New bioactive compounds of plant origin

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Natural products are a rich source of antimicrobial agents.
• Withania somnifera (WS) and Polygonum equisetiforme (PE) are traditional medicinal plants with potential bioactivity.
• Assessing the antimicrobial spectrum and potency of plant extracts and isolated compounds is crucial for drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activities of crude extracts and pure compounds from WS and PE.
• To determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these substances against various microbial pathogens.
• To assess the preliminary toxicity of the extracts.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of crude extracts from WS and PE.
• Isolation and purification of active compounds.
• Screening for antimicrobial activity against 20 bacterial and 17 fungal strains using MIC determination.
• Brine shrimp lethality assay and BALB/c mice lethality test for toxicity assessment.

Main Results:

• Both crude extracts and pure compounds exhibited antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria and fungi.
• Pure compounds demonstrated higher potency (lower MIC values) than crude extracts.
• Species including Corynebacterium, Bacillus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus were highly susceptible.
• Polygonum equisetiforme crude extract showed no inhibition against Ps. aeruginosa, but the pure compound was bacteriostatic.
• Toxicity was observed in brine shrimp and mice lethality tests at high concentrations.

Conclusions:

• Withania somnifera and Polygonum equisetiforme possess significant antimicrobial properties.
• Isolated pure compounds offer a more potent antimicrobial effect compared to crude extracts.
• Further research is warranted to explore the therapeutic potential and safety profile of these plant-derived compounds.