Breaking the resistance of Escherichia coli: Antimicrobial activity of Berberis lycium Royle

Computational Exploration of Berberis lycium Royle: A Hidden Treasure Trove for Antiviral Development

Viral infections and associated illnesses account for approximately 3.5 million global fatalities and public health problems. Medicinal plants, with their wide therapeutic range and minimal side effects, have gained limelight particularly in response to growing concerns about drug resistance and sluggish development of antiviral drugs. This study computationally assessed 11 chemical compounds from Berberis lycium along with two antiviral drugs to inhibit SARS CoV 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), influenza virus RdRP, and two crucial dengue virus (DENV) enzymes (NS2B/NS3 protease and NS5 polymerase). Berberine and oxyberberine passed all pharmacokinetics analysis filters including Lipinski rule, blood-brain barrier permeant, and cytochrome suppression and demonstrated drug-likeness, bioavailability, and a non-toxic profile. Docking of phytochemicals from B lycium returned promising results with selected viral proteins, ie, DENV NS2BNS3 (punjabine -10.9 kcal/mol), DENV NS5 (punjabine -10.4 kcal/mol), COVID-19 RdRP (oxyacanthine -9.5 kcal/mol), and influenza RdRP (punjabine -10.4 kcal/mol). The optimal pharmacokinetics of berberine exhibited good binding energies with NS2BNS3 (-8.0 kcal/mol), NS5 (-8.3 kcal/mol), COVID RdRP (-7.7 kcal/mol), and influenza RdRP (-8.3 kcal/mol), while molecular dynamics simulation of a 50-ns time scale by GROMACS software package provided insights into the flexibility and stability of the complexes. A hidden treasure trove for antiviral research, berberine, berbamine, berbamunine, oxyberberine, oxyacanthine, baluchistanamine, and sindamine has showed encouraging findings as possible lead compounds. Pharmacological analyses provide credence for the proposed study; nevertheless, as the antiviral mechanisms of action of these phytochemicals are not well understood, additional research and clinical trials are required to demonstrate both their efficacy and toxicity through in vitro and in vivo studies.

Phytochemicals as Antimicrobials: Prospecting Himalayan Medicinal Plants as Source of Alternate Medicine to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Among all available antimicrobials, antibiotics hold a prime position in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has posed a serious threat to the effectiveness of antibiotics, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and escalation in healthcare costs causing a global health crisis. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in global healthcare setups have accelerated the development and spread of AMR, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, which further limits treatment options. This creates a critical need to explore alternative approaches to combat bacterial infections. Phytochemicals have gained attention as a potential source of alternative medicine to address the challenge of AMR. Phytochemicals are structurally and functionally diverse and have multitarget antimicrobial effects, disrupting essential cellular activities. Given the promising results of plant-based antimicrobials, coupled with the slow discovery of novel antibiotics, it has become highly imperative to explore the vast repository of phytocompounds to overcome the looming catastrophe of AMR. This review summarizes the emergence of AMR towards existing antibiotics and potent phytochemicals having antimicrobial activities, along with a comprehensive overview of 123 Himalayan medicinal plants reported to possess antimicrobial phytocompounds, thus compiling the existing information that will help researchers in the exploration of phytochemicals to combat AMR.

Antibacterial activity of a berberine nanoformulation

This study describes the preparation of berberine (BBR) in nanoformulation to enhance its solubility and increase its antibacterial effectiveness against hospital-acquired infections. BBR nanoparticles (BBR NPs) were formed by antisolvent precipitation (ASP) using glycerol as a safe organic solvent. UV-vis absorption spectra demonstrated that the solubility of BBR NPs was greatly enhanced compared to that of pure BBR. Glycerol played a role as a stabilizer for BBR NPs through the formation of hydrogen bonds between glycerol and BBR NPs. The prepared BBR NPs have a narrow size distribution with an average diameter of 156 nm at a concentration of 2.0 mg/mL, measured by dynamic light scattering. After nanoformulation, the concentration of BBR NPs could reach up to 5.0 mg/mL, which is much higher than the saturation concentration without treatment. Results show a strongly enhanced antibacterial activity of BBR NPs compared with that of pure BBR at the same concentration. The minimum bactericidal concentration of BBR NPs against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 was found to be 2.0 and 5.0 mg/mL, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed that BBR NPs surrounded the bacterial cells and severely damaged the cell walls. Therefore, BBR NPs prepared by ASP appear to be a potential candidate for the treatment of bacterial pathogens.

Herbal Extracts with Antifungal Activity against Candida albicans: A Systematic Review

In the era of antimicrobial resistance, fungal pathogens are not an exception. Several strategies, including antimicrobial stewardship programs and high throughput screening of new drugs, are being implemented. Several recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of plant compounds with antifungal activity. In this systematic review, we examine the use of natural compounds as a possible avenue to fight fungal infections produced by Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen. Electronic literature searches were conducted through PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Science Direct limited to the 5 years. A total of 131 articles were included, with 186 plants extracts evaluated. Although the majority of the natural extracts exhibited antifungal activities against C. albicans (both in vivo and in vitro), the strongest antifungal activity was obtained from Lawsonia inermis, Pelargonium graveolens, Camellia sinensis, Mentha piperita, and Citrus latifolia. The main components with proven antifungal activities were phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, thymol, and flavonoids (especially catechin), polyphenols such as tannins, terpenoids and saponins. The incorporation of nanotechnology greatly enhances the antifungal properties of these natural compounds. Further research is needed to fully characterize the composition of all herbal extracts with antifungal activity as well as the mechanisms of action of the active compounds.

Antibacterial activity of medicinal plants against ESKAPE: An update

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a threat to global health, food security, and development today. Antibiotic resistance can occur naturally but mainly due to misuse or overuse of antibiotics, which results in recalcitrant infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) among bacterial pathogens.

These mainly include the MDR strains (multi-drug resistant) of ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species). These bacterial pathogens have the potential to “escape” antibiotics and other traditional therapies. These bacterial pathogens are responsible for the major cases of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAI) globally. ESKAPE Pathogens have been placed in the list of 12 bacteria by World Health Organisation (WHO), against which development of new antibiotics is vital. It not only results in prolonged hospital stays but also higher medical costs and higher mortality. Therefore, new antimicrobials need to be developed to battle the rapidly evolving pathogens. Plants are known to synthesize an array of secondary metabolites referred as phytochemicals that have disease prevention properties. Potential efficacy and minimum to no side effects are the key advantages of plant-derived products, making them suitable choices for medical treatments. Hence, this review attempts to highlight and discuss the application of plant-derived compounds and extracts against ESKAPE Pathogens.

Berberis Plants-Drifting from Farm to Food Applications, Phytotherapy, and Phytopharmacology

The genus Berberis includes about 500 different species and commonly grown in Europe, the United States, South Asia, and some northern areas of Iran and Pakistan. Leaves and fruits can be prepared as food flavorings, juices, and teas. Phytochemical analysis of these species has reported alkaloids, tannins, phenolic compounds and oleanolic acid, among others. Moreover, p-cymene, limonene and ocimene as major compounds in essential oils were found by gas chromatography. Berberis is an important group of the plants having enormous potential in the food and pharmaceutical industry, since they possess several properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer activities. Here we would like to review the biological properties of the phytoconstituents of this genus. We emphasize the cultivation control in order to obtain the main bioactive compounds, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in order to apply them for food preservation and for treating several diseases, such as cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer. However, further study is needed to confirm the biological efficacy as well as, the toxicity.

Comparison of Anticancer Activity and HPLC-DAD Determination of Selected Isoquinoline Alkaloids from Thalictrum foetidum, Berberis sp. and Chelidonium majus Extracts

Background: Plants are an important origin of natural substances that the raw material for various pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications due to the presence of phytochemicals, such as alkaloids. Alkaloids, which are found in different plant species, possess numerous biological activities. Some alkaloids have strong cytotoxic effects on various cancer cells. The search for new drugs to treat various cancers is one of the most important challenges of modern scientific research. Objective: This study aimed to investigate of cytotoxic activity of extracts that were obtained from Chelidonium Majus; Berberis sp.; Thalictrum foetidum containing various alkaloids on selected cancer cell lines. The aim was also the quantification of selected alkaloids in the investigated extracts by HPLC. Methods: The analysis of alkaloids contents were performed while using HPLC in reversed phase (RP) mode using Polar RP column and mobile phase containing acetonitrile, water, and ionic liquid. The cytotoxic effect of the tested plant extracts and respective alkaloids' standards were examined while using human pharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells (FaDu), human tongue squamous carcinoma cells (SCC-25), human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7), and human triple-negative breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MDA-MB-231). Conclusion: All of the investigated plant extracts possess cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines: FaDu, SCC-25, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231. The highest cytotoxic activity against FaDu and MDA-MB-231 cells was observed for Chelidonium majus root extract, while the highest cytotoxic activity against SCC-25 and MCF-7 cells was estimated for the Thalictrum foetidum root extract. There obtained significant differences in the cytotoxic activity of extracts that were obtained from the roots and herbs of Chelidonium majus and Thalictrum foetidum. Based on these results, investigated plant extracts can be recommended for further investigations of anticancer activity.

Antibacterial Properties of Medicinal Plants From Pakistan Against Multidrug-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

Local people in the Sudhnoti district of Pakistan share a rich practice of traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of ailments. We selected nine plants from the Sudhnoti ethnopharmacological tradition used for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease. Our aim was to evaluate the in vitro anti-infective potential of extracts from these species against multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens. Plant specimens were collected in the Sudhnoti district of Pakistan and vouchers deposited in Pakistan and the USA. Dried bulk specimens were ground into a fine powder and extracted by aqueous decoction and maceration in ethanol. Extracts were assessed for growth inhibitory activity against ESKAPE pathogens and biofilm and quorum sensing activity was assessed in Staphylococcus aureus. Cytotoxicity to human cells was assessed via a lactate dehydrogenase assay of treated human keratinocytes (HaCaTs). Four ethanolic extracts (Zanthoxylum armatum, Adiantum capillus-venaris, Artemisia absinthium, and Martynia annua) inhibited the growth of MDR strains of ESKAPE pathogens (IC₅₀: 256 μg mL^-1). All extracts, with the exception of Pyrus pashia and M. annua, exhibited significant quorum quenching in a reporter strain for S. aureus agr I. The ethanolic extract of Z. armatum fruits (Extract 1290) inhibited quorum sensing (IC₅₀ 32-256 μg mL^-1) in S. aureus reporter strains for agr I-III. The quorum quenching activity of extract 1290 was validated by detection of δ-toxin in the bacterial supernatant, with concentrations of 64-256 μg mL^-1 sufficient to yield a significant drop in δ-toxin production. None of the extracts inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations for growth. All extracts were well tolerated by human keratinocytes (LD₅₀ ≥ 256 μg mL^-1). Chemical analysis of extract 1290 by liquid chromatography-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LC-FTMS) revealed the presence of 29 compounds, including eight with putative structural matches. In conclusion, five out of the nine selected anti-infective medicinal plants exhibited growth inhibitory activity against at least one MDR ESKAPE pathogen at concentrations not harmful to human keratinocytes. Furthermore, Z. armatum was identified as a source of quorum quenching natural products and further bioassay-guided fractionation of this species is merited.