Terpenes are plant secondary metabolites known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. According to ethnobotanical knowledge, Rhododendron luteum Sweet was used in traditional medicine against inflammation. The present study was conducted to determine the triterpene profile and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) extracts of Rhododendron luteum Sweet flower (RLF). An LC-APCI-MS/MS analysis showed the presence of eight pentacyclic triterpenes and one phytosterol in the extracts obtained with pure CO₂ as well as CO₂ with the addition of aqueous ethanol as a co-solvent. Among the compounds detected, oleanolic/ursolic acid, β-sitosterol and 3β-taraxerol were the most abundant. The extract obtained with pure SC-CO₂ was additionally subjected to HS-SPME-GC-FID-MS, which revealed more than 100 volatiles, mainly eugenol, β-phenylethanol, dodecane, β-caryophyllene, estragole and (Z)- and (E)-cinnamyl alcohol, followed by δ-cadinene. The extracts demonstrated significant hyaluronidase inhibition and exhibited varying modes of lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. The studies of RLF have shown that their SC-CO₂ extracts can be a rich source of triterpenes with anti-inflammatory potential.

Metabolic anticancer therapy based on enzymatic arginine (Arg) deprivation (ADT) is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. The combination of ADT with low doses of the plant cytotoxic analogs of Arg, canavanine (Cav) or indospicine (Isp), have been proposed as being more efficient and selective against malignant cells. The leguminous plant Indigofera spicata contains one of the highest known amounts of Isp. Here we demonstrate for the first time that the Isp-containing ethanolic extract from I. spicata is growth-inhibiting and toxic for cultured human colorectal and ovarian carcinoma cells. The extract reduces the viability of colorectal carcinoma cells two-fold under Arg-deficient conditions and entirely abrogates their residual proliferative potential (growth recovery) after the treatment. Pre-exposure of the extract to recombinant human arginase I (rhARGI) as a therapeutic Arg-depleting agent did not impact the extract’s efficacy. Further development of Isp as a component of combinatorial anticancer metabolic targeting strategies is discussed.

The range of healing targets for particular Ficus species compiled from local medicines can be competitive with that of broad-spectrum traditional remedies. In the current study, we studied the antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts derived from the leaves of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. and its cultivars (F. elastica 'Rubra', 'Robusta', 'Burgundy', 'Variegata') against Aeromonas sobria to evaluate the possible use of this plant in preventing infections caused by this fish pathogen in aquaculture. The current study was conducted as a part of an ongoing project between five universities undertaken in the frame of a cooperation program aimed at the assessment of medicinal properties of tropical and subtropical plants, cultivated in vitro. The leaves of F. elastica and its cultivars, cultivated under glasshouse conditions, were sampled at M. M. Gryshko National Botanic Garden (NBG), National Academy of Science of Ukraine. Specifically, the leaves of F. elastica and its cultivars, i.e. F. elastica 'Rubra', 'Robusta', 'Burgundy', 'Variegata' were sampled for our study. Aeromonas sobria (K825) strain, originated from freshwater fish species such as common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), respectively, was isolated in the Department of Fish Diseases, The National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy (Poland). Antimicrobial susceptibility of the tested Aeromonas sobria was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method (1966) according to the recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) (2014), with our some modifications. Our results of the antimicrobial screening revealed, that F. elastica and its cultivars possessed mild antibacterial properties against the A. sobria strain. The ethanolic extract obtained from leaves of F. elastica 'Variegata' exhibited the maximum antimicrobial activity against A. sobria. Thus, F. elastica and its cultivars (F. elastica 'Rubra', 'Robusta', 'Burgundy', 'Variegata') disclosed mild bioactivity, and this plant can be regarded as a potential source of antibacterial agents. The results of the current study provide a new perspective for the use of various species belonging to the Ficus genus as medicinal plants to improve the antibacterial responses in salmonid aquaculture. Keywords: Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem., extract, antimicrobial efficacy, Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique, fish pathogens, susceptibility, resistance.

A convincing number of investigations that indicate that thymol with other metabolites exhibited potent antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties prompted us to verify the antibacterial efficacy of four species and one interspecific hybrid of the Thymus genus collected in the western part of Ukraine against Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC® 29213™) strain. Considering the points highlighted above and based on previous results obtained in our laboratory, in the current study, we decided to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of five ethanol extracts obtained from leaves of Thymus representatives against Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC® 29213™) strain. Fresh leaves were washed, weighed, crushed, and homogenized in 96 % ethanol (in proportion 1:19) at room temperature. The extracts were then filtered and investigated for their antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar disk diffusion assay. The ethanol extracts obtained from leaves of Thymus plants showed different antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC® 29213™) strain. The antibacterial activity of extracts was greatest for Th. serpyllum followed by Th. pannonicus followed by Th. pulegioides, Th. alpestris, and then by Th. x porcii. Since the antibacterial effectiveness of medicinal plants varies dramatically depending on the phytochemical characteristics of plant families and subfamilies, it is not surprising to note the difference in this efficacy even when using samples taken from the same plant, but from two different regions. The antimicrobial activity of the crude ethanol extracts obtained from leaves of Thymus plants may be attributed to specific compounds or a combination of compounds. The present study lays the basis for future research, to validate the possible use of Thymus species as a candidate in the treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureusin medicine and veterinary.

In line with our previous study, we continue to evaluate the antioxidant potential of four species and one interspecific hybrid of the Thymus genus sampled in the Western part of Ukraine on the equine erythrocyte model. Therefore, in the present study, the oxidative stress biomarkers [2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), carbonyl derivatives content of protein oxidative modification, total antioxidant capacity (TAC)], as well as HCl-induced hemolysis in the equine erythrocytes, was used for assessing the antioxidant activity of extract obtained from the leaves of Thymus pulegioides L. in dose 5 mg/mL. Leaves of Th. pulegioides were collected among grass nearby land parcels (Syvky village, Bilohirya district, Khmelnytsky region, Ukraine; N 50°02´02,8´´, E 26°14´13,9´´, 306 m a.s.l.). Equine erythrocyte aliquots were used in the study. For positive control (blank), phosphate buffer was used. After incubation of the mixture at 37°C for 60 mins with continuous stirring, samples were used for the biochemical assays. Results of the current study revealed that the extract obtained from leaves of Th. pulegioides (5 mg/mL) has a mild cytotoxic activity on the equine erythrocytes increasing the level of lipid peroxidation biomarker and hemolysis rate. The investigation also revealed that this extract exhibited hemolytic activity. These findings suggest the use of Th. pulegioides extract in dose 5 mg/mL as a source of prooxidant compounds and warrant further studies to evaluate their therapeutic potential. The aldehydic and ketonic derivatives level, as well as total antioxidant capacity, was non-significantly altered after in vitro incubation with an extract obtained from leaves of Th. pulegioides. Screening of Thymus species for other biological activities including antioxidant activities is essential and may be effective for searching the preventive agents in the pathogenesis of some diseases as well as prevention and treatment of some disorders in medicine and veterinary.

Мета: Ми продовжуємо наші дослідження щодо оцінки антибактеріальних та антиоксидантних властивостей екстрактів, отриманих з листя різних рослин, що належать до роду Ficus. У цьому дослідженні ми мали на меті дослідити антибактеріальні властивості спиртового екстракту, отриманого з листя Ficus cyathistipula Warb. щодо деяких грампозитивних і грамнегативних бактерій, щоб оцінити можливе використання цієї рослини для профілактики та лікування бактеріальних інфекцій, викликаних цими бактеріями. Методологія. Зразки листя F. cyathistipula відбирали для досліджень у Національному ботанічному саду імені М.М. Гришка (НБС, Київ, Україна) та Ботанічному саду Львівського національного університету імені Івана Франка (Львів, Україна). Свіжозібране листя промивали, зважували та гомогенізували в 96% етанолі (у пропорції 1:9, мас./мас.) при кімнатній температурі. Потім екстракт фільтрували та досліджували його антимікробну активність. Тестування антибактеріальної активності рослинного екстракту проводили in vitro методом дискової дифузії Кірбі-Бауера. Грамнегативні бактерії, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula (ATCC^®27853™), Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC^®35218™) і Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC^®25922™), а також грампозитивні бактерії Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC^®25923™), Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC^®29213™) і метицилін-резистентний Staphylococcus aureus (NEQAS 3679™), а також локально виділений гриб Candida albicans використовували як тест-організми. Визначали та усереднювали діаметри зон інгібування росту бактерій. Наступні критерії діаметра зон інгібування використовувалися для визначення чутливості або резистентності бактерій до досліджуваних фітохімічних речовин: чутливі ≥ 15 мм, проміжні = 10–15 мм і стійкі ≤ 10 мм. Наукова новизна. Етанольний екстракт, отриманий з листя F. cyathistipula, виявляв різну інгібуючу дію щодо всіх досліджуваних штамів. Більш чутливим до цього екстракту виявився штам C. albicans. Штами S. aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC^®25923™), S. aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC^®29213™), метицилін-резистентний S. aureus (NEQAS 3679™), P. aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula (ATCC^®27853™), E. coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC^®25922™) і E. coli (Migula) Castellani і Chalmers (ATCC^®35218™) були більш стійкими до екстракту F. cyathistipula. Результати є досить обнадійливими, щоб продовжити фракціонування цього екстракту, кероване біоактивністю, і з’ясувати структуру активних фітокомпонентів екстракту F. cyathistipula як можливого антибактеріального агента. Висновки. Штами S. aureus і C. albicans виявилися більш чутливими до екстракту F. cyathistipula. Антибактеріальна активність цього екстракту може бути пов’язана з наявністю вторинних метаболітів F. cyathistipula. Результати цього дослідження надають базову інформацію про потенційну роль F. cyathistipula в лікуванні інфекцій індукованих грибками Candida albicans та бактеріальних інфекцій, спричинених Staphylococcus aureus.