The chemical composition of 10 selected plant essential oils obtained by steam distillation was determined by GC and GC/MS. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was screened against 12 important food-related bacterial strains by agar disc-diffusion assay. MIC and MBC were determined for the essential oils that presented the highest activity in the agar disc-diffusion test. The most active essential oils against the tested bacteria were, in descending order, lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), basil (Ocimum basilicum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and laurel (Laurus nobilis). Except for S. Typhimurium, the tested bateria were inhibited at MIC values lower or equal to 0.62mg mL-1 by lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) essential oil. Yersinia enterocolitica presented the highest sensitivity to all essential oils tested (CMI≤0.62mg mL-1). There was a significant correlation (P<0.05) between oxygenated monoterpenes levels in the essential oils and MIC and MBC values against Escherichia coli. Results showed that the evaluated essential oils present high potential as natural preservatives.

We have investigated the possible antinociceptive action of the extract, fractions and pure compounds obtained from the whole plant Polygala sabulosa A. W. Bennett (Polygalaceae) in acetic acid-induced visceral pain in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of animals with the hydroalcoholic extract and fractions (CH2Cl2, EtOAc, n-BuOH, aqueous fraction) (1–100 mg kg−1) caused a dose-related and significant inhibition of the acetic acid-induced visceral nociceptive response. The CH2Cl2, EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions were more potent than the hydroalcoholic extract and aqueous fraction. The isolated compounds dihydrostyryl-2-pyrones (1, 2, 3), styryl-2-pyrone (7), α-spinasterol (9), scopoletin (10) and two esters of the coumarin (scopoletin) obtained semisynthetically, acetylscopoletin (10a) and benzoylscopoletin (10b) (0.001–10 mg kg−1), exhibited significant and dose-related antinociceptive effects against acetic acid-induced visceral pain. The results distinguished, for the first time, the extract, fractions and pure compounds obtained from P. sabulosa that produced marked antinociception against the acetic acid-induced visceral nociceptive response, supporting the ethnomedical use of P. sabulosa.

From the leaves of Bauhinia forficata kaempferol and four flavonoid glycosides, 3,7-di-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosylkaempferol, 3,7-di-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosylquercetin, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosylkaempferol and 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosylquercetin were obtained. From the flowers only the flavonoid 7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosylkaempferol was isolated. The structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods