A Review on the Potential Uses of Ferns

Man has been using plants as a source of food, medicines and many other necessities of life since ancient times. Even to this day the primitive tribal societies that exist depend on the plant life in their surroundings. Though there were investigations of the edible economic values of the higher plants, especially the pteridophytes and angiosperms have been unfortunately ignored. The pteridophytes are used in Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, Tribal and Unani medicines and provides food, insecticides and ornamentations

Blechnum Orientale Linn - a fern with potential as antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial agent

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Blechnum orientale </it>Linn. (<it>Blechnaceae</it>) is used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of various skin diseases, stomach pain, urinary bladder complaints and sterilization of women. The aim of the study was to evaluate antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial activity of five solvent fractions obtained from the methanol extract of the leaves of <it>Blechnum orientale </it>Linn.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Five solvent fractions were obtained from the methanol extract of <it>B. orientale</it> through successive partitioning with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Total phenolic content was assessed using Folin-Ciocalteu's method. The antioxidant activity was determined by measuring the scavenging activity of DPPH radicals. Cytotoxic activity was tested against four cancer cell lines and a non-malignant cell using MTT assay. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Standard phytochemical screening tests for saponins, tannins, terpenoids, flavonoids and alkaloids were also conducted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ethyl acetate, butanol and water fractions possessed strong radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀8.6-13.0 μg/ml) and cytotoxic activity towards human colon cancer cell HT-29 (IC₅₀27.5-42.8 μg/ml). The three extracts were also effective against all Gram-positive bacteria tested: <it>Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus</it>, methicillin-susceptible <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>(MSSA), methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>(MRSA) and <it>Stapylococcus epidermidis</it>(minimum inhibitory concentration MIC 15.6-250 μg/ml; minimum bactericidal concentration MBC 15.6-250 μg/ml). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids and tannins. Ethyl acetate and butanol fractions showed highest total phenolic content (675-804 mg gallic acid equivalent/g).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results indicate that this fern is a potential candidate to be used as an antioxidant agent, for colon cancer therapy and for treatment of MRSA infections and other MSSA/Gram-positive bacterial infectious diseases.</p

Ethnobotanical Information of Eulophia Epidendraea (Retz) Fischer (Orchidaceae) in the Kambli Malaikovil Forest, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu

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Application of Live Feeds in the Freshwater Ornamental Fish Larvae of Puntius Dorsalis (Jerdon)

Feeding experiment conducted under laboratory conditions, to determine the suitability of live feed for the larvae of ornamental fish Puntius dorsalis, shows the increase of specific growth rate and weight gain when they were fed with mosquito larvae( 3.284 and 8.04%/day),chironomus larvae(3.308 and 6.24%/day),chopped earthworm (2.618 and 4.39%/day). The maximum growth rate,0.614g was observed in mosquito larvae feed followed by chironomus larvae(0.522 g),chopped earthworm(0.411g) and plankton(0.405g). The present study indicates that mosquito larvae could be used as a suitable live feed for feeding Puntius dorsalis larval fishes