Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oil and Methanol Extract of Teucrium montanum

This study was designed to examine the chemical composition of essential oil and the in vitro antimicrobial activities of essential oil and methanol extract of Teucrium montanum. The inhibitory effects of essential oil and methanol extracts of T. montanum were tested against 13 bacterial and three fungal species by using disc-diffusion method. GC/MS analyses revealed that essential oil contains mainly δ-cadinene (17.19%), β-selinene (8.16%) α-calacorene (4.97%), 1,6-dimethyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-naphthalene (4.91%), caryophyllene (4.35%), copaene (4.23%), torreyol (3.91%), 4-terpineol (3.90%), cadina-1,4-diene (3.39%), β-sesquiphellandrene (3.34%), τ-cadinol (3.12%) and γ-curcumene (3.18%). The essential oil has antibacterial as well as antifungal effect

In vitro chemoprotective and anticancer activities of propolis in human lymphocytes and breast cancer cells

Propolis has been used in folk medicine for centuries due to its healing properties. Ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) are rich sources of phenolic acid and flavonoids. Natural phenolic compounds may exert chemoprotective activity in cancer cells due to their ability to scavenge free radicals. The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the genotoxic and anti-mutagenic effects of the EEP on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and their cytotoxic potential on the human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231 cells). Both cell cultures were treated with six concentrations (1, 10, 50, 100, 250 and 500 μg/ml) of EEP1 and EEP2, separately and in combination with mitomycin C (MMC). Our results show that the EEP1 and EEP2 samples of propolis after separate and combined treatments with MMC did not influence the nuclear division index (NDI). In the combined treatment, both tested EEPs significantly reduced MMC-induced micronuclei (MN) in PBLs. At 48 h after exposure of the MDA-MB-231 cell line to a combined treatment of EEP samples with MMC, the IC50 values were significantly reduced (23.79 and 19.13 μg/ml, for EEP1+MMC and EEP2+MMC, respectively, in comparison to the single treatment. In conclusion, the tested ethanolic extracts of propolis exhibited a certain level of in vitro antimutagenic activity in PBLs from healthy subjects, and anticancer activity in breast cancer cell line. The presented findings suggest that the ethanolic extracts of propolis show potential in anticancer therapeutic strategy

The antimicrobial activity of honey, bee pollen loads and beeswax from Slovakia

The aim of this study was to test the antimicrobial activity of propolis, bee pollen loads and beeswax samples collected in the year 2009 from two locations in Slovakia to pathogenic bacteria, microscopic fungi and yeasts. The antimicrobial effect of the bee product samples were tested using the agar well diffusion method. For extraction, 99.9% and 70% methanol (aqueous, v/v) and 96% and 70% ethanol (aqueous, v/v) were used. Five different strains of bacteria, i.e. Listeria monocytogenes CC M 4699, Pseudomonas aeruginosa CC M 1960; Staphylococcus aureus CC M 3953; Salmonella enterica CC M 4420, Escherichia coli CC M 3988, three different strains of microscopic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and seven different strains of yeasts Candida krusei, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, were tested. After 48 hours S. aureus was the bacterium most sensitive to the 70% ethanol extract of pollen, A. fumigatus was the most sensitive microscopic fungus (70% ethanol) and C. glabrata the most sensitive yeast (70% methanol). Microorganisms most sensitive to propolis extracts were L. monocytogenes, A. fumigatus (70% ethanol) and G. candidum (70% methanol). Most sensitive to beeswax extracts were E. coli, A. niger and C. tropicalis

Isolation of alkaloids and anti-tumor activity of the crude methanolic extract of algerian Cytisus purgans

In this study, two known quinolizidine alkaloids which are sparteine and lupanine were isolated from the methanolic extract of the plant Cytisus purgans of Algerian flora by open column chromatography. These two compounds were identified on the basis of their spectral data (GC/MS, IR, MS, 1H and 13C). The anti-tumor activity of the crude methanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant was also evaluated invitro against human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and human lung cancer (A549) cell lines using MTT assay

The investigation of bioactive secondary metabolites of the methanol extract of eryngium amethystinum

Eryngium amethystinum L. belonging to the Apiaceae family, is a perennial plant distributed in Southeast Europe. Even though this plant is used in traditional medicine, its phytochemical characterization is still incomplete. In this study composition of bioactive constituents of the methanol extract are reported for the first time. By means of the UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MSn method, altogether sixty-three constituents were characterized: eight hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives (7-13, 32), fifteen cinnamic acid derivatives (14, 17-19, 21, 24-26, 28, 30, 39-42 and 44), four flavonoid aglycones (45, 51, 52, 54), twenty-four flavonoid derivatives (23, 27, 29, 31, 33-38, 43, 46-50, 53, 55-59, 61 and 62), three coumarin derivatives (15, 16 and 22) and nine other compounds (1-6, 20, 60 and 63).Publishe

Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of naphthoquinone pigments from Onosma visianii Clem

In this study, the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of isolated compounds from the roots of Onosma visianii were investigated. By using different chromatographic techniques and appropriate spectroscopic methods, the seven naphthoquinones were described: deoxyshikonin (1), isobutyrylshikonin (2), α-methylbutyrylshikonin (3), acetylshikonin (4), ß-hydroxyisovalerylshikonin (5), 5,8-O-dimethyl isobutyrylshikonin (6) and 5,8-O-dimethyl deoxyshikonin (7). Among the tested compounds, 3 and 4 exhibited the highest antibacterial activities toward all tested bacterial species (MIC50 and MIC90 for gram positive bacteria: 6.40 µg/mL-12.79 µg/mL and 6.82 µg/mL-13.60 µg/mL, respectively; for gram negative bacteria: 4.27 µg/mL-8.53 µg/mL and 4.77 µg/mL-9.54 µg/mL, respectively). Also, naphthoquinones 3 and 4 exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 values 86.0 µg/mL and 80.2 µg/mL, respectively), while compounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 significantly decreased viability of HCT116 cells (IC50 values of 97.8 µg/mL, 15.2 µg/mL, 24.6 µg/mL and 30.9 µg/mL, respectively). Our results indicated that all tested naphthoquinone pigments are potential candidates for clinical uses as antibacterial and cytotoxic agents

Ligand-protein interakcije 3-(1-(3-hidroksipropilamino)etiliden)hroman-2,4-diona sa humanim C reaktivnim proteinom

The structure of the newly synthesized coumarin derivative, 3-(1-(3-hydroxypropylamino)-ethylidene)-chroman-2,4-dione, was investigated theoretically. The density functional theory calculations, with B3LYP functional (and with empirical dispersion corrections D3BJ) in combination with the 6–311+G(d,p) basis set, are performed in order to optimized the molecular structure of the investigated coumarin derivative. Molecular docking analysis was carried out in order to identify the potency of inhibition of the title molecule against human C-reactive protein. The inhibition activity was obtained for ten conformations of ligand inside protein.Struktura novo sintetisanog derivata kumarina, 3- (1- (3-hidroksipropilamino) -etiliden) -hroman-2,4-diona, ispitana je primenom teorijskih metoda. Za optimizaciju strukture ispitivanog kumarinskog derivata korišćena je teorija funkcionalne gustine: B3LYP funkcional ( sa empirijskim ispravkama disperzije D3BJ) u kombinaciji sa 6-311+G(d, p) bazisnim setom. Urađen je molekulski doking, kao i analiza dobijenih rezultata kako bi se utvrdio potencijal inhibicije molekula ispitivanog jedinjenja prema humanom C-reaktivnom proteinu. Aktivnost inhibicije izračunata je za deset potencijalnih konformacija liganda unutar proteina

Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe

Update notice Author Correction: Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe (Nature, (2022), 608, 7922, (336-345), 10.1038/s41586-022-05010-7) Nature, Volume 609, Issue 7927, Pages E9, 15 September 2022In European and many African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian populations, lactase persistence (LP) is the most strongly selected monogenic trait to have evolved over the past 10,000 years(1). Although the selection of LP and the consumption of prehistoric milk must be linked, considerable uncertainty remains concerning their spatiotemporal configuration and specific interactions(2,3). Here we provide detailed distributions of milk exploitation across Europe over the past 9,000 years using around 7,000 pottery fat residues from more than 550 archaeological sites. European milk use was widespread from the Neolithic period onwards but varied spatially and temporally in intensity. Notably, LP selection varying with levels of prehistoric milk exploitation is no better at explaining LP allele frequency trajectoriesthan uniform selection since the Neolithic period. In the UK Biobank(4,5) cohort of 500,000 contemporary Europeans, LP genotype was only weakly associated with milk consumption and did not show consistent associations with improved fitness or health indicators. This suggests that other reasons for the beneficial effects of LP should be considered for its rapid frequency increase. We propose that lactase non-persistent individuals consumed milk when it became available but, under conditions of famine and/or increased pathogen exposure, this was disadvantageous, driving LP selection in prehistoric Europe. Comparison of model likelihoods indicates that population fluctuations, settlement density and wild animal exploitation-proxies for these drivers-provide better explanations of LP selection than the extent of milk exploitation. These findings offer new perspectives on prehistoric milk exploitation and LP evolution.Peer reviewe

Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them

Aligning BI with Corporate Strategy in SME : A case study based on the BISC Framework

According to research findings, SMEs are continuously faced with unexpected changes within their operating environment. The rapid development of technology master’s new competitors, new products and markets which creates a source of uncertainty for these organisations. These changes are for instance demonstrated through changes in customer demands, lower barriers and government regulations, offering both opportunities as threats. Considering that SMEs play a significant role for society and the worldwide economy, they genuinely need to strive for innovative and efficient solutions in their business. By focusing on smarter use of information through Business Intelligence, SMEs can stay competitive in such an environment. Nevertheless, while BI utilization for efficient decision-making has been highly attractive to larger companies for some time, this has not been a reality for SMEs. The reasons for this are several and challenges vary. However, it is necessary to meet some basic conditions to effectively take advantage of BI, namely, to align BI with corporate strategies. This study applied the BISC framework on one strategic theme, the operations management, in an SME in order to identify gaps between BI and corporate strategy in their business performance management initiative. Gaps were identified by analysing current As-Is state of BI assets and the To-Be state. This thesis aims therefore to contribute in the understanding of problems and potentials regarding the process of aligning BI with corporate strategies in SMEs