Extraction, characterization and antibacterial activity of medicinal plants for the control of food pathogens

Preservatives are substances that are added to food or used in cooking in order to stop it from going bad or growing bacteria that could make people sick. On the other hand, although these compounds are designed to prevent microbial spoilage of food, they frequently have unintended consequences for human health, the distribution network for food, and the evolution of microbial resistance. As a result of these challenges, it is becoming increasingly vital to find a natural preservative that is both safe and healthy for human consumption. In some circumstances, plant extracts are utilised both to treat and prevent food-borne illnesses. In the present study, Tinospora Cordifolia, Vitex Negundo, and Syzgium Cumini were used as a medicinal plants. Among the 3 different plant extracts, it was discovered that only one of them, the Vitex Negundo extract 400µg/ml plant extract, was shown high inhibition activity against the food pathogens. For the purpose of preventing food poisoning and preserving food, natural alternatives based on these potentially useful plant extracts can serve as an effective replacement for antibacterial agents that are generated using chemical processes. &nbsp

DataSheet1_Investigation of bioactive compounds from Bacillus sp. against protein homologs CDC42 of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causing anthracnose disease in cassava by using molecular docking and dynamics studies.docx

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, is an economically valuable crop and important staple food, grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Demand for cassava in the food and fuel industry is growing worldwide. However, anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides severely affects cassava yield and production. The bioactive molecules from Bacillus are widely used to control fungal diseases in several plants. Therefore, in this study, bioactive compounds (erucamide, behenic acid, palmitic acid, phenylacetic acid, and β-sitosterol) from Bacillus megaterium were assessed against CDC42, a key protein for virulence, from C. gloeosporioides. Structure of the CDC42 protein was generated through the comparative homology modeling method. The binding site of the ligands and the stability of the complex were analyzed through docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies, respectively. Furthermore, a protein interaction network was envisaged through the STRING database, followed by enrichment analysis in the WebGestalt tool. From the enrichment analysis, it is apparent that bioactive from B. megaterium chiefly targets the MAP kinase pathway that is essential for filamentous growth and virulence. Further exploration through experimental studies could be advantageous for cassava improvement as well as to combat against C. gloeosporioides pathogen.</p