Hysodricanin-A,Mauritin-H,Scutianin-F und Aralionin-C,vier weitere cyclopeptidalkaloide aus Ziziphus,Scutia und Araliorhamnus

From the bark extracts of Ziziphus hysodrica, Z. mauritiana, Scutia buxifolia and Araliorhamnus vaginata, in addition to known peptide alka     

Antioxidant activities of flavonol derivatives from the leaves and stem bark of Scutia buxifolia Reiss

This study evaluated the antioxidant activities in the leaves and stem bark fractions of Scutia buxifolia. Cerebral lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was induced by Fe(II) and radical-scavenging activity was determined by DPPH method. Folin–Ciocalteu was used to determine phenolic contents. Quercetin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin and rutin were isolated from leaf ethyl acetate fraction and their levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography.-photodiode array detector.IC₅₀ (DPPH) varied from 4.35 ± 1.30 to 29.55 ± 0.54 μg/mL for stem bark and from 6.50 ± 0.40 to 30.54 ± 1.14 in the leaves. Ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions caused a sharp fall in TBARS production with IC₅₀ from 2.93 ± 2.17 to 40.46 ± 2.51 μg/mL for the leaves and 0.66 ± 0.17 to 27.3 ± 1.23 for the stem bark. Results obtained indicated that S. buxifolia has a great potential to prevent disease caused by the overproduction of free radicals and also it might be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant agents.     

Scutianin-G,ein weiteres cyclopeptidalkaloid aus Scutia buxifolia

From the bark of Scutia buxifolia, in addition to already described peptide alkaloids, a new compound of this class, Scutianine-G, has been isolated and its structure elucidated. This alkaloid contains a 14-membered ring system and belongs to the Frangulanine-type; it is diastereoisomer of Scutianine-D and -E.     

Drosera peltata Smith var. lunata (Buch.-Ham.) C. B. Clarke as a feasible source of plumbagin: phytochemical analysis and antifungal activity assay

Drosera peltata Smith var. lunata (Buch.-Ham.) C. B. Clarke (DPVL) fractions and plumbagin were tested via broth microdilution techniques on Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium citrinum. All of the test substances [petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol fraction and aqueous residue (AR)] except for the AR were active against all the tested strains. The petroleum ether fraction (PEF) was the most active (MIC = 5.86–46.88 μg/ml, MFC = 23.44–93.75 μg/ml) of the five tested substances and therefore, was selected for further analysis. Based on antifungal activity, bioactivity-guided fractionation of the PEF led to the isolation of plumbagin. The structure of plumbagin was elucidated by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. Using HPLC, DPVL was found to be a new source of plumbagin. Reversed-phase HPLC was performed using a mobile phase of water and methanol, and peaks were detected at 254 nm. Plumbagin showed a good linear relationship at concentrations ranging from 0.625 to 10 μg/ml. Both the intraday and the interday precision showed that the method was precise, with RSDs of at least 3 % at different concentrations. Recovery rates ranging from 97.86 to 99.94 % were observed, which indicate that the method is accurate. The specificity of the method was established by checking the peak purity of plumbagin. For six independent measurements, the average plumbagin content in DPVL was 11.05 ± 0.31 mg/g of dried material. The validated HPLC method provides a new basis for assessing DPVL quality.     

Production of ramoplanin analogues by genetic engineering of Actinoplanes sp.

Ramoplanins are lipopeptides effective against a wide range of Gram-positive pathogens. Ramoplanin A2 is in Phase III clinical trials. The structure–activity relationship of the unique 2Z,4E-fatty acid side-chain of ramoplanins indicates a significant contribution to the antimicrobial activities but ramoplanin derivatives with longer 2Z,4E-fatty acid side-chains are not easy to obtain by semi-synthetic approaches. To construct a strain that produces such analogues, an acyl-CoA ligase gene in a ramoplanin-producing Actinoplanes was inactivated and a heterologous gene from an enduracidin producer (Streptomyces fungicidicus) was introduced into the mutant. The resulting strain produced three ramoplanin analogues with longer alkyl chains, in which X1 was purified. The MIC value of X1 was ~0.12 μg/ml against Entrococcus sp. and was also active against vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 2 μg/ml).     

Dieter Seidel‐65 Jahre

Fruit extract of Solanum xanthocarpum was evaluated for its toxicity against Alternaria brassicae, the causal agent of Alternaria blight of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. &; Coss]. The mass obtained after vacuum drying of the crude methanolic extract was utilised for further sequential fractionation using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and methanol. Among the crude and different fractions tested, methanolic fraction was most effective with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 62.5 μg/ml. The methanolic fraction was further fractionated using open column liquid chromatography into five subfractions (I–V) to identify the antifungal bioactive compounds. Among the five subfractions (SFs) tested SF IV was most effective at inhibiting A. brassicae conidial germination and thereby inhibited lesion development of Alternaria blight at a concentration of 15.625 μg/ml or higher. Furthermore, bioautography of SF IV with Alternaria alternata and diagnosis with Dragendorff reagent indicated that SF IV contains a mixture of bioactive alkaloids, namely a₁ (R_f = 0.12) and a₂ (R_f = 0.22). The potential of using S. xanthocarpum as a resource for the development of biofungicides is discussed.     

Veronaea botryosa: Molecular Identification with Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and In vitro Antifungal Susceptibility

Inter- and intraspecific genomic variability of 18 isolates of Veronaea botryosa originating from clinical and environmental sources was studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). The species was originally described from the environment, but several severe cases of disseminated infection in apparently healthy individuals have been reported worldwide. All tested strains of V. botryosa, identified on the basis of sequencing and phenotypic and physiological criteria prior to our study, were confirmed by AFLP analysis, yielding a clear separation of V. botryosa as a rather homogeneous group from related species. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing resulted in MIC₉₀s across all strains in increasing order posaconazole (0.25 μg/ml), itraconazole (1 μg/ml), voriconazole (4 μg/ml), terbinafine (4 μg/ml), caspofungin (8 μg/ml), anidulafungin (8 μg/ml), isavuconazole (16 μg/ml), amphotericin B (16 μg/ml), and fluconazole (32 μg/ml). Overall, the isolates showed a uniform pattern of low MICs of itraconazole and posaconazole, but high MICs for remaining agents. The echinocandins (caspofungin and anidulafungin) had no activity against V. botryosa. There was no statistically significant difference between susceptibilities of environmental (n = 11) and clinical (n = 7) isolates of V. botryosa (P > 0.05).     

Synthesis and antibiofilm activity of marine natural product-based 4-thiazolidinones derivatives

4-Thiazolidinones derivatives of marine bromopyrrole alkaloids were synthesized as potential antibiofilm compounds. Among the synthesized compounds, some showed promising antibiofilm activity. Biological data revealed that 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives are more potent antibiofilm agents compared to 1,3-thiazinan-4-ones. Antibiofilm activity of compound 4b, 4c (MIC = 0.78 μg/ml) was 3-fold superior than standard vancomycin (MIC = 3.125 μg/ml) while activity of compound 4d, 4f, 4g and 4h was 2-fold (MIC = 1.56 μg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. Compound 4b–4h showed equal antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis compared to standard Vancomycin (MIC = 3.125 μg/ml).     

Biological Evaluation of Endophytic Fungus, Chaetomium globosum JN711454, as Potential Candidate for Improving Drug Discovery

The main objective of this research work focused on investigating the biological and chemical aspects of endophytic fungus Chaetomium globosum, for pharmaceutical purposes to improve the drug discovery process. The endophytic C. globosum was isolated from healthy leaves of Egyptian medicinal plant Adiantum capillus-veneris collected from Saint Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt. The identification of C. globosum was on the basis of classical and molecular taxonomy. Gene encoding for 18S rRNA was partially sequenced, submitted to the GenBank and got the accession number JN711454, to resolve the phylogenetic relations with fungal ancestor using phylogenetic tree. To explore the biosynthetic power of endophytic C. globosum JN711454, the fungus was cultivated over five different media, oatmeal, rice, yeast malt glucose, potato dextrose agar (PDA) and Czapek’s dox media, for 3 weeks at 30 °C, followed by extraction with different solvents, ethyl acetate (EA), and methanol. The ethyl acetate extract of C. globosum cultivated on PDA medium was the most potent extract. It showed strong antioxidant activity with EC₅₀ 11.5 μg/ml, potent anticancer activity with 55 % toxicity toward HepG-2 cells at 100 μg/ml and 66 % cytotoxicity to FGC₄ cells at 250 μg/ml, promising butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities (>85 %), and moderate antimicrobial and stopped the attachment of HSV-2 virus to VERO cells. The metabolomic profiling of PDA–EA extract using LC–MS revealed the presence of several metabolites to which the observed bioactivities could be attributed. Here we report for the first time inhibitory activity of endophytic C. globosum JN711454 secondary metabolites to butyrylcholinesterase, one of neuro hydrolase enzymes that play a major role in development of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Antimycobacterial activity of ellagitannin and ellagic acid derivate rich crude extracts and fractions of five selected species of Terminalia used for treatment of infectious diseases in African traditional medicine

Ten crude extracts and their solvent partition fractions from five species of Terminalia collected in Tanzania were assessed for antimycobacterial effects using Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 14468 as a model organism. We report here, for the first time, on antimycobacterial effects of root and stem bark extracts of Terminalia sambesiaca and Terminalia kaiserana as well as of fruit extracts of Terminalia stenostachya and leaf extracts of Terminalia spinosa. T. sambesiaca gave the best effects of all the investigated species in terms of the sizes of the inhibitory zones of root and stem bark extracts. A crude methanol root extract of T. sambesiaca gave lower MIC values (1250 μg/ml) than its aqueous and butanol soluble fractions (MIC 2500 μg/ml). Our preliminary HPLC–DAD data indicates that methanol and aqueous extracts of T. sambesiaca roots are rich in ellagitannins and ellagic acid glycosides. Particularly, one polar ellagitannin at t_R 10.3–10.9 min dominates the extracts quantitatively and thus may be responsible for their good antimycobacterial effects. In contrast to the more polar fractions, a chloroform soluble fraction of the roots of T. sambesiaca was devoid of antimycobacterial activity. Also crude methanol and aqueous extracts of the stem bark of T. sambesiaca gave promising antimycobacterial effects (MIC 1250 μg/ml). All fractions of T. kaiserana roots, except from the aqueous insoluble gave good antimycobacterial effects (MIC 1250 μg/ml) and the aqueous extract showed the best effects of the fractions in terms of the size of inhibition zones. These results justify the uses of hot water decoctions of the roots of T. kaiserana for treatment of cough, one of the symptoms of TB. According to HPLC–DAD data methanol extracts of T. kaiserana roots and their aqueous fractions are rich in polar ellagitannins and ellagic acid glycosides. Quantitatively, the ellagitannins dominate these extracts and therefore the good antimycobacterial activity of the methanol and aqueous extracts is assumed to be due to these compounds. Sephadex LH-20 CC fractions of a methanol extract of the roots of T. kaiserana inhibited the growth of M. smegmatis, giving MIC values of 1000 μg/ml. Ellagic acid glycosides in these fractions must be responsible for their good antimycobacterial effects since they are present in high concentrations. Good antimycobacterial effects were also obtained with a root extract of Terminalia sericea, and especially the butanol soluble fraction was a good inhibitor of the growth of M. smegmatis (MIC 1562 μg/ml). Our preliminary HPLC–DAD results show that the roots of T. sericea are rich in ellagitannins, ellagic acid glycosides and at least one stilbene compound. Extracts of the fruits of T. stenostachya gave good antimycobacterial effects, butanol extracts being the most active. Also the leaves of T. stenostachya, and especially the butanol soluble extracts, give good antimycobacterial effects. Our HPLC–DAD data indicate that T. stenostachya leaves contain large quantities of gallic acid, ellagitannins and ellagic acid glycosides. Our results indicate that many of the investigated species of Terminalia might contain leads for development of anti-TB drugs. Standardized extracts of T. sambesiaca, T. kaiserana and T. sericea roots could be used as easily available and cheap medicines for treatment of TB in remote regions of East and South Africa.     

Differential effects of Oroxylum indicum bark extracts: antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and apoptotic study

Stem bark of Oroxylum indicum (L) (SBOI) is used by ethnic communities of North East India as health tonic and in treating diseases of humans and animals. The objective of this research was to carry out a detailed investigation including total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of different solvent extracts of SBOI and to establish correlation between some parameters. Among petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane and methanol (MeOH) extract of SBOI, MeOH extract contained the highest amount of total phenolic (320.7 ± 34.6 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g extract) and flavonoid (346.6 ± 15.2 mg Quercetin equivalent/g extract) content. In vitro antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 22.7 μg/ml) was highest in MeOH extract (p > 0.05) and also a significant inverse correlation was observed between phenolic (r = 0.886)/flavonoid (r = 0.764) content and corresponding DPPH IC₅₀. Only MeOH extract inhibited both bacteria and fungi. Although, individual extract showed cytotoxicity on HeLa cells with characteristic features of apoptosis, PE extract caused maximum cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ of 112.3 μg/ml, p < 0.05) and apoptotic activity (33.2 % sub-G0/G1 population) on HeLa cells. But, there was a significant non-inverse correlation of the MTT IC₅₀ with total phenolic (r = 0.812, p < 0.05)/flavonoid (r = 0.998, p < 0.05) content in the three solvent extracts. TLC analysis showed three unique compounds in PE extract which may have a role in apoptosis mediated cytotoxicity. These results called for futher chemical characterisation of MeOH and PE extract of SBOI for specific bioactivity.     

Antimicrobial Activities of Bacteriocins E 50–52 and B 602 Against Antibiotic-Resistant Strains Involved in Nosocomial Infections

The antimicrobial spectra of previously published bacteriocin E 50–52 (39 a.a.; 3,932 Da; pI = 8.5) and bacteriocin B 602 (29 a.a.; 3,864 Da; pI = 7.2) were determined. Named peptides were related to class IIa (pediocin-like) bacteriocins. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of bacteriocins have been determined for bacterial isolates that were causative agents of nosocomial infections collected from Russian hospitals in 2003–2007, namely methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (n = 10); Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 11); Citrobacter freundii (n = 8); Escherichia coli (n = 9); Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 10); Proteus spp. (n = 6); and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 10). The majority of these tested isolates have been shown to be multidrug resistant and carry genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance that were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The MICs of bacteriocin B 602 ranged from ≤0.025–1.56 μg/ml, and for bacteriocin E 50–52 from 0.05 to 6.25 μg/ml for all of 64 bacterial clinical isolates tested. Interestingly, the bacteriocins studied demonstrate activity on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteriocins E 50–52 and B 602 show good activity against nosocomial bacterial agents resistant to many classes of modern antibacterials used in clinical practice. These bacteriocins should be examined as an alternative in treating infections caused by such agents.     

Anti-influenza (H1N1) potential of leaf and stem bark extracts of selected medicinal plants of South India

Variations in antioxidant and anti-viral activities (against Influenza AP/R/8 (H1N1) virus) between the leaves and stem bark of selected medicinal plants were studied. Malin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were used for the viral infection and the antiviral activity of the extracts was studied using sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay. The stem bark of the plants including Strychnos minor, Diotacanthus albiflorus, Strychnos nux-vomica and Chloroxylon swietenia showed higher flavonoid contents as well as 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity when compared with their leaves. In case of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, the stem bark of S. nux-vomica and leaf extract of C. swietenia showed the highest activity. Based on the IC₅₀ values, the stem bark extracts of Cayratia pedata (20.5 μg/mL) and S. minor (22.4 μg/mL) showed high antiviral activity. In the mean-time S. nux-vomica, C. swietenia and C. swietenia bark extracts showed cytotoxicity to the MDCK cells. When comparing the stem bark and leaves the content of gallic acid, ferulic acid, o-coumaric acid, total flavonoids (TFC) and total phenols (TPC) was higher in stem bark and hence their anti-viral activity was high. Further study based on the metabolites against H1N1 can reveal the potential of therapeutic compounds against the viral disease.     

Peptide alkaloids of Scutia buxifolia

Two new components, the peptide alkaloid scutianine D and scutianene C have been isolated from Scutia buxifolia and their structures elucidated. The configuration of some of the asymmetric centers of scutianine A has been determined by gas chromatography.     

Evaluation of Mineral Concentrations in Maternal Serum Before and After Birth and in Newborn Cord Blood Postpartum—Preliminary Study

The mineral levels in maternal serum change during pregnancy and may be correlated with those of newborn cord blood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) in maternal blood before and after delivery and in umbilical cord vein and artery serum. The study was carried out in 64 Caucasian pregnant women who delivered in a district hospital in Greater Poland region, aged 28.1 ± 5.4 years, with a mean gestational age of 39.2 ± 1.3 weeks. Blood samples were taken from women 2–8 h before delivery and immediately after childbirth. The umbilical cord artery and vein blood of newborns was obtained immediately after childbirth. The levels of minerals in serum were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. A significant drop in the concentrations of Mg (17.71 ± 1.51 vs 17.07 ± 1.61 μg/ml; p < 0.007), Fe (1.08 ± 0.46 vs 0.82 ± 0.35 μg/ml; p < 0.0004), and Zn (0.63 ± 0.17 vs 0.46 ± 0.16; p < 0.0001) in maternal serum was found after delivery. Moreover, higher levels of Ca, Fe, and Zn and lower levels of Cu were observed in the umbilical vein (Ca: 102.80 ± 7.80 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, Fe: 1.96 ± 0.43 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, Zn: 0.65 ± 0.16 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, Cu: 0.36 ± 0.09 μg/ml; p < 0.0001) and in the umbilical artery cord blood (Ca: 98.07 ± 8.18 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, Fe: 1.63 ± 0.30 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, Zn: 0.65 ± 0.15 μg/ml; p < 0.0001, and Cu: 0.36 ± 0.10 μg/ml; p < 0.0001) compared to the maternal serum (Ca: 85.05 ± 10.76 μg/ml, Fe: 0.82 ± 0.35 μg/ml, Zn: 0.46 ± 0.16 μg/ml, and Cu: 1.90 ± 0.35 μg/ml). Fe levels in the cord artery serum negatively correlated with blood loss during delivery (R = ?0.48; p = 0.01), while the Ca concentration in the maternal serum after birth decreased with the age of the women (R = ?0.25; p = 0.03). In conclusion, it seems that the process of birth alters the mineral levels in pregnant women’s blood. Moreover, it was found that blood loss and the age of the mother are associated with mineral concentrations in the maternal serum and cord artery blood.     

Olfactory responses of Epilachna dodecastigma (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to long-chain fatty acids from Momordica charantia leaves

Extraction, thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry analyses revealed the presence of 12, 13, and 12 fatty acids in young, mature, and senescent leaves of Momordica charantia L., representing 87.30, 95.25, and 83.11 % of the total fatty acids, respectively. The proportion of saturated fatty acids was highest in senescent leaves (78.60 %) followed by young leaves (69.42 %) and mature leaves (48.92 %), with the balance accounted for by unsaturated fatty acids. Palmitic acid was the predominant saturated fatty acid in the three types of leaves, whereas alpha-linolenic acid was the predominant unsaturated fatty acid. The fatty acids from young, mature, and senescent leaves followed by the application of a synthetic mixture of fatty acids that was comparable to the natural fatty acids found in the three types of leaves, elicited the attraction of the female insect Epilachna dodecastigma (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) at 50–200, 50–200, and 100–200 μg/ml concentrations, respectively, in a Y-shaped glass tube olfactometer bioassay. Individual synthetic fatty acids were also evaluated by the olfactometer bioassay at concentrations comparable to the proportions detected in the three types of leaves. Individual synthetic palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid at 58.24, 13.96, 29.40, 30.31, and 29.76 μg, respectively, attracted the insect. A synthetic blend of 79.13, 10.57, 29.40, 30.31, and 36.33 μg of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids, respectively, which is the proportion present in a 200 μg/ml concentration of fatty acids of mature leaves, or of 116.49, 13.96, and 29.76 μg of palmitic, stearic and alpha-linolenic acids, respectively, which is the proportion present in a 200 μg/ml concentration of natural fatty acids of young leaves, served as attractants for E. dodecastigma.     

Bio-guided isolation of potential antimicrobial and antioxidant agents from the stem bark of Trilepisium madagascariense

Aim

This study describes the activity-guided isolation of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents from Trilepisium madagascariense stem bark.

Methods

The methanol crude extract of T. madagascariense was partitioned sequentially into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and the residual aqueous fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to column chromatography and the structures of isolated compounds were elucidated using GC-MS and/or NMR data by comparing with those reported in the literature. Antimicrobial activity was assayed by agar well diffusion and broth microdilution techniques on 8 bacteria and 10 yeasts. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging method.

Results

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude methanol extract of T. madagascariense afforded two known compounds [vanillic acid () and isoliquiritigenin ()] and two mixtures of fatty acids (n-hexane fraction and first column fraction of ethyl acetate fraction, F1). The fractionation of the crude methanol extract enhanced the antimicrobial activity. Compound 2 was generally more active than compound 1. For all the tested samples, the most sensitive microbes were Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 10541 (MIC range of 60-780 μg/ml) for bacteria and Candida guillermondi (MIC range of 0.01-190 μg/ml) for yeasts. The DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSa) of compound 2 (RSa₅₀ = 28.73 μg/ml) was comparable to that of the crude methanol extract (RSa₅₀ = 29.92 μg/ml).

Conclusion

The antimicrobial activities and the antioxidant properties of the methanol crude extract, fractions and compounds 1 and 2 from the stem bark of T. madagascariense are being reported for the first time. These results may justify the traditional use of this plant for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.     

In vitro potency and efficacy favor later generation fluoroquinolones for treatment of canine and feline Escherichia coli uropathogens in the United States

Information regarding in vitro activity of newer fluoroquinolones (FQs) is limited despite increasing resistance in canine or feline pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). This study describes in vitro potency and efficacy toward E. coli of seven FQs grouped according to similarities in chemical structure: enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, orbifloxacin (first-group), levofloxacin, marbofloxacin (second-group) and pradofloxacin, moxifloxacin (third-group; latest S, S-pyrrolidino-piperidine at C-7). Potency measures included minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (geometric mean MIC, MIC₅₀, MIC₉₀); and mutant prevention concentration (MPC) for FQ susceptible isolates only. In vitro efficacy measures included relative susceptibility (MIC_BP-S:MIC) or resistance (MIC:MIC_BP-R) and mutant selection window (MSW) (MPC:MIC). For enrofloxacin susceptible isolates, mean MIC (μg/ml) was least for each third-group drug and ciprofloxacin and greatest for enrofloxacin and orbifloxacin (P = 0.006). For enrofloxacin susceptible isolates, MPC were below MIC:MIC_BP-R and least for pradofloxacin (0.29 ± 0.16 μg/ml) and greatest for enrofloxacin (1.55 ± 0.55 μg/ml) (P = 0.006). MSW was least for pradofloxacin (55 ± 30) and greatest for ciprofloxacin (152 ± 76) (P = 0.0024). MIC_BP-S:MIC was greatest (P = 0.025) for pradofloxacin (190.1 ± 0.61) and least for enrofloxacin (23.53 ± 0.83). For FQ susceptible isolates, FQs MIC:MIC_BP-R may serve as a surrogate for MPC. Because in vitro efficacy was greatest for pradofloxacin; it might be preferred for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated with FQ susceptible E. coli uropathogens.     

Acaricidal activity and sublethal effects of an oxymatrine-based biopesticide on two-spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Lethal and sublethal effects of the biopesticide Kingbo (oxymatrine 0.2 % + psoralen 0.4 %) on the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) were investigated in laboratory bioassays. The biopesticide was applied to bean leaf discs or primary leaves by using a Potter spray tower. Acute toxicity tests showed no significant ovicidal action: toxic effect (LC₅₀ = 55.49 μl/l) was the result of a residual activity against larvae that hatched from the treated eggs. Preovipositional females and female teleiochrysales showed similar susceptibility (LC₅₀ = 52.68 and 59.03 μl/l, respectively), whereas larvae, protonymphs and female deutonymphs were the most susceptible stages (LC₅₀ = 6.88, 13.03, and 8.80 μl/l, respectively). In a choice test, females preferred the untreated halves of leaves over the halves treated with 2,000, 1,000, and 500 μl/l in the first 24 h, and their oviposition in those treatments was significantly greater on the untreated halves after 24 and 48 h, as well as the summed oviposition over 72 h. Viability and reproduction of survivors, as well as population growth, were strongly affected after the treatments of preovipositional females and female teleiochrysales with 100, 50 and 25 μl/l. On the other hand, sublethal effects on the females that survived treatment at the egg stage or reached adulthood from the eggs laid on the treated surface (treatments with 50 and 25 μl/l) were significantly weaker. Acaricidal and sublethal effects of the biopesticide Kingbo were discussed as a starting point for further research aimed to improve management of T. urticae populations. Regulatory issues and safety concerns regarding further commercialization of this biopesticide are addressed as well.     

Antimicrobial potential of Indian Cinnamomum species

Cinnamomum is the largest genus of Lauraceae family and has been used as spices, food, and food additives by the people. Total 15 Cinnamomum species are distributed in different parts of Indian sub-continent. Different parts (leaves, stem bark, stem wood, roots, flowers, and fruits) of these species were shade-dried and used for the determination of essential oils. A total of 19 essential oils were identified and quantified from the different parts of (leaf, stem bark, stem wood, root, flower, and fruit) of 15 Cinnamomum species. The stem bark of C. altissimum was rich in the presence of essential oils (52.2 %) whereas minimum levels of essential oils were recorded in roots (17.9 %). The γ-terpinene (11.1 %) was reported as the major component essential oil in C. subavenium flowers. Methanol extract of C. camphora stem wood showed stronger lowest minimum inhibitory concentration against S. aureus (25 ± 0.01 μg/ml), H. pylori (29 ± 0.05 μg/ml), B. subtilis (31 ± 0.03 μg/ml), E. faecalis (33 ± 0.01 μg/ml), C. albicans (38 ± 0.03 μg/ml) when compared to amoxycillin (S. aureus 56 ± 0.05 μg/ml; B. subtilis 27 ± 0.04 μg/ml, E. faecalis 22 ± 0.01 μg/ml), streptomycin (H. pylori 38 ± 0.02 μg/ml) and fluconazole (C. albicans 56 ± 0.01 μg/ml). Methanolic extract of C. camphora stem wood demonstrated maximum antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, H. pylori, B. subtilis, E. faecalis and C. albicans. The essential oil of C. altissimum stem bark displayed significant lowest MIC against S. aureus (21 ± 0.03 μg/ml), E. coli (22 ± 0.03 μg/ml), E. cloacae (37 ± 0.06 μg/ml), L. monocytogenes (47 ± 0.08 μg/ml), and P. chrysogenum (101 ± 0.07 μg/ml) when compared to amoxycillin (E. coli 18 ± 0.01 μg/ml, E. cloacae 21 ± 0.05 μg/ml, L. monocytogenes 31 ± 0.03 μg/ml), and fluconazole (P. chrysogenum 101 ± 0.07 μg/ml). The essential oil of C. altissimum stem bark displayed maximum antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli, E. cloacae, L. monocytogenes, and P. chrysogenum. Cinnamomum essential oils may be used as an alternative source of antibacterial and antifungal compounds in the treatment of various types of infections.