Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Citrullus colocynthis immature fruit and seed organic extracts

Gastrointestinal problems, dermatological, gynaecological and pulmonary infections produced by micro-organisms are widespread in the entire globe. The treatment of these infections is mainly based on the use of synthetic drugs which have lost, in recent years, their effectiveness, due to the development of resistant strains and the rise of opportunistic fungal infections. Tunisian traditional medicine is a potential source of new remedies namely, Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae). Lyophilized aqueous and organic extracts from immature fruits and seeds were screened for activity against gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus) and gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Micrococcus luteus) bacteria and various Candida spp. (Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida kreusei). Minimal inhibition concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal/fungicidal  concentrations (MBCs/MFCs) were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity. Extracts from the two C. colocynthis Schrad. organs, at immature state, inhibited the growth of all the tested strains. The highest antibacterial effects were obtained against E. coli (MIC = 0.006 mg/ml) with the fruit methanol and the seed petroleum extracts. Regarding the anticandidal activity assessment, seed extracts showed the lowest results. This study demonstrated the broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of C. colocynthis immature fruit and seed extracts.Key words: Citrullus colocynthis Schrad, fruits, seeds, organic extracts, antibacterial, anticandidal

Anti-inflammatory evaluation of immature fruit and seed aqueous extracts from several populations of Tunisian Citrullus colocynthis Schrad

Plant extracts are some of the most attractive sources of new drugs and have shown promising results for the treatment of inflammation and immune-related diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) endemic in Tunisia, is widely used in folk medicine to treat many inflammation disorders. The aim of this study is to quantify the alkaloid and the flavonoid levels of different populations of C. colocynthis fruit and seed aqueous extracts at immature state. After acute toxicity assay, these extracts were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenaninduced paw edema assay in rats. Alkaloid and flavonoid levels vary among the population. The best anti-inflammatory activities were obtained with immature fruits from south Tunisia. Therefore, C. colocynthis Schrad. could be a potential useful product suitable for further evaluation for inflammatory diseases.Key words: Citrullus colocynthis Schrad., alkaloids, flavonoids, toxicity, anti-inflammatory, Tunisia

Influence of drug concentration on the diffusion parameters of caffeine

Background and Objectives : In the fields of the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries and in toxicology, the study of the skin penetration of molecules is very interesting. Various studies have considered the impact of different physicochemical drug characteristics, skin thickness, and formulations, on the transition from the surface of the skin to the underlying tissues or to the systemic circulation; however, the influence of drug concentration on the permeation flux of molecules has rarely been raised. Our study aims to discover the influence of caffeine concentration in a formulation on the percutaneous penetration from gels, as a result of different dose applications to polysulfate membrane and human skin. Materials and Methods : For this purpose, three identical base gels were used at 1, 3, and 5% of caffeine, to evaluate the effect of the concentration of caffeine on in vitro release through the synthetic membrane and ex vivo permeation through the human skin, using diffusion Franz TM cells. Results : The diffusion through the epidermal tissue was significantly slower than through the synthetic membrane, which recorded an increase of flux with an increase in the concentration of caffeine. The skin permeation study showed that diffusion depended not only on the concentration, but also on the deposited amount of gel. Nevertheless, for the same amount of caffeine applied, the flux was more significant from the less concentrated gel. Conclusion : Among all the different concentrations of caffeine examined, 1% gel of caffeine applied at 5 mg / cm 2 showed the highest absorption characteristics across human skin