Volatile Bioactive Compounds from Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae IBRL OS-64, an Endophytic Fungus Residing in the Leaf of Ocimum sanctum

Endophytic fungi are known as potential novel compound producers with promising antimicrobial activities. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the possible bioactive compounds present in the ethyl acetate extract of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae IBRL OS-64. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in disc diffusion assay. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed with chloroform, acetone and ethyl acetate (1:2:1, respectively) used as a solvent system and nine spots with diverse polarities were obtained. The TLC chromatogram with the active spot was localized with bioautography assay and the finding revealed that the dark spot with an Rf value of 0.5882 showed good antibacterial activity against all test bacteria. The fraction F5 exhibited promising antibacterial activity upon partial purification of dark spot via column chromatography and the GC-MS analysis of fraction F5 resulted in the detection of a major compound, 2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono (2-ethylhexyl) ester with 90% matching factor. Thus, this compound may greatly contribute to the antibacterial activity of the fraction and has the potential to be developed as an antibiotic. The findings indirectly indicate that fungal endophytes from the medicinal plant could be a potential candidate for bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical properties

Muscodor sp. IBRL OS-94, A Promising Endophytic Fungus of Ocimum sanctum with Antimicrobial Activity

Background: An endophytic fungus, Muscodor sp. IBRL OS-94 isolated from the leaf of Ocimum sanctum was believed to possess significant antimicrobial activity and several assays were carried out to evaluate its pharmaceutical potential. Methods: Agar plug diffusion and the disk diffusion assays were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the fungal extract. Also, the broth microdilution assay was done to investigate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the fungal extract. Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to observe the structural degeneration of the microbial cells treated to the extract. Results: The results revealed that fungal isolate showed favorable antimicrobial activity through agar plug diffusion assay and the disk diffusion assay demonstrated that most of the test microorganisms were susceptible to extracellular extract compared to extracellular extract. As for the MIC and MLC values, the extracellular fungal extract exerted a bactericidal/fungicidal effect against all five Gram-positive bacteria, four Gram-negative bacteria, one yeast, and none of the test fungi. Meanwhile, the intracellular fungal extract exhibited bactericidal/fungicidal activity against three Gram-positive bacteria, one Gram-negative bacterium, and one yeast. The structural degeneration study via SEM revealed that various cell abnormalities including severe damage to the cell wall which led to microbial cell death. Conclusion: The present study suggests the fungal extract from Muscodor sp. IBRLOS-94 as an antimicrobial agent

Methanolic extract of swietenia macrophylla exhibits antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy against gram-positive pathogens

Gram-positive pathogens cause infections such as pneumonia, skin infections, anthrax, and sinusitis. The objective of this study was to determine the phytochemical profile, antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy of Swietenia macrophylla methanolic extract (SMME) against Gram-positive pathogens. The secondary metabolites of SMME were analyzed using GC-MS while the antibacterial efficacy of SMME against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33862, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Streptococcus pneumonia ATCC 19615, and Clostridium sporogenes ATCC 13124 was assessed using MIC and MBC assays. Biofilm biomass assay and time-kill assay were performed to determine the antibiofilm activity of SMME against the pathogens. Results demonstrated that six common antibacterial secondary metabolites were present in the SMME. The major compound was found to be β-amyrin (22.8%). The SMME showed the lowest MIC values against B. cereus (31.25 μg/mL) and C. sporogenes (31.25 μg/mL) and the lowest MBC value against S. aureus (1000 μg/mL). The SMME also significantly (p<0.05) inhibited all the biofilms. It started to inhibit S. pneumonia and C. sporogenes biofilms after 12 h of exposure. On the other hand, the BIC50 value showed that the SMME was most effective against B. cereus. In conclusion, the secondary metabolites in the SMME may contribute to the antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy against Gram-positive pathogens

A review of Malaysian medicinal plants with potential anticancer activity

The global cancer incidence and its high mortality rate indicate limitations in its current treatment and chemotherapeutic strategies. This sparked a worldwide interest in the demand for chemical diversity in searching for therapeutic drugs derived from natural products. Natural products from medicinal plants, whether as pure compounds or crude extracts, offer inexhaustible sources of new drugs because of their unparalleled chemical diversity. This review aims to disseminate detailed information on the anticancer potential of Malaysian medicinal plants, focusing on the bioactive phytochemicals and mechanisms of action against cancer development in both in vitro and in vivo studies. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases was conducted to find relevant articles on the anticancer activity of Malaysian medicinal plants. A total of hundred and twenty-two (122) articles on the anticancer activity of Malaysian medicinal plants was identified and reviewed. Eighty-five (85) plants (in vitro) and 16 plants (in vivo) have been identified to possess anticancer activity. The activity reported was attributed primarily to diverse chemical groups of naturally occurring phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolics, glycosides, quercetin, and gallic acid. Henceforth, the findings will hope to aid further research in understanding the underlaying mechanism and the efficiency of the isolation of the bioactive compounds

Cytotoxic effect of dillapiole on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells

Plant secondary metabolites and their derivatives play a significant role in anticancer drug therapy since they are effective against specific characteristics while reducing side effects. Dillapiole is a phenylpropanoid that holds several bioactivities like anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmanial, and anti-cancer. This study aims to investigate the possible cytotoxic effect of dillapiole on human breast cancer, MCF-7 cells. Cells were cultured in complete RPMI media and incubated at standard culture conditions. After the cells reached 80% confluency, cells were treated with various concentrations (ranging from 0 μM to 150 μM) of dillapiole and tamoxifen as a positive control. Cells were later incubated at 48 and 72 h. Using WST-1 assay, the cytotoxic effect was determined for both incubation times. Results show tamoxifen inhibited the MCF-7 cells with the IC50 at 75.9 μM and 39.8 μM for 48 and 72 h respectively. Parallel with the positive control results, there was a significant cytotoxic effect of dillapiole against MCF-7 cells at 48- and 72-hr incubation with the IC50 at 92.1 μM and 63.1 μM respectively. Based on these results, dillapiole was cytotoxic against MCF-7 cells and its cytotoxic activity was both in a time and dose-dependent manner (<0.05). The morphological analysis supported the WST-1 assay. Our preliminary finding is in agreement with other previous studies, suggesting that dillapiole appears to be a promising anti-cancer agent and opens a wider possibility of downstream analysis on its underlying cytotoxicity mechanism

Cytotoxic effect of dillapiole on human breast cancer MCF-7 CELLS

Plant secondary metabolites and their derivatives play a significant role in anticancer drug therapy since they are effective against specific characteristics while reducing side effects. Dillapiole is a phenylpropanoid that holds several bioactivities like anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmanial, and anti-cancer. This study aims to investigate the possible cytotoxic effect of dillapiole on human breast cancer, MCF-7 cells. Cells were cultured in complete RPMI media and incubated at standard culture conditions. After the cells reached 80% confluency, cells were treated with various concentrations (ranging from 0 μM to 150 μM) of dillapiole and tamoxifen as a positive control. Cells were later incubated at 48 and 72 h. Using WST-1 assay, the cytotoxic effect was determined for both incubation times. Results show tamoxifen inhibited the MCF-7 cells with the IC50 at 75.9 μM and 39.8 μM for 48 and 72 h respectively. Parallel with the positive control results, there was a significant cytotoxic effect of dillapiole against MCF-7 cells at 48- and 72-hr incubation with the IC50 at 92.1 μM and 63.1 μM respectively. Based on these results, dillapiole was cytotoxic against MCF-7 cells and its cytotoxic activity was both in a time and dose-dependent manner (<0.05). The morphological analysis supported the WST-1 assay. Our preliminary finding is in agreement with other previous studies, suggesting that dillapiole appears to be a promising anti-cancer agent and opens a wider possibility of downstream analysis on its underlying cytotoxicity mechanism

Bioactivity of clitoria ternatea crude extracts against pathogenic bacteria

Clitoria ternatea, sometimes referred to as the Asian pigeon wings blue pea, the butterfly pea, or the Darwin pea, is a Fabaceae plant species that has been shown to possess antibacterial effects against several pathogenic microbes. Hence, the present study has been carried out to access the antibacterial activity of C. ternatea flower extracted with water and methanol against pathogenic bacteria. The well and disk diffusion assays were performed to determine the antibacterial activity of C. ternatea flower extracts. The efficacy of the extracts was then evaluated via broth microdilution assay to obtain MIC and MBC values and the growth reduction assay. Meanwhile, the DPPH scavenging test was used to assess the antioxidant activity of the crude extracts. The results of the well and disc diffusion assays showed that Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to both extracts compared to Gramnegative bacteria. Meanwhile, the methanolic extract showed higher antibacterial activity on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria compared to the aqueous extract. The results of the MIC and MBC tests showed that the methanolic extract was bactericidal to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The aqueous extract, however, demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against Gram-negative bacteria and bactericidal activity solely against Gram-positive bacteria. After a 24-h exposure period, a growth reduction assay showed that the methanolic extract could suppress both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by up to 99%. Meanwhile, the aqueous extract showed an inhibition percentage value ranging from 75% to 96% after an incubation period. The aqueous extract had the lowest antioxidant activity, with an EC50 value of 87.78 µg/mL, whereas the methanolic extract had a fair amount of antioxidant activity when compared to the control (quercetin), according to the DPPH scavenging assay. The present study suggests that C. ternatea extracts as a potential antibacterial agent against pathogenic bacteria with significant antioxidant activity and this activity may be due to the presence of anthocyanin and its derivatives

Aqueous Extract of Clitoria ternatea Attenuates the Growth of Streptococcus mutans

In the human oral cavity, Streptococcus mutans is often observed and is a major contributor to tooth decay. Increased S. mutans levels may be linked to progressively more severe forms of periodontal disease because root exposure in people with periodontitis increases caries rates. Hence, a new potential antibacterial compound needs to be searched to combat this pathogenic bacterium. The butterfly pea, or Clitoria ternatea is an ornamental plant that has been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties against several bacteria. Thus, the goal of this investigation was to determine how well C. ternatea aqueous (CTA) extract inhibited S. mutans. The disk diffusion assay was performed to access the antibacterial properties of the CTA extract. The efficiency of the extract against the test bacterium was then determined through MIC/MBC determinations and a time-kill study. Meanwhile, the toxicity of the extract was tested using a brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA). The CTA extract demonstrated substantial antibacterial activity against the test bacterium at a concentration of 200 mg/ml, with a diameter of the inhibition zone of 13.4±0.4 mm, according to the disc diffusion assay. The aqueous extract’s MIC and MBC values were found to be 100 and 400 g/mL, respectively. Time-kill analysis revealed the CTA extract exerted a strong bactericidal effect on S. mutans and this activity was dose-dependent. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) exhibited the bacterial cells experienced severe damage after being exposed to CTA extract including formation cavities, irregular shape, and crumpled cells. Thus, the present study suggested the potential of CTA extract as an antibacterial agent against oral cavity bacteria and can be used in the formulation of natural mouthwash due to no toxicity effect

Assessment of cultivation parameters influencing pectinase production by Aspergillus niger LFP-1 in submerged fermentation

Abstract Background Pectinase is helpful in food and beverage industries, particularly in the preparation of fruit juice, the extraction of vegetable oil, and the fermentation of coffee. The current work aimed to screen Aspergillus niger LFP-1, a recently identified fungal strain, for its ability to produce pectinase and to ascertain the contribution of various physicochemical factors to pectinase production. Results The primary and secondary pectinase activity screenings by Aspergillus niger LFP-1 were performed using pectin screening agar and shake flask system, respectively. The finding revealed that the locally isolated strain is able to secrete favourable pectinase production. Before improvement, the pectinase production was 0.88 ± 0.09 U/mL. However, the improved conditions such as 6 days of the cultivation period, agitation speed of 150 rpm, inoculum size of 1 × 106 spores/mL, 2.5% (w/v) citrus pectin, and 0.4% (w/v) ammonium nitrate could significantly increase pectinase production up to 7.41 ± 0.24 U/mL, representing an 88% increase. In this study, supplementing 2.5% (w/v) citrus pectin to the culture medium as a carbon source increased enzyme production by up to 3.07 ± 0.17 U/mL. Meanwhile, 0.4% (w/v) ammonium nitrate was used as a nitrogen source yielding the highest enzyme activity with a value of 6.86 ± 0.07 U/mL. Conclusion Thus, the locally isolated fungal strain, A. niger LFP-1 has outstanding pectinase-producing capability and can be utilized for the commercial production of pectinase. The improved cultural conditions significantly increase pectinase production and shorten the incubation period from 8 days (before improvement) to 6 days (after improvement)

Antibiofilm efficacy and mode of action of etlingera elatior extracts against staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus represents a major bacterial human pathogen that causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Various medicinal plants have been used to control its infection, however, the effect of Etlingera elatior on S. aureus biofilm is still uncertain. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy of E. elatior extracts against S. aureus. Phytochemical screening was carried out to determine the presence of phenols, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids in different extracts (acetone, methanol, ethanol, and aqueous) of E. elatior. Antibacterial activities were determined by disk diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration assay (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration assay (MBC) while antibiofilm activities were determined by crystal violet assay and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. All the extracts were found to contain phenols, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids. Only acetone extract showed a high amount of saponins. Among all the extracts, acetone extract showed the widest inhibition zone (21.23±0.2 mm), lowest MIC (20 mg/ mL), and lowest MBC (50 mg/mL) values. The acetone extract also showed the highest antibiofilm activities at all biofilm stages (6 hr: 12%-31%; 12 hr: 20%-36%; 18 hr: 27%-32%; 24 hr: 5%-46%). Further analysis with FTIR spectroscopy revealed spectral changes associated with proteins (1700–1400 cm-1), phospholipids, and polysaccharides (1300–700 cm-1) in S. aureus biofilm following the treatment with 200 mg/mL of E. elatior extracts. In conclusion, E. elatior is a potential source of antibacterial and antibiofilm agents to control S. aureus infections. Changes in the composition of proteins, phospholipids, and polysaccharides may mediate the biofilm inhibition by E. elatior extracts. The acetone extract of E. elatior may be useful for various applications such as antimicrobial topical cream and wound dressing