Monika Tomczykowa

Antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the extracts and essential oils of Bidens tripartita.

The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antifungal properties of the extracts, subextracts and essential oils of Bidens tripartita flowers and herbs. In the study, twelve extracts and two essential oils were investigated for activity against different Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, E. coli (beta-laktamase+), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL+), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and some fungal organisms Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. terreus using a broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods. The results obtained indicate antimicrobial activity of the tested extracts (except butanolic extracts), which however did not inhibit the growth of fungi used in this study. Bacteriostatic effect of both essential oils is insignificant, but they have strong antifungal activity. These results support the use of B. tripartita to treat a microbial infections and it is indicated as an antimicrobial and antifungal agent, which may act as pharmaceuticals and preservatives.

Essential Oils of Bidens tripartita L.

Abstract Essential oils were obtained from fresh aerial parts and air dried flower heads of Bidens tripartita L. (As-teraceae). Volatile constituents of the oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS methods. The 77 components were identified representing 98.5% and 80.9% of the total components detected, respectively. The major constituents of the oil of flower heads were p-cymene (16.6%), β-caryophyllene oxide (6.0%) and humulene epoxide II (5.3%). The main constituents of the oil of fresh herb were allo-ocimene (38.3%), (Z)- β-ocimene (30.6%) and α-phellandrene (8.5%).

Composition of the Essential Oil of Bidens tripartita L. Roots and Its Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the roots of Bidens tripartita L. by hydrodistillation was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 106 compounds were identified (97.1% of the total oil). The main components of the oil were α-pinene (15.0%), β-bisabolene (9.3%), p-cymene (6.0%), hexanal (5.7%), linalool (4.6%), p-cymene-9-ol (3.4%), β-elemene (2.6%), 2-pentylfuran (2.2%), and silphiperfol-6-ene (2.1%). The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oil were evaluated against eight Gram-positive and 11 Gram-negative bacterial species and 10 fungal strains. The oil exhibited a strong antifungal activity.

Comparison of Volatile Constituents of Acorus calamus and Asarum europaeum Obtained by Different Techniques

Abstract Different parts of Acorus calamus L. (Araceae) and Asarum europeaum L. (Aristolochiaceae) growing in Poland were subjected to headspace-SPME (HS-SPME) and the same plant material were hydrodistilled (HD) to obtain the profiles of their volatile constituents. In both cases, compounds of essential oils and headspace volatiles were identified and quantified by GC and GC/MS. The results showed that the similar compounds were detected in the vapor phases and in the oils derived from both plants. The 68 compounds in the oil and 40 in SPME headspace of A. calamus were identified representing 99.3% and 97.3% of the total components detected, respectively. The main constituents of the oil of A. calamus were acorenone (14.6%), shyobunone isomer (10.5%) and (Z)-asarone (10.4%). The acorenone integrated with (E)-asarone (50.1%), 6,11-oxidoacor-4-ene (9.0%), iso-caryophyllene (8.6%) were found as the main constituents in the SPME phase of A. calamus. The analysis of the oil and the SPME headspace of roots of A. europaeum led to detection of 34 and 34 compounds representing 86.9% and 80.5% of the total components detected, respectively. The main compounds of the oil were (E)-asarone, 59.1% and bornyl acetate, 7.5%. And the leading constituents of SPME phase of roots were (E)-asarone, 57.3% and bornyl acetate, 8.3%.

In Vitro Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Effects of Extracts from Rubus caesius Leaves and Their Quality Evaluation

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of different extracts and subfractions from Rubus caesius leaves on two human colon cancer cell lines obtained from two stages of the disease progression lines HT29 and SW948. Tested samples inhibited the viability of cells, both HT29 and SW948 lines, in a concentration-dependent manner. The most active was the ethyl acetate fraction which, applied at the highest concentration (250 μg/mL), decreased the viability of cells (HT29 and SW948) below 66%. The extracts and subfractions were also investigated for antioxidant activities on DPPH and FRAP assays. All extracts, with the exception of water extract at a dose of 250 μg/mL, almost totally reduced DPPH. The highest Fe3+ ion reduction was shown for the diethyl and ethyl acetate fractions. It was more than 6.5 times higher (at a dose 250 μg/mL) as compared to the control. The LC-MS studies of the analysed preparations showed that all samples contain a wide variety of polyphenolics, among which ellagitannins turned out to be the main constituents with dominant ellagic acid, sanguiin H-6, and flavonol derivatives.