IN VITRO TOTAL PHENOLICS, FLAVONOIDS CONTENTS, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITES OF VARIOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTS FROM THE MEDICINAL PLANT PHYSALIS MINIMA LINN

Objective: To estimate the in vitro total phenolics, flavonoids contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of various solvent extracts from the medicinal plant Physalis minima Linn.Methods: The crude bioactive were extracted from the dried powder of Physalis minima using methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and hexane solvents. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to determine the in vitro antioxidant capacity. The antimicrobial assay was done through agar well diffusion; minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using broth microdilution methods against the Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus).Results: TPC expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE) ranged from 60.27±1.73-151.25±2.50 mg GAE/g dry weight, and TFC expressed as quercetin equivalents (QE) ranged from 56.66±0.80-158.84±2.30 mg QE/g dry weight. Methanol extract showed the highest antioxidant activity followed by ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane extract and the IC50 values of methanol extract for scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals were 280.23±5.75-173.40±0.38µg/ml, respectively. All the extracts have shown potent antimicrobial activity for the zone of inhibition ranged from 9-35 mm; MICs and MBCs values ranged from 0.125-4.0 and 0.25-8.0 mg/ml, respectively towards tested pathogenic species.Conclusion: The comprehensive analysis of the present results demonstrated that Physalis minima possess high potential antioxidant properties which could be used as a viable source of natural antioxidants in treating infections caused by above-mentioned pathogens

Effect of Biotic and Abiotic Stresses on Plant Metabolic Pathways

Plants are prone to encounter some environmental stresses that include both biotic and abiotic. Plants in response to these stress conditions alter their metabolism at the genetic level with consequential effects at the metabolite production. Phenolic compounds, which are secondary metabolites are one such chemical entity which plays a significant role in various physiological processes of the plant. They are mainly formed by three different types of metabolic pathways that produce phenyl propanoid derivatives, flavonoids, terpenoids based on the needs of the plant and the rate of their production is solely dictated by the type of stress condition. A number of phenolic compounds like phytoalexins, phytoanticipins and nematicides exhibit negative response to biotic stress against several soil borne pathogens and nematodes. But some of the phenolic compounds like acetosyringone, umbelliferone, vanillyl alcohol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, apigenin and luteolin are found to exhibit beneficial effects to plants by encouraging rhizosphere formation particularly in Leguminosae family. Some of the ROS produced in various stress conditions are effectively dealt by various phenolics with antioxidant activity like hydroxyl benzoic acids and hydroxyl cinnamic acids. As the in vivo production of phenolics in plants is influenced by external factors it can certainly provide information for the adoption of agronomic practices to yield the full befits of commercial exploitation. As the in vivo production of phenolics in plants is influenced by external factors it can certainly provide information for the adoption of agronomic practices to yield the full befits of commercial exploitation

Phytochemical screening and evaluation of in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the indigenous medicinal plant Albizia odoratissima

Context: Albizia odoratissima (L. f.) Benth has been used in Indian folk medicine to treat numerous inflammatory pathologies, such as leprosy, ulcers, burns and asthma. Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of A. odoratissima. Materials and methods: Dried leaves of A. odoratissima were extracted in organic solvents (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol). The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity was examined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antibacterial activity was examined using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bacterial concentration (MBC), determined by broth microdilution method against Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris) and Gram-positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus). Results: The TPC ranged from 4.40 ± 1.06 to 1166.66 ± 31.85 mg GAE/g of dry weight (DW), and the TFC ranged from 48.35 ± 3.62 to 109.74 ± 1.84 mg QE/g of DW. The IC50 values of the ethyl acetate extract for DPPH, ABTS, and H2O2 were 10.96 ± 0.40, 4.35 ± 0.07, and 163.82 ± 1.52 μg/mL, respectively. Both methanol and ethyl acetate extracts demonstrated effective antibacterial activity with MICs and MBCs values ranging 136–546 μg/mL and 273–1093 μg/mL, respectively, against the tested pathogenic species. Conclusions: The leaves of A. odoratissima showed potent free radical scavenging property and antimicrobial activity

Quinazolin derivatives as emerging alpha-glucosidase inhibitors

A series of C-7 substituted-2-morpholino-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)quinazolin-4-amine have been synthesized and biochemical assay was examined against α-glucosidase function inhibition activity. A structure activity and structure property relationship study was experimented to surface the new hit compound. This study led to the identification of C-7substituted quinazolines with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the preffered micromolar range in addition with interesting physicochemical properties. Biological evaluation yielded eight analogs which rose with significant α-glucosidase inhibition potency (IC50 values < 2 μM, where reference compound (Acarbose) potency value is IC50 = 0.586 uM) and could be promising candidates for further lead optimization