Compounds isolated from Bixa orellana: evidence-based advances to treat infectious diseases / Compuestos aislados de Bixa orellana: avances basados en la evidencia para tratar enfermedades infecciosas

SUMMARY Bixa orellana L. is a native plant from Brazil, but it is also present in other tropical countries such as Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Indonesia, India and East Africa. It is popularly known as Urucum in Brazil. This review shows the potential of bioactive compounds derived from B. orellana to treat infectious diseases due their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This plant is also related as an antiinflammatory agent for treatment of pulmonary diseases, or even as eye drops for redness. Its leaves are used for treatment of snakebite, diarrhea, gonorrhea, hepatitis, gastritis, diuretic, antipyretic, and for skin disease. This popular knowledge has encouraged the identification of bioactive compounds in this plant. Compounds as β-cryptoxanthin, geranylgeraniol, lutein, procyanidin B2, procyanidin B3, ellagi tannin isomer and ellagic acid deoxyhexose have been described. These compounds inhibited pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoan and viruses. In addition, some compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities were also described. In this sense, B. orellana is a promising source of compounds that could be applied in antimicrobial therapy. This review work may help in the understanding and incentive of new research for antimicrobial discoveries using different B. orellana compounds.

RESUMEN Bixa orellana L. es una planta nativa de Brasil, pero también está presente en otros países tropicales como Perú, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Indonesia, India y África Oriental. Es conocida popularmente como Urucum en Brasil. Esta revisión expone el potencial de los compuestos bioactivos derivados de B. orellana para tratar enfermedades debido a sus propiedades antimicrobianas y antioxidantes. Esta planta también está relacionada como un agente antiinflamatorio para el tratamiento de enfermedades pulmonares e incluso como gotas para los ojos para el enrojecimiento. Sus hojas se utilizan para el tratamiento de la mordedura de serpiente, diarrea, gonorrea, hepatitis, gastritis, diuréticos, antipiréticos y para enfermedades de la piel. Ese conocimiento popular ha fomentado la identificación de compuestos bioactivos en esa planta. Los compuestos β-criptoxantina, geranilgeraniol, luteína, procianidina B2, procianidina B3, isómero elagitanino y ácido elágico desoxihexosa inhibieron microorganismos patógenos como bacterias, hongos, protozoos y virus. En ese sentido, B. orellana es una fuente prometedora de compuestos que podrían aplicarse en la terapia antimicrobiana. Este trabajo de revisión puede ayudar a comprender e incentivar nuevas investigaciones para los descubrimientos de antimicrobianos que utilizan diferentes compuestos de B. orellana.

Smallpox: leaving its mark on public health

Smallpox was one of the most lethal human pathogens in history. It originated around 10,000 years before common era (BCE) in North-eastern Africa, and spread world-wide through human migration and increasing population densities with periodic epidemics throughout the world. By the middle of the 18th century, around one million Europeans each year were contracting the disease with approximately one third of adults and 90 percent of infants succumbing to it. The mortality rate in the immune-naïve populations of the Aztecs and the Incas were as high as 90%. Survivors were left with disfiguring scars and one third were blinded. After the bubonic plague, it was the most feared disease. It affected the outcome of many wars, conquests and the development of many civilisations.

Rapid green synthesis of silver nano particles from Ziziphus mauritianaand antibacterial activity against human pathogens

A novel green source Ziziphus mauritiana fresh young leaves was opted to synthesize silver nanoparticles and analyze its antibacterial activity. The bioactive compounds present in the plant extracts reduced silver ions to NPs, indicated by change in colorfrom red to dark brown. In this study, we have successfully synthesized nanoparticles using Z.mauritiana aqueous leaf extract as a reducing agent and the reaction process of synthesized nanoparticles was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The UV-Vis absorption peak showed maximum adsorption at 420 nm confirmed the silver nanoparticles synthesis. Further characterization was carried out by FTIR and the results recorded a downward shift of absorption the bands between 400 to 4000 cm-1indicates the formationof silver nanoparticles. Finally, the present research was exploited to study the antibacterial activity of synthesized nanoparticles produced Z.mauritiana was studied using different pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonellasp., Proteus sp., Bacillus sp., Klebsiella pneumonia and E.colifrom the well diffusion results, the synthesized silver nanoparticles displayed the best antibacterial property as compared to the antibiotic has been reported in this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that the Z.mauritiana aqueous extract facilitate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles and also exhibits antibacterial activity.

Endophytic fungal communities associated with two ethno-medicinal plants of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, India and their antimicrobial prospective.

To study endophytic fungi associated with two plant species used as ethno-medicines by aboriginal tribes of Similipal Biosphere Reserve and evaluation for their antimicrobial potentials against some clinically significant human pathogens. A total of 458 endophytic isolates were obtained from leaf, stem and fruit tissues of Solanum rubrum and Morinda pubescence. The dominant endophytic fungi belong to genera Aspergillus, Colletotrichum, Curvularia and Mycelia sterilia. Maximum endophytic isolates were obtained from leaves segments followed by stem and fruit tissues. In both the plants class hypomycetes were dominant over other fungal classes. Shannon- Weiner and Simpson indexes showed rich diversity of endophytic fungi suggesting even and uniform occurrence of various species. The endophytic isolates showed varying degree of antimicrobial activity against 9 human pathogens. In S. rubrum 20% and 10% of the isolates inhibited all the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and 35% of the isolates displayed antifungal activity against all the test fungal pathogens. One of the isolate showed considerable antimicrobial activity against all the test pathogens. Endophytic isolates of M. pubescence showed 24% antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and 28% antifungal activity against all the test fungal pathogens. The study revealed that medicinal plants associated endophytes could be a rich source of antimicrobial agents.

Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from food samples: an in vitro study.

Probiotics are the health promoting viable microorganisms that exhibit a beneficial effect on the health of human being by improving the intestinal microbial balance. Probiotic bacteria may produce various compounds, which are inhibitory to the growth of pathogen, which include organic acids (lactic and acetic acids), bacteriocins, and reuterin. In the present study a total of 17 food samples were collected for isolation of lactic acid bacteria. A total of 26 isolates of lactic acid bacteria were purified and screened for their antimicrobial activity against seven human pathogenic MTCC strains counting three test fungal strains such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus sp. and Candida albicans and four test bacterial strains (two Gram-negative namely Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica ser. typhi and two Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus amyloliquifaciens). Out of 26, eight isolates were considered for further analysis of probiotic potential whose antimicrobial activity was found to be good against maximum number of tested strains. The selected lactic acid bacteria exhibited excellent probiotic characteristics and thus can be used as a potential source of probiotic. Study affirms their use in the development of new pharmaceutical preparations and functional foods belonging to vegetables and fruits (as origin) as probiotics for the betterment of public health.

Antibacterial activity of Ascidian phallusia arabica against human clinical isolates.

Antibacterial activity of methanol and ethanol extracts of the ascidian, Phallusia arabica was evaluated by disc diffusion method against various human pathogen isolates. Two different concentrations (0.5and 1mg/ml) were analyzed. The crude methanol extract was more active exhibiting a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity than the ethanol extract against the pathogenic microbes tested. Maximum inhibition zone (12 mm) was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 1 mg ml-1 concentration crude methanol extract. The inhibition zone was 3 mm in Escherichia coli for ethanol extract of 0.5 mg ml-1 concentration. The ranges of inhibition zone in the tested extracts were lesser than the standard antibiotics used in all the strains. The MIC and MBC for methanolic extract tested in study inferred that the values range between 0.70-0.95 mg/ml and 0.85-1.1 mg/ml respectively.

Phytochemical investigations and antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants against pathogenic bacteria.

The antibacterial activity of various solvent extracts of medicinal plants was evaluated against the human pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, Enterobacter aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus by agar cup diffusion method. Methanol extracts of Clerodendrum inerme L., Terminalia chebula Retz., Curcuma amada Roxb., Anacardium occidentale L., Duranta repens L., Eucalyptus camaldulenis Dehnh and Euphorbia cotinifolia L. showed significant activity. The petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of Terminalia chebula, Curcuma amada and Piper betel also showed promising results. The antibacterial activity of promising plant extracts when compared with standard drugs streptomycin and gentamycin recorded siginificant inhibition. Phytochemical analysis of the different extracts of the screened plants indicated the presence of flavanoids, terpinoids, tannins steriodas, alkaloids and glysocides. The positive results of screening of medicinal plants for antibacterial activity forms primary platform for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity using different extracts of anacardium occidentale L.

The present study highlights the investigation of antioxidant and antimicrobial property of different extracts of seed coat and leaf of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.). The antioxidant activity was determined by the 2, 2- diphenyl -1 picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) method. Maximum activity was observed in acetonic extract of Anacardium occidentale leaf which was 52.50% (1000μg/ml). The antimicrobial activity had been tested for the plant parts using its aqueous, acetone and ethanol extracts against two Gram-positive human pathogenic bacteria like Micrococcus luteus (lab culture), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC96), four Gramnegative human pathogenic bacteria Salmonella typhi (ATCC12600), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC109), Escherichia coli (MTCC1687), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC733). The ethanol extract of the seed coat of Anacardium occidentale L. were most efficacious against all the test organisms with zone of inhibition ranging from 12.0-34.0 mm, and the acetonic extract of the leaf sample of Anacardium occidentale L. was also active against all the test organisms with zone of inhibition ranging from 12.0-28.0 mm.

Phytochemical screening and Antimicrobial activity of the leaves of Memecylon umbellatum burm F.

An ethnomedicinal plant, Memecylon umbellatum Burm. f., was investigated for preliminary phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity. Preliminary phytochemical screening of various extracts of the leaves revealed the presence of various classes of compounds such as amino acids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, gum, oil & resins, proteins, phenolic groups, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids. Bioassay of antimicrobial activity of leaves of petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts showed significant activity against the human pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae causing brain abscesses, pneumonia and septic arthritis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing urinary tract infections and septicaemia, Salmonella typhi causing typhoid fever, Vibrio species causing diarrheal infections and the fungus Candida albicans. The antimicrobial activity of the petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanolic leaf extract showed concentration-dependent activity against all the tested bacteria with the zone of inhibition at various concentrations. Thus the findings revealed the medicinal potential of Memecylon umbellatum against various infectious diseases to develop a drug.

Preliminary investigation on antimicrobial and proteolytic property of the epidermal mucus secretion of marine stingrays

Objective:To determine the antibacterial, antifungal, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the protease activity of the stingray mucus Dasyatis sephen (D. sephen) and Himantura gerrardi (H. gerrardi). Methods: Antimicrobial activity of crude aqueous, acidic and organic mucus extract was evaluated by disc diffusion method against human pathogens, MIC of the active samples were determined by spectrophotometric method and the protease activity which is responsible for the antimicrobial activity was determined by using zymogram method. Results:The crude acidic extracts of both the species showed antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi (S. typhi), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) and the acidic extracts of both the species exhibit antifungal activity against all the tested pathogens. Remaining extracts didn't show any inhibitory activity. The acidic extracts of H. gerrardi is significantly active against S. typhi, E. coli, V. cholerae, Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes), Alternaria alternaria (A. alternaria), Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) at the minimum concentration of 16μg/mL, but the acidic extract of D. sephen required 32μg/mL of protein to inhibit S.typhi, E. coli, Aspergillus niger (A. niger), penicillium sp, T. mentagrophytes, A. alternaria. Both the D. sephen and H. gerrardi shows the proteolytic activity above the molecular mass of> 66 KDa. The characterization of protease class using inhibitors showed the presence of both serine and metallo protease in the the samples. Conclusions:Protease activity present in the sting ray mucus is one of the key factor responsible for the antimicrobial activity and the results proved the role of mucus in the innate immunity.