Shahid Aziz

Phytotoxic and antifungal activities of essential oils of Thymus serpyllum grown in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abstract The essential oils of Thymus serpyllum L. grown in Muzaffarabad, the State of Jammu and Kashmir, has been analyzed by GC-MS. Among the 24 identified, the major components were thymol (16.5 - 18.8 %), borneol (1.6 - 3.1 %), ledol (0.2 - 7.3 %), safrole (1.1 %), 1,8-cineole (14.0 - 18.0 %), sputhalenol (1.3 - 2.1 %) and thymoquinone (2.6 %). The safrole, cyclohexane and spathulenol are the first time identified from the essential oils of this plant. The essential oil of the plant showed significant antifungal activity against Fusarium solani and moderate phytotoxic activity.

ISOLATION OF A NEW ANTIBACTERIAL POLYPHENOL FROM Thymus serpyllum

A series of polyphenols, including one new and three known ones, was isolated from the whole plant of Thymus serpyllum. Their structures were elucidated as n-propyl rosmarinate (1), rosmarinic acid (2), methyl rosmarinate (3), and caffeic acid (4) on the basis of their spectral data. The isolated compounds were studied for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. Compound 1 showed significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes.

Efficient Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Topopyrone C Derivatives

A concise route to the synthesis of topopyrone C derivatives is reported. The 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone was converted to the target compound 2 using five-step sequences, while only three steps were required to access the said compound, starting from the same anthraquinone. A new one-pot alkylation served as the crucial operation for this new synthesis. Two lengthy steps are eliminated, which not only shorten the reaction but improve the yield too. Spectral techniques were used to confirm the structures of the synthesized compounds. The compound exhibited strong scavenging effect on DPPH and NO radicals. The free radical scavenging effect of the compound was found to be comparable to that of reference antioxidants BHA and ascorbic acid. This study is the first evidence for the radical scavenging property of topopyrone C derivatives.