antimicrobial activity. These results will guide the selection of some plant species for further pharmacological and phytochemical analysis. These results also support the use of essential oils to treat microbial infections and could be used as pharmaceuticals as well as preservatives in the food industry. Key words : Medicinal plants, essential oils, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, time-kill activity.

In the present study, the volatile oil, chloroform extract and methanol extract of the woods of the plants Cedrus deodara and Pinus roxburghii were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus clavatus using the Agar diffusion method. The susceptibilities of the microorganisms to the extracts were compared with each other and with a selected standard antibiotic. It was observed that the volatile oil and chloroform extracts showed the significant antibacterial activities while the least antibacterial activity was recorded with the methanolic extracts. The higher Minimum Inhibitory Concentration value of the extracts and oils against fungus suggested that the plants may possess less antifungal activity. Phytochemical analysis and thin-layer chromatography profiling revealed the presence of flavonoids and terpenoids in the oil and chloroform extracts, which could explain the antimicrobial activity. The findings suggest that the Cedrus deodara and Pinus roxburghii have antimicrobial properties and they can be used in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, further work is required in order to isolate the active constituents of the plants responsible for the antibacterial activity.

Rosmarinus officinalis L. commonly known as Rosemary is a well-known genus belongs to Lamiaceae family, which is one of the major plant families with a high concentration of essential oils. Rosemary is well known to produce herbal essential oils owing to the presence of therapeutic and medicinal elements in the plant’s by-products. In the present study, rosemary essential oil (REO) was extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis and it was evaluated for its phytochemicals, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activities. GC-FID analysis and fingerprint analysis was performed. Different antioxidant assays were performed like DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), nitric oxide radical, hydroxyl radical, iron reducing potential, iron chelating activity. Anti-bacterial activity was observed by the disk diffusion method against Gram-positive (G+), Gram-negative (G−) bacteria. Anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activities were also performed. Antifungal activity against Aspergillosis and Mucormycosis causing fungal strains was also evaluated. GC-FID revealed the presence of vertocitral, α-pinene andhumulene oxidemajor component of REO along with other bioactive components. The IC50 value (µl/ml) for various assays was observed in the following order: OH- (16.6118), iron chelating (32.0115), iron reducing (92.534), DPPH (101.929), and ABTS (172.2765). The best antimicrobial activity was against Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 121), with an inhibition zone of 2.5 cm. REO showed strong anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic potential and can be employed as an anti-diabetic agent due to its inhibitory effect on α-amylase activity. Based on these findings it was concluded that REO can be widely employed across a variety of sectors, including food, aromatherapy, herbal and allopathic medicine, cosmetics, and as a natural biocide, fungicide, and preservative.

Essential oil of Pinus roxburghaii stems was analyzed by GC MS and their antibacterial activity was studied. Seventeen components out of fifty-two were identified in the oil. Major component in essential oil was α- pinene (41.9%) followed by 3-carene (16.3%), caryophyllene (12.3%), p-cymene (1.9%), Terpinenol (1.8%), Limonene (1.7%), Borneol acetate(1.1%), Caryophyllene oxide (1.0%),camphene (0.9%),Tepinyl acetate (0.8%), β-Phallenderene (0.7%), farnesene (0.6%),o-cymene (0.4%), Butanoic acid, 3-methyl-, 2-phenylethyl ester (0.3%),1-terpinen-4-ol (0.2%), Farnesyle acetate (0.2%) and γ-terpinene (0.2%). Antibacterial activity of stem essential oil was observed againstStaphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis while no activity was observed against E. coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. Similarly, antifungal activity of Pinus roxburghaii essential oil was also found to be active against Aspergillus terrus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus vessicolor, Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride. Key words: Pinus roxburgahii, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, α-pinene, caryophyllene.

Bacterial resistance has been increasingly reported worldwide and is one of the major causes of failure in the treatment of infectious diseases. Natural-based products, including plant secondary metabolites (phytochemicals), can be exploited to ameliorate the problem of microbial resistance. The fruit essential oils of Alchornea cordifolia and Canthium subcordatum were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oils were subjected to in vitro antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activity screening. Thirty-eight compounds comprising 97.7% of A. cordifolia oil and forty-six constituents representing 98.2% of C. subcordatum oil were identified. The major components in A. cordifolia oil were methyl salicylate (25.3%), citronellol (21.4%), α-phellandrene (7.4%), terpinolene (5.7%) and 1,8-cineole (5.5%). Benzaldehyde (28.0%), β-caryophyllene (15.5%), (E,E)-α-farnesene (5.3%) and methyl salicylate (4.5%) were the quantitatively significant constituents in C. subcordatum fruit essential oil. A. cordifolia essential oil demonstrated potent in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 78 μg/mL) and marginal antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (MIC = 156 μg/mL). C. subcordatum showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus and S. aureus (MIC = 156 μg/mL) and notable antifungal activity against A. niger (MIC = 39 μg/mL). However, no appreciable cytotoxic effects on human breast carcinoma cells (Hs 578T) and human prostate carcinoma cells (PC-3) were observed for either essential oil. The antimicrobial activities of A. cordifolia and C. subcordatum fruit essential oils are a function of their distinct chemical profiles; their volatiles and biological activities are reported for the first time.

Genetic diversity is crucial for understanding the various characteristics of plants, such as their appearance, function, chemical structure, and genetic composition.This study investigated five different basil cultivars, lemon, sweet, Italian, white, and red French, for genetic diversity by ISSR and SCOT analysis and its effect on essential oils' yield and antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities.The genetic diversity of five basil cultivars was determined using ISSR and SCOT-PCR molecular markers.A total of 60 loci were produced by the ISSR-PCR reactions, 26 of which were polymorphic, while 16 were unique.The level of polymorphism varied from 55.65 to 88.89%.The molecular profile generated by SCOT-PCR revealed 54 loci, 26 of which were polymorphic, while eight were unique.The level of polymorphism ranged from 50 to 72.72%.The most unique bands were found in the BLe cultivar, 11 by the ISSR markers and 7 by the SCOT markers.The molecular results influence the biological activities of basil cultivars.The GC/MS detected twenty-four compounds; Linalool and methyl cinnamate were the main VOC compounds in the basil profile.The lemon basil essential oil (Ble) had the highest phenolic content (368 mg/g) compared to the other cultivars' EOs; therefore, it exhibited the highest scavenging activity, reducing 89% of DPPH radicals followed by local basil (Bl).The Ble showed considerable antiviral activity against the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) as a model for the hepatitis C virus (HCV).Ble's cytotoxic concentration 50% (CC50) was 1400 g/mL, demonstrating the best antiviral efficacy.Additionally, Ble and Bl exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and pathogenic fungi, i.e., Fusarium oxysporium, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Helminthosporium solani, Alternaria alternata, Pythium aphanidermatum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani).The anticancer activity of basil EOs was examined against MCF7 cancer cell lines; BLe cultivar reduced 85 % of the viability of MCF7 cancer cells.The examined basil EOs exhibit strong phyto-medical potential based on their chemical structure and antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties.Based on the molecular and biochemical analysis results, the BLe and Bl cultivars were the best for medicinal use future breeding strategies.

Abstract. Benlembarek K, Lograda T, Ramdani M, Figueredo G, Chalard P. 2021. Chemical composition, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities of Taxus baccata essential oil from Algeria. Biodiversitas 22: 5475-5483. This work aims to study the chemical composition, the antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities of Taxus baccata essential oil of Algeria. The essential oil was obtained by hydro distillation; its chemical composition was determined by GC and GC-MS analysis. The antibacterial and antifungal activities are evaluated by the disk diffusion method against three-gram negative bacteria, four-gram positive bacteria and four phytopathogenic fungi. The evaluation of antioxidant activity is carried out by the DPPH scavenging method. Twenty-seven compounds have been identified in the essential oil, where the major product was undecanone-2, followed by nonanone-2, tridecanone-2, decanone-2 and the methyl dehydroabietic. The T. baccata essential oil showed moderate antibacterial and antifungal activities against the strains tested, with the exception of E. faecalis, MRSA and Fusarium graminum, which have shown significant resistance. T. baccata essential oil has a moderate antioxidant activity.

Objective: Several aromatic plants and their essential oils are known to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Warionia saharae Benth & Coss, an endemic species of North Africa, is traditionally used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and for gastrointestinal disorders. The aims of this study were to examine the chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from W.saharae, and to test the efficacy of the essential oil as a potential antimicrobial and antioxidant. Methods: The essential oil was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty-six compounds, accounting 96.8% of total oil with 1.1% oil yield were identified. The major compents of W.saharae essential oils were β-eudesmol (24.6%), trans-nerolidol (18.2%), linalool (16.8%), 1,8 cineole (6.2%), camphor (4.6%), p-cymene (3.7%) and terpinen-4-ol (3.6%). In this study, we analyzed biological activities of Warionia essential oil from Errachidia region, Morocco. Indeed, we investigated mainly, the antimicrobial activity against four referenced and representative human diseases health bacteria. Also this essential oil was tested against phytopathogenic fungi. Results: The results showed that W.saharae oil exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activities; with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging between 0.039 and 0.156 mg/ml for all bacteria and remarkable antifungal effect that exceeds 50% inhibition of mycelial growth for all fungal strains. We also checked whether this oil exhibited an antioxidant property via radical scavenging ability and antioxidant activity, determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and β-carotene bleaching test. Conclusion: Our results show an important antioxidant property for W.saharae essential oil.

Cryptomeria japonica wood industry generates large amounts of foliage biomass residues. Due to the increasing applications and markets for essential oils (EOs), fresh Azorean C. japonica foliage (Az–CJF) residues are used for local EO production. Hydrodistillation (HD), a common process for obtaining EOs, also provides the possibility to fractionate them. Thus, this study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of six Az–CJF EO fractions (Frs. 1–6), collected at sequential HD timeframes (HDTs: 0–2, 2–10, 10–30, 30–60, 60–120, and 120–240 min), in comparison to the crude EO, obtained from a non-fractionated HD (0–240 min HDT). Antimicrobial activities were assessed via disc diffusion method against seven bacteria (foodborne and/or human pathogens) and two Penicillium spp. (phytopathogenic fungi), and antioxidant activity was estimated using DPPH and ABTS assays. Concerning the antibacterial activity, all the EO samples were effective only toward Gram-positive bacteria. Fractions 1–3 (<30 min HDT) were the most active, with growth inhibition zones (GIZ) of 7.0–23.3 mm (1.4–2.2 times higher than those of the crude EO), being Bacillus spp. (B. licheniformis and B. subtilis) the most sensitive, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. Regarding the antifungal activity, Frs. 1–3 also displayed the best activities, but only against P. italicum (GIZ around 9.0 mm), while the crude EO showed no antifungal activity. Overall, the best antimicrobial properties of Frs. 1–3 could be attributed, at least in part, to their highest content in α-pinene and bornyl acetate. On the other hand, Frs. 4–6 (>30 min HDT) exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities (EC50 values: 1.5–2.3 and 1.0–1.7 mg mL−1 for DPPH and ABTS, respectively), being at least 1.3-fold higher than those of the crude EO. The presence of nezukol, elemol, and eudesmol isomers could strongly contribute to the best free radical scavenging properties of Frs. 4–6. In conclusion, HD was found to be an efficient process for obtaining new Az–CJF EO fractions with variable and enhanced bioactivities due to their differential composition, as assessed using GC–MS. Hence, these findings could contribute to increasing the commercial potential of the C. japonica EO industry, namely, the Fr2 and Fr6, which presented the most significant activities and can have potential applications in the food, medical, and agriculture sectors.

In the present work, sustainable and green method was used to prepare silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), followed with incorporation into tertiary nanocomposite consisted of starch, oxidized cellulose and ethyl cellulose. The prepared tertiary silver-nanocomposite (Ag-NC) was fully characterized via instrumental analysis (UV-vis, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX and TEM) and evaluated for antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Ag-NC significantly suppressed growth of tested bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) as compared with controls. Antifungal activity revealed that the prepared tertiary Ag-NC has a promising antifungal activity towards unicellular (Candida albicans) and multicellular fungi ( Aspergillus niger, A. terreus, A. flavus and A. fumigatus). In same line, both Ag-NC and free Ag-NPs have shown a dose-dependent reduction in Vero cell line with maximum non-toxic dose at 6.25 and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively. Both Ag-NPs and Ag-NC exhibited antiviral effects against Herpes simplex virus, Adenovirus and Coxsackie B virus in a dose-dependent manner. Combined treatment of Ag-NPs incorporated into tertiary nanocomposite based on starch, oxidized cellulose and ethyl cellulose opens new possibilities to be more efficient nanomaterials for preventing microbial growth. In conclusion, the prepared tertiary Ag-NC has a promising antibacterial, antifungal as well as antiviral activities.