Characterization of an endophytic whorl-forming Streptomyces from Catharanthus roseus stems producing polyene macrolide antibiotic.

An endophytic whorl-forming Streptomyces sp. designated as TS3RO having antifungal activity against a large number of fungal pathogens, including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Cryphonectria parasitica, Fusarium oxysporum, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Trichophyton rubrum, was isolated from surface-sterilized Catharanthus roseus stems. Preliminary identification showed that Streptomyces cinnamoneus subsp.

Application of design of experiments and design space methodology for the HPLC-UV separation optimization of aporphine alkaloids from leaves of Spirospermum penduliflorum Thouars.

Spirospermum penduliflorum Thouars (Menispermaceae) is an endemic species of Madagascar traditionally used as vasorelaxant. Recently, two aporphine alkaloids known to possess antihypertensive activity (dicentrine and neolitsine) were isolated and identified from the leaves of this plant. In the present study, a HPLC-UV method allowing the separation of all alkaloids and the quantification of dicentrine in the alkaloidic extract of leaves was developed using design of experiments and design space methodology.

Screening for anti-infective properties of several medicinal plants of the Mauritians flora.

Several plants of the Mauritian flora alleged to possess anti-infective properties were studied against different strains of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The grounded dried plant materials were extracted with different extractants and screened for anti-microbial activity using the disk diffusion and the micro-dilution techniques. Preliminary screening revealed that the methanol extracts were most active.

An LC/DAD-UV/MS method for the rapid detection of aristolochic acid in plant preparations.

A new method using direct on-line coupling between HPLC and UV-DAD/MS was developed for the rapid detection of aristolochic acid I in plant preparations. The use of both UV-DAD and MS detectors enables this method to be very selective. A ng range detection limit was determined for both UV and MS detections.