Three micro-organisms were used: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimum

inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts was found at 1.56-50.0 ABT-737 supplier mg mL-1. Unlike the case of BS, adding PS to extracts from flowers of C. palustre and C. arvense enhanced their antimicrobial effect on S. aureus (MIC from 6.25-12.5 mg mL-1 to 1.25-5.0 mg mL-1). An MTT test was used to study toxicity effects. The extracts from C. palustre or C. arvense mixed with PS had a concentration-dependent, slightly cytotoxic or stimulating effect on the viability of normal human skin fibroblasts. The total phenolic content (TPC) of samples varied from 44 to 178 mg gallic acid equivalent per 1 g of extract. The highest TPC was observed in C. palustre (l) and C. oleraceum (f). Our results did not show any correlation between antimicrobial activities and TPC. Cirsium palustre (f) and C. arvense (f) extracts were analysed VEGFR inhibitor by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). About 30 compounds were found to be present in extracts from two Cirsium species in amounts of not less than 0.2% of TIC.”
“Two new dibenzylbutane lignans, namely rel-methyl (2S)-2-hydroxy-2-2′-((2”R,3”R)-4”-guaiacyl-2”,3”dimethylbutyl)-5′-oxo-2′,5′-dihydro-2-furanylethnoate (1) and rel-methyl (2S)-2-hydroxy-2-2′-((2”R,3”S)-4”-guaiacyl-2”,3”dimethylbutyl)-5′-oxo-2′,5′-dihydro-2-furanylethnoate

(2), were isolated from the bark of Machilus thunbergii. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis. These two lignans exerted significant neuroprotective activities against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells. Compounds 1 and 2 represent a new type of lignan skeleton that has not been reported so far from nature.”
“Isolation of volatile concentrates from leaves, flowers and fruits of Vitex agnus-castus L. have been obtained by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide. The composition of the volatile concentrates has been analysed by GC/MS. In all

STI571 concentration plant organs, the extracts are composed chiefly of -pinene, sabinene, 1,8-cineole, -terpinyl acetate, (E)-caryophyllene, (E)–farnesene, bicyclogermacrene, spathulenol and manool. The main difference observed was in the content of sclarene, which was not present in the samples from flowers or fruits. To complete the investigation, a comparison with the hydrodistilled oil has been carried out. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal lethal concentration were used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the oils against dermatophyte strains (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, T. rubrum, M. gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum). Antifungal activity of the leaf essential oil was the highest, with MIC values of 0.64 mu L mL-1 for most of the strains.