Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. BMC Microbiol. 2024 Oct 1;24(1):381. doi: 10.1186/s12866-024-03544-6.

Antibiofilm activity of Morganella morganii JB8F and Pseudomonas fluorescens 
JB3B compound to control single and multi-species of aquaculture pathogens.

Vanessa V(1), Waturangi DE(2), Yulandi A(1), Julyantoro PGS(3), Papuangan N(4).

Author information:
(1)Faculty of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jalan 
Raya Cisauk- Lapan No. 10, Sampora, Cisauk, Tangerang, Banten, 15345, Indonesia.
(2)Faculty of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jalan 
Raya Cisauk- Lapan No. 10, Sampora, Cisauk, Tangerang, Banten, 15345, Indonesia. 
diana.waturangi@atmajaya.ac.id.
(3)Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Marine Science and 
Fisheries, University of Udayana, Denpasar, Bali, 80361, Indonesia.
(4)Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, 
Khairun University, Ternate, 97728, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia is a country that uses half or more aquatic foods as 
protein intake. The increased production in aquaculture industries might cause 
several problems, such as bacterial disease resulting in mass mortality and 
economic losses. Antibiotics are no longer effective because aquaculture 
pathogens can form biofilm. Biofilm is a microbial community that aggregates and 
firmly attaches to living or non-living surfaces. Biofilm formation can be 
caused by environmental stress, the presence of antibiotics, and limited 
nutrients. Therefore, it is important to explore antibiofilm to inhibit biofilm 
formation and/or eradicate mature biofilm. Phyllosphere bacteria can produce 
bioactive compounds for antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-quorum sensing. 
Three aquaculture pathogens were used in this study, such as Aeromonas 
hydrophila, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Vibrio harveyi.
RESULTS: Pseudomonas fluorescens JB3B and Morganella morganii JB8F extracts 
could disrupt single and multi-species biofilms. Both extracts could inhibit 
single biofilm formation from one to seven days of incubation time. We confirmed 
the destruction activity on multi-species biofilm using light microscope and 
scanning electron microscope. Using GC-MS analysis, indole was the most active 
fraction of the P. fluorescens JB3B extracts and octacosane from the M. morganii 
JB8F extract. We also conducted a toxicity test using brine shrimp lethality 
assay on P. fluorescens JB3B and M. morganii JB8F extracts. P. fluorescens JB3B, 
M. morganii JB8F, and a mixture of both extracts were confirmed non-toxic 
according to the LC50 value of the brine shrimp lethality test.
CONCLUSIONS: P. fluorescens JB3B and M. morganii JB8F phyllosphere extracts had 
antibiofilm activity to inhibit single biofilm and disrupt single and 
multi-species biofilm of aquaculture pathogens. Both extracts could inhibit 
single species biofilm until seven days of incubation. Bioactive compounds that 
might contribute to antibiofilm properties were found in both extracts, such as 
indole and phenol. P. fluorescens JB3B, M. morganii JB8F extracts, and mixture 
of both extracts were non-toxic against Artemia salina.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03544-6
PMCID: PMC11443639
PMID: 39354382 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.


2. Heliyon. 2024 Jul 16;10(14):e34686. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34686. 
eCollection 2024 Jul 30.

Chemical composition of organic extracts of Phyla nodiflora L. in Syria by 
GC-MS.

Khdera HA(1), Saad SY(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Tishreen University, Lattakia, 
Syria.

INTRODUCTION: Phyla nodiflora L. is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to 
the Verbenaceae family. It is widely used as an herbal drink to treat many 
diseases. It has antioxidant, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In 
traditional medicine, it is used to treat skin infections. However, there is 
little information on the chemical composition of organic plant extracts. 
Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of 
organic extracts of P. nodiflora L.
METHODS: In this study, organic extracts were prepared using a continuous 
Soxhlet extractor and four different solvents with increasing polarity from 
nonpolar to polar solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and 
isopropanol) to ensure the possibility of extracting a wide range of compounds. 
GC‒MS analysis was performed to determine the chemical constituents of the 
organic extracts.
RESULTS: Nineteen compounds were identified in the petroleum ether (Et) extract, 
14 in the chloroform (Ch) extract, 18 in the ethyl acetate (Ea) extract and 15 
in the isopropanol (Is) extract. The most important compounds in the Et extract 
were 1,1-diethoxyethane (33.9 %) and nonadecane (19.9 %). The most important 
compound in the Ch extract was octacosane (37.4 %). The most important compounds 
in the Ea extract were 3-hydroxy-dodecanoic acid (17.7 %) and geranyl 
isovalerate (15.5 %). The most important compound in the Is extract was behenic 
acid alcohol (18.6 %). The chemical structures of the major compounds were 
confirmed by mass spectrometry by studying their fragmentation mechanism and 
comparing the molecular weights of the resulting fragments with the molecular 
weights of the peaks present in each mass spectrum.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that the dominant compounds in 
nonpolar extracts (petroleum ether and chloroform) are hydrocarbons, ethers, 
epoxides, and silicon compounds, while the dominant compounds in moderately 
polar extracts (ethyl acetate and isopropanol) are alcohols, carbonyl compounds, 
and oxygenated terpenes.

© 2024 The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34686
PMCID: PMC11325381
PMID: 39149040

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no known 
competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared 
to influence the work reported in this paper.


3. Heliyon. 2024 May 9;10(10):e30839. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30839. 
eCollection 2024 May 30.

Bio-functional properties and phytochemical composition of selected Apis 
mellifera honey from Africa.

Ndungu NN(1), Kegode TM(1), Kurgat JK(1), Baleba SBS(1), Cheseto X(1), Turner 
S(2), Tasse Taboue GC(3), Kasina JM(4), Subramanian S(1), Nganso BT(1).

Author information:
(1)International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, 
Kenya.
(2)Malaika Honey Company, Kampala, Uganda.
(3)Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Bangangté, Cameroon.
(4)Apiculture and Beneficial Insects Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and 
Livestock Research Organization, P.O. Box 32-30403, Marigat, Kenya.

Globally, the demand for natural remedies such as honey to manage ailments has 
increased. Yet, the health benefits and chemical composition of African honeys 
are not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to characterise the 
bio-functional properties and the phytochemical composition of 18 Apis mellifera 
honeys from Kenya, Uganda, and Cameroon in comparison to the popular and 
commercially available Manuka 5+ honey from New Zealand. The 
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH-RSA) was used to 
determine the antioxidant property, whilst the agar well diffusion and broth 
dilution (Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal 
concentration (MBC)) assays were used to determine antimicrobial property. 
Further, colorimetric methods were used for phytochemical analysis. Our results 
showed that honeys collected from Rift Valley region of Kenya (e.g. Poi, 
Salabani and Mbechot) and Western region of Cameron (e.g. Bangoulap) had the 
highest antioxidant (DPPH RSA of 41.52-43.81%) and antimicrobial (MIC 
(3.125-6.25% w/v) and MBC (6.25-12.5% w/v)) activities. Additionally, the total 
flavonoid (770-970 mg QE/100 g), phenol (944.79-1047.53 mg GAE/100 g), terpenoid 
(239.78-320.89 mg LE/100 g) and alkaloid (119.40-266.57 mg CE/100 g) contents 
reached the highest levels in these bioactive African honeys, which 
significantly and positively correlated with their bio-functional properties. 
The functional and phytochemical composition of these bioactive African honeys 
were similar to or higher than those of the Manuka 5+ honey. Furthermore, gas 
chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of African honeys revealed 10 most 
prominent volatile organic compounds that contribute to their geographical 
distinction: triacontane, heptacosane, (Z)-9-tricosene, tetracosane, 
6-propyl-2,3-dihydropyran-2,4-dione, octacosane, 1,2,4-trimethylcyclohexane, 
1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) benzene, 2-methylheptane and phytol. Overall, our 
findings suggest that some of the tested African honeys are natural sources of 
antimicrobial and antioxidant therapies that can be exploited upon further 
research and commercialized as high value honey.

© 2024 The Authors.

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30839
PMCID: PMC11109849
PMID: 38778936

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no known 
competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared 
to influence the work reported in this paper.


4. Turk J Pharm Sci. 2024 May 14;21(2):133-140. doi: 
10.4274/tjps.galenos.2023.95690.

Pharmaceutical Properties and Phytochemical Profile of Extract Derived from 
Purple Leaf Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.

Priyanto JA(1), Prastya ME(2), Minarti M(2), Permatasari V(2).

Author information:
(1)IPB University Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of 
Biology, Division of Microbiology, West Java, Indonesia.
(2)Research Center for Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Traditional Medicine, 
National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Sains dan Teknologi 
(KST), BJ Habibie (PUSPIPTEK) Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff is a medicinal shrub belonging to the 
Acanthaceae family and is traditionally used to treat various diseases. 
Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the pharmaceutical properties and 
phytochemical profiles of the methanolic extract of G. pictum.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: G. pictum leaves was extracted using methanol. 
Antioxidant, cytotoxic on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and HepG2, 
antidiabetic, and antibacterial properties were evaluated in vitro. Chemical 
profile of the extract was identified through qualitative (for phytochemicals), 
quantitative (for phenolic and flavonoid content), and gas chromatography-mass 
spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.
RESULTS: The results showed that the extract had potent antioxidant activity 
against 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and 
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with IC50 values of 49.00 ± 3.20 µg/mL 
and 70.18 ± 3.27 µg/mL, respectively. It also exhibited cytotoxic effects on 
human breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) carcinoma cells with growth inhibition 
percentages of 74.29 ± 1.53% and 64.90 ± 1.94%, respectively. The antidiabetic 
assay showed that the extract had inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase activity 
with IC50 value 194.59 ± 15.59 µg/mL, indicating its potential to be developed 
as an antidiabetic agent. Furthermore, it had antibacterial properties against 
four test strains, and the highest activity was found against Bacillus subtilis 
American Type Culture Collection 19659, with minimum inhibitory concentration 
and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 625 µg/mL and 1250 µg/mL, 
respectively. Phytochemical tests indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid 
and terpenoids in the extract, with total phenolic content and total flavonoid 
content of 41.17 ± 2.38 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and 26.52 ± 0.61 mg 
quercetin equivalent/g, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed that it contained 
several active compounds, including eicosane, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, 
hentriacontane, tetracosane, octacosane, sulfurous acid, 2-methylhexacosane, 
docosane, heneicosane, 1-propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, tributyl ester, and 
pentacosane.
CONCLUSION: The extract derived from G. pictum leaves was a potential source of 
therapeutic compounds, particularly for antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, 
and antibacterial agents.

DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2023.95690
PMCID: PMC11096786
PMID: 38742815

Conflict of interest statement: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest 
was declared by the authors.


5. Toxics. 2024 Mar 23;12(4):236. doi: 10.3390/toxics12040236.

White Stork Pellets: Non-Invasive Solution to Monitor Anthropogenic Particle 
Pollution.

Bjedov D(1)(2), Mikuška A(2), Gvozdić V(3), Glavaš P(2), Gradečak D(2), Sudarić 
Bogojević M(2).

Author information:
(1)Croatian Institute for Biodiversity, BIOTA Ltd., 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
(2)Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 
Osijek, Croatia.
(3)Department of Chemistry, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 
Osijek, Croatia.

The present study applied a non-invasive method to analyse anthropogenic 
particles and prey items in white stork (Ciconia ciconia) pellets. Pellets (n = 
20) were obtained from white stork nests during the 2020 breeding season from 
two sites in Croatia. In total, 7869 anthropogenic particles were isolated. The 
majority of particles were fragments, while previous studies on other birds 
often reported fibres. An ATR-FTIR polymer analysis detected glass and 
construction and building materials, as well as several compounds associated 
with plastic masses. Polymer investigation revealed the presence of 
dotriacontane and octacosane, which are by-products of polyethylene (PE) 
degradation and transformation. Additionally, the detection of vinylidene 
chloride (VDC) highlights the historical contribution of polyvinylidene chloride 
(PVDC) to plastic pollution. Significant variation in particle quantity and size 
between the sampling sites was detected, with larger particles found at sites 
associated with the metal mechanical engineering industry and agriculture. Prey 
assessment revealed chitin remains of large insects such as Orthoptera and 
Coleoptera. This research confirms the potential of pellet analysis as a 
valuable tool for assessing the presence of anthropogenic particles in the 
environment. However, further research is needed to fully understand the extent 
of particle ingestion, particle sources and potential impact.

DOI: 10.3390/toxics12040236
PMCID: PMC11054396
PMID: 38668458

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.