<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of the leaves of <i>Hugonia mystax</i> Linn. (Linaceae)</span>

161-165<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;letter-spacing:-.1pt;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-GB">Hugonia mystax Linn. (Family <span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-ascii-font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-hansi-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:mangal;letter-spacing:-.1pt;mso-ansi-language:="" en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:hi;mso-char-type:symbol;="" mso-symbol-font-family:symbol"="" lang="EN-GB">¾<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;letter-spacing:-.1pt;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-GB"> Linaceae) is a woody evergreen species. The leaves of this species are used for skin diseases and rheumatism. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts of the leaves of H. mystax. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant revealed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids in the leaf extracts. Antimicrobial activity was studied using Agar well (10 mm diam) diffusion method and the diameter of inhibition zone was reported in millimeters. All the extracts showed moderate to very good activity against the Gram negative bacteria, viz. Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. The Gram positive bacteria like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were compared with the standard drug. Antifungal activity was studied against the organisms such as Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger and Candida albicans and was compared with the respective standard drug.</span

Ethno-medico-biological studies of South India

116-118Some ethno-biological observations have been made amongst the aboriginals of the South India for their traditional method of treatment using animals and their products. They live in harmony with the nature. They are using many drugs of animal origin (birds, fishes, reptiles, ants, insects, mammals, etc.) They are using entire organism or their body parts and products such as flesh, bones, teeth, bone marrow, blood, fat, testicles, semen; other secretion products such as milk, butter, ghee, honey, and even metabolic products like urine and excreta of not only the domesticated animals but also of the wild animals. Over all, 42 animals were identified as drug producing and recorded by their zoological names

Studies on the pharmacognostical and in vitro antioxidant potential of Cleome gynandra Linn. leaves

151-157Cleome gynandra Linn. of Cleomaceae (Capparaceae) family is an annual herb, growing up to 0.6-1m in height and is popular in the Ayurveda, Siddha, Folk and Tibetian systems of medicine. The present paper deals with the pharmacognostical study, including the macroscopic, microscopic, fluorescence and phytochemical characteristics, which enables the identification of the leafy vegetable, as well as the determination of the antioxidant potential and the predominant classes of antioxidants that contribute to the activit

Changes in structural attributes of plant communities along disturbance gradients in a dry deciduous forest of Western Ghats, India

Changes in tree and understory plant diversity and community composition in two sites at different disturbance levels were studied on the Anaikatty hills, Western Ghats. Systematic sampling using small scale permanent quadrates (50 x 20 m for trees, 5 x 5 m for shrubs/saplings, 1 x 1 m for herbs/seedlings) enumerated 3,376 individuals of trees (106 species), 8,599 of individuals shrubs (122 species) and 16,659 individuals of herbs (145 species). Among the two sites, species richness and diversity were highest for low disturbed stand (98 and 3.9, respectively) compared to high disturbed site (45 and 2.71, respectively). Result of cluster analysis showed that two distinct clusters were formed on the basis of disturbance of the area in concordance with our field observation. A total of 37 species were common to both sites, sixty one species exclusively found in low disturbed site and eight species were pertained to highly disturbed site. Mann-Whitney test based on Monte Carlo approximation at 95% confidence levels indicated that both populations were not entirely different. The clear difference was only observed for average basal area of trees, density of seedlings, number of species, density and diversity for shrubs and number of species and diversity for herb. The species composition were different in two stand i.e., Nothopegia racemosa-Albizia amara-Maba neilghrrensis in low disturbed stand and Albizia amara-Pleiospermium alatum-Bauhinia racemosa in high disturbed stand. The major disturbance factors identification using spearman rank correlation indicated that the disturbance in low disturbed habitats were mostly from past logging followed by cutting and illicit felling and grazing, while in high disturbed habitats, it was human presence, past logging and lopping and fuel wood collection