Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and the Phenolic Content of Infusion, Decoction and Methanolic Extracts of Thyme and Rosmarinus Species.

Background: The plant species Rosmarinus officinalis (RO), Thymus algeriensis (TA) and Thymus capitatus (TC) are widely used in traditional medicine in Tunisia. Their bioactivities have been reported before and particularly referred to their essential oils. The main objective of this work was to assess the phytochemical composition, the antioxidant activity, the antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic potential of these 3 plants.

Cryopreservation of Escherichia coli K12TG1: protection from the damaging effects of supercooling by freezing.

Injuries in living cells caused by water freezing during a freeze-thaw process have been extensively reported. In particular, intracellular water freezing has long been incriminated in cell death caused by a high cooling rate, but this supposition could not always be demonstrated. This work aims to discriminate the role of water freezing, dehydration and cold-induced injuries in cellular damage occuring during cryopreservation.

In vitro antiviral activity of dermaseptin S(4) and derivatives from amphibian skin against herpes simplex virus type 2.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections have become a public health problem worldwide. The emergence of acyclovir-resistant viral strains and the failure of vaccination to prevent herpetic infections have prompted the search for new antiviral drugs. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to synthesize chemically and evaluate Dermaseptin S(4) (S(4)), an anti-microbial peptide derived from amphibian skin, and its derivatives in terms of anti-herpetic activity.