Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activities of ethanol extracts of selected traditional Chinese medicinal herbs

Objective:To evaluate in ritro antimicrobial activities of selected 58 ethno-medicinal plant extracts with a view to assess their therapeutic potential.Methods:A total of 58 traditional Chinese medicinal plants were carefully selected based on the literature review and their traditional use.The antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of these medicinal plants were tested against fungi(Aspergillus funigaius),yeast(Candida albicans),gram-negative(Acirelobacter haumannii and Pseudornnruis aeruginosa)and gram-positive bacteria(Staphglococcus aureus).The activities were tested at three different concentrations of 1.00,0.10 and 0.01 mg/mL.The data was analysed using Gene data Screener program.Results:The measured antimicrobial activities indicated that out of the 58 plant extracts,15 extracts showed anti-fungal activity and 23 extracts exhibited anti-bacterial activity.Eight plant extracts have exhibited both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities.For instance,Eucommia ulmoides,Pohgonum cuspidcrtum,Poria cocas and Uncaria rhineophylla showed activity against both bacterial and fungal strains,indicating their broad spectrum of activity.Conclusions:The results revealed that the ethanol extracts of 30 plants out of the selected 58 possess significant antimicrobial activities.It is interesting to note that the findings from the current study are consistent with the traditional use.A clear correlation has also been found between the antimicrobial activity and the flavonoid content of the plant extracts which is in agreement with the literature.Hence.the results presented here can be used to guide the selection of potential plant species for the isolation and structure elucidation of novel antimicrobial compounds in order to establish the structure-activity relationship.This in turn is expected to lead the way to the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents for therapeutic use.

Plant growth-promoting properties and anti-fungal activity of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta in arid lands

Endophytes,as crucial components of plant microbial communities,significantly contribute to enhancing the absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus by their hosts,promote plant growth,and degrade pathogenic fungal mycelia.In this study,an experiment was conducted in August 2022 to explore the growth-promoting potential of endophytic bacterial strains isolated from two medical plant species,Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta,using a series of screening media.Plant samples of Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta were collected from Zhaosu County and Habahe County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,in July 2021.Additionally,the inhibitory effects of endophytic bacterial strains on the four pathogenic fungi(Fusarium oxysporum,Fulvia fulva,Alternaria solani,and Valsa mali)were determined through the plate confrontation method.A total of 80 endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from Thymus altaicus,while a total of 60 endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from Salvia deserta.The endophytic bacterial strains from both Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta exhibited plant growth-promoting properties.Specifically,the strains of Bacillus sp.TR002,Bacillus sp.TR005,Microbacterium sp.TSB5,and Rhodococcus sp.TR013 demonstrated strong cellulase-producing activity,siderophore-producing activity,phosphate solubilization activity,and nitrogen-fixing activity,respectively.Out of 140 endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta,104 strains displayed anti-fungal activity against Fulvia fulva,Alternaria solani,Fusarium oxysporum,and Valsa mali.Furthermore,the strains of Bacillus sp.TR005,Bacillus sp.TS003,and Bacillus sp.TSB7 exhibited robust inhibition rates against all the four pathogenic fungi.In conclusion,the endophytic bacterial strains from Thymus altaicus and Salvia deserta possess both plant growth-promoting and anti-fungal properties,making them promising candidates for future development as growth-promoting agents and biocontrol tools for plant diseases.

Adsorption of Synthesized Pyridinyl-pyrazolecarbox Amide Derivatives as Anti-fungal on the Surface of Ge-nanotube(6,6)

The anti-fungal activities of synthesized pyridinyl-pyrazole-carbox amide derivatives 1a^1c were investigated via theoretical parameters. The obtained results in present paper were compared with the reported experimental results. Experimental results show that derivative 1a has the highest and derivative 1c the lowest anti-fungal activity. The interactions of derivatives 1a^1c with Ge-nanotube（6, 6） were investigated, and also quantum molecular descriptors of derivatives 1a^1c were calculated. Results show that, derivatives 1a^1c can interact with Ge-nanotube（6, 6） effectively, and their adsorptions were exothermic and possible from the theoretical viewpoint. The absolute ΔEad and ΔGad values of derivative 1a on Ge-nanotube（6, 6） were higher than the absolute ΔEad and ΔGad values of 1 b and 1c. Derivative 1a has the highest absolute μ, ω and ΔN values. The theoretical and experimental trends of anti-fungal activity of derivatives 1a^1c were similar, successfully.

<i>In Vitro</i>Susceptibility of Dermatophytes to Anti-Fungal Drugs and Aqueous <i>Acacia nilotica</i>Leaf Extract in Lagos, Nigeria

Dermatophytes were earlier reported to respond well to anti-fungal agents;however, an upsurge in resistance with the high cost of these agents increased the use of medicinal plants for treatment. This study investigated the sensitivity pattern of dermatophytes to oral anti-fungal drugs and aqueous leaf extract of the plant, Acacia nilotica. The extract was tested against seven strains of dermatophytes Arthroderma otae, Trichophyton interdigitale, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Microsporum ferrugineum, Arthroderma vespertilii, Arthroderma quadrifidum, and Arthroderma multifidum, previously isolated from diabetic patients. The minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations of the plant extracts and the standard antifungal agents were evaluated using modifications of the broth macro dilution method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards M38-A2 protocol. There was a significant difference in the Minimum Inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the dermatophytes to the three antifungal drugs tested (p < 0.001). The dermatophytes were mostly susceptible to itraconazole followed by Nystatin. All the dermatophytes tested were resistant to griseofulvin. Acacia nilotica had an inhibitory effect on all the dermatophytes tested, and showed anti-fungal activity in a dose-dependent relationship between 0.625 - 1.25 mg/ml. Though the inhibitions of the dermatophytes were significantly higher with the standard anti-fungal drugs as compared to the plant extract (p < 0.001);however, the dermatophyte, Arthroderma quadrifidum, which was resistant to all the anti-fungal drugs, had the highest inhibition with A. nilotica. Some circulating dermatophyte strains in Nigeria are griseofulvin and/or itraconazole resistant which may influence the spread of infection and A. nilotica aqueous leaf extract showed a strong anti-dermatophytic activity.

Slow Pyrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse for the Production of Char and the Potential of Its By-Product for Wood Protection

Sugarcane bagasse was pyrolyzed using a laboratory fixed bed reactor to produce char and its by-product(pyrolysis liquid).The pyrolysis experiments were carried out using different temperatures(400℃ and 500℃),heating rate(1℃/min and 10℃/min),and holding time(30 min and 60 min).Char was characterized according to its thermal properties,while the pyrolysis liquid was tested for its anti-fungal and anti-termite activities.Pyrolysis temperature and heating rate had a significant influence on the char properties and the yield of char and pyrolysis liquid,where a high-quality char and high yield of pyrolysis liquid can be obtained at a temperature of 500℃ and a heating rate of 10℃/min.The yield of char and pyrolysis liquid was 28.97%and 55.46%,respectively.The principal compounds of pyrolysis liquid were water,acetic acid,glycolaldehyde,1-hydroxy-2-propanone,methanol,formic acid,levoglucosan,furfural,followed by some phenol compounds and guaiacol derivatives.Pyrolysis liquid at a concentration of 0.20%and 0.25%(v/v)caused a 100%inhibition of Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor,respectively,when performing inhibition growth tests in Petri dishes.Filter paper treated with 10%of pyrolysis liquid caused 100%of termite mortality,while only 5.65%–7.03%of the treated filter papers consumed by termites at such concentration.Pyrolysis liquid is potentially effective to be used in the formulation of wood protection against fungi and termites.

Anti-dermatophytic activity of marine sponge,Sigmadocia carnosa(Dendy)on clinically isolated fungi

Objective:To screen the anti-fungal effects and find out the active metabolites from sponge, Sigmadocia carnosa(S.carnosa) against four dermatophytic fungi.Methods:The methanol,ethyl acetate and acetone extract of marine sponge,S.carnosa was examined against Trichaphyton mentagrophytes(T.mentagrophytes),Trichophyton rubrum(T.rubrum),Epidermophyton floccosum(E.floccosum) and Microsporum gypseum(M.gypseum) and qualitative analysed to find out the active molecules.Results:The methanol extract of sponge was expressed significant activity than ethyl acetate and acetone.The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of methanol extract of sponge that resulted in complete growth inhibition of T.mentagrophytes,T.rubrum, E.floccosum and M.gypseum were found to 125,250,250 and 250 μg/mL respectively.But, 100%inhibition of fungal spore germination was observed in T.mentagrophytes at 500 μg/mL concentration followed by T.rubrum,E.floccosum and At.gypseum at 1000 μg/mL concentration. Other two extracts showed weak anti spore germination activity against the tested dermatophyte fungi.Methanol extracts showed presence of terpenoids,steroids,alkaloids,saponins and glycosides.Conclusion:Based on the literature,this is the first study which has conducted to inhibit the growth and spore germination of dermatophytic fungi with S.carnosa.Further research also needs to purify and characterize the secondary metabolites from the sponge,5.carnosa for the valuable source of novel substances for future drug discovery.

Untargeted metabolomics to evaluate antifungal mechanism:a study of Cophinforma mamane and Candida albicans interaction

Microbial interactions between filamentous fungi and yeast are still not fully understood.To evaluate a potential anti-fungal activity of a filamentous fungus while highlighting metabolomic changes,co-cultures between an endophytic strain of Cophinforma mamane(CM)and Candida albicans(CA)were performed.The liquid cultures were incubated under static conditions and metabolite alterations during the course were investigated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrophotometry(UPLC-MS/MS).Results were analyzed using MS-DIAL,MS-FINDER,METLIN,Xcalibur,SciFinder,and MetaboAnalyst metabolomics platforms.The metabolites associated with catabolic processes,including the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids,carnitine,and phospholipids were upregulated both in the mono and co-cultures,indicating fungal adaptability to environmental stress.Several metab-olites,including C20 sphinganine 1-phosphate,myo-inositol,farnesol,gamma-undecalactone,folinic acid,palmitoleic acid,and MG(12:/0:0/0:0)were not produced by CA during co-culture with CM,demonstrating the antifungal mecha-nism of CM.Our results highlight the crucial roles of metabolomics studies to provide essential information regarding the antifungal mechanism of C.mamane against C.albicans,especially when the lost/undetected metabolites are involved in fungal survival and pathogenicity.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of Triognella foenum graecum Linn seeds:Determination of bioactive compounds and pharmacological analysis

Objective: To investigate the effect of temperature and pressure on supercritical CO_2 extraction of Triognella foenum graecum Linn seeds, to determine the optimal condition which leads to highest percentage of the accumulative yield and revealing the chemical composition of supercritical CO_2 extract.Methods: Temperatures in the range of 40–60C and pressures in the range of 10–25 MPa were used. FTIR and GC–MS analysis were used to detect the bioactive compounds present in the extract. The broth dilution method and slope method were used to evaluate the anti-microbial and anti-tuberculosis activities and the in vitro anti-malarial assay was carried out according to the micro assay protocol of Rieckmann and his coworkers.Results: The temperature was more affected than the pressure on the extraction performance and the highest yield of the extract(3.111%) was attained at 60C and 10 MPa.FTIR and GC–MS showed that the chemical composition of the extract included conjugated linoleic acid methyl ester as the major active principle(with concentration of72.28%), followed by saturated fatty acid methyl esters(16.03%), steroids(8.09%) and organic siloxane compound(3.61%). The extract showed moderate anti-bacterial activity with MIC values 100, 250, 125 mg/m L towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenus respectively. It exhibited high inhibition effect towards the fungi Candida albican with MFC value(250 mg/m L). The extract had low antituberculosis activity with MIC value(100 mg/m L) and comparable MIC value(0.29 mg/m L) towards Plasmodium flaciparum.Conclusions: Supercritical CO_2 extraction as alternate and green technology is performed successfully to extract the bioactive compounds from the seeds of T. foenum graecum Linn and it is concluded that this extract can be used as an alternate source of synthetic anti-biotic drugs.

New seco-anthraquinone glucoside from the roots of Rumex crispus

A new seco-anthraquinone,crispuside A(1),and three new 3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-ones,napthalenones A-C(2-4),were isolated from the roots of Rumex crispus L.,along with 10 known anthraquinones(6-14)and naph-thalenone(5).Their structures were fully determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses,including ECD,and X-ray crystallography in case of compound 5,whose absolute configuration was determined for the first time.The isolates 1,6-14 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal activity against three skin fungi,e.g.,Epidermophyton floccosum,Trichophyton rubrum,and Microsporum gypseum.Most of the isolates showed weak anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory activity.Only compound 9 exhibited obvious anti-fungal activity against E.floccosum(MIC_(50)=2.467±0.03μM)and M.gypseum(MIC_(50)=4.673±0.077μM),while the MIC_(50)values of the positive control terbinafine were 1.287±0.012 and 0.077±0.00258μM,respectively.The results indicated that simple emodin type anthraquinone is more potential against skin fungi than its oxyglucosyl,C-glucosyl and glycosylated seco analogues.

In-vitro Synthesis and Activity Identification of Antimicrobial Peptide from Aspergillus granifolium

[Objectives] This study was conducted to investigate the control effect of antimicrobial peptides to peanut aflatoxin contamination and achieve the purpose of biological control of peanut aflatoxin.[Methods]Bioinformatics methods were applied to screen antimicrobial peptides with strong antifungal activity in the antimicrobial peptide database and analyze their secondary structures and bacteriostatic characteristics,and the candidated peptide was then artificially synthesized,expressed and purified and detected for in-vitro activity.[Results] The antimicrobial peptide(AFP1) which was screened from Aspergillus granifolium exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus flavus.The inhibition rate of crude AFP1 at 3 mg/ml reached 58% for gram-positive bacteria,52% for gram-negative bacteria,and 62% for A.flavus.[Conclusions]This study provides a new approach for the prevention and control of various plant diseases including peanut disease,and a new idea for the biological prevention and control of plant diseases.

Concerns about Diabetic Foot Wounds

This paper in a medical sense can be described as a case report. The diabetic foot wounds of a relative, over 70 years of age, with Type I diabetes were so grievous and the medical treatment was so protracted that success could not be assured. There was a danger of amputation. The one outstanding feature was that the private application of an antifungal spray, between the toes of both feet without prescribed oral mycologic agents, seemed to make an inexplicable difference to the final outcome. In addition, a viewpoint drawn was that the efficacy of antibiotic therapies may be compromised by the presence of invisible fungal etiology.

Inheritance and expression of multiple disease and insect resistance genes in transgenic rice

2-3 anti-fungal disease genes are coinserted with hygromycin phosphotransferase in the same vector. Two insecticidal genes and PPT acetyl transferase genes are placed in another one. The vectors are co-delivered to rice embryonic cellus tissue at a molar ratio of 1:1 using the particle gun method. 55 independent regenerated lines have been obtained through screening for hygromycin resistance. Of these, 70% transgenic plants harbor 6-7 foreign genes. The genes on the same vectors are always co-delivered to rice plant. Northern blot analysis has indicated that the multiple foreign genes give stable expression. In the 6 transgenic plants carrying 6-7 foreign genes, multiple foreign genes tend to integrate in 1 or 2 genetic loci. Progeny segregation is consistent with Mendel’s 3:1 segregation law. 8 homozy-gous R1 transgenic plants harboring 2-3 anti-fungal and 2 insecticidal genes are selected from large number of transgenic progeny screening for hygromycin and Basta resistance.

Synthesis of 5-benzylidene-3-(3-fluoro-4-yl-morpholin-4-yl-phenylimino)-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives catalyzed by [BmIm] OH and their anti-microbial activity

A series of novel 5-benzylidene-3-（3-fluoro-4-yl-morpholin-4-yl-phenylimino）thiazolidin-4-one derivatives were synthesized using[bmIm]OH as a catalyst and were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities.These compounds showed moderate in vitro activities against the microorganisms tested.

DOCK2 regulates antifungal immunity by regulating RAC GTPase activity

Fungal infections cause~1.5 million deaths each year worldwide,and the mortality rate of disseminated candidiasis currently exceeds that of breast cancer and malaria.The major reasons for the high mortality of candidiasis are the limited number of antifungal drugs and the emergence of drug-resistant species.Therefore,a better understanding of antifungal host defense mechanisms is crucial for the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.Here,we report that DOCK2(dedicator of cytokinesis 2)promotes indispensable antifungal innate immune signaling and proinflammatory gene expression in macrophages.DOCK2-deficient macrophages exhibit decreased RAC GTPase(Rac family small GTPase)activation and ROS(reactive oxygen species)production,which in turn attenuates the killing of intracellular fungi and the activation of downstream signaling pathways.Mechanistically,after fungal stimulation,activated SYK(spleen-associated tyrosine kinase)phosphorylates DOCK2 at tyrosine 985 and 1405,which promotes the recruitment and activation of RAC GTPases and then increases ROS production and downstream signaling activation.Importantly,nanoparticle-mediated delivery of in vitro transcribed(IVT)Rac1 mRNA promotes the activity of Rac1 and helps to eliminate fungal infection in vivo.Taken together,this study not only identifies a critical role of DOCK2 in antifungal immunity via regulation of RAC GTPase activity but also provides proof of concept for the treatment of invasive fungal infections by using IVT mRNA.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Some New 4H-Pyr rolo [ 1,2-a] b enzimid azoles

Some new 4H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles（2a-2f） have been synthesized. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by IR, tH NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Compound 2a was further confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of these compounds were determined against some gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungi and their drug-resistant isolates in comparison with standard drugs. Antimicrobial results indicate that compounds 2c, 2d and 2e show moderately active antibacterial properties, their minimum inhibitory concentrations are from 12.5 μg/mL to 125 μg/mL. In the series, the most active compound against C. albicans is compound 2fwith an MIC value of 31.25 μg/mL.