Antimicrobial Activity of Sphaeranthus indicus L.

Aerial parts and flowers of Sphaeranthus indicus were extracted with n-hexane, benzene, chloroform, ehtylacetate and acetone. The extracts were screened for their antimicrobial activity using in vitro disc diffusion method at concentrations of 5, 2.5 and 1.25 mg/disc. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was tested using broth micro dilution method at concentrations ranging from 5 to 0.039 mg/ml. Significant antibacterial and antifungal activity was observed in hexane extract of flower and aerial parts. The flower extract showed MIC as 0.15 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and the highest MIC (5 mg/ml) was noted for S. epidermidis. The n-hexane extracts of flower and aerial parts showed MIC as 0.15 and 1.25 mg/ml respectively against Candida albicans. In conclusion, the S. indicus flower n-hexane extract seems to be a promising antimicrobial agent

Antifungal activity of triterpenoid isolated from Azima tetracantha leaves.

The present study was designed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Azima tetracantha extracts and isolated compound (friedelin) against fungi. Antifungal activity was carried out using broth microdilution method and fractions were collected using (silica gel) column chromatography. The antifungal activity of Azima tetracantha crude extracts and isolated compound (friedelin) were evaluated using the micro dilution method. Hexane extract showed some antifungal activity. The compound also exhibited antifungal activity against tested fungi. The lowest MIC against Trichophyton rubrum (296) was 62.5 microg/ml and the MIC for Curvularia lunata was 62.5 microg/ml. These results suggest that Friedelin is a promising antifungal agent

Antimicrobial activity of some ethnomedicinal plants used by Paliyar tribe from Tamil Nadu, India

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial activity of 18 ethnomedicinal plant extracts were evaluated against nine bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Ervinia sp, Proteus vulgaris) and one fungal strain (Candida albicans). The collected ethnomedicinal plants were used in folk medicine in the treatment of skin diseases, venereal diseases, respiratory problems and nervous disorders. METHODS: Plants were collected from Palni hills of Southern Western Ghats and the ethnobotanical data were gathered from traditional healers who inhabit the study area. The hexane and methanol extracts were obtained by cold percolation method and the antimicrobial activity was found using paper disc diffusion method. All microorganisms were obtained from Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. RESULTS: The results indicated that out of 18 plants, 10 plants exhibited antimicrobial activity against one or more of the tested microorganisms at three different concentrations of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/disc. Among the plants tested, Acalypha fruticosa, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Toddalia asiatica,Cassia auriculata, Punica granatum and Syzygium lineare were most active. The highest antifungal activity was exhibited by methanol extract of Peltophorum pterocarpum and Punica granatum against Candida albicans. CONCLUSION: This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the some ethnomedicinal plants used in folkloric medicine. Compared to hexane extract, methanol extract showed significant activity against tested organisms. This study also showed that Toddalia asiatica, Syzygium lineare, Acalypha fruticosa and Peltophorum pterocarpum could be potential sources of new antimicrobial agents

Molecular Docking of Flindersine with some targets related to β-cells Protection

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most widespread metabolic disorder affecting millions worldwide. Molecular docking studies are useful in identifying some useful ligands which could be used to target proteins related to β-cell protection.  Flindersine isolated from the plant Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. (Rutaceae) has been shown by us to possess antidiabetic property. With a view to identify in silico the possible mode of docking with different target proteins like PPARγ and GLUT4 which play important roles in protecting β-cells from damage. Chemical characteristics of Flindersine were retrieved from pubchem database http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. The docking analysis in the active sites of 2PRG and Homology modeled protein structure of GLUT4 were performed by the Auto dock program. The docking results showed good binding interactions of the ligand with both the targets at very low energy level. In our in silico analysis, flindersine isolated from Toddalia asiatica clearly demonstrated that it could improve  diabetic condition by increasing insulin secretion from remnant or regenerated pancreatic beta cells and could promote insulin sensitization and glucose uptake activities. When compared with standard drug Rosiglitazone that is commercially available flindersine can further diminish the degree of shrinkage and necrosis of beta cells of pancreas. Thus flindersine can be considered for developing into a potent antidiabetic drug

Flavonoids: Anticancer Properties

Flavonoids are plant secondary metabolites. They are mainly classified into four major groups, such as flavanols, flavones, anthocyanidins, and isoflavonoids. Furthermore, they are divided into some subclasses. They are available in dietary foods and they cure various diseases. Certain plants and spices contain flavonoids, which have been commonly used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. Some of the flavonoids have been clinically used in many countries. Baicalein and its glycosides are one among them to have been experimented clinically. Flavonoids have the capability to regulate cell division and proliferation in an important pathway. They have medicinal activities including anticancer properties. The isoflavone analog rotenone is one of the flavonoid compounds, which has been revealed to be actual anticancer agent. Scutellaria species having flavones retain cytotoxic activities against many human cancer cell lines. At the same time, they do not harm the myeloid cells, normal peripheral and normal epithelial blood cells. Epidemiological studies also confirmed that the intake of dietary flavonoids reduces a risk condition in cancer

CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF FRACTIONS ISOLATED FROM FERONIA ELEPHANTUM

Objective: The leaves of Feronia elephantum are widely used in folk medicine in India to treat various ailments. In the present communication we report the cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of extracts and fractions of F. elephantum leaves. Methods: The leaves of F. elephantum were extracted with hexane and ethyl acetate and checked for cytotoxic properties against human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cancer cell line. The active extract was subjected to column chromatography and fractions were bio-assayed. The active fraction was subjected to GC-MS analysis. Results: Hexane extract exhibited good cytotoxic activity against A549 lung cancer cell line compared to ethyl acetate extract. Hexane extract showed 77.3% activity at the dose of 500 µg/mL with IC50 (50.6%) value of 125 µg/mL. Hexane extract was also tested at different time intervals of 12h, 24h, 48h and 72 h. The activity gradually increased. The active hexane extract was subjected to column chromatography. Based on thin layer chromatography profiles, similar fractions were combined to give 9 fractions. When the fractions were bio-assayed fraction 5 showed maximum cytotoxic activity. Fraction 5 was tested against A549 lung cancer cell line at different time intervals; the activity gradually increased. Fraction 5 was used to test the antioxidant properties using DPPH analysis. Maximum antioxidant activity was observed at 1000 µg/mL (71.63 ± 0.15). Active fraction 5 was identified using GC-MS. It showed the presence of Estragole (50.82%), trans-anethole (p-propenylanisole, anise camphor) (14.98%) and Caryophyllene (9.22%). Conclusion: The results showed that hexane extract of F. elephantum could be probed further in drug discovery programme

Antimicrobial, antimycobacterial and antibiofilm properties of Couroupita guianensis Aubl. fruit extract

BACKGROUND: Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae) is commonly called Ayahuma and the Cannonball tree. It is distributed in the tropical regions of northern South America and Southern Caribbean. It has several medicinal properties. It is used to treat hypertension, tumours, pain, inflammatory processes, cold, stomach ache, skin diseases, malaria, wounds and toothache. METHODS: The fruits of Couroupita guianensis were extracted with chloroform. Antimicrobial, antimycobacterial and antibiofilm forming activities of the chloroform extract were investigated. Quantitative estimation of Indirubin, one of the major constituent, was identified by HPLC. RESULTS: Chloroform extract showed good antimicrobial and antibiofilm forming activities; however it showed low antimycobacterial activity. The zones of inhibition by chloroform extract ranged from 0 to 26 mm. Chloroform extract showed effective antibiofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa starting from 2 mg/mL BIC, with 52% inhibition of biofilm formation. When the chloroform extract was subjected to HPLC-DAD analysis, along with Indirubin standard, in the same chromatographic conditions, it was found that Indirubin was one of the major compounds in this plant (0.0918% dry weight basis). CONCLUSIONS: The chloroform extract showed good antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties. Chloroform extract can be evaluated further in drug development programmes

The Impacts of Chrysanthemum indicum

Chrysanthemum indicum has been used as a therapeutic agent against inflammation, hypertension, and respiratory conditions for many years. This research’s aim has been to examine the antioxidant impacts that Chrysanthemum indicum extract (CIE) has on the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in adjuvant-induced arthritic (AA) rats. 40 rats were categorised into 4 groups according to a completely randomized approach: Group I involved normal control rats (CTRL) that received a basal diet; Group II involved arthritic control rats (CTRL-AA) that received the same diet; Group III involved rats that received a basal diet and 30 mg/kg CIE; and Group IV involved arthritic rats with the same diet as Group III rats (CIE-AA). After injection with complete Freund’s adjuvant, body weight, arthritis score, and the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were assessed. The results demonstrated that CIE delayed the onset time of arthritis and decreased the clinical arthritis severity score (P<0.05). Observations of CIE-AA and CTRL-AA rats demonstrated that CIE alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in CIE-AA group. In conclusion, CIE alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, thereby highlighting its potential use as a candidate for clinical treatments of rheumatoid arthritis