The Effect of Salvia tomentosa Miller Extracts, Rich in Rosmarinic, Salvianolic and Lithospermic Acids, on Bacteria Causing Opportunistic Infections.

Methanolic-aqueous extracts of Salvia tomentosa Miller roots, aerial parts, and inflorescences were examined for their content of polyphenolic derivatives and the antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect. In the polyphenolic-rich profile, rosmarinic, salvianolic, and lithospermic acids along with various derivatives were predominant. A total of twenty phenolic compounds were identified using the UPLC/DAD/qTOF-MS technique. These were caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid derivatives, lithospermic acid derivatives, salvianolic acids B, F, and K derivatives, as well as sagerinic acid, although rosmarinic acid (426-525 mg/100 g of dry weight-D.W.) and salvianolic acid B (83-346.5 mg/100 g D.W.) were significantly predominant in the metabolic profile. Strong antibacterial activity of S. tomentosa extracts was observed against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC/MBC = 0.625 mg/mL) and Bacillus cereus (MIC = 0.312-1.25 mg/mL). The extracts showed low cytotoxicity towards the reference murine fibroblasts L929 and strong cytotoxicity to human AGS gastric adenocarcinoma epithelial cells in the MTT reduction assay. The observed cytotoxic effect in cancer cells was strongest for the roots of 2-year-old plant extracts.

Influence of Agronomic Practice on Total Phenols, Carotenoids, Chlorophylls Content, and Biological Activities in Dry Herbs Water Macerates.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) have long been known for their organoleptic properties. Both plants are widely used in cuisine worldwide in fresh and dried form and as a pharmaceutical raw material. The study aimed to assess if the type of cultivation influenced chosen chemical parameters (total polyphenols by Folin-Ciocalteu method; carotenoids and chlorophyll content by Lichtenthaler method), antimicrobial activity (with chosen reference microbial strains) and shaped cytotoxicity (with L929 mouse fibroblasts cell line) in water macerates of dry oregano and thyme. Polyphenols content and antimicrobial activity were higher in water macerates obtained from conventional cultivation (independently from herb species), unlike the pigments in a higher amount in macerates from organic herbs cultivation. Among all tested macerates stronger antimicrobial properties (effective in inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella enteritidis) and higher cytotoxicity (abilities to diminish the growth of L929 fibroblasts cytotoxicity) characterized the conventionally cultivated thyme macerate.

Transformed Shoots of Dracocephalum forrestii W.W. Smith from Different Bioreactor Systems as a Rich Source of Natural Phenolic Compounds.

Transformed shoots of the Tibetan medicinal plant Dracocephalum forrestii were cultured in temporary immersion bioreactors (RITA and Plantform) and in nutrient sprinkle bioreactor (NSB) for 3 weeks in MS (Murashige and Skoog) liquid medium with 0.5 mg/L BPA (N-benzyl-9-(2-tetrahydropyranyl)-adenine) and 0.2 mg/L IAA (indole-3-acetic acid). The greatest biomass growth index (GI = 52.06 fresh weight (FW) and 55.67 dry weight (DW)) was observed for shoots in the RITA bioreactor, while the highest multiplication rate was found in the NSB (838 shoots per bioreactor). The levels of three phenolic acids and five flavonoid derivatives in the shoot hydromethanolic extract were evaluated using UHPLC (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography). The predominant metabolite was rosmarinic acid (RA)-the highest RA level (18.35 mg/g DW) and total evaluated phenol content (24.15 mg/g DW) were observed in shoots grown in NSB. The NSB culture, i.e., the most productive one, was evaluated for its antioxidant activity on the basis of reduction of ferric ions (ferric reducing antioxidant power, FRAP) and two scavenging radical (O2•- and DPPH, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) assays; its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiproliative potential against L929 cells was also tested (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test). The plant material revealed moderate antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and demonstrated high safety in the MTT test-no cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 50 mg/mL was found, and less than a 20% decrease in L929 cell viability was observed at this concentration.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from flowers and leaves of Grindelia integrifolia DC.

Essential oils from flowers and leaves of Grindelia integrifolia DC. were investigated for the first time in terms of chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. The GC-FID/MS analysis allowed for the identification of 58 and 72 volatiles, comprising 92.4 and 90.1% of the oils, respectively. The major components of the flower oil were α-pinene (34.9%) and limonene (13.1%), while myrcene (16.9%), spathulenol (12.3%), ß-eudesmol (11.9%) and limonene (10.1%) dominated among the leaf volatiles. The antimicrobial activity, evaluated against 12 selected bacteria and fungus, was found moderate, with the strongest effect of both oils observed against C. albicans (MIC = MBC: 0.63 and 0.31 mg/mL for flower and leaf oil, respectively).