Antimicrobial activity of Aspilia latissima (Asteraceae)

Abstract We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of Aspilia latissima - an abundant plant from the Brazilian Pantanal region - against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The crude extracts and fractions showed activity in all tested microorganisms. The chloroform fraction of the leaves and roots showed the most antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, with an MIC of 500 μg/mL. This fraction was submitted to bioautographic assays to characterize the activity of the compounds. Two bands from the leaves (L-A and L-B) and three bands from the roots (R-C, R-D and R-E) were bioactive. Within the root-derived bands, the terpene derivatives stigmasterol, kaurenoic acid and kaura-9(11), 16-dien-18-oic acid were identified. Antibiotic activity of A. latissima is reported for the first time.

Phytochemical, pharmacological studies of extract of Syrian Cichorium intybus plant and its effect on blood picture in broilers

This study was carried on the Cichorium intybus Plant grown in Syria. We had investigated the active principles of this plant throughout some chemical tests. This plant was found to contains: Carbohydrates, glycosides, saponin, tannic acids, resins, and Lymphocytes and Monocytes were significantly higher [p<0.01], and decreased percentage of Hertophils. Alkaloides. It was also acidic in reaction. This study was planned to investigate: Toxicological studies of the methanolic extract of Cichorium intybus plant on white mice no deaths and would not determine the LD50 up to 1000 mg/kg. Experiment broiler chickens were divided into two groups, methanolic extract of Cichorium Intybus was given in concentration 10% to the first group in average 2 ml/liter of drinking water daily for 42 days, while the second group was kept as a normal group [control]. The obtained results showed that the addition of methanolic extract of Cichorium Intybus plant leads to increase in RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV and the percentage of

Effect of myrrh extract on the liver of normal and bilharzially infected mice, an ultrastructural study

In the present work, the efficacy of purified oloe-resin extract of myrrh derived from Commiphora molmol tree [commercially known as Mirazid] as a new, natural antischistosomal drug was investigated. The effect of myrrh on the ultrastructural profile of the noninfected normal mice liver was also studied. Sixty male mice were used throughout this work and they were divided into three main groups [20 animals each]: Group I [noninfected control animals], group II [infected animals] and group III [infected animals treated with myrrh extract at eight weeks post infection, 500 mg/kg body weight]. The drug was given orally on an empty stomach after overnight fasting for five successive days. All animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks from the beginning of the experiment and small pieces of the liver were excised and prepared for an ultrastructural study. The liver of the noninfected animals, which received myrrh extract [group IA] showed a more or less normal ultrastructural profile. The infected groups showed alterations of the ultrastructure of most of the hepatocytes with extensive intercellular fibrosis with abundant granulomas in the portal tract. In the infected treated group, most of the hepatocytes showed normal organelles with numerous microvilli extending into patent spices of Disse. A marked reduction of granulomas in the portal areas and an amelioration of the intercellular fibrosis were also observed. On the bases of the observed results, it was concluded that myrrh extract has a promising antischistosomal non-hepatotoxic activity

In vitro antimicrobial effects of crude miswake extracts on oral pathogens

In vitro, epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of chewing sticks on oral hygiene. The aim of this study was to assess under standardized test conditions whether miswak crude extracts prepared from S. persica roots and twigs using different solvents inhibited in vitro growth of some selected oral microbes involved in infections in humans. Sterile distilled water, 96% ethanol, 2% acetic acid and ethyl acetate were used as solvents. Reference strains of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Actinomyces naeslundii, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Candida albicans were tested for susceptibility to the antimicrobial effects of crude extracts using the broth microdilution method of Cai et al. Microbial growth was estimated spectrophotometrically at 650 nm In 96-well microtiter plates. Different concentrations of the S. persica extracts were Incubated at 37 C with each test strain for up to 72 hrs. The minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] of the extracts against the Individual test organisms was determined as the lowest concentration of the extract that limited turbidity to <0.05 absorbance at OD650nm Results showed that the root-ethanolic extract was the most potent. The most susceptible strain was S. mutans whereas L. acidophilus was the least susceptible. MIC values for the various plant extracts ranged from 100mg/mi to 300 mg/mi. Based on these results, it was concluded that miswak extracts exhibited low antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms when compared with 0.2% aqueous chlorhexidine

Anticonvulsant effects of coriandrum sativum L.seed extracts in mice

Coriander [vernacular Geshniz] seeds have been traditionally used in Iranian medicine for their carminative, diuretic and anticonvulsant effects. The anticonvulsant effects of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Coriandrum sativum seeds were studied in mice in order to evaluate the folkloric use of this plant. Two anticonvulsant evaluation tests, namely the pentylenetetrazole [PTZ] and the maximal electroshock tests, were used for assessing antiseizure effects. In the pentylenetetrazole test, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts prolonged the onset of clonic convulsions and the anticonvulsant activity of high dose extracts [5 mg/kg] were similar to that of phenobarbital at a dose of 20 mg/kg in the PTZ test. Both extracts in high doses decreased the duration of tonic seizures and showed a statistically significant anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock test. Results indicate that the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. sativum seeds may have a beneficial effect in petit mal and grand mal seizures

Atividade da inulinase em leveduras e fermentaçöes de extratos de Helianthus tuberosus L / Inulinase activity in yeasts and fermentations of Helranthus tuberosus L extracts

Devido às concentraçöes de inulina em H. tuberosus, leveduras com boa produçäo de inulinase e alto potencial fermentativo säo imprescindíveis na viabilizaçäo industrial deste vegetal. Selecionando-se leveduras com estas propriedades, dentre 21 espécies avaliadas, encontram-se 11 linhagens com boa capacidade fermentativa. As leveduras com maior rendimento de produçäo de álcool foram Kluyveromyces marxianus, K. fragilis, Candida pseudotropicalis e Torulopsis coelliculosa. Em fermentaçöes sucessivas conduzidas a 30-C, com 15,6% de ART e por 48 horas, chegou-se a obter o rendimento médio de 85% em relaçäo ao teórico. Nestas condiçöes, após 10 horas de fermentaçäo encontraram-se rendimentos de 74,4% e uma taxa de fermentaçäo de 5,9g/1/h**-1. A atividade máxima da inulinase foi de 3,6micronM (equivalente frutose)/ml/min e verificou-se ocorrer repressäo catabólica da inulinase por frutose em K. marxianus e K. fragilis. Com estes resultados conclui-se ser viável a fermentaçäo de extratos sem prévia hidrólise, o que facilitará o processamento industrial de extratos de H. tuberosus