1,721,025 research outputs found
A new tecnique for the evaluation of antifungal activity of an alcohol extract of Eugenia caryophyllata Thunberg on Pennicillium digitatum
No full textThe purpose of the present work was to test the activity of an extract of cloves E. caryophyllata Thunberg using the phytopathogen Penicillium digitatum as test fungus and to identify which components are most likely responsible for its antifungal activity. This plant is well known from the phytochemical point of view and for its antibacterial, antifungine activity and other biological properties. To obtain results with this fungus that shows a very fast growth a new, more appropriate technique, counting the number of colonies formed within 48 hours, had to be set up. The extract and the pure standard eugenol were highly active, totally preventing fungal growth, even at the lowest doses, karyophyllene did not shown any effect
Reperti carpologici in due boccali (Convento benedettino di S. Antonio in Polesine - Ferrara, fine XV-XVI sec. d.C.): possibili documenti di antiche preparazioni officinali
No full textDuring the archaeological excavations in the Benedictine Convent of S. Antonio in Polesine- FE, were collected six vessels dated back to the end of XV and the begin of XVI century. Results of archaeocarpological analyses carried out in their fills (and in the sediments round the vessels), were reported. Only two vessels (Pot n° 1 – US 46 and Pot n° 5 – US 420) contained seeds/fruits and the aim of this work was to identify the plant species and the most probably use of the content of each vessel. The seeds/fruits (sf), in mediocre conservation state, belonged to few and different taxa. All the taxa were common medicinal plants. This fact, together with various other clues, indicated that their presence in the vessels was not casual, but that they were introduced with a precise aim; we hypothesized that the vessel probably contained preparations for therapeutical use. In particular we think that the plants contained in the Pot n° 1 (Ficus carica, Galium cf. aparine, Sambucus ebulus, Umbelliferae) probably could be used as a topic remedy for skin diseases. The Pot n° 5 contained, instead, abundant sf of five plants (Chenopodium/Atriplex, Euphorbia peplus, Malva sp., Mercurialis annua, Portulaca oleracea); for all these species it was possible to found a synergic action, on the gastro enteric apparatus. So our hypothesis was that this preparation possessed strong cathartic action due to Euphorbia peplus, and Mercurialis annua, alleviated by the antispasmolytic action of the other plants. In conclusion, even if we are conscious that may appear hazardous our attempt to understand the possible therapeutic use of these mixtures prepared long time ago with different knowledges and way of life, we retain that our hypothesis, based on the reference to books dated back to that age, could be enough realistic and not in contrast with the current knowledgements on these plants
Antidermatophytic activity of herniarin in Chamomile preparations
No full textFungal cultures of Microsporum cookei were incubated with aqueous extract of german chamomile [Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert], herniarin (100 and 23 μg/ml) and umbelliferone (100 and 5.5 μg/ml). At the end of the incubation period, the mycelia were irradiated with UVA for 90 min. The fungal morphology was compared with that of control cultures by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. No fungistatic and ultrastructural anomalies were observed for umbelliferone after UVA irradiation. On the contrary herniarin and chamomile extracts show a clear antifungal activity.The main changes were due to inhibition of hyphal outgrowth, apical furcation, alteration of nuclear morphology, deposition of minute electron-dense vesicles in the cytoplasm and thickening of the cell wall. Abnormalities were also involving the mitochondrial feature. These results suggest that the antidermatophytic activity of german chamomile preparations is due to combined effect of herniarin and UVA irradiation
Semi e frutti in boccali del monastero benedettino di S. Antonio in Polesine: indizi di antiche preparazioni officinali?
No full textLa presenza di semi e frutti all'interno di boccali rinvenuti in indagini archeologiche presso il monastero benedettino di S. Antonio a Ferrara, ha portato ad ipotesi di antiche preparazioni officinal
Antifungal effects of α-terthienyl from Tagetes patula on five dermatophytes
No full textAlpha-terthienyl (αT), a thiophene compound isolated from Tagetes patula (Asteraceae), exhibits antifungal activity towards five strains of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. violaceum, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum cookei). αT plus UVA irradiation for 90 min concentrations between 6 μm and 24 μm. Between 1 and 10 days after irradiation, the fungal growth was reduced or arrested with marked responses for T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and M. cookei. The ultrastructural events that occur in Trichophylus mentagrophytes after treatment were studied by electron microscopy. In the dark, αT caused no important ultrastructural modifications within the hyphae. After UVA irradiation the photoactive compound caused damage to membranes of the nucleus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Plamolytic and autolytic changes resulted in plasma membranes breakage and in cell wall aberrations. UVA activated αT would appear to target protein-rich membranes of the dermatophytes
Characterization of coumarins in Chamomile preparations sold in Italy
No full textThe umbelliferone/herniarin ratio in herbal preparations of chamomile was determined by high-performance thin-layer chromatographic analysis (HPTLC). Plant material was extracted in 150 ml of warm H2O for 10 min, then the residual plant material was extracted with 150 ml of MeOH for 1 h. The herbal preparations containing ligulate florets showed higher content of coumarin if compared to other parts of the flower-heads. The ratio umbelliferonel hemiarin was lower than 1:5 in technological preparations
La Piana di S. Vittorino: dati preliminari sugli studi geologici, morfologici, geofisici e geochimica
No full textThe photodynamic effect of 5-(4-hydroxy-1-butinyl)-2,2’-bithienyl on dermatophytes
Full text linkThe thiophene 5-(4-hydroxy-1-butinyl)2,2[prime prime or minute]-bithienyl (BBTOH) strongly inhibited in vitro eight different dermatophytes. Epidermophyton floccosum proved most sensitive to all doses of BBTOH when applied in conjunction with uv-A irradiation. BBTOH also proved quite active against Nannizia cajetani, the only dermatophyte which was also strongly inhibited when treated (50 [mu]g ml[minus sign]1) and kept in the dark. For this reason, N. cajetani was chosen as the test organism for TEM and SEM aimed at determining what treatment-induced ultrastructural and morphological modifications had occurred. TEM revealed that the photoactive mechanism of BBTOH was similar to that of 2,2[prime prime or minute][ratio]5[prime prime or minute],2[double prime or second]-terthienyl ([alpha]-T). SEM, on the other hand, showed that early culture aging resulted from treatment
Antifungal properties of the 3-methyl-5-aminoisoxazole-4-thiocyanate on four yeasts. An Unusual dose-dependent effect on Rhodotorula glutinis Harrison
No full textDeux activités antifongiques du 3-méthyl-5-aminoisoxazole-4-thiocyanate ont été étudiées chez les espèces de levures : Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, et Rhodotorula glutinis. Une inhibition significative de la croissance de chacune des levures a été évidente. Des modifications ultrastructurales ont révélé que le composé, à demi-dose de la concentration inhibitrice minimale (MIC) (1,25 μg.mL-1), causait une transformation de la levure vers la forme mycéllale par formation d'un tube germinal chez le R. glutinis. L'accumulation de quantités anormales de substances pariétales après traitement avec la MIC est discutée en relation avec la production de chitine et d'ergostérol.Two antifungal activities of 3-methyl-5-aminoisoxazole-4-thiocyanate have been studied in yeast species: Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Rhodotorula glutinis. A significant inhibition of growth of each yeast was evident. Ultrastructural changes showed that the compound, half-dose of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (1.25 μg.mL-1), causing a transformation of the yeast to form mycéllale by formation of a germ tube at the R. glutinis. The accumulation of abnormal amounts of substances parietal after treatment with the MIC is discussed in relation to the production of chitin and ergosterol
Cytological characterization of a giant strain of Euglena gracilis obtained from dark-starved cultures
No full textEuglena gracilis green cells were dark-starved for four months. After this period almost the entire population died, while a few giant, viable cells appeared in the culture. The giantism was maintained after repeated subcultures in growth medium in light or dark conditions. However, the phenomenon was not permanent, and the morphological characteristics of the wild-type Euglena were gradually restored.In giants cells nuclei enlarged greatly, DNA content increased and the Golgi apparatus greatly proliferated. Chloroplasts and mitochondria increased in number and size often presented structural modifications when compared with normal Euglena. Importntly, in the giants cells that were maintained in darkness in resting or growth conditions chloroplasts persisted as structured organelles which appeared red-fluorescent under UV ilumination.Wheter giantism is a phenotypic or a genotypic change is still debated. In our case, the evolution of this phenomenon, chiefly the enhanced DNA content, suggests that teratism is a multiploid mutation with the possibility of a return to the normoploid condition. Cnstitutive chloroplasts are present in most algae, except for a few species, among which is Euglena gracilis. The persistence of differentiated plastids in darkness in giant Euglena is considered to be return to an ancestral condition and may, be phylogenetically important
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