Biocontrol of Some Fungal Pathogen that Cause Plant Diseases by Some Bio Agents

Fungal plant pathogens are among the most important factors that cause serious losses to agricultural products every year. Biological control of plant diseases including fungal pathogens has been considered a viable alternative method to chemical control. In plant pathology, biocontrol applied some microbes to suppress soil borne and airborne pathogens in an attempt to replace existing methods of chemical control by fungicides, which often lead to resistance in plant pathogens. In this review, we present the effect of mycorrhizae, actinomycetes and Trichoderma on plant growth and biocontrol of some fungal pathogens under stress conditions. The biological performance of mycorrhizae and Actinomycetes in soil is important for plant growth and development in stressed environments. In agriculture, plant growth promoting Actinomycetes can be used as biocontrol microorganisms and they had a big role in antibiotic production. They are well- known as active producers of a wide range of secondary metabolites, antibiotics and volatile organic compounds that can inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria. In particular, mycorrhizae and Trichoderma spores are found in soil and enhance both plant growth and decrease fungal infections. These antagonistic microorganisms are abundant in soils around the roots of economically and nutritionally valuable crops.  Their interactions with plant pathogens can significantly affect plant health in various ways. Different mode of actions of biocontrol-active microorganisms in controlling fungal plant diseases    include hyper parasitism, predation, antibiosis, cross protection, competition for site and nutrient and induced resistance. In conclusion, some microorganisms can used to suppress some phytopathogens and improve plant growth

Antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of isoprenoids from the red sea soft coral, Lobophytum sp

Purpose: To evaluate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of the secondary metabolites of Lobophytum sp.Methods: Maceration with methanol: chloroform (1:1) was applied to extract the coral material. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques were employed for fractionation, isolation and elucidation of pure compounds. Antibacterial activities were performed by well diffusion method against three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria. Brine shrimp lethality test was employed to predict toxicity, while antitumor activity were tested by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method against Ehrlich carcinoma cells.Results: Four sesquiterpenes, one cembranoid type diterpenes and two steroids were isolated. 1 exhibited significant antibacterial activity against four tested bacteria (P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, S. epidermis, and S. pneumonia) with MIC value of 15 μg/mL. Moreover, 1 showed high diameter zone of inhibition ranging from 16 - 18 mm against test bacteria. Compounds 4 and 5 displayed moderate antibacterial activity against all test bacteria with inhibition zone diameter (IZD) ranging from 11 – 15 mm and MIC values of 30 μg/mL. 2, 3, 6 and 7 exhibited weak antibacterial activity (IZD, 7 - 11 mm; MIC ≥ 30 μg/mL). In addition, only diterpene compound (4) showed high toxicity against A. Salina and antitumor activity against Erhlich carcinoma cells with the LD50 of 25 and 50 μg/mL, respectively.Conclusion: This study reveals the strong antibacterial activity of sesquiterpene alismol (1) and the potential antibacterial and antitumor activity of cembranoid type diterpene, cembrene A (4).Keywords: Soft coral, Lobophytum sp., Red Sea, Antibacterial, Cytotoxicity, Sesquiterpene Alismol, Cembranoid, Diterpene, Cembren

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOLANUM INCANUM, ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM AND ZINGIBER OFFICINALE, USED TRADITIONALLY TO TREAT PATHOGENIC MICROBES

The use and search for antibiotics derived from plants have been accelerated in recent years. Three plants, used traditionally as medicine and as food additives were collected and extracted with hot water, methanol, diethyl-ether, ethyl acetate and chloroform. The used plants were Solanum incanum, Elettaria cardamomum and Zingiber officinale. The plant extracts were screened for their inhibitory effects on eight bacterial and seven fungal pathogens using agar well diffusion method. It was shown that methanol extract was more effective as compared to hot water, diethyl-ether, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. Inhibition zone diameters of the methanol extracts of the used plants ranged from 10 to 29 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) from 50 to 150 μg/ml. No toxicity was found using Artimia salina as test organism. Antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and Lymphoma cell line was recorded only for S. incanum extrac

ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIFUNGAL, ANTITUMOR AND TOXICITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF SALVIA OFFICINALIS, THYMUS VULGARIS, EUGENIA CARYOPHYLLATA AND ARTEMISIA ABSINTHIUM

Essential oils are aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from plants. The chemicals in essential oils are secondary metabolites, which play an important role in plant defense as they often possess antimicrobial properties. In this study, essential oils of four plants were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial pathogens and seven fungal strains. The used plants were Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Eugenia caryophyllata and Artemisia absinthium. All of plants essential oils showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. Zones of inhibition against pathogenic bacteria ranged from 10 to 28 mm and MIC from 25 to 150 µg/ml, while zones of inhibition against fungal strains ranged from 10 to 26 mm and MIC from 25 to 150 µg/ml. Cytotoxicity against Artimia salina and antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and Lymphoma cell line were investigated. A. absinthium showed the best antitumor activity on Lymphoma cell line with moderate cytotoxic effect on Artimia salina. Analysis of A. absinthium essential oil by GC-MS discovered two major compounds; camphor and fenchone which may be involved in the biological activity of the plant extrac

Evaluation of the Biological Activities of Two Macro-Algae Collected from the Red Sea of Jeddah

Marine algae were used in many biological applications. Two marine algal samples, Halimeda tuna and Dictyota dichotoma, were collected from Obhur region, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, washed with water, dried and extracted with methanol. The antimicrobial activities were conducted against some pathogenic bacteria. The results showed that the extracts of both Halimeda tuna and Dictyota dichotoma were active against at least one of the tested organisms. The highest antimicrobial activities of the extracts Halimeda tuna and Dictyota dichotoma were against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia. On contrast, both Halimeda tuna and Dictyota dichotoma showed weak inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Moreover, the mixture of the two algal extracts showed excellent inhibition for all the tested bacteria. In addition, a toxicological experiment was conducted for the two algal extracts using Artemia salina as test organism. No toxicity was found for the two tested methanolic extracts.   Furthermore, moderate antitumor activity was recorded for the two tested algal extracts against two cell lines, MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma) using in vitro MTT and Neutral Red assays. Also, the chemical analysis of each algal extract was carried out. In conclusion, these algal extracts inhibited some pathogenic microbes and can be used as antimicrobial agents.  In conclusion, the two collected macro- algae showed antibacterial activities specially against Salmonella which contaminate food, thus the powder or the extracts of these two algae can be used safely as food additive

SULPHATED POLYSACCHARIDES (SPS) FROM THE GREEN ALGA ULVA FASCIATA EXTRACT MODULATES LIVER AND KIDNEY FUNCTION IN HIGH FAT DIET-INDUCED HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS

Objective: Hypercholesterolemia (HC) was frequently associated with oxidative stress, and release of inflammatory cytokines is to determine the hypolipidemic effects of sulphated polysaccharides from seaweed Ulva fasciata algal extracts through measuring the activities of some parameters related to liver and kidney functions in the serum of hypercholesterolemic rats as compared to normal one.Methods: Different groups of rats were administered a high cholesterol diet. Liver and kidney functions, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, CRP, MPO and IL-10), oxidative stress (GSH, MDA and NO), in addition to cell adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) were assessed before and after treatment with the algal polysaccharides. In addition, histological examination of liver and kidney were performed to confirm the biochemical findings.Results: The obtained results showed that oxidative stress and inflammatory markers associated with hypercholesterolemia were significantly increased in HC-rats. The histopathological examination of liver and kidney demonstrated severe degeneration with diffuse vacuolar degeneration, necrosis and the presence of fatty droplets. In addition; nephron-histological examination revealed, mild glomerular injury with mild vascular and inflammatory changes. Treatment with the algal sulphated polysaccharides effectively improved these disorders and diminished the formation of fatty liver, as well as renal dysfunction more than the reference drug; fluvastatin. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the consumption of UFP (Ulva fasciata polysaccharides), may be associated with attenuation of inflammatory markers, amelioration of fatty liver and improvement of renal dysfunction, that in turn lead to counteract hypercholesterolemia and its related disorders; such as obesity, and heart disease.Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Seaweed, Ulva fasciata, Hypercholesterolemia, Hypolipidemic activity, Sulphated polysaccharides (SPs

The potential anticancer activities of platinum(II) complexes with tridentate N'N'N' pincer ligands

519-530Treatment of cis/trans-[PtCl2(N≡CR)2] 1 (R = CH3 (1a), C2H5 (1b), C6H5 (1c), CH2C6H4(p-CH3) (1d)) with 1,3-diiminoisoindoline 2 gives access to the corresponding symmetrical (1,3,5,7,9-pentaazanona-1,3,6,8-tetraenato) platinum(II) complexes [PtCl{NH=C(R)N=C(C6H4)NC=NC(R)=NH}] 3a-d, in good yields (65–77%). The compounds 3a-d have been characterized by IR, 1H, 13C and DEPT-135 NMR spectroscopies, ESI-MS and elemental analyses. GIAO/DFT studies have been performed to confirm the molecular structure of the platinum(II)-pincer 3d by comparing the experimental and theoretical 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts, and it has shown good correlations between experimental and calculated chemical shifts for proton and carbon with correlation coefficients of 0.9947 and 0.9968, respectively. Molecular electrostatic potential is used to investigate the nucleophilic or electrophilic regions in the molecule 3d. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 3a-d are determined against different bacterial pathogens and yeasts. No toxicity is recorded against Artemia saline as a test organism for 3a-c, while moderate toxicity is found for 3d at 0.62 µM. Comparable antitumor activities are found for 3a-d against human colon HCT116 and human breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. The complexes 3a-d have shown good binding affinities to ct-DNA in the range of 6.00´105 to 8.33´105 and the conducted molecular docking studies suggest an intercalation mode of binding with DNA by the isoindole fragment of the ligands. Overall, this class of tridentate ligands have shown good potential in designing platinum(II) complexes with promising biological and anticancer activities. Moreover, the presence of the side chains on the ligands provides great design flexibility by introducing some chemical and/or physical characteristics

The potential anticancer activities of platinum(II) complexes with tridentate N'N'N' pincer ligands

Treatment of cis/trans-[PtCl2(N≡CR)2] 1 (R = CH3 (1a), C2H5 (1b), C6H5 (1c), CH2C6H4(p-CH3) (1d)) with 1,3-diiminoisoindoline 2 gives access to the corresponding symmetrical (1,3,5,7,9-pentaazanona-1,3,6,8-tetraenato) platinum(II) complexes [PtCl{NH=C(R)N=C(C6H4)NC=NC(R)=NH}] 3a-d, in good yields (65–77%). The compounds 3a-d have been characterized by IR, 1H, 13C and DEPT-135 NMR spectroscopies, ESI-MS and elemental analyses. GIAO/DFT studies have been performed to confirm the molecular structure of the platinum(II)-pincer 3d by comparing the experimental and theoretical 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts, and it has shown good correlations between experimental and calculated chemical shifts for proton and carbon with correlation coefficients of 0.9947 and 0.9968, respectively. Molecular electrostatic potential is used to investigate the nucleophilic or electrophilic regions in the molecule 3d. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 3a-d are determined against different bacterial pathogens and yeasts. No toxicity is recorded against Artemia saline as a test organism for 3a-c, while moderate toxicity is found for 3d at 0.62 µM. Comparable antitumor activities are found for 3a-d against human colon HCT116 and human breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. The complexes 3a-d have shown good binding affinities to ct-DNA in the range of 6.00´105 to 8.33´105 and the conducted molecular docking studies suggest an intercalation mode of binding with DNA by the isoindole fragment of the ligands. Overall, this class of tridentate ligands have shown good potential in designing platinum(II) complexes with promising biological and anticancer activities. Moreover, the presence of the side chains on the ligands provides great design flexibility by introducing some chemical and/or physical characteristics

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio