Antifungal potential of Indian medicinal plants

Fourteen Indian plants, selected based on their use in respiratory and other disorders in traditional systems of medicine, were analyzed for their potential activity against fungi. The antifungal activity was investigated by disc diffusion, microbroth dilution and percent spore germination inhibition tests against pathogenic Aspergilli. Methanolic extracts of Solanum xanthocarpum and Datura metel inhibited the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus and A. niger and their in vitro MICs were found to be 1.25-2.50 mg/ml by both microbroth dilution and percent spore germination assays. In disc diffusion assay, a concentration of 0.062 mg/disc of methanol extract of D. metel showed significant activity against Aspergilli. S. xanthocarpum exhibited similar activity at 0.125 mg/disc.     

增效剂对球孢白僵菌产孢量及对光肩星天牛致死速率的影响

在应用昆虫病原菌防治光肩星天牛（Ａｎｏｐｌｏｐｈｏｒａ ｇｌａｂｒｉｐｅｎｎｉｓＭｏｔｓｃｈ）的试验中，筛选出一种增效剂，可使病原菌的产孢量增加，光肩星天牛的致死速率加快。在生产病原菌的培养基内加入０．０２％的增效剂培养５天，产孢量比对照增加一倍多。在含孢量１０＾８／ｍｌ的球孢白僵菌的菌悬液中加入０．０２％的增效剂，以每头光肩星天牛幼虫接种１ｍｌ菌悬液，使光肩星天牛幼虫第６天开始发病，第１６天死亡     

树木菌根真菌——美味红菇复合制剂的生物效应*

在探明菌根真菌美味红菇生理活性物质的基础上,为使其实用化,又从该菌的发酵液中提取并研制成真菌复合制剂。除在医学上进行了一系列抗菌活性试验外,同时还在育苗造林上,利用不同树种进行防病保苗促进生长的生物活性试验。本文主要报道应用美味红菇复合制剂对几种亚热带针阔叶树种幼苗和种子进行体内生物活性的试验结果。目的在于观察和研究该复合制剂对促进幼苗生长和提高抗生能力的生物效应,以便进一步开拓美味红菇复合制剂的有效应用范围和途径。     

Stimulation of gastric acid secretion and intestinal motility by Vernonia amygdalina extract

Aqueous extract of Vernonia amygdalina infused intragastrically at a dose of 10 mg/ml to rats induced a significant increase in acid output which was reduced by, ranitidine (5 mg/kg b.w.) or atropine (1.2 microMol/kg b.w.). Moreover the extract evoked a dose-dependent contraction of the guinea pig ileum at a dose range of 0.6 mg/ml to 66 mg/ml which was inhibited by atropine (2.4 x 10(-8)-2.4 x 10(-6) M).     

Production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> seedlings inoculated with the edible fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactarius deliciosus</Emphasis> under nursery conditions

Inoculation with edible fungi bestows an added value on mycorrhized plants since production of mushrooms as a secondary crop can be an economically-valuable resource in forestry management. In order to establish a protocol for controlled mycorrhization of Pinus halepensis with the edible fungus Lactarius deliciosus, several factors such as fertilisation (35, 60 or 120 mg total N and 13.5, 27 or 54 mg total P), potting substrate (sphagnum peat or sphagnum peat/vermiculite) and fungal inoculum (mycelial slurry produced in a bioreactor, alginate beads or peat/vermiculite) were assessed. The most effective inoculum was mycelial slurry at a dose of 10 ml/plant. The two potting substrates assessed were compatible with mycorrhiza formation. The greatest number of mycorrhized seedlings was obtained with a moderate level of N (35 mg/plant) or P fertilisation (27 mg/plant). Inoculation did not produce a consistent growth effect on P. halepensis, but seedlings met the quality requirements, making them suitable for planting out.     

山苍子油活性成分对木材真菌的抑制作用

为筛选出新的对绵腐卧孔菌、绿色木霉和彩绒革盖菌3种常见木材真菌有效的杀菌剂,采用菌丝生长速率法,测定了山苍子油主成分及其衍生物共10种化合物对这3种常见木材真菌的抑制率,建立毒力方程并分析其活性。结果表明:10种化合物对3种常见木材真菌的生长均表现出一定的抑制作用,而且随着浓度的升高,抑制作用增强;通过10种化合物对3种常见木材真菌的毒力回归分析,并与三唑酮相比较,依次筛选出对绵腐卧孔菌、绿色木霉和彩绒革盖菌的抑制作用最强的分别为柠檬醛1,2-丙二醇缩醛、β-紫罗兰酮和鸢尾酮,其半数有效抑制质量浓度(EC50)依次分别为18.69、23.50和32.21 mg/L。3种真菌分别经柠檬醛1,2-丙二醇缩醛、β-紫罗兰酮和鸢尾酮处理后,菌体细胞膜的相对渗透率发生变化,表明山苍子油活性成分的木材防腐作用与菌体细胞膜遭破坏有关。     

Antibacterial activity of luteoforol from Bridelia crenulata

The methanol extract of Bridelia crenulata stem bark (50-1.5625 mg/ml) and its isolated luteoforol (2-0.25 mg/ml) showed concentration-dependent inhibiting activity against all 10 tested bacteria.     

Antimicrobial activity of saponins from Acacia auriculiformis

Acaciaside A and B, two acylated bisglycoside saponins originally isolated from the funicles of Acacia auriculiformis, are known to have antihelminthic activity. Their antifungal and antibacterial activities were investigated. Complete inhibition of conidial germination of Aspergillus ochraceous and Curvularia lunata was recorded at 300 microg/ml or less whereas to inhibit the growth of Bacillus megaterium, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 700 microg/ml or higher concentrations of the mixture was required. Two catabolic enzymes, phosphofructokinase and isocitrate dehydrogenase, responded differentially in fungi and bacteria against sublethal concentrations of the compound when assayed from their cell free extracts. An increased specific activity of the enzymes in bacteria and a decrease activity in fungi indicate a possible different mechanism of inhibition of saponins on the organisms tested.     

Structure-activity relationships of some congeners of 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid against aspen decay and stain fungi

Phellinus tremulae is the most important decay fungus on Populus tremuloides. In forest industries using aspen wood chips, two blue-stain fungi Ophiostoma crassivaginatum and Ophiostoma piliferum cause considerable reduction in the value of the end product. Thirty-eight homologues and analogues of 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid were studied against P. tremulae, O. crassivaginatum, and O. piliferum. Varied inhibition of the in vitro growth of these fungi was observed at 1–1000 μg/ml. The wood-chip colonization by P. tremulae was not affected by the six most active compounds at 1 μg/ml, however, at 10 and 100 μg/ml the growth of P. tremulae on wood chips was totally arrested. 4-Phenyl-3-butenoic acid and 4-phenyl-3-butynoic acid prevented blue-stain development on wood chips at 1 μg/ml.     

Bioactive flavones and biflavones from Selaginella moellendorffii Hieron

Three new flavones named 5-carboxymethyl-4′,7-dihydroxyflavone (1), its ethyl ester (2) and butyl ester (3) were isolated from the herb Selaginella moellendorffii Hieron., together with ten known compounds. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical analysis. Selected compounds were evaluated for their anti-HBV and cytotoxic activity. Among them, compounds 2 and 3 displayed inhibitory activity in vitro on hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion of the Hep G2.2.15 cell line with IC₅₀ values of 0.17 mg/ml and 0.46 mg/ml, and on HBV e antigen (HBeAg) secretion with IC₅₀ values of 0.42 mg/ml and 0.42 mg/ml, respectively. Compounds 7, 8, 10 and 12 exhibited selective cytotoxicity against the three human cancer cell lines tested.     

内蒙古几个沙地土壤理化性状调查研究

本文对内蒙古科尔沁沙地、浑善达克沙地和库布齐沙漠土壤理化性质进行了调查研究。结果表明：在土壤0～60cm土层范围内,库布齐沙漠土壤容重平均为1．45g／cm^3,科尔沁沙地为1．50g／cm^3。科尔沁沙地各类土壤平均养分含量分别为：全氮0．042％,全磷0．018％,全钾2．706％,速效磷3．274mg／kg,速效钾35．190mg／kg,有机质9．095g／kg,pH值7．5;在库布齐沙漠：全氮0．014％,全磷0．035％,全钾1．808％,速效磷1．353mg／kg,速效钾67．360mg／kg,有机质平均含量为6．216g／kg,pH值为9;在浑善达克沙地：速效磷4．032mg／kg,速效钾67．247mg／kg,有机质含量为7．450g／kg,pH值为7．5。土壤微生物在沙地土壤养分循环过程中具有重要的作用,土壤真菌、放线菌、细菌平均数量在库布齐沙漠分别为：2．4×10^3个／g（土）、1．8×10^5个／g（土）和1．8×10^6个/g（土）;科尔沁沙地分别为：6．6×10^4个／g（土）、3．8×10^5个／g（土）、1．3×10^6个／g（土）。在土壤微生物群落结构中,细菌大约占73．5％-91．9％,放线菌约占7．8％-22．5％,真菌数量最小。土壤有机质含量是影响微生物数量的主要因子,二者间具有良好的线性相关关系。     

Xanthone isolated from Securidaca longependunculata with activity against erectile dysfunction

1,7-Dimethoxy-2-hydroxy-xanthone and 1,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-xanthone isolated from Securidaca longependunculata were tested for their activity on rabbit corpus cavernosum in vitro. Only the former relaxed the corpus cavernosum by 63% at 1.8 x 10(-5) mg/ml.     

20株真菌对桉树苗高和根系活力的效应

随着桉树人工林的不断发展,土壤肥力、水分过度消耗等问题出现,限制了桉树的持续增长。利用不同真菌对桉树苗进行接种测试,以期找到能增强桉树根活力、促进植株生长、改善土壤活性的菌株。接种20株真菌发酵液于桉树苗根部,120d对其株高和根活力进行测定,结果表明,暗梗单孢霉（Chloridiumsp．）菌株A5和头孢霉（Cephalosporiumsp．）菌株B10作用下的按树苗平均株高（53．51,52．24cm）与对照（50．50cm）、根活力（3．16,3．12μg/g·h）与对照（2．75μg/g·h）有极显著差异。结果综合分析显示暗梗单孢霉菌株和头孢霉菌株发酵液对桉树苗有显著性的促进增高和增强根活力的作用。     

Xylanase-producing microflora in Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh,India

We screened soil samples collected from underneath shrubs and/or large trees at different locations in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh for xylanase-producing microorganisms. Xylose-utilizing bacteria were numerically dominant in soils of most locations whereas xylose-and xylan-utilizing actinobacteria were minor components. Xylan-utilizing fungi constituted a major share of total microbial populations in soil samples collected at half of the sites, whereas xylan-utilizing bacteria were predominant at other sampling locations. Some of the isolates of fungi exhibited xylanase activity with a range of400–4000 U/ml, indicating great potential for their uses in paper, pulping and bioethanol industries for producing value-added products.     

Anthelmintic activities of three medicinal plants from Nigeria

Aqueous extracts of the leaf, stem bark and root bark from Canna bidentata, Spondias mombin and Commiphora africana were examined for anthelmintic activity against earthworm. All the extracts demonstrated a concentration-dependent activity at tested concentrations of 10-80 mg/ml. Higher activities were observed at the higher concentrations, 40-80 mg/ml for all the plant extracts. C. bidentata with a paralysis time of 3-5 min and death time of 5-18 min at these concentrations for the stem bark, and S. mombin which exhibited comparatively higher efficacy (34-44 min paralysis time and 105 min death time for the leaf) at lower concentrations of 10-20 mg/ml were adjudged the outstanding anthelmintics of plant origin accordingly.     

Screening of Argentinian plants for pesticide activity

Aerial parts of 27 plant species native to Argentina were tested in anti-insect, germination inhibition and bactericide bio-assays. In antifeedant assays on Epilachna paenulata larvae, 11 species showed strong feeding deterrent effects (higher than 90% at 200 microg/cm(2)). Twelve plants strongly inhibited the germination of Avena sativa seeds, but only six inhibited Raphanus sativum germination at 10 mg/ml. Four plants showed complete growth inhibition of Escherichia coli at a concentration of 2 mg/ml.     

Antioxidant, anti-hyaluronidase and antifungal activities of Melaleuca leucadendron Linn. leaf oils

The present study examined the chemical composition, in vitro antioxidant, anti-hyaluronidase and antifungal activities of essential oils of Melaleuca leucadendron Linn. from Gundih-Central Java, Indonesia in different plant ages of 5, 10 and 15 years old. The Chemical composition of essential oils were analyzed by GC/MS. Twenty-six components were identified, of which 1,8-cineole (49.22–55.04 %), α-terpineol (8.79–10.70 %), d-limonene (5.58–6.39 %), and β-caryophyllene (5.03–7.64 %) were the main compounds in these oils. The antioxidant assay and anti-hyaluronidase assay showed that M. leucadendron leaf oils possess mild antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ between 7.21 and 9.23 mg/ml and anti-hyaluronidase activity with IC₅₀ between 1.94 and 3.03 mg/ml. The antifungal assay showed the effectiveness of these essential oils against Fomitopsis palustris (IC₅₀ 0.12–3.16 mg/ml), Trametes versicolor (IC₅₀ 0.01–0.06 mg/ml), Cladosporium cladosporioides (IC₅₀ 0.03–0.49 mg/ml), and Chaetomium globosum (IC₅₀ 0.06–0.15 mg/ml).     

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of Achyranthes ferruginea

Chloroform extract (CE) of Achyranthes ferruginea and N-trans-feruloyl-4-methyldopamine (1) showed remarkable antimicrobial activities against a wide range of bacteria and fungi. Both crude extract (CE) and compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicity of LC(50) at 16.21 microg/ml and 11.70 microg/ml, respectively.     

Determination of isoflavones in red clover by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

Capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection (CE-ED) was employed to analyze isoflavones in red clover (Trifolium pratense). The effects of potential of working electrode, pH and concentration of running buffer, separation voltage and injection time on CE-ED were investigated. Operated in a wall-jet configuration, a 300 microm diameter carbon-disk electrode was used as the working electrode, which exhibits a good response at +0.85 V (versus saturated calomel electrode) for the analytes. The analytes could be separated in a 50 mmol/l borate buffer (pH 9.5) within 25 min. The response was linear over three orders of magnitude with detection limit (S/N=3) ranging from 2x10(-5) mg/ml to 5x10(-5) mg/ml for the analytes. This method has been used for the determination of daidzein, genistein and biochanin A in red clover with satisfactory results.     

Determination of hesperetin, cinnamic acid and nicotinic acid in propolis with micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) has been used to determine hesperetin, cinnamic acid and nicotinic acid in propolis. After systematically study the effect of buffer concentration and pH, micellar concentration, organic modifier, applied voltage and injection time, the analytical conditions were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the three analytes could be well separated in 20 min. A good linearity between the peak current and the concentration was found in the range of 0.02-0.60 mg/ml, 0.05-1.20 mg/ml and 0.10-1.40 mg/ml with correlation coefficients of 0.9989, 0.9995 and 0.9990 for hesperetin, cinnamic acid and nicotinic acid, respectively. The detection limits were 0.006 mg/ml (hesperetin), 0.017 mg/ml (cinnamic acid) and 0.036 mg/ml (nicotinic acid). The validity of the method was verified by analyzing the three analytes in propolis oral liquids.