Antimicrobial compounds plant extracts

Keywords Antimicrobial Antiviral Cytotoxicity Natural compound Plant extract... 

Rauha, J. P., Remes, S., Heinonen, M., Hopia, A., Kahkonen, M., Kujala, T., Pihlaja, K., Vuorela, H., Vuorela, P. (2000). Antimicrobial effects of Finnish plant extracts containing flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. Int. J. Food Microbiol, 56, 3-12. 

In our ongoing study on the plant extracts and their pure compounds from Turkish medicinal plants, we have so far screened a number of plant extracts and pure components for their antimicrobial and antiviral activities. In this chapter, we intend to cover the recent results obtained from our antimicrobial and antiviral studies on heterocyclic compounds isolated from several Turkish medicinal plants and marine organisms. 

The detection of triterpenoid compounds in extracts from Bidens pilosa may rationalize the use of this plant in traditional Egyptian medicine in the treatment of wounds and against bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract [211,212]. The chloroform extract gave 3-amyrin. Fig. (29), phytosterin B and P-sitosterol glucoside, while the petroleum ether extract afforded P-am5Tin, Fig. (29), phytosterin B, lupeol. Fig. (30), lupeol acetate, linolic acid and linolenic acid. The antimicrobial test was carried out to indicate an evident activity. 

Curr Pharm Des 10(27) 3419-3429 Rauha JP, Remes S, Heinonen M, Hopia A, Kahkonen M, Kujala T, Pihlaja K, Vuorela H, Vuorela P (2000) Antimicrobial effects of Finnish plant extracts containing flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. Int J Food Microbiol 56(1) 3-12 Razzakov NA, Aripova SF (2004) Confolidine, a new alkaloid from the aerial part of Convolvulus subhirsutus. Chem Nat Compd 40(l) 54-55... 

Proestos C, Chorianopoulos N, Nychas G-JE, Komaitis M (2005) RP-HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds of plant extracts. Investigation of their antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity. J Agric Food Chem 53 1190-1195... 

Saxena, G., Farmer, S., Towers, G. H. N., and Hancock, R. E. W. (1995). Use of specific dyes in the detection of antimicrobial compounds from crude plant extracts using a thin layer chromatography agar overlay technique. Phytochem. Anal. 6 125-129. 

The best documented evidence for an extractive (pinosylvins) functioning as a phytoalexin (an antimicrobial compound produced as an active response of the plant to the pathogen) is the reaction zones produced in pine in response to invasion by Heterobasidion annosum, the Sirex-Amylostereum complex, and the Den-droctonus- idin fungi complex (20). As with other phytoalexins, the accumulation of sitilbenes in pine sapwood is a nonspecific response to injury. In some cases the wounding agent causes rapid death of the invaded tissue and no stilbene... 

In conclusion, flavonoids and plant extract rich in flavonoidic compounds as antimicrobial agents present two main positive features the first is their natural origin, which means more safety for consumers, and the second is that they are considered to be low risk for resistance development by pathogenic microorganisms thus they can be considered a valuable support in the treatment of infections and may contribute to the development of new and safe antimicrobial agents. 

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