Toxicity and larvicidal activity on Aedes aegypti of citronella essential oil submitted to enzymatic esterification

The essential oil of citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) has several biological activities, among them the insect repellent action. Some studies showed that cinnamic acid esters can be applied as natural pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. In this context, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the production of esters from citronella essential oil with cinnamic acid via enzymatic esterification. Besides, the essential oil toxicity before and after esterification against Artemia salina and larvicidal action on Aedes aegypti was investigated. Esters were produced using cinnamic acid as the acylating agent and citronella essential oil (3:1) in heptane and 15 wt% NS 88011 enzyme as biocatalysts, at 70 °C and 150 rpm. Conversion rates of citronellyl and geranyl cinnamates were 58.7 and 69.0% for NS 88011, respectively. For the toxicity to Artemia salina LC50 results of 5.29 μg mL-1 were obtained for the essential oil and 4.36 μg mL-1 for the esterified oils obtained with NS 88011. In the insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, was obtained LC50 of 111.84 μg mL-1 for the essential oil of citronella and 86.30 μg mL-1 for the esterified oils obtained with the enzyme NS 88011, indicating high toxicity of the esters. The results demonstrated that the evaluated samples present potential of application as bioinsecticide.

Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activity of Red Sea Seaweeds Extracts-Mediated Gold Nanoparticles

Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is emerging as a better alternative to traditional chemical-based techniques. During this study, extracts of different marine algae species Ulva rigida (green algae), Cystoseira myrica (brown Algae), and Gracilaria foliifera (red Algae) were utilized as reducing and capping agents to synthesize AuNPs. AuNPs capped by U. rigida, C. myrica, and G. foliifera were confirmed by the appearance of surface plasmonic bands at 528, 540, and 543 nm, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy revealed mostly spherical shapes of AuNPs having a size of about 9 nm, 11 nm, and 13 nm for C. myrica, and G. foliifera extracts, respectively. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) illustrated the major chemical constituents of U. rigida, C. myrica, and G. foliifera. LC50 values of the biosynthesized AuNPs against Artemia salina nauplii were calculated at a range of concentrations (5-188 μg ml−1) after 16 to 24h. AuNPs concentration-dependent lethality was noted and U. rigida extracts-mediated AuNPs presented the lowest cytotoxicity. The biosynthesized AuNPs exhibited significant anticancer activity (86.83%) against MCF-7 cell lines (human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines) at 188 µg/ml concentration. G. foliifera demonstrated the highest anticancer value (92.13%) followed by C. myrica (89.82%), and U. rigida (86.83%), respectively. The AuNPs synthesized by different algal extracts showed variable antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogenic microorganisms. AuNPs of U. rigida extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity against dermatophytic fungi Trichosporon cataneum (30 mm) followed by Trichophyton mantigrophytes (25 mm). Furthermore, it also exhibited mild activity against Escherichia coli (17 mm), Cryptococcus neoformans (15 mm), Candida albicans (13 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus (11mm), respectively whereas no effects were observed against Bacillus cereus. To conclude, AuNPs can be effectively synthesized by marine algal species, and particularly U. rigida extracts could be effective reducing agents for the green AuNPs synthesis. These AuNPs could potentially serve as efficient alternative anticancer agents against human breast adenocarcinoma and anti-dermatophytes associated with skin infections.

Green Fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles using Euphorbia serpens Kunth Aqueous Extract, Their Characterization, and Investigation of Its In Vitro Antioxidative, Antimicrobial, Insecticidal, and Cytotoxic Activities

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via green synthesis approach using Euporbia serpens Kunth aqueous extract. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy and Furrier Transformer Infra-Red spectroscopy to justify the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs from its precursors. AgNPs characteristic absorption peak was observed at 420 nm in the UV-visible spectrum. The SEM and TEM analysis demonstrated the spherical shape of the synthesized nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from 30 nm to 80 nm. FTIR transmission bands at 2920 cm-1, 1639 cm-1, 1410 cm-1, 3290 cm-1, and 1085 cm-1 were attributed to C-H, C=O, C-C, N-H, and C-N functional groups, respectively. XRD peaks could be attributed to (111), (200), (220), and (311) crystalline plane of the faced-centered cube (FCC) crystalline structure of the metallic silver nanoparticles. The AgNPs showed good antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria at each concentration. The particles were found to be more active against Escherichia coli (E. coli) with 20 ± 06 mm and Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) with 18 ± 0.5 mm zone of inhibition in reference to standard antibiotic amoxicillin with 23 ± 0.3 mm and 20 ± 0.4 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. Moderate antifungal activities were observed against Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) with zone of inhibitions 16.5 mm and 15 mm, respectively, compared to the standard with 23 mm of inhibition. Insignificant antifungal inhibition of 7.5 mm was observed against Fusarium gramium (F. gramium). All the tested concentrations of AgNPs showed comparable % RSA with the standard reference ascorbic acid in the range sixty percent to seventy five percent. The percent motility at 3 hours postincubation showed quick response and most Tetramorium caespitum were found deceased or paralyzed. Similarly, the percent mortality showed a linear response at concentration and time. It was observed that 1 μg/mL to 2 μg/mL concentration of AgNPs displayed a significant cytotoxic activity against Artemia salina with LD50 of 5.37 and 5.82, respectively.

Phytochemical composition and biological activities of extracts from ten species of the family Melastomataceae Juss

Plants possess a renewable source of metabolites with enormous chemical structural diversity, which may have potential therapeutic relevance. Furthermore, this chemical diversity favors the possibility of finding new and different chemical constituents with antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-tumor activities. This work analyzed preliminary phytochemical profiles and evaluated the antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of hexane extracts of leaves of ten species of the family Melastomataceae. Phytochemical screening was performed using staining methods while total phenols and flavonoids were quantified by spectrophotometry. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. Antioxidant activity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) method. Toxicity was recorded using the lethality test with Artemia salina Leach (1819). Cytotoxic activity of the extracts was assessed in vitro with acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1). Phytochemical analysis detected the presence of tannins, terpenes, steroids, polyphenols and flavonoids and the absence of alkaloids. Clidemia capitellata (Bonpl.) D. Don had the greatest amount of polyphenols (205.95 mg/g ± 4.14) while Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don had the highest content of total flavonoids (143.99 mg/g ± 4.18). The hexane extracts did not show antimicrobial activity nor toxicity against Artemia salina. The extract of Tibouchina francavillana Cogn. was the most active in sequestering the DPPH radical. The extracts showed cytotoxicity in THP-1 cells with the appearance of apoptotic bodies and cell death. The extracts of Miconia amoena, Clidemia sericea and Clidemia capitellata are non-toxic against Artemia salina and induce the formation of apoptotic bodies and cell death of the THP-1 lineage.

Assessment cytotoxic assay of Rhizophora plants mangrove using brine shrimp (Artemia salina L) model

Rhizophoraceae is the main family of mangroves as a source of bioactive compounds originating from the coast. Ethnophamacologically Rhizophoraceae has been used in various traditional medicine. Natural sources as anticancer from the Rhizophoraceae family are interesting to know. This study aimed to determine the cytotoxic bioactivity of methanolic extracts of roots, bark, leaves, and fruit/hypocotyl from five species of Rhizophoraceae (Bruguieria cylindrica, B. gymnorrhiza, Ceriops decandra, Rhizophora apiculata, and R. mucronata) from the Langsa mangrove forest, Aceh. The method used in this study was the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) bioassay using Artemia salina Leach at extract concentrations of 1, 10, 100, 500, and 1000 μg/ml. Samples were extracted using the maceration method and methanol as the solvent. The cytotoxic activity of 20 Rhizophoraceae methanol extracts showed that 12 extracts were toxic with an LC50 range of 31.5 - 934.9 μg/ml (based on LC50 ≤ 1000 μg/ml). The two extracts of which the closest to highly toxic (based on LC50 ≤ 30 μg/ml) were C. decandra bark showed LC50 of 31.5 μg/ml, and R. mucronata bark showed LC50 31.8 μg/ml. This shows that Rhizophoraceae extract has potential as a natural anticancer agent. In the five rhizophoraceae species, C. decandra was the most active compared to other species. In the four plant parts, the bark was the most toxic.

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity of ONO Donor Schiff Base and its Metal Complexes

A new Schiff base ligand (E)-2-((7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-8-yl)methylene)-N-(5- methyl-3-phenyl-1H-indol-2-yl)hydrazine carboxamide (L) (3) was synthesized by the reaction of N-(5-methyl-3-phenyl-1H-indol-2-yl)hydrazinecarboxamide (1) and 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-oxo-2Hchromene- 8-carbaldehyde (2). The Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal complexes (4a-d) were synthesized and its structural elucidation was done by different spectral techniques. The Schiff base (3) behaves as ONO donor ligand and forms the complexes of the sort [M(L)(Cl)(H2O)2] for Cu(II) (4a) and Zn(II) (4d) and [M(L)2] for Co(II) (4b) and Ni(II) (4c). Compounds (3) and (4a-d) were tested in vitro for antimicrobial action, cytotoxicity property against Artemia salina and anti-tuberculosis assay against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (ATCC 25177). The metal complexes showed very good biological activity.

Phytochemical and biological activities evaluation of latex from Himatanthus obovatus (Muell. Arg.) Woodson (Apocynaceae)

Himatanthus obovatus is a tree species that has laticifers in its aerial organs, where it is used in folk medicine. The aim of this work was to evaluate the latex of H. obovatus regarding its phytochemical composition and biological activities. The latex was collected and lyophilized, yield (%) was carried out, phytochemical prospection for several groups, determination of the content of flavonoids, phenolics and total tannins, antioxidant activity in reducing DPPH, antifungal activity on the Candida genus, antibacterial for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella serovar Enteritidis and Thyphymurium and Enterococcus faecalis, hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes and cytotoxicity bioassay on Artemia salina. The latex yield was 19.05%, positive presence of several groups of phytocompounds was observed, total flavonoid content of 78.80 mg QE 100 g-1, total phenolic compounds of 166.51 mg AGE g 100-1, total tannins of 14.81 mg TAE 100 g-1, antioxidant activity IC50 = 178.87 µg mL-1, antifungal activity for all Candida strains and antibacterial only for E. coli and E. faecalis, hemolytic activity between 68-18% and cytotoxicity with LC50 = 433.97 µg mL-1 on A. salina. The latex of Himatanthus obovatus demonstrated in this study, important phytochemical data and biological activities.

Chemical profile and antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities on Artemia salina from the essential oil of leaves and xylopodium of Cochlospermum regium

Cochlospermum regium is a shrub plant species from the Cerrado domain used in traditional medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical profile and antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities on Artemia salina from the essential oil of fresh leaves and xylopodium. Fresch leaves and xylopodium of C. regium were collected in an area of ​​Cerrado domain in Goiás State, Brazil, 2021. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation, the yield was quantified and the chemical profile determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Physicochemical analyzes were carried out for organoleptic analysis (color and appearance), solubility, relative density (g mL-1), refractive index, optical rotation (αD), antioxidant activity in DPPH radical reduction (IC50 µL mL-1), antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella serovar Enteritidis and Salmonella serovar Thyphymurium by the disc method (mm), and cytotoxicity bioassay on Artemia salina (LC50 µg mL-1). The major compounds for the essential oil of fresh leaves were viridiflorol 10.21%, Copaen-4-α-ol <β>, longiborneol 9.07 and β-bisabolene 11.48%, and for the essential oil of xylopodium β-selinene 26.17%, aromadendrene 8.66 % and thujopsene 8.09%. The yield was 0.58 and 0.33%, color slightly yellow and yellow for fresh leaves and xylopodium, respectively. Positive solubility, refractive index of 1.3468 and 1.3347, optical rotation +48.8 and +21.5, relative density 0.932 and 0.936 g mL-1, antioxidant activity IC50 = 47.65 and 111.16 µL mL-1 for fresh leaves essential oil and xylopodium, respectively. The essential oil from fresh leaves showed high antibacterial potential for all strains, as well as for cytotoxic activity on A. salina with LC50 = 90.17 and 625.08 µg mL-1, respectively.

Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of Bridelia tomentosa Blume Growing in Bangladesh

Bridelia tomentosa Blume is a small evergreen tree which has enormous folklore applications in the treatment of colic, traumatic injury, epidemic influenza and neurasthenia. The main purpose of this study was to isolate bioactive compounds from the stem bark of B. tomentosa growing in Bangladesh. Extensive chromatographic separation and purification of the methanolic extract of stem bark of B. tomentosa led to the isolation of four compounds. The purified constituents were identified as friedoolean-5(6),14(15)-dien-3-one (1), β-taraxerol (2), D4- stigmasterone (3) and lupeol (4) by extensive analysis of NMR spectroscopic data. While compound 1 is appeared to be new, the other compounds (2-4) have been isolated for the first time from this plant. β-taraxerol (2) demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against the brine shrimp Artemia salina and moderate to strong antimicrobial efficacy with the highest inhibitory potential against Salmonella Typhi (zone of inhibition = 21.3 mm) and Sarcina lutea (zone of inhibition =20.8 mm). In conclusion, B. tomentosa has been found to be a rich source of secondary metabolites and thus it may be studied further in order to isolate of more bioactive constituents. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 20(2): 213-218, 2021 (December)

Efficiency of using Artemia salina as part of a feed additive for chickens

Main problem: The development of the genetic potential of poultry, as well as the receipt of high-quality eggs for collection or further incubation, are possible only if rational and correct feeding of the broodstock and, more importantly, the young during its rearing period is observed. During this period, high-quality protein nutrition occupies an important place, which determines the level of productivity, stable growth, reproductive ability of the bird, as well as the state of health during the feeding period. Protein deficiency always remains an urgent problem for agricultural land, whose main activity is aimed at breeding dairy and meat animals. In this regard, research in the field of finding the use of non-traditional protein feed is of great need. If we summarize the modern achievements in the field of protein and aminoacid nutrition of poultry, we can find the most profitable way to obtain feed additives in industrial production. The studies, the results of which will be described in this article, are aimed at studying the possibility, experimental substantiation of the optimal dosage and the effectiveness of using the feed additive from crustaceans Artemia salina in the diets of chickens of the egg-meat direction of productivity [1]. Purpose: To study the possibility, experimental substantiation of the optimal dosage and the effectiveness of the use of the feed additive from crustaceans Artemia salina in the diet of chickens of the egg-meat direction of productivity. Methods: Analysis and generalization of theoretical information Results and their significance: This article presents the results of the analysis and generalization of theoretical material. The theoretical significance is determined by the fact that it is invested in scientific and practical problems related directly to solving urgent problems, increasing the efficiency, competitiveness and quality of domestic poultry products.