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Nanhai No. 1, a shipwreck in the Southern Song Dynasty, China, has a history of more than 800 years. It was salvaged in 2007 and is now on display in the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum. Due to the fact that the hull is a wooden cultural relic and exposed to the air, the biological corrosion and biodegradation caused by microorganisms are key problems of hull protection. At present, the antimicrobial agent Euxyl® K100 (isothiazolinone) has a significant antimicrobial effect in the field, but it has a certain negative impact on the environment and archeologists. In order to reduce the use of chemical antimicrobial agents, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of cinnamaldehyde on the main destructive microorganisms of Nanhai No. 1. Cinnamaldehyde is the main active component of cinnamon, and has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. The paper diffusion method, gas diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration experiment were used to detect the inhibitory effects of cinnamaldehyde on the main microorganisms of Nanhai No. 1. We found that cinnamaldehyde had significant inhibitory effects on Bacillus tequilensis NK-NH5, Bacillus megaterium NK-NH10, Bacillus velezensis NK-NH11, Bacillus sp. NK-NH15, Bacillus sp. NK-NH16, Bacillus sp. NK-NH17, Fusariumsolani NK-NH1 and Scedosporiumapiospermum NK.W1-3. At the same time, cinnamaldehyde had more inhibitory effects on fungi than bacteria. Finally, we verified that cinnamaldehyde can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms in water, for storing the scattered wood blocks of the Nanhai No. 1 hull through laboratory simulation experiments. Cinnamaldehyde, as an environment-friendly antimicrobial agent, is of great significance to protecting water-saturated wooden relics from microbial corrosion and degradation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the constituent phytochemicals and biological activities of six Lithocarpus litseifolius (Hance) Chun (L. litseifolius) cultivars. Processed by UPLC‐MS/MS and untargeted metabolomics analysis software (MS‐DIAL and MS‐FINDER), components of different L. litseifolius cultivars were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of spectra, MS/MS fragmentation, and retention time, 40 compounds (including 6 phenolic glycosides and 34 flavonoids) were identified rapidly and accurately. Moreover, the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant, antimicrobial effects, and pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell viability of different L. litseifolius varieties were evaluated. Purple small leaf (PSL) was found to be the most superior variety with the highest antioxidant activities (8.27, 10.09, and 10.80 mg TE/g for DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, respectively), broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity, and lowest cell cytotoxicity. The results showed that these bioactivities were closely related to phytochemicals among the six cultivars. Practical applications: L. litseifolius is well known as an important folk drink in the Southern China folklore for its specific efficacy in preventing diabetes. However, there is still a paucity of information on L. litseifolius, as other active components and bioactivities of it remain to be investigated. The wide range of flavonoids discovered in L. litseifolius provides abundant natural health‐promoting agents for further applications in medicine and functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant seeds are not merely reproductive organs, they are also carriers of microorganism, particularly, inherent and non-invasive characteristic endophytes in host plant. Therefore, in this study, the endophytic diversity of Angelica seeds was studied and compared with endophytes isolated from healthy leaves, stems, roots, and seeds of A. sinensis using 20 different media. The metabolites of endophytic strains were evaluated with six different methods for their antioxidant activity and the paper disc diffusion method for antimicrobial activities. As a result, 226 endophytes were isolated. Compared with the biodiversity and abundance of uncultured fungi from Angelica seed, the result showed that the most frequent endophytic fungi were Alternaria sp. as seen in artificial media; moreover, compared with artificial media, the pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium sp. and Pseudallescheria sp., were not found from the Angelica seed, the results suggested it may not be inherent endophytes in plants. In addition, bacteria from seven phyla were identified by high-throughput sequencing, while five phyla of endophytic bacteria were not isolated on artificial media including Proteobacteria , Actinobacteria , Bacteroidetes , Microgenomates , and Saccharibacteria. Furthermore, the sample JH-4 mycelium displayed the best antioxidant activity, and the active constituent may be a flavonoid as determined by total phenol and flavonoid content. Moreover, YH-12-1 mycelium had strong inhibitory activity against the five tested strains and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae was found to be 25 μg/mL. Our results confirm that plant endophytes are rich in biodiversity and contain important resource of many uncultured microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ethnopharmacological relevance Sophora flavescens (Fabaceae), also known as Kushen (Chinese: 苦参), has been an important species in Chinese medicine since the Qin and Han dynasties. The root of Sophora flavescens has a long history in the traditional medicine of many countries, including China, Japan, Korea, India and some countries in Europe. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Sophora flavescens has been used extensively, mainly in combination with other medicinal plants in prescriptions to treat fever, dysentery, hematochezia, jaundice, oliguria, vulvar swelling, asthma, eczema, inflammatory disorders, ulcers and diseases associated with skin burns. The aim of this review is to provide updated and comprehensive information regarding the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities and toxicology of Sophora flavescens and to discuss possible trends and opportunities for further research on Sophora flavescens . Materials and methods We systematically searched major scientific databases (PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, Medline Plus, ACS, “ Da Yi Yi Xue Sou Suo ( http://www.dayi100.com/login.jsp )”, China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI) and Web of Science) for information published between 1958 and 2015 on Sophora flavescens . Information was also acquired from local classic herbal literature, conference papers, government reports, and PhD and MSc dissertations. Results The broad spectrum of biological activities associated with Sophora flavescens has been considered a valuable resource in both traditional and modern medicine. Extracts are taken either orally or by injection. More than 200 compounds have been isolated from Sophora flavescens , and the major components have been identified as flavonoids and alkaloids. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that at least 50 pure compounds and crude extracts from Sophora flavescens possess wide-ranging antitumor, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory pharmacological abilities. The anticancer and anti-infection abilities of these components are especially attractive areas for research. Conclusions Sophora flavescens is a promising traditional medicine, but there is a need for more precise studies to test the safety and clinical value of its main active crude extracts and pure compounds and to clarify their mechanisms of action. Moreover, some existing studies have lacked systematic methods and integration with the existing literature, and some of the experiments were isolated, used small sample sizes and were unreliable. More validated data are therefore required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canavalia gladiata (Sword Bean; family Fabaceae) is a fast-growing climber crop that has been widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas for its edible seeds and legumes. It has also been used as grain legume and medicinal plant in China for thousands of years. The metabolites from leaves and seeds of C. gladiata were extracted in petroleum ether and chloroform. Further, extracts were subjected to GC-MS analysis for metabolite profiling. Total of 31 phytoconstituents were identified; 14 compounds were reported to have biological activities. The Tridecane reported from leaves and seeds petroleum ether extract showed 10.67 and 2.72% of relative quantity of compound respectively and has antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Octasiloxane,1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11,11,15,15-hexadecamethyl (3.42%) found in petroleum ether leaves extracts showed antimicrobial activity. Moreover, 1- Hexadecane constituted 10.23% in seeds and 3.71% relative quantity in leaves extracted with chloroform showed antibacterial activity. The seeds and leaves extracted with chloroform reported 1-Tetradecene in 6.59 and 6.03% relative quantity respectively has antifungal potential. While Phenol 2, 4-bis [1, 1-dimethylethyl] reported in leaves (6.12%) and seeds (6.47%) chloroform extract act as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. The 1-Nonadecene in seeds (3.47%) and leaves (2.14%) chloroform extracts showed antifungal activity while 1-Docosene in seeds (2.98%) and leaves (1.71%) of chloroform extract showed antimicrobial potential. Nonadecane constituted 3.06% in seeds and 2.78% in leaves chloroform extracts and has antioxidant potential. The present study revealed that the leaves and seeds of C. gladiata are a good source of antioxidants and other biologically active ingredients. However, petroleum ether and chloroform extracted different metabolites from seeds and leaves. Therefore, these findings highlighted the importance of solvent in phytochemical extractions and further bioactivity of C. gladiata metabolites creates an attention of researchers for their use in the field of paramedical industries and herbal medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prunus mume seeds have been used as a healthy food and traditional drug in China. The present study investigated the phenolic compounds and antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract from seeds of P. mume. Total phenolic content was determined as gallic acid equivalents by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The antibacterial activity was measured by a filter paper disc method. Three chlorogenic acid isomers, namely, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, were identified from P. mume seeds for the first time. The contents of these isolated compounds were quantified by HPLC. Results showed that 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid was of the highest level in these three isomers. The ethanolic extract exhibited inhibition activity against bacteria and fungi obviously. The isolated phenolic compounds also exhibited inhibition activity against bacteria significantly, but showed weak or no inhibition activity against yeasts and mold. The results exhibited that the antimicrobial activity of P. mume seeds may be partly due to the phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. (Z. nitidum), which is known in China as Liang – Mian – Zhen , is mainly distributed in southern China and is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is traditionally used for treating stomach ache, toothache, rheumatic arthralgia, traumatic injury and venomous snake bites. Additional medical applications include the treatment of inflammations, various types of cancer, bacterial and viral infections, gastric and oral ulcers and liver damage. This paper aims to offer up-to-date information on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of Z. nitidum. This review also discussed the perspectives for possible future research on Z. nitidum. A comprehensive review was carried out on studies about Z. nitidum conducted in the past 60 years by using different resources, including Flora of China , Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and academic databases. At present, more than 150 chemical constituents have been separated and identified from Z. nitidum , most of which include alkaloids. Biological activities, including anti-inflammation, analgesia, haemostasis, anticancer and antibacterial, were determined via in vitro and in vivo studies. The variations in the efficacy of Z. nitidum can be attributed to the biological activities of its natural products, especially alkaloids. Toxicity studies on Z. nitidum are relatively few, thus requiring further study. This article generalises the current research achievements related to Z. nitidum , which is an important medicinal material in China. Some traditional uses of Z. nitidum have been assessed by pharmacological studies. Unresolved problems remain, including molecular mechanisms underlying biological activities, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and therapeutic effect, which are still being studied and explored before Z. nitidum can be integrated into clinical medicine. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Isolating culturable bacteria associated with ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri) and investigating their bioactivities to discover new marine microbial resources with potential to produce novel bioactive natural products. Methods and Results: A total of 357 bacteria were isolated from the ascidian B. schlosseri from the coast of Weihai in the north Yellow Sea, China. Of these, 203 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and they belonged to 52 genera from 30 families in five phyla. The antimicrobial activities and cytotoxic activities of all isolates were determined. Of the 357 isolates, 135 isolates demonstrated antimicrobial activities, and the crude extracts of five isolates showed strong cytotoxicity against human hepatocellular carcinoma Bel 7402 or human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Conclusions: Our study revealed the diversity of bacteria associated with the ascidian B. schlosseri and reported a broad spectrum of antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities displayed by these isolates. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results suggest that the culturable bacteria associated with the ascidian B. schlosseri may be a potential source for novel bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report for the first time the isolation of endophytic actinobacteria associated with wild populations of the Chinese medicinal herb Thymus roseus Schipcz obtained from the arid land in Ili and Tacheng of the Xinjiang Province, China. Strains were isolated by special pretreatment of plant tissues and identified based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and their antimicrobial activities in vitro were evaluated. A total of 126 endophytic actinobacteria belonging to two classes, eight orders, 14 families, and 24 genera were isolated from different organs at the Ili and Tacheng sites. In addition, the diversity of culturable endophytic actinobacteria genera was higher at Tacheng site (n = 71, 56.35%) than the Ili site (n = 55, 43.65%). A neighbor-joining tree of 126 isolated actinobacteria showing the phylogenetic relationships based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and the genus Streptomyces was the most dominant isolate. The number of endophytic actinobacteria genera obtained from root tissues (n = 54, 42.86%) was higher compared to stem (n = 35, 27.78%) and leaf tissue (n = 37, 29.36%). Among 126 endophytic actinobacteria, 54 strains were antagonistic against at least one or more indicator organisms in vitro. Notably, most strains of Streptomyces proved antagonistic activities. For example, strain T4SB028, namely Streptomyces polyantibioticus , showed the highest inhibition ratio reached 67.06, 64.20, and 70.55% against Alternaria solani , Valsa malicola , and Valsa mali , respectively. The results demonstrate that about 30.95%, 23.01% of the tested endophytic actinobacteria were capable of producing siderophores and chitinase, respectively. Additionally, the results of the amplification of biosynthetic genes polyketide synthetase (PKS-I) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) indicated that at least one antibiotic biosynthetic gene was detected in 27 (50%) of the tested strains. Our result emphasizes that the endophytic actinobacteria communities are different based on the plant tissues and the geographical environment of the sampled area. Thus, we conclude that T. roseus Schipcz. provided a rich source of endophytic actinobacteria that exhibited a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berries have many biological and physiological functions such as antioxidant, antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory, and become a more popular food in China. Water‐soluble polyphenols are their main functional active substances, and aroma components contribute to the flavour. The contents of total phenol and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ten berries grown in Northeast China were determined. Their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were also investigated. Ribes rubrum L. and Rubus glaucus showed a higher antioxidant capacity. Ribes rubrum L. and Lonicera caerulea have a broader antibacterial spectrum. There is a correlation between the content of hydroxyl compounds in radical antioxidant activity. The metabolic pathways of polyphenols and VOCs are correlated, indicating a rapid evaluation of the biological activity of berries using the determination of volatile components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thuja orientalis is used as a herbal medicine in Korea and China. This study conferred the antimicrobial activity of wild and planted Thuja orientalis. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion and minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) method against eight strains. The ethyl acetate fraction of wild and planted T. orientalis leaves showed more antimicrobial activity as compared to the water fraction. The ethyl acetate fraction of wild T. orientalis revealed stronger antimicrobial activity than the fraction of planted T. orientalis, while the antimicrobial activity of the water fraction did not show the difference between wild and planted T. orientalis. The present study showed that there was little difference of antimicrobial activity between wild and planted T. orientalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Isolating culturable bacteria associated with sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) and investigating their potential bioactivities are important approaches to discover natural marine products. Methods and Results: A total of 161 isolates were obtained from sea cucumber collected along the Weihai coast of the North Yellow Sea, China. Identification and phylogenetic analysis of 61 isolates were conducted by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolates belonged to 13 genera from 10 families in three phyla, including Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. The antimicrobial activities of all strains were determined using six indicator strains. Of the 161 isolates, 93 showed antibacterial activities against at least one of the indicator strains. The 26 strains with the strongest inhibitory effects were selected for screening the biosynthetic gene clusters of polyketide synthase (PKS‐I, ‐II) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS). Phylogenetic trees based on the amino acid sequences of the PKS or NRPS genes were constructed. Eleven strains with PKS genes and four strains with NRPS genes were detected. Conclusions: The data reveal the diversity of culturable bacteria associated with A. japonicus. Most strains showed broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activities, and some strains with antimicrobial activities possessed PKS and NRPS genes. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results suggest that culturable bacteria associated with A. japonicus may act as a promising source of bioactive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 1051 endophytic fungi were isolated from leaves, branches, barks and stems of Cephalotaxus hainanensis Li from four sites in Hainan, China. The fungi were identified as 21 genera by morphology and ITS sequences. One dominant species was Phomopsis quercella in Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden and Bawangling Nature Reserve, with relative frequency of 42·06 and 34·88% respectively. Another dominant species was Colletotrichum boninense in Wuzhishan and Jianfengling Nature Reserves, with relative frequency of 36·84 and 46·97% respectively. Among the selected 21 endophytic fungi, 17 strains (80·95%) had activity against at least one pathogenic bacteria, and 14 strains (66·67%) exhibited activity against at least one fungal pathogens. Neonectria macroconidialis showed strong inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition zone being 20 mm), Bacillus subtilis (14 mm) and Streptococcus agalactiae (28 mm). Xylaria sp. showed strong inhibition against Escherichia coli (20 mm), Rhizoctonia solani (20 mm) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (17 mm). Verticillium bulbillosum showed great activity against Strep. agalactiae (32 mm) and Fusarium oxysporum (22 mm). These endophytic fungi showed potentials in medicine development. Significance and Impact of the Study Endophytic fungi from medicinal plants are an important source of novel and viable drugs. Cephalotaxus hainanensis Li is well known for leukaemia treatment and its endophytic fungi were isolated to investigate the diversity and antimicrobial activity. It was found that Ce. hainanensis Li had rich endophytic fungi, and some fungi showed strong antimicrobial activity against certain pathogens. These fungi can be used in medicine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trollius chinensis Bunge is a traditional edible and medicinal plant utilized popularly in north China. This study is intended to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of extracts obtained with different processing methods from Trollius chinensis Bunge. The results showed that all extract displayed moderate or great potential of antioxidant and antibacterial activity, especially ultrasound-assisted ethanol extracts (UAE). It exhibited the highest 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH; EC50 0.215 ± 1.10 mg/mL), 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS; EC50 < 10 μg/mL) and reducing power (RP; EC50 0.25 ± 0.02 mg/mL) with the highest level of flavonoids content (71.56 ± 0.35 mg/g) and total phenolic (35.75 ± 0.35 mg/g). In addition, the UAE had high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (19.7 ± 0.6 mm inhibition zone) , Bacillus subtilis (16.4 ± 0.3 mm inhibition zone), Escherichia coli (15.3 ± 0.2 mm inhibition zone), respectively. The HPLC analysis show that the main flavonoids components in T. chinensis Bunge were revealed to be 2″-O-β-L-galactopyranosylorientin, orientin, vitexin, hyperin. These results suggested the extracts of T. chinensis Bunge could be potentially used as a promising source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents for using in the food or drug industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed comparative study on chemical and bioactive properties of wild and cultivated Ganoderma lucidum from Serbia (GS) and China (GCN) was performed. This species was chosen because of its worldwide use as medicinal mushroom. Higher amounts of sugars were found in GS, while higher amounts of organic acids were recorded in GCN. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated over saturated fatty acids. GCN revealed higher antioxidant activity, while GS exhibited inhibitory potential against human breast and cervical carcinoma cell lines. No cytotoxicity in non-tumour liver primary cell culture was observed for the different samples. Both samples possessed antibacterial and antifungal activities, in some cases even better than the standard antimicrobial drugs. This is the first study reporting a comparison of chemical compounds and bioactivity of G. lucidum samples from different origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate essential oils with biological activity from local wild plants, two valerianaceous species, Nardostachys chinensis and Valeriana officinalis, were screened for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oils were obtained from the roots and rhizomes of the two plants by hydro-distillation, and were analyzed for their chemical composition by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Calarene (25.31%), aristolone (13.35%), α-selinene (7.32%) and β-maaliene (6.70%) were the major compounds of the 23 identified components which accounted for 92.76% of the total oil of N. chinensis. Patchoulol (16.75%), α-pinene (14.81%), and β-humulene (8.19%) were the major compounds among the 20 identified components, which accounted for 88.11% of the total oil of V. officinalis. Both oils were rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as well as their oxygenated derivatives. Essential oils were shown to have broad spectrum antibacterial activity with MIC values that ranged from 62.5 μg/mL to 400 μg/mL, and IC50 values from 36.93 μg/mL to 374.72 μg/mL. The oils were also shown to have moderate antifungal activity to Candida albicans growth as well as inhibition of spore germination of Magnaporthe oryzae. Two essential oils were assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching and ferrozine-ferrous ions assays, respectively, to show moderate antioxidant activity. Results suggest that the isolated essential oils could be used for future development of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil from the air-dried leaves of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, collected from Qinling Mountains of China during the blooming stage, was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometiy(GC/MS). Hexadecanoic acid (17.0%), germacrene D (9.1%), phytol (8.9%), β-caryophyllene (7.1%) and methyl linolenate (5.3%) were the main components (73.3%). The oil showed moderate antibacterial activity against Bacillus coagulans, Staphylococcus albus and Staphylococcus aureus. The oil sample also showed some antioxidant activities in the 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH∙) and β-carotene/linoleic acid assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New strategies are urgently needed to deal with the growing problem of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. As the natural viruses against bacteria, recently, bacteriophages have received particular attention. Here, we identified and characterized a novel peptidoglycan hydrolase named MMPphg by decoding the complete genome sequence of Meiothermus bacteriophage MMP17, which was isolated in Tengchong hot spring in China and contains a circular genome of 33,172 bp in size and a GC content of 63.4%. Findings: We cloned the MMPphg gene, overproduced and purified the phage lytic protein, which contains a highly conserved M23 metallopeptidase domain and can be activated by Mg2+ and Zn2+. MMPphg is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 70 °C, and preserved more than 80% of its activity after a 30 min treatment between 35 and 65 °C. More interestingly, by disrupting bacterial cells, MMPphg exhibits surprising antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant strains such as Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. Conclusions: In the current age of mounting antibiotic resistance, these results suggest the great potential of MMPphg, the gene product of bacteriophage MMP17, in combating bacterial infections and shed light on bacteriophage-based strategies to develop alternatives to conventional antibiotics for human or veterinary applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil of Sagittaria trifolia, a well-known famous medicinal foodstuff in China, was analyzed for the first time using GC-MS. Twenty-eight constituents were identified. The major components of the oil were hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (62.3%), tetramethylhexadecenone (5.8%), myristaldehyde (4.7%), n-pentadecane (2.9%), and 2-hexyldecanol (2.9%).The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated against seven microorganisms, including two clinically isolated strains and five reference strains, using microbiological cylinder plate assay and broth microdilution methods. The results showed that the oil had a significant antimicrobial effect on four of them. This antimicrobial activity can partly explain why the oil is used medicinally during childbirth and for skin diseases in Chinese traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation studied the chemical composition of the essential oils extracted from Dracocephalum integrifolium Bunge growing in three different localities in northwest China and evaluated the phytotoxic, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities of the essential oils as well as their major constituents, i.e., sabinene and eucalyptol. GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 21–24 compounds in the essential oils, representing 94.17–97.71% of the entire oils. Monoterpenes were the most abundant substances, accounting for 85.30–93.61% of the oils; among them, sabinene (7.35–14.0%) and eucalyptol (53.56–76.11%) were dominant in all three oils, which occupied 67.56–83.46% of the total oils. In general, phytotoxic bioassays indicated that the IC50 values of the oils and their major constituents were below 2 μL/mL (1.739–1.886 mg/mL) against Amaranthus retroflexus and Poa annua. Disc diffusion method demonstrated that the oils and their major constituents possessed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Candida albicans, with MIC values ranging from 5–40 μL/mL (4.347–37.712 mg/mL). The oils, sabinene and eucalyptol also exhibited significant pesticidal activity, with the mortality rates of Aphis pomi reaching 100% after exposing to 10 μL oil/petri dish (8.694–9.428 mg/petri dish) for 24 h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition, phytotoxic, antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of the essential oils extracted from D. integrifolium; it is noteworthy to mention that this is also the first report on the phytotoxicity of one of the major constituents, sabinene. Our results imply that D. integrifolium oils and sabinene have the potential value of being further exploited as natural pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical compositions of ethanol extracts of propolis from China (EEP-C) and the United States (EEP-A) and their antifungal activity against Penicillium notatum were determined. The result showed that a total of 49 compounds were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, 30 of which were present in samples from two regions. The major compounds of EEP-C and EEP-A were similar, including pinocembrin, pinobanksin-3-O-acetate, galanin, chrysin, pinobanksin, and pinobanksin-methyl ether, and both of them showed antifungal activity against P. notatum with same minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.8 mg·mL−1. In the presence of propolis, the mycelial growth was inhibited, the hyphae became shriveled and wrinkled, the extracellular conductivities were increased, and the activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were decreased. In addition, iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of P. notatum in response to propolis revealed that a total of 341 proteins were differentially expressed, of which 88 (25.8%) were upregulated and 253 (74.2%) were downregulated. Meanwhile, the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) involved in energy production and conversion, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and the sterol biosynthetic pathway were identified. This study revealed that propolis could affect respiration, interfere with energy metabolism, and influence steroid biosynthesis to inhibit the growth of P. notatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]