Ethanol Extract Of Plant Research Articles

In-vitro anti-bacterial activity of medicinal plants against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) causing bacteria along with their synergistic effects with commercially available antibiotics

BackgroundPlants contain a variety of bioactive compounds that provide them antimicrobial properties, which can be used to develop novel antibiotics. The current research evaluated the antibacterial activity of 6 medicinal plants Sphagneticola calendulacea (Chinese wedelia), Enydra fluctuans (Buffalo spinach), Chenopodium album (Goosefoot), Mentha arvensis (Wild mint), Mimosa diplotricha (Nila grass), and Averrhoa bilimbi (Cucumber tree) against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)- causing pathogens (Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., Pseudmonas spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacter spp.). MethodsThe bacterial contamination of these plants was evaluated by using their surface-washed water. The combined effects of commercially available antibiotics along with these medicinal plants were also tested. We used the solvent extraction method, conventional cell culture technique, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, and disc diffusion method for our analysis. ResultsThe surface-washed water was contaminated with variable bacteria. The plants displayed notable antibacterial activity against most of the tested bacteria. Ethanol and hot water extract of plants exhibited minimum inhibitory effects, while the methanol extract of plants showed very potent antibacterial activity against most of the bacteria with inhibitory zone diameter up to 14 mm. In the case of combined effects, the zone diameter increased up to 26 mm, which is a significant improvement compared to the individual plant extracts. InterpretationThis data suggested that the combination of two antibacterial agents, one natural and the other synthetic, would be more efficient in the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria than a single monotherapy of either of the antibacterial agents.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial activity in Some Medicinal Plants were Growth in Karbala Desert

Twenty ethanolic extracts of medicinal and wild plants were screened for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Proteus vulgaris. Using gar diffusion technique, it was found that Achillea santolina, Teucrium polium, Artemisia Campestris, Alhagimourorum medic, Peganum harmala, Astragalus, Hamosus, and Atriplex hoetensis possess a potent Antibacterial effect.

Parkia speciosa Hassk. Empty Pod Extract Prevents Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Inhibiting MAPK and Calcineurin-NFATC3 Signaling Pathways.

Cardiac hypertrophy is an early hallmark during the clinical course of heart failure. Therapeutic strategies aiming to alleviate cardiac hypertrophy via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling pathway may help prevent cardiac dysfunction. Previously, empty pod ethanol crude extract of Parkia speciosa Hassk was shown to demonstrate protective effects against cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of various fractions of the plant ethanol extract on the MAPK/NFAT signaling pathway in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Simultaneous treatment with ethyl acetate (EA) fraction produced the most potent antihypertrophic effect evidenced by the reduced release of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Subsequently, treatment with the EA fraction (6.25, 12.5, and 25 μg/mL) prevented an Ang II-induced increase in cell surface area, hypertrophic factors (atrial natriuretic peptide and BNP), reactive oxygen species, protein content, and NADPH oxidase 4 expression in the cells. Furthermore, EA treatment attenuated the activation of the MAPK pathway and calcineurin-related pathway (GATA-binding protein 4 and NFATC3), which was similar to the effects of valsartan (positive control). Our findings indicate that the EA fraction prevents Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy by regulating the MAPK/calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway.

Antiviral Activities of Ethyl Pheophorbides a and b Isolated from Aster pseudoglehnii against Influenza Viruses.

Screening of the antiviral and virucidal activities of ethanol extracts from plants endemic to the Republic of Korea revealed the inhibitory activity of a 70% ethanol extract of the whole plant of A. pseudoglehnii (APE) against influenza virus infection. Two chlorophyll derivatives, ethyl pheophorbides a and b, isolated as active components of APE, exerted virucidal effects with no evident cytotoxicity. These compounds were effective only under conditions of direct incubation with the virus, and exerted no effects on the influenza A virus (IAV) surface glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Interestingly, virucidal activities of ethyl pheophorbides a and b were observed against enveloped but not non-enveloped viruses, suggesting that these compounds act by affecting the integrity of the viral membrane and reducing infectivity.

Relative Influence of Ageratum conyzoides L. Plant Extracts on Testosterone Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Mice

Pharmacognosy Research,2023,15,1,75-83.DOI:10.5530/097484900266Published:December 2022Type:Original ArticleAuthors:Tongchen Jomba, and Manuj Kumar Bharali Author(s) affiliations:Tongchen Jomba1, Manuj Kumar Bharali1,2,* 1Cell and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, Doimukh, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA. 2Cell and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, INDIA. Abstract:Purpose: The present study was designed to investigate the inhibitory efficacy of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Ageratum conyzoide L. (AC, Family asteraceae) on testosterone induced BPH in male mice. Materials and Methods: Mice were randomly divided into five groups (n=6): negative control group received corn oil, BPH model group receive testosterone (5mg/kg/day, S.C) dissolved in corn oil. Another group received standard BPH drug finasteride (5 mg/Kg/day, I.P) along with testosterone injection (5mg/kg/day, S.C). The other two group of animals received either aqueous or ethanolic AC plant extracts (100, 500. 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, I.P) along with testosterone (5mg/kg/day, S.C) consecutively for 28 days. All animals were sacrificed at the end of the study period and prostate weight and prostatic index were determined, followed by histolopathological examination of the prostate gland. Results: The result of the present study indicated that treatment with either plant extracts caused significant reduction in prostate weight and prostatic index when compared to only testosterone treated animal group. The percentage of inhibition of prostate growth was found to be correlated in a dose dependent manner in plant extract treated groups. Histopathological examination of prostate gland revealed AC plant extracts treatment significantly reduced the glandular hyperplasia, epithelial thickness and stromal hyperplasia in the prostate gland of the treated animals. No significant elevation in serum ALT and creatinine level was recorded in any groups during the study period. Conclusion: This study hence indicate the therapeutic potential in Ageratum conyzoides L. plant extract in testosterone induced BPH model in mice. Keywords:Ageratum conyzoides, Benign prostatic hyperplasia, Inhibition, Plant extracts, Prostate, TestosteroneView:PDF (608.09 KB)

Anti-Salmonella activity of plant species in the Benin republic: Artemisia afra and Detarium senegalense with promising in vitro and in vivo activities

Non-typhoidal invasive Salmonella (NTiS) diseases are one of the most important zoonoses in the world. This study explored the antipathogenic potential of twenty-four plants used in Benin folk medicine against NTiS diseases. The in vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of ethanolic plant extracts were screened against clinical resistant isolates and ATCC reference strains of Salmonella. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium-infected rat model was used to examine the in vivo antibacterial potential of plant extracts. Of the 24 plants, 18 plants exhibited antibacterial activity against Salmonella enterica strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.156 to 1.25 mg/mL. Anacardium occidentale, Artemisia afra, Detarium microcarpum, Detarium senegalense, and Leucaena leucocephala were the most active plant species. Extracts from A. afra, D. microcarpum, and D. senegalense showed biofilm inhibition greater than 50% against Salmonella clinical isolates. In the rat model of infection, A. afra and D. senegalense extracts were found to have an effective dose of less than 100 mg/kg and to stop the salmonellosis after 10 days of treatment. Additionally, these extracts did not produce any toxic effects in the treated animals. These results indicate clear evidence supporting the anti-Salmonella activity of A. afra and D. senegalense. Further studies are now needed to isolate bioactive compounds and to ensure the safety of these plant species.

Phytochemical Testing and In Vitro Anti-inflammatory Activity on Ethanol Extract of Akar Kuning (Arcangelisia flava L) Stems from West Kalimantan

The akar kuning plant (Arcangelisia flava L) from the Menispermaceae family is one of the Bajakah plant groups, which propagate among large trees and are commonly found in tropical forests in the West Kalimantan region. The purpose of this study was to determine the phytochemical compound and activity of anti-inflammatory from the akar kuning stem ethanol extract through the stabilization ability of the human red blood cell membrane (HRBC) in vitro. The akar kuning plant was taken from the forest of the Kapuas Hulu region, dried and mashed first and then extracted by maceration using the organic solvent ethanol. The ethanol extract obtained was concentrated using a rotary evaporatory, then a sample solution of akar kuning ethanol extract was made at several concentrations. Based on the results of phytochemical testing, this plant contained flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and saponins. Anti-inflammatory activity testing using rabbit blood and using diclofenac sodium as a positive control. The measurement results showed the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of the yellow root plant at concentrations of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/mL were 28.77, 39.45, 57.53, , 62.80 and 75.50%, while the percentage of HRBC stabilization of the positive control was at the same concentration were 34.55, 46.34., 56.56, 69.88 and 87.33%.

Phytochemical Profiling, Biological Activities and In Silico Virtual Screening of Bioactive Compounds of Trichodesma Indicum (L) R. Br. Extracts

AbstractThe current study was designed to evaluate the biological potential of bioactive compounds in the selected fractions of Trichodesma indicum. The results showed that the chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of ethanolic extract of the whole plant T. indicum were rich in TPCs (total phenolic content) i.e 499.80 and 744.65 mg of gallic acid equivalents per g, respectively, while TFCs (total flavonoid content) were 42.48, and 55.02 mg of catechin equivalents per g, respectively. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of phenolics i. e., chlorogenic acid (252.35 ppm), ferulic acid (92.56 ppm), caffeic acid (28.72 ppm), cinnamic acid (28.97 ppm), syringic acid (23.75 ppm), gallic acid (7.28 ppm) and flavonoids i. e. myricetin (72.1 ppm), Quercetin (57.3 ppm) in a selected fraction of T. indicum ethanolic extract. The significant potential of antioxidants was observed through ABTS, DPPH, and H2O2 methods. The highest % inhibition of inflammation was observed in ethyl acetate fraction by performing in‐vitro and in‐vivo assays, 87.57 % and 79.18 % (P<0.05) respectively. The thrombolytic activity of the T. indicum fractions was observed in the range from 9.85 % to 27.26. GC‐MS coupled with molecular docking depicted the inhibition of COX‐1 and COX‐2 by the GC‐MS‐identified compound 9,19‐Cyclolanost‐24‐en‐3‐ol, (3. Beta.)‐ (−9.6 kJ/mol). The in‐silico anti‐proliferative analysis was conducted by using BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancerous protein against GC‐MS identified compounds among which stigmasterol (−8.0 kJ/mol) was observed for high binding affinity.

In vitro and in silico bioactivities and chemical profiling of Nepeta leucolaena to validate its use in nutraceutical or biopharmaceutical applications

Nepeta leucolaena grows worldwide and is being used in folk medicine system without any scientific evidence. The present study was carried out to unveil the metabolic picture, biological potential and to valid the medicinal uses of N. leucolaena. The flowers and leaves of this plant were separately extracted with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl, acetate and alcohol to get respective extracts. The total bioactive contents estimation disclosed that the highest value of phenolics (39.50 ± 0.53 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (24.99 ± 0.53 mg GAE/g extract) in ethanolic extract of flowers and leaves, respectively. Further chloroform extract of flowers, and ethyl acetate extract of leaves also contain significant amount of phenolics. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, only ethanolic extracts of flowers and leaves exhibited antioxidant activity with values of 49.02 ± 0.12 and 46.33 ± 0.10 mg TE/g extract, whereas, in ABTS free radical scavenging activity, in addition to ethanolic extract flowers (113.37 ± 0.07 mg TE/g extract) and ethanolic extract leaves (98.95 ± 0.57 mg TE/g extract), other extracts also showed moderate to weak activity. Highest metal reducing power was also associated with ethanolic extract of flowers and ethanolic extract of leaves (CUPRAC: 167.86 ± 3.57 and 151.76 ± 1.59 mg TE/g extract, respectively and FRAP: 108.30 ± 0.98 and 101.30 ± 0.32 mg TE/g extract, respectively), while other extracts also exhibited moderate activity. Almost equal (1.6 mmol TE/g extract) total antioxidant capacity was measured for ethanolic extract of leaves and flowers and n-hexane extract leaves, however, all fractions showed significant and comparable metal chelating activity with highest value was noticed for n-hexane extract flowers (25.99 ± 0.10 mg EDTA/g extract) and leaves (25.93 ± 0.79 mg EDTA/g extract). Similarly, all extracts showed nearly equal inhibitory activity against AChE (3.06–4.06 mg GALAE/g extract), while against BChE low polar extracts were more active with highest potential in n-hexane extract leaves (3.99 ± 0.20 mg GALAE/g extract) and chloroform extract of leaves (3.67 ± 0.48 mg GALAE/g extract). n-hexane extract of flowers displayed highest inhibitory contents against tyrosinase enzyme followed by ethyl acetate extract flowers and leaves. In anti-diabetic assays, the hexane extracts exhibited highest values against α-glucosidase (1.08 ± 0.006 and 1.05 ± 0.019 mmol ACAE/g extract, respectively) followed by ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts respectively. UHPLC-MS analysis of the ethanolic extract of the whole plant (Flowers and leaves together) helped to identify 139 compounds mostly of phenolic, flavonoid, steroids, terpenoids and glycoside classes of secondary metabolites. Docking studies of some of the major compounds against various enzymes substantiated the biological potential of N. leucolaena, and make it a potential ingredient to be used in several health promoting formulations.

Investigation of Anticonvulsant activity of Phyllanthus urinaria L. in Swiss albino rats

Phyllanthus urinaria commonly known as Bhumyamlaki is an annual perennial plant indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and is used in traditional medicine as antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, and hepatoprotective. An ayurvedic text such as Bhavprakashnighantu describes P. urinaria is useful in reducing hyperactivity and beneficial in the treatment “Pittajapasmara” (type of epilepsy as described in ayurveda). The present study aimed to evaluate traditional claims in the folk medicine of bhumyamlaki (P. urinaria) which can be beneficial in the treatment of epilepsy using wistar albino rats. The anticonvulsant activity was carried out using the MES-induced seizure and PTZ-induced seizure model. In the MES-induced seizure model, animals were divided into a group of 5 (n=6). Group I was treated with saline, group II-IV was treated with ethanolic extract of P. urinaria (EPU) at the dose level of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. Standard drug phenytoin (25 mg/kg., p.o) was given to group V. Similar grouping was done in PTZ induced seizure model with deviation of the standard group which was treated with diazepam (4 mg/kg., i.p). Anticonvulsant activity was noted by accessing the parameters such as delay in the tonic hind limb extension, stupor, and decrease in mortality. It was observed that ethanolic extract of the whole plant of P. urinaria has significant (p < 0.001) anticonvulsant activity causing the delay in onset of tonic and clonic seizures and improved percentage protection against mortality. Further research is required to find out the exact mechanism of action.

NATURAL INHIBITOR OF AGRONOMICALLY REPELLENT PLANT TOWARDS CLINICAL ISOLATE OF CHLORAMPHENICOL RESISTANT-SALMONELLA TYPHI

Objective: This study was purposed to determine the most effective inhibition among those repellent plants i.e. The leaves of kirinyuh (Chromolaena odorata), kenikir (Cosmos caudatus), bandotan (Ageratum conyzoides), grass teki (Cyperus Cyperus rotundus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and suren (Toona sureni) towards S. typhi clinical isolate.
 Methods: The ethanolic extracts of sixt plants were obtained by maceration method using 70% ethanol. Phytochemical screening was done using the standard methods as described by Farnsworth. The inhibition of the repellent leaves ethanolic extracts to chloramphenicol resistant-S. typhi clinical isolate assayed using the agar diffusion method and statistically analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Duncan test. The most potential plant was further determined by investigating the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) value using the microdilution test.
 Results: As the result, all ethanolic leaves extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins, except that tannins were not found in C. rotundus and A. conyzoides. However, all extracts had the activity to inhibit the growth of S. typhi. T. sureni leaves extract evidently showed the strongest inhibition with MIC value in the range of 1.5625<x≤3.125 mg/ml and the MBC value in the range of 6.25<x≤12.5 mg/ml. The ratio of MBC/MIC≤4, thus, T. sureni leaf extract may be classified as a strong bactericidal agent.
 Conclusion: In summary, T. sureni extract leaves achieved the most appreciable value of MIC MBC and considered as the bactericidal agent which has strong potential to be a novel anti-typhoid fever agent.

In-vitro Screening of Anti-microbial, Anti-fungal and Anti-oxidant activities of Ethanolic leaf extract of Anthocephalus cadamba

Anthocephalus cadamba, Rubiaceae, is a medicinal herb of great importance for traditional applications against several disease kinds. Because of the range of compounds, the genus Anthocephalus is regarded as one of the most significant genus utilised in many medical systems. The plant was chemically investigated for its phytoconstituents in the current analysis, Anthocephalus cadamba. The results for steroids, flavanoids, tannins and glycosides were shown to be positive. Bacterial species, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtiliis and Escherichia coli, have been moderately actively monopolised. Antifungal activity at doses of 100mg/ml, 300mg/ml with fungal organisms, was observed in the ethanol leaves extract. Plant ethanol extract had a substantial impact on the hydrogen peroxide radical activity of scavenging and less effects than the standard of nitric oxide radical activity.

Effect Of BmNPV Infection and Subsequent Oral Treatment Of Ethanolic Plant Extracts On Cocoon and Post Cocoon Characters In PM and CSR2 B. Mori L.

Effect Of BmNPV Infection and Subsequent Oral Treatment Of Ethanolic Plant Extracts On Cocoon and Post Cocoon Characters In PM and CSR2 B. Mori L.

LC-HRMS/MS-Based Metabolomics Approaches Applied to the Detection of Antifungal Compounds and a Metabolic Dynamic Assessment of Orchidaceae.

The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics approach is a powerful technology for discovering novel biologically active molecules. In this study, we investigated the metabolic profiling of Orchidaceae species using LC-HRMS/MS data combined with chemometric methods and dereplication tools to discover antifungal compounds. We analyze twenty ethanolic plant extracts from Vanda and Cattleya (Orchidaceae) genera. Molecular networking and chemometric methods were used to discriminate ions that differentiate healthy and fungal-infected plant samples. Fifty-three metabolites were rapidly annotated through spectral library matching and in silico fragmentation tools. The metabolomic profiling showed a large production of polyphenols, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, chromones, stilbenoids, and tannins, which varied in relative abundance across species. Considering the presence and abundance of metabolites in both groups of samples, we can infer that these constituents are associated with biochemical responses to microbial attacks. In addition, we evaluated the metabolic dynamic through the synthesis of stilbenoids in fungal-infected plants. The tricin derivative flavonoid- and the loliolide terpenoidfound only in healthy plant samples, are promising antifungal metabolites. LC-HRMS/MS, combined with state-of-the-art tools, proved to be a rapid and reliable technique for fingerprinting medicinal plants and discovering new hits and leads.

Discovery of natural polyphenols from the wild vegetable Suaeda salsa L. with potential cardioprotective functions

Suaeda salsa L. (Chenopodiaceae) is a wild vegetable distributed along the northern coast of China. Searching for potential agents with health benefits from S. salsa L. led to the identification of 14 flavonoids (1–14), eight phenolic acids (15–22), one coumarin (23), one benzoquinone (24), two sesquiterpenes (25, 26), and three lignins (27–29) from an aqueous ethanol (EtOH) extract of the above-ground whole plant using various column chromatographic methods. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS) analyses and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR) spectroscopy were adopted to examine the structural properties of the compounds. To date, our study is the first to identify 20 compounds from this genus. Some compounds exhibited significant health benefits in zebrafish models. Compounds 2, 4, 23, and 28 significantly improved oxidative damage, while compounds 1–5, 7, 11, 13, 18, 19, and 23 significantly improved zebrafish lateral line neuromast inflammation. Additionally, compounds 1, 4, 8, 13, and 16 significantly promoted zebrafish angiogenesis, while compounds 3–5 and 18 significantly improved zebrafish arrhythmia. Furthermore, a flavonoid-targeted metabolomics study revealed that flavanone was the precursor of all of the flavonoids and had its highest accumulation in August, while the others showed their highest accumulation in September. Thus, the best time to harvest most of the bioactive polyphenols is during September. The present study revealed that the wild vegetable S. salsa L. might be developed as a potential cardioprotective functional food.

Megastigmane sesquiterpenoids from Saussurea medusa and their anti-inflammatory activities

Objectives: An ethanol extract of the whole plants of Saussurea medusa had been investigated to find novel anti-inflammatory sesquiterpenoids. Methods: Extensive spectroscopic data and chemical methods were applied to elucidate the structures of the compounds. Results: One new megastigmane sesquiterpenoid (1), along with 11 known analogues (2–12), were obtained from S. medusa. All isolates, except compounds 3 and 6, were mentioned from the studied plant for the first time. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 12 were firstly isolated from the genus Saussurea. Compounds 2, 9 and 10 were found to inhibit the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of NO by RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 21.1 ± 1.7 to 46.7 ± 1.9 μM. Furthermore, iNOS expression experiment was performed to examine the interactions between the active compounds and the iNOS enzyme.

Inhibitory activity of aromatic plant extracts against dairy-related Clostridium species and their use to prevent the late blowing defect of cheese

The aim of the present work was the selection of aromatic plant essential oils (EOs) and/or ethanolic extracts (EEs) to prevent the late blowing defect (LBD) of cheese caused by Clostridium spp. EEs resulted more effective than EOs to inhibit dairy-borne Clostridium spp. in vitro. Savory, hyssop, lavender and tarragon EEs, which showed the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration against Clostridium tyrobutyricum, were selected to study the prevention of LBD caused by this bacterium in cheese.Addition of savory and lavender EEs to cheese milk delayed LBD by 2 weeks, but at the end of ripening these cheeses showed similar clostridial vegetative cells counts, spoilage symptoms and propionic, and butyric acids levels than blown control cheese. Tarragon EE, with the highest content in caffeic acid, also delayed LBD by 2 weeks, but it was more effective to inhibit Clostridium, since cheese with tarragon EE showed minor LBD symptoms, lower vegetative cells count and lower concentrations of propionic and butyric acids than the rest of cheeses made with EEs. This fact could be also attributable to the greater number of antimicrobial terpenes (1,8-cineole, 4-terpineol, α-terpineol, isoelemicin, methyl eugenol, and methyl trans-isoeugenol) detected in this cheese. This is the first report on the application of EEs to control C. tyrobutyricum in cheese.

Using of Essential Oils and Plant Extracts against Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens on Soybean.

The bacteria Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea (Coerper, 1919; Gardan et al., 1992) (Psg) and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Hedges 1922) (Cff) are harmful pathogens of soybean (Glycine max). Presently, there are several strategies to control these bacteria, and the usage of environmentally friendly approaches is encouraged. In this work, purified essential oils (EOs) from 19 plant species and total aqueous and ethanolic plant extracts (PEs) from 19 plant species were tested in vitro to observe their antimicrobial activity against Psg and Cff (by agar diffusion and broth microdilution method). Tested EOs and PEs produced significant bacterial growth inhibition with technologically acceptable MIC and MBC values. Non-phytotoxic concentrations for Chinese cinnamon and Oregano essential oils and leather bergenia ethanolic extract, which previously showed the lowest MBC values, were determined. Testing of these substances with artificial infection of soybean plants has shown that the essential oils of Chinese cinnamon and oregano have the maximum efficiency against Psg and Cff. Treatment of leaves and seeds previously infected with phytopathogens with these essential oils showed that the biological effectiveness of leaf treatments was 80.6-77.5% and 86.9-54.6%, respectively, for Psg and Cff. GC-MS and GC-FID analyzes showed that the major compounds were 5-Methyl-3-methylenedihydro-2(3H)-furanone (20.32%) in leather bergenia ethanolic extract, cinnamaldehyde (84.25%) in Chinese cinnamon essential oil and carvacrol (62.32%) in oregano essential oil.

Antifungal Potential of Canarian Plant Extracts against High-Risk Phytopathogens.

Phytopathogens are responsible for great losses in agriculture. In particular, Fusarium, Alternaria and Botrytis are fungal diseases that affect crops worldwide. In the search for eco-friendly solutions to pest control, plants and their chemo-biodiversity are promising sources of biopesticides for integrated pest management. The aim of the present study is to report the evaluation of sixteen plant species from the Canary Islands Archipelago against the phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, and Alternaria alternata. The plants were selected on the basis of their traditional uses in medicine and/or pest control, as well as on scientific studies reporting their uses in crop protection. Their growth inhibition (% I), in an in vitro test-assay on mycelium, was used to identify six ethanolic plant extracts displaying activity (% I > 30% at 1 mg/mL) against at least one of the assayed fungi. The most effective plant extracts were further fractionated by liquid-liquid partition, using solvents of increasing polarity. This procedure led to an improvement of the bioactivity against the phytopathogens, even affecting the hexane fraction from S. canariensis and achieving an 83.93% of growth inhibition at 0.5 mg/mL on B. cinerea. These findings identified five plant-derived extracts as potential candidates for the future development of new biofungicides, which could be applied in integrated pest management.

Bioactive diterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids with different skeletons from Salvia digitaloides Diels

Salvia has been regarded as a beneficial healing herb in ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, and is listed as an official medicine in the pharmacopoeias of many countries worldwide. Currently, Salvia is widely used to flavor and preserve food. Here, two undescribed norabietane-type diterpenoids, sadigitaloides A and B, two undescribed germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, sadigitaloides C and D, five undescribed guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid lactones, sadigitaloides E-I, two undescribed noreudesmane-type sesquiterpenoids, sadigitaloides J and K, one known diterpenoid, three known sesquiterpenoids, and three other types of known compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the whole plants of Salvia digitaloides. Their structures and absolute configurations were characterized using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, HRESIMS experiments, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Some compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-α production in rat macrophage NR8383 cells. Sadigitaloide A showed noticeable anti-inflammatory activity at a concentration of 100.0 μM. At a concentration of 60 μM, sadigitaloide B exhibited better protection of dopaminergic neurons than the positive control n-butylidenephthalide in the Caenorhabditis elegans model injured by 6-OHDA. The phytotoxic activities of some compounds were attributed to considerable inhibitory effects on the growth of the roots and hypocotyls of Raphanus sativus L seedlings, especially cis, trans-abscisic acid, whose inhibition rates were much higher than those of glyphosate at concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 ppm. These results indicated that abietane-type diterpenoids possessed excellent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities and further suggested that the low-molecular-weight compounds exhibited outstanding phytotoxic activities.