ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THE WHOLE PLANT OF CARALLUMA NILAGIRIANA KUMARI ET SUBBA RAO – AN ENDEMIC MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES.

The methanolic, aqueous and chloroform extracts of the endemic medicinal plant species of Caralluma nilagiriana were studied for antibacterial activities against five microorganisms. The zone of inhibition of various extracts was compared with standard tetracycline(30µg/ml). The antibacterial activity justifies its use in traditional medicine. In Salmonella typhi. Escherichia. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus all the three extracts(30µg/ml) was found to have significant antimicrobial activity, but less than that of standard tetracycline. In Klebsiella pneumonia all the three extracts were highly active when compared to standard. But in Pseudomonas aeroginosa the methanolic extracts strongly inhibited the colonial growth against the standard.The other two extracts found to have antimicrobial potency but less than that of standard

Methyl 1-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxyl­ate

The title mol­ecule, C5H7N3O2, has an almost planar conformation, with a maximum deviation of 0.043 (3) Å, except for the methyl H atoms. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into layers parallel to the bc plane. Inter­molecular π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.685 (2) and 3.697 (2) Å] are observed between the parallel triazole rings

Evaluation of Neuroprotective Role of Ethanol Extract of Pterocarpus Marsupium Roxb. Bark Against Monosodium Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity Model in SD Rats

The present study were As human life expectancy has increased, so too has the incidence of stress related neurodegenerative disorders such as AD, PD and HD. Plant extracts have a wide range of medicinal actions, and throughout history, they have been used to treat many different types of diseases. In the treatment of many diseases, antioxidant therapy plays a key role, so current research is now directed towards finding naturally occurring antioxidant of plant origin. Although medicinal herbs has been found to share many medicinal properties with ‘rasayans’ in Ayurveda, its neuroprotective effect in different experimental neurodegenerative models are still debatable. Actually, little is known about the feeding pattern and feeding rhythms that underly the hypophagia of the stress treated rats. The general behavior, anxiolytic, antidepressant and antioxidant enzyme examination of the rat whole brain, pattern of food and water intake are used for the first time, to assess the protective effect of ethanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium bark (EEPM) against MSG-induced neurodegenerative injury. We anticipate that the behavioral tests used in the present study could contribute to the evaluation of potential drugs effective in the prevention of functional deficits induced by neurotoxic agent and may shed an insight into the mechanism of action. Hence, a special attention is focused to understand the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by natural phenolic antioxidants from this plant. There are, indeed, a multitude of paradigms assessing various aspects of the behavioral performance and cognitive abilities. Till now, some of the paradigms will be not used at all in the evaluation of Pterocarpus marsupium bark against behavioral consequences of adult rats in stress. Hence, in order to contribute further to the knowledge on Pterocarpus marsupium bark, the objective of the present study has been designed to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effect of EEPM against MSG-induced excitotoxicity in adult rats. DISCUSSION: The present study was designed to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effect of ethanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. bark (EEPM) pre-treatment against the excitotoxic effect of MSG-induced neurodegeneration in SD rats. The neuroprotective effect was assessed using a series of general behavior (feed intake, water intake and body weight), anxiety and depression behavioral tests and biochemical analysis of the brain antioxidant elements in rat brain. Excitotoxicity was induced by intraperitoneal injection of MSG (2 g/kg) for seven days which resulted in glutamate receptor activation and Ca2+ overload (via a number of different mechanisms). To substantiate the neuroprotective effect of EEPM, the implications on general behavior, body weight (BW), food intake (FI) and water intake (WI) were also analyzed, as these behavior could be disturbed in depression and anxiety models that were employed in this study. Also there may be perturbations in the levels of brain antioxidant enzyme systems in stressful states. Hence, the effects of EEPM on the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were studied in the whole rat brain. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: The study was undertaken to evaluate the probable neuroprotective effect of pre-treatment of ethanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. bark (EEPM) against monosodium glutamate-induced excitotoxicity model in SD rats. The neuroprotective effect was assessed by measuring the changes in water intake, feed intake and body weight changes in addition to using a sequence of behavioral tests (anxiety and depression) and biochemical analysis (SOD, CAT, GSH and LPO) of the rat brain. The protective effect of EEPM was evaluated for depression using forced swim test and anxiety using actophotometer and elevated plus-maze apparatus in MSG induced models. To substantiate the neuroprotective effect of EEPM and its implications on general behaviors viz., feed intake (FI), water intake (WI) and body weight (BW) were also undertaken in MSG induced models, as these behavior could be profoundly disturbed in anxiety, depression and may impair memory and cognitive abilities. Also there may be perturbations in the levels of brain antioxidant enzyme system in stressful states. Hence, the effects of EEPM on the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH and LPO were studied in the rat brains. Administration of MSG for 7 days resulted in elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Pretreatment with EEPM for 30 days prevented the effect of MSG in rats. The anxiety and depression parameters were attenuated significantly in MSG treated rats. Moreover, the changes in food intake, water intake and body weight were also minimizes in MSG treated rats. The perturbations in the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH & LPO were also found to be attenuated in EEPM groups

Analysis on knowledge level of recommended plant protection technologies in areca nut (Areca catechu) cultivation in Salem district of Tamil Nadu

Areca nut (Areca catechu) is one of the important cash crops in India. India ranks first in terms of area and production of areca nut and accounts of 54.07 per cent of its world production. The harvesting of nuts commence on the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ (Mid-January to Mid-February) and spread over six months in carrying out the post-harvest practices and marketing of nuts. This study was purposively conducted in Salem district 2018-2019 and occupies first position in area (2,421 hectares) of areca nut in Tamil Nadu. The Peddanackenpalyam, Valapddy, Gengavalli and Attur blocks were selected based on the 87.28 per cent of the area under areca nut in this district with a sample size of 120 areca nut farmers selected by using a proportionate random sampling technique. Most of the respondents (80.00 per cent) had knowledge level of medium to high level of knowledge on the recommended plant protection technologies in areca nut cultivation. It was mainly due to the medium to the high level of information seeking behaviour and social participation. The study revealed that the areca nut growers differed widely in their social characteristics. Most of the respondents had a medium to a high level of knowledge on recommended technologies in areca nut cultivation. This finding stressed the importance of formulating different extension strategies for different audiences by the change agency system.

A NEW APPROACH ON SOLVING INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEM

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose a new approach for solving Intuitionistic Fuzzy Linear Programming Problems (IFLPP) involving triangular intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TIFN). We introduce a new algorithm for the solution of an Intuitionistic Fuzzy Linear Programming Problem without converting in to one or more classical Linear Programming Problems. Numerical examples are provided to show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Keywords: intuitionistic fuzzy set, fuzzy number, triangular intuitionistic fuzzy number, fuzzy linear programming problem. INTRODUCTION Modelling of real life problems involving optimization process. It is often difficult to get crisp and exact information for various parameters affecting the process and it involves high information cost. Furthermore the optimal solution of the problem depends on a limited number of constraints or conditions and thus some of the information collected is not useful. Under such situations it is highly impossible to formulate the mathematical model through the classical traditional methods. Hence in order to reduce information costs and also to construct a real model, the use of intuitionistic fuzzy number is more appropriate. Fuzzy sets are an efficient and reliable tool that allows us to handle such systems having imprecise parameters effectively. Atanossov [6] extended the fuzzy sets to the theory intuitionistic fuzzy sets. His studies emphasized that in view of handling imprecision, vagueness or uncertainty in information both the degree of belonging and degree of non-belonging should be considered as two independent properties as these are not complement of each other. Bellmann and Zade

Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical and Anticancer Activity of the Leaves of Asparagus Racemosus Willd., (Liliaceae)

AIM:The main aim of the present work is to study the anticancer activity of the leaves of Asparagus racemosus Willd.,OBJECTIVES:To standardize the leaves of Asparagus racemosus Willd., by carrying out the pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies. To evaluate the invitro anticancer activity of various extracts To evaluate the invivo anticancer activity Isolation and identification of Rutin SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Currently available allopathic drugs for treating cancer causes number of side effects hence, people are now looking towards the herbal medicine. This paved a vital necessity for finding natural anticancer drug from herbal source. Asparagus racemosus Willd., is one such plant which is traditionally used in the treatment of cancer was selected for the present study. The literature survey showed only scrappy information on the leaves of this plant. With this scanty of information on the leaves, consistent expectation of unexplored phytochemical profile and pharmacological efficacy forms the rationale for the study.Pharmacognostical studies A perusal of literature showed paucity of pharmacognostical information on the leaves of this plant. Hence, it was carried out and reported for the first time. In pharmacognostical studies macroscopy, microscopy, determination of physicochemical constants, analysis of inorganic elements, heavy metals and pesticide residue of the leaves were carried out. Macroscopical study showed that the leaves are pine needle (phylloclades) shaped, sweet and bitter taste and dark green in colour. The various distinguishing features of leaves observed through anatomical studies were, Phyllodades 3-4 angled with lateral projections Radially oblong epidermal cells with prominent cuticle Circular chlorophyllous palisade cells Vascular strands with angular xylem and thick mass of phloem elementsThe microscopical analysis of powder showed the presence of lignified fibres, epidermis with palisade cells and stomata. Various physicochemical constants such as ash values, extractive values, loss on drying, crude fibre content, swelling index and foaming index were carried out. These values will help in confirming the identity and purity of the plant. Any significant deviation in the percentage of any parameters reported in this work may indicate adulteration or substitution in the drug. Qualitative estimation of inorganic elements, quantitative estimation of heavy metals and pesticide residue were carried out and it showed only trace amount of heavy metals (within the limits) and absence of pesticide residue. These pharmacognostical details observed from the present study might offer reliable clues for the correct identification of the leaves of this plant in crude as well as fragmentary form and also ensures its differentiation from its substitutes and adulterants. This is first report on the pharmacognostical standardization on the leaves of Asparagus racemosus Willd.,Phytochemical studies Phytochemical evaluation deals with chemical analysis of the extracts used for pharmacological screening. The successive solvent extraction was carried out with solvents like n-Hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol. Chloroform extract showed more percentage yield when compared to other extracts. Qualitative preliminary phytochemical analysis was aided in identifying the phytoconstituents present in different extracts. Quantitative estimation of flavanoid, tannin and phenolic content were carried out, for the extracts. Fluorescence analysis was carried out, to detect the fluorescent chromophores present in the powdered drug as well as in the extracts. No fluorescence was observed in powder and the extracts. Thin layer chromatography for the extracts was performed to identify the single or mixture of constituents in the extract. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography- Finger print profile was carried out to detect the number of constituents present in the ethyl acetate extract. Invitro studies:The therapeutically active extract to carry out the invivo anticancer activity was selected based on invitro anticancer activity. The chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts were subjected to invitro anticancer studies using HeLa cells line by MTT assay. Chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts showed significant anticancer activity by MTT assay and these two extracts were selected for invivo anticancer studies.Acute toxicity studies:Acute toxicity study was carried out for chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts according to OECD guidelines 423. The extracts are non-toxic up to 2000mg/kg body weight indicating the safety of the extracts.Invivo anticancer studies:Invivo anticancer activity of chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts were carried out on Ehrlich’s Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) bearing mice. The ethyl acetate extract showed significant anticancer activity at the dose of 400mg/kg body weight when compared to chloroform extract and the effects were comparable with the standard drug. Since, rutin was found to possess anticancer activity, an attempt was made to isolate rutin by partition separation method. The isolated compound was subjected to melting point, chemical test, TLC and IR spectroscopic studies. From the above mentioned studies, it can be concluded that the pharmacognostical standards generated for the leaves will be useful for the proper identification of the plant. With the support of phytochemical and invitro cytotoxic activity the chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts were selected and subjected to invivo anticancer activity. The ethyl acetate extract at the dose level of 400mg/kg showed significant anticancer activity. Further studies are focused on detailed spectral analysis of isolated rutin and isolation of other phytoconstituents which is responsible for anticancer activity of the leaves

Biopharmaceutical Classification System in Invitro/ In-vivo Correlation: Concept and Development Strategies in Drug Delivery

Drug development is a very laborious and expensive process. One of the major reasons for failure during the clinical phases of drug development is inadequate pharmacokinetic data on the drug candidate. Therefore, it would be advantageous if the pharmacokinetic properties of drug candidates be predicted beforehand. One major obstacle in making such  predictions is the inability to appropriately scale the in-vitro data to the in-vivo situation. Results from in-vitro in-vivo correlation (IVIVC) studies have been used to select the appropriate excipients and optimize the manufacturing processes for quality control purposes, and for characterizing the release patterns of newly formulated immediate release, and modified-release products relative to the references. In recent years, the concept and application of the IVIVC for pharmaceutical dosage forms have been a major focus of attention in the pharmaceutical industry, academia and regulatory agencies. Hence, this article highlights the importance of appropriate selection of IVIVC level with respect to the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) and also covers examples of BCS-based IVIVCs of drugs/products with different types of release profiles.Keywords: In vitro/In vivo correlation, Biopharmaceutical Classification System, Drug Delivery