Aim of the Review.To grasp the fragmented information available on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology ofOlea europaeato explore its therapeutic potential and future research opportunities.Material and Methods.All the available information onO. europaeawas collected via electronic search (using Pubmed, Scirus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) and a library search.Results.Ethnomedical uses ofO. europaeaare recorded throughout the world where it has been used to treat various ailments. Phytochemical research had led to the isolation of flavonoids, secoiridoids, iridoids, flavanones, biophenols, triterpenes, benzoic acid derivatives, isochromans, and other classes of secondary metabolites fromO. europaea. The plant materials and isolated components have shown a wide spectrum ofin vitroandin vivopharmacological activities like antidiabetic, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, antiviral, antihypertensive, anticancer, antihyperglycemic, antinociceptive, gastroprotective, and wound healing activities.Conclusions. O. europaeaemerged as a good source of traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The outcomes of phytochemical and pharmacological studies reported in this review will further expand its existing therapeutic potential and provide a convincing support to its future clinical use in modern medicine.

Ethnomedicinally, the family Polygonaceae is famous for the management of cancer. Various species of this family have been reported with anticancer potentials. This study was designed to isolate anticancer compounds from ethnomedicinally important species Polygonum barbatum. The column chromatography was used for the isolation of compounds from the solvent fraction of P. barbatum. The characterization of isolated compounds was performed by various spectroscopic techniques like UV, IR, mass spectrometry and 1D-2D NMR spectroscopy. Keeping in view the ethnomedicinal importance of the family, genus and species of P. barbatum, the isolated compounds (1–3) were screened for anticancer potentials against oral cancer (CAL-27) and lungs cancer (NCI H460) cell lines using MTT assay. Active compound was further investigated for apoptosis by using morphological changes and flow cytometry analysis. In vivo anti-angiogenic study of the isolated compounds was also carried using chorioallantoic membrane assay. Docking studies were carried out to explore the mechanism of anticancer activity. Three dihydrobenzofuran derivatives (1–3) have been isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of P. barbatum. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated as methyl (2S,3S)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-((E)-3-ethoxy-3-oxoprop-1-en-1-yl)-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydrobenzo-furan-3-carboxylate (1), (E)-3-((2S,3S)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-3-(methoxy carbonyl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-4-yl)acrylic acid (2) and (2S,3S)-4-((E)-2-carboxyvinyl)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3-carboxylic acid (3). The compound 1 was found to be more potent with IC₅₀ of 48.52 ± 0.95 and 53.24 ± 1.49 against oral cancer cells as compared to standard drug (IC₅₀ = 97.76 ± 3.44 μM). Both compound also inhibited lung cancer cells but at higher concentrations. Morphological and flow cytometry analysis further confirms that compound 1 induces apoptosis after 24 to 48 h treatment. In antiangiogenesis assay, compounds 1, 2 and 3 exhibited IC₅₀ values of 8.2 ± 1.1, 13.4 ± 1.1 and 57.7 ± 0.3 μM respectively. The docking studies revealed that the compounds under study have the potential to target the DNA and thymidylate synthase (TS). Based on its overwhelming potency against the tested cell lines and in angiogenesis assay, compound 1 can be further evaluated mechanistically and can be developed as anticancer drug candidate.

Sulfonamides are compounds with a broad spectrum of biological applications, and can act as potential medicinal molecules in drug discovery and drug development. Numerous sulfonamide-based molecules can be used to develop potent lead compounds with better efficacy and less toxicity. This review focuses on the latest information pertaining to sulfonamide derivatives having different pharmacological properties including anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, anti-tuberculosis, carbonic anhydrase inhibition, antimalarial, antiparasitic, anticonvulsant, and antidepressant activities as well as carbonic anhydrase inhibiters. Relevant references have been obtained from MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Scopus, SID, SciFinder, and ISI Web of Knowledge. This review article provides a literature overview of the various biological activities of sulfonamides, and covers the related literature from the last decade. This review article briefly describes the therapeutic importance of sulfonamide derivatives and their pharmacological applications in a concise manner.

Rifampicin conjugated silver nanoparticles: a new arena for development of antibiofilm potential against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae Umar Farooq,1 Touqeer Ahmad,1 Ajmal Khan,2 Rizwana Sarwar,1 Jazib Shafiq,3 Yasir Raza,4 Ayaz Ahmed,3 Safi Ullah,5 Najeeb Ur Rehman,2 Ahmed Al-Harrasi21Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan; 2Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; 3Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; 4Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; 5Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, PakistanBackground: Infections caused by drug resistant bacteria are a major health concern worldwide and have prompted scientists to carry out efforts to overcome this challenge. Researchers and pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop new kinds of antimicrobial agents by using different physical and chemical methods to overcome these problems.Materials and methods: In the present study, rifampicin conjugated silver (Rif-Ag) nanoparticles have successfully been synthesized using a chemical method. Characterization of the nanoparticles was performed using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and AFM.Results: The AFM, SEM, and TEM results showed that the average particle size of Rif-Ag nanoparticles was about 15–18±4 nm. The FTIR spectra revealed the conjugation of –NH2 and –OH functional moiety with silver nanoparticles surface. Considering the penetrating power of rifampicin, the free drug is compared with synthesized nanoparticle for antimicrobial, biofilm inhibition, and eradication potential. Synthesized nanoparticles were found to be significantly active as compared to drug alone.Conclusion: This study has shown greater biofilm inhibitory and eradicating potential against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, as evident by crystal violet, MTT staining, and microscopic analysis. So, it will be further modified, and studies for the mechanism of action are needed.Keywords: rifampicin, silver nanoparticles, TEM, AFM, antibiofilm, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae