Plant oils have attracted interest for centuries as natural remedies in treatment of various diseases. The Inula verbascifolia (Willd.) Hausskn.isgrowing wild plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aromatic natural oils are one of the most significant sources of natural organic components. The natural vegetable oil of the selected plant (Inula verb.) was obtained by the hydrodistillation method. A comparison was made between the fragrant vegetable oil from the aerial parts of the plant in the flowering period (summer) and after the flowering period (autumn). In this study, chemical compounds were tested, comparing the content and composition of natural oils from the plant Inula verbascifolia. The aerial parts of the plant contained a fragrant and yellow essential oil. The identified 125 constituents accounted for 86.87% and 88.38% of the oil. The dominant compounds of both EOs were tridecanal, (3Z)- hexenyl benzoate, α-murolol, hexadecanoic acid, linalool and undecanal. Since essential aromatic oils possess a number of antimicrobial properties, an analysis of antimicrobial activity was also performed in this work. The antimicrobial activity of a mixture of EOs was determined on selected ATCC strains of microorganisms. Results of antimicrobial activity indicated that all used the microorganisms were sensitive to the EO. No data about antimicrobial activity of Inula verbascifolia has been published yet.

Introduction/Aim. Plums, as one of the oldest types of fruits, are very important in the human diet. The most common varieties of plums cultivated in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina are Požegača, Čačanska lepotica, Čačanska rodna and Valjevka. They belong to the group of basic fruits rich in various vitamins and minerals. In addition, plum seed oil is used in the cosmetic industry. This oil is a rich source of biologically active components with proven biological effects - it hydrates the skin and improves its elasticity; the skin easily absorbs it without leaving a greasy film on the surface. The aim of this study was to find the optimal method for isolating fatty oil from the seeds of four types of plums with the best characteristics. Their potential as raw material in the cosmetic industry through the application of supercritical and Soxhlet extraction and their characterization was examined. Methods. Fatty oils were extracted by conventional Soxhlet extraction with non-polar organic solvent and by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide. The AOAC 930.15 method was used to determine the moisture content of the plum seeds. The oils were characterized by determining the organoleptic characteristics, as well as the acid, iodine, saponification and peroxide number. Results. The fattiest oil was obtained from the pits of the Čačanka rodna plum using the both extraction methods, supercritical and Soxhlet extraction. Fatty oil of Požegača had the lowest values of iodine and peroxide number, while the acid and saponification number were the lowest within the oil from Valjevka and Čačanka rodna, respectively. Conclusion. Both extraction methods showed good extraction yields, with higher extraction capacity using Soxhlet extraction. Čačanka rodna had the highest amount of oil. Fatty oils from all varietes showed excellent characteristics, so the plum kernels can be potentially used for obtaining fatty oil for cosmetic purposes due to its beneficial effect on the skin.

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (known as shepherd's purse) is a plant whose parts are used as medicine in herbal medicine. It is applicable as a medicine in the treatment of all forms of internal bleeding, for the treatment of hemorrhoids, excessive menstruation, but also for the usual stopping of nosebleeds. Through this research, the influence of organic solvents and their aqueous mixtures on the efficiency of polyphenol extraction and antioxidant activity was compared. The inhibition of free radicals was tested by the DPPH method, while the FRAP method was used to test the reduction potential. Analyzes have shown that water is the most effective solvent in the isolation of polyphenols from the aerial parts of shepherd's purse. Mixtures of organic solvents with water also showed high efficiency in the extraction of bioactive components, while the weakest results were obtained for extracts prepared in pure organic solvents.

Extracts obtained from plant material have widely applied in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries because they contain significant concentrations of biologically active substances. Commercial daisy extract (Bellis perennis) was used in this paper for in vitro testing of tyrosinase enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Inhibition of the tyrosinase enzyme was determined by monitoring dopachrome formation at a wavelength of 492 nm. Antioxidant activity was tested using FRAP and DPPH methods, while antibacterial activity was tested by diffusion technique on reference strains from the ATCC collection. The results showed that daisy extract inhibits tyrosinase enzyme in a dose-dependent manner. The extract effectively neutralized DPPH radicals and also showed good reducing ability. Bacterial strains used for in vitro antimicrobial activity testing did not show sensitivity to the extract concentrations used in this study.

Origanum compactum, an endemic Moroccan medicinal herb, possesses many different activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the stability and antifungal activity of liposomal dispersion with this essential oil. Liposomal dispersion stability was evaluated by testing the vesicle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential. It was also examined the in vitro release of thymol and carvacrol from liposomal dispersion. The major components of this essential oil were carvacrol (58.4%), thymol (12.5%) and γ-terpinene (10.7%). Origanum compactum essential oil showed a strong antifungal activity, and the inhibition zones ranged from 24 to 45 mm. After 210 minutes, 80.88% thymol and 16.67% carvacrol were released. Stability assessment was performed for three months and the liposomal dispersion showed a good stability.

Aims: The aims of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates to antibiotics and essential oils - Origanum compactum, Origanum majorana and Thymus serpyllum. Study Design: Study included 30 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae obtained from clinical material provided from the University Clinical Center Tuzla. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tuzla, BiH, between September 2019 to September 2020. Methodology: Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The following commercially available antibiotic discs were used: amoxicillin (30µg), cefalexin (30 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), amikacin (30 µg), imipenem (10 µg), piperacillin (75µg), ampicilin (10 µg), meropenem (10 µg), ciprofloksacin (10 µg), ceftazidim (30 µg), cefotaksim (30 µg), ceftriaxone (30 µg), cefepime (30 µg) and aztreonam (30 µg). The antibacterial effect of the essential oils was tested for ESBL K. pneumoniae isolates using the diffusion method according to Clinical laboratory standards institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: O. compactum and O. majorana essential oils showed the same antimicrobial activity with 80.0% effect on ESBL K. pneumoniae isolates, Thymus serpyllum EO showed antimicrobial activity of 60.0%. The lowest MIC value had the O. compactum essential oil (MIC 6 mg/ml-10.5 mg/ml), followed by the T. serpyllum (MIC 17.2 mg/ml-43 mg/ml), while the O. majorana essential oil showed MIC values in range from 11 mg/ml to 39 mg/ml. Conclusion: The results of the study showed the exceptional sensitivity of ESBL K. pneumoniae clinical isolates to the essential oils from Origanum and Thymus genera, which highly suggests their potential application in the struggle against these pathogens in the future.

In this study, metal complex of Copper(II) with a Schiff base derived from 2,2-dihydroxyindane-1,3-dione and 2-aminoethanoic acid were synthesized. The product are characterized by spectral methods. The antimicrobial activity was tested on reference bacterial strains and the antioxidant capacity was analyzed by using the DPPH and FRAP methods. The spectral data indicates that the Schiff base coordinates the Copper(II) as a tridentate ONO donor ligand. The compounds showed weaker antimicrobial activity on certain tested microorganisms. In vitro testing of antioxidant activity showed a significant reducing ability of the complex, as well as inhibitory activity against DPPH radicals.

Telekia speciosa (Schreb.) Baumg., Asteraceae, is widespread in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkan Peninsula. Previous phytochemical investigations have revealed T. speciosa as a rich source of sesquiterpene lactone -isoalantolactone, especially in its underground parts. The aim of the present study was to analyze the essential oils from aerial and underground parts of T. speciosa and investigate their antimicrobial activity. Chemical composition of essential oils was determined by GC-FID/MS method leading to the identification of 67 compounds in total, with 15.77 % oxygenated monoterpenes, 7.77 % sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 49.14 % oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and 12.37 % other compounds from aerial parts, and 3.80 % oxygenated monoterpenes, 3.13 % sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 90.33 % oxygenated sesquiterpenes from underground parts essential oil. The main components from aerial parts were (E)-nerolidol (11.54 %) and caryophyllene oxide (10.54 %), while isoalantolactone was the predominant component from essential oil underground parts (83.41 %). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration of the essential oils were evaluated against six strains of bacteria and two strains of fungus using in vitro microdilution method. Both oils presented antimicrobial properties against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacilus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Inhibition of growth of tested microorganisms by T. speciosa underground parts essential oil was achieved with MICs ranging from 1.0 to 11.0 mg mL -1 , while MICs of aerial parts essential oil varied from 4.0 to 30.0 mg mL -1 . The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of antimicrobial properties of T. speciosa, which support traditional uses underground parts of the plant.