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Background: Plants are a main source of drugs for the therapy of a large number of diseases. Objective: The aim of the present work is to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-α-amylase and anti-peroxidases (HPR) potentials of phenolic extracts obtained from three spontaneous plants; growing in the South of Algeria such as (Chamomilla pubescens, Pulicaria crispa, and Rhanterium adpressum). This is the first report on the study of α-amylase and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) inhibitory activity for phenolic extracts from the Chamomilla pubescens and Pulicaria crispa plants. Method: The antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using four tests: DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, and ABTS. The phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin compounds of the three selected Algerian plants were quantified. Also, the inhibition of α-amylase and HRP was evaluated. Results: The quantification of the total phenolic contents revealed that they are widely variable, and depending on extraction solvents, the highest content was recorded by the ethyl acetate extract of Chamomilla pubescens (flowers) 774.93±60.14mg/100 g of dry matter. In all the antioxidant tests, ethyl acetate extracts showed the most effective activity, which the best was (VCEAC = 65.62 ±0.50 µM/g dry matter) of Pulicaria crispa for the DPPH test. Furthermore, the results of α-amylase and peroxidase inhibitory effects indicated that all plants extracts have inhibitory effects on the two enzymes, with AEIC values ranged from 76.55±3.54 to 149.54±6.68 μM/g of dry matter for the α-amylase, and CEIC values ranged from 8.89±2.22 to 9668.31±254.42 μM/g of dry matter for the peroxidase (HRP). Conclusion: The present study results suggest that the three Algerian spontaneous plant species (Rhanterium adpressum, Pulicaria crispa, and Chamomilla pubescens) inhibit peroxidase and α-amylase and exhibit a high antioxidant activity what can be related to the treatment of diabetes and thyroid diseases.

Over the past few years great progress has been achieved in anticancer therapy, but development of resistance and unavoidable side effects have incapacitated these fulfilments. Keeping in view this demanding condition, numerous drugs with unique antitumor mechanisms are under investigations including antimicrobials which have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and cytotoxic effects. In this regard, both conventional and novel antimicrobials are being studied to explore their anticancer potential along with underlying mechanisms which may render them as effective anticancer drugs in near future. Moreover, the new approach of drug repurposing is also being encouraged especially in cancers in order to reduce cost and limit adverse effects. In recent times a cumulative number of studies have laid stress upon the antitumor properties of antimicrobials. Consequently, this study has been conducted to see comparative inhibitory effect of Sorafenib and its combination with a macrolide antibiotic Azithromycin on growth rate HepG2 cell line.

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has resulted in a global health emergency and has prompted an urgent need for new treatment strategies. No target-specific drugs are currently available for SARS-CoV-2, but new drug candidates targeting the viral replication cycle are being explored. A prime target of drug-discovery efforts is the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). In this work, we identified a potential inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2 main protease using in silico methodologies. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies were carried out to ascertain the inhibitory action of α and β anomers of Punicalagin from fruit peel of Punica granatum against the Mpro protease. The molecular dynamics results revealed that the β-anomeric configuration of punicalagin allowed access to more hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction leading to higher selectivity and specificity of β-anomer than α-anomer. Therefore, the β-anomer of Punicalagin could act as potential inhibitor against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and may act as a potential drug candidate.

Medicinal plants are widely used in nonindustrialized societies and developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America because they are cheaper and more accessible than modern drugs. Medicinal and food plants that are traditionally used as dietary adjuvants to improve health have been evaluated, interalia, for their blood glucose lowering potential, both in vitro and in vivo. The main aim was to preevaluate the extracts or the respective carbohydrate fractions for any potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. An additional aim was to confirm the inhibitory potential of the new raw materials in vivo. Furthermore, other crude extracts significantly inhibiting in vitro the possibility of lowering postprandial glucose were assessed. It is expected that further scientific research can confirm the rationality of selected species of food and medicinal plants as potential dietary additives.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and host defense systems is primarily due to bacterial biofilm formation in antibiotic therapy. In the present study, two complexes, bis (biphenyl acetate) bipyridine Cu (II) (1) and bis (biphenyl acetate) bipyridine Zn (II) (2), were tested for their ability to prevent biofilm formation. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of complexes 1 and 2 were 46.87 ± 1.822 and 93.75 ± 1.345 and 47.87 ± 1.345 and 94.85 ± 1.466 μg/mL, respectively. The significant activity of both complexes was attributed to the damage caused at the membrane level and was confirmed using an imaging technique. The biofilm inhibitory potential levels of complexes 1 and 2 were 95% and 71%, respectively, while the biofilm eradication potential levels were 95% and 35%, respectively, for both complexes. Both the complexes showed good interactions with the E. coli DNA. Thus, complexes 1 and 2 are good antibiofilm agents that exert their bactericidal actions possibly by disrupting the bacterial membrane and interacting with the bacterial DNA, which can act as a powerful agent to restrain the development of bacterial biofilm on therapeutic implants.

Anthocyanins and other polyphenols are responsible for the positive effects that consumption of tart cherries and their products has on human health. However, instability of these compounds under processing conditions is a significant problem for fruit processing industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of using carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) hydrogels for the delivery of the tart cherry polyphenols. For this purpose hydrogels with tart cherry juice (TJ) and 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% (w/w) of CMC were prepared. Total phenolics, proanthocyanidins and monomeric anthocyanins as well as individual phenolics were determined. Antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC, DPPH and ABTS assays) and inhibitory potential against two enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase were evaluated, as well. It was observed that hydrogel with 4% CMC (w/w) had the highest retention ability of phenolics (63%) and anthocyanins (80%) throughout preparation of hydrogels. That hydrogel also had the highest antioxidant potential. Results of this study showed that proper formulation of food systems is important in order to maximize retention of anthocyanins and other valuable polyphenols.

Essential oils and aromatic extracts (oleoresins, absolutes, concretes, resinoids) are often used as food flavorings and constituents of fragrance compositions. The flavor and fragrance industry observes significant growth in sales of some natural materials during the COVID-19 outbreak. Some companies worldwide are making false claims regarding their essential oils or blends to be effective (or indirectly points towards this conclusion) against coronaviruses even though the available data on the activity of plant materials against highly pathogenic human coronaviruses is very scarce. Our exploratory study aimed to develop pioneering knowledge, and provide the first experimental results on the inhibitory properties of hundreds of flavor & fragrance materials against SARS-CoV-2 main- and papain-like proteases. As essential oils are volatile products, they could provide an interesting subsidiary inhalation therapeutic strategy in the long term.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The use of plant extracts and their phytochemicals as candidates for targeting the microbial resistance inhibition is increasingly focused in last decades. In Mongolian traditional medicine, Irises were long used for the treatment of bacterial infections. Irises have been used since the Ancient Egyptians. Aim of the study Chemical composition and virulence inhibition potential of both polar (PF) and non-polar fractions (NPF) of three common Iris species (I. confusa, I. pseudacorus and I. germanica) were explored. Material and methods Secondary metabolites profiling was characterized by the UPLC-HRMS/MS technique. Multi-variate data analysis was performed using Metaboanalyst 3.0. Anti-virulence inhibitory activity was evaluated via anti-haemolytic assay and Quantitative biofilm inhibition assay. Results I. pseudacorus PF exhibited the most potent effect against S. aureus haemolytic activity. All the tested fractions from all species, except I. pseudacorus NPF, have no significant inhibition on the biofilm formation of methicillin resistant and sensitive (MRSA and MSSA) S. aureus. I. pseudacorus NPF showed potent biofilm inhibitory potential of 71.4 and 85.8% against biofilm formation of MRSA and MSSA, respectively. Metabolite profiling of the investigated species revealed ninety and forty-five metabolites detected in the PFs and NPFs, respectively. Nigricin-type, tectorigenin-type isoflavonids and xanthones allowed the discrimination of I. pseudacorus PF from the other species, highlighting the importance of those metabolites in exerting its promising activity. On the other hand, triterpene acids, iridals, triacylglycerols and ceramides represented the metabolites detected in highest abundance in I. pseudacorus NPF. Conclusions This is the sole map represents the secondary metabolites profiling of the PFs and NPFs of common Iris species correlating them with the potent explored Staphylococcus aureus anti-virulence activity.

Benzohydrazide bearing thiourea/Schiff base analogs (1a-1k, 2a-2q) were synthesized and characterized through 1H, 13CNMR, HR-EIMS, FT-IR analysis. Urease inhibitory potential of all synthesized analogs were evaluated showing excellent inhibitory potential ranging between 0.6 ± 0.01 to 14.30 ± 0.02 and 0.80 ± 0.01 to 29.60 ± 1.00 μM respectively when compared with the standard drug thiourea (IC50 = 21.40 ± 0.21 μM). Analog 1b (IC50 = 0.6 ± 0.01 µM) was the most potent in benzohydrazide bearing thiourea series, while analog 2i (IC50 = 0.80 ± 0.01 μM) was the most potent in benzohydrazide bearing Schiff bases series. Our current study reveals new series of urease inhibitors for further analysis. Structure activity relationship was established to explore the effect of different substituent's attached to phenyl ring. Binding interactions of most potent analogs were established with help of docking studies.