Investigation of antibacterial, antifungal, antibiofilm, antioxidant and anticancer properties of methanol extracts of Salvia marashica İlçim, Celep & Doğan and Salvia caespitosa Montbret & Aucher ex Benth plants with medicinal importance

In Vitro Synergistic Inhibitory Effects of Plant Extract Combinations on Bacterial Growth of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common pathogens of healthcare-associated infections. Medicinal plants have long been used in the traditional treatment of diseases or syndromes worldwide. Combined use of plant extracts could improve the effectiveness of pharmacological action by obtaining synergism, acting on multiple targets simultaneously, reducing the doses of individual components, and minimizing side effects. We aimed to investigate the synergistic inhibitory effects of selected medicinal plants (Caesalpinia sappan L. (CS), Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (GU), Sanguisorba officinalis L. (SO), and Uncaria gambir Roxb. (UG)) on the bacterial growth of MRSA and its clinical isolates. SO and UG extracts generated the best synergistic interaction as adjudged by checkerboard synergy assays. MICs of the individual extracts decreased 4-fold from 250 to 62.5 μg/mL, respectively. The SO + UG combination was further evaluated for its effects on bacterial growth inhibition, minimum bactericidal/inhibitory concentration (MBC/MIC) ratio, and time-kill kinetics. The results indicate that the SO + UG combination synergistically inhibited the bacterial growth of MRSA strains with bactericidal effects. SO + UG combination also exhibited more potent effects against clinical isolates. In multistep resistance selection experiments, both standard and isolates of MRSA showed no resistance to the SO + UG combination even after repeated exposure over fourteen passages. Our data suggest that using plant extract combinations could be a potential strategy to treat MRSA infections.

Eco-friendly synthesis of Ag-NPs using Endostemon viscosus (Lamiaceae): Antibacterial, antioxidant, larvicidal, photocatalytic dye degradation activity and toxicity in zebrafish embryos

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary area of study that has grown significantly in serving many functions and impacting human society. New fields of science have been facilitated by the clean, non-toxic, and biocompatible nature of plant-derived nanoparticles. The present study deals with the first green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using Endostemon viscosus, and their synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by different spectral methods (UV-vis Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX). The change initially observed the production of Ag-NPs in color from green to ash and then confirmed by SPR band at 435 nm in UV-vis spectral analysis. The FTIR findings indicate that many functional groups belong to the pharmaceutically useful phytochemicals, which interact as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents in synthesizing silver nanoparticles. The predominant peaks in the XRD pattern belong to the planes 210°, 111°, 200°, 241°, and 311° and thus demonstrated the Ag-NPs FCC crystal structure. TEM analysis exhibited spherical-shaped particles with an average size of 13 nm, and the EDAX band showed a distinctive metallic silver peak at 3.0 keV. The antibacterial activity of Ag-NPs tested to show a maximum zone of inhibition of 19 mm for Staphylococcus aureus and 15 mm for Escherichia coli at 100 μg/mL, respectively. Bio-fabricated Ag-NPs were assessed for antioxidant activity (DPPH with % inhibition 57.54% and FRAP with % inhibition 70.89%). The biosynthesized Ag-NPs demonstrated potential larvicidal efficacy against Aedes aegypti with more than 90% at 250 μg/mL. Histological profiles were altered while treating with Ag-NPs at 250 μg/mL. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized E. viscosus Ag-NPs was tested against methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV), and the maximum degradation efficiency was found as 90 and 94%, respectively. Furthermore, the toxicity test on zebrafish embryos demonstrated that aberrations have only been induced at concentrations higher than 500 μg/mL. We conclude that the greenly produced Ag-NPs may find use in biomedical applications based on bacteria and cost-effective industrial wastewater treatment.

Therapeutic effects of Salvia balansae on metabolic disorders and testicular dysfunction mediated by a high-fat diet in Wistar rats

Medicinal plants offer an important therapeutic resource in treatment of male infertility. We aim to evaluate the possible therapeutic effects of Salvia balansae on metabolic disorders and testicular dysfunction resulting from a high-fat diet (HFD). Antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of S. balansae leaves was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay. Antidiabetic activity was determined by α-amylase inhibition. In vivo, HFD was administered in Wistar rats for 18 weeks and aqueous extract of S. balansae for the last 6 weeks (200 mg/Kg of body weight/day). At the term of experimentation, testosterone and some plasma parameters were analyzed and removed testes were subjected to a histomorphometric study. Our results show high levels of phenolic components in aqueous extract of S. balansae and significant antioxidant and antidiabetic activity. HFD increases body weight, causes type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, liver failure and inflammation. Also, HFD decreases testosterone and alters testis histological structure (seminiferous tubular degeneration, impaired spermatogenesis and interstitial fibrosis). Treatment of HFD rats with extract of S. balansae normalizes body weight and plasma parameters, increases testosterone and regenerates testicular structure and function. In summary, S. balansae could reduce metabolic complications induced by HFD and serve the basis for developing a new therapy for testicular dysfunction.

Inhibitory Effects of Selected Medicinal Plants on Bacterial Growth of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious threat to global public health due to its capacity of tolerate conventional antibiotics. Medicinal plants are traditionally used to treat infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens. In the present study, 16 medicinal plants were screened for antibacterial activities to preselect more effective species. Ethanol extracts of selected medicinal plants (Caesalpinia sappan L., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Sanguisorba officinalis L., and Uncaria gambir Roxb) were partitioned successively with different solvents (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, and water). Disc diffusion assay and broth microdilution were performed to evaluate the antibacterial activities of plant extracts and fractions against Staphylococcus aureus strains. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the extracts and fractions was determined against the human hepatoma (HepG2) and human lung carcinoma (A549) cell lines using a trypan blue exclusion method. A few extracts and fractions showed significant inhibitory effects on the bacterial growth of all tested strains, including multidrug-resistance (MDR) clinical isolates. The ethyl acetate fraction of C. sappan had the most potent effects with minimum inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations (MIC/MBC) of 31.2/62.5 μg/mL and showed low cytotoxicity with over 90% cell viability in both cells. Our results suggest that medicinal plants have considerable potential as alternatives to conventional antibiotics.

Mechanisms of indoor mold survival under moisture dynamics, a special water treatment approach within the indoor context

Mold contamination is one of the most important causes for indoor air pollution. Previous studies have indicated the feasibility of employing wet-dry cycles, a special water treatment approach in indoor environments, to control indoor mold contamination. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating the responses of indoor molds to changing moisture conditions remains to be elucidated. Here, we studied the mechanisms regulating the responses to wet-dry cycles (termed as moisture dynamics) in Aspergillus penicillioides, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Aspergillus niger. First, the dormant spores of each mold species were grown to the swollen stage. Next, swollen spores were incubated at different water activity (a_w) levels (0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 a_w) for up to 15 days. Afterward, the viability, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities (both enzymatic and non-enzymatic) of treated molds were determined. Our results show that the mold species that survived better under moisture dynamics also encountered less oxidative damage and exhibited stronger antioxidant activities. Moreover, lower RH imposed severer oxidative stress to C. cladosporioides and A. niger. Pearson correlation coefficient indicate significant correlations between oxidative stress and a_w of dry periods, oxidative damage and mold survival, as well as oxidative responses and mold survival. Collectively, these results imply that oxidative stress adaptation regulates the viability of A. penicillioides, C. cladosporioides, and A. niger in response to moisture dynamics. Our findings facilitate the development of novel engineering solutions for indoor air pollution.

The Antibacterial, Antitumor Activities, and Bioactive Constituents’ Identification of Alectra sessiliflora Bacterial Endophytes

Due to increased antimicrobial resistance against current drugs, new alternatives are sought. Endophytic bacteria associated with medicinal plants are recognized as valuable sources of novel secondary metabolites possessing antimicrobial, antitumor, insecticidal, and antiviral activities. In this study, five bacterial endophytes were isolated and identified from the medicinal plant, Alectra sessiliflora, and their antibacterial and antitumor activities were investigated. In addition, the crude extracts of the endophytes were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). The identified bacterial endophytes belong to three genera viz Lysinibacillus, Peribacillus, and Bacillus, with the latter as the dominant genus with three species. Ethyl acetate extracts from the endophytes were used for antimicrobial activity against eleven pathogenic strains through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The antitumor activity against the Hela cervical, Hek 293 kidney, and A549 lung carcinoma cells was determined by the MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxy-phenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] assay. Lysinibacillus sp. strain AS_1 exhibited broad antibacterial activity against the pathogenic strains with MIC values ranging from 4 to 8 mg/ml, while Bacillus sp. strain AS_3 displayed MIC of 0.25 mg/ml. Crude extracts of Lysinibacillus sp. strain AS_1, Peribacillus sp. strain AS_2, and Bacillus sp. strain AS_3 showed growth inhibition of more than 90% against all the cancer cell lines at a concentration of 1,000 μg/ml. Untargeted secondary metabolite profiling of the crude extracts revealed the presence of compounds with reported biological activity, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antidiabetic properties. This study reported for the first time, bacterial endophytes associated with A. sessiliflora with antibacterial and antitumor activities.

Salvia miltiorrhiza-Containing Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined With GnRH Agonist for Postoperative Treatment of Endometriosis: A Systematic Review and meta-Analysis

Background: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological inflammatory condition that may lead to infertility and recurrent pelvic pain. The purpose of this research was to determine the efficacy and safety of Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) for postoperative endometriosis management.

Methods:Eight databases were systematically searched before October 2021, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Sceince, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang. Finally, all randomized controlled studies comparing Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing CHM paired with GnRH-a to GnRH-a alone for postoperative endometriosis management were included.

Results: A total of 10 trials involving 836 patients were reported and analyzed. Compared with the control group, the Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing CHM combined with GnRH-a group showed significant superiority in decreasing endometriosis recurrence (risk ratio [RR] = 0.26; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.16–0.41) and increasing the pregnancy rate ([RR] = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.58–2.44). Similarly, the effect of the Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing CHM combined with GnRH-a on CA-125 serum levels was positive (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.79; 95% CI: −1.11 to −0.47). Furthermore, this group showed a significant reduction in adverse effects.

Conclusion: The results indicate that Salvia miltiorrhiza-containing CHM may be a viable choice for postoperative endometriosis therapy, with the potential to enhance pregnancy while decreasing recurrence and adverse effects.