Epilobium angustifolium L. is applied as an antiseptic agent in the treatment of skin diseases. However, there is a lack of information on human skin penetration of active ingredients with antioxidative potential. It seems crucial because bacterial infections of skin and subcutaneous tissue are common and partly depend on oxidative stress. Therefore, we evaluated in vitro human skin penetration of fireweed ethanol-water extracts (FEEs) by determining antioxidant activity of these extracts before and after penetration study using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and Folin–Ciocalteu methods. Microbiological tests of extracts were done. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) methods. The in vitro human skin penetration using the Franz diffusion chamber was assessed. The high antioxidant activity of FEEs was found. Gallic acid (GA), chlorogenic acid (ChA), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HB), and caffeic acid (CA) were identified in the extracts. The antibacterial activities were found against Serratia lutea, S. marcescens, Bacillus subtilis, B. pseudomycoides, and B. thuringiensis and next Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and P. fluorescens strains. In vitro penetration studies showed the penetration of some phenolic acids and their accumulation in the skin. Our results confirm the importance of skin penetration studies to guarantee the efficacy of formulations containing E. angustifolium extracts.

Epilobium angustifolium L. is a popular medicinal plant found in many regions of the world. This plant contains small amounts of essential oil whose composition and properties have not been extensively investigated. There are few reports in the literature on the antioxidant and antifungal properties of this essential oil and the possibility of applying it as a potential promoter of the skin penetration of drugs. The essential oil was obtained by distillation using a Clavenger type apparatus. The chemical composition was analyzed by the GC-MS method. The major active compounds of E. angustifolium L. essential oil (EOEa) were terpenes, including α-caryophyllene oxide, eucalyptol, β-linalool, camphor, (S)-carvone, and β-caryophyllene. The analyzed essential oil was also characterized by antioxidant activity amounting to 78% RSA (Radical Scavenging Activity). Antifungal activity against the strains Aspergillus niger, A. ochraceus, A. parasiticum, and Penicillium cyclopium was also determined. The largest inhibition zone was observed for strains from the Aspergillus group. The EOEa enhanced the percutaneous penetration of ibuprofen and lidocaine. After a 24 h test, the content of terpene in the skin and the acceptor fluid was examined. It has been shown that the main compounds contained in the essential oil do not penetrate through the skin, but accumulate in it. Additionally, FTIR-ATR analysis showed a disturbance of the stratum corneum (SC) lipids caused by the essential oil application. Due to its rich composition and high biological activity, EOEa may be a potential candidate to be applied, for example, in the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries. Moreover, due to the reaction of the essential oil components with SC lipids, the EOEa could be an effective permeation enhancer of topically applied hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs.

The plants of the genus Rubus (R.) are applied as antiseptic agents in the treatment of skin diseases. Despite the great interest in plants of this genus, there are few reports on the antioxidant and biological activities of preparations obtained from the leaves of these plants. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the antioxidant activity of preparations from leaves of wild plant species of the genus Rubus using the frequently applied DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, as well as to determine the total polyphenol content using the Folin–Ciocalteau method and perform qualitative evaluation by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The bactericidal and fungicidal activities of the obtained preparations were evaluated by applying laboratory tests: using the disc and the well methods based on the standards EN 13697:2019, EN 13697:2015, and EN 1500:2013. Microbiological tests of the plant preparations against bacteria, fungi, and yeasts isolated from the environment and against reference strains were performed. Moreover, antimicrobial testing of antibiotics against the tested strains was performed for comparison. The n-octanol/water partition coefficient of the obtained preparations was determined by the shake-flask method to determine their lipophilicity. According to the results, a high content of polyphenols and other antioxidant and biologically active compounds can be thought of as the parameter responsible for the effective activity of plant preparations obtained from wild plant species of the genus Rubus. The methods for determining bactericidal and fungicidal activity clearly demonstrates that preparations with reduced ethanol content exhibit bactericidal and fungicidal activity on surfaces. Testing of hand disinfection by means of rubbing with the preparations confirmed their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli K12 NCTC 10538. The obtained results show that the tested preparations exhibit on average two times lower activity against the reference bacterial strains than comparable antibiotics. The preparations obtained from the leaves of R. idaeus L. and R. fruticosus L. could complement classical antibiotics. While environmental bacteria showed a similar response to the preparations and antibiotics, their sensitivity was about one-third less than that of the reference strains. Our studies have shown that the obtained preparations are highly hydrophilic (logP < 0). Thus, these preparations can only be used in lipid bilayers in the aqueous core of liposomes, not in the lipid envelope.

One of the methods for recovery and utilization of waste products from the poultry industry is to subject them to the methane fermentation process in the biogas plant. These are waste with a high content of fatty compounds and proteins, including keratin. Their specificity is characterized by rapid possibility of spoilage, rancidity and problems of further management. These wastes are characterized by varying degrees of complexity, thus their use as a raw material for the biogas fermenter should be preceded by a pre-treatment. An example of waste generated in poultry processing is biological sludge. Optimizing this material with highly enzymatic fungi could accelerate the degradation of the organic matter contained and, as a result, increase the energy efficiency of this type of waste. Quantitative and qualitative parameters of biogas produced from biological sludge processed by isolated filamentous fungi with high metabolic potential were determined. Laboratory tests were based on the modified methodology included in the standards DIN 38414-S8 and VDI 4630. Based on the results obtained, it was found that the pre-optimization of biological sludge by fungal strains with different metabolic potential, influences on the yield of biogas production, including methane. There was an increase in the biogas yield from the biological sludge processed by the mixed fungal consortium (by 20 %) and the strain marked as F1 (by 14 %) as compared to the non-inoculated material, which was also reflected in the amount of methane produced in the case of the mixed fungal consortium (by 28 %) and the strain marked as F1 (by 12 %).

The aim of the study was to evaluate the drug resistance of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolated from different types of poultry waste. The study material consisted of feather samples (duck, turkey, chicken), sludge and centrifuge sediment, originating from three poultry farms. The study was conducted in two stages; isolation and identification of Enterococcus bacteria from the waste and evaluation of their drug resistance using Kirby-Bauer method. Contamination of the poultry waste with Enterococcus isolates included E . faecium species (79 %) and E. faecalis (21 %). The most contaminated were sludge and sediment from the centrifuge as well as chicken feathers, irrespective of the place and time of sampling. Tested isolates showed multiple resistance and similar reaction to all antibiotics used in the study and E. faecalis strain was more resistant. Enterococcus isolates showed the highest resistance to streptogramins, carbapenems, fluoroquinones, aminoglycosides and penicillins, and the lowest for nitrofurantions and phenicols.

This study aimed to assess the effect of petrol and the Fyre Zyme reagent on selected chemical and biochemical properties of loamy sand. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions. First, petrol was introduced into the soil at doses of 0 and 50 g k⁻¹dry matter (DM). Next, 6% Fyre-Zyme enzyme reagent solution was added to the samples contaminated and uncontaminated with petrol, in the following combinations: 0 (control), once at 40 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM, twice at 20 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM at two-week intervals, and four times at 10 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM at weekly intervals. Contamination of loamy sand with petrol caused slight changes in the determined chemical parameters and stimulated dehydrogenase activities, but inhibited the activity of phosphatases. The introduction of the enzyme reagent into the soil increased the C_org and N_tot content. The greatest changes were observed in the activity of phosphatases. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the application of the enzyme reagent at the application of 4 × 10 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM was the most beneficial. However, the results of the η² analysis indicate that the greatest influence on the determined experimental parameters was found in the soil contaminated with petrol.