Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer, cytotoxic effect of Tamarix aphylla, and antibacterial effectiveness against 10 pathogenic bacteria that cause common and sometimes serious infections in human and animals.Methods: T. aphylla fresh and disease-free leaves were collected from the different geographical regions of Saudi Arabia. The anticancer, cytotoxic effect of T. aphylla leaves, and antibacterial screening efficiency against multidrug-resistant human pathogens were investigated in vitro using Vero cells as a normal cells and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma cells).Results: T. aphylla leaf extracts exhibited a low cytotoxic effect on Vero cell line at high concentration, with an 50% cytotoxicity concentration value of >1000 μg/ml. The methanolic extract inhibited MCF-7 cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The methanol and ethanol extracts showed antibacterial activity with variable inhibition effects and differences in their activities against tested pathogenic bacteria ranging from very high inhibition (20.7±1.3 mm) to low (4±0.6 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration of methanol and ethanol results showed no significant differences.Conclusions: The findings of this study conclude that the T. aphylla leaf extract had lower toxicity on normal cell line (low toxic plant) and significantly inhibited the growth of cancer cells. T. aphylla has potential antibacterial biomolecules against multidrug-resistant human pathogens.

Al-Ghanayem AA, Al Sobeai SM, Alhussaini MS, Joseph B, Saadabi AM. 2017. Antibacterial activity of certain Saudi Arabian medicinal plants used in folk medicine against different groups of bacteria. Nusantara Bioscience 9: 392-395. Medicinal plants from Saudi Arabia has been used in folk medicine for treatment of many diseases. The present research is on medicinal plants, which are locally available such as Acacia ehrenbergiana (Arabic: Salam) (Fabaceae), Calotropis procera (Arabic: Ausher) (Apocynaceae), Haloxylon salicornicum (Arabic: Rimth) (Amaranthaceae), Panicum turgidum (Arabic: Thuman) (Poaceae), Tamarix arabica (Arabic: Athal) (Tamaricaceae), Rhazya stricta (Arabic: Harmal) (Apocynaceae) Rumex vesicarius (Arabic: Humeid) (Polygonaceae) for antimicrobial activity by agar well diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) has been determined by broth micro dilution method. A. ehrenbergiana was active against Klebsiella pneumoniae. R. vesicarius and T. arabica showed antibacterial activity against Proteus vulgaris. C. procera showed a moderate inhibitory activity against the bacterial pathogens tested. H. salicornicum extract was more effective towards Gram-positive bacteria. However, other extracts such as P. turgidum and R. stricta were less active against both Gram-positive and negative bacteria tested. The results will be helpful in discovering new phytochemical components with antibacterial activity that can be used against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains.

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oThe cytotoxic effect of Anastatica hierochuntica was evaluated in vitro using Vero cell lines, characterized by identification of cellular alterations microscopically and cellular viability colorimetrically. The mean CC 50 value of methanol, ethanol, and aqueous extract were lower than 1000 µg/ml. The antibacterial activity of ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts of A. hierochuntica was evaluated using agar well diffusion method against 10 bacterial pathogens. All the extracts showed substantial antibacterial activity against the selected pathogens. The methanolic extract showed highest inhibition zone followed by the aqueous and ethanolic extract. Among the bacterial pathogens, L. monocytogenes was more resistant towards and ethanol extract. Although, other tested bacteria were susceptible towards aqueous ethanol and methanol extract. However, methanol extract was effective against the tested pathogens, when compared with the other extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 15-50 mg/ml to inhibit the growth of the tested bacteria. The results show that the plant contains bioactive components which can inhibit the bacterial pathogens which can be further purified and used against the multi-drug resistant bacteria.

The purpose of this study was to identify the most important physiological and biological effects of green synthesis ZnO nanoparticles at a size of 65 nm, biostimulant (Folcare) and interaction biostimulant ZnO NPs on plant growth and metabolism. As knowledge about biostimulants and their preventive and recovery modes of action has improved, it is important to keep the optimum result in terms of yield and quality of crops. The reduction of fertilisers has to be substituted by strategies that improve the nutrients uptake or their utilisation by the plants. New processing methods are required as an efficient green process or an integrated (hybrid) process for different new technologies of interest. The effects of NPs, biostimulant and combination ZnO NPs biostimulant on plant cells metabolism were examined in cytosol, chloroplast and mitochondria of cells from the setems, roots and leaves. The interaction NPs/biostimulant had a beneficial effect on the morphological and physiological indicators of plant health than when nanoparticles and biostimulant are applicated separately.Folcare biostimulant coupled with zinc oxide nanoparticles improved pea crops growth. The improved of the quality of pea plants can be explained at least, in part, by increase in antioxidant activities during plant growth phenophase.