New constituents from the rhizomes of Egyptian Iris germanica L

Chemical investigation of the methanolic extract of the rhizomes of Iris germanica L. (Iridaceae) afforded two new compounds; irigenin S (7) and iriside A (12), together with ten known compounds: stigmasterol (1), a-irone (2), γ-irone (3), 3-hydroxy-5-methoxyacetophenone (4), irilone (5), irisolidone (6), irigenin (8), stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (9), irilone 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10) and iridin (11). Their structures were established by UV, IR, 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to mass spectroscopic data and comparison with literature data. The methanolic extract was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity. Both the methanolic extract and the isolated flavonoids were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity.     

Two new C-glycosylflavones from the leaves of Iris lactea var.chinensis

Two new acylated C-glycosylflavones were isolated from the leaves of Iris lactea var. chinensis, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR experiments and mass spectrometry methods and were assigned as 5-hydroxy-4＇- methoxyflavone-7-O-（β-D-2＇＇＇＇4＇＇＇＇-diacetylrhamnopyranosyl）-6-C-[ O-（α-L-6＇＇＇-acetyl-glucpyranosyl）-1→2-β-D-glucopyrano- side] （irislactin A） and 5-hydroxy-4＇,7-dimethoxyflavone-6-C-[O-（α-L-2＇＇＇,3＇＇＇-diacetylrhanmo-pyranosyl）-1→ 2-β-D-glucopyranoside] （irislactin B）.     

Antimicrobial activities of single aroma compounds

Commercially available aroma samples were evaluated for their olfactory quality by professional perfumers and tested for their antimicrobial activity. Agar diffusion and agar-dilution were used as test methods and a set of two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and four Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris G, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella abony) and a yeast, Candida albicans, were the test microorganisms. All the investigated compounds were active against Gram-positive bacteria, especially beta-caryophyllene against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC 6 ppm), but only few substances showed activity towards Gram-negative bacteria, except for cinnamic acid, which was active against all (MIC 60 ppm) and Candida albicans, against which cinnamic acid and caryophyllene oxide showed high activity (MIC < 60 ppm).     

Chemical constituents and antibacterial activity of Melastoma malabathricum L

The aqueous methanolic extracts of Melastoma malabathricum L. exhibited antibacterial activity when assayed against seven microorganisms by the agar diffusion method. Solvent fractionation afforded active chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions from the leaves and the flowers, respectively. A phytochemical study resulted in the identification of ursolic acid (1), 2α-hydroxyursolic acid (2), asiatic acid (3), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and the glycolipid glycerol 1,2-dilinolenyl-3-O-β-D-galactopyanoside (5) from the chloroform fraction. Kaempferol (6), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (7), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (9), kaempferol 3-O-(2″,6″-di-O-E-p-coumaryl)-β-D-galactopyranoside (10), quercetin (11) and ellagic acid (12) were found in the ethyl acetate fraction. The structures of these compounds were determined by chemical and spectral analyses. Compounds 1-4, the flavonols (6 and 11) and ellagic acid (12) were found to be active against some of the tested microorganisms, while the kaempferol 3-O-glycosides (7-9) did not show any activity, indicating the role of the free 3-OH for antibacterial activity. Addition of p-coumaryl groups results in mild activity for 10 against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Compounds 2-5, 7 and 9-12 are reported for the first time from M. malabathricum. Compound 10 is rare, being reported only once before from a plant, without assignment of the double bond geometry in the p-coumaryl moiety.     

Chemical structures and hepatoprotective effects of constituents from the leaves of Salacia chinensis

The methanolic extract from the leaves of Salacia chinensis collected in Thailand was found to show a protective effect on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. From the methanolic extract, eight new glycosides, named foliachinenosides E, F, G, H, and I, and foliasalaciosides J, K and L, were isolated together with 26 known constituents. The structures of new glycosides were determined on the basis of physicochemical and chemical evidence. In addition, the hepatoprotective effects of the isolated compounds on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity were examined. Among them, lignans, eleutheroside E? and 7R,8S-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, were found to show the protective effects [inhibition (%) 41.4 ± 3.6 (p < 0.01), 45.5 ± 2.7 (p < 0.01) at 100 μM, respectively].     

Cytotoxic compounds from the leaves of Gaillardia aristata Pursh. growing in Egypt

Ten compounds, neopulchellin (1), 6α- hydroxyneopulchellin (2), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (3), apigenin (4), quercitin (5), eupafolin (6), kaempferol-3-methoxy-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside (7), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), α-amyrin (9) and β-sitosterol (10), were isolated from the leaves of Gaillardia aristata by applying bioassay guided fractionation. The cytotoxicity was traced against two human cancer cell lines (breast (MCF7) and colon (HCT116)). The highest cytotoxicity was revealed by compounds 1 and 2 (isolated from chloroform extract); with IC(50) values of 0.43, 0.32?μg?mL(-1) against MCF7 and 0.46, 0.34?μg?mL(-1) against HCT116, respectively. Compounds 9 and 10 (isolated from the n-hexane extract) exhibited lower IC(50) values of 3.05, 2.35?μg?mL(-1) against MCF7 and 3.05, 2.35?μg?mL(-1) against HCT116, respectively, while compounds 4-7 obtained from the ethyl acetate extract revealed the lowest cytotoxicity. Identification of the aforementioned compounds was carried out on the basis of their physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis (UV, EI/MS, 1D and 2D).     

A new antibacterial compound produced by an indigenous marine bacteria--fermentation, isolation, and biological activity

The use of microorganisms for biological purpose has become an effective alternative to control pathogens. A marine bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from Eal fish of Baluchistan coast of Pakistan. This strain produced a bactericidal antibiotic against environmental and clinical isolates. In this study, we purified bactericidal antibiotic from the ethyl acetate extract of the cells of P. aeruginosa and analyzed its chemical structure. Based on spectrometric analysis, this compound 1 is proposed to be 1-methyl-1,4 dihydroquinoline and is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Vibrio aliginolyticus, Micrococcus luteus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter faecium but it is not active against G streptococci, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger. Minimal inhibitory concentration for Gram-positive bacteria was between 50 and 75 microg mL(-1) and for Gram-negative bacteria 75-100 microg mL(-1).     

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Heracleum thomsonii (Clarke) from the cold desert of the western Himalayas

Volatile oil composition of hydro-distilled (HD) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) essential oil of freshly collected aerial parts of Heracleum thomsonii (Umbeliferae) from the western Himalayas was studied by GC-FID and GC-MS. Results revealed qualitative and quantitative dissimilarity in the composition of hydro-distilled and SC-CO(2) extracted oils. Nineteen constituents, which accounted for 89.32% of total constituents in HD oil, represented by limonene (4.31%), (Z)-β-ocimene (3.69%), terpinolene (22.24%), neryl acetate (36.19%), nerol (9.51%) and p-cymene-8-ol (2.61%) were identified. In SC-CO(2) extracted oil, 24 constituents representing 89.95% of total constituents were identified. Terpinolene (5.08%), germacrene D (2.17%), neryl acetate (51.62%), nerol (9.78%), geranyl acetate (2.06%), α-bisabolol (2.48%) and 1-nonadecanol (4.96%) were the dominating constituents. In?vitro antimicrobial activity of hydro-distilled oil was conducted against microrobial strains including two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and five Gram-negative (Burkholderia cepacia, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebseilla pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria as well as seven fungi (Candida albicans, Issatchenkia orientalis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus sydowii and Trichophyton rubrum) using broth microdilution method. The results of bioassay showed that the oil exhibited moderate to high antimicrobial activity against fungi C. albicans (MIC 625 μg?ml(-1)), A. parasiticus (MIC 312.5 μg?ml(-1)), A. sydowii (MIC 312.5 μg?ml(-1)), T. rubrum (MIC 625 μg?ml(-1)), Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis (MIC 625?μg?ml(-1)) and Gram-negative bacteria P. aeruginosa (MIC 312.5 μg?ml(-1)).     

Three new flavonol C-glycosides from Sida cordifolia Linn

Three new flavonol C-glycosides: 3′-(3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,6″-octadiene)-8-C-β-D-glucosyl-kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucoside (1), 3′-(3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,6″-octadiene)-8-C-β-D-glucosyl-kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucosyl [1→4]-α-D-glucoside (2) and 6-(3″-methyl-2″-butene)-3′-methoxyl-8-C-β-D-glucosyl-kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucosyl [1→4]-β-D-glucoside (3) have been isolated from 80% ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Sida cordifolia Linn followed by partitioning with ethyl acetate. Structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods.     

A new eudesmane sesquiterpene glucoside from Liriope muscari fibrous roots

The screening of several Chinese medicinal herbs for nematocidal properties showed that the ethanol extract of Liriope muscari fibrous roots possessed significant nematocidal activity against the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). From the ethanol extract, a new constituent (1,4-epoxy-cis-eudesm-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside) and three known glycosides [1β,6α-dihydroxy-cis-eudesm-3-ene-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (liriopeoside A), 1β,6β-dihydroxy-cis-eudesm-3-ene-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and 1α,6β-dihydroxy-5,10-bis-epi-eudesm-4(15)-ene-6-O-β D-glucopyranoside] were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR and MS techniques. 1,4-Epoxy-cis-eudesm-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside possessed moderate nemato-cidal activity against B. xylophilus with a LC(50 )value of 339.76 μg/mL, while liriopeoside A (LC(50) = 82.84 μg/mL) and 1β,6β-dihydroxy-cis-eudesm-3-ene-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (LC(50) = 153.39 μg/mL) also exhibited nematocidal activity against B. xylophilus. The crude extract of L. muscari fibrous roots exhibited nematocidal activity against the pine wood nematode with a LC(50) value of 182.56 μg/mL.     

Ceramide and Cerebroside from the stem bark of Ficus mucuso (Moraceae)

Two new sphingolipids mucusamide (1) and mucusoside (2) have been isolated from methanol soluble part of the stem bark of Ficus mucuso WELW., together with fifteen known secondary metabolites including cellobiosylsterol (3), β-sitosterol (4), stigmasterol (5), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), lupeol acetate (7), ursolic acid (8), procatechuic acid (9), 2-methyl-5,7-dihydroxychromone 8-C-β-D-glucoside (10), apigenin (11), (-)-epicatechin (12), (+)-catechin (13), N-benzoyl-L-phenylalanilol (14), α-acetylamino-phenylpropyl α-benzoylamino-phenylpropionate (15), asperphenamate (16) and bejaminamide (17). Structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods.     

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of bark extracts from Commiphora berryi and Commiphora caudata

This study investigates the in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of eight extracts obtained from the dried barks of Commiphora berryi and Commiphora caudata (Burseraceae). The radical scavenging activity was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide assays. The methanolic extracts of C. berryi and C. caudata showed significant DPPH radical scavenging activity, with IC?? values of 26.92 and 21.16?μg?mL?1, respectively, and low radical scavenging activity against the nitric oxide assay. The antimicrobial activity of the plants was tested against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The ethyl acetate, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of C. berryi showed good antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.26?mg?mL?1, whereas the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of C. caudata showed moderate antimicrobial activity with an MIC of more than 2.0?mg?mL?1 against P. aeruginosa compared to the petroleum ether and chloroform extracts, which showed an MIC of 1.1?mg?mL?1. The methanolic extracts of C. berryi and C. caudata also showed moderate cytotoxic activity against a human mammary carcinoma cell line (MCF-7), with values IC?? of 82.6 and 88.4?μg?mL?1, respectively.     

Antimicrobial activities of essential oil and methanol extract of Coriaria nepalensis

Plant extracts and products have been used for centuries in traditional medicine; for most of them, in addition to the scant scientific credibility, the chemical composition and spectrum of activity are yet to be explored. To put forward this effort and to identify novel antimicrobial agents, the inhibitory activities of methanolic extract and essential oil from Coriaria nepalensis against various microorganisms including pathogenic yeast, and Gram-positive and negative bacteria were evaluated. Chemical compositions of C. nepalensis methanolic extract and essential oil were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In vitro susceptibility tests against all the tested isolates were performed in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and well diffusion assay using standard protocols. All microorganisms tested were profoundly found susceptible to both the C. nepalensis extract and oil with MIC values of 1.3-2.1?mg?mL?1 (Gram-positive bacteria), 1.4-2.2?mg?mL?1 (Gram-negative bacteria) and 0.9-1.6?mg?mL?1 (yeasts). The extent of inhibition was shown more by methanolic extract than by essential oil. This study is the first to report the antimicrobial activity of extracts obtained from the C. nepalensis. It can be concluded that the observed antimicrobial characteristics of C. nepalensis indicate that it might be a promising antimicrobial agent.     

Enantioselective analysis of ofloxacin enantiomers by partial-filling capillary electrophoresis with bacteria as chiral selectors

The enantiomeric separation of ofloxacin enantiomers (OFLX) was achieved by using capillary electrophoresis partial-filled with Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative), and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) as chiral selectors. Experimental parameters, including the concentration of background electrolyte, applied voltage, length of the filled bacteria plug, and pH of the buffer, were intensively investigated. Baseline separation of OFLX could be achieved within 7 min by using E. coli and P. aeruginosa as chiral selectors under the following conditions: electrophoretic buffer composed of 10 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, applied voltage at 15 kV, and the bacteria (6.0 × 10(8) cells/mL) were injected into the capillary by gravity with injection height of 17.5 cm for 180 s (E. coli), 300 s (P. aeruginosa), and 300 s (S. aureus), respectively. E. coli and P. aeruginosa had better chiral selectivity for OFLX than S. aureus, which was in good agreement with OFLX having better antimicrobial activity on Gram-negative rather than Gram-positive bacteria. A novel method was developed for the enantioselective separation of enantiomers using bacteria as chiral selectors, which provides a new approach for antimicrobials enantioselective analysis, chiral pharmacodynamics, and chiral pharmacokinetics studies.     

Three new flavonoid glycosides, byzantionoside B 6'-O-sulfate and xyloglucoside of (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol from Ruellia patula

Three new flavonoid glycosides, demethoxycentaureidin 7-O-β-D-galacturonopyranoside, pectolinarigenin 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?→4″)-β-D-glucopyranoside and 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?→4″)-β-D-glucuronopyranoside, a new megastigmane glucoside, byzantionoside B 6'-O-sulfate, and a new (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1″→2')-β-D-glucopyranoside, were isolated from leaves of Ruellia patula JACQ., together with 12 known compounds, β-sitosterol glucoside, vanilloside, bioside (decaffeoyl verbascoside), acteoside (verbascoside), syringin, benzyl alcohol O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1″→2')-β-D-glucopyranoside, cistanoside E, roseoside, phenethyl alcohol O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1″→2')-β-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-lyoniresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, isoacteoside and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1″→6')-β-D-glucopyranoside. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic analyses.     

Phenolic compounds and antimicrobial activity of olive (Olea europaea L. Cv. Cobrançosa) leaves

We report the determination of phenolic compounds in olive leaves by reversed-phase HPLC/DAD, and the evaluation of their in vitro activity against several microorganisms that may be causal agents of human intestinal and respiratory tract infections, namely gram positive (Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and fungi (Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans). Seven phenolic compounds were identified and quantified: caffeic acid, verbascoside, oleuropein, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rutin, apigenin 7-O-glucoside and luteolin 4'-O-glucoside. At low concentrations olive leaves extracts showed an unusual combined antibacterial and antifungal action, which suggest their great potential as nutraceuticals, particularly as a source of phenolic compounds.     

Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils and absolutes from Morocco

The chemical compositions of selected essential oils from North Africa, especially Morocco, of geranium, wild Moroccan chamomile and rosemary as well as absolutes of rose and geranium were determined using GC/FID and GC/MS. These oils and absolutes were tested concerning their antimicrobial activity against some food spoilage strains obtained from fresh milk and minced meat products, like sausages and pork fillet, in accordance with ISO testing procedures. Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella abony and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains were used, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Using a serial broth dilution method, all samples demonstrated weak antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria and the yeast, compared with the activity towards the Gram-positive bacteria.     

Novel bioactive constituents from Enhydra fluctuans LOUR

A novel bioactive isoflavone glycoside 4',5,6,7-tetrahydroxy-8-methoxyisoflavone-7-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1 --> 3)-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Enhydra fluctuans Lour. Its structure A was elucidated by various spectral analysis and chemical degradations. This compound exhibited microbial activity against various bacteria and fungi.     

Herbicidal activity of flavonoids of mango leaves against Parthenium hysterophorus L

This study was undertaken to investigate the herbicidal activity of mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves against parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). The aqueous leaf extract at 15% concentration (on fresh weight basis) significantly reduced germination, shoot length and the shoot and root biomasses of parthenium seedlings. In a leaf residue incorporation pot trial, 2% residue incorporation treatment significantly suppressed the root and shoot biomasses of parthenium, while a 5% residue treatment completely stopped the growth of the weed. Five flavonoids, namely (-)-epicatechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1), 5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pyrano[3,2-g]chromene-4(8H)-one (2), 6-(p-hydroxybenzyl)taxifolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (tricuspid) (3), quercetin-3-O-α-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and (-)-epicatechin(2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H chromene-3,5,7-triol (5) were isolated from mango leaves. In a laboratory bioassay, 50 ppm solution of compounds 3 and 4 caused yellowing of the parthenium seedlings. A 250 ppm solution of compound 4 also significantly reduced germination and the root and shoot lengths of parthenium seedlings. This study concludes that compound 4 exhibits herbicidal activity against parthenium weed.     

New organoselenium compounds active against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses

Different N-substituted benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones, analogues of ebselen were designed as new antiviral and antimicrobial agents. We report their synthesis, chemical properties as well as study on biological activity against broad spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus simulans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger) and viruses (herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)), in vitro. Most of them exhibited high activity against viruses (HSV-1, EMCV) and gram-positive bacteria strains (S. aureus, S. simulans), while their activity against gram-negative bacteria strains (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae) was substantially lower. Some of tested compounds were active against yeast C. albicans and filamentous fungus A. niger.