Phytochemical Profiling of Mint and Basil Extracts and Their Association with Wastewater Biofilm-Associated Structures
- 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephen F. Austin State University, 1936 North Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, USA
- 2Department of Engineering and Construction Sciences, Stephen F. Austin State University, 1936 North Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, USA
- 3Department of Biology, Grambling State University, 403 Main Street, Grambling, LA 71245, USA
Abstract
Microbial biofilms in treated wastewater are a concern for water reuse because microorganisms can remain associated with surfaces after treatment. This study examined the flavonoid composition of methanolic extracts of peppermint (Mentha × piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), chocolate mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’), and basil (Ocimum basilicum) and investigated their association with Bacillus thuringiensis biofilms formed on silicon wafers in treated wastewater supplemented with Luria–Bertani (LB) broth. The final concentration of each plant extract was 0.3% (v/v). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–HRMS/MS) was used to identify and quantify selected flavonoids. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to examine surface morphology, bacterial-cell dimensions, and elemental composition. The extracts showed distinct phytochemical profiles. Luteolin-7-O-rutinoside was the major quantified flavonoid in the three mint extracts, whereas basil contained predominantly kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside. SEM images showed differences in surface-associated structures among untreated, methanol-control, and plant-extract-treated samples. The longitudinal dimensions of selected dispersed bacterial cells also varied among the treatments. Thickness measurements were obtained for the untreated and methanol-control samples, while scattered, poorly defined structures in representative plant-extract-treated samples did not permit reliable thickness measurements. EDX analysis showed variation in the relative elemental composition of selected surface regions, with differences observed among treatments and between the two wastewater conditions. These findings provide a chemical and surface-characterization profile of the tested plant extracts and their association with B. thuringiensis biofilm-associated structures.
Related
- Chemical profiling and multitarget computational screening reveal bioactive phytochemical scaffolds from Echiochilon pauciflorum stocks ex wight
- Phytochemical Profiling and Anticancer Potential of Ipomoea hederifolia L. Root Extract: LC-MS Characterization and Molecular Docking Insights.
- LC-MS/MS-based phytochemical profiling and preliminary in vitro anticancer-related bioactivity of Euphorbia petrophila ethanol extract.
- Cold Stress-Induced DNA Methylation Profiling and Its Association with Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Germinating Mikania micrantha Seeds.
- Optimized Super-SILAC Normalization Enables Enhanced Profiling of Histone Post-Translational Modification Changes Associated with Microbiota and Acute Inflammation
BibTeX
@article{sengupta2026phytochemical,
title = {{Phytochemical Profiling of Mint and Basil Extracts and Their Association with Wastewater Biofilm-Associated Structures}},
author = {Bidisha Sengupta and Olabisi Ogunlewe and Nkeiruka Angela Aziekwu and Ken Fiffick and Robert Friedfeld and Cephus Bess-Grunewald and Perla Tovar and Philip Baker and Thanh Tien Dao and Kylie Robertson and Michael Janusa and Paul Kim},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31213836},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3836},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phytochemical Profiling of Mint and Basil Extracts and Their Association with Wastewater Biofilm-Associated Structures
AU - Bidisha Sengupta
AU - Olabisi Ogunlewe
AU - Nkeiruka Angela Aziekwu
AU - Ken Fiffick
AU - Robert Friedfeld
AU - Cephus Bess-Grunewald
AU - Perla Tovar
AU - Philip Baker
AU - Thanh Tien Dao
AU - Kylie Robertson
AU - Michael Janusa
AU - Paul Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31213836
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/21/3836
AB - Microbial biofilms in treated wastewater are a concern for water reuse because microorganisms can remain associated with surfaces after treatment. This study examined the flavonoid composition of methanolic extracts of peppermint (Mentha × piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), chocolate mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’), and basil (Ocimum basilicum) and investigated their association with Bacillus thuringiensis biofilms formed on silicon wafers in treated wastewater supplemented with Luria–Bertani (LB) broth. The final concentration of each plant extract was 0.3% (v/v). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–HRMS/MS) was used to identify and quantify selected flavonoids. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to examine surface morphology, bacterial-cell dimensions, and elemental composition. The extracts showed distinct phytochemical profiles. Luteolin-7-O-rutinoside was the major quantified flavonoid in the three mint extracts, whereas basil contained predominantly kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside. SEM images showed differences in surface-associated structures among untreated, methanol-control, and plant-extract-treated samples. The longitudinal dimensions of selected dispersed bacterial cells also varied among the treatments. Thickness measurements were obtained for the untreated and methanol-control samples, while scattered, poorly defined structures in representative plant-extract-treated samples did not permit reliable thickness measurements. EDX analysis showed variation in the relative elemental composition of selected surface regions, with differences observed among treatments and between the two wastewater conditions. These findings provide a chemical and surface-characterization profile of the tested plant extracts and their association with B. thuringiensis biofilm-associated structures.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -