Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Three Bitter Plants-Enhydra fluctuans, Andrographis Peniculata and Clerodendrum Viscosum.

Purpose: In this study, three important medicinal plants (Enhydra fluctuans Lour, Clerodendrum viscosum Vent and Andrographis peniculata Wall) of Bangladesh were investigated to analyze their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities against some pathogenic microorganisms and Artemia salina (brine shrimp nauplii). Methods: The coarse powder material of leaves of each plant was extracted separately with methanol and acetone to yield methanol extracts of leaves of Enhydra fluctuans (MLE), Clerodendrum viscosum (MLC) and Andrographis peniculata (MLA), and acetone extracts of leaves of Enhydra fluctuans (ALE), Clerodendrum viscosum (ALC) and Andrographis peniculata (ALA). The disc diffusion method and the method described by Meyer were used to determine the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of each plant extract. Results: Among the test samples, MLE and ALE showed comparatively better antimicrobial activity against a number of bacteria and fungi with inhibition zones in the range of 06-15 mm and according to the intensity of activity, the efficacy against microorganisms were found in the order of Enhydra fluctuans> Andrographi speniculata> Clerodendrum viscosum. In cytotoxicity assay, all samples were found to be active against brine shrimp nauplii (Artemia salina) and ALA produced lowest LC50 value (7.03 μg/ml). Conclusion: Enhydra fluctuans and Andrographi speniculata possesses significant antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities

Antineoplastic Activity of Bis-tyrosinediaqua Ni(II) Against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma

ABSTRACT: In order to find out new compounds having antineoplastic activity, bis-tyrosine diaqua nickel (II) complex was synthesized and characterized. The antineoplastic activity of the compound was judged by measuring inhibition of tumour growth and enhancement of survival time of EAC cell bearing mice. In addition its effects on haematological parameters and serum alkaline phosphatase activity of both normal and EAC bearing mice were also studied. The test compound significantly inhibited the tumour growth and increased life span of tumour bearing mice at dose 10 mg/kg i.p. The treatment also recovered the perturbed haematological parameters as well as the serum alkaline phosphatase activity towards normal. The host toxicity of the test compound was found to be negligible. The compound can be considered as an effective antineoplastic agent

Associate Professor,

In this study, methanol extract from the root bark of Calotropis gigantea L. and its petroleum ether (40 o C-60 o C), chloroform and ethyl acetate soluble fractions were tested for their cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp nauplii (Artemia salina, Leach) and for antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp and Trichoderma harzianum. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) screening showed that methanol extract and its different fractions contained different type compounds such as steroid, terpene, glycoside, heterocyclic and flavonoid. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, it was found that chloroform fraction was highly cytotoxic (LD50 14.72 µg/ml) among the tested samples. Though methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction have no activity against all the tested fungi but petroleum ether and chloroform fractions showed potent activity against Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp, Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma harzianum, respectively, in antifungal activity test

Biosynthesis of Bixa orellana seed extract mediated silver nanoparticles with moderate antioxidant, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity

Biosynthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has gained much interest and offers an attractive alternate to physical and chemical approaches. In recent year several safe, easy, cost-effective, reproducible, and environmentally friendly synthesis approaches for silver nanoparticles have been developed. In this research work, a simple, cheap, and unexplored method was applied on green synthesis of AgNPs using secondary metabolites extracted from Bixa orellana seeds. The seeds are rich of flavonoids and phenolic compounds which presumably responsible for the fast reduction and stabilization of silver ion into silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesis process is very likely to be able to reduce silver ions under simple physiological conditions. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) that was appeared at 420 nm in UV–vis spectrum, had confirmed the formation of AgNPs. Moreover, the functional groups in secondary metabolite that act as reducing, capping and stabilizing agents for silver nanoparticles, are identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. An X-ray diffraction analysis generated four peaks for Bixa orellana seed extract mediated AgNPs positioned at 2θ angles of 38.1°, 44.2°, 64.6°, and 77.5° corresponding to crystal planes (111), (200), (220), and (311). Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of nanosized silver particles. The z-average of the synthesized particles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found to be 92.9 nm. AgNPs synthesized exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity against human breast (MCF-7) cell line. On the basis of our results, we conclude that biologically synthesized AgNPs exhibited favorable characteristics and have the potential to be used in biomedical fields