Isobavachalcone (IBC) or (E)-1-[2,4-dihydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-phenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-one or (E)-4,2',4'-trihydroxy-3'-prenylchalcone; 2',4,4'-trihydroxy-3'-prenyl-transchalcone, is a prenylated chalcone of the class flavonoid, firstly isolated from Psoralea corylifolia in 1968. IBC is known to possess a wide spectrum of biological activities, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-reverse transcriptase, antitubercular and antioxidant. The compound was isolated from plant families, mostly Moraceae and Fabaceae. This review brings out together the knowledge on IBC, and can serve as the start point for future research and valorization accomplishments.
Animals ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; drug effects ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Chalcones ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans

The upsurge of multiple drug resistance (MDR) bacteria substantially diminishes the effectiveness of antibiotic arsenal and therefore intensifies the rate of therapeutic failure. The major factor in MDR is efflux pump-mediated resistance. A unique pump can make bacteria withstand a wide range of struc-turally diverse compounds. Therefore, their inhibition is a promising route to eliminate resistance phenomenon in bacteria. Phytochemicals are excellent alternatives as resistance-modifying agents. They can directly kill bacteria or interact with the crucial events of pathogenicity, thereby decreasing the ability of bacteria to develop resistance. Numerous botanicals display noteworthy efflux pumps inhibi-tory activities. Edible plants are of growing interest. Likewise, some plant families would be excellent sources of efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) including Apocynaceae, Berberidaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cucur-bitaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Zingiberaceae. Easily applicable methods for screening plant-derived EPIs include checkerboard synergy test, berberine uptake assay and ethidium bromide test. In silico high-throughput virtual detection can be evaluated as a criterion of excluding compounds with efflux substrate-like characteristics, thereby improving the selection process and extending the identification of EPIs. To ascertain the efflux activity inhibition, real-time PCR and quantitative mass spectrometry can be applied. This review emphasizes on efflux pumps and their roles in transmitting bacterial resistance and an update plant-derived EPIs and strategies for identification.

4-hydroxylonchocarpin (LCP) or 2',4-dihydroxy-3',4'-(2,2-dimethylchromene) chalcone is a chalcone of the class flavonoid, with a molecular weight of 322 g/mol mostly isolated in the family Moraceae and Leguminosae. LCP was reported to have a variety of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-reverse transcriptase, antitubercular, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, ornitnine decarboxylase activity and antioxidant. The hemisynthesis of the compound has been described. The present review was undertaken to bring out together the knowledge on LCP, and can serve as the start point for future research and valorization accomplishments.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; drug effects ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Flavones ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans

This study aimed to identify virulent and antimicrobial resistant genes in fecal E. coli in Mbouda, Cameroon.

A total of 599 fecal samples were collected from patients with enteric infections who were ≥ 20 years old. E. coli was isolated on the MacConkey agar and virulent genes were detected by multiplex/simplex PCR. Isolates in which ≥ 1 virulent gene was detected were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. The resulting resistant isolates were subjected to PCR, followed by sequencing for resistant genes detection.

There were 119 enterovirulent E. coli identified, amongst which 47.05% were atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), 36.97% enterotoxigenic E. coli, 10.08% Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and 5.88% were enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC). The occurrence of the eae gene (47.06%) was higher compared with CVD432 (33.61%), aaic (13.45%), stx2 (10.08%) and stx1 (0.84%). High resistance rates were noted for ampicillin (94.64% EPEC, 91.67% STEC, 59.09% EAEC, and 57.14% EIEC) and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (100% EPEC and 83.33% STEC, 81.82% EAEC and 71.43% EIEC). sul2 (71.43%), tetB (64.71%), tetA (59.94%) and blaTEM (52.10%) were detected. A double mutation (S83L; D87N) was seen in gyrA and a single mutation (S80I) was observed in parC.

These findings suggested that measures should be taken to reduce the harm of E. coli to public health.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the immunological and bacterial profiles in pregnant women of Bafang-Cameroon. Methods: Stool and midstream urine were cultured using specific culture media. The disk diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial susceptibility test. T-cell lymphocyte counts (CD3, CD4 and CD8), white blood cell counts, sensitive C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6, were measured by flow cytometry, optical detection, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay solid phase direct sandwich method. Results: Out of 700 participants, 71.43% were pregnant, and 28.57% were non-pregnant women. The mean age was 29.40 ± 8.27 and 27.41 ± 6.55 years in non-pregnant and pregnant women, respectively.CD4 T-cells were not significantly lower in pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women.There were 43.65% and 56.35% bacteria isolates obtained from urine and stool samples, respectively.Bacteria were mostly isolated in patients with a CD4 T-cell count between 461 and 806 cells/μL. Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes showed 100% resistance in non-pregnant women, however all isolated bacteria were shown to be multidrug resistant in pregnant women. Salmonella sp. (24.3%) and Escherichia coli (21.51%) showed an increase in multidrug resistant phenotypes in pregnant women. Conclusion This study demonstrated that routine bacteriological analysis during pregnancy is necessary for their follow-up care.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the in vitro antibacterial properties and the ability to potentiate some common antibiotics effects of the methanol extracts of 11 Cameroonian food plants on 29 Gram-negative bacteria expressing multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotypes.

METHODSThe antimicrobial activity of the extracts was performed using the broth microdilution method. The phytochemical screening of these extracts was also performed using standard methods.

RESULTSOcimum basilicum, Gnetum africanum and Eucalyptus robusta extracts possessed an antibacterial activity against all the 29 studied bacteria. The extracts from G. africanum and E. robusta were the most active with the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration of 64 μg/mL on Escherichia coli AG100A for both extracts and also against Klebsiella pneumoniae K24 for G. africanum. When tested in the presence of phenylalanine-arginine β-Naphtylamide (PAβN), an efflux pump inhibitor, the extract of Thymus vulgaris and E. Robusta showed the best activities on most tested strains. E. Robusta extract showed good synergistic effects, improving the activity of commonly used antibiotics in about 85% of cases.

CONCLUSIONThe overall results obtained provide the baseline information for the use of the tested plants in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Cameroon ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; drug effects ; Eucalyptus ; chemistry ; Gnetum ; chemistry ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; drug effects ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Humans ; Medicine, African Traditional ; methods ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Ocimum basilicum ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Plant Preparations ; pharmacology ; Plants, Edible ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract from the stem bark of Drypetes tessmanniana, fractions (DTB1-5) as well as compounds [friedelin (2), 3,7-dioxofriedelane (3), 3,15-dioxofriedelane (4), 3beta- O-(E)-3,5-dihydroxycinnamoyl-11-oxo-olean-12-ene (6), and 3beta,6alpha-dihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (7).

METHODSAgar disc diffusion was used to determine the sensitivity of the above samples, whilst the microdilution method was used for the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal microbicidal concentrations (MMC).

RESULTSThe diffusion test showed that the crude extract was able to prevent the growth of all tested organisms. All other samples showed selective activity. The inhibitory effect of the fraction DTB2 was noted on 63.7%, that of DTB1 and DBT3 on 54.6%, whilst DTB4 and DTB5 were active on 9.1% of the 11 tested organisms. The tested compounds prevented the growth of 81.8% of the tested microbial species for compounds 3 and 4, 36.7% for compound 6, and 18.2% for compound 7. The results of the MIC determinations indicated perceptible values for DTB and compound 4 on 81.8% of the tested organisms. For other samples, MICs were detected on 0-63.7%. The lowest MIC value (78.12 microg/mL) for the crude extract and fractions (DTB2) was observed on M. audouinii. The corresponding value for isolated compounds (156.25 microg/mL) was noted with compounds 3 on S. faecalis and 4 on M. audouinii audouinii. The results of the MMC determination suggested that the microbicidal effect of most of the tested samples on the studied microorganisms could be expected.

CONCLUSIONThe methanol extract from the stem bark of Drypetes. tessmanniana (Euphorbiaceae) as well as some of the isolated compounds might be potential sources of new antimicrobial drugs.

Anti-Infective Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; Euphorbiaceae ; chemistry ; Fungi ; drug effects ; Methanol ; chemistry ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Reference Standards