Cytotoxic and antiviral potentials of Euphorbia milii var. splendens leaf against Peste des petits ruminant virus

Purpose: To determine the cytotoxic and antiviral potentials of Euphorbia milii var. splendens leaf against Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Methods: The methanol extract, as well as n- hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n- butanol fractions of E. milii leaves were screened for cytotoxic and antiviral activities against PPRV using Vero cell line and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: Non-cytotoxic concentrations with cell survival rate (CSP) greater than 50 % were considered virucidal. Methanol extract and fractions produced significant (p < 0.05) effects at all test concentrations against PPRV. The 50 % cytotoxic concentration (CC50) calculated was ≤ 25 µg/mL for extract and fractions. In antiviral assay, ethyl acetate, n-hexane, and n-butanol fractions at all test concentrations ranging from 1.56 - 800 µg/mL were non-virucidal; even at their non-cytotoxic concentrations these fractions did not show antiviral activities. However, the methanol extract and its chloroform fractions showed significant (p < 0.05) virucidal potential. Conclusion: The results suggest that further isolation of antiviral constituents from the fractions may open new horizons for the development of new antiviral agents

Anti-Snake Venom Properties of Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Literature

Snakebite is one of the major health issues posing considerable morbidity and mortality. According to an estimate of World Health Organization (WHO) (World health organization, 2021) approximately 5 million people are bitten by several species of snakes resulting in up to 2.5 million envenomation cases annually. The mainstay of treatment for envenomation is intravenous administration of anti-snake venom. Although antivenom neutralizes the systemic effects but it does not relieve the symptoms such as venom-induced hemorrhage, necrosis and nephrotoxicity. Moreover, the use of antivenoms is associated with hypersensitivity reactions including urticaria, anaphylaxis, or serum sickness due to their heterologous property. Furthermore, stringent storage conditions and narrow specificity of antivenoms limit their use in both developed as well as developing countries. In this context, researchers have been searching for natural products and plant extracts to explore their antivenom activity along with anti-myotoxic, anti-hemorrhagic and anti-inflammatory properties. Plant remedies may prove to be an effective alternate for antivenom sera with less adverse events and better tolerability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review of medicinal plants possessing anti-snake venom activities against certain species of snakes. The current review highlights the investigated plants with their phytochemical analysis to integrate the available information for future research and development of antivenom sera

<i>In-vitro</i> studies on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory potentials of aerial parts of <i>Vernonia oligocephala</i> (Asteraceae)

Purpose: To evaluate the cholinesterases (acetylcholinestrase and butyrylcholinestrase) enzyme inhibitory potential of aerial parts Vernonia oligocephala (V. oligocephala) as a potential remedy for the management of neurodegenerative disorders.Methods: Crude methanol extract of V. oligocephala leaves and its fractions including n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate and n-butanol were investigated for their inhibitory potentials against cholinesterases enzymes employing standard ELISA microtiter plate reader assay.Results: All the extracts were moderately active against both the tested enzymes. The ethyl acetate and n-hexane fractions showed highest inhibition against acetylcholinesterase enzyme with IC50 values of 128.81±0.44 μg/mL and 200.51±0.22 μg/mL, respectively. In case of butrylcholinesterase, ethyl acetate (IC50; 145.71±0.19μg/mL) and DCM (IC50; 269.31±0.45 μg/mL) fractions were the most active. All other fractions including crude methanol extract exhibited least inhibition. Overall, ethyl acetate fraction was the most active against both enzymes.Conclusion: Results indicate the promising potential of V.oligocephala as source of new potential compounds for management of Alzheimer’s disease. However, further studies to isolate and identify the potential bioactive components are needed.Keywords: Vernonia oligocephala, Acetylcholinesterase, Butyrylcholinesterase, Alzheimer’s diseas