Analysis of phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activity of Wrightia tinctoria: traditional medicinal plant of India for application on wound dressing materials

48-54Wrightia tinctoria, an important traditional medicinal plant is exploited for treating several diseases. The study intends to reveal the presence of phytochemicals and test the antibacterial activity of W. tinctoria leaf extracts on nonwoven fabrics to find its suitability for wound dressings. The methodology includes identification and collection of W. tinctoria leaves, preparation of leaf powder, determination of physicochemical analysis, extraction using different solvents, preliminary phytochemical screening, quantitative estimation of phytoconstituents, yield of the extracts and determination of antibacterial activity on plant extract treated fabrics. Results revealed the presence of more active metabolites in the ethanol plant extract of W. tinctoria leaves which may be the reason for the promising antibacterial potential against the bacterial strains. As a promising ethnomedicinal plant, W. tinctoria may serve as a major source of useful drugs finding its suitability for developing wound dressings

Degradation of aflatoxin B1 from naturally contaminated maize using the edible fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

Aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic secondary metabolites that can contaminate approximately 25% of crops and that cause or exacerbate multiple adverse health conditions, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Regulation and decontamination of aflatoxins in high exposure areas is lacking. Biological detoxification methods are promising because they are assumed to be cheaper and more environmentally friendly compared to chemical alternatives. White-rot fungi produce non-specific enzymes that are known to degrade aflatoxin in in situ and ex situ experiments. The aims of this study were to (1) decontaminate aflatoxin-B-1-(AFB(1)) in naturally contaminated maize with the edible, white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) using a solid-state fermentation system that followed standard cultivation techniques, and to (2) and to assess the risk of mutagenicity in the resulting breakdown products and mushrooms. Vegetative growth and yield characteristics of P. ostreatus were not inhibited by the presence of-AFB(1).-AFB(1) was degraded by up to 94% by the Blue strain. No aflatoxin could be detected in P. ostreatus mushrooms produced from-AFB(1)-contaminated maize. Moreover, the mutagenicity of breakdown products from the maize substrate, and reversion of breakdown products to the parent compound, were minimal. These results suggest that P. ostreatus significantly degrades-AFB(1) in naturally contaminated maize under standard cultivation techniques to levels that are acceptable for some livestock fodder, and that using P. ostreatus to bioconvert crops into mushrooms can reduce-AFB(1)-related losses.University of Arizona Green Fund [GF 15.31]Open Access Journal.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Streptomyces sp. MUM273b: A mangrove‐derived potential source for antioxidant and UVB radiation protectants

Microbial natural products serve as a good source for antioxidants. The mangrove-derived Streptomyces bacteria have been evidenced to produce antioxidative compounds. This study reports the isolation of Streptomyces sp. MUM273b from mangrove soil that may serve as a promising source of antioxidants and UV-protective agents. Identification and characterization methods determine that strain MUM273b belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The MUM273b extract exhibits antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide radical scavenging activities and also metal-chelating activity. The MUM273b extract was also shown to inhibit the production of malondialdehyde in metal-induced lipid peroxidation. Strong correlation between the antioxidant activities and the total phenolic content of MUM273b extract was shown. In addition, MUM273b extract exhibited cytoprotective effect on the UVB-induced cell death in HaCaT keratinocytes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis detected phenolics, pyrrole, pyrazine, ester, and cyclic dipeptides in MUM273b extract. In summary, Streptomyces MUM273b extract portrays an exciting avenue for future antioxidative drugs and cosmeceuticals development. © 2019 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd