ABSTRACT
The antimicrobial effects of essential oil, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Teucrium polium L. were investigated against 13 microorganisms. Extracts and essential oil were obtained from maceration, decoction and hydrodistillation respectively. Samples were tested for their antimicrobial activity using the disk diffusion, the agar dilution and the agar incorporation method. Essential oil was analysed using GC/MS, results showed that ß-pinene (35.97%) and α-pinene (13.32%) were the main components. Furthermore, essential oil exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity, it was most effective against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Citrobacter freundei where inhibition zone ranged between 15 and 25 mm, and with the microbial inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.078-0.156 mg/ml. The oil and ethanol extract showed the best antifungal activity against Microsporum canis, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and Trichophyton rubrum with the inhibition percentage (I%) ranging from 18.94 to 100%. However, none of the samples exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus. In this study, the obtained results showed significant effects of essential oils and ethanol extracts of T. polium which may used as a substitute to the synthetic drugs against certain microbial diseases.
ABSTRACT
Opuntia ficus indica (family Cactaceae) is a typical Mediterranean plant, mainly used in food and traditional folk medicine. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of Opuntia ficus indica extract against chlorpyrifos (CPF)-induced immunotoxicity in rats. The experimental animals consisted of four groups of Wistar rats (5-6 weeks old) of eight each: a control group, a group treated with CPF (10mg/kg), a group treated with Opuntia ficus indica extract (100mg/kg), and a group treated with cactus extract then treated with CPF. These components were daily administered by gavage for 30days. After treatment, immunotoxicity was estimated by a count of thymocytes, splenocytes, stem cells in the bone marrow, relative weights of thymus and spleen, DNA aspects, and oxidative stress status in these organs. Results showed that CPF could induce thymus atrophy, splenomegaly, and a decrease in the cell number in the bone marrow. It also increased the oxidative stress markers resulting in elevated levels of the lipid peroxidation with a concomitant decrease in the levels of enzymatic antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx) in both spleen and thymus, and also degradation of thymocyte and splenocyte DNA. Consistent histological changes were found in the spleen and thymus under CPF treatment. However, administration of Opuntia ficus indica extract was found to alleviate this CPF-induced damage.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Chlorpyrifos/toxicity , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/toxicity , Immunity/drug effects , Opuntia/chemistry , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Animals , Body Weight/drug effects , Bone Marrow Cells/drug effects , Immunity, Cellular/drug effects , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Spleen/cytology , Spleen/drug effects , Spleen/immunology , Splenomegaly/chemically induced , Splenomegaly/pathology , Stem Cells/drug effects , Thymocytes/drug effects , Thymus Gland/drug effectsABSTRACT
This original study investigates the role of Opuntia ficus indica (cactus) cladodes extract against liver damage induced in male SWISS mice by an organophosphorous insecticide, the chlorpyrifos (CPF). Liver damage was evaluated by the measure of its weight and the quantification of some biochemical parameters, such as alanine amino transferase (ALAT), aspartate amino transferase (ASAT), phosphatase alkaline (PAL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cholesterol and albumin in serum by spectrophotometric techniques. The experimental approach lasted 48 h and consisted of 6 treatments of six mice each one; (1) control, (2) 10 mg/kg (b.w) CPF, (3) 10mg/kg (b.w) CPF with 100 mg/kg (b.w) cactus, (4) 150 mg/kg (b.w)CPF, (5) 150 mg/kg (b.w) CPF with 1.5 g/kg cactus, (6) 1.5 g/kg cactus. Both chlorpyrifos and cactus were administrated orally via gavages. Our results showed that CPF affects significantly all parameters studied. However, when this pesticide was administrated associated to cactus, we noticed a recovery of all their levels. In the other hand, cactus alone did not affect the studied parameters. These results allow us to conclude firstly that CPF is hepatotoxic and secondly that Opuntia ficus indica stem extract protects the liver and decreases the toxicity induced by this organophosphorous pesticide.
