Anti-fungal and Anti-Mycobacterial activity of plants of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Severe fungal infections, particularly those caused by Candida spp, have increased in recent decades and are associated with an extremely high rate of morbidity and mortality. Since plants are an important source of potentially bioactive compounds, in this work the antifungal activity of the methanol extracts of 10 plants (Acacia rigidula, Buddleja cordata, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Juglans nigra, Parkinsonia aculeata, Parthenium hysterophorus, Quercus canbyi, Ricinus communis, Salvia coccinea and Teucrium bicolor) were evaluated. The activity was evaluated according to the micro dilution assay described in CLSI M27-A protocol using some clinical isolates of different species of Candida (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei and C. glabrata). All extracts showed MIC values < 31.25µg/mL against at least one of the strains used, which is very interesting because it was crude extracts. Acacia rigidula (0.93-3.75µg/mL) and Quercus canbyi (0.93-7.5µg/mL) had antifungal activity against 7 strains with MIC values <8µg/mL in all cases. Furthermore excerpts activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (strain H37rv) was evaluated. Only Salvia coccinea and Teucrium bicolor showed MIC values125µg/mL by the method of MABA.

In vitro assessment of hepatoprotective agents against damage induced by acetaminophen and CCl4.

BACKGROUND: In vitro bioassays are important in the evaluation of plants with possible hepatoprotective effects. The aims of this study were to evaluate the pretreatment of HepG2 cells with hepatoprotective agents against the damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and paracetamol (APAP). METHODS: Antioxidative activity was measured using an assay to measure 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging. The in vitro hepatotoxicity of CCl4 and APAP, and the cytotoxic and hepatoprotective properties of silymarin (SLM), silybinin (SLB), and silyphos (SLP) were evaluated by measuring cell viability; activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); total antioxidant capacity (TAOxC); and reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA) levels). RESULTS: Only SLB and SLM showed strong antioxidative activity in the DPPH assay (39.71 ± 0.85 µg/mL and 14.14 ± 0.65 µg/mL, respectively). CCl4 induced time- and concentration-dependent changes. CCl4 had significant effects on cell viability, enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, TAOxC, and SOD and GSH levels. These differences remained significant up to an exposure time of 3 h. APAP induced a variety of dose- and time-dependent responses up to 72 h of exposure. SLM, SLB, and SLP were not cytotoxic. Only SLB at a concentration of 100 µg/mL or 150 µg/mL significantly decreased the enzyme activities and MDA level, and prevented depletion of total antioxidants compared with CCl4. CONCLUSIONS: CCl4 was more consistent than APAP in inducing cell injury. Only SLB provided hepatoprotection. AST, LDH, and MDA levels were good markers of liver damage.

Essential oils from Zanthoxylum fagara Wild Lime, Ruta chalepensis L. and Thymus vulgaris L.: Composition and activity against Aedes aegypti larvae.

The dengue virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti. Several plants are used to control this mosquito. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oils of Ruta chalepensis, Zanthoxylum fagara and Thymus vulgaris were analyzed, and their activities against larvae of two A. aegypti populations were evaluated. The major compounds found in T. vulgaris were thymol and -cymene at 39.8% and 30.5%, respectively, with the major components being oxygenated monoterpenes and monoterpene hydrocarbons at 55.5% and 40.4%, respectively. For Z. fagara, the major compounds were sylvestrene and E-caryophyllene at 25.3% and 23.6%, respectively, with the major components being sesquiterpene and monoterpene hydrocarbons at 51.1% and 37.5%, respectively. Ketones were the predominant group of compounds found in R. chalepensis, with the major components being 2-undecanone and 2-nonanona at 43.7% and 35.4%, respectively. Essential oils from T. vulgaris, Z. fagara and R. chalepensis showed activity against larvae of the A. aegypti New Orleans strain, producing median lethal concentrations (LC50) of 2.14, 27.57 and 2.69 g/mL, respectively, at 24 h. LC50 values produced against larvae of a local A. aegypti population in Nuevo Leon, México, were 25.37, 60.42 and 20.13 g/mL, respectively, at 24 h.