Tackling multiple antibiotic resistance in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) clinical isolates: a diarylheptanoid from Alpinia officinarum shows promising antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity against EPEC and its lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.

Antibiotic treatment for infectious diseases commonly leads to host inflammatory responses. Molecules with bifunctional antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties could provide a solution for such clinical manifestations. Here we report such bifunctional activity for a diarylheptanoid (5-hydroxy-7-(4''-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone) isolated from Alpinia officinarum, a medicinal plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, against enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC).

Pure compound from Boswellia serrata extract exhibits anti-inflammatory property in human PBMCs and mouse macrophages through inhibition of TNFalpha, IL-1beta, NO and MAP kinases.

The aim of the present study is to probe the anti-inflammatory potential of the plant Boswellia serrata by studying the effect of the crude extract and the pure compound isolated from it on key inflammatory mediators like TNFalpha, IL-1beta, and NO thus enabling the understanding of the key signaling events involved. The crude methanolic extract and the pure compound were analysed for their inhibitory effect on TNFalpha, IL-1beta and IL-6. The results demonstrated that all three cytokines are down regulated when PBMCs are cultured in the presence of crude extract or the pure compound at various time points.

Inhibition of MAP kinases by crude extract and pure compound isolated from Commiphora mukul leads to down regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-2.

The anti-inflammatory effect of the medicinal plant, Commiphora mukul gum was studied in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Bioassay-guided fractionation using conventional solvent extraction procedures, subsequent column fractionation, followed by monitoring specific activity in PBMC led to the isolation of a lead compound. Both crude ethyl acetate extract and the lead compound, thus isolated, showed inhibitory effect on proliferative response of PBMC in mitogenic lymphocyte proliferation and MLR assays.