In this study, we isolated from the aerial parts of Baccharis conferta Kunth (i) a new neoclerodane, denominated “bacchofertone”; (ii) four known terpenes: schensianol A, bacchofertin, kingidiol and oleanolic acid; and (iii) two flavonoids: cirsimaritin and hispidulin. All structures were identified by an exhaustive analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS). Extracts from aerial parts were screened for anti-inflammatory activity in the mice ear edema model of 12-O-tetradecanoylforbol-13-acetate mice. Dichloromethane extract (BcD) exhibited 78.5 ± 0.72% inhibition of edema, followed by the BcD2 and BcD3 fractions of 71.4% and 82.9% respectively, at a dose of 1 mg/ear. Kingidiol and cirsimaritin were the most potent compounds identified, with a median effective dose of 0.12 and 0.16 mg/ear, respectively. A histological analysis showed that the topical application of TPA promoted intense cell infiltration, and this inflammatory parameter was reduced with the topical application of isolated compounds.

There is a significant need to gain access to new and better antibacterial agents. Acalypha arvensis, a plant from the Euphorbiaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat infectious diseases. This manuscript reports the isolation, characterization, and antibacterial screening of 8 natural products extracted from maceration of aerial parts of Acalypha arvensis. Specifically, three extracts were assessed (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol), in which antibacterial activity was evaluated against diverse bacterial strains. The ethanolic extract showed the best activity against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, which supports the medicinal properties attributed to this plant. The chromatographic fractions AaR4 and AaR5 were the most bioactive, in which the ellagitannin natural product known as corilagin (1) was identified for the first time in this plant. Therefore, it can be said that this is the main chemical responsible for the observed antibacterial activity. However, we also identified chlorogenic acid (2), rutin (3), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (4), caffeic acid (5), among others (6–8). Hence, this plant can be considered to be a good alternative to treat health-related issues caused by various bacteria.

There are two major global morbidity and mortality problems in the health sector: inflammation, which is the physiological process that, in acute and chronic conditions, gradually causes the loss of the body’s functionality, leading to severe damage to health; and microbial diseases, which are caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of three extracts of mesquite (Prosopis laevigata)—n-hexane (PH), dichloromethane (PD), and methanol (PM)—were assessed in a mouse model of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear oedema, and the antimicrobial effects against 14 microorganisms were assessed using the broth microdilution method. The extracts inhibited ear oedema by 60.81% (PH), 75.96% (PD), and 60.29% (PM). The most active anti-inflammatory extract (PD) was fractionated through chromatography, and three fractions (PDR3, PDR6, and PDR7) were evaluated. One of the most active fractions (PDR7) was purified via column chromatography, and ethyl veratrate (VE, 1) was isolated and identified. VE inhibited ear oedema by 85.1%. The anti-inflammatory effect is evidenced by the quantification of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TNF-α). The PD extract, the PDR7 fraction, and the compound present an IL-10 concentration of 11.8, 18.9, and 36.5 pg/mg of protein, values significantly higher than the group that received only phorbol ester (* p < 0.05). These treatments also significantly decreased the concentration of TNF-α (* p < 0.05) to 197.6, 241.9, and 247.0 pg/mg protein, respectively. The PM extract showed the most pronounced antimicrobial effect, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of <12.5 µg/mL for almost all the 14 tested strains, followed by the PD and PH extracts. Chromatographic fractionation of the PM extract yielded the PMR6, PMR7, and PMR10 fractions that inhibited all tested microorganisms with a MIC between 6.25 and 200 µg/mL. Compound 1 was active on five strains, with a concentration between 2 and 8 µg/mL. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis and comparison with commercial standards allowed for the identification of rutin (2) and quercetin 3-O-glucoside (3). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the PH and PD extracts allowed for the identification of fatty acids, terpenes, and phenols.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) regulates plant metabolism. This study examined its effect on the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in Baccharis conferta, a medicinal plant rich in phenolics and terpenes. Plants were elicited with 25 µM and 250 µM H₂O₂. Phenolic changes were evaluated by total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, and LC-MS analysis of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids. Meanwhile, terpene changes were evaluated by HPTLC, total terpene content (TTC), and expression of the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (Bco-DXS1) gene. H₂O₂ markedly modulated both pathways. Phenolic metabolism was activated, particularly under 25 µM H₂O₂, with PAL activity increasing by 52%, TPC by 42%, and TFC by 50% relative to the control. Chemical analysis revealed that five compounds, including chlorogenic acid, differed significantly across treatments. Gene expression analysis showed that 25 µM H₂O₂ upregulated Bco-DXS1 and increased TTC, whereas 250 µM H₂O₂ repressed gene expression but still enhanced terpene accumulation. Overall, these results suggest that moderate H₂O₂ levels function as a signaling molecule in B. conferta, simultaneously boosting phenolic and terpene pathways. This highlights controlled H₂O₂ elicitation as an effective biotechnological approach to increase the production of valuable metabolites in medicinal plant cultures.