Antimicrobial Activity and Germination Conditions of the Medicinal Plant Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial properties. However, these properties are poorly understood and no bioactive compounds have yet been identified in the plant to account for this antimicrobial action. Herein, we describe the growth conditions and preliminarily characterize the antibiotic effects of different parts of the A. mexicana plant. We report that 2 mg of A. mexicana methanol root extract possesses antibacterial activity against the bacteria Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, while the same concentration has no inhibitory effect on the fungus Candida albicans. Moreover, the methanol root fraction displays a stronger antibacterial effect, when compared to either the methanol seed or leaf fractions at the same concentrations and normalized to background solvent alone. Additionally, we show that when supplemented with 1000 mg/L of the phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA), germination rates of A. mexicana are significantly increased when compared to germination with either no GA or 100 mg/L GA. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the antimicrobial properties and chemicals produced in the roots of these plants and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial drug discovery

Isolation, Identification, Modification, and Biological Analysis of extracts of A. Mexicana

Argemone mexicana is a member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine by indigenous communities in Mexico and the United States. Through a collaborative project, we have explored separation of key components of the seeds and leaves of this plant to isolate the source of their biological activity. We have already identified two key molecules which give this plant anti-microbial properties against the gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, we have chemically modified one of these molecules to observe variations on activity. We hope this leads to the discovery of new antibiotic drugs

Antimicrobial Activity and Germination Conditions of the Medicinal Plant Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial properties. However, these properties are poorly understood and no bioactive compounds have yet been identified in the plant to account for this antimicrobial action. Herein, we describe the growth conditions and preliminarily characterize the antibiotic effects of different parts of the A. mexicana plant. We report that 2 mg of A. mexicana methanol root extract possesses antibacterial activity against the bacteria Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, while the same concentration has no inhibitory effect on the fungus Candida albicans. Moreover, the methanol root fraction displays a stronger antibacterial effect, when compared to either the methanol seed or leaf fractions at the same concentrations and normalized to background solvent alone. Additionally, we show that when supplemented with 1000 mg/L of the phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA), germination rates of A. mexicana are significantly increased when compared to germination with either no GA or 100 mg/L GA. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the antimicrobial properties and chemicals produced in the roots of these plants and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial drug discovery

Identifying Antimicrobial Phytocompounds to Combat ISS Superbugs

The isolation, or creation, of novel antimicrobial agents is currently at the forefront of modern healthcare due to the stark decrease in antimicrobial drug development in recent years and due to the increasing rise of superbugs, or microorganisms that are resistant to more than one type of antimicrobial treatment, which are predicted by 2050 to cause 10 million deaths/year. In addition to being a terrestrial cause for concern, antimicrobial resistant microbes are also a threat to the health of the individuals on the International Space Station (ISS). According to recent studies, a diverse population of bacteria and fungi, including several opportunistic pathogens, have colonized the ISS, and many of these strains have been found to possess antimicrobial resistance genes. Therefore, our research is focused on testing bacterial and fungal pathogens that have been isolated from the ISS against methanolic extracts from different medicinal plants, such as Argemone mexicana and Curcuma longa. Additionally, from previous work in our lab (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249704), we have identified several antibacterial compounds in A. mexicana and are attempting to determine the distribution of these phytocompounds (berberine, chelerythrine, sanguinarine) in the plant using quantitative chemistry techniques. This work highlights the importance of plants as an invaluable pharmaceutical resource at a time when antimicrobial drug discovery has plateaued

Characterizing the Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities and Several Associated Bioactive Compounds of Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial and anticancer properties. However, these properties are poorly understood, with few associated bioactive compounds yet identified. Herein, we describe the germination conditions of A. mexicana and preliminarily characterize the antimicrobial and anticancer activities of different parts of the plant. We show that when comparing 1 mg of each sample normalized to background solvent alone, the A. mexicana methanol outer root and leaf extracts possess the strongest antimicrobial activity, with greatest effects against the gram-positive bacteria tested, and less activity against the gram-negative bacteria and fungi tested. Additionally, we report that when using the MTT colorimetric assay, the outer root and leaf methanol extracts and the seed hexane extract have pronounced inhibitory effects against T84 human colon cancer cells. Using normal-phase column chromatography and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis of the outer root and leaf methanol fractions, we have begun to chemically characterize several candidate antibacterial compounds. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the bioactive chemicals produced in the roots, leaves and seeds of A. mexicana and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial and anticancer drug discovery

Characterizing the Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities and Several Associated Bioactive Compounds of Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial and anticancer properties. However, these properties are poorly understood, with few associated bioactive compounds yet identified. Herein, we describe the germination conditions of A. mexicana and preliminarily characterize the antimicrobial and anticancer activities of different parts of the plant. We show that when comparing 1 mg of each sample normalized to background solvent alone, the A. mexicana methanol outer root and leaf extracts possess the strongest antimicrobial activity, with greatest effects against the gram-positive bacteria tested, and less activity against the gram-negative bacteria and fungi tested. Additionally, we report that when using the MTT colorimetric assay, the outer root and leaf methanol extracts and the seed hexane extract have pronounced inhibitory effects against T84 human colon cancer cells. Using normal-phase column chromatography and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis of the outer root and leaf methanol fractions, we have begun to chemically characterize several candidate antibacterial compounds. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the bioactive chemicals produced in the roots, leaves and seeds of A. mexicana and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial and anticancer drug discovery

Characterizing the Cytotoxic Effects and Several Antimicrobial Phytocompounds of \u3ci\u3eArgemone mexicana\u3c/i\u3e

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the United States. This plant has been exploited to treat a wide variety of ailments, with reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, as well as cytotoxic effects against some human cancer cell lines. Due to its various therapeutic uses and its abundance of secondary metabolites, A. mexicana has great potential as a drug discovery candidate. Herein, the cytotoxic activities of different parts (seeds, leaves, inner vs. outer roots) of the plant from methanol or hexane extracts are preliminarily characterized against cells of seven unique organisms. When comparing 1 mg of each sample normalized to background solvent alone, A. mexicana methanol outer root and leaf extracts possessed the strongest antimicrobial activity, with greatest effects against the Gram-positive bacteria tested, and less activity against the Gram-negative bacteria and fungi tested. Additionally, the outer root methanol and seed hexane extracts displayed pronounced inhibitory effects against human colon cancer cells. Quantification of c-MYC (oncogene) and APC (tumor suppressor) mRNA levels help elucidate how the A. mexicana root methanol extract may be affecting colon cancer cells. After ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the root and leaf methanol fractions, two main antibacterial compounds, chelerythrine and berberine, have been identified. The roots were found to possess both phytocompounds, while the leaf lacked chelerythrine

Determining the Role of Pirin1 in Light-Regulated Growth and Cellular Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

As photoautotrophic and sessile organisms, plants are both reliant upon, and vulnerable to abiotic signals. Different wavelengths of light provide information for plant development, but these signals can also become stressors at specific levels. PRN1, a G protein α effector and a member of the cupin superfamily, is reported to be involved in the transcription of a light-regulated gene, as well as in seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. My work herein reveals that PRN1 can act as a quercetinase in vitro and that this activity is regulated by the activation status of the G protein α subunit. My research also demonstrates that prn1 null mutants contain more of the UV-screening quercetin compound, and thus can withstand longer amounts of UV-C radiation than wild type seedlings. This thesis pioneers the use of PRN1 in plant transgenes, where it is demonstrated that both the overexpression of PRN1, and the lack of PRN1 cause disoriented growth in response to white light. Moreover, PRN::PRN1-GFP plants indicate that PRN1 is a mainly nuclear localized protein, with diffuse expression in other cellular areas. While the PRN1 transcript and protein are not strictly diurnally or circadian regulated, Western blot analysis indicates that the protein levels in the cell vary in response to light conditions. When in vitro translated PRN1 protein has been treated briefly with a total cell extract (with only large cell debris removed), there is a shift in band size to higher molecular mass, indicating post-translational modification of PRN1. Treatment of wild type plants with MG-132, a cell permeable proteasome inhibitor, indicates that the larger molecular weight species (corresponding to the anti-PRN1 specific antibody) are likely ubiquitinated. These data reveal many activities of and indicate the regulation of PRN1, and demonstrate the important roles that this protein may play in light-regulated growth and cellular responses to light in Arabidopsis thaliana

Characterizing the Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities and Several Associated Bioactive Compounds of Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the USA. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial and anticancer properties. However, these properties are poorly understood, with no associated bioactive compounds yet identified. Herein, we describe the germination conditions of A. mexicana and preliminarily characterize the antimicrobial and anticancer activities of different parts (seeds, leaves, inner vs. outer roots) of the plant. We show that when comparing 1 mg of each sample normalized to background solvent alone, the A. mexicana methanol outer root and leaf extracts possess the strongest antimicrobial activity, with greatest effects against gram-positive bacteria tested, and less activity against gram-negative bacteria and fungi tested. Additionally, we report that when using the MTT colorimetric assay, the outer root and leaf methanol extracts and the seed hexane extract have pronounced inhibitory effects against T84 human colon cancer cells. Using normal-phase column chromatography and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis of the outer root and leaf methanol fractions, we have begun to chemically characterize several candidate antibacterial compounds. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the bioactive chemicals produced in the roots, leaves and seeds of A. mexicana and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial and anticancer drug discovery

Characterizing the Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities and Several Associated Bioactive Compounds of Argemone mexicana

Commonly called the Mexican prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana is a stress-resistant member of the Papaveraceae family of plants that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries by indigenous communities in Mexico and Western parts of the USA. This plant has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal infections, with reported antimicrobial and anticancer properties. However, these properties are poorly understood, with no associated bioactive compounds yet identified. Herein, we describe the germination conditions of A. mexicana and preliminarily characterize the antimicrobial and anticancer activities of different parts (seeds, leaves, inner vs. outer roots) of the plant. We show that when comparing 1 mg of each sample normalized to background solvent alone, the A. mexicana methanol outer root and leaf extracts possess the strongest antimicrobial activity, with greatest effects against gram-positive bacteria tested, and less activity against gram-negative bacteria and fungi tested. Additionally, we report that when using the MTT colorimetric assay, the outer root and leaf methanol extracts and the seed hexane extract have pronounced inhibitory effects against T84 human colon cancer cells. Using normal-phase column chromatography and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis of the outer root and leaf methanol fractions, we have begun to chemically characterize several candidate antibacterial compounds. These preliminary results warrant further research into defining the bioactive chemicals produced in the roots, leaves and seeds of A. mexicana and are especially significant given the growing global concern of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and lack of new antimicrobial and anticancer drug discovery