Antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of some species of Phlomis and Stachys on sunflower oil

Antioxidant effects of the methanolic extract of Phlomis bruguieri, P. herba-venti, P. olivieri, Stachys byzantina, S. inflata, S. lavandulifolia and S. laxa were tested in sunflower oil stored at 70ºC, by measuring peroxide values after regular intervals and compared with rosemary-, green tea- and BHAcontaining samples. The methanolic extracts of P. bruguieri and S. laxa were found to be most effective in stabilizing sunflower oil

Sastav eteričnog ulja biljke Teucrium scordium L.

Composition of the essential oil obtained from dried flowering aerial parts of Teucrium scordium L. (Labiatae) was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Fifty-six components were identified in the essential oil of T. scordium. The major constituents of the oil were betha-caryophyllene (22.8%), (E)-betha-farnesene (10.4%), caryophyllene oxide (8.6%), 1,8-cineole (6.1%) and betha-eudesmol (5.1%).Sastav eteričnog ulja iz osušenih nadzemnih dijelova biljke Teucrium scordium L. (Labiatae) u cvatu analiziran je pomoću GC i GC/MS. Identificirano je pedeset šest komponenata, a najvažniji sastojci ulja su beta-kariofilen (22,8%), (E)-beta-farnesen (10,4%), oksid kariofilen (8,6%), 1,8-cineol (6,1%) i beta-eudezmol (5,1%)

Development and optimisation of spironolactone nanoparticles for enhanced dissolution rates and stability

Stable solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) formulations to enhance the dissolution rates of poorly soluble drug spironolactone (SP) were being developed. Probe ultra-sonication method was used to prepare SLNs and NLCs. All NLCs contained stearic acid (solid lipid carrier) and oleic acid (liquid lipid content), whereas, SLNs were prepared and optimised by using the solid lipid only. The particles were characterised in terms of particle size analysis, thermal behaviour, morphology, stability and in vitro release. The zeta sizer data revealed that the increase in the concentration of oleic acid in the formulations reduced the mean particle size and the zeta potential. The increase in concentration of oleic acid from 0 to 30% (w/w) resulted in a higher entrapment efficiency. All nanoparticles were almost spherically shaped with an average particle size of about ∼170 nm. The DSC traces revealed that the presence of oleic acid in the NLC formulations resulted in a shift in the melting endotherms to a higher temperature. This could be attributed to a good long-term stability of the nanoparticles. The stability results showed that the particle size remained smaller in NLC compared to that of SLN formulations after 6 months at various temperatures. The dissolution study showed about a 5.1- to 7.2-fold increase in the release of the drug in 2 h compared to the raw drug. Comparing all nanoparticle formulations indicated that the NLC composition with a ratio of 70:30 (solid:liquid lipid) is the most suitable formulation with desired drug dissolution rates, entrapment efficiency and physical stability

Hypericum sp.: essential oil composition and biological activities

Phytochemical composition of Hypericum genus has been investigated for many years. In the recent past, studies on the essential oils (EO) of this genus have been progressing and many of them have reported interesting biological activities. Variations in the EO composition of Hypericum species influenced by seasonal variation, geographic distribution, phenological cycle and type of the organ in which EO are produced and/or accumulated have also been reported. Although many reviews attributed to the characterization as well as biological activities of H. perforatum crude extracts have been published, no review has been published on the EO composition and biological activities of Hypericum species until recently (Crockett in Nat Prod Commun 5(9):1493–1506, 2010; Bertoli et al. in Global Sci Books 5:29–47, 2011). In this article, we summarize and update information regarding the composition and biological activities of Hypericum species EO. Based on experimental work carried out in our laboratory we also mention possible biotechnology approaches envisaging EO improvement of some species of the genus.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - project PTDC/AGR AAM/70418/2006, SFRH/BD/ 13283/2003

The essential oil composition of Betonica nivea subsp. mazandarana

The composition of the essential oil obtained from the dried flowering aerial parts of Betonica nivea Stev. subsp. mazandarana (Bornm.) Rech. f. (Labiatae) was analysed by GC and GC/MS. Seventy components have been identified in this the essential oil. The major constituents of the essential oil were cis -sesquisabinene hydrate (9.1%), selin-11-en-4-α-ol (8.9%), β-caryophyllene (6.1%) and δ-cadinene (5.8%)

Antimicrobial effects of methanolic extracts of some species of Stachys and Phlomis

Abstract Background and purpose: The genus Phlomis and Stachys (Labiatae) are widely distributed in Iran. There are no reports on the antimicrobial activity of some of these plants. The medicinal properties attributed to the genus Phlomis and Stachys prompted us to investigate the antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extracts of Phlomis bruguieri, P. herba-venti, P. olivieri, Stachys byzantina, S. inflata, S. lavandulifolia and S. laxa.Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activity of these plants were studied using the disc diffusion method (10,50,100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 µg/disc) and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (10 µg/ml to 25 mg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus PTCC 1112, Streptococcus sanguis PTCC 1449, Escherichia coli PTCC 1330, Pseudomonas aeroginosa PTCC 1074, Klebsiella pneumoniae PTCC 1053, Aspergilus niger PTCC 5011 and Candida albicans PTCC 5027.Results: The methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of Phlomis bruguieri, P. herba-venti, P. olivieri, Stachys byzantina, S. inflata, S. lavandulifolia and S. laxa exhibited concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against all tested bacteria. The methanolic extracts were more active against Gram-positive microorganisms (Streptococcus sanguis and Staphylococcus aureus). The extracts did not show any antifungal activity.Conclusion: The results concluded that the methanolic extracts of these plants have a potential source of antibacterial of natural origin

Antimicrobial Studies on Extracts of Four Species of Stachys

The antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts of the dried flowering aerial parts of Stachys byzantina, S. inflata, S. lavandulifolia and S. laxa (Labiatae) were studied using the disc diffusion method and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sanguis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aspergilus niger and Candida albicans. The extracts of plants exhibited concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against the bacteria tested. The extracts were more active against Gram-positive microorganisms. The extracts, however, did not show any antifungal activity

Formulation optimization and in vitro skin penetration of spironolactone loaded solid lipid nanoparticles

The aim of the current investigation was to prepare and evaluate the potential use of solid lipid nanoparticles for the dermal delivery of spironolactone (SP). The spironolactone loaded SLN (SP-SLN) was prepared by emulsion-solvent evaporation method followed by ultrasonication. The properties of obtained SLNs were characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and differential scanning calorimetry. FT-IR was also used to investigate any interaction between SP and excipients in the molecular level during the preparation of SLNs. The performance of the formulations was investigated in terms of drug release, skin permeation and also the retention of drug by the skin. The SP-SLNs presented spherical shape with the mean diameter, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency of 88.9 nm, −23.9 mV and 59.86%, respectively. DSC study showed that SP alone encapsulated in SLNs was in the amorphous form. FT-IR analysis revealed that there were hydrogen bond interactions between the SP alone and SLN components. The dissolution results revealed that the drug release from SP-SLNs was at least 4.9 times faster than original SP within the first 30 min. The cumulative amount of SP penetrated through rat skin from SP-SLNs was almost twofold that of the SP alone in 24 h after the administration. In vitro permeation studies indicated that SP-SLN may be a promising vector for use in the topical treatment. It can be concluded that SLNs provide good skin permeation for SP and may be a promising carrier for topical delivery of spironolactone offering the biphasic release pattern that might be interesting for topical application resulting in an effective treatment for skin disorders such as acne