Antibacterial activity of Artemisia nilagirica leaf extracts against clinical and phytopathogenic bacteria

Seriphidium herba-alba (Asso): A comprehensive study of essential oils, extracts, and their antimicrobial properties

Seriphidium herba-alba (Asso), a plant celebrated for its therapeutic qualities, is widely used in traditional medicinal practices throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In a detailed study of Seriphidium herba-alba (Asso), essential oils and extracts were analyzed for their chemical composition and antimicrobial properties. The essential oil, characterized using mass spectrometry and retention index methods, revealed a complex blend of 52 compounds, with santolina alcohol, α-thujone, β-thujone, and chrysanthenone as major constituents. Extraction yields varied significantly, depending on the plant part and method used; notably, methanol soaking of aerial parts yielded the most extract at 17.75%. The antimicrobial analysis showed that the extracts had selective antibacterial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, and broad-spectrum antifungal activity against organisms such as Candida albicans and Aspergillus spp. The methanol-soaked extract demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial properties, indicating its potential as a natural antimicrobial source. This study not only underscores the therapeutic potential of Seriphidium herba-alba (Asso) in pharmaceutical applications but also sets a foundation for future research focused on isolating specific bioactive compounds and in vivo testing.

Anti-inflammatory activity of lauric acid, thiocolchicoside and thiocolchicoside-lauric acid formulation

It is of interest to develop potent and safer anti-inflammatory drugs from plants, as medicinal plants and herbs attained great attention in the medical world due to their multifunctional activities. This article studied the anti-inflammatory effects of lauric acid (LA), thiocolchicoside (TC) and thiocolchicoside-lauric acid (TC-LA) formulation. The anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds were determined by following the methods of inhibition of protein denaturation and proteinase inhibition activity. This was assessed at different concentrations to determine the 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of the compounds. The result indicated that the activity of LA, TC, TC-LA formulation, and reference drug increased with the increase in the concentration from 10-50 µg/ml, thus proving the activity of LA, TC, and TC-LA formulation against inflammation was in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of inhibition of protein denaturation was 59.56%, 66.94%, 86.62%, and 60.34% for LA, TC, the combination of TC-LA and standard drug, and the IC50 values were found to be 44.78 µg/mL, 37.65 µg/mL, 27.15 µg/mL and 43.42 µg/mL, respectively. The percentage of proteinase inhibition activity of LA, TC, and a combination of TC-LA and the standard drug was 66.65%, 77.49%, 94.07%, and 69.83%, and IC50 of LA, TC, a combination of TC-LA and standard drug were35.5 µg/mL, 32.12 µg/mL, 24.35 µg/mL and 37.80 µg/mL, respectively. We found out that lauric acid, thiocolchicoside, and thiocolchicoside-lauric acid formulation exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Properties of Essential Oils from Wild and Cultivated Artemisia campestris L., an Endemic Plant in Morocco

The Asteraceae family is well known for its toxic and repellent activity against mosquitoes. In this study, essential oils (EOs) extracted from the aerial parts of both wild and cultivated Artemisia campestris L. plants were tested for larvicidal activity against Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), a pest mosquito widely suspected to be the vector responsible for West Nile virus transmission. The research aims at comparing the chemical composition and insecticidal activity of cultivated and wild A. campestris EOs. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation from the plant's aerial parts and were analyzed using GC-MS. Furthermore, the larviciding experiment was carried out following the standard WHO protocol. The result showed that wild and cultivated plant EOs differed only quantitatively, while the qualitative profile revealed a nearly identical chemical composition. Camphor (18.98%), car-3-en-5-one (11.25%), thujone (6.36%), chrysanthenone (6.24%), filifolone (4.56%), and borneol (3.56%) dominate the wild plant EO. Camphor (21.01%), car-3-en-5-one (17%), chrysanthenone (10.15%), filifolone (7.90%), borneol (3.38%), and thujone (3.08%) are the major compounds of the cultivated plant. Cultivation did not affect the EO production since the yield of the cultivated plant was 0.5 ± 0.1% and 0.6 ± 0.2% for the wild plant. The cultivated A. campestris EO had the highest insecticidal activity (LC50 = 9.79 µg/ml), and no significant difference was noticed between wild and cultivated A. campestris EO in terms of LC90. These findings could pave the way for a new method of producing biocides to control major disease vectors and offer a potential alternative for pest control.

Medicinal and mechanistic overview of artemisinin in the treatment of human diseases

Artemisinin (ART) is a bioactive compound isolated from the plant Artemisia annua and has been traditionally used to treat conditions such as malaria, cancer, viral infections, bacterial infections, and some cardiovascular diseases, especially in Asia, North America, Europe and other parts of the world. This comprehensive review aims to update the biomedical potential of ART and its derivatives for treating human diseases highlighting its pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties based on the results of experimental pharmacological studies in vitro and in vivo. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, tested doses and toxic effects of artemisinin were also described. The analysis of data based on an up-to-date literature search showed that ART and its derivatives display anticancer effects along with a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, antioxidant and cardioprotective effects. These compounds have great potential for discovering new drugs used as adjunctive therapies in cancer and various other diseases. Detailed translational and experimental studies are however needed to fully understand the pharmacological effects of these compounds.

Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Aqueous Extract Differentially Inhibits the Growth of Three Bacterial Tomato Pathogens

As available tools for crop disease management are scarce, new, effective, and eco-friendly solutions are needed. So, this study aimed at assessing the antibacterial activity of a dried leaf Eucalyptus globulus Labill. aqueous extract (DLE) against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xeu), and Clavibacter michiganensis michiganensis (Cmm). For this, the inhibitory activity of different concentrations of DLE (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, and 250 g L^-1) was monitored against the type strains of Pst, Xeu, and Cmm through the obtention of their growth curves. After 48 h, results showed that the pathogen growth was strongly inhibited by DLE, with Xeu the most susceptible species (15 g L^-1 MIC and IC₅₀), followed by Pst (30 g L^-1 MIC and IC₅₀), and Cmm (45 and 35 g L^-1 MIC and IC₅₀, respectively). Additionally, using the resazurin assay, it was possible to verify that DLE considerably impaired cell viability by more than 86%, 85%, and 69% after Pst, Xeu, and Cmm were incubated with DLE concentrations equal to or higher than their MIC, respectively. However, only the treatment with DLE at 120 g L^-1 did not induce any hypersensitive response in all pathogens when treated bacterial suspensions were infiltrated onto tobacco leaves. Overall, DLE can represent a great strategy for the prophylactic treatment of tomato-associated bacterial diseases or reduce the application of environmentally toxic approaches.

Bovine Mastitis: Causes and Phytoremedies

Mastitis is a highly frequent chronic ailment with inflammation in the udder of the milking cows. The causative agents are mostly microbes. It is economically prominent contamination of lactating cows resulting in reduced milk production. The disease is diagnosed by chemical, physical and nutritional changes in the milk and pathological changes in the milk glands. Prevention measures for the disease can be taken by proper and timely sanitation of the cowshed through and time again disinfection of the teat, mechanized milking process, etc. The application of bactericidal drugs generates resistant varieties of microbes that cross the allopathic boundary. In this regard, an attempt is taken to focus the plant-based pharmacopoeia. Medicinal plants are traditionally used to cure various diseases as they are comparatively accessible to administer orally in different forms and can be along with fodder. Keeping the above facts in view, the present review deals with different types of mastitis, causative pathogens, detection and diagnosis, and effective plant-based treatment process available to date.

Phytochemical Composition and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Anticancer, and Enzyme-Inhibitory Activities of Artemisia nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp

Plants have been employed in therapeutic applications against various infectious and chronic diseases from ancient times. Various traditional medicines and folk systems have utilized numerous plants and plant products, which act as sources of drug candidates for modern medicine. Artemisia is a genus of the Asteraceae family with more than 500 species; however, many of these species are less explored for their biological efficacy, and several others are lacking scientific explanations for their uses. Artemisia nilagirica is a plant that is widely found in the Western Ghats, Kerala, India and is a prominent member of the genus. In the current study, the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant, enzyme-inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities were examined. The results indicated that the ethanol extract of A. nilagirica indicated in vitro DPPH scavenging (23.12 ± 1.28 µg/mL), ABTS scavenging (27.44 ± 1.88 µg/mL), H2O2 scavenging (12.92 ± 1.05 µg/mL), and FRAP (5.42 ± 0.19 µg/mL). The anti-inflammatory effect was also noticed in the Raw 264.7 macrophages, where pretreatment with the extract reduced the LPS-stimulated production of cytokines (p < 0.05). A. nilagirica was also efficient in inhibiting the activities of α-amylase (38.42 ± 2.71 µg/mL), α-glucosidase (55.31 ± 2.16 µg/mL), aldose reductase (17.42 ± 0.87 µg/mL), and sorbitol dehydrogenase (29.57 ± 1.46 µg/mL). It also induced significant inhibition of proliferation in breast (MCF7 IC50 = 41.79 ± 1.07, MDAMB231 IC50 = 55.37 ± 2.11µg/mL) and colon (49.57 ± 1.46 µg/mL) cancer cells. The results of the phytochemical screening indicated a higher level of polyphenols and flavonoids in the extract and the LCMS analysis revealed the presence of various bioactive constituents including artemisinin.

Extraction of Bioactive Compounds for Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antidiabetic Applications

This study was designed to check the potential of secondary metabolites of the selected plants; Citrullus colocynthis, Solanum nigrum, Solanum surattense, Calotropis procera, Agave americana, and Anagallis arvensis for antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and antidiabetic agents. Plant material was soaked in ethanol/methanol to get the crude extract, which was further partitioned via solvent extraction technique. GCMS and FTIR analytical techniques were applied to check the compounds responsible for causing antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic activities. It was concluded that about 80% of studied extracts/fractions were active against α-amylase, ranging from 43 to 96%. The highest activity (96.63%) was exhibited by butanol fractions of A. arvensis while the least response (43.65%) was shown by the aqueous fraction of C. colocynthis and the methanol fraction of fruit of S. surattense. The highest antioxidant activity was shown by the ethyl acetate fraction of Anagallis arvensis (78.1%), while aqueous as well as n-hexane fractions are the least active throughout the assay. Results showed that all tested plants can be an excellent source of natural products with potential antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic potential. The biological response of these species is depicted as a good therapeutic agent, and, in the future, it can be encapsulated for drug discovery.

Artemisia spp.: An Update on Its Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Toxicological Profiles

Artemisia plants are traditional and ethnopharmacologically used to treat several diseases and in addition in food, spices, and beverages. The genus is widely distributed in all continents except the Antarctica, and traditional medicine has been used as antimalarial, antioxidant, anticancer, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral agents. This review is aimed at systematizing scientific data on the geographical distribution, chemical composition, and pharmacological and toxicological profiles of the Artemisia genus. Data from the literature on Artemisia plants were taken using electronic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. Selected papers for this updated study included data about phytochemicals, preclinical pharmacological experimental studies with molecular mechanisms included, clinical studies, and toxicological and safety data. In addition, ancient texts and books were consulted. The essential oils and phytochemicals of the Artemisia genus have reported important biological activities, among them the artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone, with antimalarial activity. Artemisia absinthium L. is one of the most famous Artemisia spp. due to its use in the production of the absinthe drink which is restricted in most countries because of neurotoxicity. The analyzed studies confirmed that Artemisia plants have many traditional and pharmacological applications. However, scientific data are limited to clinical and toxicological research. Therefore, further research is needed on these aspects to understand the full therapeutic potential and molecular pharmacological mechanisms of this medicinal species.

A green approach to develop zeolite-thymol antimicrobial composites: analytical characterization and antimicrobial activity evaluation

In this work, the development, analytical characterization and bioactivity of zeolite-thymol composites, obtained using wet, semi-dry and dry processes, were carried out in order to obtain sustainable and powerful antimicrobial additives. FT-IR, XRD, DSC, TGA, SEM and B.E.T. analyses were carried out to gain comprehensive information on the chemical-physical, thermal, and morphological features of the composites. GC-MS analyses allowed quantifying the active molecule loaded in the zeolite, released by the functionalized composites and its stability over time. Among the three procedures, the dry approach allowed to reach the highest thymol loading content and efficiency (49.8 ± 1.6% and 99.6 ± 1.2%, respectively), as well as the highest composite specific surface area value, feature which promises the best interaction between the surface of the composite and the bacterial population. Therefore, the bioactive surface of composites obtained by this solvent-free method was assayed for its antimicrobial activity against four microbial strains belonging to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans species. The higher antimicrobial activity produced by the solvent-free composite in comparison with that of pure thymol, at the same thymol concentration, was ascribed to the large interfacial contact between the composite and the bacterial target. This feature, together with its enhanced storage stability, suggested that this composite could be employed as effective additives for the development of antimicrobial biointerfaces for food, home and personal care applications.

Evaluation of antibacterial and acute oral toxicity of Impatiens tinctoria A. Rich root extracts

The high prevalence of morbidity and mortality from bacterial infections, together with the growing threat of antibacterial resistance, necessitated the development of alternative new drugs from traditional medicine. In Ethiopia, Impatiens tinctoria A. Rich has been traditionally used for the treatment of fungal infections such as ringworms that cause tinea pedis and it have also different medical values. Scientific information on its biological activity against a broad range of bacteria and safety data is scant, compared to its folklore data. In this study, we evaluated antibacterial activities and acute oral toxicity of aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate root extracts of Impatiens tinctoria A. Rich. Aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the plant were evaluated using agar hole diffusion and agar dilution methods. Biological activities of the plant extracts were expressed as a zone of inhibition diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration (mg/ml), and minimum bactericidal concentration (mg/ml). The safety studies were performed by oral acute toxicity study according to the organization of economic cooperation and development test Guidelines 420.Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the extracts compared to gram-negative bacteria, especially against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, which are commonly found in the skin. Ethyl acetate extract was more potent than ethanol and aqueous extracts. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) of tested mice was above 9600 mg/kg. This study provides a scientific basis for the antibacterial activity of the root extracts of I. tinctoria A. Rich, where, the ethyl acetate extract showed the most promising activity. Therefore, the antibacterial potential and practical non-toxicity of the study plant extracts suggested the possibility of using it for the development of antimicrobial drugs by further studying the plant in different directions.

Secondary Metabolites from Artemisia Genus as Biopesticides and Innovative Nano-Based Application Strategies

The Artemisia genus includes a large number of species with worldwide distribution and diverse chemical composition. The secondary metabolites of Artemisia species have numerous applications in the health, cosmetics, and food sectors. Moreover, many compounds of this genus are known for their antimicrobial, insecticidal, parasiticidal, and phytotoxic properties, which recommend them as possible biological control agents against plant pests. This paper aims to evaluate the latest available information related to the pesticidal properties of Artemisia compounds and extracts and their potential use in crop protection. Another aspect discussed in this review is the use of nanotechnology as a valuable trend for obtaining pesticides. Nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanocapsules represent a more efficient method of biopesticide delivery with increased stability and potency, reduced toxicity, and extended duration of action. Given the negative impact of synthetic pesticides on human health and on the environment, Artemisia-derived biopesticides and their nanoformulations emerge as promising ecofriendly alternatives to pest management.

Chemical compositions, antimicrobial effects, and cytotoxicity of Asia minor wormwood (Artemisia splendens Willd.) growing in Iran

BACKGROUND

Artemisia splendens from the Asteraceae family is a new source of biologically active compounds. The current study investigated to evaluate antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activity of methanolic extracts and their fractions obtained from aerial parts by agar disk diffusion and MTT methods, respectively. The active fractions were subjected to preparative HPLC for isolating the pure compounds, which were structurally elucidated, by ¹H and ¹³C NMR.

RESULTS

The results showed that the methanolic extract and its 60% SPE fraction have the anti-proliferative activity on A549 cell line in comparison with the control group. Meanwhile, the methanolic extract and its 40% SPE fraction can inhibit the growth of Gram-positive strains as anti-microbial activity. The 60% SPE fraction also illustrated anti-proliferative activity on the HT-29 cell line compared to the control group. Chromatographic separations via preparative HPLC yielded 5 flavonoids and three flavonoid glycosides.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results it can be concluded that A. splendens as a potential source of cytotoxic and antimicrobial compounds can be used in pharmaceutics.

In vitro antimalarial activity evaluation of two ethnomedicinal plants against chloroquine sensitive and resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum

Background

In this study, we selected two medicinal plants Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. and Artemisia nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. on the basis of their traditional use in the treatment of fever associated with malaria in Assam (India) and evaluated their antimalarial potential against Plasmodium falciparum strains.

Methods

The properly processed plant parts of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. were extracted with different solvents from nonpolar to polar by cold maceration technique. After that antimalarial activities of the extracts were evaluated against both chloroquine sensitive (3D7) and resistant (RKL-9) strains of P. falciparum using Giemsa staining light microscopy technique. The most active extract(s) was further screened for cytotoxicity potential against murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell line using MTT assay. Then preliminary phytochemical screening and qualitative fingerprint analysis of the active extract(s) were done to check the presence of different secondary metabolites.

Results

From the in vitro study, the hydro-alcoholic extract of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and methanol extract of A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. were found to be the most active against both 3D7 and RKL-9 strains. In the cytotoxicity study, the CC50 values of the active extracts were found to be > 100 μg/ml, which suggested the safety of the extracts. Then phytochemical and fingerprint analysis revealed the presence of various important plant secondary metabolites in both the extracts.

Conclusion

The findings of this study confirmed the presence of antimalarial potential of hydro-alcoholic extract of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and methanol extract of A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp without having any toxic effect. Both the extracts showed IC50 values below 5 μg/ml against 3D7 and RKL-9 strains.

Chemical composition of essential oil and antifungal activity of Artemisia persica Boiss. from Iran

Artemisia is the largest and most diverse genus from the Asteraceae family that named locally "Dermaneh" in Iran. This study was conducted to determine, the chemical compounds of Artemisia persica Boiss essential oil and its antifungal effect, toward six toxigenic fungal strains in vitro. The yield of essential oil from the aerial parts of this plant species, using hydrodistillation method obtained 0.18% (v/w). The results of GC/MS analysis identified 31 components in the essential oil that laciniata furanone E (17.1%), artedouglasia oxide C (13.2%), Trans-pinocarveol (10.2%), pinocarvone (8.5%), and α-pinene (5.8%) were the major compounds. The results of the antifungal activity showed that the most sensitive fungal strains to A. persica Boiss. essential oil were Aspergillus ochraceus and Aspergillus parasiticus with lower minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 1.25 μl/ml (v/v). Also the strong fungicidal effect was observed against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus nidulans at a MFC value of 2.5 μl/ml, while the fungicidal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger observed in the 10 μl/ml oil concentration. According to the results A. persica Boiss essential oil has a acceptable antifungal activity against Aspergillus strains and can be used to prevent food crops from fungal contaminations.

The Wonderful Activities of the Genus Mentha: Not Only Antioxidant Properties

Medicinal plants and their derived compounds have drawn the attention of researchers due to their considerable impact on human health. Among medicinal plants, mint (Mentha species) exhibits multiple health beneficial properties, such as prevention from cancer development and anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and cardioprotective effects, as a result of its antioxidant potential, combined with low toxicity and high efficacy. Mentha species are widely used in savory dishes, food, beverages, and confectionary products. Phytochemicals derived from mint also showed anticancer activity against different types of human cancers such as cervix, lung, breast and many others. Mint essential oils show a great cytotoxicity potential, by modulating MAPK and PI3k/Akt pathways; they also induce apoptosis, suppress invasion and migration potential of cancer cells lines along with cell cycle arrest, upregulation of Bax and p53 genes, modulation of TNF, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-8, and induction of senescence phenotype. Essential oils from mint have also been found to exert antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and many others. The current review highlights the antimicrobial role of mint-derived compounds and essential oils with a special emphasis on anticancer activities, clinical data and adverse effects displayed by such versatile plants.

Phytochemistry and pharmacological activity of the genus artemisia

Artemisia and its allied species have been employed for conventional medicine in the Northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia for the treatments of digestive problems, morning sickness, irregular menstrual cycle, typhoid, epilepsy, renal problems, bronchitis malaria, etc. The multidisciplinary use of artemisia species has various other health benefits that are related to its traditional and modern pharmaceutical perspectives. The main objective of this review is to evaluate the traditional, modern, biological as well as pharmacological use of the essential oil and herbal extracts of Artemisia nilagirica, Artemisia parviflora, and other allied species of Artemisia. It also discusses the botanical circulation and its phytochemical constituents viz disaccharides, polysaccharides, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, and carotenoids. The plants have different biological importance like antiparasitic, antimalarial, antihyperlipidemic, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antitubercular, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, antiemetic, antidepressant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, insecticidal, antiviral activities, and also against COVID-19. Toxicological studies showed that the plants at a low dose and short duration are non or low-toxic. In contrast, a high dose at 3 g/kg and for a longer duration can cause toxicity like rapid respiration, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medicinal uses, clinical efficacy and safety are crucial next steps.

Comparative Efficacy of Selected Phytobiotics with Halquinol and Tetracycline on Gut Morphology, Ileal Digestibility, Cecal Microbiota Composition and Growth Performance in Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary

Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) are banned in Europe but still used in many countries including Asia. However, their indiscriminate use resulted in antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains that possibly transfer the resistant genes to the microorganisms pertinent to human health. Hence, it is essential to find alternatives that can improve the production performance in broiler chickens. In this scenario, phytobiotics or phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) are widely investigated to evaluate their influence on improving gut health, increasing digestibility, and thereby the growth performance. The present study is a continuity of our experiments on dietary inclusion of Piper betle and Persicaria odorata leaf meal and the first of its kind to evaluate the comparative efficacy of phytobiotics (Piper betle and Persicaria odorata leaf meal), with halquinol and tetracycline in broiler chickens. The current experiment findings indicated that, in comparison with the control group, either of the dietary treatments positively modulated the gut morphology, improved ileal digestibility, maintained the intestinal population of Lactobacillus and reduced the pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium spp., thus improved the growth performance in broiler chickens.

Abstract

The current experiment was designed to estimate the comparative efficacy of selected phytobiotics Persicaria odorata leaf meal (POLM) and Piper betle leaf meal (PBLM) with halquinol, and tetracycline in broiler chickens. The 150-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five dietary groups. The dietary supplementation groups were the basal diet (BD), which served as the negative control (NC), and BD + 0.2 g/kg tetracycline, which served as the positive control (PC); BD + 0.03 g/kg halquinol (HAL), BD + 8 g/kg POLM (Po8), and BD + 4 g/kg PBLM (Pb4) were the treatment groups. Growth performance, gut morphology, ileal digestibility, and cecal microbiota composition were measured. On day 21, the body weight gain (BWG) was enhanced (p < 0.05) in the broiler chickens fed on phytobiotics (Po8 and Pb4) relative to the NC group, however, on day 42 and in terms of overall growth performance, BWG was enhanced (p < 0.05 in diets (Po8, Pb4, HAL and PC) in comparison with the NC group. Conversely, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded reduced (p < 0.05) in Pb4, Po8, HAL, and PC group in comparison with the NC group. Supplementation of phytobiotics (Po8 and Pb4), HAL and PC, positively improved the gut morphology compared to the NC group. Furthermore, the maximum (p < 0.05) villus height (VH) in duodenum and jejunum was observed in broilers fed on diet Pb4. Supplementation of phytobiotics, HAL and PC, improved (p < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter (DM) (except for HAL), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), and ash compared to the NC group. Dietary supplementation of phytobiotics (Po8 and Pb4), HAL and PC, significantly reduced the E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus (except for HAL) counts compared to the NC group. However, supplementation of Pb4 resulted in significantly decreased total anaerobic bacteria and Clostridium spp. counts compared to the NC group. In addition, supplementation of phytobiotics significantly increased the Lactobacillus count compared to HAL, PC, and NC groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of phytobiotics improved the gut morphology, positively modulated and maintained the dynamics of cecal microbiota with enhanced nutrient digestibility, thus, increased the growth performance. Based on current results, phytobiotics could be used as an alternative to AGPs for sustainable broiler chicken production.

Anti-tumor effects of Artemisia nilagirica extract on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells: deciphering the biochemical and biomechanical properties via TGF-β upregulation

Purpose

Artemisia nilagirica (AN), which is known to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiulcer, and anti-asthmatic properties, has been recently shown to have anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanism responsible for the anti-cancer property and its effect on cellular properties and functions are not known.

Material and methods

We have characterized the biochemical and biomechanical properties of MDA-MB-231 cells treated with the methanolic extract from AN.

Results

We show that AN-treatment decreases cell-eccentricity, increases expression of actin and microtubules, and do not affect cell-area. Increased expression of cytoskeletal proteins is known to change the mechanical properties of the cells, which was confirmed using micropipette aspiration and Atomic Force Microscopy. We identified the upregulation of the tumorigenic pathway (TGF-β) leading to activation of Rho-A as the molecular mechanism responsible for actin upregulation. Since the initial stages of TGF-β upregulation are known to suppress tumor growth by activating apoptosis, we hypothesized that the mechanism of cell death due to AN-treatment is through TGF-β activation. We have validated this hypothesis by partially recuing cell death through inhibition of TGF-β using Alk-5.

Conclusion

In summary, our study reveals the mechanism of action of Artemisia nilagirica using a synergy between biochemical and biomechanical techniques.

Phytochemical composition of wormwood (Artemisia gmelinii) extracts in respect of their antimicrobial activity

BACKGROUND

Extracts from medicinal plants with phytochemicals with known antimicrobial properties can be an effective adjunct in the complex treatment of infectious diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of wormwood extracts collected in Kazakhstan (Artemisia gmelinii Weber ex Stechm.), along with their phytochemical analysis.

METHODS

The ethanolic and chloroform extracts were subjected to HPLC combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method. For quantitative assessment of antimicrobial activity, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested extracts was determined by micro-dilution broth method for the panel of the reference microorganisms. Minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) or minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) were also determined.

RESULTS

LC/MS analysis showed the presence of 13 compounds in the tested extracts, including flavonoids: apigenin, luteolin, rutin, two O-methylated flavonols (isorhamnetin, rhamnazine), coumarin compounds (umbelliferone, scopoletin and scopolin (scopoletin 7-glucoside), 3-hydroxycoumarin and 4-hydroxycoumarin), chlorogenic acid and two dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers. Quantitative HPLC analysis showed that umbelliferone was dominant in the chloroform extract while chlorogenic acid was identified as a main compound in the ethanolic extract. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of chloroform and ethanolic extracts was comparable. The most sensitive were the Gram-positive bacteria represented by staphylococci, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus spp. (MIC = 1.25-5 mg/ml) and yeasts represented by Candida spp. (MIC = 2.5-5 mg/ml), irrespective of the assayed extract.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracts of wormwood Artemisia gmelinii have shown a wide spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activity. Luteolin, rutin, isorhamnetin and scopolin were identified in A. gmelinii species for the first time. The determining of the most potential compounds of Artemisia gmelinii can be used to develop effective antibacterial and antifungal agents.

New Urea Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial Agents: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Studies

A series of new urea derivatives, containing aryl moieties as potential antimicrobial agents, were designed, synthesized, and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR, and LCMS spectral techniques. All newly synthesized compounds were screened in vitro against five bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus) and two fungal strains (Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans). Variable levels of interaction were observed for these urea derivatives. However, and of major importance, many of these molecules exhibited promising growth inhibition against Acinetobacter baumannii. In particular, to our delight, the adamantyl urea adduct 3l demonstrated outstanding growth inhibition (94.5%) towards Acinetobacter baumannii. In light of this discovery, molecular docking studies were performed in order to elucidate the binding interaction mechanisms of the most active compounds, as reported herein.

The chemistry and pharmacology of alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds from Artemisia species: A review

Several reviews have been published on Artemisia's derived natural products, but it is the first attempt to review the chemistry and pharmacology of more than 80 alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds obtained from various Artemisia species (covering the literature up to June 2018). The pharmacological potential and unique skeleton types of certain Artemisia's alkaloids provoke the importance of analyzing Artemisia species for bioactive alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds. Among the various types of bioactive Artemisia's alkaloids, the main classes were the derivatives of rupestine (pyridine-sesquiterpene), lycoctonine (diterpene), pyrrolizidine, purines, polyamine, peptides, indole, piperidine, pyrrolidine, alkamides, and flavoalkaloids. The rupestine derivatives are Artemisia's characteristic alkaloids, whereas the rest are common alkaloids found in the family Asteraceae and chemotaxonomically links the genus Artemisia with the tribes Anthemideae. The most important biological activities of Artemisia's alkaloids are including hepatoprotective, local anesthetic, β-galactosidase, and antiparasitic activities; treatment of angina pectoris, opening blocked arteries, as a sleep-inducing agents and inhibition of HIV viral protease, CYP450, melanin biosynthesis, human carbonic anhydrase, [3H]-AEA metabolism, kinases, and DNA polymerase β¹ . Some of the important nitrogen metabolites of Artemisia include pellitorine, zeatin, tryptophan, rupestine, and aconitine analogs, which need to be optimized and commercialized further.

Evaluation of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential in Artemisia vulgaris L

Artemisia vulgaris L. (Mugwort or Afsantin) has been used to treat various diseases since ancient times by the inhabitants of Himalayan region-Pakistan. Methanolic fractions (HA1-HA9) obtained from the aerial parts of A. vulgaris were evaluated for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and brine shrimp cytotoxic activities. Fraction HA8 showed substantial phenolics content with value of 26.29±1.4μgEQ/mg and DPPH scavenging (82.84±3.01%). Conversely, total flavonoids content of 7.32±0.07μgEQ/mg was determined in HA1 fraction. Fraction HA1 also showed significant cytotoxic effect with the value LD50 of 144.94μg/mL. Fractions HA7 and HA9 depicted maximum total antioxidant activity and ferric ion reduction (96.25±3.29 and AAE/mg and 176.91±8, respectively). All fractions showed encouraging results against bacterial strains Bordetella bronchiseptica and Micrococcus luteus, while HA2 fraction showed the highest percentage inhibition Mucor species with zone of inhibition of 13.25±0.35mm. A total of 7 fractions showed significant antileishmanial activity with survival percentage ranging 0.00 to 19. To sum up, results of the current study indicated that the plant can be further explored for isolation of antileishmanial and antimicrobial compounds, which could be used for drug development.

In vitro anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial potential of leaf extract from Artemisia nilagirica (Clarke) Pamp

In the present investigation, the bioactive compounds from the leaf extract of Artemisia nilagirica showed potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. The leaf extract showed a maximum protection of human red blood cells (HRBC) with 74.63% at 20 µg/mL concentration, and the minimum hemolysis was 25.37% in a hypotonic solution with diclofenac as the control. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of plant extract against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Proteus vulgaris, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans was evaluated at various concentrations (50, 100, 150, and 200 µg). The maximum zone of inhibition was observed against P. aeruginosa followed by B. subtilis, S. typhi, S. aureus and E. coli. The leaf extract also showed potent activity against C. albicans.

An Overview of Herbal Products and Secondary Metabolites Used for Management of Type Two Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a common effect of uncontrolled high blood sugar and it is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs. In the adult population, the global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980. Without effective prevention and management programs, the continuing significant rise in diabetes will have grave consequences on the health and lifespan of the world population, and also on the world economy. Supplements can be used to correct nutritional deficiencies or to maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients. These are often used as treatments for diabetes, sometimes because they have lower costs, or are more accessible or "natural" compared to prescribed medications. Several vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and secondary metabolites have been reported to elicit beneficial effects in hypoglycemic actions in vivo and in vitro; however, the data remain conflicting. Many pharmaceuticals commonly used today are structurally derived from natural compounds from traditional medicinal plants. Botanicals that are most frequently used to help manage blood glucose include: bitter melon (Momordica charantia), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum), gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre), ivy gourd (Coccinia indica), nopal (Opuntia spp.), ginseng, Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), psyllium (Plantago ovata), and garlic (Allium sativum). In majority of the herbal products and secondary metabolites used in treating diabetes, the mechanisms of action involve regulation of insulin signaling pathways, translocation of GLUT-4 receptor and/or activation the PPARγ. Several flavonoids inhibit glucose absorption by inhibiting intestinal α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In-depth studies to validate the efficacies and safeties of extracts of these traditional medicinal plants are needed, and large, well designed, clinical studies need to be carried out before the use of such preparations can be recommended for treatment and/or prevention of diabetes. The main focus of this review is to describe what we know to date of the active compounds in these, along with their glucose-lowering mechanisms, which are either through insulin-mimicking activity or enhanced glucose uptake.

Strategies to enhance biologically active-secondary metabolites in cell cultures of Artemisia - current trends

The genus Artemisia has been utilized worldwide due to its immense potential for protection against various diseases, especially malaria. Artemisia absinthium, previously renowned for its utilization in the popular beverage absinthe, is gaining resurgence due to its extensive pharmacological activities. Like A. annua, this species exhibits strong biological activities like antimalarial, anticancer and antioxidant. Although artemisinin was found to be the major metabolite for its antimalarial effects, several flavonoids and terpenoids are considered to possess biological activities when used alone and also to synergistically boost the bioavailability of artemisinin. However, due to the limited quantities of these metabolites in wild plants, in vitro cultures were established and strategies have been adopted to enhance medicinally important secondary metabolites in these cultures. This review elaborates on the traditional medicinal uses of Artemisia species and explains current trends to establish cell cultures of A. annua and A. absinthium for enhanced production of medicinally important secondary metabolites.

Composition of volatile compounds and in vitro antimicrobial activity of nine Mentha spp

Background

Mentha plants containing over 25 species are aromatic perennial herbs. These species have been interested and widely used because of various clinical findings. Many volatile compounds facilitate environmental interactions such as protecting themselves from pathogens, parasites, and herbivores. Therefore, this study assessed comparison of volatile composition and antimicrobial activity from nine Mentha species. The composition of volatiles was investigated from the aerial parts of nine different Mentha species using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In addition, screened antimicrobial activities against six food borne pathogenic bacteria using extracts obtained these plants.

Results

77 volatile compounds were identified in total and it included 13 monoterpenoids, 19 sesquiterpenoids, and others. In particular, monoterpenoids such as eucalyptol (9.35–62.16 %), (±)camphorquinone (1.50–51.61 %), and menthol (0.83–36.91 %) were mostly detected as major constituents in Mentha species. The ethanol extract of nine Mentha species showed higher activity compared to other solvent extracts (methanol, hexane, di ethyl ether). Among these nine Mentha species chocomint showed higher inhibition activity against all bacteria.

Conclusions

It is concluded that monoterpenoids are mainly rich in Mentha plants. Moreover, most of extracts obtained from Mentha showed strong antimicrobial activity against bacteria. Of these, chocomint indicates the highest inhibition activity.

A Novel Insight into Dehydroleucodine Mediated Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Mechanism

Increasing resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) to conventional treatments demands the search for novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of dehydroleucodine (DhL), a sesquiterpene lactone obtained from Artemisia (A.) douglasiana, was screened against several pathogenic virulence effectors of P. aeruginosa. In vitro, minimum inhibitory concentration of DhL was determined against P. aeruginosa strains PAO1, PA103, PA14, and multidrug resistant clinical strain, CDN118. Results showed that DhL was active against each strain where PAO1 and PA103 showed higher susceptibility (MIC 0.48 mg/mL) as compared to PA14 (MIC 0.96 mg/mL) and CDN118 (MIC 0.98 mg/mL). Also, when PAO1 strain was grown in the presence of DhL (MIC₅₀, 0.12 mg/mL), a delay in the generation time was noticed along with significant inhibition of secretory protease and elastase activities, interruption in biofilm attachment phase in a stationary culture, and a significant decline in Type III effector ExoS. At MIC₅₀, DhL treatment increased the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa towards potent antibiotics. Furthermore, treatment of P. aeruginosa with DhL prevented toxin-induced apoptosis in macrophages. These observations suggest that DhL activity was at the bacterial transcriptional level. Hence, antimicrobial activity of DhL may serve as leads in the development of new anti-Pseudomonas pharmaceuticals.

In vitro efficacy of ethanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium (Asteraceae) against Leishmania major L. using cell sensitivity and flow cytometry assays

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected human diseases with an estimated global burden ranking second in mortality and fourth in morbidity among the tropical infections. Chemotherapy involving the use of drugs like glucantime is the mainstay treatment in endemic areas of Iran. Drug resistance is increasingly prevalent, so search for alternative therapy is gathering pace. Medicinal herbs, like wormwood Artemisia, have chemical compounds effective against a number of pathogens. In this study, the efficacy of ethanol extract from Artemisia absinthium (Asteraceae) against Leishmania major L. was investigated in vitro. The outcome of different effective doses (1-40 mg/ml) of ethanol extracts from this medicinal herb, A. absinthium, on a standard Iranian parasite strain of L. major was examined. The L. major promastigote cell sensitivity and mortality or viability effects due to the addition of herbal extract were measured using the MTT assay and the flow cytometry technique, respectively. There was complete agreement between the two assays. The lethal concentration (LC50) was measured as 101 mg/ml. Some contrasting relationships between the medicinal herb concentrations and the viability of parasites were observed; so that there was an increased multiplication of the parasite at low concentrations of the drug, but an anti-parasitic apoptotic effect was seen at high concentrations of A. absinthium. It was concluded that there might be one or more chemical constituents within the herbal extract of wormwood which at high concentration controlled cell division and affected the relevant activity within the only one giant mitochondrion in this flagellate parasite. At low doses, however, it showed the opposite effect of leading to mitotic cell divisions.

Wound healing activity of methanolic stem extract of Musa paradisiaca Linn. (Banana) in Wistar albino rats

This study is designed to explore the phytochemical, antibacterial and wound healing activity of methanolic stem extract of Musa paradisiaca Linn. (Banana). The phytochemical analysis was performed for the methanolic stem extract of Musa paradisiaca Linn. Results indicates that the Musa paradisiaca Linn. was rich in glucosides, tannins and alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and phenols were present in moderate quantities. The extract shows antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus with the zone of inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 21 mm and Staphylococcus aureus was 19 mm at concentration of 500 µg/disc. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was also evaluated for the extract. Wistar albino rats were selected for wound healing activity. The burn wound was created by using red hot steel rod from above the hind limb region. The methanolic extract was applied on the wound and the progressive changes were monitored every day. The wound contraction rate was absorbed based on the histopathological examination. It was concluded that the methanolic extract of Musa paradisiaca Linn. showed greater healing activity compared to control in Wistar albino rats.

Antibacterial activities of Ligaria cuneifolia and Jodina rhombifolia leaf extracts against phytopathogenic and clinical bacteria

Six plant extracts prepared from Ligaria cuneifolia and Jodina rhombifolia were screened for their potential antimicrobial activities against phytopathogens and clinically standard reference bacterial strains. Bioautography and broth microdilution methods were used to study samples antibacterial activities against 7 bacterial strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of samples were attained. An antibacterial activity guided isolation and identification of active compounds was carried out for L. cuneifolia methanolic extract (LCME). Both methanolic and aqueous extracts from L. cuneifolia showed inhibitory activities against phytopathogenic bacteria, with MICs ranging from 2.5 to 156 μg mL(-1) for LCME and 5 mg mL(-1) for the aqueous extract. None of the three J. rhombifolia extracts showed significant antibacterial activities against phytopathogenic strains (MIC > 5 mg mL(-1)), except for the aqueous extracts against Pseudomonas syringae (MIC = 312 μg mL(-1)). Only LCME showed bactericidal activities against phytopathogenic strains (MBCs = 78 μg mL(-1)). The LCME exhibited significant inhibitory activity against reference clinical strains: Escherichia coli (MIC = 156 μg mL(-1)) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 78 μg mL(-1), MBC = 312 μg mL(-1)). LCME active compounds were identified as flavonol mono and diglycosides, and gallic acid. The antibacterial activity of purified compounds was also evaluated. A synergistic effect against S. aureus was found between gallic acid and a quercetin glycoside. Hence, anti-phytopathogenic bacteria potential compounds isolated from L. cuneifolia could be used as an effective source against bacterial diseases in plants.