SCREENING FOR BIOACTIVES FROM INDIAN MEDICINAL HERBS – A SIMPLISTIC APPROACH FOR ANTIOXIDANT METABOLITES

Herbal extracts obtained from 20 Indian medicinal plants were evaluated for their cytoprotectivity on erythrocytes and antioxidant properties. Total phenol content and anti-rhizopus activity were also determined. Results indicated that, out of 20 extracts evaluated, radical scavenging capacity and anti-rhizopus activity were observed in aqueous extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum, Leucas aspera, Terminalia arjuna, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Nyctanthes arbortristis in a dose dependent manner. The total phenolic content was observed to be 1289, 3837, 372, 2831 and 1892 μg GAE/g for O. tenuiflorum, L. aspera, T. arjuna, G. glabra and N. arbortristis respectively. The antioxidant activity correlates with the phenolic content of the extracts. At 1 mg/ml the above extracts showed 98% protection on erythrocyte cell oxidation. These results demonstrate that the cytoprotectivity and antioxidant potency of these extracts could be the basis for their alleged health promoting potential. These herbs could serve as new sources of natural antioxidants or nutraceuticals with potential applications in reducing oxidative stress conditions.Â

PHYTO-ANTIQUORUMONES: AN HERBAL APPROACH FOR BLOCKING BACTERIAL TRAFFICKING AND PATHOGENESIS

Over centuries, plants are the richest resource of curative drugs as cited in folklore, traditional and modern medicinal systems and are been used as nutraceuticals, functional food supplements and in pharmaceuticals. Phytochemicals have exhibited beneficial effects against human acute and chronic ailments caused due to microbial pathogens. In recent years, phytochemicals and their derivatives have been extensively used as potent antimicrobials in humans and livestock due to their chemical stability, high bioavailability, low-molecular mass, safe consumption without any side-effect as seen in many antibiotic regimes. These phytocompounds have also been highlighted to function as Quorum Sensing Inhibitors (QSI) or antiquorumones in blocking bacterial pathogenesis preventing their regulatory mechanism and expression of specific set of virulence genes or cascades. However, the role of phytochemicals as QSI has been poorly identified but many of which remain unexplored. Therefore, this review summarizes most of the current scientific contributions focused on the use of plant phytochemicals as antiquorumones, highlighting the significance of plant derived molecules as bacterial inhibitors with larger emphasis on the mechanistic action of biofilm formation and quorum signaling networks mainly N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs), autoinducer-2 (AI-2) communications and their attributes in modulating the host immune response. A critical understanding of this complex trio-interaction between humans, microbes and phytochemicals has to be well explored, to exploit the usefulness of these metabolites ultimately paving newer paths for herbal drug discovery and their potential targets leading towards a better quality of life and human welfare.Â

Crude oil yield and properties of rice bran oil from different varieties as affected by extraction conditions using soxhterm method

The current study was employed to investigate the effect of solvent type, extraction time and bran ratio on the rice bran oil (RBO) properties from three varieties of rice bran namely Bario, lowland and upland rice. RBO was extracted by using soxtherm extraction method using methanol solvent at different extraction time (3, 4 and 5 h) and bran ratio (10, 20 and 30 g). Free fatty acid (FFA), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties were assessed. Solvent that has low polarity exhibited the attraction of polar component of oil with the highest yield by ethanol (16.16%), followed by methanol (15.38%). FFA contents occurred higher in lowland types of rice bran in all types of solvents at P<0.05 with ethanol (12.73%), methanol (11.96%) and hexane (11.13%), while the total phenolic content and antioxidant properties were influenced by the types of rice bran and solvents used for extracting components out of the bran. The highest phenolic content in the crude oil was extracted using ethanol in lowland (0.509 mg/ml), and the lowest was extracted by hexane in Bario (0.061 mg/ml). The highest antioxidant activity was observed in RBO extracted using methanol of lowland (73.74%) and RBO extracted using ethanol of upland (73.65%), while the lowest were observed in RBO extracted using hexane. The different types of solvent have the significant impact on the crude oil yield and properties of crude oil extracted

INHIBITION OF MULTI-TOXIC PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 OF DABOII RUSELLII PULCHELLA VENOM BY THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF A. PANICULATA

Objective: Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) Nees is an important medicinal plant found in the tropical regions and has been traditionally used in Indian and Chinese medicinal systems. A. paniculata is found to exhibit anti-snake venom properties; however its inhibitory potential on multi-toxic Phospholipases A2 and its associated inflammatory reactions is not clearly understood. Henceforth, in this study we evaluate the inhibitory/neutralizing potential of alcoholic extract of A. paniculata on the isolated multi-toxic PLA2 (of Daboii rusellii pulchella and Naja naja) and its induced edema in Swiss albino mice.Methods: The multi-toxic-svPLA2-VRV-PL-V from the venom of Daboii rusellii pulchella was purified according established methods. The inhibition of enzymatic activity and edema inducing activity was carried out according to established methods.Results: A. paniculata extract dose dependently inhibited the multi-toxic svPLA2 enzymaticactivity with an IC50 value of 12.4±0.6 µg/ml. Further, the extract dose dependently inhibited the edema formation, when co-injected with the enzyme indicating a strong correlation between lipolytic activity and pro-inflammatory activity.Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of A. paniculata effectively inhibited the multi-toxic svPLA2 and its associated edema inducing activities, which substantiate their anti-ophidian properties. Further study is interesting to develop them into potent anti-ophidian agents.Â

A REVIEW ON HELICOBACTER PYLORI: ITS BIOLOGY, COMPLICATIONS AND MANAGEMENT

Helicobacter pylori (HP) emergences in gastro intestinal tracts of human beings are one of the major health concerns in recent times. The infection in the later stages can lead to peptic ulcers and gastric cancers. HP is second commonly encountered pathogen in humans next only to Streptococcus. The virulence of the pathogen is further strengthened by its capability in forming biofilms. There are various therapies to treat this infection which are classified as first line, second line and third line, but are not free from the serious antibiotic resistances which normally are encountered in treating bacterial diseases. Vowing to above reason, it is necessary to search for alternative management strategies with lesser side effects and complications like plant based drugs and designer nutraceutical products which includes herbal extracts, probiotics, phytomedicines, antioxidants, essential oils, flavonoids so-on. In the present study, we have reviewed on the thorough understanding on biology, complications and management of H. Pylori and its infections.Â

Assessment of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cake as a source of high-added value substances: from waste to health

The risk of exhaustion of natural resources and raw materials have given rise to emerging trends such as recycling of food waste. From the economical and ecological points of view, conversion of biowaste to high added value compounds has been getting great attention among the science and commercial entities. Due to their high-added value phytochemicals, agricultural and food residues have been a great significant to the researchers around the world. This study focuses on the valorisation of cake derived from sesame oil processing. If the very valuable non-nutrient phytochemicals in sesame cake are not evaluated properly, they would be consumed as just animal feed or fertilizers. They might be employed as antiaging (in pharmaceutical products), or free radical scavenger (in dietary supplements), or preservative additive against lipid oxidation (in fat containing food products). This review article aims to present pharmacological and therapeutic effects of sesame cake extract by pointing out its application in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries