AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF VRIKSHAYURVEDA SEED TREATMENTS ON GERMINATION RATE AND ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF BAKUCHI (PSORALEA CORYLIFOLIA LINN.) BY HPLC METHOD

Bakuchi (Psoralea corylifolia Linn.) is one of the important endangered medicinal plants used in Ayurveda and other Traditional systems. Its cultivation and propagation is difficult due to its low germination rate (5-7%) & prolonged seed dormancy. Bakuchi seeds made into 5 groups, the experiment was conducted in a complete randomized block design with 5 treatments and 5 replications totally 500 seeds in each group) & observed for 50 days. Control Group 1 no- seed treatment, Group 2- Standard treated with 1% conc H2SO4, Group 3 Vrikshayurvedic treatment done by soaking in milk subsequently fumigation of Vidanga & Ghee, Group 4- treated with paste of Brihati, Tila, Kamalanaala, Ghee & Group 5 treated by soaking in milk subsequently Cow dung, Vidanga & Honey applied. Number of seeds germinated, germination percentage, emergence index and relative seed germination parameters were observed. HPLC studies carried out of post harvested Bakuchi seeds of all 5 groups to know the effect of seed treatments on Psoralen content quantitatively. Overall results indicates that Group 4 (8.000 ± 0.8367) seeds soaked in 12 hrs milk followed by application of Brihati, Tila, Kamalanaala & Ghee paste for 12 hrs treatment is statistically significant (P value>0.05) in comparison with group 2 (4.600 ± 0.6782) Sulphuric acid treatment and Group 3 (4.200± 0.9165) fumigation with Honey & Vidanga. Rest of the groups shown insignificant changes on germination parameters. HPLC Results found that generally seed treatments may reduce the content of Psoralen as in control (Group 1) maximum percentage (0.04%w/w) of Psoralen is noticed. Among treatment groups Group 4 contains maximum (0.027%w/w) Psoralen next to control (0.039%w/w). Psoralen content is very less in standard Group 2 (0.022%w/w), Group 3 (0.023%w/w) & Group 4 (0.024%w/w). Maximum germination percentage was observed in Group 4 in comparison with the Group 2conventional method of treating with sulphuric acid. Estimation of Psoralen contents in the seeds from the plants grown by various treated seeds reveled that Group 4 is qualitatively better than standard, but inferior to the control, standard & other Vrikshayurveda seed treatment techniques used in the current experiment

Pharmacognostic evaluation of Achyranthes coynei: Leaf

AbstractAchyranthes coynei Sant., (Amaranthaceae) is a rare, medicinal shrub, endemic to India. The plant especially, leaves are used in treatment of various disorders by folk healers. It has been scientifically evaluated for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Pharmacognostic studies have not been carried out so far in this plant. So, the present study was undertaken to evaluate pharmacognostic characters of leaf of A. coynei. The studies were carried out in terms of morphological, microscopic characters and physicochemical parameters using standard methods. Leaf size (15–23 × 7–10 cm) and petiole nature (pink above and green beneath) were the distinguishing morphological character observed in the present study. Transverse section of leaf and petiole showed presence of long, multi-cellular, warty trichomes with pointed apex and short, glandular trichomes with blunt apex on thick walled epidermis; conjoint, collateral closed, endarch vascular bundles; rosette crystals of calcium oxalate in ground tissue. Ash and extractive values, micro and macro elements and nutritive factors were estimated. Leaf powder showed fluorescence under the influence of different solvents. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins and triterpenoids. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatorgraphic (HPTLC) analysis yielded eight bands in leaf extract. The study forms the first report on pharamcognostic characters for A. coynei, which could be useful for identification and authentication of the plant

Comparative HPTLC analysis of stem and leaf of Achyranthes coynei with Achyranthes aspera

Leaf and stem materials of Achyranthes coynei and Achyranthes aspera were used for HPTLC analysis. HPTLC plates were developed on n-hexane: ethyl acetate (5:1 v/v) solvent system. The densitometric profiles were evaluated to elucidate differences within and among the species. The Rf values and number of peaks obtained in densitrogram indicated chemical variation in the species. Although, both species had more or less equal number of peaks, their Rf values, %height and %area varied. Thus HPTLC analysis in absence of external standards, proved to be an informative tool for evaluating differences between these species and their parts

Nutrient analysis of Kunapa jala and Pancha gavya and their evaluation on germination of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds: A comparative study

Background: Vrikshayurveda, an ancient science of plant life described by Surapala, deals with healthy growth and productivity of plants, which has clearly outlined a systematized agricultural practice that insisted the use of Kunapa jala (KJ) and Pancha gavya (PG). Objective: An experiment was conducted to validate KJ and PG by nutrient analysis and their effect on the germination parameters of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds in comparison with other treatment groups. Materials and methods: KJ and PG were prepared according to the classical references. The nutrient contents and germination parameters of KJ and PG were compared with other groups namely control (Contr), farmyard manure (FYM), humic acid (HA) and NPK. Results: The pH and EC were 5.793, 2.653 dS/m and 5.584, 2.216 dS/m for KJ and PG respectively. KJ possess highest nutrient contents followed by PG. The germination parameters revealed the better activity of NPK followed by KJ, PG, HA, FYM and Contr. Conclusion: KJ and PG were found to be good in nutrient contents and were found to be effective on studied germination parameters of Ashwagandha and Kalamegha seeds. Keywords: Kunapa jala, Pancha gavya, Ashwagandha, Kalamegha, Nutrient contents, Germination parameter

Evaluation of Kunapa jala and Pancha gavya on plant quality, physiology, biochemistry, yield and growth attributes – A case study of Withania somnifera Dun.

Background: ‘Vrikshayurveda’, an ancient science of plant life described by Surapala, has clearly outlined a systematized agricultural practice that insisted on the use of Kunapa jala (KJ) and Pancha gavya (PG) to enhance the yield and quality of plants. Objective: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of KJ and PG on growth, physiological, biochemical, quality attributes and yield of Withania somnifera Dun. Materials and methods: The effect of KJ and PG was evaluated in comparison with control, organic (farmyard manure and humic acid) and inorganic (NPK) fertilizer at 60, 90, 120 and 150 days after sowing (DAS). The study was conducted in randomized complete block design method. Results: KJ group were higher in, total leaf area (1707.89 cm2) at 120 DAS, leaf area index (3.795) at 120 DAS, crop growth rate (0.256 g m−2 day−1) at 60–90 DAS, leaf area duration (101.909) at 120–150 DAS, relative growth rate (0.0170 g g−1 day−1) at 60–90 DAS, net assimilation rate (0.0537 g m−2 day−1) at 60–90 DAS. Leaf area ratio was higher in PG group (37.937 m2 g−1) at 60 DAS. The higher levels of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids were in KJ group (1.877, 0.745 and 1318.14 mg g−1 respectively) at 90 DAS. Yield and quality attributes at harvest (150 DAS) indicated, higher dry root yield (5.93 quintal hectare−1), root length (15.66 cm) were higher in KJ group and root diameter was higher in PG group (1.36 cm). Conclusion: Vrikshayurveda practices viz. Kunapa jala and Pancha gavya were effective on studied parameters of W. somnifera. Economical and eco-friendly Vrikhayurveda practices can be initiated for sustainable agriculture

Preliminary pharmacognostic screening of Achyranthes coynei stem

Achyranthes coynei is a rare, endemic perennial shrub reported from Karnataka and Maharashtra states of India. The plant is used to treat various disorders by folk healers and was proven to have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The present study was undertaken to evaluate microscopic and macroscopic characters of A. coynei stem, along with its physicochemical parameters. ProgRes ® CapturePro and Microsoft Excel were used for statistical analysis. Perennial, shrubby nature and woody stem were the distinguishing morphological characters observed. Transverse section (TS) illustrated quadrangular outline of the stem and showed the presence of two types of trichomes on the thick-walled epidermis. TS also showed number of rosette calcium oxalates crystals; prismatic and microsphenoid crystals; conjoint, collateral open secondary vascular bundles; and two amphixylic medullary bundles in the pith. Ash and extractive values, micro and macro elements and nutritive factors were estimated in the present study. The presence of alkaloids, saponins and triterpenoids were observed in preliminary phytochemical screening. High-performance thin layer chromatographic analysis yielded different bands and also indicated the presence of oleanolic acid. The studied parameters for A. coynei stem will be useful for identification and authentication of the plant material

Total polyphenolic contents and in vitro antioxidant properties of eight Sida species from Western Ghats, India

Background: Sida L., is a medicinally important genus, the species of which are widely used in traditional systems of medicine in India. Pharmacologically, roots are known for anti-tumor, anti-HIV, hepatoprotective, and many other properties. Phenolic antioxidants help in reducing oxidative stress occurring during treatment of such diseases. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate and compare polyphenol contents and antioxidant properties of eight selected species of Sida from Western Ghats, India. Materials and Methods: Methanolic root extracts (10% w/v) of Sida species, viz., S. acuta, S. cordata, S. cordifolia, S. indica, S. mysorensis, S. retusa, S. rhombifolia, and S. spinosa were analyzed. Results: Sida cordifolia possessed highest total phenolic content (TPC: 1.92 ± 0.10 mg Caffeic Acid Equivalent/g and 2.13 ± 0.11 mg Tannic Acid Equivalant/g), total flavonoid content (TF: 2.60 ± 0.13 mg Quercetin Equivalent/g) and also possessed highest antioxidant activities in 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging (51.31 ± 2.57% Radical Scavenging Activity, (RSA); Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity: 566.25 ± 28.31μM; Ascorbic acid Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity: 477.80 ± 23.89 μM) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assays (TEAC: 590.67 ± 29.53 μM; AEAC: 600.67 ± 30.03 μM). Unlike DPPH and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) activity, 2, 2Ͳ-Azinobis (3-ethyl Benzo Thiazoline-6-Sulfonic acid) ABTS + antioxidant activity was highest in S. indica (TEAC: 878.44 ± 43.92 μM; AEAC 968.44 ± 48.42 μM). It was significant to note that values of AEAC (μM) for all the antioxidant activities analyzed were higher than that of TEAC. Conclusion: The high contents of phenolic compounds in the root extracts of selected Sida species have direct correlation with their antioxidant properties. Conclusively, roots of S. cordifolia can be considered as the potential source of polyphenols and antioxidants

In Silico Study on the Interactions, Molecular Docking, Dynamics and Simulation of Potential Compounds from <i>Withania somnifera</i> (L.) Dunal Root against Cancer by Targeting KAT6A

Cancer is characterized by the abnormal development of cells that divide in an uncontrolled manner and further take over the body and destroy the normal cells of the body. Although several therapies are practiced, the demand and need for new therapeutic agents are ever-increasing because of issues with the safety, efficacy and efficiency of old drugs. Several plant-based therapeutics are being used for treatment, either as conjugates with existing drugs or as standalone formulations. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is a highly studied medicinal plant which is known to possess immunomodulatory activity as well as anticancer properties. The pivotal role of KAT6A in major cellular pathways and its oncogenic nature make it an important target in cancer treatment. Based on the literature and curated datasets, twenty-six compounds from the root of W. somnifera and a standard inhibitor were docked with the target KAT6A using Autodock vina. The compounds and the inhibitor complexes were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation (50 ns) using Desmond to understand the stability and interactions. The top compounds (based on the docking score of less than −8.5 kcal/mol) were evaluated in comparison to the inhibitor. Based on interactions at ARG655, LEU686, GLN760, ARG660, LEU689 and LYS763 amino acids with the inhibitor WM-8014, the compounds from W. somnifera were evaluated. Withanolide D, Withasomniferol C, Withanolide E, 27-Hydroxywithanone, Withanolide G, Withasomniferol B and Sitoindoside IX showed high stability with the residues of interest. The cell viability of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was evaluated by treating them with W. Somnifera root extract using an MTT assay, which showed inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 45 µg/mL. The data from the study support the traditional practice of W. somnifera as an anticancer herb