Iridoids Isolation from a Phytochemical Study of the Medicinal Plant Teucrium parviflorum Collected in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Herbal medicines are still widely practiced in Kurdistan Region-Iraq, especially by people living in villages on mountainous regions. Among plants belonging to the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae), which are commonly employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, we have analyzed, for the first time, the methanol and aqueous methanol extracts of T. parviflorum aerial parts. The plant is mainly used by Kurds to treat jaundice, liver disorders and stomachache. We aimed to determine the phytochemical profile of the extracts and the structures of the main components, so to provide a scientific rationale for the ancient use of the plant in the ethno-pharmacological field. TLC analysis of the two extracts on silica gel and reversed phase TLC plates, using different visualization systems, indicated similar contents and the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and sugars. The chlorophyll-free extracts exhibited weak/no antimicrobial activities against a panel of bacteria (MICs = 800-1600 µg/mL) and fungal strains (MICs ≥ 5 mg/mL). At the concentration of 600 µg/mL, the methanol extract showed moderate antiproliferative effects against A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines in the MTS assay. Moreover, both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging action against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50 = 62.11 and 44.25 µg/mL, respectively). In a phytochemical study, a high phenolic content (77.08 and 81.47 mg GAE/g dry extract, respectively) was found in both extracts by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Medium pressure liquid chromatographic (MPLC) separation of the methanol extract on a reversed phase cartridge eluted with a gradient of MeOH in H2O, afforded two bioactive iridoid glucosides, harpagide (1) and 8-O-acetylharpagide (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral data, chemical reactions, and comparison with the literature. Interestingly, significant amounts of hepatotoxic furano neo-clerodane diterpenoids, commonly occurring in Teucrium species, were not detected in the extract. The wide range of biological activities reported in the literature for compounds 1 and 2 and the significant antiradical effects of the extracts give scientific support to the traditional use in Iraqi Kurdistan of T. parviflorum aerial parts for the preparation of herbal remedies.

Hydrocarbon Degradation and Enzyme Activities of Aspergillus oryzae and Mucor irregularis Isolated from Nigerian Crude Oil-Polluted Sites.

Many free-living saprobic fungi are nature recruited organisms for the degradation of wastes, ranging from lignocellulose biomass to organic/inorganic chemicals, aided by their production of enzymes. In this study, fungal strains were isolated from contaminated crude-oil fields in Nigeria. The dominant fungi were selected from each site and identified as Aspergillus oryzae and Mucor irregularis based on morphological and molecular characterization, with site percentage incidences of 56.67% and 66.70%, respectively. Selected strains response/tolerance to complex hydrocarbon (used engine oil) was studied by growing them on Bushnell Haas (BH) mineral agar supplemented with the hydrocarbon at different concentrations, i.e., 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, with a control having dextrose. Hydrocarbon degradation potentials of these fungi were confirmed in BH broth culture filtrates pre-supplemented with 1% engine oil after 15 days of incubation using GC/MS. In addition, the presence of putative enzymes, laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP) was confirmed in culture filtrates using appropriate substrates. The analyzed fungi grew in hydrocarbon supplemented medium with no other carbon source and exhibited 39.40% and 45.85% dose inhibition response (DIR) respectively at 20% hydrocarbon concentration. An enzyme activity test revealed that these two fungi produced more Lac than MnP and LiP. It was also observed through the GC/MS analyses that while A. oryzae acted on all hydrocarbon components in the used engine oil, M. irregularis only degraded the long-chain hydrocarbons and BTEX. This study confirms that A. oryzae and M. irregularis have the potential to be exploited in the bio-treatment and removal of hydrocarbons from polluted soils.

Composition, Antifungal and Antiproliferative Activities of the Hydrodistilled Oils from Leaves and Flower Heads of Pterocephalus nestorianus Nábelek.

This article reports the first study of the chemical composition, and antifungal and antiproliferative properties of the volatile extracts obtained by hydrodistillation of the flower heads and leaves of the traditional Kurdish medicinal plant Pterocephalus nestorianus Nábelek, collected in the wild. A total of 55 constituents, 43 of the flower heads' oil (PFO) and 46 of the leaves' oil (PLO), respectively, were identified by GC/MS, constituting 99.68% and 99.04% of the two oils, respectively. The oils were obtained in 0.15% and 0.10% yields (w/w), respectively, on air-dried vegetable material. The prevalent constituents of the PFO were α-terpineol (2.41%), α-linalool (6.42%), 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (2.59%), myristic acid (24.65%), and lauric acid (50.44%), while the major components of PLO were (E)-hex-2-enal (2.26%), (E)-hex-2-en-1-ol (2.04), myristic acid (34.03%), and lauric acid (50.35%). The two oils showed significant inhibitory and fungicidal activities against the medically important fungi Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, with minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 0.7 to 3.3 mg/ml and minimum fungicidal concentration varying from 1.4 to 6.6 mg/ml. The antiproliferative activity of the two oils was assayed against one normal and six human tumor cell lines. Both oils showed selective cytotoxic activity, with IC50 values ranging from 1.4 to 3.3 µg/ml.

Chemical Composition and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils from Flowers, Leaves, Rhizomes, and Bulbs of the Wild Iraqi Kurdish Plant Iris persica.

Essential oils-obtained by hydrodistillation of different parts of Iris persica L. were investigated for the first time by GC-FID and GC-MS; moreover, their antifungal activities were determined: 34,. 32, 27, and 17 compounds were identified in the oils from air-dried flowers, leaves, rhizomes and fresh. bulbs, respectively, representing ≥ 98% each oil. The major constituents of the flower essential oil were phenylethanol (24.8%) and furfural (13.8%), which, as the main component, constituted also 39.0% and 22.2% of the leaf and rhizome volatile fractions, respectively. Phenylacetaldehyde (37.1%) was the main constituent of the bulb volatile fraction. In in vitro tests, moderate antifungal activity was detected for the oils against strains of the human pathogenic fungal species Gandida albicans, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, the plant-fungal pathogen Pyricularia oryzae, and the fungal food contaminant Aspergillus carbonarius,. The highest activity was exhibited by the essential oils from leaves and flowers, suggesting that they could be considered natural antimicrobial agents.

Triterpenoid glycosides from Medicago sativa as antifungal agents against Pyricularia oryzae.

The antifungal properties of saponin mixtures from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) tops and roots, the corresponding mixtures of prosapogenins from tops, and purified saponins and sapogenins against the causal agent of rice blast Pyricularia oryzae isolates are presented. In vitro experiments highlighted a range of activities, depending upon the assayed metabolite. The antifungal effects of the most promising prosapogenin mixture from alfalfa tops were confirmed by means of in planta tests using three different Italian cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica), known to possess high, medium, and low blast resistance. The evidenced antifungal properties of the tested metabolites allowed some considerations on their structure-activity relationship. Results indicate that prosapogenins are active compounds to prevent the fungal attack of P. oryzae on different rice cultivars. Therefore, if properly formulated, these substances could represent a promising and environmentally friendly treatment to control rice blast.

Lactarane sesquiterpenes from the European mushrooms Lactarius aurantiacus, L. subdulcis, and Russula sanguinaria.

The results of the first investigation of secondary metabolites occurring in intact and damaged fruiting bodies of the European mushrooms Lactarius aurantiacus, L. subdulcis, and Russula sanguinaria are reported. The pattern of sesquiterpenes in injured R. sanguinaria is dramatically different from that of Lactarius. The structure of the new furanolactarane 4, isolated from L. aurantiacus, was established on the basis of spectral data.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the volatile fractions from leaves and flowers of the wild Iraqi Kurdish plant Prangos peucedanifolia FENZL.

The volatile fractions isolated from Prangos peucedanifolia FENZL leaves and flowers were investigated for their phytochemical composition and biological properties. Flower and leaf hydrodistillation afforded 3.14 and 0.49 g of yellowish oils in 1.25 and 0.41% yields, respectively, from dry vegetable materials. According to the GC-FID and GC/MS analyses, 36 (99.35% of the total oil composition) and 26 compounds (89.12%) were identified in the two oils, respectively. The major constituents in the flower volatile fraction were ß-pinene (35.58%), α-pinene (22.13%), and ß-phellandrene (12.54%), while m-cresol (50.38%) was the main constituent of the leaf volatile fraction. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against several bacterial and fungal strains, on the basis of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the micro- and macrodilution methods. The two volatile fractions showed moderate antifungal and antibacterial activities, especially against Trichophyton rubrum (MIC of 2×10(3) µg/ml), Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC≤1.9×10(3) µg/ml for all).

Lipophilic components from the Ecuadorian plant Schistocarpha eupatorioides.

Phytochemical investigation of secondary metabolites of the Ecuadorian plant Schistocarpha eupatorioides (Fenzl) Kuntze (Asteraceae) afforded three phytyl fatty acid esters along with a mixture of unidentified polyprenols, the very well known sterols beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, and their corresponding fatty acid esters and glucosyl derivatives. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic means. In addition, a volatile fraction was separated the composition of which, comprising sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as the main fraction, was determined by GC-MS.

Fungal spores and pollen as potential nutritional additives for the cross spider Araneus diadematus Clerck (Araneae, Araneidae) / Esporas fúngicas y polen como potenciales aditivos nutricionales para la araña del jardín Araneus diadematus Clerck (Araneae, Araneidae)

Prior to make a new cobweb, the Araneus diadematus Clerck cross spider eats its old web regulary everyday. In this paper we issue a quantitative and qualitative analysis of pollen grains and fungal spores present in the cob web, which might contribute to the diet of this arachnide. Cob webs were collected at the Natural Park of Ticino (Pavia, northern Italy). Fungal spores and pollen grains were taxonomically counted and identified for each sample. Quantitative analysis showed that both spores and pollen present in the cob webs exhibited some seasonal variation as regards quantity, whereas the qualitative analysis revealed that spores and pollen grains belong to 14 and 7 taxa, respectively. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarum were the most frequent fungal taxa while Urticaceae, Betulaceae and Poaceae became the most representative plant families. About 5700 fungal spores and 2000 pollen grains were found to be present in the cob web of this spider everyday. Based on this information, it is possible to think that the aeroplancton stuck to the cob web can become a nutritional additive for the diet of this arachnide.

Antes de fabricar su telaraña, la araña del jardín Araneus diadematus Clerck, regularmente, cada día se come la antigua. En este estudio aportamos un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de los granos de polen y Esporas fúngicas retenidas en la telaraña, los cuales podrían contribuir a la dieta de este arácnido. Las telarañas fueron colectadas en el Parque Natural del Ticino (Pavia, N. Italia). Para cada muestra, las esporas fúngicas y los granos de polen fueron contabilizados e identificados taxonómicamente. El análisis cuantitativo mostró que las esporas y el polen retenidos en las telarañas presentaron variación estacional en cantidad, mientras con el análisis cualitativo se determinó que las esporas y los granos de polen pertenecen a 14 y 7 taxa respectivamente. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium fueron los taxa fúngicos más frecuentes, mientras Urticaceae, Betulaceae y Poaceae fueron las familias de plantas más representadas. Se determinó que aproximadamente unas 5700 esporas fúngicas y 2000 granos de polen fueron retenidos en la tela de esta araña cada día. Con estos antecedentes, se puede pensar que el aeroplanctón adherido a la telaraña puede constituir una aporte nutritivo en la dieta de este arácnido.