title: Antimicrobial and cytotoxic knotwood extracts and related pure compounds and their effects on food-associated microorganisms.
abstract: Knotwood or bark extracts prepared from 30 species of hard and soft wood trees as well as selected pure compounds (lignans, stilbenes and flavonoids) were assayed for their antimicrobial activity against a battery of both gram positive and negative bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Lactobacillus plantarum, Escherichia coli, Salmonella infantis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium brevicompactum). By far the most consistent antibacterial and antifungal properties were associated with extracts of Pinus species. These extracts showed also cytotoxicity against a mouse hepatoma cell line. Both antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties correlated with the stilbene content of the extracts. Purified stilbenes showed the most consistent antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, while purified lignans had marginal effects, only. The results suggest that stilbenes account both for the antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of Pinus knotwood extracts.
authors.affiliation: Tampere University of Technology, Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box 541, FIN-33101 Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna-Liisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Välimaa
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Honkalampi-Hämäläinen
authors.forename: Suvi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pietarinen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willför
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holmbom
authors.forename: Atte
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Wright
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry*; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013267:Stilbenes