FIRST STEP TOWARDS UNRAVELING THE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF AN ENDEMIC TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, BAUHINIA PHOENICEA WIGHT AND ARN BARK

Objective: Bauhinia phoenicea Wight & Arn is a medicinal plant endemic to Western Ghats. In traditional medicine, it used against diabetes, skin allergies, fungal infections and worm disturbances. To the best of our knowledge, any scientific studies on the medicinal properties of this are not yet reported. Therefore, as a first step towards unraveling its medicinal property, bioactivity profiling was performed.Methods: Pharmacological activity profiling includes antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic and antioxidant property screening using crude ethanolic extract, which preliminary analyses its folk claim. Qualitative Phytochemical analysis performed to identify various valuable secondary metabolites. All the analysis were done according to standard protocolsResults: The present work focused on the evaluation of its folk claim. Ethanolic extract of bark of B. phoenicia assayed for antimicrobial activity against 10 human pathogenic strains. The extract showed significant activity against all pathogens. Maximum zone of inhibition observed in Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger in their higher concentration (500µg/ml). The anthelmintic activity of crude drug evaluated on Indian adult earthworms Pheretima posthuma, exhibited dose dependent spontaneous mortality, and evoked responses to pin prick and effects compared with that of Albendazole. The ethanolic extract showed potent DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging and super oxide anion scavenging properties with IC 50 values 90±0.92 and 64±0.5 respectively. The preliminary qualitative analysis of B. phoenicea bark indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, phenols, steroids and flavonoids.Conclusion: According to our results, it is concluded that bark of B. phoenicea has significant antimicrobial, anthelmintic and antioxidant properties supporting the folk medicinal use of this species. The further procedures of identification and isolation of the pharamacologically active principles are in progress.Â

EVALUATION OF THE FOLK CLAIM AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVE PRINCIPLES IN BAUHINIA PHOENICEA LEAVES

ABSTRACTObjective: Bauhinia phoenicea, an endemic plant of western Ghats, using in traditional medicine against diabetes, skin allergies, fungal infections, andworm disturbances. To the best of our knowledge, any scientific studies on the medicinal properties of the leaves of this plant are not yet reported.Therefore, as the first step toward unraveling its medicinal property, bioactivity profiling, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)analysis were performed.Methods: The pharmacological activity profiling includes antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, and antioxidant property screening using crudeethanolic extract, which preliminary analyses its folk claim. GC-MS analysis performed to identify the pharmacologically active principles. All analyseswere performed according to standard protocols.Results: Ethanol extract of the leaves of B. phoenicea was assayed for the antimicrobial activity against 10 human pathogenic strains using welldiffusion assay. The extract showed a significant activity against all pathogens. A maximum zone of inhibition observed in Salmonella typhi in theirhigher concentration (500 µg/ml). The anthelmintic activity of crude drug evaluated on Indian adult earthworms Pheretima posthuma, exhibited dosedependentspontaneous mortality,and evokedresponsestopin prickand effectscomparedwith that of albendazole. The drug showedpotentantioxidantpropertyin 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylfreeradicalscavengingand superoxideanion scavengingassayswith half maximal inhibitoryconcentrationvalues92±0.92 and 62±1.34, respectively.The GC-MSanalysiswhichshowedthe presenceof 19 compounds including hexadecanoicacid and oleic acid.Conclusion: According to our results, it is concluded that leaf of B. phoenicea has significant antimicrobial, anthelmintic, and antioxidant propertiessupporting the folk medicinal use of this species. The further procedures of isolation and characterization of active principles are in progress.Keywords: Bauhinia phoenicea, Antimicrobial, Anthelmintic, Antioxidant property and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

BIOACTIVITY SCREENING OF SELECTED TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANTS OF KERALA

Objectives: Traditional medicines all over the world is revaluing nowadays by extensive research programs. To validate the traditional use, the active components in them need to be identified, characterized, and biologically evaluated. Stereospermum suaveolens, Hygrophila spinosa, and Naravelia zeylanica are important medicinal plants used by the ethnic people of Kerala against various ailments. The present study validates the ethnomedical uses of S. suaveolens, H. spinosa, and N. zeylanica by screening their antimicrobial, anthelmintic, and antioxidant properties.Method: All the analyses were done according to standard protocols.Results: The ethanolic extracts of their useful parts were investigated for antimicrobial activity against 10 human pathogenic microorganisms. All the three plants had shown prominent antimicrobial activities, and S. suaveolens exhibits comparatively more antifungal activity in their higher concentration (500 μg/mL). Anthelmintic efficiency of the plants was screened using Indian adult earthworm Pheretima posthuma. All of them had shown significant activity, and the highest was observed in S. suaveolens leaves. Antioxidant potential of the plants was screened using 2,2 diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and superoxide anion scavenging assay. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, maximum radical scavenging was shown by S. suaveolens with IC50 value 61.6±2.3 μg/mL, and in superoxide anion scavenging assay, maximum activity was in N. zeylanica with IC50 value of 74.66±8.5 μg/mL.Conclusion: This study provides scientific evidence on the traditional use of S. suaveolens (leaves), H. spinosa (leaves), and N. zeylanica (aerial part) in treating microbial diseases, worm disturbances, and their potential as an antioxidant agent

ANALYSIS OF THE ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY, CYTOTOXICITY AND ANTI-TUMOUR EFFICIENCY OF BAUHINIA PHOENICEA.

Objective: Bauhinia phoenicea Wight and Arn. is a medicinal plant endemic to Southern Western Ghats. In the traditional systems of medicine, it is using against various ailments including some oxidative disorders. Detailed studies on the pharmacological activities of this plant are not yet reported. Hence, this paper aimed to prove the efficacy of this plant as a natural antioxidant source.Methods: The sequential extracts of the dried leaf powder were assayed for an antioxidant property using 2,2 diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay, in vitro cytotoxicity of the extracts was screened using Trypan blue exclusion method. The antitumor activity of the selected fractions was studied using ascites tumor affected mice and noted the percentage of increase in lifespan.Results: The free radical scavenging activity of all extracts was increasing with increasing concentration of the drug, the least IC50 value was showed by ethanol fraction (41 μg/ml). The plant drug was not toxic to the normal cells and was highly toxic to tumor cell lines. Maximum in vitro cytotoxicity was observed in chloroform fraction (98% cell death at 100 mg/ml) and the least IC50 value was exhibited by the aqueous fraction (34 mg/ml). Both the aqueous and chloroform fractions increased the lifespan of ascites tumor bearing mice, aqueous fraction in 100 mg/ml concentration shows 71.9% increase in lifespan which is near to the result showed by the commercial anticancer drug cyclophosphamide (72.5%).Conclusion: According to our results, it is concluded that leaf of B. phoenicea has significant antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antitumor properties supporting the folk medicinal use of this species. The further procedures of identification of pharmacological active principles are in progress

ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTHELMINTIC POTENTIAL OF THE STEM & LEAVES OF WHITE ABRUS

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) appreciates the importance of medicinal plants for public health care in developing nations. White Abrus (Abrus precatorius Linn) have important role in traditional medicine, its seeds, bark, leaves and stem are medicinal. Objective: The potential of the leaves and stem of this plant as an antioxidant and anthelmintic agents were evaluated. Methods: All the analysis was done according to standard protocols. Results: The methanolic extract produced significant anthelmintic and antioxidant properties in a dose-dependent manner. DPPH free radical scavenging assay of leaf and stem exhibited IC 50 values of 275 ±0.83 μg/ml and 170 ± 0.90 μg/ml respectively. At 1000 μg/ml concentration both leaf and stem shows maximum radical scavenging activity (93 % & 98 %). Superoxide anion scavenging assay also resulted promising activity with IC 50 values 85± 0.83μg/ml and 80± 0.90μg/ml respectively for leaf and stem. The percentage scavenging of super oxide radical surged with the enhanced concentration of plant extracts. The maximum scavenging activity of plant extract was at 1000 μg/ml concentration, 80 % and 92% respectively in leaf and stem extracts. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and phenols in both stem and leaves that may be the reason for its biological properties. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that this plant is medicinal with prominent antioxidant and anthelmintic property

Is sex necessary?

Fungal sexual reproductive modes have markedly high diversity and plasticity, and asexual species have been hypothesized to arise frequently from sexual fungal species. A recent study on the red yeasts provides further support for the notion that sexual ancestors may give rise to shorter-lived asexual species. However, presumed asexual species may also be cryptically sexual, as revealed by other recent studies

Antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacterales colonization in people with HIV

Background: People with HIV (PWH) may be at increased risk for MDR Enterobacterales (MDR-E) infection or colonization, relative to individuals without HIV, due to a greater burden of comorbidities as well as HIV-related intestinal inflammation and microbiota alterations. Objectives: To characterize antibiotic susceptibility of enteric Enterobacterales and risk factors for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections in a sample of PWH attending routine clinic visits. Methods: Participants provided self-administered rectal swabs and completed questionnaires regarding healthcare, travel and occupational exposures for the prior 12 months. Rectal samples were processed to identify Enterobacterales species, and susceptibility testing was performed. Results: Among 82 participants, 110 Enterobacterales isolates were obtained. Non-susceptibility was common for penicillins, sulphonamides and first-generation cephalosporins. MDR-E was present in 20% of participants. HIV-related characteristics, including current or nadir CD4 cell count, viral suppression, or AIDS-defining clinical conditions, were not associated with MDR-E. Conclusions: MDR-E colonization is common in this population of PWH. Further research evaluating risk factors for MDR-E in PWH may inform infection prevention approaches to better protect at-risk populations from these difficult-to-treat infections

Clinical Outcomes with Rapid Detection of Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Routine Blood Cultures

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bacteremia, with a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality. Because of increasing rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin has become the standard empirical therapy. However, beta-lactam antibiotics remain the best treatment choice for methicillin-susceptible strains. Placing patients quickly on the optimal therapy is one goal of antimicrobial stewardship. This retrospective, observational, single-center study compared 33 control patients utilizing only traditional full-susceptibility methodology to 22 case patients utilizing rapid methodology with CHROMagar medium to detect and differentiate methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains hours before full susceptibilities were reported. The time to targeted therapy was statistically significantly different between control patients (mean, 56.5 ± 13.6 h) and case patients (44.3 ± 17.9 h) (P = 0.006). Intensive care unit status, time of day results emerged, and patient age did not make a difference in time to targeted therapy, either singly or in combination. Neither length of stay (P = 0.61) nor survival (P = 1.0) was statistically significantly different. Rapid testing yielded a significant result, with a difference of 12.2 h to targeted therapy. However, there is still room for improvement, as the difference in time to susceptibility test result between the full traditional methodology and CHROMagar was even larger (26.5 h). This study supports the hypothesis that rapid testing plays a role in antimicrobial stewardship by getting patients on targeted therapy faster

Chemical Tuning of Fibers Drawn from Extensible Hyaluronic Acid Networks

© 2020 American Chemical Society. Polymer fibers with specific chemical and mechanical properties are key components of many biomaterials used for regenerative medicine and drug delivery. Here, we develop a bioinspired, low-energy process to produce mechanically tunable biopolymer fibers drawn from aqueous solutions. Hyaluronic acid (HA) forms dynamic cross-links with branched polyethylene glycol polymers end-functionalized with boronic acids of varied structure to produce extensible polymer networks. This dynamic fiber precursor (DFP) is directly drawn by pultrusion into HA fibers that display high aspect ratios, ranging from 4 to 20 μm in diameter and up to ∼10 m in length. Dynamic rheology measurements of the DFP and tensile testing of the resulting fibers reveal design considerations to tune the propensity for fiber formation and fiber mechanical properties, including the effect of polymer structure and concentration on elastic modulus, tensile strength, and ultimate strain. The materials' humidity-responsive contractile behavior, a unique property of spider silks rarely observed in synthetic materials, highlights possibilities for further biomimetic and stimulus-responsive fiber applications. This work demonstrates that chemical modification of dynamic interactions can be used to tune the mechanical properties of pultrusion-based fibers and their precursors.Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (Grant 2017PG-T1D027)NIH (Grants F32DK118785, K99EB025254 and PDF-2015-90-A-N)National Cancer Institute (Grant P30-CA14051

Cefiderocol for the Treatment of Adult and Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis and Achromobacter xylosoxidans Infections

Treatment options for Achromobacter xylosoxidans are limited. Eight cystic fibrosis patients with A. xylosoxidans were treated with 12 cefiderocol courses. Pretreatment in vitro resistance was seen in 3 of 8 cases. Clinical response occurred after 11 of 12 treatment courses. However, microbiologic relapse was observed after 11 of 12 treatment courses, notably without emergence of resistance