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The study was aimed to investigate antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts obtain from leaves, seeds and sheaths of R. pseudoacacia. Total phenolic content (TPC, Folin-Ciocalteu method), antioxidant activity (TEAC assay) and antimicrobial activity (agar disk diffusion method and broth dilution method) of vegetative and reproductive organs of R. pseudoacacia were done. The highest content of polyphenols (expressed as gallic acid equivalents, GAE) obtained for R. pseudoacacia leaves extract (266.7 μg GAE mL-1 extract) followed by seeds extract (232.2 μg GAE mL-1 extract). The HPLC analysis showed presence of catechin (0.925 μg mL-1), rutin (0.831 μg mL-1), resveratrol (0.664 μg mL-1) and quercetin (0.456 μg mL-1) in leaves and catechin (0.127 μg mL-1), epicatechin (0.239 μg mL-1) and rutin (0.231 μg mL-1) in seeds extract. The results showed that the studied extracts exhibited a selective antimicrobial effect directed against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonie and Escherichia coli) bacterial strains. The combination leaves extract / antibiotic had the highest synergistic effect when compared to seeds and sheaths extracts. The same extract with penicillin, kanamycin and rifampin had highest synergetic effect against methicillin resistant S. aureus strain (MRSA), a strain which it has gained a great interest of microbiologists within past decades. The chemical characterization of ethanol extracts from the vegetative and reproductive organs of Robinia pseudoacacia, synergistic effects of certain antibiotics and acacia extracts, potential to increase antimicrobial activity of some commercial antibiotics against MRSA were done for the first time.

• Nitophyllum punctatum contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. • N. punctatum inhibit NO production and suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines. • N. punctatum extract prevents EMS-induced genotoxicity in onion roots. • N. punctatum is a promising source of anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic compounds. Marine algae are important sources of nutritionally and pharmacologically important products. Here in the study, nutritional composition and biological activities of a marine red algae Nitophyllum punctatum were assessed. The present study aimed to analyze the nutritional composition and biological effects of the N. punctatum. The marine algae N. punctatum was collected, shade dried and extracted using Soxhelet apparatus. The elemental composition was estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy; the anti-inflammatory effect was determined using Raw 264.7 macrophages. Genotoxicity was assessed by standard methods using Allium cepa root model. The elemental composition analysis revealed the presence of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron, indicating the potential nutritional value of the algae. The extract demonstrated significant inhibition of Nitric oxide (NO) production and downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, suggesting its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent. Furthermore, the anti-genotoxic potential of the methanol extract was evaluated using the Allium cepa model, a well-established system for assessing genotoxicity. Onion root tips were treated with various concentrations of the extract, and the chromosomal changes were performed as indicators of genotoxicity. Results indicated a protective effect against Ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) induced genotoxicity in onion roots. The findings suggest that the methanol extract of N. punctatum possesses potent anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic properties, which may be attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds. The study highlights the potential pharmacological importance of N. punctatum as a source of natural compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Gleditsia triacanthos is an aggressive invasive species in Eastern Europe, producing a significant number of pods that could represent an inexhaustible resource of raw material for various applications. The aim of this study was to extract cellulose from the Gleditsia triacanthos pods, characterize it by spectrophotometric and UHPLC–DAD-ESI/MS analysis, and use it to fabricate a wound dressing that is multi-functionalized with phenolic compounds extracted from the leaves of the same species. The obtained cellulose microfibers (CM) were functionalized, lyophilized, and characterized by ATR-FTIR and SEM. The water absorption and retention capacity as well as the controlled release of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties evaluated in temporal dynamics were also determined. The antimicrobial activity against reference and clinical multi-drug-resistant Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis strains occurred immediately after the contact with the tested materials and was maintained for 24 h for all tested microbial strains. In conclusion, the multi-functionalized cellulose microfibers (MFCM) obtained from the reproductive organs of an invasive species can represent a promising alternative for the development of functional wound dressings with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as being a scalable example for designing cost-effective, circular bio-economy approaches to combat the accelerated spread of invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]