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In the present research, oleuropein (OLE) contents from two Saudi Arabian wild olive trees (Olea europaea L.) leaves (O1 and O2), were collected from two nearby geographical sites differing in altitudes, and were determined via UHPLC-MS analysis. Moreover, total bioactive contents, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity (against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells) potential were also evaluated. The sample (O2) was found to contain significantly (p < 0.05) higher OLE content (4.13 ± 1.0 mg/g DW) compared with the sample (O1) having OLE content (3.63 ± 1.1 mg/g DW). A similar trend was observed regarding total bioactive contents and antioxidant potential. However, both samples exhibited low cytotoxicity against tested cell lines. Furthermore, with hierarchical cluster analysis that compared the results of our samples (O1 and O2) to other samples reported in the literature, it was found that the variance in OLE content and biological activities from Al Baha region leaves had a resemblance to other reported superior cultivars.

The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled aerial parts of essential oil from Lavandula pubescens Decne. collected from Imran in Yemen was determined by GC-MS analysis, and its cytotoxic, xanthine oxidase inhibitory, antiradical and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. The main compounds were carvacrol (72.7 %), carvacrol methyl ether (7.0 %) and caryophyllene oxide (5.9 %). The oil exhibited strong cytotoxicity against Hela (cervical) and AGS (gastric) cell lines with IC50 less than 10 μg/mL. It is also had excellent xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity with % inhibition of 26.1 % at 10 μg/ml and IC50 of 3.8 μg/mL. The oil demonstrated strong antiradical activity with IC50 value of 75.08 μg/mL in addition to highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, and Escherichia coli with MIC value of 0.078 μL/mL.

Background: Local natural medicinal resource knowledge is important to define and elaborate usage of herbs, in systematic and organized manner. Until recently, there has been little scientifically written document regarding the traditional uses of medicinal plants in Al Bahah region. Objective: This pilot study aims to collect the ethnobotanical information from native populations regarding the benefits of medicinal plants of Al Bahah region, and determine if the traditional usage is scientifically established (proved) from literature. Materials and Methods: The survey collected data for 39 plant species recorded by informants for their medicinal benefits. The recorded species were distributed among 28 plant families. Leguminosae and Euphorbiaceae were represented each by 3 species, followed by Asteraceae (2 species), Lamiaceae (2 species), Apocynaceae (2 species), and Solanaceae (2 species). All the medicinal plants were reported in their local names. Analysis of ethnopharmacological data was done to obtain percentage of plant families, species, parts of plants used, mode of administration, and preparation types. Results: Total 43 informants were interviewed, maximum number of species were used to cure skin diseases including burns (3), wounds (7), warts (1), Leishmania (7), topical hemostatic (2), followed by gastrointestinal system, rheumatism, respiratory tract problems, diabetes mellitus, anti-snake venom, malaria, and eye inflammation. Conclusions: The study covered Al Bahah city and its outskirts. Ten new ethnobotanical uses were recorded such as antirheumatic and anti-vitiligo uses for Clematis hirsute, leishmaniasis use of Commiphora gileadensis, antigout of Juniperus procera, removing warts for Ficus palmata. SUMMARY 39 plant species from 28 plant families are used for treating more than 20 types of diseases.Maximum number of species (23 species) was used for treating skin diseases (42.6%) including leishmaniasis, wound healing, dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo and warts.Ten ethnobotanical uses of 8 studied plants have not been previously reported.The most used medicinal plants, according to their Use Index (UI) were Juniperus procera, Rumex nervosus, and Ziziphus spina-christi. Abbreviations Used: UI : Use Index, GI: Gastrointestinal tract, RD: Rheumatic disease, CVS: Cardiovascular diseases, UTI: Urinary tract infection, DM: Diabetes mellitus, RT: Respiratory infection, KSA: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Bioassay-guided isolation protocol was performed on petroleum ether extract of Peperomia blanda (Jacq.) Kunth using column chromatographic techniques. Five compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated via one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR, gas chromatography mass sectroscopy (GCMS), liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LCMS), and ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) analyses. Dindygulerione E (a new compound), and two compounds isolated from P. blanda for the first time-namely, dindygulerione A and flavokawain A-are reported herein. Antimicrobial activity was screened against selected pathogenic microbes, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were recorded within the range of 62-250 μg/mL. Assessment of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has also been done for the isolated compounds, using the Prediction of Activity spectra for Substances (PASS) software, and different activities of compounds were predicted. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations have proposed the binding affinity of these compounds toward methylthioadenosine phosphorylase enzyme, which may explain their inhibitory actions.

Aim/Background: The development of resistance to synthetic drugs by target organism is a major challenge facing medicine, yet locked within plants are phytochemicals used in herbal medicine (especially in the Arabian Peninsula) that may find application in this regard. In pursuit of unlocking these hidden treasures the methanol extracts of leaves, aerial parts, fruits and resins of seventeen plants used in the Arabian Peninsula were screened for antimicrobial activities. Methods: The nematicidal, antibacterial and antifungal activities using appropriate assays. Steinernema feltiae, Staphylococcus carnosus, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used as test organisms. Concentrations of the extracts ranging from 0.5 to 20 mg/ml were tested and appropriate statistical tests performed on the data generated. Results: The results show that extracts from S. incanum, C. murale, C. myrrha, A. nobilis and A. biebersteinii were the most active, and had very high activities against two or more of the test organisms at low concentrations. Extracts of the leaves of S. incanum and resins of F. asafoetida were the most active nematicides, with significant activity at 0.5 mg/ml. Extracts of C. myrrha and C. murale had the most active antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 12-15 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 2.5 mg/ml for both bacteria. Extracts of the leaves of A. biebersteinii were the most active fungicide, giving an MIC of 1.5 mg/ml. Conclusion: The results validate the use of these plants in ethnopharmacology, and open new vistas of opportunities for the development of cheap but effective agents that may be useful against infectious diseases. [J Complement Med Res 2016; 5(2.000): 114-121]

Background: Ocimum forskolei and Teucrium yemense (Lamiaceae) are used in traditional medicine in Yemen. Methods: The chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of Ocimum forskolei Benth. (EOOF) and two different populations of Teucrium yemense Deflers., one collected from Dhamar province (EOTY-d), and another collected from Taiz (EOTY-t) were investigated. The antimicrobial activities of the oils were evaluated against several microorganisms with the disc diffusion test or the broth microdilution test. The essential oils were screened for in-vitro cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. EOOF and EOTY-d were screened for free-radical-inhibitory activity using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Results: Sixty-four compounds were identified in (EOOF) representing 100% of the oil content with endo-fenchol (31.1%), fenchone (12.2%), τ-cadinol (12.2%), and methyl (E)-cinnamate (5.1%) as the major compounds. In EOTY-d, 67 compounds were identified, which made up 91% of the total oil. The most abundant constituents were (E)-caryophyllene (11.2%), α-humulene (4.0.%), γ-selinene (5.5%), 7-epi-α-selinene (20.1%), and caryophyllene oxide (20.1%), while the major compounds in EOTY-t were α-pinene (6.6%), (E)-caryophyllene (19.1%) α-humulene (6.4%), δ-cadinene (6.5%), caryophyllene oxide (4.3%), α-cadinol (9.5%), and shyobunol (4.6%). The most sensitive microorganisms for EOOF were B. subtilis, S. aureus, and C. albicans with inhibition zones of 34, 16, and 24 mm and MIC values of, 4.3 mg/mL, 4.3 mg/mL, and 8.6 mg/mL, respectively. EOTY-t showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, B. cereus, A. niger, and B. cinerea with MIC values of 0.156, 0.156, 0.313 and 0.313 mg/mL, respectively. Neither essential oil showed remarkable radical inhibition (IC50 = 31.55 and 31.41 μL/mL). EOTY-d was active against HT-29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines with IC50 = 43.7 μg/mL. Consistent with this, EOTY-t was active against both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast adenocarcinoma cells. Conclusions: The antimicrobial activity of Ocimum forskolei essential oil against B. subtilis and C. albicans is consistent with its traditional use in Yemeni traditional medicine to treat skin infections. Both O. forskolei and T. yemense show wide variations in their respective essential oil compositions; there remains a need to investigate both species botanically, genetically, and phytochemically more comprehensively.

The hydrodistilled essential oil obtained from the dried leaves of Myrtus communis, collected in Yemen, was analysed by GC–MS. Forty-one compounds were identified, representing 96.3% of the total oil. The major constituents of essential oil were oxygenated monoterpenoids (87.1%), linalool (29.1%), 1,8-cineole (18.4%), α-terpineol (10.8%), geraniol (7.3%) and linalyl acetate (7.4%). The essential oil was assessed for its antimicrobial activity using a disc diffusion assay and resulted in moderate to potent antibacterial and antifungal activities targeting mainly Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The oil moderately reduced the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (IC50 = 4.2 μL/mL or 4.1 mg/mL). In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation against HT29 (human colonic adenocarcinoma cells) showed that the essential oil exhibited a moderate antitumor effect with IC50 of 110 ± 4 μg/mL. Hierarchical cluster analysis of M. communis has been carried out based on the chemical compositions of 99 samples reported in the literature, including Yemeni sample.

Lavandula pubescens Decne. is one of five Lavandula species growing wild in Yemen. The plant is used in Yemeni traditional medicine, and the essential oil tends to be rich in carvacrol. In this work, L. pubescens was collected from eight different locations in Yemen, the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation, and the oils analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to differentiate between the L. pubescens samples. The essential oils were rich in carvacrol (60.9-77-5%), with lesser concentrations of carvacrol methyl ether (4.0-11.4%), caryophyllene oxide (2.1-6.9%), and terpinolene (0.6-9.2%). The essential oil compositions in this study showed very high similarity, but it was possible to discern two separate groups based on minor components, in particular the concentrations of terpinolene, carvacrol methyl ether, m-cymen-8-ol, and caryophyllene oxide. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The aerial parts of Lantana camara L. were collected from three different geographical locations: Artemisa (Cuba), Biratnagar (Nepal), and Sana'a (Yemen). The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A cluster analysis of 39 L. camara essential oil compositions revealed eight major chemotypes: β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, ar-curcumene/zingiberene, γ-curcumen-15-al/epi-β-bisabolol, (E)-nerolidol, davanone, eugenol/alloaromadendrene, and carvone. The sample from Cuba falls into the group dominated by (E)-nerolidol, the sample from Nepal is a davanone chemotype, and the sample from Yemen belongs to the β-caryophyllene chemotype. The chemical composition of L. camara oil plays a role in the biological activity; the β-caryophyllene and (E)-nerolidol chemotypes showed antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

International audience; Numerous plants are known to exhibit considerable biological activities in the fields of medicine and agriculture, yet access to their active ingredients is often complicated, cumbersome and expensive. As a consequence, many plants harbouring potential drugs or green phyto-protectants go largely unnoticed, especially in poorer countries which, at the same time, are in desperate need of antimicrobial agents. As in the case of plants such as the Jericho tomato, Solanum incanum, and the common African tree Pterocarpus erinaceus, nanosizing of original plant materials may provide an interesting alternative to extensive extraction and isolation procedures. Indeed, it is straightforward to obtain considerable amounts of such common, often weed-like plants, and to mill the dried material to more or less uniform particles of microscopic and nanoscopic size. These particles exhibit activity against Steinernema feltiae or Escherichia coli, which is comparable to the ones seen for processed extracts of the same, respective plants. As S. feltiae is used as a model nematode indicative of possible phyto-protective uses in the agricultural arena, these findings also showcase the potential of nanosizing of crude “waste” plant materials for specific practical applications, especially—but not exclusively—in developing countries lacking a more sophisticated industrial infrastructure.

A series of prevailing prenylated furanocoumarins from leaves of Dorstenia gigas and Dorstenia foetida (Moraceae) were investigated by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The mass spectral behavior of the furanocoumarins under positive ion electrospray conditions is discussed using both an ion trap and a triple quadrupole system. It is demonstrated that both methods represent valuable tools not only for the rapid classification of this type of compounds, but also with respect to their substitution pattern.

This article reports the composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Stachys yemenensis. The essential oil was extracted by supercritical CO₂ (90 bar; 40 °C) and its chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components of the sample were α-phellandrene (13.9%), β-phellandrene (11.7%), elemol (12.0%), spathulenol (6.7%), β-eudesmol (5.0%), α-eudesmol (4.75%) and squalene (4.8%). On the exhausted matrix, deprived of the volatiles, we carried out a high-pressure (250 bar) treatment for the extraction of squalene (49.7%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils has been assayed by using the broth dilution method on two American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, and two clinical strains, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata.

The essential oil extracted from the oleogum resin of the Yemeni Commiphora habessinica (Berg.) Engl. was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and 13 constituents were identified. The major constituents were β-elemene (32.1 %), α-selinene (18.9 %), cadina-1,4-diene (7.5 %), germacrene B (3.6 %), α-copaene (3.5 %), t-muurolol (3.0 %) caryophyllene oxide (2.9 %) and α-cadinol (2.6 %).

The major constituents of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the oleogum resin of Commiphora kua Vollesen were identified by GC-MS. Sixteen constituents were detected from the essential oil, which constituted about (90.5%) of the total amount. Major constituents of the oil were α- cadinol (33.0%), g -cadinene (22.5%), d -cadinene (17.0%), isocaryophyllene (3.7%), allo-aromadendrene (2.8%), α-muurolene (2.7%), and α-humulene (2.4%). The Oil of Commiphora kua showed moderate antifungal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum

The chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves of Teucrium yemense Deflers was determined by GC-MS. Twelve compounds accounting to 77.7% of the total oil were identified. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (73.9%) were the predominant portion of the oil with δ-cadinene (34.9%), β-caryophyllene (22.7%), a -humulene (6.1%), and a -selinene (5.4%) as the main constituents.

The chemical composition, antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity of three essential oils (EOs) obtained from the oleogum resin of three endemic Sqotraen Boswellia species, Boswellia socotrana Balf. f, Boswellia ameero Balf. f, and Boswellia elongata Balf. f were determined. GC-MS technique was used for the analysis of the oils. Oils of B. socotrana and B. ameero were characterized by a high content of monoterpenes. The main constituens of B. socotrana and B. ameero were (E)-2,3-epoxycarene (51.8%), 1,5-isopropyl-2-methylbicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-en-2-ol (31.3%), and a -cymene (7.1%); (3E,5E)-2,6-dimethyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene (34.9%), 1-(2,4-Dimethylphenyl)ethanol (20.3%), 3,4-dimethylstyrene (17.3%), a -campholenal (13.4%) and a -terpineol (12.4%) respectively. The composition of B. elongata oil was dominated by the diterpene verticiol (52.4%), the sesquiterpene caryophellene (39.1%) and methylcycloundecanecarboxylate (7.8%). The oils were screened for their antioxidant activity by using the DPPH free radical scavenger assay and their anticholinesterase activity on acetylcholinesterase enzyme by using in vitro Ellman method. The antioxidant activity of EOs from B. socotrana (IC 50 =121.4 µg/mL) appeared to be more potent than that of B. elongata (IC 50 =211.2 µg/mL) and B. ameero (IC 50 =175.2 µg/mL). EO of B. socotrana showed the higher AChE inhibitory activity with 59.3% at concentration of 200 μ g/mL in comparison to EOs of B. elongata and B. ameero (29.6, 41.6 enzyme inhibition) respectively.

Yemen is a small country located in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen's coastal lowlands, eastern plateau, and deserts give it a diverse topography, which along with climatic factors make it opulent in flora. Despite the introduction of Western medicinal system during the middle of the twentieth century, herbal medicine still plays an important role in Yemen. In this review, we present a survey of several aromatic plants used in traditional medicine in Yemen, their traditional uses, their volatile chemical compositions, and their biological activities.

The aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum L. were collected from four different geographical locations, Sindhuli and Biratnagar (Nepal), Chormaghzak village (Tajikistan), and Sana'a (Yemen). The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A cluster analysis of 179 essential oil compositions revealed six major chemotypes: Linalool, eugenol, estragole, methyl eugenol, 1,8-cineole, and geraniol. All four of the basil oils in this study were of the linalool-rich variety. Some of the basil oils were screened for bioactivity including antimicrobial, cytotoxicity in human cancer cells, brine shrimp lethality, nematicidal, larvicidal, insecticidal, and antioxidant. The basil oils in this study were not notably antibacterial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, nor nematicidal, but were active in the brine shrimp lethality test, and did show larvicidal and insecticidal activities.

Sixteen methanolic extracts obtained from thirteen plant species, selected either from ethnobotanical or chemotaxonomical data, were screened for their antileishmanial activity againstLeishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxic activity against normal peritoneal macrophages from normal BALB/c mice was also determined. Eight extracts had IC50values ranging from µg/mL against promastigotes.Achillea biebersteiniiflower,Euphorbia helioscopia,andSolanum incanumleaf extracts showed antileishmanial activities with IC50between µg/mL and acceptable selectivity indices of 8–5. The other leishmanicidal plant extracts, with IC50ranging from 18.0 to 29.5 µg/mL, exhibited low selectivity indices.

The leaf essential oil of Otostegia fruticosa subsp. schimperi (Lamiaceae) was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components in the leaf oil were τ-cadinol (9.3%), β-caryophyllene (8.8%), and bornyl formate (5.2%) as well as two unidentified diterpenoids (12.7% and 9.4%, respectively). The leaf oil was screened for antibacterial ( Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), antifungal ( Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Botrytis cinerea), and cytotoxic (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) activity. The oil did not show antimicrobial or antifungal activity, but it showed very good cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (IC50 = 55.1 μg/mL) and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 70.3 μg/mL) cell lines.

Onopordum acanthium (Scotch thistle) belong to Asteraceae (Compositae). O. acanthium is a flowering biennial plant native to Europe and Western Asia with coarse spiny leaves 20-50 cm in width with conspicuous and spiny-winged stems. We have previously reported pro-apoptotic and cytotoxic effect of Onopordum acanthium crude extract against glioblastoma U-373 cells. The present study was designed to evaluate the cytotoxicity, antioxidant, xanthine oxidase inhibition, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic activity of butanolic extract of Onopordum acanthium. Cytotoxicity of different solvent (methanolic, butanol, chloroform and petroleum ether) extract studied by brine shrimp lethality bioassay, total flavonoid and phenolic, antioxidant, xanthine oxidase inhibition activity was studied by in-vitro whereas anti- inflammation studied by carrageenan-induced paw edema model, antipyretic with 20 % brew yeast injection induced pyretic model, analgesic with 1 % acetic acid induced analgesic model investigated in in-vivo in wistar rats. Good antioxidant activity was found with IC50 = 134.4 µg/ml with considerable amount of total phenolic and flavonoid content. Xanthine oxidase inhibition effect was weak with IC50 = 572.9 µg/ml. Oral administration of O. Acanthium butanolic extract (OA) showed minimum lethality of brine shrimp nauplii henceforth OA butanolic phases was selected for further in-vivo studies. OA 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight decreased the oedema by 37.78 % and 40.52 %, respectively; standard aspirin 100 mg/kg decreased 42.62 % at 5th hour of Carrageenan injection. OA 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly decreased acetic acid-induced abdominal writhes when compared to standard aspirin. OA have shown dose and time dependent decrease in body temperature in yeast induced pyrexia, comparable to standard, aspirin. The present results demonstrate that OA has notable anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic activity related to presence of phenolic compounds as from literature it has been demonstrated that isolated compounds from aerial parts of Onopordum acanthium had strong activity in in-vitro assay.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a popular herb in cooking, traditional healing, and aromatherapy. The essential oils of R. officinalis were obtained from plants growing in Victoria (Australia), Alabama (USA), Western Cape (South Africa), Kenya, Nepal, and Yemen. Chemical compositions of the rosemary oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as well as chiral gas chromatography. The oils were dominated by (+)-α-pinene (13.5%–37.7%), 1,8-cineole (16.1%–29.3%), (+)-verbenone (0.8%–16.9%), (−)-borneol (2.1%–6.9%), (−)-camphor (0.7%–7.0%), and racemic limonene (1.6%–4.4%). Hierarchical cluster analysis, based on the compositions of these essential oils in addition to 72 compositions reported in the literature, revealed at least five different chemotypes of rosemary oil. Antifungal, cytotoxicity, xanthine oxidase inhibitory, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity screenings were carried out, but showed only marginal activities.

The essential oil from the leaves of Tagetes minuta L., growing wild in Yemen, was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 28 compounds were identified representing 74.2% of total oil composition. Major components of the essential oil were (Z)-ocimenone (15.9%), (E)-ocimenone (34.8%), (Z)-beta-ocimene (8.3%), limonene (2.3%), (Z)-tagetone (1.8%), dihydrotagetone (1.4%) and an unidentified dimethylvinylketone derivative (20.6%). The oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC50 of 54.7 +/- 6.2 microg/mL. In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, T. minuta oil showed potent antiradical activity with an IC50 value of 36 microg/mL. Antimicrobial activity was also investigated on several microorganisms, and the essential oil exhibited high activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with an inhibition zone of 23 mm. It also exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an inhibition zone of 26 mm.

The chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of Plectranthus cylindraceus Hoechst. ex. Benth. (EOPC) and Meriandra benghalensis (Roxb.) Benth. (EOMB) were investigated. Sixteen compounds were identified in P. cylindraceus oil representing 94.5% of the oil content with thymol (68.5%), terpinolene (5.3%), β-selinene (4.7%), β-caryophyllene (4.0%), δ-cadinol (2.1%), and ar-curcumene (1.7%) as the major compounds. In M. benghalensis oil, 12 compounds were identified, which made up 82.0% of the total oil. The most abundant constituents were camphor (43.6%), 1,8-cineole (10.7%), α-eudesmol (5.8%), caryophyllene oxide (5.8%), camphene (5.3%) and borneol (3.4%). The antimicrobial activities of both oils were evaluated against five microorganisms with the disc diffusion test, the broth micro-dilution method and a semiquantitative bioautographic test. The most sensitive microorganisms for P. cylindraceus oil were S. aureus, B. subtilis, and C. albicans with inhibition zones of 38, 42, and 43 mm and MIC values of 0.39, 0.18, and, 0.18 μL/mL, respectively. M. benghalensis oil showed weak to moderate activity against the tested microorganisms. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was employed to study the potential antioxidant activities of both oils. The antioxidant activity of P. cylindraceus oil (IC50 34.5 μg/mL) appeared to be higher than that of M. benghalensis oil (IC50 935 μg/mL). At a concentration of 100 μg/mL, EOMB showed a stronger cytotoxic activity, with growth inhibition of 71% against HT29 tumor cells, than EOPC (18%).

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Pulicaria undulata Gamal Ed Din (syn P. orientalis sensu Schwartz and P. jaubertii Gamal Ed Din) was analyzed by GC-MS. Major compounds of P. undulata oil were the oxygenated monoterpenenes, carvotanacetone (91.4%) and 2,5-dimethoxy-p-cymene (2.6.%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated against six microorganisms, Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans, using disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The oil showed the strongest bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as well as Candida albicans. The essential oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC50 of 64.6 +/- 13.7 microg/mL. Bioautographic assays were used to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect as well as antifungal activity of the oil against Cladosporium cucumerinum.

A series of prevailing prenylated furanocoumarins from leaves of Dorstenia gigas and Dorstenia foetida (Moraceae) were investigated by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The mass spectral behavior of the furanocoumarins under positive ion electrospray conditions is discussed using both an ion trap and a triple quadrupole system. It is demonstrated that both methods represent valuable tools not only for the rapid classification of this type of compounds, but also with respect to their substitution pattern.

In this study, we report the preliminary data on the chemical composition of Yemeni Schinus molle L. volatile oil obtained by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide (40°C and 90 bar), SFE, and by hydrodistillation (HD). The composition of the volatile oil has been analysed by GC and GC–MS. The content of the major constituents in the oils from leaves varied in the following ranges: germacrene D 3.7% in SFE and 16.7% in HD; β-caryophyllene 19.1% in SFE and 13.5% in HD. The amount of monoterpenes constituted 4%, in all the analysed samples, while the number of sesquiterpenes was 44% in supercritical and 67% in HD oil. Some compounds were not identified by GC–MS and it will require further analysis using other analytical techniques.

The linear furanocoumarins 5-(2,3-epoxy-3-methyl-butoxy)-chalepensin, 5-methoxy-3-(3-methyl-2,3-dihydroxybutyl)-psoralen-diacetate (7), 5-methoxy-3-[3-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-2-acetyloxy-3-methyl-butyl]-psoralen and 5-(3-methyl-2,3-dihydroxybutyloxy)-3-[3-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-butyl]-psoralen, and the coumarin derivative 7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-6-carboxymethyl-3-[3-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-butyl]-coumarin were isolated from the leaves of Dorstenia foetida (Moraceae) along with the known compounds psoralen, bergapten, isopimpinellin, phellopterin, 5-methoxychalepensin and turbinatocoumarin. Further furanocoumarins were characterized by ESI-MS/MS investigations. The nonpolar extracts of D. foetida exhibit antifungal, antibacterial and cytotoxic activity, however, no anthelminthic activity.

This article reports the composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Stachys yemenensis. The essential oil was extracted by supercritical CO₂ (90 bar; 40 °C) and its chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components of the sample were α-phellandrene (13.9%), β-phellandrene (11.7%), elemol (12.0%), spathulenol (6.7%), β-eudesmol (5.0%), α-eudesmol (4.75%) and squalene (4.8%). On the exhausted matrix, deprived of the volatiles, we carried out a high-pressure (250 bar) treatment for the extraction of squalene (49.7%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils has been assayed by using the broth dilution method on two American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, and two clinical strains, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata.

The essential oil from the leaves of Tagetes minuta L., growing wild in Yemen, was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 28 compounds were identified representing 74.2% of total oil composition. Major components of the essential oil were ( Z)-ocimenone (15.9%), ( E)-ocimenone (34.8%), ( Z)-β-ocimene (8.3%), limonene (2.3%), ( Z)-tagetone (1.8%), dihydrotagetone (1.4%) and an unidentified dimethylvinylketone derivative (20.6%). The oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC50 of 54.7 ± 6.2 μg/mL. In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, T. minuta oil showed potent antiradical activity with an IC50 value of 36 μg/mL. Antimicrobial activity was also investigated on several microorganisms, and the essential oil exhibited high activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with an inhibition zone of 23 mm. It also exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an inhibition zone of 26 mm.

The leaf essential oil of Tarchonanthuscamphoratus(As teraceae) was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Fifty-six components were characterized, representing 94.2% of the total oil with oxygenated monoterpenes (48.3%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (32.7%) as the major groups. The principal constituents were identified as endo-fenchol (21.2%), trans-pinene hydrate (8.8%), caryophyllene oxide (7.5%), α-terpineol (6.4%), τ-cadinol (6.4%), and α-cadinol (5.2%). The essential oil was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity using a disc diffusion assay resulting in the moderate inhibition of a number of common human pathogenic bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and the yeast Candida albicans. The inhibition zones varied from 10 to 14mm/disc. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of the essential oil was examined using an in vitroradical scavenging activity test. The T. camphoratus essential oil scavenged 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), resulting in an IC50value of 5.6 mg/mL. At concentrations of 100 and 50μg/mL, the oil showed cytotoxic activity, with growth inhibition of 59.1% (±4.2), and 16.2% (±8.7) against HT29 tumor cells (human colonic adenocarcinoma cells), respectively(IC50 = 84.7 ± 7.5 μg/mL).

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Pulicaria undulata Gamal Ed Din (syn P. oriental sensu Schwartz and P. jaubertii Gamal Ed Din) was analyzed by GC-MS. Major compounds of P. undulata oil were the oxygenated monoterpenenes, carvotanacetone (91.4%) and 2,5-dimethoxy-p-cymene (2.6.%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated against six microorganisms, Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans, using disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The oil showed the strongest bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as well as Candida albicans. The essential oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC50 of 64.6 ±13.7 μg/mL. Bioautographic assays were used to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect as well as antifungal activity of the oil against Cladosporium cucumerinum.

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One of author’s name in this article has been printed wrongly. The name of Ludger Wessjohan should be written as Ludger Wessjohann. The authors apologize for this error.

One of author’s name in this article has been printed wrongly. The name of Ludger Wessjohan should bewritten as Ludger Wessjohann. The authors apologize for this error.

Thirty extracts obtained from 10 endemic plant species belonging to 8 plant families used in the traditional medicine in Socotra have been tested for cytotoxic activity against FL-cells. Extracts of Eureiandra balfourii and Commiphora ornifolia showed the strongest activity against FL-cells with IC(50)10 microg/ml and 39.3 microg/ml respectively.

Ethanolic extracts of fruit bodies from Inonotus hispidus showed interesting immunomodulatory and antiviral activity. Bioactivity-guided fractionation and purification afforded two phenolic compouds which were identified by their physical and spectral data as the known hispidin and a new metabolite named hispolon.