Dehydrocostus lactone from the root of Ajuga integrifolia (Buch.-Ham. Ex D. Don): Quantitative determination and in- silico study for anti-breast cancer activity

Many biological activities were reported for the Ajuga species, specifically for Ajuga integrifolia and its synonyms. These include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, blood purifier effects, and anticancer activity. This study quantitatively determines dehydrocostus lactone (DHCL) from the root of Ajuga integrifolia and its in silico study for anti-breast cancer activity. Camag HPTLC was used for TLC – densitometric estimation of dehydrocostus lactone. Estrogen receptor alpha (ER?) protein (PDB ID: 3ERT) was selected for its involvement in cell proliferation within the breast cancer cell. Tamoxifen is a reference drug commonly used in hormonal therapy, and DHCL was used as a ligand. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Vina in PyRx v.0.8 to get the bestconformational pose for forming the expected receptor-ligand complex. The docking result visualization was performed using LigPlot v.1.4.5 software for 2D, and the interactive visualization in 3D was done using Biovia Discovery Studio software. The presence of DHCL in the root of A. integrifolia was not reported so far. DHCL content in the root of A. integrifolia was estimated to be 16.5 ± 0.25 mg/g of crude extract using the TLC- densitometric method. From the molecular docking study, DHCL was found to be a promising inhibitor for estrogen receptor interaction in the breast cell and can be selected for further in vivo research to develop an anti-breast cancer drug

IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF CANNA INDICA EXTRACTS USING DIFFERENT SOLVENT SYSTEM

Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial and antidiabetic potential of canna indica plant extracts.Methods: In the present research work the selected plant i.e. Canna indica L. Cannaceae was collected, dried and extracted with different solvents. Different test were performed for the presence of different phytochemicals. The antimicrobial activity was determined by agar well-diffusion method. The extracts were evaluated for antidiabetic activity by using alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzyme inhibition method.Results and conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that C. indica extracts contain secondary metabolites which have potent antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities comparable to standard drugs. This information may help to develop potent bioactive compound(s) in the pharmaceutical industry for the development of drugs

A review on distribution and importance of wetlands in the perspective of India

Biodiversity is not equally distributed across the world. It depends on the type of various habitats and food availability. In these habitats, wetlands play an import role to increase the biodiversity of the particular area. Many studies have focused on various habitats to conserve biodiversity. However, the wetland studies are very few due to the lack of information on their distribution and importance. The present review focusses on the wetland status and their importance in India. India has vibrant and diverse wetland ecosystems that support immense biodiversity. The wetlands are unique habitats which provide ecological, social and economic values. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization and uncontrolled agricultural practices have pressurized to shrink the wetlands in India. The present paper highlights the wetland habitats in India with their geographical location, distribution, avian species diversity and their significance. The paper also discusses the growing threats like climate change, land-use change and agriculture/ municipal waste to the wetlands and the conservation efforts by Indian government policies, i.e. National Wetland Conservation Programme, National Environmental Policy, and National Plan for conservation of the aquatic ecosystem. In addition, on the basis of previous studies on wetlands,  it is suggested that the role of stakeholders is very much responsible for wetland conservation

Antimycotic activity of green tea phytocompounds against Candida glabrata

One of the medically important opportunistic fungal pathogen for humans is Candida glabrata that causes various types of candidiasis. Its environmental adaptations and antimicrobial resistance is now a great concern for public health. In the present study, the green tea phytocompounds; EGCg, Chlorogenic acid, Coumaroyl quinic acid and Rutin trihydrate along with a known antimycotic Fluconazole were studied for their antimycotic activity against Candida glabrata. The MIC90 for C. glabrata was observed at 125µg/ml for EGC g, 250 µg/mlf or Chlorogenic acid, 500µg/ml for Coumaroyl quinic acid and Rutin trihydrate while 12.5µg/ml for Fluconazole in macro dilution assay while the MFC values were 1000 µg/ml for EGC g, 500 µg/ml for Chlorogenic acid, Coumaroyl quinic acid, Rutin trihydrate and 50 µg/ml for Fluconazole. In microdilution assay, the MIC90 for C. glabrata was observed 125µg/ml for EGC g and chlorogenic acid, 500µg/ml for Coumaroyl quinic acid, Rutin trihydrate and 12.5µg/ml for Fluconazole while the MFC values were 31.25 µg/ml for Fluconazole, 250 µg/ml for chlorogenic acid and 500 µg/ml for EGC g, Coumaroyl quinic acid and Rutin trihydrate. EGCg and Chlorogenic acid was found to be more effective against C. glabrata and therefore these two were used for synergistic study along with Fluconazole. The viability of HeLa cells (in per cent) was observed ≥100% green tea phyto compounds. The viability of treated cells (in per cent) with a combination of Green tea, phytocompounds and fluconazole was observed between ≥98± 0.79 to ≥ 98± 0.87. Green tea phytocompounds mainly EGC g and chlorogenic acid can be used as synergistic molecules having antimycotic activity against C. glabrata.

Allelopathic effect of Callistemon viminalis’s leaves extract on weeds, soil features, and growth performance of wheat and chickpea plants

ABSTRACTThe allelopathic effect of Callistemon viminalis’s leaf extracts on seed germination and growth of Triticum aestivum and Cicer arietinum, as well as associated weeds (Anagallis arvensis, Poa annua, Lepidium didymium, and Vicia sativa), was studied. Different concentrations (2–10%) of aqueous extracts were used, and physiological parameters were measured. Higher concentrations (6–10%) significantly inhibited the germination and growth of wheat and chickpea. In pot assay, the extract did not affect shoot length, dry plant mass, chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline, protein content, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic and transpiration rate, and antioxidant enzymes in crop and various parameters of soil properties in comparison to the control. Both crops grew significantly at lower concentrations. This study suggests that extract of C. viminalis can inhibit the growth of A. arvensis and V. sativa without affecting germination, photosynthetic and biochemical properties of C. arietinum and T. aestivum, and soil properties, making it a potential candidate for bioherbicide development

Green Synthesis of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Using Invasive Alien Plant <i>Parthenium hysterophorus</i> and Their Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities

Due to the high energy demands and environmental hazards of physical and chemical methods, it is now essential to produce nanoparticles using plant sources as reducing and stabilizing agents. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were biosynthesized using an aqueous extract of Parthenium hysterophorus aerials as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron Microscopy (TEM). UV–Vis spectroscopy indicates that the peaks of AgNPs and AuNPs are at 422 and 538 nm, respectively. The results of the DLS analysis showed that both Au and AgNPs are monodispersed and stable and have mean hydrodynamic sizes of 53.55 nm and 68.12 nm, respectively. According to an XRD analysis, the generated AgNPs and AuNPs are face-centered cubic crystals with average crystalline diameters of 33.4 nm and 30.5 nm, respectively. TEM image depicted that the synthesized NPs mainly have spherical shapes with particle size in the range of 3.41–14.5 nm for AuNPs and 5.57–26.3 nm for AgNPs. These biologically produced AuNPs and AgNPs were investigated for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant effects. Both AuNPs and AgNPs were found to strongly influence the growth of bacterial pathogens, with a maximum zone of 22.3 and 19.7 mm in Escherichia coli and a minimum zone of 11.7 and 10.3 mm in Salmonella enterica, respectively. The synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs reduce the numbers of viable fungi by 51.06% and 47.87%, respectively. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay revealed that the synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs have significant radical scavenging ability with 88.75% and 86.25% inhibition and 33.62 μg/mL and 42.86 μg/mL of IC50, respectively. Therefore, an aqueous extract of aerial parts of P. hysterophorus can be a suitable precursor for synthesizing AuNPs and AgNPs, with numerous applications. Due to their smaller size, AuNPs have better antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than AgNPs. This study supports the conservation by a utilization strategy of invasive alien plant species control and management (such as P. hysterophorus) for biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability

Agricultural Residues as Raw Materials for Pulp and Paper Production: Overview and Applications on Membrane Fabrication

The need for pulp and paper has risen significantly due to exponential population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. Most paper manufacturing industries use wood fibers to meet pulp and paper requirements. The shortage of fibrous wood resources and increased deforestation are linked to the excessive dependence on wood for pulp and paper production. Therefore, non-wood substitutes, including corn stalks, sugarcane bagasse, wheat, and rice straw, cotton stalks, and others, may greatly alleviate the shortage of raw materials used to make pulp and paper. Non-woody raw materials can be pulped easily using soda/soda-AQ (anthraquinone), organosolv, and bio-pulping. The use of agricultural residues can also play a pivotal role in the development of polymeric membranes separating different molecular weight cut-off molecules from a variety of feedstocks in industries. These membranes range in applications from water purification to medicinal uses. Considering that some farmers still burn agricultural residues on the fields, resulting in significant air pollution and health issues, the use of agricultural residues in paper manufacturing can eventually help these producers to get better financial outcomes from the grown crop. This paper reviews the current trends in the technological pitch of pulp and paper production from agricultural residues using different pulping methods, with an insight into the application of membranes developed from lignocellulosic materials

Bioactive constituents and health promoting compounds of underutilized fruits of the northern Himalayas of India: a review

Abstract Wild and underutilized plants bearing fruits widely grow throughout the northern Himalayas, including Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand states of India. The fruits of these plants have the potential for rural development in Northern Himalayas by developing more commercial products. Ficus auriculata, Rubus ellipticus, Myrica esculenta, Ficus palmata, Pyracantha crenulate, Prunus armeniaca, Berberis asiatiica, Pyrus pashia, Rubus niveus, Carissa spinarum, Cordia dichotoma, Flacourtia indica, Malus sikkimensis, Olea ferruginea, Elaeagnus latifolia, Corylus jacquemontii, and Pinus gerardiana are some examples of the plant species. Local people mainly consume the fruits of these plant species and a few of them are used for different processed food items such as jam, jelly, juice, squash, and sauce on a small scale. Therefore, fruits of wild and underutilized plants have potential nutritional values. They are widely used as sources of protein, fat, carbohydrate, macronutrients, and micronutrients. These fruits also contain multipurpose and diversified classes of phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides, and alkaloids, which are applied to treat various human and livestock health ailments. The extracts of underutilized fruits are widely applied to treat cold, fever, fertility disorders, diabetes, and skin diseases. Their phytochemical compounds also demonstrated antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, and antinociceptive activities. Thus, this review highlights the current research status about the nutritional profiling, chemical composition, and utilization of these valuable fruits effectively/adequately to develop new food and pharmaceutical products. Graphical Abstrac

Second-Generation Bio-Fuels: Strategies for Employing Degraded Land for Climate Change Mitigation Meeting United Nation-Sustainable Development Goals

Increased Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from both natural and man-made systems contribute to climate change. In addition to reducing the use of crude petroleum’s derived fuels, and increasing tree-planting efforts and sustainable practices, air pollution can be minimized through phytoremediation. Bio-fuel from crops grown on marginal land can sustainably address climate change, global warming, and geopolitical issues. There are numerous methods for producing renewable energy from both organic and inorganic environmental resources (sunlight, air, water, tides, waves, and convective energy), and numerous technologies for doing the same with biomass with different properties and derived from different sources (food industry, agriculture, forestry). However, the production of bio-fuels is challenging and contentious in many parts of the world since it competes for soil with the growth of crops and may be harmful to the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to use wildlife management techniques to provide sustainable bio-energy while maintaining or even improving essential ecosystem processes. The second generation of bio-fuels is viewed as a solution to the serious issue. Agricultural lignocellulosic waste is the primary source of second-generation bio-fuel, possibly the bio-fuel of the future. Sustainable practices to grow biomass, followed by their holistic conversion into ethanol with desired yield and productivity, are the key concerns for employing renewable energy mix successfully. In this paper, we analyze the various types of bio-fuels, their sources, and their production and impact on sustainability