The aim of this work was to study the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts obtained from different by-products. The effectiveness of these extracts was compared with that of rosemary extract. Total phenol carotenoid and vitamin C contents, as well as in vitro antioxidant activity, were assessed. Phenol content was positively correlated with in vitro antioxidant activity in extracts, while carotenoids showed a less clear relationship. Vitamin C was associated with antioxidant activity in lemon and pepper pomace extracts. Extracts from olive, grape, and lemon by-products displayed the highest antioxidant activity (radical scavenging activity), this being similar to the activity of rosemary extracts. Moreover, the phenolic profile of the extracts was analyzed, revealing diverse phenolic compounds. Rosemary extracts contained the highest variety and quantity of phenolic compounds, while olive pomace extracts were rich in hydroxytyrosol and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Lemon and pepper extracts contained high amounts of tyrosol, and tomato extracts had abundant epicatechin. The PCA analysis distinguished extracts based on in vitro antioxidant activity, phenol, carotenoid, and vitamin C content, along with their phenolic compound profiles. This study emphasizes the capacity of aqueous extract by-products as valuable sources of antioxidants and highlights the importance of understanding their bioactive components.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) is an invasive and polyphagous insect pest. It poses a significant threat to maize crops, uncontrolled infestation can result 100 % loss. However, natural enemies play a vital role in regulating the population of this pest. Additionally, botanical sources extracts have the potential to be effective insecticides. The objectives of the study were to investigate the natural enemies of S. frugiperda in the Gurage zone and to compare efficacy of Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts with S. frugiperda larvae, central Ethiopia. S. frugiperda larvae and egg masses, cocoons and larvae cadavers collected from infested maze farms. From each round collection 25 healthy and inactive larvae were sampled to rear until emerging adults. Observed predator species recorded. Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts was tested against S. frugiperda in laboratory condition. The study found a diverse range of natural enemies associated with S. frugiperda, including parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi. Three species of parasitoids (Exorista xanthaspis, Tachina spp., and Charops annulipes) were documented in Ethiopia for the first time. Predatory insects belonging to four distinct orders: Hemiptera, Dermaptera, Coleoptera, and Mantodea also identified. In particular, various Hemipterans were observed in the maize farms infested with S. frugiperda. In terms of Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts, they demonstrated similar mortality rates for S. frugiperda larvae after 72 h, although differences were observed at 24 and 48 h. For effective management of S. frugiperda, more research is needed to fully exploit the potential of natural enemies and botanical source insecticides.

Functional bowel disorders (FBD) have a major potential to degrade the standards of public life. Juniperus oxycedrus L. (J. oxycedrus) (Cupressaceae) has been described as a plant used in traditional medicine as an antidiarrheal medication. The present study is the first to obtain information on the antispasmodic and antidiarrheic effects of J. oxycedrus aqueous extract through in vitro and in vivo studies. An aqueous extract of J. oxycedrus (AEJO) was extracted by decoctioning air-dried aerial sections of the plant. Antispasmodic activity was tested in an isolated jejunum segment of rats exposed to cumulative doses of drogue extract. The antidiarrheic activity was tested using diarrhea caused by castor oil, a transit study of the small intestine, and castor oil-induced enteropooling assays in mice. In the jejunum of rats, the AEJO (0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/ml) diminished the maximum tone induced by low K+ (25 mM), while it exhibited a weak inhibitory effect on high K+ (75 mM) with an IC50=0.49 ± 0.01 mg/ml and IC50=2.65 ± 0.16 mg/ml, respectively. In the contractions induced by CCh (10-6 M), AEJO diminished the maximum tone, similar to that induced by low K+ (25 mM). with an IC50=0.45 ± 0.02 mg/ml. The inhibitory effect of AEJO on low K+ induced contractions was significantly diminished in the presence of glibenclamide (GB) (0.3 µM) and 4-aminopyrimidine (4-AP) (100 µM), with IC50 values of 1.84 ± 0.09 mg/ml. and 1.63 ± 0.16 mg/ml, respectively). The demonstrated inhibitory effect was similar to that produced by a non-competitive antagonist acting on cholinergic receptors and calcium channels. In castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice, AEJO (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) caused an extension of the latency time, a reduced defecation frequency, and a decrease in the amount of wet feces compared to the untreated group (distilled water). Moreover, it showed a significant anti-motility effect and reduced the amount of fluid accumulated in the intestinal lumen at all tested doses. These findings support the conventional use of Juniperus oxycedrus L. as a remedy for gastrointestinal diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Aqueous extract of unripe Musa paradisiaca fruit is commonly used for the treatment of ulcers in eastern Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the acute and subacute effects of an aqueous extract of unripe fruit on male and female fertility in rats.
METHODS: Aqueous extracts obtained by maceration were analyzed for acute and subacute toxicity and for the presence of phytochemical constituents using standard procedures. The extract (100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) was administered daily to rats of both sexes for 28 d. Blood samples collected on days 0 and 28 were assessed for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Testes and ovaries were harvested for histopathological analysis. Sperm were also collected to determine the sperm count and motility.
RESULTS: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, alkaloids, and resins. After an oral dose of up to 5000 mg/kg, there were no deaths in the acute toxicity test. The extract (500 mg/kg) significantly (P < .05) enhanced sperm count and motility relative to the untreated control; significantly (P < .05) reduced SOD, CAT, and glutathione levels, while significantly (P < .05) elevated LH, FSH, and MDA levels in male and female rats. Histological examination revealed significant structural damage to the ovaries.
CONCLUSIONS: Unripe Musa paradisiaca fruit exhibited an adverse toxicological profile following prolonged administration and caused oxidative stress in rodents.

This study compared the efficacy of aqueous extracts of commercially available pomegranate peel products and a juice powder in inhibiting the growth of two enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains. Cell suspension of each E. coli strain (5 Log CFU/ml) was added into tryptic soy broth amended with 9 or 23% of each extract prepared with two different methods. After treatment for 5, 10, and 24 h at 25 °C, surviving E. coli cells were enumerated on tryptic soy agar to determine cell population reduction compared to the controls. The concentrations of six different ellagitannins and titratable activity in each treatment system were determined and correlated to E. coli cell population reduction. The extracts from three powdered pomegranate peels caused a significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in E. coli population than the extract from the whole peel and juice powder. The higher dose of extracts resulted in a greater cell population reduction than the lower dose. The level of E. coli population reduction correlated positively with the total ellagitannins content (R2 0.67-0.98) and the titratable acidity (R2 0.69-0.98) in the treatment systems. The study suggests that pomegranate peels are promising natural additives or preservatives to control pathogens like EHEC.

After harvesting, pathogens can infect fresh vegetables in different ways. Pathogenic bacteria associated with fresh vegetables can cause widespread epidemics associated with foodborne illness. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of carrot slices after treatment with aqueous extracts of Lobularia maritima (AELm) at different concentrations AELm1 (10 mg/mL), AELm2 (5 mg/mL), AELm3 (2.5 mg/mL) and AELm4 (1.25 mg/mL), and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis, along with vacuum packaging and storage of carrots for 7 days at 4 °C. On days 1. and 7., total viable counts (TVC), and coliforms bacteria (CB), and Salmonella count were all analysed. Microorganisms that were obtained from carrots were identified using MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper Mass Spectrometry. The total viable, coliform bacteria and Salmonella counts were varied by the group of treatment. Higher counts were found in the control group on both days. The most isolated species of bacteria were Salmonella enterica and Pantoea agglomerans on the 1. day and Klebsiella oxytoca on the 7. day. The current study adds useful information for a better understanding of how Salmonella enterica reacts to the effect of AELm and its potential use as a sustainable washing method to eliminate bacteria from freshly cut carrots.

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine, and its abnormal production is associated with several immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Biological anti-TNF-α therapy includes treatment with monoclonal antibodies such as infliximab which have proven successful and are well-tolerated in most patients. Unfortunately, some patients may not respond to therapy (primary non-responders) or may lose sensitivity to the biological agent over time (early and late secondary non-responders). Natural products can reduce inflammation and act synergistically with small molecules or biologics, although evidence remains limited. This study aimed to investigate whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) could play a role in infliximab non-responders. Reportedly, cinnamon can help manage chronic inflammatory conditions owing to its anti-inflammatory properties.
METHODS: We studied the synergistic effects of cinnamon and infliximab in vitro using a two-step approach. First, we investigated whether cinnamon and infliximab act synergistically. Second, we selected conditions that supported statistically significant synergy with infliximab and studied the mRNA expression of several genes involved in non-response to infliximab. We used aqueous cinnamon extract (aCE) from Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Cinnamomum loureiroi and bioactive trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA), cinnamic acid (CA), and eugenol to study the synergy between infliximab and aCE/bioactive compounds using bioassays in fibroblast (L929) and monocytic (U937) cell lines, followed by qPCR for molecular-level insights. TCA, C. cassia aCE, and C. zeylanicum aCE demonstrated a dose-dependent synergistic effect with infliximab. Moreover, we saw differential gene expression for adhesion molecules, apoptotic factors, signaling molecules, and matrix remodelers in presence and absence of aCE/bioactives.
RESULTS: CAM supplementation was most effective with C. cassia aCE, where a synergistic effect was observed for all the tested genes specifically for MMP-1, BcL-xL, Bax and JAK2, followed by TCA, which affected most of the tested genes except TLR-2, MMP1, MMP3, TIMP-1, and BAX, and C. zeylanicum aCE, which did not affect ICAM-1, VCAM-1, TLR-2, TLR-4, MMP1, MMP3, TIMP-1, and STAT3.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, cinnamon acted synergistically with infliximab to mitigate inflammation when used as an extract. Purified bioactive TCA also showed synergistic activity. Thus, aCE, or cinnamon bioactive may be used as a CAM to improve patients\' quality of life.

The aim of the present investigation was to obtain 12 aqueous extracts and 1 oil from Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica specimens. The samples differed for processed plant organs (i.e., roots, buds, and fruits), gender and geographical station of the collected trees. Total phenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins were determined, revealing that bud extracts exhibited the highest phenolic content (386.785 ± 16.227 mg GAE/g DM), followed by fruit and root preparations. Similar results were detected for flavonoids and tannins, whose quantitation ranged from 0.014 ± 0.005 to 74.780 ± 9.724 mg CE/g DM and from 0.037 ± 0.003 to 14.793 ± 0.821 mg CE/g DM, respectively. The biochemical profile of the extracts was further characterized by HPLC-DAD, in terms of specific phenolics. This analysis identified gallic acid as a typical metabolite for ripe fruit, while hydroxytyrosol for female roots and male buds. In parallel, P. atlantica fruit oil was profiled by GC-MS analysis, which detected 37 lipophilic components, including palmitic acid (the major component, ~55%), anacardol, tetradecanol, arachidic acid, squalene, and some terpenes. The samples revealed interesting antioxidant activity, with EC50 values ranging from 0.073 ± 0.001 to 193.594 ± 28.942 mg/mL and from 0.029 ± 0.001 to 103.086 ± 20.540 mg/mL, in that order, for DPPH and reducing power assays. Concerning the total antioxidant capacity, the results ranged from 0.053 ± 0.008 to 51.648 ± 1.659 mg AAE/g DM. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of the plant extracts was estimated against 7 bacterial species and 2 fungal strains, known to be human pathogens, demonstrating a good antibiotic effect for the bud extracts. All these findings strongly suggest that P. atlantica would represent a natural reservoir for novel additives to be used in therapeutic, food, and cosmetic products.

Introduction Psidium guajava (guava) is a fruit plant of the Myrtaceae family. Guava roots, leaves, and fruits have traditionally been used to prevent and treat various infections. In the last few decades, there has been exponential growth in herbal medicine. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the susceptibility and synergistic properties of the antimicrobial activity of the aqueous leaf extract of guava and other antimicrobial drugs against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Methodology A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, India, involving 180 urine samples collected from patients who exhibited symptoms of urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim was to evaluate in vitro synergism between leaf extracts of guava and antimicrobial drugs on uropathogenic E. coli, using minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the Kirby-Bauer method. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was employed to determine the synergistic activity using Muller-Hinton agar (MHA), and the zone of inhibition was measured in millimeters. Results The study found that, of the 180 urine samples collected from patients with UTI, significant growth was observed in 93 samples, with the most notable increase seen in E. coli. The antibiotics tobramycin, ofloxacin, and amikacin, each showing a sensitivity of 76% and 70% respectively, were found to be the most sensitive. Conversely, cefuroxime and cephalothin, both at 76%, were the most resistant. Furthermore, the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli without guava extract demonstrated tobramycin (TOB) at 76.66%, followed by ofloxacin (OF) and amikacin (AK) at 70% each, levofloxacin (LE) at 63.33%, nitrofurantoin (NIT) at 53.33%, trimethoprim (TR) at 43.33%, cefotaxime (CTX) at 36.66%, ceftizoxime (CZX) at 30%, norfloxacin (NR) at 26.66%, cephalothin (CEP) at 23.33%, amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) at 20%, and cefuroxime (CXM) at 10%. In contrast, when the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of E. coli with guava extract was examined, the highest sensitivity was noted for OF (100%), followed by LE (96.66%), TOB (93.33%), AK (90%), NIT (76.66%), AMC and TR (66.66% each), CTX (60%), CZX (53.33%), CEP (50%), NX (43.33%), and CXM (26.66%). Therefore, Psidium guajava (guava) extract exhibited a synergistic effect when combined with antibiotics, most notably with ofloxacin. Conclusion The study revealed that the highest synergistic activity of guava plant leaf extract was with the antibiotic ofloxacin. This finding indicates that guava extract enhances the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics for treating UTI, an effect mainly attributed to the flavonoid compounds and their derivatives in the guava leaf extract, which inhibit bacterial growth. This study demonstrated the antibacterial properties of guava, suggesting that combining antibiotics with guava extract can help delay the emergence of bacterial resistance.

Our research focused on assessing essential oils (MSEO) and aqueous extracts (MSAE) derived from M. subtomentella leaves, with a primary focus on evaluating their properties. From 1 kg of leaves, we successfully obtained 18 mL of essential oil. Upon conducting GC/MS analysis, we identified eleven compounds within the oil, collectively accounting for 100% of the constituents identified. Notably, the predominant compounds in the leaf oil were p-Menth-48) -en-3-one (50.48%), 9-Ethylbicyclo (3.3.1) nonan-9-ol (10.04%) (E)-3,3-Dimethyl-delta-1, alpha-cyclohexaneacetaldehyde (8.53%), and D-Limonene (7.22%). Furthermore, utilizing HPLC/DAD, we explored the phenolic profile of MSAE, extracted through decoction. This analysis revealed the presence of fifty-eight compounds, with five major components collectively constituting 61% of the total compounds identified, rosmarinic acid as the major one. We evaluated the antimicrobial effectiveness of the MSEO against ten different strains, observing its notable efficacy against A. Niger (MIC = 0.09%), P. digitatum (MIC = 0.5%), and G. candidum (MIC = 1%). However, the essential oil demonstrated comparatively lower efficacy against bacteria than fungi. In contrast, the MSAE did not exhibit any antimicrobial activity against the tested strains. Regarding antioxidant activity, the aqueous extract displayed a significantly higher antioxidant capacity than the essential oil, which exhibited relatively lower antioxidant activity. The IC50 values were determined to be 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 0.17 ± 0.01 mg/mL, and 13% ± 0.01% (V/V), for ascorbic acid MSAE and MSEO, respectively. We used a computational method called molecular docking to investigate how certain plant compounds affect antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. This involved analyzing the interactions between these compounds and specific protein targets known for their roles in these activities.