2-acetoxybenzoic acid, also known as aspirin, is one of the most widespread and important pharmaceutical compound used in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and febrile conditions. In addition to its well-known therapeutic properties, 2-acetoxybenzoic acid is increasingly being investigated in the context of its interactions with metals, leading to new insights into potential applications in medicine, chemistry, and biotechnology. Among the metals that form complex compounds with 2-acetoxybenzoic acid, nickel is one of the most interesting due to its specific electrochemical properties and biological activity. The study of the 2-acetoxybenzoic acid-nickel complex plays a significant role in understanding the molecular mechanisms of interaction between drugs and metal ions, as well as the potential therapeutic benefits of these compounds. This research thoroughly examines the structural, chemical, and biological aspects of the 2-acetoxybenzoic acid-nickel complex, with particular emphasis on its potential application in the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. The structure of this complex was determined by various spectroscopic and analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), mass spectrometry (MS), melting point methods, and optical microscopy. These methods contributed to the understanding of the interaction mechanisms between the ligand and the nickel ion center, opening the possibility for further investigation of the pharmacological properties and potential therapeutic applications of this complex. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the synthesized Ni(II) complex with 2-acetoxybenzoic acid was investigated, and it was found that the metal complex exhibits varying degrees of inhibitory effects on bacteria.

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.

Two highly invasive plant species, Lysimachia vulgaris and Lythrum salicaria are well-known for its anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and antidiaroic activity. These plants are most widespread on the territory of Euroasia, where their traditional medicinal use has been reported. Due to their invasiveness, they are undesirable plants in  other parts of the world. Till this day, many studies were conducted regarding the biological and pharmacological activity of L. salicaria. In this study, the polyphenol content of plant extracts was examined using the Folin-Ciocalteou method. Antioxidant activity of selected plant species was also determined, using DPPH and FRAP methods. Extracts of different polarities were prepared using methanol, water, and acetone. Extraction was performed by maceration and ultrasonic extraction. The results of the study show that both plant species possess antioxidant activity. Lythrum salicaria extracts show a significant polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, with results notably higher than the results of studies conducted so far. The different antioxidant activity of the prepared extracts confirms the influence of solvents and extraction methods on the utilization of the antioxidant potential of plants. Additionally, for the aqueous extracts prepared by ultrasonic extraction method, an in vitro study of antibacterial activity was conducted. Both plant species show antibacterial activity, with an emphasis on the very strong antibacterial activity of L. salicaria extracts against selected bacterial strains.

The chemical composition of Pulicaria dysenterica(L.) Bernh. aerial parts essential oil (EO), growing wildin Bosnia and Herzegovina, was presented in the study. In addition to the EO composition, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities were also tested. The aerial parts of P. dysentericacontained 0.3% of yellow, liquid, fragrant EO. The 51 components identified accounted for 81.09% of the oil. The EO was characterized by the presence of a high concentration of oxygenated sesquiterpenes 51.83% while oxygenated monoterpenes constituted 15.57%, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons 9.32% and non-terpene compounds presented 4.37% of the EO. The dominant compounds were the sesquiterpenes caryophyllene oxide, (E)-nerolidol, β-caryophyllene and monoterpene nerol. The antimicrobial activity of EO was tested against selected ATCC strains of microorganisms, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosaand Escherichia coli, and the fungus Candida albicans. The results showed that the investigated EO inhibited the growth of all selected ATCC strains of microorganisms. The best result was obtained against Escherichia colibacteria with MIC value of 1 mgmL-1. The cytotoxicity of EO was measured against the HeLa cell line using the MTT method with IC50of 188.52 μgmL-1.This study has provided scientific baseline data on the therapeutic properties of P. dysenterica. KEYWORDS:Pulicaria dysenterica, essential oil,antimicrobial activity,citotoxicity

Nowadays, bottled water has become part of the lifestyle, replacing tap water, and water from freestanding dispensers is increasingly being used. The main goal of this research was to determine the health suitability of bottled water in freestanding dispensers. The research included the microbiological analysis of a total of 100 samples of bottled water from freestanding dispensers. The samples were mostly taken in the wider area of the city of Doboj (doctor's offices, shops, public buildings), and one dispenser in the city of Tuzla. Water samples were taken twice, in the period from April to June 2022. Water samples from 6 different manufacturers (Vivia, Kristal, Nevra, Gora, Aqua doria, Aqua team) were analyzed. 9% of water samples (9/100) were microbiologically correct. Microbiologically defective samples contained a higher total number of bacteria at 22°C and 37°C, as well as a higher number of coliform bacteria than the maximum allowed values. No significant differences in microbiological quality were found between older and/or recently installed water dispensers, as well as in terms of environmental conditions, while visible differences were observed between dispensers that were regularly hygienically maintained.KEYWORDS:dispensers; bottled water; coliform bacteria; biofilms; total bacteria count

Vaginal inflammation represents a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by infection, inflammation, or disruption of vaginal microflora. The most common causes of vaginal infection are Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coliand Candida albicans. Antibiotic resistance is a major global problem, which can be mitigated by using natural antimicrobial substances such as essential oils. Each essential oil has an extremely complex composition (some essential oilshave over 200 components), which prevents microorganisms from developing resistance. Therefore, essential oils retain their effects.The aim of our study was to investigate antibacterial activity Melaleuca alternifolia, Achillea millefoliumand Cinnamomumcamphoravaginal suppositories, and see which essential oil has the strongest potential to be used as active ingredient for vaginal infections.The antimicrobial activity of the vaginal suppositories was examined using the disk diffusion method. Standard bacterial strains were used for the ATCC collection: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis)ATCC 51299, Escherichia coli (E. coli)ATCC 25922, Candida albicans (C. albicans)ATCC 10231.The results showed that Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil has an antimicrobial effect on all tested strains, with the strongest effect on Candida albicans(ZI 22.7 mm). Achillea millefoliumessential oil had no effect on Enterococcus faecalis, whereas Cinnamomum camphoraessential oil did not show zones of inhibition of Candida albicans.KEYWORDS:vaginal suppository, Melaleuca alternifolia, Achillea millefolium, Cinnamomum camphora,antimicrobial activity

Tussilago farfara L., also known as coltsfoot, is a plant that has been used since ancient times to relieve coughs. Subsequently, the effectiveness of coltsfoot in the treatment of bronchial asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases was established. In this research, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different coltsfoot extracts was analyzed. The antioxidant activity was monitored through the DPPH radical inhibition efficiency and the extract's reducing ability. Antibacterial activity was tested using the diffusion technique. Tussilago farfara L. extracts showed extremely high antioxidant activity in in vitro conditions. The highest antioxidant capacity was found in extracts prepared by mixing water and organic solvents. High antibacterial activity was found for ethanolic, acetone and aqueous-ethanolic extracts of coltsfoot.

Copper (II) complexes with commercial antibiotics, amoxicillin (AMX), azithromycin (AZT) and ciprofloxacin (CFL) were synthesized and isolated as solids. Structures of the isolated products were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. Antibacterial activities were determined on reference bacterial strains from the ATCC collection by diffusion technique. The results show that AMX and CFL coordinate Cu (II) ion as bidentate O-donor ligand. AZT coordinates metal center as bidentate NO-donor ligand. A difference in the morphology of antibiotic crystals and the synthesized complexes was found. Complex of Cu (AMX)2 show complete absence of antibacterial activity, while the other com-plexes show the same or even lower activity than the parent ligands.  

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.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), as an alternative to ionic liquids, have greener credentials than ionic liquids and have attracted increasing attention in many applications. Choline chloride-based DESs in combination with different hydrogen bond donors (organic acid, sugars and urea), showed a high extraction efficiency. The aim of this study was to examine the possible effects of choline chloride-based eutectic solvents on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of lemon and mandarin orange seed extracts. Lactic acid, glucose, urea and water were used to prepare choline chloride-based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs). Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) Assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) method were used to determine Original Research Article Kolarević et al.; IRJPAC, 21(23): 120-128, 2020; Article no.IRJPAC.63470 121 antioxidant activity. Antibacterial activity was investigated by diffusion method on reference bacterial strains E. coli, E. faecalis, S. aureus, B. subtilis and L. monocytogenes. The analysis revealed a significant reduction potential of the eutectic solvent based on lactic acid as well as significant antioxidant activity of lemon and mandarin seed extracts. In general, mandarin extracts showed better antioxidant capacity. In vitro antibacterial activity assays showed a complete absence of bacterial growth inhibition of the extracts. However, eutectic solvents with lactic acid have shown a significant antimicrobial effect.