Moderate Antimicrobial Activity Research Articles

Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of nanocurcumin-coated gutta-percha against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

Nanocurcumin has antimicrobial properties and it is to be tested as a coating on gutta-percha against Enterococcusi faecalis. To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of nanocurcumin-coated gutta-percha against E. faecalis in comparison with conventional gutta-percha. The broth dilution method and colony-forming unit count assay were chosen for the evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of nanocurcumin against E. faecalis. ISO size 30, 4% taper gutta-percha cones were manually coated with nanocurcumin. All the coated and noncoated gutta-percha cones were examined under a scanning electron microscope to study the exterior surface. Antibacterial efficacy of nanocurcumin-coated gutta-percha and conventional gutta-percha was seen by agar diffusion method against E. faecalis. MIC of nanocurcumin was observed at 50 mg/ml for E. faecalis. Nanocurcumin-coated gutta-percha showed a larger zone of inhibition when compared to conventional gutta-percha which showed a smaller zone of inhibition (P < 0.0001). Nanocurcumin-coated gutta-percha showed moderate antimicrobial activity, while conventional gutta-percha showed weak activity. The results of the study reveal that nanocurcumin has an antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis. The use of herbal alternatives in endodontics might prove to be advantageous.

Investigation of Antimicrobial Activity of Some Ethylparaben Hydrazide-Hydrazone Derivatives.

The development of antimicrobial molecules discussed with considerable achievement over the past decades provided many classes of semisynthetic or synthetic compounds. Resistance to many antimicrobial agents requires the discovery of novel molecules. In this study, ten ethylparaben hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives, the previously reported, were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. The microbroth dilution method was used for the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the novel molecules. The antimicrobial activities of the molecules were found in a wide range with MIC values of 2-256 μg/mL. The synthesized compounds showed good to moderate antimicrobial activity compared with the standards. Among the synthesized molecules, compound 3g showed the best antimicrobial activity at 2 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus strain (ATCC 29213). Ethylparaben hydrazide-hydrazone compounds in our study were found to have antimicrobial activities. Ethylparaben is currently used as an antibacterial agent and preservative for preparations. These studies are necessary since they detect the relationship between the substitutions and activity.

Comparison of Antimicrobial and Membrane Stabilizing Properties of Leaf and Stem Extracts of Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. (Family: Fabaceae)

Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. (Family: Fabaceae), a recognized medicinal plant colloquially known as ‘Kalilata’ in Bangladesh, has been traditionally used as analgesic in Thailand. This study was intended to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial and membrane stabilizing potentials among the methanol extracts of D. scandens leaf and stem, and their fractionates. The stem and leaves of the plant were extracted by methanol separately and fractioned into aqueous, dicholoromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate and n-hexane soluble fractions. They were tested for antimicrobial activity by using the agar-well diffusion method where ciprofloxacin and fluconazole were used as references. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed against a Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) by the DCM soluble fraction of the leaf and stem extracts with 20 mm and 15 mm zones of inhibition, respectively. The n-hexane soluble fraction of methanol extract of stem revealed weak to moderate antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The ethyl acetate soluble fractionates of methanol extracts of leaf and stem showed similar antifungal property against Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a zone of inhibition of 12 mm. The membrane stabilizing potential of the extractives was estimated based on the prevention of hemolysis of RBC prompted by hypotonic solution as well as heat. The n-hexane and DCM soluble fractions of both extracts showed around 75% inhibition of hypotonic solution- and heatinduced hemolysis. All in all, the extracts and several fractionates showed moderate antimicrobial and membrane stabilizing properties and further investigations are warranted to find out active phytoconstituents responsible for these properties. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(1): 67-72, 2023 (January)

Limonene and eucalyptol rich essential oils with their antimicrobial activity from the leaves and rhizomes of Conamomum vietnamense N.S. Lý &amp;amp; T.S. Hoang (Zingiberaceae)

Conamomum vietnamense, a new species of Zingiberaceae family, has been discovered and described from Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands, Vietnam) in 2022. The present study described the preparation of essential oil from leaves and rhizomes of the plant by hydrodistillation process. Then, the chemical composition of these essential oils was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which indicated that limonene (18.74 and 26.20%) and eucalyptol (40.47 and 49.49%) were the main components, respectively. The essential oils also showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 299212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579), Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13076), and a pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231) in the MIC range of 32–256 μg/mL, which was comparable to those of positive controls, streptomycin and cycloheximide. For the first time, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of C. vietnamense were studied.

Valorization of Peels of Eight Peach Varieties: GC-MS Profile, Free and Bound Phenolics and Corresponding Biological Activities.

Sustainability, becoming essential for food processing and technology, sets goals for the characterization of resources considered as food waste. In this work, information about the GC-MS metabolites of peach peels was provided as a tool that can shed more light on the studied biological activities. In addition, distribution patterns and contribution of the chemical profile and free and bound phenolic compounds as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and enzymatic clusters in peach peels of different varieties of Bulgarian origin were studied. The two applied techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) for releasing the bound phenolics reveal that alkaline hydrolysis is a better extraction approach. Still, the results indicate the prevalence of the free phenolics in the studied peach peel varieties. Total phenolics of peach wastes were positively correlated with their antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity results certainly defined the need of an individual interpretation for each variety, but the free phenolics fractions could be outlined with the strongest potential. The limited ability of the peels' extracts to inhibit α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase, and the moderate antimicrobial activity, on the other hand, indicate that the potential of peach peels is still sufficient to seek ways to valorize this waste. Indeed, this new information about peach peels can be used to characterize peach fruits from different countries and/or different food processes, as well as to promote the use of this fruit waste in food preparation.

Characterization of phytochemicals and determination of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of the medicinal plant Ardisia solanacea

The present study was conducted to detect possible phytochemicals and evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the extract of Ardisia solanacea. Phytochemical screening was carried out using the standard test methods of different chemical group. For investigating the antioxidant activity, two complementary test methods namely DPPH free radical scavenging assay and total phenolic content determination were carried out. For the evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity, disc diffusion method was used. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity was done using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. In DPPH free radical scavenging test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed the highest free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value 40.04 ?g/ml. while compared to that of the reference standards ascorbic acid. Ardisia solanacea was also found as a good source of total phenolic contents. Moreover, the extracts revealed moderate antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 400 ?g/disc. In cytotoxic activity test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed significant cytotoxic potential (LC50 value of 0.703 ?g/ml) among all the fractions comparing with that of standard vincristine (0.544 ?g/ml). Therefore, further studies are suggested to determine the active compounds responsible for the pharmacological activities of the plant extracts.

The phenolic constituents and antimicrobial activity of Xanthium spinosum (asteraceae) extracts

Xanthium spinosum is a cosmopolitan annual herb used in traditional medicine worldwide. Although known from ethnobotanical studies, the species is scarcely investigated from the aspects of phytochemistry and biological activity. Therefore, the phenolic composition and biological activity of X. spinosum were examined. Plant specialised metabolites (phenolics) extracted from the roots, leaves and fruits with dichloromethane:methanol (1:1) were analysed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In total 10 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified. Six compounds were common to all the extracts. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant constituent in all the extracts (4.262 mg/g in the fruit extract, 0.820 mg/g in the leaf extract, and 0.540 mg/g in the root extract). The biological activity (antimicrobial and antibiofilm) of the extracts was tested against 12 microfungi and 12 bacterial strains by the microdilution method. All the extracts exhibited moderate antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity and inhibited the growth of most of the examined microorganisms. The obtained results indicate the potential role of the tested extracts in pharmacy and medicine.

Procena antimikrobne aktivnosti soka i ekstrakta crne ribizle (Ribes nigrum L.) sorte Čačanska crna

Aim. This study aimed to evaluate and quantify the antimicrobial activity of lyophilized fruit juice (BCLJ) and waste extract (BCLW) obtained from the black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) variety Čačanska crna. Materials and method. The study was conducted using four Gram (+) (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and five Gram (-) bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter aerogenes) as well as one yeast (Candida albicans). Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside and delphinidin-3-Oglucoside present in black currant were used as standards, so the second aim was to determine their influence on the total antimicrobial activity. Results. The tested samples showed moderate antimicrobial activity. The inhibitory effect of BCLJ was shown on all Gram (+) bacteria (B. cereus, E. faecalis, S. aureus), apart from L. monocytogenes, for which the extracts were not effective. It was noted that BCLJ did not suppress the growth of Gram (-) bacteria. Black currant waste extract on the other hand was shown to be efficient on Gram (+) as well as on Gram (-) bacteria. The results of minimum inhibitory concentrations MIC (MFC) of BCLJ and BCLW were 100 mg/mL and MBC was higher than 100 mg. The MIC/MBC (MFC) of standards were 0.13 - 0.5 mg/mL. Conclusion. Results indicate that these black currant lyophilizates might be potentially used as antimicrobial agents.

Chemical analysis and biological activity of the essential oils and extracts of two liverwort species growing in Turkey

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) from two Diplophyllum species and to evaluate their bioactivity potential [antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-urease, anti-xanthine oxidase (XO)], and phenolic compounds. The analysis of Diplophyllum albicans and Diplophyllum taxifolium permitted the identification of 62 components, comprising ? 99.6% of the total EO composition. The major components found in these liverwort species were ?-patchoulene, ?-santalene, ?-himachalene, and cubebol. The antimicrobial assays showed that the solvent extracts (n-hexane and methanol) from these liverwort species exhibited weak to moderate antimicrobial activity. In addition, the methanol extracts of these liverwort species also exhibited moderate to high antioxidant potential. The enzyme inhibitory effects of the species were determined using urease and XO for the methanol extracts. Generally, the methanol extracts of D. albicans and D. taxifolium exhibited powerful urease inhibition with IC50 values of 9.711 ?} 0.058 and 6.304 ?} 0.099 ?g/mL, respectively, compared to the IC50 value of 26.124 ?} 0.077 ?g/mL for the standard (acetohydroxamic acid). Moreover, the HPLC-UV detection method showed that the analysed methanol extracts of these liverwort species contained only catechin and benzoic acid. These findings suggest that the analysed liverwort species possess antioxidant and urease inhibition, thus indicating the potential to explore new bioactive molecules.

Accumulation of lankamycin derivative with a branched-chain sugar from a blocked mutant of chalcose biosynthesis in Streptomyces rochei 7434AN4

Lankamycin, a macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces rochei 7434AN4, exhibits a moderate antimicrobial activity and acts as a synergistic pair with carbocyclic antibiotic lankacidin C by binding to the ribosome exit tunnel. Its biosynthetic gene (lkm) cluster (orf24-orf53) is located on the largest plasmid pSLA2-L (210,614 bp). Our group possesses a variety of lankamycin derivatives and macrolide-modification enzymes including P450 enzymes and glycosyltransferases, which may lead to expand the chemical library of bioactive macrolides. Here we constructed a mutant of a 3-ketoreductase gene lkmCVI (orf42) involved in d-chalcose biosynthesis, and its metabolite was isolated and structure-elucidated. Accumulation of novel lankamycin derivative harboring a branched-chain deoxysugar, 5-O-(4′,6′-dideoxy-3′-C-acetyl-d-ribo-hexopyranosyl)-3-O-(4″-O-acetyl-l-arcanosyl)-lankanolide, indicated that LkmCVI acts as a gate keeper enzyme for d-chalcose synthesis in lankamycin biosynthesis.

Antifouling and antibacterial performance evaluation of polyethersulfone membranes modified with AZ63 alloy.

Antibacterial membranes have attracted researchers' interest in recent years as a possible approach for dealing with biofouling on the membrane surface. This research aims to see if blending AZ63 Mg alloy into a polyethersulphone (PES) membrane can improve antifouling and separation properties. The composite membranes' pure water flux continued to increase from pristine PES to PES/AZ63 2.00 wt%. The results showed that PES/AZ63 2.00 wt% membrane supplied the highest permeate flux of E. coli. The steady-state fluxes of AZ63 composite membranes were 113.24, 104.38 and 44.79 L/m2h for PES/AZ63 2.00 wt%, 1.00 wt%, and 0.50 wt%, respectively. The enhanced biological activity of AZ63 was studied based on antioxidant activity, DNA cleavage, antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, bacterial viability inhibition and photodynamic antimicrobial therapy studies. The maximum DPPH scavenging activity was determined as 81.25% with AZ63. AZ63 indicated good chemical nuclease activity and also showed moderate antimicrobial activity against studied strains. The highest biofilm inhibition of AZ63 was 83.25% and 71.63% towards P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. The cell viability inhibition activity of AZ63 was found as 96.34% against E. coli. The photodynamic antimicrobial therapy results displayed that AZ63 demonstrated 100% bacterial inhibition when using E. coli.

Two new antimicrobial steroids and other constituents from the whole plant of Ludwigia abyssinica

The genus Ludwigia belongs to the Onagraceae family and it encompasses seventy-five species of aquatic plants. The chemistry of this genus is scarcely investigated, although some studies have demonstrated the potential of Ludwigia leptocarpa to produce important bioactive compounds. Herein, we describe the phytochemical investigation of Ludwigia abyssinica A. Rich. Two new steroids named 3 β -formyloxy-5 α ,6α-dihydroxysitostane (Ludwigiaformyl A, 1 ) and 3 β ,6 α -diformyloxy-5 α -hydroxysitostane (Ludwigiaformyl B, 2 ), along with six known compounds, 3 β -formyloxysitost-5-en ( 3 ), 5 α ,6 β -dihydroxysitosterol ( 4 ), maslinic acid ( 5 ), oleanolic acid ( 6 ) and a mixture of two iridoids: linearin ( 7 ) and 1-epilinearin ( 8 ) were obtained from whole plant of L. abyssinica . The structures of the isolated compounds were established by extensive analysis of their spectroscopic and spectrometric data, which included HR-TOF-ESIMS, 1 D NMR ( 1 H, 13 C) and 2 D NMR ( 1 H– 1 H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and ROESY) and by comparison with data reported in the literature. The antimicrobial activities of extracts, fractions, and new compounds ( 1) and ( 2 ) were evaluated using broth microdilution method against fungi and bacteria strains. The MeOH extract and the ethyl acetate fraction displayed different degrees of antibacterial and antifungal activities (MIC = 32 – 512 µg/mL; MMC = 64 – 512 µg/mL) whereas compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Shigella flexneri and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC = 8 – 32 µg/mL; MMC = 8 – 64 µg/mL). • Two new steroid derivatives trivially named Ludwigiaformyl A and B, were isolated from Ludwigia abyssinica. • Their structures were characterized by extensive 2 D NMR studies. • Six known compounds were also isolated from this plant. • Antimicrobial activities were evaluated.

Effect of enzyme-assisted extraction on yield, composition, and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L. grown in Lam Dong Province, Viet Nam

In the present study, viscozyme L pre-treatment for aerial parts of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary), grown in Lam Dong province, was performed to evaluate the effective extraction of essential oils by hydro-distillation. Enzymatic pre-treatment with 1 g viscozyme L enzyme mixed with 5 mL sodium chloride 15% at 50oC for 1 hour, followed by hydro-distillation, was seen to slightly increase the yield of rosemary essential oils from 0.96% to 1.08%. GC/MS analysis showed the presence of 32 compounds in rosemary essential oils, of which the major components were α-pinene (29.71 - 32.17%) and cineol (17.55 - 18.74%) in both the control and the enzymatically treated samples. The results also revealed that rosemary essential oils obtained from both the control and the enzymatically treated samples exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans in all tested concentrations.

Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity study of cerium oxide nanoparticles with two different sizes.

The control over bacterial diseases requires the development of novel antibacterial agents. The use of antibacterial nanomedicines is one of the strategies to tackle antibiotic resistance. The study was designed to assess the antimicrobial activity of cerium oxide (CeO2 ) nanoparticles (NP) of two different sizes (CeO2 NP1 [1-2 nm] and CeO2 NP2 [10-12 nm]) and their cytotoxicity towards eukaryotic cells. The antimicrobial activity, effects of nanoparticles on DNA cleavage, microbial cell viability, and biofilm formation inhibition were analyzed. The impact of cerium oxide nanoparticles on eryptosis of erythrocytes was estimated using annexin V staining by flow cytometry. The newly synthesized CeO2 NP1 and CeO2 NP2 displayed moderate antimicrobial activities. CeO2 NP1 and CeO2 NP2 exhibited single-strand DNA cleavage ability. CeO2 NPs were found to show 100% microbial cell viability inhibition at a concentration of 500 mg/L. In addition, CeO2 NP1 and CeO2 NP2 inhibited the biofilm formation of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Larger cerium oxide nanoparticles were found to be less toxic against erythrocytes compared with the smaller ones. CeO2 nanoparticles demonstrate moderate antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity towards erythrocytes, which make them promising antibacterial agents.

Phaeosphaeridiols A–C: Three New Compounds from Undescribed Phaeosphaeriaceae sp. SGSF723

Fungi in forest litter are diverse as decomposers but natural products from these fungi are rarely investigated, especially for their antimicrobial activities against crop diseases. In this study, fungal isolate SGSF723 with antimicrobial activities was cultured. A multi-gene phylogenetic analysis showed SGSF723 was an undescribed species in the family Phaeosphaeriaceae. By bio-guided assay, three new compounds (Phaeosphaeridiols A-C) and two known compounds were purified from the ethyl acetate extract. The structures of Phaeosphaeridiols A-C were elucidated as 2-(2'-butenyl)-5 (3″-pentene)-1,3-benzenediol (1), 2-(2'-butenyl)-5-(3″S,4″S-pentane diol)-1,3-benzenediol (2), and 3-(4'-(2″-butenyl)-3',5'-benzenediol phenol)-2-acrylic acid (3) by 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and Mosher's method. Phaeosphaeridiols A-C exhibited moderate or weak antimicrobial activities against plant pathogens by 96-well plate and spore germination assays.

Antimicrobial Activity and Constituents of Essential Oils from the Leaves of Syzygium szemaoense Merrill & L.M. Perry and Syzygium corticosum (Lour.) Merr. & L.M. Perry grown in Vietnam

In this study, the leaves of Syzygium szemaoense Merrill & L.M. Perry and Syzygium corticosum (Lour.) Merr. & L.M. Perry was screened for their essential oils constituents and antimicrobial activities. The main constituent of S. szemaoense was cis-β-elemene (68.0%), while β-caryophyllene (54.0%) was the most abundant constituent of the essential oil of S. corticosum. Both essential oils displayed moderate antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 128.0 µg/mL, as well as anti-candidal action towards Candida albicans ATCC 10231 with MIC value of 64.0 µg/mL. The essential oil of S. corticosum showed antimicrobial activity towards Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 with MIC value of 128.0 µg/mL. The chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of both S. szemaoense and S. corticosum are being reported for the first time. The essential oils of S. szemaoense and S. corticosum may be considered for further investigation for antimicrobial uses.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Prangos ferulacea Essential Oils

Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl, which belongs to the Apiaceae family, is a species that mainly grows in the eastern Mediterranean region and in western Asia. It has been largely used in traditional medicine in several countries and it has been shown to possess several interesting biological properties. With the aim to provide new insights into the phytochemistry and pharmacology of this species, the essential oils of flowers and leaves from a local accession that grows in Sicily (Italy) and has not yet been previously studied were investigated. The chemical composition of both oils, obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves and flowers, was evaluated by GC-MS. This analysis allowed us to identify a new chemotype, characterized by a large amount of (Z)-β-ocimene. Furthermore, these essential oils have been tested for their possible antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. P. ferulacea essential oils exhibit moderate antimicrobial activity; in particular, the flower essential oil is harmful at low and wide spectrum concentrations. They also exhibit good antioxidant activity in vitro and in particular, it has been shown that the essential oils of the flowers and leaves of P. ferulacea caused a decrease in ROS and an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in OZ-stimulated PMNs. Therefore, these essential oils could be considered as promising candidates for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical preparations.

Volatile Compounds and Antioxidant and Antifungal Activity of Bud and Needle Extracts from Three Populations of Pinus mugo Turra Growing in Romania

Pinus mugo Turra is a shrub-like conifer with multiple healing properties. P. mugo extracts are rich in active ingredients such as volatile compounds, tannin, higher alcohols, vitamins, and minerals. In this study, we identified and quantified the secondary metabolites from buds and needles of P. mugo harvested from three different mountain areas in Romania. The main volatile compounds contained in the extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and the most significant were pinene, germacrene, limonene, and caryophyllene. The total polyphenol content (TPC) was in the range of 46.77 ± 0.3 and 77.99 ± 0.5 mg GAE/g and the total flavonoid content (TFC) 24.90 ± 0.1 and 54.78 ± 0.3 mg QE/g. The content of ascorbic acid ranged between 12.21 mg/100 g and 27.34 mg/100 g, concentrations that are recommended for natural sources of ascorbic acid. Moderate antimicrobial activity on yeasts and molds was not dependent on plant origin. By highlighting the rich content of active compounds, and moderate antioxidant and antifungal activity, this study is an argument for the beneficial use of P. mugo bud and needle extracts, regardless of the habitat of origin on the Romanian territory, in the fields of medicine and the food industry or in the implementation of eco-friendly practices.

Phytochemical Study and Biological Activity of Three Fern Species of the Asplenium Genus Growing in Bulgaria

Background: Ferns are underestimated as medicinal plants and their use in traditional medicine is limited despite their diversity. Most of the research on their healing properties and phytochemical composition related to their biological activity has been focused on the secondary metabolites synthesized by ferns. Objective: In this study, we aimed to make an in-depth chemical characterization of three ferns widely spread in Bulgaria - Asplenium ceterach L., Asplenium scolopendrium L. and Asplenium trichomanes L. Methods: Micro elemental analysis was carried out using ICP-MS. Standard laboratory methods were used to determine the content of proteins, fats and fatty acids. Chromatographic methods were applied to quantify some secondary metabolites. Two antioxidant methods and two antimicrobial tests were used to evaluate the biological properties of the ferns tested. Results: Micro elemental analysis showed that these ferns could be useful source of zinc and iron. Protein content slightly varied among the species (13.6% - 18.4% of the dried plant weight). Negligible was the variation in oil content (3.1% - 4.0%, dry weight base); oil composition was dominated by saturated fatty acids. Some principal classes secondary metabolites, individual phenolic acids and flavonoids were quantified. The extract obtained from Asplenium ceterach L. demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacity. Fern extracts showed moderate antimicrobial activity against six of the 14 microorganisms tested. Conclusion: The results obtained may reveal new areas of application for ferns and are a solid basis for comparison with the same species growing in other geographical and climatic conditions, which may affect their healing properties.

Novel isoxazole linked 1,5- benzodiazepine derivatives: Design, synthesis, molecular docking and antimicrobial evaluation

In the current work, the synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of a novel series of isoxazoles connected to benzodiazepines are described. These compounds structures were identified using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, X-Ray, and HRMS. All the new synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activities against three types of pathogenic bacteria and three fungal strains, by application of the Disc-Diffusion and MIC assays, using Ampicillin and Griseofulvin as standard. Biological results revealed that some of these compounds exhibited excellent to moderate antimicrobial activities. The interactions of these compounds with the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilus (ATCC 6633) and the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27,853) were performed by molecular docking studies.