Chemical Constituent, Antimicrobial Activity, and Synergistic Effect of the Stem, Leaf, and Flower Essential Oil of the Artemisia fragrans Willd. from Khoy

Antibacterial, Trichomonacidal, and Cytotoxic Activities of Pleopeltis crassinervata Extracts

Pleopeltis crassinervata is a fern documented in ethnobotanical records for its use in Mexican traditional medicine to treat gastric disorders and mouth ulcers. Consequently, conducting biological and pharmacological assays is crucial to validate the therapeutic efficacy of this plant within the context of traditional medicine. In the present study, we investigated the biological activity of extracts and fractions obtained from P. crassinervata organs against bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Shigella flexneri, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli) and Trichomonas vaginalis using in vitro models. The precipitate fraction obtained from the frond methanolic extract showed significant antibacterial activity (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] 120 µg/mL) against the Staphylococcus aureus strain and was effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The hexane fraction also obtained from frond methanolic extract, showed a trichomonacidal effect with an IC50 of 82.8 μg/mL and a low cytotoxic effect. Hsf6 exhibited the highest activity against T. vaginalis, and the GC-MS analysis revealed that the predominant compound was 16-pregnenolone. The remaining identified compounds were primarily terpene-type compounds.

In vitro Genotoxicity and In silico Docking Analyses of the Essential Oils of Thuja orientalis

Two main objectives were pursued to assess the reliability of Thuja orientalis essential oils (TOEO). The first objective was to extract TOEO, analyze them by GC-MS, and determine their in vitro genotoxicity against selected plants using the RAPD-PCR method. The second objective was to evaluate the in-silico toxicity of TOEO. The binding sites and energies of each content was calculated against B-DNA. In-silico analyses were performed using a simulation program, AutoDock Vina, and Toxicity Estimation Software Tools. 3-carene, cedrol, and 2-pinene were identified as the predominant components. In vitro studies showed that the TOEO had a more significant impact on reducing genomic stability in wheat compared to the amaranth. The lowest stability was determined as 39.78 % in wheat and 53.58 % in amaranth. Cedrol (-5,7 kcal/mol) and selinene (-5,6 kcal/mol) exhibited the highest binding affinity. The toxicity test indicated that components other than cyclohexene may have toxic effects, none of them were predicted to be mutagenic, and LD50 (mol/kg) values could vary between 1.33 and 1.55.

Anti-Gnawing, Thermo-Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Polyvinyl Chloride: Effect of Capsicum Oleoresin and Denatonium Benzoate

Anti-rodent polymer composites were prepared using non-toxic substances denatonium benzoate (DB) and capsicum oleroresin (CO) mixed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix. DB is mixed in zinc stearate (ZnSt) called DB/ZnSt, and CO, providing burning sensation, is impregnated in mesoporous silica named SiCO. There are three sets of sample: Blank, composites Set I and Set II. Set I consists of DB/ZnSt at concentration of 1.96 wt% and SiCO at concentration of 12.16 wt%, 14.47 wt%, 18.75 wt% and 23.53 wt%. Set II comprises SiCO at the same amount of Set I. The anti-rodent composites studied are anti-gnawing, surface morphology, thermo-mechanical and rheological properties. Anti-rodent testing is analyzed by one-way blocked analysis of variance (ANOVA) and compared with Tukey test with a 95% level of significance, presenting good anti-gnawing efficiency. The best rat-proof sample is II.4, consisting of SiCO 23.53 wt%, which presents percentage of weight loss from gnawing at 1.68% compared to weight loss of neat PVC at 59.74%. The addition of SiCO at concentration ranging from 12.16 to 23.53 wt% reduces tensile strength around 25–50%, elongation at break strength around 2–23%, shear storage modulus (G′) around 30%, shear loss modulus (G″) shear viscosity (η) and glass transition (Tg) around 43% compared to Blank. The increase in SiCO concentration slightly improves the thermal stability of PVC composites around 3%, but the addition of DB/ZnSt at 1.96 wt% slightly reduces those properties.