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Scandenone (warangalone) is a flavonoid found in Erythrina species and other plant genera. It has been connected with physiological processes in insects, human cells and bacteria. In this article, an overview of the biological importance of this compound is provided. A detailed analysis of its crystal structure and antibacterial properties were investigated. The experimental study was supplemented using density functional theory (DFT) and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) methods. Scandenone proved most potent against Mycobacterium smegmatis (mc2 155) with MIC below 1 μg/mL. In general, it was more potent against Gram-positive bacteria. Scandenone may be a potential tuberculosis medication.

Taraxacum officinale (T. officinale) is a leafy vegetable that is commonly used traditionally as a diuretic agent. In the current study, we aimed at exploring the potential antihypertensive effect ...

Shrimps, including Pestarella tyrrhena, are highly susceptible to deterioration whereas odour production has been indicated as one of the factors determining the perishability and bait potential of shrimps. In this study, volatile components generated from fresh egg, adult female and male of P. tyrrhena were assessed using two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry to understand their contribution to odour production. Alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, aldehydes, a ketone, acids, esters, an amine, sulphur-containing and miscellaneous compounds were detected. Meanwhile, adult females and males of P. tyrrhena had a higher number of these volatile compounds. The detection of 2-methyl propan-1-ol with pungent odour only in the male sample of P. tyrhenna suggests that the male of this shrimp species may not completely attract fishes to hooks. Overall, the study established shrimp developmental stage and sex as additional factors influencing the production of volatile compounds, flavour/aroma/odour and fishing bait attributes of P. tyrrhena. Detection of N-nitrosodimethylamine (a carcinogen) in the shrimp samples, particularly the adult male, calls for caution in their direct human consumption and use as fishing bait.

Rapanea melanophloeos is traditionally used in South Africa in the treatment of ailments of the skin, pulmonary and gastro intestinal tract. This study was aimed at giving an overview of these traditional uses and comparing the phytochemicals and antibacterial activities of various crude extracts of the leaves, fruits and bark in order to validate these uses. The three plant parts were extracted using petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), methanol (MeOH) and water. Various phytochemicals were compared using TLC, while alcohol precipitable solids (APS), non-polar terpenes and amino acids were analysed by GC-MS. Antibacterial activity was determined against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative strains by microdilution assays. Caryophyllene oxides, α-cadinol and (−)-spathulenol were identified in the PE extracts. All nine essential amino acids were present in fruit extracts in significantly higher levels than in the leaves and bark; 255.1, 23.4 and 21.3 mg/g respectively. Most of the extracts showed good antibacterial activity, especially against the Gram-positive pathogens (MIC of ≤1 mg/mL), the EtOAc extracts exhibited the best activity with the fruit having an MIC values of 0.1 ± 0.2 mg/mL against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis, 0.05 mg/mL against Bacillus cereus. Results from this study validate the ethnomedicinal uses of R. melanophloeos extracts for ailments of bacterial etiology. The plant had a rich supply of secondary metabolites, APS and amino acids and TLC and antibacterial activities of the extracts showed slight variations in chemical composition due to geographic distribution.

Purpose: To investigate the in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oil of dried flowers of Chamaemelum nobile (Asteraceae L. All) in Swiss mice and Wistar rats, respectively.Methods: The volatile oil of the dried flowers of C. nobile obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Animals were assigned to the following experimental groups: C. nobile (180 mg/kg), ibuprofen (100 mg/kg) and vehicle-treated groups. Chemical and thermal pain models were used for the antinociceptive study in mice while fresh egg albumin-induced acute inflammation model in rats was used for anti-inflammatory study of the essential oil.Results: The most abundant components of the oil were α-bisabolol (50 %) and farnesene (5.35 %). Oral administration of essential oil (180 mg/kg, po) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced pain and prevented inflammation in the different test models used in this study.Conclusion: The essential oil of the dried flowers of C. nobile shows in vivo analgesic and antiinflammatory activities in rodents, and therefore, possesses potentials for development into effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent.Keywords: Chamaemelum nobile, Asteracea, essential oil, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive