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Antiviral Activity of Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis) Leaf Extracts
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Ricinus communis L., commonly known as castor oil plant, is a precious traditional medicine with a history of thousands of years in the world. Castor oil plant has high traditional and medicinal values for treating liver infections, stomach ache, flatulence, constipation, inflammation, warts, colic, enteritis, fever, headache, and as a counter irritant. Its diverse phytochemicals have a wide range of valuable medicinal activities including hepatoprotective, anti-nociceptive, antioxidant, antiulcer, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, central analgesic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and wound healing activity.
Aim of the work
To provide a complete characterization of the composition of Ricinus communis leaves using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS) and different chromatographic techniques and to evaluate its antiviral potential using three mechanisms against three common viruses.
Materials and methods
R. communis leaves were extracted with 70% methanol and further partitioned with solvents of increasing polarities: petroleum ether, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The CH2Cl2 and n-butanol fractions were subjected to repeated chromatographic separation to isolate the phytochemicals, and their structures were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. UPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS was performed to determine the different phytochemicals in the ethyl acetate fraction. The antiviral activity of the extracts was investigated using the maximum nontoxic concentration of each against the challenge dose of the virus (CDV) and 1/10 and 1/100 dilutions of the CDV for Coxsackie B virus type 4 (COXB4), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), and hepatitis A virus (HAV) using Vero cell cultures that were treated according to three protocols to test for anti-replicative, protective, and anti-infective antiviral activity. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT colorimetric assay and each experiment is repeated three times independently of each other.
Results
R. communis leaves possessed antiviral activity. Evaluation of the anti-replicative activity showed that all extracts possessed high anti-replicative activity against HAV especially methanol and methylene chloride fractions and moderate activity against COXB4; butanol >methylene chloride and ethyl acetate >methanol. All extracts showed protective activity against HAV, especially butanol extract, while methanol extracts showed higher non-significant antiviral protective activity against HSV1 vs Acyclovir. Almost no anti-infective effects were recorded for any extract against the studied viruses.
Conclusion
The discriminatory effect against each virus by different mechanisms suggests the presence of different chemical compounds. The alkaloid and phenolic derivatives of the extracts of R. communis leaves may help develop a drug to prevent or treat common viral infections. Further investigations are recommended to define the bioactive antiviral properties of R. communis leaves.
... For centuries, cultures around the world have learned how to use herbal medicine to improve healthcare regimen. The importance of plant-based products for disease treatment is growing exponentially due to the increased incidence of adverse drug reactions and the development of microbial resistance to the available antimicrobial drugs [1]. A. latifolia (Roxb. ...
... Therefore, turning to nature to find effective therapies is a good solution to this problem. Thus, the need to discover novel antiviral herbal remedies has been mandated [1]. There have been numerous studies on the cytotoxic and antiviral activities of natural products, including flavonoids, tannins, and other phenolic compounds. ...
... Antiviral activity of the different extracts against HAV using different protocols expressed as antiviral activity leaves and flowers A. latifolia extracts are crowded with different types of polyphenols. In addition, figures S1-S31 showed the high efficacy of the XIC chromatograms and corresponding monoisotopic masses in MS1 and MS 2 spectra for the identification of different 31 metabolites examples. Metabolite 65 was detected in leaves and flower extracts (Rt≈10.28 ...
Phytochemical and biological investigations were designed on Anogeissus latifolia extracts through LC/qTOF-MS/MS characterization alongside cytotoxicity and antiviral activity examination against four cancer cell lines and two viruses.
Phytochemical profiles of leaves and flowers were determined by UPLC/HRESI-MS/MS. MTT assay was used for cytotoxicity evaluation against four human cancer cell lines. In vitro anti-HSV1 and HAV activity was evaluated with three different protocols to test protective, anti-replicative, and anti-infective antiviral activities, and three separate replications of each experiment were conducted using MTT colorimetric assay and IC50 with selectivity index (SI) using Vero cell line. By LC/ESI-MS, 66 and 27 metabolites were identified. In-vitro, all extracts inhibited HepG-2, Caco-2/ATB-37, MCF-7/HTB-22 and Panc-1 growth in concentration dependent manner. Leaves extract showed the moderate activity against Caco-2 (IC50=81.78±0.43 μg/ml & SI= 11.83); stem, leaves and flowers demonstrated nearly weak cytotoxicity against HepG-2
(IC50=203.3±5.33, 221.71±4.44, 329.35 ± 9.27 μg/ml). Flowers extract recorded weak activity against MCF-7 (IC50=288±20.1) and promising protective activity against HSV1 with no significant difference with acyclovir (65.53±3.24 vs 68.44±7.62).
Leaves extract demonstrated pronounced protective (82.99±1.56) and anti-infectivity (73.19±3.1) activities against HAV. Stem-
extract exhibited least activity against HSV1 and no activity against HAV. Significant cytotoxicity and antiviral activity could be attributed mainly to the constitutive polyphenols.
... Each fraction was pooled and concentrated under vacuum at a temperature not exceeding 40°C to produce 70 g, 55 g, and 35 g of the methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and methanol fractions, respectively. Active extract constituents were identi ed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple time-of-ight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS) analysis and column chromatography [44]. ...
... Similar fractions were combined based on TLC pattern into six main fractions (a-f). 100% CH 2 CL 2 fraction (a, 10 g) was further subjected to a series of column chromatographic techniques, including silica gel column chromatography elution with CH 2 Cl 2 : MeOH (95:5-10:90) and nal puri cation by gel ltration (Sephadex LH-20) eluted with 100% MeOH to produce compound RS1 (20 mg) [44]. ...
... In this study, UPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS/MS negative and positive modes were used to analyze the methylene chloride fraction of R. communis leaves; different classes of avonoid and phenolic acid compounds were tentatively identi ed. Most of these compounds were previously reported in R. communis [61, 39,33,28,44], Phlorizin (glucoside of dihydrochalcone), acacetin (4'-methylated apigenin), and acacetin-7-O-rutinoside were identi ed for the rst time in R. communis. ...
Background Ricinus communis L. is a medicinal plant displays valuable pharmacological properties. Diverse phytochemical constituents display valuable pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory property. This study targeted to isolate and identify some constituents of R. communis leaves using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) and different chromatographic techniques, then characterize the potential cytotoxicity, anti-MERS-CoV and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro. Isolated phytoconstituents and remdesivir are assessed for in-silico anti-COVID-19 activity by inhibiting the main protease and spike protein using molecular docking tools.
Methods: The CH2Cl2 fraction was subjected to repeated chromatographic separation to isolate the phytochemicals, and their structures were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. UPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS was performed to determine the different phytochemicals in the CH2Cl2 fraction. The in vitro anti-MERS and anti-SARS-CoV2 activity for different fractions and for two pure isolated compounds, lupeol (RS) and ricinine (RS1) were evaluated using Plaque reduction assay and IC50 based on their cytotoxic concentration (CC50) from an MTT assay using Vero E6 cell line. Molecular docking studies were carried out for both SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and main protease (Mpro) receptors then examined the possible mechanisms of action.
Results: The methylene chloride extract exhibited pronounced virucidal effect with more than a 90% viral inhibitory effect, it showed activity against SARS-CoV- 2 (IC50 = 1.76µg/ml) with high safety index, SI = 291.5. It was also shown that ricinine had superior potential activity against SARS-CoV-2, (IC50 = 2.5 µg/ ml). This constituent was less effective for MERS, IC50 = 87.2 µg/ ml. Lupeol displayed the most potency against MERS, (IC50 = 5.28 µg/ ml), SI = 67.27, but was less effective for SARS, IC50 = 19.5 µg/ ml. Ricinine showed significant binding to (3CLpro) and modest affinity for (S) spike protein, along with a possible interaction with SARS-CoV-2 major protease. Ricinine appeared to be the most biologically active.
Conclusion: The study showed that Ricinus communis and its isolated compounds have potential natural virucidal activity against SARS-COV-2, however, additional exploration is necessary for further chemical modification of these structures, guided by the molecular docking tools and study for their in vivo activity.
... However, these are not the only applications of castor oil because its unique components offer interesting properties, making it appropriate for various medicinal and industrial applications (Patel et al., 2016;Scarpa and Guerci, 1982). Among the biological activities of R. communis extracts, some antiinfectious activities have been described; for instance, methanol fractions have shown antiviral (Elkousy et al., 2021) and anti-Plasmodium activities (Kaushik et al., 2015). Another anti-protozoan activity was discovered in 1968 during a national Indian study about biological activities of indigenous plants where anti-E. ...
... Further descriptions of the scientific literature do not exist regarding the anti-E. histolytica effect of R. communis, although well-designed in vitro evaluations have shown anti-Plasmodium, antiviral, and antibacterial effects of R. communis derivatives (Elkousy et al., 2021;Kaushik et al., 2015;Scarpa and Guerci, 1982). ...
Background: No descriptions in scientific literature exist about anti Entamoeba histolytica effect of Ricinus communis although is used by traditional medicine in Latin America for treatment or prophylaxis of intestinal amebiasis
Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro cysticidal effect of castor oil extracts available as regulated phytotherapeutic products against E. histolytica.
Study design: In vitro evaluation of the cysticidal effect against Entamoeba histolytica of R. communis oil extracts
Methods: We analyzed the effects of three commercial castor oil compounds on the viability and morphology of E. histolytica cysts.
Results: The three samples had significant cysticidal effects and altered cyst morphology after 10 h of exposure. The effective dose 50% (EC50) ranged between 35 and 50 microg/ml, with a range of estimated EC50 25 and 35 microg/ml in the human intestine in vivo.
Conclusion: Castor oil pharmaceutical products have good in vitro anti-E. histolytica, which requires clinical trials to confirm its anti-amoebic effect.
... Numerous phytochemicals from R. communis are well-known antiviral agents [40][41][42] against HSV and Sindbis virus, supporting their traditional use in the treatment of fever and colds [43]. Additionally, four fractional extracts of castor oil leaves, including methanol, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and butanol, have been shown to have antiviral effects against HAV, COXB4 and HSV [44]. ...
... In this study, UPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS/MS negative and positive modes were used to analyze the methylene chloride fraction of R. communis leaves; different classes of flavonoid and phenolic acid compounds were tentatively inferred. Most of these compounds were previously reported in R. communis [28,33,39,44,61], Phlorizin (glucoside of dihydrochalcone), acacetin (4′-methylated apigenin) and acacetin-7-O-rutinoside were identified for the first time in R. communis. ...
Ricinus communis L. is a medicinal plant that displays valuable pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. This study targeted to isolate and identify some constituents of R. communis leaves using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) and different chromatographic techniques. In vitro anti-MERS and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity for different fractions and for two pure isolated compounds, lupeol (RS) and ricinine (RS1) were evaluated using a plaque reduction assay with three different mechanisms and IC50 based on their cytotoxic concentration (CC50) from an MTT assay using Vero E6 cell line. Isolated phytoconstituents and remdesivir are assessed for in-silico anti-COVID-19 activity using molecular docking tools. The methylene chloride extract showed pronounced virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50 = 1.76 μg/ml). It was also shown that ricinine had superior potential activity against SARS-CoV-2, (IC50 = 2.5 μg/ml). Lupeol displayed the most potency against MERS, (IC50 = 5.28 μg/ml). Ricinine appeared to be the most biologically active compound. The study showed that R. communis and its isolated compounds have potential natural virucidal activity against SARS-COV-2; however, additional exploration is necessary and study for their in vivo activity.
... For centuries, cultures around the world have learned how to use herbal medicine to improve healthcare regimens. The importance of plant-based products for disease treatment is growing exponentially due to the increased incidence of adverse drug reactions and the development of microbial resistance to available antimicrobial drugs [1]. Natural products possess tremendous potential for medical development. ...
... Therefore, turning to nature to find effective therapies is a good solution to this problem. Thus, the need to discover novel antiviral herbal remedies has been mandated [1]. Numerous studies have been conducted on the cytotoxic and antiviral activities of natural products. ...
Annona glabra Linn is employed in conventional medicine to treat a number of human disorders, including cancer and viruses. In the present investigation, the significant phytochemical components of Annona glabra hexane extract were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Three major compounds were identified in the hexane extract: tritriacontane (30.23%), 13, 17-dimethyl-tritriacontane (22.44%), and limonene (18.97%). MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the extract on six human cancer cell lines including liver (HepG-2), pancreas (PANC-1), lung (A-549), breast (MCF-7, HTB-22), prostate (PC-3), and colon (CACO-2, ATB-37). The extract exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against both CACO-2 and A-549 cancer cell lines (IC50 = 47 ± 0.74 μg/mL and 56.82 ± 0.92 μg/mL) in comparison with doxorubicin (IC50 = 31.91 ± 0.81 μg/mL and 23.39 ± 0.43 μg/mL) and of SI of 3.8 and 3.1, respectively. It also induced moderate-to-weak activities against the other cancerous cell lines: PC-3, PANC-1, MCF-7, and HepG-2 (IC50 = 81.86 ± 3.26, 57.34 ± 0.77, 80.31 ± 4.13, and 57.01 ± 0.85 μg/mL) in comparison to doxorubicin (IC50 = 32.9 ± 1.74, 19.07 ± 0.2, 15.48 ± 0.84 and 5.4 ± 0.22 μg/mL, respectively) and SI of 2.2, 3.1, 2.2, and 3.1, respectively. In vitro anti-HSV1 (Herpes simplex 1 virus) and HAV (Hepatitis A virus) activity was evaluated using MTT colorimetric assay with three different protocols to test protective, anti-replicative, and anti-infective antiviral activities, and three separate replications of each experiment were conducted. The plant extract showed promising protective and virucidal activity against HSV1 with no significant difference with acyclovir (79.55 ± 1.67 vs. 68.44 ± 7.62 and 70.91 ± 7.02 vs. 83.76 ± 5.67), while it showed mild protective antiviral activity against HAV (48.08 ±3.46) with no significant difference vs. acyclovir (36.89 ± 6.61). The selected main compounds were examined for their bioactivity through in silico molecular docking, which exhibited that limonene could possess the strongest antiviral properties. These findings support Annona glabra’s conventional use, which is an effective source of antiviral and anticancer substances that could be used in pharmaceuticals.
... It may cause complications mainly in immune-compromised patients 1 . The approved drug for treatment of HSV-1 is acyclovir, however, the development of drug resistant mutants have made the necessity for the search for new antiviral agents 1,4 . Coxsackie B viruses have been reported to have high incidence in Children. ...
... Medicinal plants have been traditionally known as a source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial activity. They could offer alternatives to synthetic traditionally known antiviral drugs with new mechanisms, more efficacy, lower toxicity, better acceptability and lower cost 2,4,6 . Scrophulariaceae Juss. is a family of annual and perennial herbs that consists of approximately 74 genera and 1533 species broadly dispersed around the world [7][8][9] . ...
Bontia daphnoides L. has been utilized in traditional medicine for treatment of herpes, cough and colds. The aim of this study was to analyze the volatile constituents of this plant by GC/MS (Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry) and to assess their antiviral activity. A total of 64 compounds were identified where dehydroepingaione represented 83.60, 72.36, 58.78 and 34.18% in the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits, respectively. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the discrimination of the organs as the leaves and stems were distributed in the same cluster in contrast to the flowers and fruits. Furthermore, the antiviral activity was assessed where the oils of leaves and stems exhibited potent antiviral activity displaying IC 50 of 11.98, 12.62 µg/ml against HSV-1 and 13.34, 14.50 µg/ml against CoxB4, respectively. Dehydroepingaione was isolated from the n -hexane fraction of the leaves and showed activity against HSV-1 and CoxB with IC 50 of 24.46 and 25.32 µg/ml, respectively. Molecular modelling studies illustrated that the major compounds showed good affinity towards HSV type-1 thymidine kinase. Therefore, it can be concluded that the oils from B. daphnoides have promising antiviral activity that may be attributed to the major oxygenated sesquiterpenes.
... (Sarfina, Nurhamidah, & Handayani, 2017). Beberapa aktivitas biologis dari tanaman jarak kepyar yang telah dilaporkan diantaranya sebagai antioksidan (Abbas et al., 2018), antimikroba (Azmy, 2020), pestisida (Taareluan, Ngangi, Roring, & Ogi, 2021), dan antiviral (Elkousy, Said, & Abd El-Baseer, 2021). ...
Telah dilakukan isolasi dan karakterisasi senyawa metabolit sekunder yang terkandung dalam biji jarak kepyar (Ricinus communis L.). Proses isolasi dilakukan melalui beberapa tahap yaitu ekstraksi, pemurnian dan identifikasi. Hasilnya adalah kristal jarum putih. Uji fitokimia terhadap isolat yang telah dimurnikan menunjukkan bahwa biji jarak kepyar mengandung senyawa alkaloid. Isolat dianalisis menggunakan spektrofotometer inframerah (FTIR) dan spektrofotometer UV-Vis untuk karakterisasi. Analisis FTIR isolat ini menunjukkan adanya gugus fungsi N-H, C-N, dan C-H pada struktur aromatiknya. Analisis UV-Vis menghasilkan serapan pada panjang gelombang maksimum 253,5 nm dan 218,5 nm yang mengindikasikan adanya transisi n→π*
... The use of castor leaves by 29.7% of the respondents to reduce inflammation and soothe the throat was attributed to the traditional medicinal properties of castor leaves. Castor leaves have been historically used in various traditional medicine systems for their potential antiinflammatory (Elkousy et al. 2021) [6] . The reported use of cardamom seeds by 28.9% of the respondents to control infections was linked to the traditional belief in the antimicrobial properties of cardamom. ...
... Castor oil is a plant extract derived from Ricinuscommunis that has been widely used in traditional medicine since ancient times. In the contemporary medical literature, castor oil has been observed to exhibit antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial activities (5,6,7), as well as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, wound healing, and bone regeneration effects (8). In current treatment approaches, castor oil is utilized for the treatment of blepharitis and dry eye problems (9), as a laxative for constipation treatment, and in various dermatological conditions owing to its wound-healing properties. ...
Corrosive esophageal burn (CEB) is a disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of castor oil, in preventing stricture development at the experimental CEB model. In addition to studying standard histopathological damage data, neopterin, IL-33, and sSt-2 proteins were also studied for the first time. Fifty Wistar-Albino rats were divided into randomized 5 groups. Weight measurement, esophageal length, histopathological damage score (HDS) and stenosis score, tissue caspase-3 and VEGF staining, tissue hydroxyproline (HYP), blood TNF-Alpha, IL-6, IL-33, Neopterin, and sST-2 levels were measured. In the castor oil application groups, weight gain was observed, the acute phase reaction decreased, submucosal/tunica muscularis fibrosis and mucosal damage were reduced, and total stenosis scores and histopathological damage scores decreased. While no significant difference was detected in the ST-2 protein, which was used for the first time in this study model, a significant increase in neopterin protein was observed in the application groups. Results indicate the nutritional contribution of castor oil, as well as its tissue healing and esophageal stricture-preventing efficacy at histopathological and immune-histochemical levels.
... Castor oil was used as early as 500 BC by the ancient Egyptians in ointments (unguent), in 18th century Europe for skin healing, and across the world for its various medicinal benefits, such as treating inflammatory, dermatological, cardiovascular, oncological, and ophthalmologic illnesses. Scientific studies support its antifungal [5][6][7], antimicrobial [8], antiviral [9], wound healing [10][11][12], and analgesic [13,14] properties. It has also been used as a delivery vehicle and an additive for topical, transdermal, and oral drugs [15]. ...
In the process of validating the elevated zero maze, a common test of anxiety-like behavior, in our laboratory, we demonstrated an anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil and its primary component, ricinoleic acid. We tested the effects of vehicle and chlordiazepoxide in male mice in the elevated zero maze following a 30-min pretreatment time. Chlordiazepoxide is a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that was previously shown to exert anxiolytic-like effects in both the elevated zero maze and elevated plus maze. Chlordiazepoxide was administered at doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg. We used 5% polyoxyl 35 castor oil (Kolliphor® EL) and saline as treatment vehicles and found that the effect of chlordiazepoxide on open zone occupancy and open zone entries was blunted when 5% Kolliphor was used as the vehicle. These tests demonstrated that chlordiazepoxide increased open zone occupancy and entries in the elevated zero maze more effectively when saline was used as the treatment vehicle and that Kolliphor dampened the anxiolytic-like effect of chlordiazepoxide when it was used as the treatment vehicle. Notably, 5% Kolliphor alone slightly increased baseline open zone occupancy and entries. Given that Kolliphor is a derivative of castor oil, we next tested the effect of 5% castor oil and 5% ricinoleic acid, which is a major component of castor oil. We found that both castor oil and ricinoleic acid increased open zone occupancy but not entries compared with saline. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that Kolliphor, castor oil, and ricinoleic acid may exert anxiolytic-like effects in male mice in the elevated zero maze. This potential anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil is consistent with its well-established beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, and pain-relieving properties.
... Castor (Ricinus communis L.) has high economic value and is an important nonfood oil-seed crop used as a biofuel and feedstock [1]. In addition, castor has also been identified as a medicine and fertilizer [2,3]. The global demand for castor has markedly increased, mainly due to the various properties of castor. ...
The yield of castor is influenced by the type of inflorescence and the proportion of female flowers. However, there are few studies on the genetic mechanism involved in the development and differentiation of castor inflorescences. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses of three different phenotypes of inflorescences at the five-leaf stage. In comparison to the MI (complete pistil without willow leaves), 290 and 89 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the SFI (complete pistil with willow leaves) and the BI (monoecious inflorescence), respectively. Among the DEGs, 104 and 88 were upregulated in the SFI and BI, respectively, compared to the MI. In addition, 186 DEGs and 1 DEG were downregulated in the SFI and BI compared to the MI. Moreover, we conducted GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs. In comparison to the MI, the SFI and BI exhibited the enrichment of functional branches in DEGs, specifically in pollen wall assembly, pollen development, and cellular component assembly involved in morphogenesis. In our study, RADL5 showed low expression levels between SFI-vs.-MI types. In addition, we found that the expression of NAC in the SFI differed from that in MI and BI, and some genes related to hormonal signaling changed their expression levels during inflorescence differentiation. These results reveal the genetic mechanism of sex genotypes in castor, which will not only guide researchers in the breeding of castor but also provide a reference for genetic research on other flowering plants.
... This plant also has hypoglycemic antibacterial and antimutagenic characteristics [4]. Synergism is defined as the conjugation of discrete agents (such as medications) or instances in such a way that the cumulative effect exceeds the sum of the distinct effects [5]. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate in vitro synergism between leaf extracts of guava (by the maceration method) and antimicrobial drugs against uropathogenic E. coli from UTI by using the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion methods. ...
Introduction
Psidium guajava (guava) is a fruit plant of the Myrtaceae family. Guava roots, leaves, and fruits have traditionally been used to prevent and treat various infections. In the last few decades, there has been exponential growth in herbal medicine. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the susceptibility and synergistic properties of the antimicrobial activity of the aqueous leaf extract of guava and other antimicrobial drugs against Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Methodology
A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, India, involving 180 urine samples collected from patients who exhibited symptoms of urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim was to evaluate in vitro synergism between leaf extracts of guava and antimicrobial drugs on uropathogenic E. coli, using minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the Kirby-Bauer method. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was employed to determine the synergistic activity using Muller-Hinton agar (MHA), and the zone of inhibition was measured in millimeters.
Results
The study found that, of the 180 urine samples collected from patients with UTI, significant growth was observed in 93 samples, with the most notable increase seen in E. coli. The antibiotics tobramycin, ofloxacin, and amikacin, each showing a sensitivity of 76% and 70% respectively, were found to be the most sensitive. Conversely, cefuroxime and cephalothin, both at 76%, were the most resistant. Furthermore, the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli without guava extract demonstrated tobramycin (TOB) at 76.66%, followed by ofloxacin (OF) and amikacin (AK) at 70% each, levofloxacin (LE) at 63.33%, nitrofurantoin (NIT) at 53.33%, trimethoprim (TR) at 43.33%, cefotaxime (CTX) at 36.66%, ceftizoxime (CZX) at 30%, norfloxacin (NR) at 26.66%, cephalothin (CEP) at 23.33%, amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) at 20%, and cefuroxime (CXM) at 10%. In contrast, when the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli with guava extract was examined, the highest sensitivity was noted for OF (100%), followed by LE (96.66%), TOB (93.33%), AK (90%), NIT (76.66%), AMC and TR (66.66% each), CTX (60%), CZX (53.33%), CEP (50%), NX (43.33%), and CXM (26.66%). Therefore, Psidium guajava (guava) extract exhibited a synergistic effect when combined with antibiotics, most notably with ofloxacin.
Conclusion
The study revealed that the highest synergistic activity of guava plant leaf extract was with the antibiotic ofloxacin. This finding indicates that guava extract enhances the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics for treating UTI, an effect mainly attributed to the flavonoid compounds and their derivatives in the guava leaf extract, which inhibit bacterial growth. This study demonstrated the antibacterial properties of guava, suggesting that combining antibiotics with guava extract can help delay the emergence of bacterial resistance.
... The phenolic and alkaloid derivatives of its extracts of leaves may improve a drug to treat and prevent cold and flu. [127] Cayratia (Cayratia pedata) ...
Traditional Iranian medicine is usually used for both prevention and relief of cold and flu symptoms in China, Iran, and many other Asian countries all over the world. There are 4 kinds of influenza viruses. Unlike type B, which may cause seasonal epidemics, type A viruses can cause pandemics, and influenza C may lead to mild human infection with little public health effects. A literature review was done by using multiple databases such as ISI Web of knowledge, PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The most notable antiviral medicinal plants for flu and cold are honeysuckle flowers, thyme leaf, green chiretta, andrographis, peppermint oil and leaf and calendula. The most important expectorant medicinal plants for cold and flu are snake root, tulsi, licorice root, slippery elm, clove, and sage leaf. Recommended immunostimulant medicinal plants for cold and flu are eucalyptus, Echinacea root, ginseng, garlic, slippery elm, marshmallow, Usnea lichen, Isatis root, ginger root, and myrrh resin. Iranian traditional medicine, which is one of the oldest schools of traditional medicine, is one of the main concepts of disease and health, and it can be considered as an important complementary and alternative medicine, as in some cases, modern medicine has many side effects, low efficiency, and high costs. Medicinal plants and herbs, which are included in many traditional systems, have significant and promising bioactive components in organic life.
... La especie Ricinus communis pertenece a la familia Euphorbiaceae, es arbustiva, comúnmente conocida como ricino, de origen tropical proveniente de África, debido a su rápida adaptabilidad, hoy en día se la puede encontrar en diferentes partes del mundo tanto en áreas tropicales como subtropicales (Orlando et al., 2022) De acuerdo (Elkousy et al., 2021) Ricinus communis crece en estado silvestre, sus principales componentes fitoquímicos que le permiten aportar beneficios medicinales para diversos problemas de salud entre ellos se destacan los flavonoides, alcaloides, taninos, esteroides y terpenos, los cuales les confieren propiedades farmacológicas tales como; analgésica, antioxidante, antibacteriana, antinflamatoria, anticonceptiva y antimicrobiana (Eldridge, 2022). ...
El libro 56 de “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria” de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, que cuenta con el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. La gestión del conocimiento es un camino para consolidar una plataforma en las empresas públicas o privadas, entidades educativas, organizaciones no gubernamentales, ya sea generando políticas para todas las jerarquías o un modelo de gestión para la administración, donde es fundamental articular el conocimiento, los trabajadores, directivos, el espacio de trabajo, hacia la creación de ambientes propicios para el desarrollo integral de las instituciones.
... quercetin, and rutin, among others. [27,28] D. incanum Diuretic and anti-inflammatory. ...
The utilization of plants with medicinal properties is deeply rooted in the traditional knowledge of diverse human populations. This study aims to investigate the cytotoxicity of nine plants commonly used by communities in San Basilio de Palenque, Bolivar (Colombia), for managing inflammation-related illnesses. Hydroethanolic extracts from various plant parts such as roots, stems, barks, or leaves were prepared through a process involving drying, powdering, and maceration in an ethanol–water (7:3) solution. The extracts were subsequently freeze-dried and dissolved in DMSO for the bioassays. Cytotoxicity against the human hepatoma HepG2 cell line was assessed using the MTT assay, with extract concentrations ranging from 0 to 500 µg/mL and treatment durations of 24 and 48 h. The total phenolic content of the nine extracts varied from 96.7 to 167.6 mg GAE/g DT. Among them, eight hydroethanolic extracts from Jatropha gossypiifolia L., Piper peltatum L., Malachra alceifolia, Verbesina turbacensis, Ricinus communis, Desmodium incanum, and Dolichandra unguis-cati showed low toxicity (IC50 > 500 µg/mL, 24 h) against HepG2 cells. On the other hand, the extracts of Aristolochia odoratissima L. (IC50 = 95.7 µg/mL) and Picramnia latifolia (IC50 = 128.9 µg/mL) demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity against the HepG2 cell line, displaying a modest selectivity index when compared to the HEKn cell line after 48 h of treatment. These findings suggest that medicinal plants from San Basilio de Palenque, particularly Picramnia latifolia and Aristolochia odoratissima, have potential activity against cancer cells, highlighting their potential for further research and development.
... It improves metals dispersion on nanoporous support surfaces and produces acid or base catalysts [10]. The seed Ricinus communis extracts castor oil [11]. Castor oil is unusual among vegetable oils because it is the sole source of hydroxylated fatty acids [12]. ...
Mesoporous silica has been synthesized with ricinoleic methyl ester (Ricinus communis) as a template. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the adsorbent. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the adsorption of copper (II). As seen in the results, there was a good correlation between the values found in experiments and the values predicted by the quadratic model (P < 0.05). Increasing the reaction time and adsorbent dosage improved the process efficiency. Using variance analysis (ANOVA) to compare the collected data, the best conditions were found at a pH of 7.22, a concentration of Cu²⁺ of 57.08 ppm, an adsorbent dose of 0.10 g, and a time of 53.95 min. The Cu²⁺ adsorption efficiency under these conditions was 82.36%. The percentage removal for Cu²⁺ adsorption of mesoporous silica with variations of Cu²⁺ concentration 20 ppm, 30 ppm, 40 ppm, 50 ppm, 60 ppm, 70 ppm, and 80 ppm obtained were 93.00%, 89.33%, 88.60%, 90.00%, 88.70%, 88.74%, and 81.25%. The percentage removal for Cu²⁺ adsorption of mesoporous silica of Cu²⁺ concentration 50 ppm with variations time 30 min, 40 min, 50 min, 60 min, 70 min, 80 min, and 90 min were obtained 89.00%, 89.20%, 89.40%, 89.60%, 89.80%, 89.80%, and 89.80%. The Cu²⁺ adsorption experiment data best fit the Langmuir isotherm model, and the removal followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R² = 0.99). MSEM-A could absorb the maximum amount of Cu²⁺ was 87.03 mg/g.
... In vitro renal cytotoxicity showed that in the highest 100 μg/ml Canger water extraction, the survival rate decreased to 63.0 ± 2.7%, and the HK-2 cell membrane remained undamaged (Yu et al., 2013). The seeds of the castor plant, Ricinus communis (Bima), having a wide range of valuable medicinal activities including hepatoprotective, anti-nociceptive, and anticancer, contain the toxin ricin, a naturally occurring, highly poisonous protein isolated from it (Elkousy et al., 2021). More than 1000 cases of poisoning due to the consumption of castor seeds have been reported in the literature (Bozza et al., 2015). ...
Background
Safety and toxicity have become major challenges in the internationalization of Chinese medicine. Inspite of its wide application, security problems of Chinese medicine still occur from time to time, raising widespread concerns about its safety. Most of the studies either only partially discussed the intrinsic toxicities or extrinsic harmful residues in Chinese medicine, or briefly described detoxification and attenuation methods. It is necessary to systematically discuss Chinese medicine's extrinsic and intrinsic toxic components and corresponding toxicity detoxification or detection methods as a whole.
Purpose
This review comprehensively summarizes various toxic components in Chinese medicine from intrinsic and extrinsic. Then the corresponding methods for detoxification or detection of toxicity are highlighted. It is expected to provide a reference for safeguards for developing and using Chinese medicine.
Methods
A literature search was conducted in the databases, including PubMed, Web of Science,Wan-fang database, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Keywords used were safety, toxicity, intrinsic toxicities, extrinsic harmful residues, alkaloids, terpene and macrolides, saponins, toxic proteins, toxic crystals, minerals, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, sulfur dioxide, detoxification, detection, processing (Paozhi), compatibility (Peiwu), Chinese medicine, etc., and combinations of these keywords. All selected articles were from 2006 to 2022, and each was assessed critically for our exclusion criteria. Studies describe the classification of toxic components of Chinese medicine, the toxic effects and mechanisms of Chinese medicine, and the corresponding methods for detoxification or detection of toxicity.
Results
The toxic components of Chinese medicines can be classified as intrinsic toxicities and extrinsic harmful residues. Firstly, we summarized the intrinsic toxicities of Chinese medicine, the adverse effects and toxicity mechanisms caused by these components. Next, we focused on the detoxification or attenuation methods for intrinsic toxicities of Chinese medicine. The other main part discussed the latest progress in analytical strategies for exogenous hazardous substances, including heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins. Beyond reviewing mainstream instrumental methods, we also introduced the emerging biochip, biosensor and immuno-based techniques.
Conclusion
In this review, we provide an overall assessment of the recent progress in endogenous toxins and exogenous hazardous substances concerning Chinese medicine, which is expected to render deeper insights into the safety of Chinese medicine.
... On the other hand, the positive bands in PC1 in the region of 780-970 cm −1 were more intense in DL extracts. When evaluating the negative region of the PC1 loading plot, it is possible to observe that the functional groups responsible for the discrimination are probably those present in flavonoids and phenolic acids, corroborating the data in the literature that demonstrate the identification of these compound classes in RC leaves, such as gallic acid, quercetin, gentisic acid, rutin, epicatechin, ellagic acid, etc. [51][52][53] . ...
Plant species with allelopathic effects against weeds have emerged as a potential strategy for the development of ecologically friendly bioherbicides. In this study, the allelopathic effects of the plant species Dipteryx lacunifera Ducke, Ricinus communis L., Piper tuberculatum Jacq., and Jatropha gossypiifolia L. on the weed Bidens bipinnata L. were investigated. In vitro bioassays revealed that aqueous extracts of selected plant species were able to inhibit seed germination and seedling growth of B. bipinnata, highlighting the strongest allelopathic effect evidenced by R. communis. The phytotoxicity of the aqueous extracts was evaluated in pot experiments, which indicated that the foliar application of R. communis and P. tuberculatum extracts on B. bipinnata plants caused yellowing of leaves, affecting the chlorophyll content and reducing growth. The discrimination of the plant extracts by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared (ATR FT-MIR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA) indicated the presence of allelochemical compounds, such as phenolics and terpenoids, which may be associated with allelopathic activity. Overall, this study provides valuable information about the substantial allelopathic inhibitory effects of the plant species R. communis and P. tuberculatum on the weed B. bipinnata, which may be used for the development of eco-friendly bioherbicides.
Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are highly valued and widely used worldwide. However, their complex compositions and various preparation processes have brought considerable challenges to the quality evaluation of Chinese medicines. The traditional methods for TCM quality evaluation suffer from the problems of cumbersome sample preparation, a long detection time, low sensitivity, etc. A more efficient and accurate evaluation method is urgently needed to ensure the stability and reliability of the quality of TCMs. As an emerging analytical technology, a fluorescent probe has the advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, easy operation, etc. It is capable of generating a specific fluorescent signal response to specific components in traditional Chinese medicines, realizing rapid and accurate detection of target components, which effectively solves the many difficulties of traditional methods. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of fluorescent probes in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines and the challenges they face. By introducing the principles, advantages and specific application cases of fluorescent probe technology in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines, we hope to provide new and efficient analytical ideas for the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines.
Corrosive esophageal burn (CEB) is a disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of castor oil, in preventing stricture development at the experimental CEB model. In addition to studying standard histopathological damage data, neopterin, IL-33, and ST-2 proteins were also studied for the first time. Fifty Wistar-Albino rats were divided into randomized 5 groups. [Sham group (G1) (n:10), Control group (G2) (n:10), Early Stage Topical Application group (G3)(n:10), Late Stage Topical Application group (G4) (n:10), Oral Application group (G5) (n:10)]. Weight measurement, esophageal length, histopathological damage score (HDS) and total stenosis score (TSS), tissue caspase-3 and VEGF staining, tissue hydroxyproline (HYP), blood TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-33, Neopterin, and ST-2 levels were measured. In the castor oil application groups, weight gain was observed, the acute phase reaction decreased, submucosal/tunica muscularis fibrosis (TMF) and muscularis mucosal damage (MMD) were reduced, and TSS and HDS decreased. While no significant difference was detected in the ST-2 protein, which was used for the first time in this study model, a significant increase in neopterin protein was observed in the application groups. Results indicate the nutritional contribution of castor oil, as well as its tissue healing and esophageal stricture-preventing efficacy at histopathological and immune-histochemical levels.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-74914-3.
El libro 56 de “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria” de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, que cuenta con el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. La gestión del conocimiento es un camino para consolidar una plataforma en las empresas públicas o privadas, entidades educativas, organizaciones no gubernamentales, ya sea generando políticas para todas las jerarquías o un modelo de gestión para la administración, donde es fundamental articular el conocimiento, los trabajadores, directivos, el espacio de trabajo, hacia la creación de ambientes propicios para el desarrollo integral de las instituciones.
La estrategia más general de la gestión del conocimiento consiste en transformar los conocimientos personales y grupales en conocimiento organizacional. También se debe tener en cuenta los conocimientos altamente especializados de personas del entorno de la empresa para tratar de incorporarlos al conocimiento de la entidad, lo cual ha de incluirse en las estrategias. La gestión estratégica del conocimiento vincula la creación del conocimiento de una organización con su estrategia, prestando atención al impacto que pueda generar.
En este sentido, se presenta a la comunidad internacional el libro 56 de “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro son resultados de investigaciones desarrollados por sus autores, con aportes teóricos y prácticos de autores, cuyos resultados de trabajos de investigación, son análisis de diversas teorías, propuestas, enfoques y experiencias sobre el tema de gestión del conocimiento, lo cual permite el posicionamiento de las organizaciones en la utilización del conocimiento, su apropiación y transformación. Los conceptos o criterios emitidos en cada capítulo del libro son responsabilidad exclusiva de sus autores.
Since 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 infection has continued to cause significant human suffering. Numerous investigations into the viral pathogenesis have led to converging conclusions on how the virus enters and spreads within the host. The main protease (Mpro) of coronaviruses has been considered as an attractive therapeutic target because of its important role in processing polyproteins translated from viral RNA. Many studies discovered that phytoconstituents possess potent antiviral activities. Hence, in the present work, 439 co-crystal ligands of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro were collected and docked with Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 (PDB ID:7AEH) to identify best crystal ligand. Among all the crystal ligands collected, HF0 (7-O-methyl-dihydromyricetin) showed good XP G score -7.872 Kcal/Mol and it was selected as reference to compare the docking scores of phytoconstituents. Then, molecular docking study was performed for 274 antiviral phytoconstituents from various medicinal plants against Mpro of SARS-CoV-2. Molecular docking studies found that seven phytoconstituents exhibited better docking scores than best co-crystal ligand HF0. Among the seven best docked phytoconstituents, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid showed good interactions with key amino acid residues in substrate binding site of Mpro with XPG Score –9.721 Kcal/Mol. Qikprop results indicated that the most phytoconstituents have demonstrated favourable pharmacological characteristics. Interaction fingerprint analysis revealed that all the seven best docked phytoconstituents of the present study bound to Glu166, key residue situated in the centre of the substrate binding site of Mpro resulting in the reduction of the catalytic activity of main protease thus blocking the replication of SARS-CoV-2.
The goal of the current investigation was to computational screening and biochemical evaluation of Riconus communis Linn's root. The phytochemicals from the root of Ricinus communis were extracted using methanol and water. Via phytochemical screening with LC-MS, it was possible to identify the greater number of phytoconstituents in the ricinus communis linn root extracts. Potential sources of novel drugs and therapeutic leads included the plant's active phytoconstituents. The study's findings indicated that the methanolic extract of Ricinus communis root includes compounds with anticancer properties and some pharmacological active moieties. Esters, bioflavonoids and phenolic compounds have been estimated by chemical analysis and these were further identified with the help of LC-MS analysis. Thus, the raw root extracts of Ricinus communis may serve as fresh sources for the creation of novel plant-based medicines for the treatment of various illnesses. Since the plant already contains phenolic compounds, esters, and flavonoids, and the potential toxicity of a few specific components were investigated. It can be employed for the approaching research because it has been found that it is less dangerous and active.
Methyl chloride, also known as chloromethane, plays a vital role in producing various industrial goods. The current demand for methyl chloride in Indonesia exceeds production levels, making the design of a methyl chloride plant essential. This research focuses on improving methyl chloride production economically and operationally by exploring plant design using simulations that emphasize energy efficiency and high purity. The objective of this research is to develop a process design for producing methyl chloride from methanol and hydrogen chloride, aiming for energy efficiency, an environmentally friendly factory, and high-purity methyl chloride products. The research employed an iterative simulation method to compare the basic and modified processes for methyl chloride production. The process involved constructing a simulation model using Aspen HYSYS, analyzing the simulation results using Aspen Energy Analyzer V12, and iteratively adjusting process parameters until achieving the desired performance or results. The research findings indicate that the methyl chloride modification process exhibits a lower energy requirement compared to the methyl chloride base process. Moreover, the modification process demonstrates minimal carbon emissions, establishing it as a sustainable and environmentally friendly design. Additionally, the methyl chloride produced in the modification process achieves a higher percentage of purity. In the initial process, the methyl chloride purity stood at 98.17%, while in the modified process, it saw an elevation to 99.35%. Considering these three aspects, the modification process is conclusively more efficient than the basic process system. Copyright © 2024 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Simple Summary
Euphorbiaceae is a large family of flowering plants that includes a wide spectrum of useful plants, from edible plants to toxic and medicinal plants. They are cosmopolitan plants that have very different shapes, from little herbaceous plants to big trees and cactus-like forms. This review article focuses on the potential anticancer activity of extracts, isolated compounds, and nanoparticles generated from the plants of the Euphobiaceae family based on in vitro and in vivo experiments. Possible mechanisms of action are also discussed.
Abstract
The number of cancer cases will reach 24 million in 2040, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Current treatments for cancer are not effective and selective for most patients; for this reason, new anticancer drugs need to be developed and researched enough. There are potentially useful drugs for cancer isolated from plants that are being used in the clinic. Available information about phytochemistry, traditional uses, in vitro and in vivo experiments with plants, and pure compounds isolated from the Euphorbiaceae family indicates that this family of plants has the potential to develop anticancer drugs. This review examines selected species from the Euphorbiaceae family and their bioactive compounds that could have potential against different types of cancer cells. It reviews the activity of crude extracts, isolated compounds, and nanoparticles and the potential underlying mechanisms of action.
El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el potencial inhibitorio de extractos acuosos y etanólicos de hojas de Ricinus communis sobre el crecimiento de una cepa de Alternaria tenuissima, especie fitopatógena que afecta a gran variedad de cultivos ornamentales y alimenticios. Este trabajo derivó de una investigación etnobotánica sobre plantas tóxicas del partido de Vicente López (Buenos Aires, Argentina), en el que el ricino, planta invasora y exótica, sobresalió como una de las especies más conocidas de la zona y de mayor consenso en cuanto a su potencial tóxico. Los extractos se obtuvieron mediante maceración de las hojas de R. communis durante 24 h en los siguientes solventes: agua destilada, etanol al 25% y etanol al 50%. El efecto inhibitorio de los extractos contra A. tenuissima se evaluó utilizando la técnica del medio de cultivo envenenado a cuatro concentraciones: 25, 12, 6 y 3%. A los 8 días de cultivo se registró y contrastó el crecimiento micelar (áreas colonizadas) en cada caso. Los extractos acuosos de las hojas de R. communis presentaron efecto inhibitorio sobre el crecimiento de la cepa evaluada, con un máximo del 55%. El etanol, tanto al 25% como al 50%, tuvo un efecto completamente inhibitorio y por tanto no fue posible evaluar el efecto de los extractos etanólicos de ricino. Los resultados indican que tanto las mezclas etanol-agua como los extractos acuosos de hojas de ricino son alternativas prometedoras para la protección vegetal, evaluando previamente sus parámetros ecotoxicológicos.
Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae, Acalyphoideae) is a highly variable species known as the castor oil plant. This study aimed to describe R. communis using several methodologies, such as vegetative morphometry, leaf surface ultrastructure, soil analysis, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, to understand the diversity of this species. The morphological analysis revealed that some samples had purple stems while others were grayish-green. The purple-stemmed R. communis phenotype reflects the intra-specific diversity of the species. The multivariate analysis of 25 R. communis samples based on 34 vegetative morphometric characteristics revealed that they belonged to three main groups (morphotypes). Each group attained some specific characteristics discriminating it from the other groups. Selected samples from each group were investigated using SEM, soil analysis, and GC-MS. The performed GC-MS technique revealed that six major compounds were detected in the chromatograms of the studied samples. The highest percentages of n-Hexadecanoic acid and 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid were recorded. Ricinus communis demonstrated adaptive growth capability, where plants inhabiting coastal sites are salt-sensitive, while inland plants are relatively drought-tolerant species. The intra-specific variation between R. communis morphotypes indicated the possibility of the direct and indirect use of these varieties in genetic improvement programs of the species.
In traditional medicine, Plagiorhegma dubia Maxim (PD) is used to treat diabetes, irritability, insomnia, high fever, and coma. In this study, to identify the components in PD, we first performed three preliminary phytochemical tests, which were all positive for the presence of alkaloids. Next, we evaluated the total alkaloid content and performed 13 different in vitro antioxidant experiments for three solvent extracts of PD. According to the results, the methanol extract was selected for further research. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to identify 41 compounds in the methanol extract. Thirty-eight of these compounds were alkaloids, and the main components were magnoflorine, berberrubine, and betaine. Addition of the methanol extract to cooking oil increased the stability against oxidation and greatly reduced the peroxide value. Cell viability and oral acute toxicity studies in mice indicated that the methanol extract was relatively non-toxic. Histopathological examination and biochemical analysis showed that the methanol extract was protective against liver damage in rats induced by d-galactosamine. The methanol extract also showed a good antidiabetic effect for streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats, where it lowered blood sugar levels and protected vital organs against damage. Lipid profile parameters and oxidative stress parameters also improved. The therapeutic effects towards diabetes and liver damage were attributed to the ability of the three main components in the methanol extract to resist oxidative stress. Our results show that the alkaloid-rich methanol extract of PD is potential candidate for treatment of diseases associated with oxidative imbalances. This understanding of the hepatoprotective effect and antidiabetic activity of PD provides new insight for its use as a substitute for Coptis chinensis and establishes a foundation for development of PD as an economic crop.
Mesoporous silica is restricted to organic solvents or other acidic media. The application of mesoporous silica depends on the medium's chemical stability and mechanical properties. It is necessary to stabilize the mesoporous silica material under acidic conditions. The results of the nitrogen adsorption characterization show that MS-50 has a large surface area and porosity, resulting in good mesoporous silica. Using variance analysis (ANOVA) to compare the collected data, the best conditions were found at a pH of 6.32, a Cd2+ concentration of 25.30 ppm, an adsorbent dose of 0.06 g, and a time of 70.44 min. The Cd2+ adsorption experiment data best fit the Langmuir isotherm model with the maximum amount of Cd2+ that MS-50 could absorb being 103.10 mg g-1.
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INNA) has been applied to determine some mineral and trace elements (As, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Tb, Th, and Zn) in Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae family), a precious medicinal shrub used in Asian and north African countries, to treat multiple diseases and illnesses. The precision of method was evaluated by analyzing the certified reference material GBW 07605 (GSV-4) Tea leaves. The INNA analysis shows that Ca and K were the most abundant minerals in R. communis, followed by Na and Fe. The average estimation of daily intake of some chemical elements through the ingestion of 10 g day⁻¹person⁻¹ contributes partially to the daily requirements of some essential elements such as Ca, Cr, Fe, and K. Furthermore arsenic (As) concentration in this shrub was below the allowable limit value recommended by world health organization. These data can be valuable for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes.
The knowledge of the plants that are used may provide insight on their properties for further exploration. This study aimed to identify and collect data about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine by the population of the provincial region of Taza, Morocco. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among 200 informants, competent villagers, herbalists, and traditional healers from the provincial region of Taza city through direct interviews using a structured questionnaire. The survey reported 55 plant species belonging to 28 families used in the folk medicine. Informants’ results showed that the most frequently used plants were Origanum compactum, Mentha pulegium, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Aloysia citrodora, Calamintha officinalis Moench, and Artemisia herba-alba Asso., with a relative frequency of citation of 76%, 72%, 60%, 42%, 40%, and 30%, respectively. Moreover, in this study, the Lamiaceae family was the most commonly reported plant family, and the leaves were the most frequently used parts of the plants; otherwise, decoction and infusion were the most used modes in the preparation of remedies from medicinal plants in the traditional medicine. The sociodemographic characteristics showed that women use medicinal plants slightly more than men, the illiterate people use the medicinal plant the most, and old people have more information about the medicinal plants than the new generations. The region of Taza of Morocco has an important floristic biodiversity of medicinal plants which are used in traditional medicine practice. This result provides a good database for pharmacological screening in the search for new plants that can contain new bioactive molecules that can be used as a bioactive ingredient of medicament or as a biological alternative in pharmacology.
The importance of natural product research in treatment of disease has been increased because of its natural source and comparatively lesser side effects. The Ricinus communis (RC) has high traditional and medicinal value for maintain the disease free healthy life. The plant is reported to possess anti-oxidant, antihistaminic, antinociceptive, antiasthmatic, antiulcer, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, central nervous system stimulant, lipolytic, wound healing, insecticidal, larvicidal, insecticidal, molluscicidal activity. The pharmacologic al activities are due to the presence of variety of phytoconstituents in the plant, the major phy toconstituent reported in this plant are quercetin, quercetin-3-O-beta-D
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of coxsackievirus B3 infections in Spain were investigated. This enterovirus (EV) type was detected mainly in young children (<6 months) and was associated with neurological (78 %) and respiratory diseases (10 %) but also with myo/pericarditis (10 %). Two myocarditis cases were fatal. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 region showed that genotype III circulated in the country between 2004 and 2008 and was replaced by genotype V in 2010. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the 3D region indicated that recombination events have occurred and contributed to the genetic evolution of this EV type.
Ricinus communis L. (R. communis), commonly known as castor oil plant, is used as a traditional natural remedy or folkloric herb for the control and treatment of a wide range of diseases around the globe. Various studies have revealed the presence of diverse phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, saponins, phenolic compounds such as kaempferol, gallic acid, ricin, rutin, lupeol, ricinoleic acid, pinene, thujone and gentisic acid. These phytochemicals have been responsible for pharmacological and therapeutic effects, including anticancer, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, bone regenerative, analgesic, and anticonvulsant activity. R. communis harbours phytochemicals which have been shown to target peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR), nuclear factor NF- κ -B, cytochrome p450, P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases kinase (p38 MAPK), tumor protein P53, B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (Bcl-xL) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Considering its wide variety of phytochemicals, its pharmacological activity and the subsequent clinical trials, R. communis could be a good candidate for discovering novel complementary drugs. Further experimental and advanced clinical studies are required to explore the pharmaceutical, beneficial therapeutic and safety prospects of R. communis with its phytochemicals as a herbal and complementary medicine for combating various diseases and disorders. © 2018 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved.
Objectives
Ricinus communis leaves are used in herbal preparations for treating candidiasis, skin and wound infections in Ghana. This study aimed at comparing the phytochemical profile of aqueous, methanol, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Ricinus communis and determine the growth inhibitory activities, bactericidal, bacteriostatic and fungicidal effects of the respective extracts on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonaie and Candida albicans. ResultsThe aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts were shown to contain most of the phytochemicals analyzed. All solvents extracts exhibited inhibitory activity against the growth of all microorganisms under study. The methanol extract showed highest zones of inhibition and was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) compared to other solvents extracts. All solvents extracts exhibited both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects on the test organisms at varying concentration, with MIC values ranging from 3.13 to 25.0 mg/ml and MBCs were from 200 to 400 mg/ml. MFCs of Candida albicans was between 200 and 400 mg/l. Our data confirm the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of R. communis and showed that the biologically relevant phytochemicals from the leaves of this plant can be extracted with the solvents aqueous, methanol and ethanol.
Flavonoids, a group of natural substances with variable phenolic structures, are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine. These natural products are well known for their beneficial effects on health and efforts are being made to isolate the ingredients so called flavonoids. Flavonoids are now considered as an indispensable component in a variety of nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, medicinal and cosmetic applications. This is attributed to their anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic properties coupled with their capacity to modulate key cellular enzyme function. Research on flavonoids received an added impulse with the discovery of the low cardiovascular mortality rate and also prevention of CHD. Information on the working mechanisms of flavonoids is still not understood properly. However, it has widely been known for centuries that derivatives of plant origin possess a broad spectrum of biological activity. Current trends of research and development activities on flavonoids relate to isolation, identification, characterisation and functions of flavonoids and finally their applications on health benefits. Molecular docking and knowledge of bioinformatics are also being used to predict potential applications and manufacturing by industry. In the present review, attempts have been made to discuss the current trends of research and development on flavonoids, working mechanisms of flavonoids, flavonoid functions and applications, prediction of flavonoids as potential drugs in preventing chronic diseases and future research directions.
Widely distributed in plants, flavonoids reduce the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this study, flavonoid content and composition in members of the Prunus genus were evaluated using liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection (UPLC-DAD-ESI/QTOF-MS). Flavonoids in plants of the Prunus genus include the basic structures of kaempferol, quercetin, and catechin, and exist as mono-, di-, or tri-glycoside compounds mono-acylated with acetic acid. A total of 23 individual flavonoids were isolated and confirmed, three of which appear to be newly identified compounds: quercetin 3-O-(2''-O-acetyl)neohesperidoside, quercetin 3-O-(4''-O-acetyl)rutinoside, and kaempferol 3-O-(4''-O-acetyl)rutinoside. Japanese apricot and Chinese plum containedthe highest amounts of flavonoids in the Prunus genus. During the ripening stage of Japanese apricot, the total flavonol content was reduced, while the catechin content wasincreased.
Background
Many plants have been introduced in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of different joint problems including knee pain. Topical application of the mixture of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves (Henna) with aqueous extract of Ricinus communis L. leaves have been mentioned to have significant effects on reducing knee pain. The present study was designed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the mixture of these two herbs in male rats.
Methods
We induced knee osteoarthritis as a model of chronic pain by intra-articular injection of mono sodium iodoacetate (MIA). Mechanical allodynia, hotplate latency test, spontaneous movements and gait analysis were used for the evaluation of analgesic activity. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring the diameter and the volume of the injected paw compared to contralateral paw. These tests were monitored at days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 of MIA administration. Histopathological evaluations were also used to assess the efficacy of the treatment on inflammation and lesions in knee tissue. In all tests, diclofenac topical gel was used as a positive control. The herbal extracts, their mixture, and vehicle or diclofenac gel were administered daily for 14 days by topical route.
Results
The mixture of these two extracts significantly reduced the knee joint width and volume of the injected paws and also improved foot prints in gait analysis after 3 days of MIA injection. Analysis of mechanical allodynia (after 21 days), hotplate latency test (after 10 days), spontaneous movements (after 7 days) and in positive control group (after 3 days in all tests and in mechanical allodynia after 14 days) compared to the vehicle group, showed significant effects. Topical usage of the selected formulation made significant histopathological changes on the knee of the rats. Compared to the vehicle group, the tests and diclofenac groups showed less reactions characterized by negligible edema and a few scattered inflammatory lymphoid cells.
Conclusion
The present findings showed that the present formulation not only was able to mitigate pain and inflammation in the paws but also made significant histopathological changes on the knee of the rats. Further studies are necessary to confirm the effect of the formulation.
One method has been developed to isolate quercitrin from Ixora coccinea leaves, which depends on fractionation of defatted hydro-alcoholic extract by different polarity solvents followed by purification through column chromatography. Isolated quercitrin has been characterized by using UV, IR, Mass spectral data, NMR data and also confirmed by using HPTLC and elemental analysis. The isolated quercitrin was shown a challenging potency to scavenge DPPH free radicals and also nitric oxide free radicals with very low IC50 value.
Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae) is widely cultivated in the tropics and warm regions for castor oil. It possesses various biological activities such as hepatopro-tective, insecticidal, contraceptive, and antifertility activity. The antimicrobial potential of this plant need to be evaluated in order to more characterize the content of its bioactive compounds. The aims of the present study were the biosynthesis of nanoparticles derived from plant and the evaluation their antiviral activity as well as their mode of action by incubating the test samples with the virus prior to infection or with cell culture before inoculation with the virus suspension. Nanoparticles showed greater antiviral activity than the aqueous extracts and they act on the virus and the cell culture. The concentration of these NPs at which infectivity was inhibited by 50% (IC 50) ranged from 344 to 375 µg/mL. We have reported for the first time the synthesis of nanoparticles derived from Ricinus communis aqueous extracts. The results in the present study showed promising findings that need to be more evaluated.
Two antioxidant active compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of Camellia sasanqua using various in vitro assays: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene bleaching, and reducing power assays. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the methanol extract had the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity with an inhibition concentration (IC50) value of 18.3±1.63 μg/ml. Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography was used to separate the EtOAc fraction into eight fractions (F1-F8). Antioxidant activity was significantly higher in fraction 5 with an IC50 value 14.61±0.02 μg/ml. Fraction 5 was further separated by HPLC preparative with Capcellpak C18 MG followed by the Cosmosil 5C18-AR-II column, using a guided DPPH radical-scavenging assay. The compounds isolated were identified as hyperoside (1) and isoquercitrin (2) after recrystallization from ethanol, based on mass spectrum (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Their DPPH radical-scavenging activities based on the 50% scavenging concentration decreased in the following order: isoquercitrin (21.6 mM) > hyperoside (27.5 mM). The antioxidant activities of hyperoside and isoquercitrin were 67.52±0.64% and 64.33±0.51%, respectively, in the β-carotene bleaching assay. These compounds were found to have good reducing powers (OD value: 2.5-3.8) at concentrations of 50-140 μg/mL, using the potassium ferricyanide reduction method. Although these compounds are well-known, hyperoside (1) was isolated from this herb for the first time.
An activity-guided isolation and purification process was used to identify the DPPH (l,l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging components of the food plant (Ricinus communis L.) of Eri silkworm. Dry leaves of R. communis L. were extracted with different solvents and tested for their antioxidant activity against DPPH•. The MeOH:water (8:2) extract showed strong DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and was subjected to column chromatography over silica gel. Gallic acid, quercetin, gentisic acid, rutin, epicatechin and ellagic acid were isolated as active components and characterised by different spectroscopic techniques.
With tens of thousands of plant species on earth, we are endowed with an enormous wealth of medicinal remedies from Mother Nature. Natural products and their derivatives represent more than 50% of all the drugs in modern therapeutics. Because of the low success rate and huge capital investment need, the research and development of conventional drugs are very costly and difficult. Over the past few decades, researchers have focused on drug discovery from herbal medicines or botanical sources, an important group of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy. With a long history of herbal usage for the clinical management of a variety of diseases in indigenous cultures, the success rate of developing a new drug from herbal medicinal preparations should, in theory, be higher than that from chemical synthesis. While the endeavor for drug discovery from herbal medicines is "experience driven," the search for a therapeutically useful synthetic drug, like "looking for a needle in a haystack," is a daunting task. In this paper, we first illustrated various approaches of drug discovery from herbal medicines. Typical examples of successful drug discovery from botanical sources were given. In addition, problems in drug discovery from herbal medicines were described and possible solutions were proposed. The prospect of drug discovery from herbal medicines in the postgenomic era was made with the provision of future directions in this area of drug development.
To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activities of the leaf extract in different solvents viz., methanol, ethanol and water extracts of the selected plant Ricinus communis.
Agar well diffusion method and agar tube dilution method were carried out to perform the antibacterial and antifungal activity of methanol, ethanol and aqueous extracts.
Methanol leaf extracts were found to be more active against Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis: ATCC 6059 and Staphylococcus aureus: ATCC 6538) as well as Gram negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa: ATCC 7221 and Klebsiella pneumoniae) than ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts. Antifungal activity of methanol and aqueous leaf extracts were also carried out against selected fungal strains as Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Methanolic as well as aqueous leaf extracts of Ricinus communis were effective in inhibiting the fungal growth.
The efficient antibacterial and antifungal activity of Ricinus communis from the present investigation revealed that the methanol leaf extracts of the selected plant have significant potential to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains than ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts.
To evaluate the antinociceptive activity of the methanol extract of Ricinus communis leaves (MRCL).
Antinociceptive activity was evaluated using acetic acid induced writhing test, formalin induced paw licking and tail immersion method in mice at doses of 100, 125 and 150 mg/kg bw.
The results indicated that MRCL exhibited considerable antinociceptive activity against three classical models of pain in mice. Preliminary phytochemical analysis suggested the presence of saponin, steroids and alkaloids.
It can be concluded that MRCL possesses antinociceptive potential that may be due to saponin, steroids and alkaloids in it.
Medicinal plants have a vital role to preserve the human healthy life. The large family Euphorbiaceae contains nearly about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Generally they are the flowering plants. Amongst all, the Ricinus communis or castor plant has high traditional and medicinal value for maintain the disease free healthy life. Traditionally the plant is used as laxative, purgative, fertilizer and fungicide etc. whereas the plant possess
beneficial effects such as anti-oxidant, antihistamic, Antinociceptive, antiasthmatic, antiulcer, immunemodulatory, Antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, Antifertility, anti inflammatory, antimicrobial, central nervous system stimulant, lipolytic, wound healing, insecticidal and Larvicidal and many other
medicinal properties. This activity of the plant possess due to the important phytochemical constituents like flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids and steroids etc. The aim of this paper is to explain the details of phyto-pharmacological properties of Ricinus communis for the future research work.
Context. Many diseases are associated with oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Objective. The present study evaluated the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of various extracts of aerial parts of Periploca aphylla and Ricinus communis. Materials and Methods. In vitro antioxidant activities of the plant extract were determined by DPPH and NO scavenging method. Superoxide anion radical activity was measured by the reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium as compared with standard antioxidants. Total phenolic contents and antibacterial activities of these plants were determined by gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and serial tube dilution method, respectively. Results. Plants showed significant radical scavenging activity. The results were expressed as IC(50). n-Propyl gallate and 3-t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole were used as standards for antioxidant assay. All the extracts of both plants showed comparable IC(50) to those of standards. Plants extract exhibited high phenolic contents and antibacterial activities were comparable with standard drug, Ciprofloxacin. Discussion and Conclusion. The present study provides evidence that Periploca aphylla and Ricinus communis prove to be potent natural antioxidants and could replace synthetic antioxidants. Plants can also be used against pathogenic bacterial strains.
An infusion of Persea americana leaves (Lauraceae) strongly inhibited herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) and adenovirus type 3 (AD3) in cell cultures. Its fractionation, guided by anti-HSV-1 and ADV assays, allowed the isolation and identification of two new flavonol monoglycosides, kaempferol and quercetin 3-O-α-D-arabinopyranosides, along with the known kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (afzelin), quercetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (quercitrin), quercetin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside and quercetin. The known quercetin 3-O-β-galactopyranoside was identified in a mixture.Afzelin and quercetin 3-O-α-D-arabinopyranoside showed higher activity against acyclovir-resistant HSV-1. Chlorogenic acid significantly inhibited the HSV-1 replication without any cytotoxicity. However, all the substances tested were less active than the infusion or fractions. The same substances did not affect ADV replication.Chemical structures were elucidated by the analysis of UV, 1H and 13C NMR data, mainly by APT, homo and heteronuclear COSY experiments. The configuration of the D-arabinose unit, not usual in natural plant products, was established on the basis of the optical rotation of the free sugar obtained after acid hydrolysis. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Control of flavonoid derivatives inhibitors release through the inhibition of neuraminidase has been identified as a potential target for the treatment of H1N1 influenza disease. We have employed molecular dynamics simulation techniques to optimize the 2009 H1N1 influenza neuraminidase X-ray crystal structure. Molecular docking of the compounds revealed the possible binding mode. Our molecular dynamics simulations combined with the solvated interaction energies technique was applied to predict the docking models of the inhibitors in the binding pocket of the H1N1 influenza neuraminidase. In the simulations, the correlation of the predicted and experimental binding free energies of all 20 flavonoid derivatives inhibitors is satisfactory, as indicated by R² = 0.75.
A rapid and sensitive procedure was developed for in vitro evaluation of anti-herpes simplex virus (HSV) agents. The procedure is based on spectrophotometrical assessment for viability of virus- and mock-infected cells via in situ reduction of a tetrazolium dye MTT, which has already been used for the detection of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agents (Pauwels et al., 1988). Monolayer cells such as human embryonic fibroblast, VERO, or HeLa cells were not suitable for this purpose. Among the non-adherent cell lines examined for susceptibility to HSV type 1 (HSV-1), a B-lymphoblastoid cell line NC-37 was found to be the most sensitive. The cell line was found to have a good correlation between the viable cell number and the reduction of MTT. In addition, centrifugation of the virus-infected cells resulted in further increase of the sensitivity of NC-37 cells to HSV-1. After optimization, the method proved to be as sensitive as plaque reduction. The system simplifies significantly the assay procedures and thus permits the evaluation of larger numbers of compounds for anti-HSV-1 activity.
Suppression of immune system in treated cancer patients may lead to secondary infections that obviate the need of antibiotics. In the present study, an attempt was made to understand the occurrence of secondary infections in immuno-suppressed patients along with herbal control of these infections with the following objectives to: (a) isolate the microbial species from the treated oral cancer patients along with the estimation of absolute neutrophile counts of patients (b) assess the in vitro antimicrobial activity medicinal plants against the above clinical isolates.
Blood and oral swab cultures were taken from 40 oral cancer patients undergoing treatment in the radiotherapy unit of Regional Cancer Institute, Pt. B.D.S. Health University,Rohtak, Haryana. Clinical isolates were identified by following general microbiological, staining and biochemical methods. The absolute neutrophile counts were done by following the standard methods. The medicinal plants selected for antimicrobial activity analysis were Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav., Asparagus racemosus Willd., Balanites aegyptiaca L., Cestrum diurnum L., Cordia dichotoma G. Forst, Eclipta alba L., Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. , Pedalium murex L., Ricinus communis L. and Trigonella foenum graecum L. The antimicrobial efficacy of medicinal plants was evaluated by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. MIC and MFC were investigated by serial two fold microbroth dilution method.
Prevalent bacterial pathogens isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (23.2%), Escherichia coli (15.62%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.37%), Klebsiella pneumonia (7.81%), Proteus mirabilis (3.6%), Proteus vulgaris (4.2%) and the fungal pathogens were Candida albicans (14.6%), Aspergillus fumigatus (9.37%). Out of 40 cases, 35 (87.5%) were observed as neutropenic. Eight medicinal plants (A. tenuifolius, A. racemosus, B. aegyptiaca, E. alba, M. koenigii, P. murex R. communis and T. foenum graecum) showed significant antimicrobial activity (P < .05) against most of the isolates. The MIC and MFC values were ranged from 31 to 500 μg/ml. P. aeruginosa was observed highest susceptible bacteria (46.6%) on the basis of susceptible index.
It can be concluded that treated oral cancer patients were neutropenic and prone to secondary infection of microbes. The medicinal plant can prove as effective antimicrobial agent to check the secondary infections in treated cancer patients.
This study explored the insecticidal effects of Thai botanical, senescent leaf Jatropha gossypifolia extracts on second instar Spodoptera exigua larvae by the dipping method and topical sprayer method. The leaf crude extract was extracted using Soxhlet apparatus with ethyl acetate as solvent. The leaf crude extracts showed insecticidal activity with a LC50 of 6182 ppm at 24 hours after treatment. In addition, this research was observed its toxicity to worm parasitoid, Meteorus pulchricornis by contact method. The result shows 60 percent mortality of this parasitoid species at dose up to 40,000 ppm. Thus, Jatropha gossypifolia leaf crude extracts can be as alternative IPM control tool for Spodoptera exigua which friendly to benefit insect such as Meteorus pulchricornis.
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a common human pathogen that causes lifelong latent infection of sensory neurons. Non-nucleoside inhibitors that can limit HSV-1 recurrence are particularly useful in treating immunocompromised individuals or cases of emerging acyclovir-resistant strains of herpesvirus. We report that chebulagic acid (CHLA) and punicalagin (PUG), two hydrolyzable tannins isolated from the dried fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. (Combretaceae), inhibit HSV-1 entry at noncytotoxic doses in A549 human lung cells. Experiments revealed that both tannins targeted and inactivated HSV-1 viral particles and could prevent binding, penetration, and cell-to-cell spread, as well as secondary infection. The antiviral effect from either of the tannins was not associated with induction of type I interferon-mediated responses, nor was pretreatment of the host cell protective against HSV-1. Their inhibitory activities targeted HSV-1 glycoproteins since both natural compounds were able to block polykaryocyte formation mediated by expression of recombinant viral glycoproteins involved in attachment and membrane fusion. Our results indicated that CHLA and PUG blocked interactions between cell surface glycosaminoglycans and HSV-1 glycoproteins. Furthermore, the antiviral activities from the two tannins were significantly diminished in mutant cell lines unable to produce heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate and could be rescued upon reconstitution of heparan sulfate biosynthesis. We suggest that the hydrolyzable tannins CHLA and PUG may be useful as competitors for glycosaminoglycans in the management of HSV-1 infections and that they may help reduce the risk for development of viral drug resistance during therapy with nucleoside analogues.
The medicinal plants have a vital role to take care of the healthy human life. The large family Euphorbiaceae contains nearly about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Amongst all, Ricinus communis L. or castor bean plant has high traditional and medicinal values towards a disease free community. The castor bean plant is effective as antifertility activity, antiimplantation activity, antinociceptive activity, anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, immunomodulatory activity, hepatoprotective activity, antidiabetic activity, antiulcer activity, antimicrobial activity, insecticidal activity, molluscicidal and larvicidal activity, bone regeneration activity, central analgesic activity, antihistaminic activity, antiasthmatic activity, cytotoxic activity, lipolytic activity, antiinflammatory activity, and wound healing activity. In addition, the constituents present in this plant are beneficial for the purpose of contraception, leaving no detrimental effects on the body. The objective of the present review focuses on the phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities and future perspectives of the R. communis L. plant.
Leishmania major is an intracellular parasite generally responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), one of the most encountered skin diseases especially in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Current treatment options are not ideal, due to unwanted side effects and increasing resistance and availability is often limited in developing countries. Medicinal plants continue to attract attention because of their beneficial effects in the prevention or/and accelerating the healing process of various diseases. In this study, in vitro and in vivo susceptibility of L. major to Veronica persica Poir. extract, a medicinal plant with many applications, has been evaluated. Antileishmanial activity of plant extract was investigated both on cultured L. major promastigotes and in mice challenged with L. major. Animals were divided into three groups including control (without any treatment), test (treated with plant extract) and glucantime (the reference drug) treated groups. After treatments, skin lesion sizes and body weights of animals were checked during 4 weeks. The potential of the plant extract in decreasing the number of parasites in spleen cells of animals as well as inducing the nitric oxide (NO) production by macrophage cells was also investigated. In vitro tests showed that the plant extract was able to reduce the survival time of promastigotes in a concentration-dependent manner. In vivo experiments also revealed a significant influence of V. persica extracts on accelerating the healing process as well as reducing the overall disease burden in animal model by inducing NO production in macrophage cells. Our findings indicated the promising potential of V. persica extract as an ideal candidate in the treatment of CL caused by L. major.
Herpes Simplex Virus: Methods and Protocols provides a wide collection of protocols employed in various levels of herpes virus research, including basic protocols on growing viruses in cell culture and cloning, manipulating, and preparing viral DNA. Other chapters describe approaches to design and apply HSV-1 vectors for vaccination, cancer and gene therapy, or to study specific aspects of HSV-1 biology such as latency, intracellular transport, and protein-protein interaction. Procedures for structural analyses, microscopy, proteomics, and testing of antivirals are included as well. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Practical and authoritative, Herpes Simplex Virus: Methods and Protocols will aid new researchers in the field of herpes virology as well as those experienced investigators wishing to embark on new techniques.
Introduction: There are not effective drugs available for treatment of dengue fever despite intensive research on synthetic inhibitors. The search for active phytochemicals could serve for the discovery of new drugs. This study aims to evaluate the antiviral activity in vitro of compounds found in essential oils from medicinal plants. Materials and Methods: Nine synthetic-derived essential oil compounds were evaluated. Antiviral effect was screened measuring the reduction of viral NS1 and E proteins in HepG-2 and Vero cells. Results: β-Caryophyllene was identified as the most active compound, it reduced the virus serotype-2 replication in HepG-2 cells at IC50 of 22 ± 5.6 µM, and blocked replication of all four serotypes in Vero cells at IC50 between 8.0 µM and 15.0 µM.The selectivity indexes were between 5.3 and 10. According to results from time-in-addition assays, the antiviral effect of β-caryophyllene appears to be associated with interruption of early steps of the virus life cycle. Citral revealed modest antiviral effect, it reduced the virus serotype-2 (IC50 of 31 ± 4.5 µM) replication but not the other three serotypes. Seven terpenes did not reveal antiviral activity at maximum concentration of 30 µM. Conclusion: Research on compounds found in essential oils can contribute to the drug discovery effort for dengue. β-Caryophyllene could serve as a starting point.
Eucalyptus is one of the most important and highly exploited genus in family Myrtaceae. An UPLC/PDA/ESI-qTOF-MS method was adopted to identify Eucalyptus sideroxylon Cunn. ex Woolls leaves phytoconstituents. Cytotoxicity of E. sideroxylon leaves phloroglucinol-rich extract (PGRE) on VERO cells was determined. The antiviral effect of PGRE against hepatitis A (HAV), herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-I), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-II), coxsackie (CoxB4), and adenoviruses was in vitro evaluated using MTT assay (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide). UPLC-MS analysis allowed the identification of 70 metabolites including: 26 triterpenes, 13 phloroglucinols, 8 fatty acids, 5 flavonoids, 5 oleuropeic acid glucosides, 3 gallic acid derivatives, and 10 miscellaneous. Twenty four metabolites identified in the leaves of E. sideroxylon and four in the genus Eucalyptus are reported herein for the first time. PGRE was found to be non-cytotoxic; the concentration that reduced the cell viability by 50% (CC50) was 0.808mg/mL. Maximum non-toxic concentration (MNTC) of PGRE on Vero cells was 0.312mg/mL. The best antiviral activity was observed against HSV-II. Its mechanism was through decreasing the viral replication (IC50 189.36μg/mL, 87.65% inhibition) and attachment on Vero cells (IC50 199.34μg/mL, 83.13% inhibition) rather than virucidal effect (IC50 293.1μg/mL, 50.68% inhibition). This study provides a complete map for E. sideroxylon leaves composition. It also suggests the plant as a source of new antiviral agents.
Objective
Castor possesses the medicinal properties. Hence, castor extract has the reducing power agent was used in nanoparticles synthesis. Extract of castor also produces secondary metabolites (phenolics, reducing agent) and exhibits anti-oxidant property, which was used as larvicide and antimicrobial agent. In the present study the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of castor.
Methods
The synthesized AgNPs were characterized with UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The phenolics, reducing sugar and total sugar were evaluated performing Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method, DNS method and Phenol-sulphuric acid method. Anti-oxidant activity of synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated using DPPH assay. The larvicidal activity of synthesized AgNPs was evaluated against the third instar of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. The mortality was observed after 24 h by probit analysis. Further, the antimicrobial activity was reported against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram negative).
Results
The UV spectra showed maximum absorbance at 445 nm and TEM analysis indicated spherical shape of nanoparticles with average size of 8.96 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles also possessed anti-oxidant potentials. Thus, it could be used as potential free radical scavenger. The larvae of A. stephensi were found more susceptible to AgNPs than larvae of A. aegypti.
Conclusion
Due to the medicinal properties and reducing power activity, in the present study AgNPs have been synthesized using the aqueous leaves extract of castor and access their phytochemical, anti-oxidant, larvicidal and antimicrobial properties.
The antiviral drugs against the human herpesviruses provided pioneering insights, which have led to the development of the field of antiviral therapy. The first successful use of antiviral drugs to treat any life-threatening viral infection was vidarabine (adenine arabinoside) in 1977 [1]. This was followed by the development of acyclovir as the first specific antiviral drug which required a viral enzyme (thymidine kinase, TK) for activation to a nucleoside triphosphate, which inhibited the viral DNA polymerase and was a chain-terminator of viral DNA elongation [2, 3]. When tested against clinical viral isolates, acyclovir was most effective against those herpesviruses which established latency in neuronal tissue, (HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV) [4] with some activity against EBV, and very little against clinical isolates of CMV in a plaque reduction assay [4, 5]. With the possible exception of influenza A virus and amantadine, this marked the beginnings of antiviral therapy.
After thirty five years, Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 8th Edition is still the reference of choice for comprehensive, global guidance on diagnosing and treating the most challenging infectious diseases. Drs. John E. Bennett and Raphael Dolin along with new editorial team member Dr. Martin Blaser have meticulously updated this latest edition to save you time and to ensure you have the latest clinical and scientific knowledge at your fingertips. With new chapters, expanded and updated coverage, increased worldwide perspectives, and many new contributors, Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 8th Edition helps you identify and treat whatever infectious disease you see. I highly recommend Mandell, Douglas, and Bennetts Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, together with the included ExpertConsult, the on-line version of the book that is a searchable source and is available to a variety of platforms. It is updated twice each year and is an excellent solution for health-care professionals to keep informed of the latest knowledge Reviewed by: Graefes Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, March 2015
In the last few decades there has been an exponential growth in the field of Herbal medicine. It is getting popularized in developing and developed countries owing to its natural origin and lesser side effects. One such medicinal plant is Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae), which is commonly known as castor. It is a small tree which is found all over the India. All parts of plant are important viz. bark, leaves, flowers, seed, oil etc. Oil of this plant is extensively used in Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathic and Allopathic system of medicines as cathartic. The plant is reported to possess antioxidant, anti-implantation, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, central analgesic, antitumour, larvicidal & adult emergence inhibition, antinociceptive and antiasthmatic activity. All these uses are due to the presence of certain phytoconstituent in the plant. The major phytoconstituent reported in this plant are rutin, gentistic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, kaempferol-3-O-beta-d-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-beta-d-xylopyranoid, tannins, Ricin A, B & C, ricinus agglutinin, Indole-3-acetic acid and an alkaloid ricinine. The aim of present article is to explore the medicinal importance of the plant Ricinus communis.
The present study was aimed to investigate the polyphenolic profile of a pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) extract from Algeria and to evaluate its biological activity. The total polyphenol content of the extract was determined as 1.373 mg of gallic acid equivalents (± 0.0046), whereas the flavonoids were determined as 0.098 mg of quercetin (± 0.0015). The determination of the complete polyphenolic profile of the extract was achieved by liquid chromatography with an RP-Amide column in combination with photodiode array and mass spectrometry detection through an electrospray ionization interface. A total of 18 compounds were identified, of which five were reported for the first time in the sample tested. Quercetin rhamnoside was the most abundant compound (82.6 μg/g of fresh pepper), followed by quercetin glucoside (19.86 μg/g). The antioxidant activity and the antimicrobial effects were also determined. For the antimicrobial tests assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, kaempferol showed the strongest inhibitory effect, followed by quercetin and caffeic acid. In the study of the cytotoxicity of the extract, the cancer cells (U937) were more affected than the normal ones (peripheral blood mononucleated cells), with more than 62% inhibition at the highest concentration.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)) is one of the most important vegetable pests in Thailand. After 24hr of both dipping and sprayer bioassay, estimation of LC50 of the ethyl ac- etate extract of Jatropha gossypifolia senescent leaves demon- strated toxicity to secondary instar S. exigua larvae because in this stage most armyworm start to move to other plants and it is also the first susceptible stage for toxicity tests. Ricinine, the main alkaloid separated from ethyl acetate crude extract, showed toxicity on secondary instar larvae by the sprayer method with an LC50 of 3,215 ppm whereas the LC50 value for ethyl acetate crude extract is 8,644 ppm. Thus, the ethyl acetate crude extract of Jat- ropha gossypifolia senescent leaves may have ricinine as the ac- tive ingredient and may be used as an alternative choice for the minimal application of chemical insecticides for Spodoptera ex- igua.
Although continuous research has been conducted on the biological activities of myrtle and the characterisation of its essential oil, few studies have focused on its phenolic composition despite major beneficial properties.
To carry out a comprehensive characterisation of infusion and methanolic extract from myrtle leaves by UPLC-QTOF/MS.
Myrtle-leaf infusions, prepared using deionised water, and the methanolic extracts were analysed by reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to electrospray ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI/QTOF/MS). The MS and MS/MS experiments were conducted using the negative-ionisation mode, in order to provide molecular-mass information and production spectra of the compounds for structural elucidation.
The analytical method applied enabled the characterisation of several compounds such as gallic acid and galloyl derivatives, ellagic acid and derivatives, hexahydroxydiphenolyl and derivatives, flavonoids, lignans and gallomyrtucommulones. Flavonoids, ellagic acid and its derivatives and gallic acid and its derivatives formed the major fractions.
UPLC combined with QTOF/MS is a powerful analytical method for characterising infusions and alcoholic extracts from myrtle leaves. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This review presents 344 compounds isolated and identified from plants that previously demostrated antiviral activity. These compounds have been classified in appropiate chemical groups and data are reported on their pharmacological effect, mechanism of action, and other properties.
Antibiotic resistance has become a major clinical and public health problem within the lifetime of most people living today. Confronted by increasing amounts of antibiotics over the past 60 years, bacteria have responded to the deluge with the propagation of progeny no longer susceptible to them. While it is clear that antibiotics are pivotal in the selection of bacterial resistance, the spread of resistance genes and of resistant bacteria also contributes to the problem. Selection of resistant forms can occur during or after antimicrobial treatment; antibiotic residues can be found in the environment for long periods of time after treatment. Besides antibiotics, there is the mounting use of other agents aimed at destroying bacteria, namely the surface antibacterials now available in many household products. These too enter the environment. The stage is thus set for an altered microbial ecology, not only in terms of resistant versus susceptible bacteria, but also in terms of the kinds of microorganisms surviving in the treated environment. We currently face multiresistant infectious disease organisms that are difficult and, sometimes, impossible to treat successfully. In order to curb the resistance problem, we must encourage the return of the susceptible commensal flora. They are our best allies in reversing antibiotic resistance.
We investigated the antiviral activities of methanol extracts of 75 Moroccan plants (64 genera of 35 families), used traditionally to treat diseases that could be caused by viruses and microbes. The plants included many endemic to Morocco and used by Berber as well as Arab peoples. They were evaluated against three mammalian viruses: herpes simplex virus, Sindbis virus and poliovirus, at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Five extracts were very active against the three viruses, 16 were active against two viruses, and 24 were only active against one virus. Thirty-two extracts showed light enhanced and two showed light-dependent activities. Punica granatum extract, which was the most active, inhibited all three viruses at a concentration of only 1.5 µg/ml, although these activities were not light enhanced. The extracts of Acacia gummifera, Juglans regia, Thymus maroccanus, Lawsonia inermis, Pinus halepensis, and Rosa canina inhibited Sindbis virus at a minimum concentration of 1.5 µg/ml. Thymus maroccanus and Rosa canina activities were light enhanced. Pistacia lentiscus and Thymus maroccanus were very active against herpes simplex virus. The extracts most active against poliovirus were those from Pinus halepensis and Punica granatum. These were active at minimum concentrations of 6.5 µg/ml, but were not light enhanced. These results indicate that some of these plants are potential potent medicines against infectious diseases caused by viruses. Their discriminatory effect against specific microorganisms suggests the presence of different chemical compounds. Light is a determining factor in the activity of photosensitizers and should be definitely taken into account in this kind of test.
Dose (1.5–12 mg/kg p.o. × 7) dependent choleretic, anticholestatic, and hepatoprotective activity in rat was observed with N-demethyl ricinine isolated from the leaves of Ricinus communis Linn. The anticholestatic and hepatoprotective activity was seen against paracetamol-induced hepatic damage. The choleretic and anticholestatic activity was evidenced by an increase in the volume of bile and its contents. The hepatoprotective effect was evaluated by an increase in the percent viability of hepatocytes (ex vivo) and by the reversal of altered enzymatic levels (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [GOT], glutamic pyruvic transaminase [GPT], and alkaline phosphatase) towards normal. The compound showed more potent activity than silymarin, a known hepatoprotective agent.
The insecticidal value of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) in controlling the termites which damage the wood of Mangifera indica and Pinus longifolia was examined. In comparative trials, the order of insecticidal activity was DDT=BHC > castor oil + castor cake (1:1) > castor oil > castor leaves > castor cake > neem oil > neem leaves. All treatments significantly reduced weight loss in wood pieces exposed to termites.
The effect of several naturally occurring dietary flavonoids including quercetin, naringin, hesperetin, and catechin on the infectivity and replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-I), polio-virus type 1, parainfluenza virus type 3 (Pf-3), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was studied in vitro in cell culture monolayers employing the technique of viral plaque reduction. Quercetin caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the infectivity of each virus. In addition, it reduced intracellular replication of each virus when monolayers were infected and subsequently cultured in medium containing quercetin. Preincubation of tissue culture cell monolayers with quercetin did not affect the ability of the viruses to infect or replicate in the tissue culture monolayers. Hesperetin had no effect on infectivity but it reduced intracellular replication of each of the viruses. Catechin inhibited the infectivity but not the replication of RSV and HSV-1 and had negligible effects on the other viruses. Naringin had no effect on either the infectivity or the replication of any of the viruses studied. Thus, naturally occurring flavonoids possess a variable spectrum of antiviral activity against certain RNA (RSV, Pf-3, polio) and DNA (HSV-1) viruses acting to inhibit infectivity and/or replication.
Phenolic constituents were the principle bioactivity compounds exist in Gynura divaricata, little phenolic compounds were reported from the plant previously.
60% ethanol extract from the leaves of Gynura divaricata were isolated and purified by column chromatography of Silica gel, ODS and Sephadex LH-20, the structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UV, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and MS spectroscopic techniques. Additionally, a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization-mass (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS) analytical method was developed to identify some minor constituents in the n-butanol fraction of the ethanol extract of Gynura divaricata.
Six flavonols and one Dicaffeoylquinic acid were isolated from the leaves of Gynura divaricata, and these compounds were identified as follows: quercetin (1), kaempferol (2), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (4), kaempferol-3,7-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (7). A total of 13 compounds, including 9 flavonol glycosides and 4 phenolic acids, were tentatively identified by comparing their retention time (RT), UV, and MS spectrum values with those that had been identified and the published data.
This was the first time to use the HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS method to identify the phytochemicals of the genera Gynura. Moreover, compounds (6) and (7) have been isolated for the first time from the genus Gynura.
Some natural products consisting of the alkaloids yohimbine and vincamine (indole-type), scopolamine and atropine (tropane-type), colchicine (tropolone-type), allantoin (imidazolidine-type), trigonelline (pyridine-type) as well as octopamine, synephrine, and capsaicin (exocyclic amine-type); the flavonoid derivatives quercetin, apigenin, genistein, naringin, silymarin, and silibinin; and the phenolic acids namely gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quinic acid, were tested for their in vitro antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities and cytotoxicity.
Antiviral activity of the compounds was tested against DNA virus herpes simplex type 1 and RNA virus parainfluenza (type-3). Cytotoxicity of the compounds was determined using Madin-Darby bovine kidney and Vero cell lines, and their cytopathogenic effects were expressed as maximum non-toxic concentration. Antibacterial activity was assayed against following bacteria and their isolated strains: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis, although they were screened by microdilution method against two fungi: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis.
Atropine and gallic acid showed potent antiviral effect at the therapeutic range of 0.8-0.05 µg ml(-1), whilst all of the compounds exerted robust antibacterial effect.
Antiviral and antimicrobial effects of the compounds tested herein may constitute a preliminary step for further relevant studies to identify the mechanism of action.
The polyphenol-enriched aqueous extract RF from the aerial parts of Rhododendron ferrugineum exhibited strong antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type-1 while adenovirus 3 was not affected. RF exhibited an IC(50) of 7.4 μg/mL and a selectivity index of 64 when added to the virus inoculum prior to infection. RF abolished virus entry into the host cell by blocking attachment to the cell surface. When added after attachment at a concentration of >25 μg/mL, RF inhibited also penetration of HSV-1 into the host cell. RF directly interacts with viral envelope proteins as demonstrated for the viral glycoprotein gD.